“I had an idea it would be big… but wow, this is insane.”
In front of me, there are countless wagons, piled high with supplies like a mountain.
As the lord’s son, I’ve seen supplies come and go many times, but the scale in front of me far exceeds anything I’ve encountered before.
An enormous amount of grain, refined steel, gunpowder, fabric for clothing—these are military supplies, and their scale is colossal.
Moreover, when you add in the rare items brought for trade, like magical reagents and gemstones, the amount is almost impossible to take in with the eyes alone.
Though they have paid me, their generosity exceeds expectations.
Yet, alongside my astonishment, a heavy tension arises.
“Did they really support us this much? I understand their position, but do they truly have a reason to go this far for us?”
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Even Estelle, who initiated this whole situation, seemed to have a very clear agenda, despite her innocent demeanor.
People never offer kindness for no reason, and if someone does, it’s essential to be suspicious.
It implies that they are looking to gain something from you in a way you might be overlooking.
With this in mind, I approached the meeting with the person in charge of these supplies, keeping my guard up.
“This is indeed an impressive amount. It feels entirely different from just glancing at the supply list.”
“I agree. While it’s support, sending this much… the Dragona Empire’s power is beyond imagination.”
As usual, Polena, who was accompanying me, expressed her admiration.
I nodded in agreement, but I was still on high alert.
The ‘person in charge’ waiting for me here—high anxiety knowing that someone with such a significant contribution likely has an agenda.
“Without a doubt, they are likely to make some enormous demands. What those demands are remains to be seen…”
It was impossible to deduce the exact situation from my current vantage point.
However, the sheer volume of supplies willingly given signaled to me that the conditions they would request wouldn’t be small.
“When they’re coming with a lot, they’re definitely looking to take a lot too… With this much, they must be after something substantial…”
With a heavy sense of apprehension about what kind of enormous demand might come, I arrived at the reception room with Polena.
“!…Um…”
Guarding the entrance was a woman I had never seen before.
Not exactly a beauty but not unattractive—just an average-looking woman.
Upon noticing us, she cleared her throat, seemingly tense, and then bowed politely.
“Nice to meet you. I am Blood Mary from the Dragona Empire. Are you Santana Andreas, by any chance?”
“Yes, I am Santana.”
The woman called Blood assessed us carefully, her stiff demeanor suggesting she was a bit uneasy about welcoming someone of my standing.
“I’ve come to see the person in charge. Would you guide us?”
“Ah… Yes, understood.”
Responding with a voice still tinged with tension, she cautiously opened the door.
The door to the reception room began to creak slowly open.
I entered carefully with Polena, having previously been in this familiar space to meet other guests.
In the center was a figure…
A woman shrouded in a black mask, obscuring her face.
“Is this person in charge? She doesn’t look ordinary at all…”
With an extraordinary aura and a composed demeanor, the sitting woman was said to be the daughter of a duke of the Dragona Empire…
In other words, a princess.
The title alone gives her a status that could belittle me; she held a powerful backing in the Dragona Empire, unlike my precarious position amid the rebellion.
Forget everything else—her basic background was on a different level, compelling me to take a respectful stance.
“Nice to meet you. I am Santana Andreas of Bohemia.”
“….”
A polite greeting coming from the guest’s side.
However, she remained silent, and an awkward silence fell.
This unexpected stillness filled me with a slight sense of bewilderment and intensified tension.
I couldn’t grasp why she didn’t respond.
But something that had been swirling in my mind on my way here rang a bell.
I had been thinking about the possibility of the Dragona Empire presenting us with a significant demand regarding our alliance with the Heretic Alliance.
“What could be so huge that it’s making her hesitate even to introduce herself…?”
That’s when I felt the itch of something monumental on the horizon.
“Ah…”
“…?”
In the next moment, the woman slowly rose to her feet.
Then, with trembling hands, she reached toward me.
In this unexpected situation, panic surged through me.
“What… what is happening? Why is this… woman suddenly…?”
An incomprehensible situation unfolded.
With my guard already up, the scenario began spiraling into confusion.
Then…
“…Santana…”
“?!”
A voice reached my ears.
When I heard that voice, trembling and laced with tears, I felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer.
A thought surged through my mind: This cannot be true.
The person standing before me was a princess of the empire.
There shouldn’t be a reason for that voice to come from her.
Yet…
Despite this, I couldn’t deny what was happening.
This sensation I felt at this moment…
The touch of her embracing arms…
The familiar scent emanating from her body…
And… the emotion deep within me aching with longing…
It all made it undeniably clear:
This person…
Was her…!
The one I had waited for, and waited for…
“…Cazerose?”
I called her name with a quivering voice.
Then I gently lifted her veil that covered her face.
In that moment, her face came into view…
And it was…
“I’m… back.”
“…Ah…”
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face.
Watching her smile, filled with happiness and tears, left me momentarily speechless.
Then, after a moment…
With great effort, I managed to pull out the words, still tangled in emotion.
“Uh… welcome back… Cazerose.”
