Interlude 1: Glen and Margrave James Sargent

Once we arrived at Margrave Sargent’s manor, the current Margrave, James, led me to his drawing room. It felt like a comfortable room, with furnishings not too showy but also not plain. After giving each other our greetings, we sat across from each other on sofas.

“Can you clear the room?” I said quietly, and James nodded before having everyone present leave, closing the door behind them. “I’ll get straight to the point. Here.”

I put a letter containing orders from my older brother, the King, onto the table between us. Sealing the letter was special purple sealing wax that only the King of Chronowize could use, which looked both red and blue from different angles.

James picked the letter up, immediately opening it to read its contents. Inside, it said things like ‘Glen is acting on orders from the King on a top-secret mission,’ ‘do everything you can to assist him,’ and ‘allow Chelsea to go to the Radzuel Empire.’ Not seeing any information on Glen’s mission, how he could help, and the reason why Chelsea was being sent to the Radzuel Empire weren’t written, James tilted his head in confusion.

“We didn’t want to put any of it in writing, so I’m here to tell you verbally,” I said before going into detail as to why we were here and what the mission was about.

＋＋＋

“So you’re heading to Radzuel, which is overflowing with miasma, with Chelsea...”

The existence of the Spirit Tree and Spirits, their link to the miasma, how Chelsea was the only one who could plant the cutting, Radzuel’s request for a Spirit Tree cutting... I didn’t gloss over a single detail in my explanation. James was frowning, probably worrying about Chelsea’s safety.

“Before that, we were planning on doing something about the miasma flowing into the Sargent Margraviate.”

James’ frown only deepened. “Forgive me, Your Highness, but I thought that you had only brought one branch cutting. If you are going to plant it in the Radzuel Empire, you will not have anything to plant here. How do you plan to deal with the miasma?”

“We’re going to have Chelsea create a seed.”

“A seed...?” He looked confused at my answer.

“You must already know, but I’ll explain: Chelsea’s Skill, [Seed Creation], allows her to create ‘any seed she wishes for.’” I paused, sighing deeply. “Through our research so far, we’ve found that she really can create any seed she wishes for. A nonexistent seed for a Spirit Tree, a seed that would become a medicinal ingredient without any side effects... As long as we create a blueprint for her to follow, she can make any seed. That means it’s possible for her to make one to deal with the miasma.”

He swallowed loudly. Being able to make any seed imaginable meant that she could both save or destroy the world. He must have realized that it all depended on how Chelsea thought.

“Does she understand how dangerous her skill is...?” he muttered.

“I’ve already spoken to her about it. For now, since she hasn’t created any harmful ones, we aren’t planning on sealing her mana. I’ve promised to protect her as long as she doesn’t make any ‘bad seeds.’”

When I said that, James’ frown became even more pronounced.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, confused by his sudden change.

“Forgive my insolence, but allow me to ask something,” he started, crossing his arms in front of him. “What will become of your promise when either of you become engaged?”

If either of us became engaged, huh... I looked away, hearing him point out something I’d been avoiding thinking about.

“It’s still early for Chelsea to have a fiancé... But you have been an adult for three years, Your Highness. It wouldn’t be strange at all for you to get engaged. And if you were, how do you expect to still prioritize Chelsea’s safety?”

There probably wouldn’t be a woman alive who would accept that. At the very least, none of the women who had sent me requests for marriage meetings so far would allow it.

“I can see from your face that you think it’s impossible. If so, please, return Chelsea to the Sargent Margraviate. We’ll do everything in our power to protect her,” sighed James as I avoided his gaze.