Outside the Rietis City Prince's Mansion.
Sean and Freya had taken a carriage here alone. After getting off, only two or three guards stood at the entrance.
It seemed this prince had great confidence in his city's security—just a few people could guard such a massive estate!
"Why summon us in the dead of night?" Sean asked Freya beside him.
It was already late at night. On their way here, hardly any shops were still open...
This Prince Philip had peculiar tastes, preferring to meet guests in the middle of the night! Sean glanced at the value displayed in the sky: [Night: Clear, 6:34:32]. Only a little over six hours of darkness remained. If Freya hadn't dragged him here, he wouldn't have bothered getting up.
It was so late!
Didn't these people ever sleep?
"You don't look too energetic," Freya remarked, glancing at Sean.
"Who would be energetic at this hour?" Sean shook his head. Since he was already here, he had to stay somewhat alert.
After all, the other party was a prince.
He hadn't received little aid from this country, so he had to show due respect to a member of the royal family.
"Bear with it. Maybe Prince Philip is too busy, which is why he chose to summon us so late." Freya wasn't in great spirits either. They had only disembarked from the airship at noon today and hadn't rested well tonight, both feeling [Fatigued!].
Strange, too—while they were still eating, a messenger said the prince invited them for a private meeting, but the time had to be in the dead of night...
So Sean and Freya had rushed over in the evening.
Under the guidance of a "pathfinder," they entered the prince's mansion through the main gate.
Sean had never been here before and didn't know if this counted as the main entrance, but the gate was quite large, so it probably was!
Late at night,
the courtyard was very quiet.
The guide carried a small lantern-like lighting tool, leading Sean and Freya through a maze of corridors, turning left and right...
Apart from the chirping of crickets, only the sounds of patrolling guards could be heard—overall, very quiet.
After passing through several dark corridors, they arrived at a brightly lit area. Many soldiers stood guard here, and outside the courtyard sat a middle-aged man with nothing to do.
He looked up at the moonlight, a [Appreciating!] status above his head.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around...
His clothes were plain. Sean guessed he was likely a steward or scholar, someone close to Prince Philip.
"Is it the Red Dragon Witch and Baron Weigel?"
Before they could answer, the guide nodded in advance.
"Follow me. His Highness the Prince is already waiting for you!" With that, he stood up and led them further into the courtyard.
The atmosphere was quiet, but the fragrance of flowers in the courtyard slightly perked Sean up.
Crossing the yard, they stopped outside a room with its door still open...
"Your Highness."
"Oh, is that Freya? Come in quickly." A voice from inside invited them in.
Sean glanced at Freya beside him and followed her inside...
It was an ordinary study. Apart from bookshelves lining the walls, there was little lavish decoration. A few crafts made from animal teeth—Sean couldn't judge their quality—but overall, the room was quite plain.
It seemed such simple studies were standard for nobles of the Bashalan Empire. He remembered entering Count Hamilton's room in Koga City, and it looked much the same.
Only two people were in the study. One wore a large animal-skin coat, with a broad face and a full beard, slicked-back hair—this must be Prince Philip.
He appeared to be in his early thirties. Nobles at the highest level always dressed to look younger, so Sean guessed his real age was around forty!
His displayed attributes were:
[HP 1300/1300, Neutral]
A fairly standard ordinary person's HP. The extra 300 points were likely from physical training.
Behind Prince Philip stood another man, burly with dark skin. His stats were much higher.
[HP 2300/2300, Neutral]
A Level 11 Order Keeper, just one level below Freya.
From the moment Sean entered, this man kept staring at him. Though he deliberately shifted his gaze elsewhere, the [Alert!] status above his head couldn't deceive Sean.
He was probably a close bodyguard.
"Your Highness." Freya bowed in greeting upon seeing him.
Sean followed suit, using noble etiquette to greet him.
"No outsiders here, no need for such formality." His tone carried a warm smile, making him feel approachable.
Suddenly, the topic shifted to Sean...
"Is this the Baron Weigel you mentioned in your letter?"
Prince Philip walked up to Sean, looked him over, then stepped back and looked again.
"Hmm, not bad! I didn't expect our country to have such a young and promising noble. Very impressive." He patted Sean's shoulder, laughed a few times, and his smile held an almost irresistible charm.
Not real magical power, but the unique charisma of a leader.
Sean couldn't quite describe it...
It was like scenes he'd seen in TV dramas: a lord's simple concern could make subordinates willing to go through fire and water without hesitation.
If not for the other party's affinity always showing [Neutral]!
Sean might have thought he'd already won the "leader's" favor through personal charm alone.
After they entered, the steward who had guided them wisely closed the door and left...
After some pleasantries, Sean knew the real questions were coming.
Upon meeting Prince Philip in person, Sean also noticed he had [Fatigued!] and [Fake Smile!] statuses.
Staying up this late to wait for them, and at such a high rank—the matter in Koga City must be very important to him.
That made sense.
The Cain Tablet was still in his hands, after all.
Sean suddenly remembered—wasn't this prince the one who had taken Count Hamilton's tablet?
"Have a seat first. Since it's so late, let's keep it brief... Freya, tell me everything about Count Hamilton in Koga City. And you too, Baron Weigel. Many nobles have reported you as one of the survivors. I hope you'll also recount the situation to me. This will benefit Koga City's future development."
He elevated the topic's importance in an instant.
Only then did Sean notice that when the prince began questioning, his demeanor was far from the "smiling prince" of before.
Sean glanced at Freya beside him, and in the end, she spoke first.