“Shall we sit down to negotiate?”

Upon Fabrice’s suggestion, Isillis took her seat. With a gesture from her, Allure came forward with documents in hand.

“What are these?”

“The damages your control over our waters has cost Larchen.”

“What?”

“We will not proceed until you compensate for these damages.”

Isillis’s sly smile left Fabrice shaking his head as if admitting defeat before her. Her slight nod acknowledged his resigned expression.

“Then, in return, will Larchen correct the malfunctioning magic stones you’ve provided us?”

“Since it’s our mistake, we will resolve it.”

“Agreed.”

Isillis’s smirk grew as she saw Fabrice’s stiff expression relax slightly, and even Allure smiled. She had secured everything without conflict.

Although the discussion with Fabrice was concluded, the possibility of the rough Maritime Empire citizens reacting differently had kept Isillis on edge. However, the swift conclusion of the negotiation left everyone slightly bewildered.

But what could they do?

After all, addressing the Maritime Empire’s core power device was what the Ipfaf Empire wanted from her visit. The ship smoothly sailed towards the Ipfaf Empire. Clear skies and a favorable wind, with Isillis smiling brightly beside Fabrice.

“You seem in good spirits.”

“We ended a war without shedding any blood.”

“True. You did ask for a hefty sum.”

“Ah, well, it’s nothing.”

Fabrice nodded at her casual dismissal, though his mention of reluctantly paying the sum led Isillis to cast a soundproofing spell and speak privately to him. He looked at her quizzically.

“Have you ever been to Larchen before?”

“Larchen?”

“Yes, Larchen.”

“I have.”

“Did you happen to have a relationship with a woman during your visit?”

“Why do you ask?”

At her question, his expression hardened instantly. Seeing this, Isillis was certain.

…The child Meryl was raising was his.

“It seems you need to visit Larchen, don’t you?”

“What?”

“A woman is raising your child.”

“What did you say?”

As Fabrice’s expression hardened, Isillis couldn’t help but laugh.

“Come by sometime.”

“Isillis Larchen.”

With his lips pressed tightly together, Fabrice’s expression turned stern.

Just as Isillis reached out to tease him—

“We’ve arrived!”

—The vast Maritime Empire, Ipfaf, appeared in the distance. An incredible empire floating on the sea amazed not only the wizards of Larchen who had visited before but also those seeing it for the first time.

At that moment, the sea stirred. Isillis, standing on the deck, nearly lost her balance and almost fell into the sea. Fabrice caught her hand, and Allure, watching from afar, quickly flew to her side.

[ “Help me.” ]

It was that voice again.

Isillis heard the voice growing louder. As she felt herself being pulled toward the sea, she quickly activated her magic. However, that was the problem. Something sensed her magic and dragged her under the water.

In a panic, Fabrice gripped her hand tightly, and Allure rushed to hold the opposite side. However, the force pulling Isillis was so strong that they eventually lost their grip, and while Fabrice and Allure surfaced, she was nowhere to be seen.

“Your Majesty!”

“Isillis!”

Their cries echoed emptily over the sea, which returned to its serene state, leaving behind bewildered onlookers.

As she was dragged into the depths, Isillis activated her magic in haste. However, her magic was sucked away somewhere, and she was dragged along with it.

* * *

“What is this madness!”

Berthas sprang up upon receiving Allure’s call. Initially, he couldn’t comprehend Allure’s shouts through the communication stone.

Isillis had disappeared into the sea, which seemed absurd. It was ludicrous to think that she, a master of magic, could drown. Berthas scoffed at the ridiculous statement and told Allure to stop joking. But the seriousness in Allure’s voice straightened him out.

He immediately went to Duke Verus.

“What are you talking about, Consort? The Empress has disappeared!”

“I just found out myself, so stop yelling at me.”

Berthas clenched his jaw as he spoke, and Duke Verus closed his mouth. The communication stone brightly illuminated as Allure began to speak.

“Her Majesty has been sucked into the sea!”

“Explain clearly, Allure. Why would Isillis go into the sea?”

“While traveling on a ship from the Maritime Empire, the waves grew high, and Her Majesty fell into the sea.”

“She could have easily escaped using magic, couldn’t she?”

“That’s what’s strange, Consort. She couldn’t raise any magic and was helplessly sucked in.”

“Sucked in?”

“Exactly.”

Berthas pondered for a moment before asking sharply,

“Did the Maritime Empire orchestrate this?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case. They appeared genuinely panicked.”

“Who did?”

“The admiral of the Maritime Empire came out personally.”

“Personally?”

“Yes.”

“Wait for now.”

Berthas’s intense gaze met Duke Verus, who bowed slightly in his presence.

“What do you think, Duke?”

“It wouldn’t be the work of the Maritime Empire.”

“You don’t think so?”

“What they need is Her Majesty’s magic. It wouldn’t make sense for them to harm her.”

“Do you truly believe that?”

“Yes.”

With Duke Verus well aware of the political situation around Larchen and its neighboring nations, Berthas tried to quell his rage. Yet, it was uncontrollable. As the aura of the Swordmaster began to seep out subtly, Duke Verus, concerned, was about to speak when suddenly,

“Consort! The barrier of Larchen! The barrier has!”

“What about the barrier?”

“It’s disappeared!”

The doors to the audience room burst open, and a messenger rushed in. Wizards followed suit, with nobles trailing behind them. It was chaos. Even though Duke Verus was leaving the scene, Berthas didn’t stop him, understanding he must be going to communicate somewhere else given Isillis’s disappearance.

As the invading nobles and wizards shouted at him in confusion, he unleashed his aura, something never before done in Larchen.

Raising his aura to its limit caused the nobles and wizards to regain their senses and bow before him.

“Say it again. What happened?”

“The barrier of Larchen has disappeared. Something must have happened to Her Majesty.”

The barrier of Larchen was powered by Isillis’s magic. If the barrier disappeared, it meant that something had indeed happened to Isillis.

‘…Should I really trust what Allure said about being pulled into the sea?’

He couldn’t bring himself to believe it. How could he believe that she had disappeared somewhere?

A sudden bright light appeared in the center of Larchen’s audience room. The previous Emperor and her consort, Tartos, appeared.

It was the return of the predecessors.

__