An attendant crossed the solemn and majestic imperial palace. When he entered the Crown Prince’s quarters and whispered something, the listener furrowed his brow, his expression asking a silent question.

The attendant stood there for quite some time, whispering something into his ear, while the guards fixed their gazes in the distance as if they hadn’t witnessed anything.

Knock knock.

“Your Highness.”

The attendant who had shared his opinion made his presence known at the Crown Prince’s door. When permission to enter was granted, he came face to face with Jin, who was sitting at his desk turning over documents.

They say other people’s children grow up quickly, but how could you have matured so much in just a few days? The attendant silently mused as he bowed his head deeply.

“What is it? Has Minister Tweller sent word?”

Minister Maxim Tweller was currently leading soldiers south. He had been sending carrier pigeons twice daily, so Jin assumed this was related to him. But the attendant shook his head.

“No, sir. It’s a message from the border guard. They said someone used a pass issued by Minister Ian Hielo, but they couldn’t verify their identity, so they only made note of it.”

Jin tilted his head at the mention of Ian’s name. Xiaoshi, who was listening from behind, also reacted keenly, focusing on the attendant’s words.

“Lord Ian issued a pass? Using his authority as Minister?”

“Yes, yes. And now we know who used it. It’s Timothy, the envoy from Burgos.”

“Wait a moment.”

What’s this about now?

Jin rose from his seat completely and ran his hand through his hair. So Ian had given Timothy a pass, which didn’t make sense. Timothy was already a high-ranking official in the Burgos diplomatic corps and had free access to enter and exit Bariel.

Yet despite this, Ian had issued him a separate pass? Why?

“How do you know Timothy was the one who used it?”

“He has come to the palace. He says he wishes for an audience with Your Highness.”

Xiaoshi slowly closed Jin’s documents and tidied up the desk. It seemed today’s work was finished at this point.

The fact that Timothy—not a foreigner but someone actively participating in a war—had come directly to the Bariel palace suggested this was no ordinary matter. Jin gestured hastily for him to be brought in, and the attendant scurried out. In this sudden situation, Jin appeared to be struggling to assess what was happening.

“What could this be about? Why would Timothy come to Bariel? Xia, give me Ian’s note again. Was there any mention of Timothy? Why did I think he would be in Clifford?”

“There was no direct mention, but there was a part about the Burgos side bringing an envoy for diplomatic appearances when they confronted each other at the barrier. Given the importance of the matter, Timothy might have been mobilized for it. I believe that’s how you understood it.”

“But why would he come all the way to the palace?”

“We’ll know when we meet him, so please don’t worry too much. In my opinion…”

Xiaoshi trailed off and took a moment to catch his breath. From experience and intuition, if Timothy had entered the Bariel palace alone, there was only one reason that came to mind.

“To escape from one’s master, one typically seeks someone stronger than the master. I suspect Timothy has done the same.”

During his days as a slave, he had witnessed people trying to escape with some frequency. Those who foolishly ran through mountains and fields were all caught and killed, while those who showed their value to other powerful figures and begged for mercy survived their escape. Whether that could be called escape or not was debatable, but that’s how it was.

Knock knock.

No sooner had Xiaoshi finished speaking than there was a sound at the door.

When Jin granted permission, a smell of hardship wafted in strongly. It was the scent that only someone who had ridden a horse day and night could produce.

Timothy followed, bowing his massive frame halfway, and his face showed moisture that hadn’t yet dried. But Jin couldn’t tell if it was sweat or tears.

“Lord Timothy.”

Hadn’t they shared tea once in the backyard of the Ministry of Magic? Jin stood up in surprise at how different he looked from that time. Though an enemy, human compassion reached him first.

Where was the man who had been as rough and straightforward as a beast, and why was his spirit now broken like an old, powerless, exiled predator?

“I pay my respects to Crown Prince Jin.”

Timothy bowed respectfully. Not in the Burgos style, but in the Bariel manner.

Jin sat back down and observed what Timothy was holding against his chest. It looked like a stack of documents, yellowed with dirt and dust.

“I have many questions, but I trust you will satisfy my curiosity on your own. You must know about the war between Burgos and Clifford. The place you’ve walked into now is the heart of Gaia.”

“Yes. The heart of Gaia, the imperial palace. I may have lost my way, but I found it well enough. Thank you for granting me an audience.”

Jin instinctively realized Timothy had betrayed Burgos. Xiaoshi felt the same. Timothy carefully prostrated himself and reported what had happened.

“…I dedicated my entire life to Burgos with complete devotion. Burgos was my homeland and more, and accordingly, the royal family was the path I followed. But no longer. When I crossed the border, I shed everything except memories of my family, and now I wish to live for Bariel.”

“I find it hard to believe. King Damon did that to your family without evidence?”

“I myself can hardly believe this moment.”

Downfall due to internal whistleblowing.

Timothy insisted on his innocence to the end as tears rolled down his face. He thought they would no longer come, but it seems tears flow as long as one lives.

Timothy knocked his head against the floor as he pleaded.

“Your Highness, I beseech you to accept me as a citizen of the Bariel Empire. If not, I will become an illegal resident when my entry permit expires, and I won’t be able to enter any other country. Treason is a capital crime everywhere. King Damon will issue warrants for my arrest in other countries, and my body will only be able to wander through dead lands.”

While ordinary imperial citizens could naturalize through appropriate procedures, Timothy’s case was more complicated.

First, he was from Burgos, which was at war. Second, he had held a high position there. Third, his entry was not through normal channels but due to a minister’s special privilege. Fourth, his reason for seeking naturalization in Bariel was political.

Crown Prince Jin could push all this through at once. With just one word from him, everything would be processed smoothly, and a Bariel citizenship certificate would be issued.

The young man tapped the documents with his fingertips as he looked down at Timothy’s crown.

“…Why should I trust you?”

Though he claimed he wasn’t a traitor, there was no direct evidence. What if all this was Timothy’s lie? What if it was a bold ploy by Burgos to infiltrate the palace? If Timothy was truly a defector, Burgos would request his extradition as a criminal.

Yet there was also no clear justification to refuse him. Accepting him empty-handed posed too many risks for Bariel.

Swoosh.

As if he had anticipated this, Timothy took out what he was holding and presented it. Xiaoshi picked it up instead, lightly dusted it off, and handed it to Jin.

Since the document was in the Burgos language, it couldn’t be interpreted immediately, but one thing was certain: it bore the official seal of the Burgos royal palace.

“These are documents containing diplomatic transactions between Burgos and other countries. They detail what they’ve exchanged, what they’ve promised for the future, and what they’ve agreed to forget from the past.”

“Xia. Bring someone who can read the Burgos language.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring at least two.”

Just to be sure.

Xiaoshi quickly relayed Jin’s instructions to the attendants, and the outside became bustling. Nevertheless, Timothy remained steadfastly prostrated, waiting for Jin’s goodwill.

‘If Timothy’s words are true…’

This is extraordinary information.

Knowing what deals Burgos had made with other countries wasn’t simply a matter of indicators.

It revealed what they lacked and what they had in abundance, and by analyzing the patterns of transactions, one could determine their objectives. If the exchanges weren’t material, one could even understand the internal affairs of the country. Not just Burgos but also nearby countries connected to it.

“Your Highness. Here are people who can read the Burgos language.”

“Have them enter.”

Two officials entered with their heads bowed deeply.

Jin didn’t show them the inside contents but first had them read a portion of the front. Since this was important information, it was necessary to verify their identities as well. He couldn’t hastily show them everything to the end.

“First, confirm whether this is an official Burgos document.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Just a moment, please pardon us.”

They received the document from Jin and examined it carefully. As members of the Burgos affairs department, they were well-versed in how the kingdom’s official documents were prepared and distributed.

Their hands moved busily due to damage from dirt and dust. But soon they provided their answer.

“Your Highness. This is indeed an official Burgos document. This section contains the names of those responsible, and below is the title of the report. The document formatting matches that used by the Burgos Foreign Ministry, and the names of those in charge are familiar. Most importantly, the seal is genuine. Ah, that’s based on visual inspection, of course. It would be advisable to call a separate expert for the seal. But from our perspective, there appears to be no issue.”

Timothy, still prostrated, showed not the slightest tremor. Suddenly, Jin noticed something sticking out of Timothy’s possession. He realized it was a child’s toy.

Jin instructed the officials to withdraw and lightly tapped the Burgos documents to dust them off.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Please inquire, Your Highness.”

“What occupation will you pursue here if you naturalize? Someone who has eaten from the national table all his life might find other food unpalatable.”

A Bariel citizenship certificate was the minimum qualification to work in the imperial palace. What if he took an exam and became even a low-level civil servant? It would be quite a sight to see. Of course, the upper levels would arrange things so that would never happen.

“If you just permit me to naturalize in Bariel, I won’t go anywhere near the palace. I just want to live. To live and…”

All he wanted was to take revenge on King Damon, who had killed his family so miserably and horribly. If the palace was part of that process, it would be easier, but even if not, there were many paths.

Timothy bit the inside of his cheek until it bled. Just thinking of Damon’s face made his heart feel like it would twist and die.

“There will be a process to verify whether what you’ve mentioned is true.”

“I will cooperate with all sincerity.”

“And you’ll need to stay in the palace for the time being.”

At this, Timothy raised his head.

Why would they send a high-ranking Burgos official who had rolled in far away from the palace? They needed to thoroughly examine what had been imprinted in his mind throughout his life.

That would probably be more valuable than these stained documents.

“…The price seems sufficient.”

Jin nodded as he put down the documents. His eyes didn’t miss that Timothy’s naturalization was currently an extremely positive variable.