A well-dressed, middle-aged man with impeccable manners sat upright in a chair. His posture was straight, his expression calm, showing no hint of impatience despite the long wait.

Upon seeing Raylo enter, he immediately rose and performed a standard noble’s salute, hand over his chest.

"Greetings, esteemed Count of Black Stone Territory, Lord Raylo. I have come on behalf of Marquis Orlando to bring you his regards and his reply."

"Welcome, esteemed envoy."

Raylo returned the salute and gestured for him to sit.

"You’ve had a long journey. Thank you for your trouble."

The envoy retrieved a letter meticulously sealed with wax from his coat and presented it with both hands.

Raylo took the letter, broke the seal, and quickly scanned its contents.

The letter confirmed his proposal; Marquis Orlando had agreed to set the wedding date for the second weekend three months from now.

The envoy spoke with a smile.

"Lord Earl, my Marquis believes that your union with Miss Avril is the most important alliance between two of the Duchy’s great territories. Therefore, the Lord Marquis has decided that he will personally escort Miss Avril to Black Stone Territory to witness the wedding."

For a Marquis with real power to personally escort his daughter to a Count’s territory for her wedding...

This went far beyond standard etiquette. It was a sign of the highest respect and approval.

It meant that Marquis Orlando not only saw promise in Raylo as a person but also in the future of Black Stone Territory. He was willing to humble himself to show the sincerity of their alliance.

Raylo understood perfectly, and a slight smile touched his lips.

"I appreciate Marquis Orlando’s kind gesture. Please convey to the Lord Marquis that Black Stone Territory will await his arrival with the highest honors."

"I will relay your will, my lord."

After seeing the envoy off, Raylo went to his study alone.

He stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down upon his territory.

The marriage alliance with Marquis Orlando was not just a union of two families, but an alliance between two major territories.

Now that his status was that of the Duchy’s Crown Prince, such a significant event had to be reported to the Duke.

Raylo walked behind his desk, spread out a sheet of fine parchment, and took up a quill himself.

He chose his words carefully. First, he reported the victory in the Jade Swamp campaign, attributing the success to the Duke’s support. Only then did he mention his upcoming wedding, asking for the Duke’s blessing as his father.

After finishing the letter, he sealed it with wax and summoned Ed.

"Ed, send our most reliable messenger to deliver this letter to Thunder Dragon City."

"Yes, my lord."

Ed took the letter, placed it carefully inside his coat, and turned to leave.

After dealing with the letter, Raylo did not rest immediately.

The end of the war meant a new wave of work was just beginning.

All the territorial affairs that had been temporarily set aside due to the war, along with post-war matters, came flooding onto his desk.

Pensions for the fallen Knights, assessment and rewards for military merit, repair and replenishment of armaments... every single item required his personal review and approval.

The candlelight in the study burned late into the night.

Raylo rubbed his throbbing temples as a tide of exhaustion, originating from the depths of his mind, washed over him.

Activating the Head of the Demon Serpent, "Ice Wind," to unleash "Frosty Sigh" was certainly world-shaking in power, but the drain on his Spiritual Power was equally immense.

These past few days, he had appeared normal, but in reality, his mind was stretched taut like a string. The moment he relaxed, he would feel the world spin.

He knew this was a side effect of over-expending his Spiritual Power. The best remedy was also the most primitive one: sleep.

He returned to his bedroom.

Without even taking off his outer clothes, he collapsed onto the bed fully dressed.

The instant his head touched the pillow, he sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He slept exceptionally soundly.

The next day, Raylo slowly awoke. It had been a long time since he had slept until the Sun was high in the sky.

The mental exhaustion was completely gone, replaced by a long-lost sense of clarity and comfort.

After a quick wash, Raylo went to the dining room.

Lunch was already prepared: a fragrant roasted leg of venison, served with a fresh vegetable salad and a bowl of thick mushroom soup.

Moonlight and Coal Ball each occupied a corner of the table, gnawing on enormous, golden-brown pan-fried steaks.

They were steaks from the most tender part of the Corrosive Poison Wing Dragon.

Just as he finished lunch, Personal Guard Captain Ed strode in. Trailing behind him was a hunched figure in tattered clothes.

The man’s hair was matted, his face covered in filth. His eyes were unfocused and terrified, and he was muttering something over and over in a monotonous, dream-like tone.

"...walking armor... golden king..."

This was the man he had ordered Ed to find yesterday.

"My lord, I’ve found him."

Ed said.

"However, his mental state is very unstable. After I found him, I sent someone to fetch Master Barnaby. I expect the Master will be here soon."

Raylo nodded in approval.

’Ed is always so meticulous and thorough.’

He turned his gaze to the poor man.

His lips were chapped and his voice was hoarse, yet he tirelessly repeated those two phrases.

"Golden king... walking armor..."

To anyone else, these jumbled words would sound like the ravings of a madman.

But when they reached Raylo’s ears, they stirred something within him.

’According to the intelligence I received, these words could be hiding a treasure—at the very least, a valuable Tier Five Puppet.’ 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As he was pondering this, a whirlwind of a figure burst into the room.

The newcomer wore a faded grey Mage Robe and had hair like a bird’s nest. It was none other than Master Barnaby.

"Raylo, my boy! I heard you found an interesting patient?"

Master Barnaby’s eyes were bright, and when he saw the vagrant, they gleamed with the light of someone who had just discovered a fascinating new toy.

"Master, I’ll have to trouble you."

Raylo stepped aside to make way.

"Could you please take a look and see what’s wrong with him?"

Master Barnaby didn’t stand on ceremony, walking straight up to the vagrant.

He didn’t act immediately. Instead, he circled the man twice, as if appraising a piece of art.

The vagrant showed no reaction to his approach, remaining lost in his own world, muttering to himself.

"Hmm... Dilated pupils, slow response to external stimuli, a chaotic Spiritual Power field, but no signs of corruption by Magic Power..."

Master Barnaby held up two fingers and waved them in front of the vagrant’s eyes, then suddenly clapped his hands next to the man’s ear.

The vagrant flinched violently with a scream and shrank into a corner, his muttering growing more frantic.

"It was caused by a powerful Spiritual Shock."

Master Barnaby quickly reached a conclusion.

"He must have seen something beyond his comprehension, or perhaps an extremely terrifying sight. His brain shut down its normal cognitive functions as a form of self-preservation, plunging him into this state of mental confusion."

"It’s like a shattered mirror. The pieces are still there, but they can no longer form a complete image."

It was a very vivid analogy.

Both Raylo and Ed understood.

"Can he be cured?"

Raylo asked.

"It’s a bit tricky, but not impossible."

Master Barnaby began rummaging through his Spatial Bag, quickly pulling out two Potions of different colors, one blue and one green.

He walked over to the vagrant and, as if coaxing a child, half-persuaded and half-forced both Potions down the man’s throat.

The Potions’ effects were immediate.

The vagrant’s rapid breathing gradually calmed, his terrified eyes slowly became hazy, and his muttering grew quieter until it stopped completely.

The world in his eyes no longer seemed so frightening, and his tense body relaxed.

Then, under the watchful eyes of Raylo, Ed, and Master Barnaby, the vagrant who had just been freed from his waking nightmare let his eyelids droop and his head loll to the side. He plopped onto the floor, leaned back against the wall, and began to snore softly.

He had fallen asleep.

This sudden turn of events plunged the drawing-room into a moment of silence.

A muscle twitched on Ed’s perpetually serious face, as if he was trying to suppress a laugh.

Master Barnaby, however, nodded in satisfaction.

Raylo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"It seems he really was exhausted."

Raylo said, shaking his head.