‘Even you are just a tool.’

It was a remark that seemed absurd.

How arrogant, to name the successor to the Empire as nothing more than a tool.

If even one of these nobles present in front of him had heard those words, they would have gone wild and demanded that Arendt’s head be cut off immediately.

But Cantares didn’t think that was entirely wrong.

Of course, it’s a little annoying.

‘At least he doesn’t try to hide the snake inside him.’

Rather, if it had been properly shown, it would have been better for Arendt to use what he had than anyone else. He was a person whose thoughts were completely incomprehensible, but at least he did not hide his true intentions.

Unlike the ones he faced now.

The purpose was to explain recent events and come up with countermeasures.

As the East Safe, Marquis Grieg’s mine incident, and this auction house raid were exposed to be all linked together, the nobles’ expressions changed by the minute, because just guessing and hearing it directly from the Crown Prince’s mouth were two different things.

It was Marquis Lanford who spoke after a long time.

“…It was said that Your Highness would issue a proclamation to the entire Empire,” Marquis Lanford asked politely.

Cantares responded without any change in expression.

“Yes, I plan on seriously investigating the marks the enemy is using. Is there a problem?”

“No, there’s no problem. I just want to ask again whether we need to be a little more careful.”

“There has already been a lot of damage. Is there a need to be more cautious here? I think it’s already a little too late for that.”

A cold chill appeared in the eyes of Cantares, who was smiling brightly. Then, Marquis Lanford’s brow furrowed slightly.

“…I did not mean to offend Your Highness. Please forgive me.”

“No. I think that an active exchange of opinions is the most important nutrient for developing the Empire, so I hope you will continue to speak frankly.”

The Crown Prince spoke leisurely, sitting up straight.

“I know what you’re worried about. The person who sourced the information may not seem trustworthy yet.”

“…”

The conference attendees flinched noticeably. Everyone knew who the Crown Prince was referring to.

Arendt von Eckhart.

Here and there, useless coughs were heard.

This situation made Cantares realize just how much Arendt’s presence had grown recently. Originally, no one would have been interested in the name of a mere apprentice knight.

Cantares felt a little cheerful as he watched the imperial elders express their discomfort towards a man who still had a childish look on his face.

“Of course his actions are questionable enough, but I don’t think that should mean that the things he risked his life for shouldn’t be considered.”

“Naturally they should be, but there are so many coincidences.”

As Marquis Lanford said this, several others slowly nodded their heads.

“Which coincidences?”

“Please do not be angry and listen to me, Your Highness.”

“Speak.”

“The Imperial Knights are in an honorable position that allows them to assist His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince more closely than anyone else. Everyone knows this, so I understand that His Majesty pays special attention to personnel selection.”

In the quiet conference room, only the voice of Marquis Lanford rang out clearly.

“So, one of them, Sir Arendt von Eckhart, must also be a talented person of that caliber. I heard that he is very skilled in swordsmanship for his age. However, we cannot ignore his actions, misdeeds, and the events prior to the East Safe incident.”

In other words, if his words are condensed:

“I am not sure whether Sir Eckhart’s sincerity is genuine. I believe others will feel the same way.”

That’s it.

Cantares rested his chin on his hand and waited quietly for the next words.

“I know it is not a good idea to be suspicious of young people. However, since it is a matter of national affairs, I think it is right to be extremely cautious.”

“That’s not entirely wrong.”

As soon as the Crown Prince’s positive words came out, there was a small commotion in the audience.

Cantares sat up straighter and continued speaking.

“I can’t say that my judgment is always right. Sir Laius is a trustworthy commander, but as you all know, he is a man who loves his subordinates very much, so he may not be able to look at Sir Arendt objectively.”

There was no reply from Marquis Lanford. The others remained silent as well.

Well, the Crown Prince has already said everything he wanted to say.

After a long pause, it was Cantares who broke the silence once again.

“Oh, time is up. Let’s end it here for today and discuss it further next time.”

Everyone rose from their seats with a troubled expression and bowed their heads toward the Crown Prince.

However, as Cantares left the conference room, a faint smile appeared on his lips, as if he was plotting something evil.

The person who best fits the saying, “Knowing hurts” is Arendt.

‘The one who hits first wins…’

This was a kind of preemptive strike.

In fact, it was no different from putting a poisonous snake in a respectable gentleman’s pocket, but unfortunately, no one seemed to have noticed it.

‘Didn’t you ask me to gently push you forward?’

He was starting to wonder how Arendt’s three-inch tongue would shine against those serpents.

“Eh?”

Arthur was the first to discover the person blocking their path. When he let out a strange sound, Arendt also raised his head to check the situation.

“Thank you for your hard work today, Sir Arthur Norbert and Sir Arendt von Eckhart.”

An old gentleman they had never seen before approached them slowly, carrying a pack on his back. Arthur looked puzzled, but soon recognized him and bowed.

“Good morning, Marquis Lanford.”

“Well, it’s not Sir Arthur I’m interested in, it’s the apprentice knight next to you.”

“Yes?”

Arthur looked back at Arendt.

The reckless youngest knight simply stared indifferently at the Marquis, as if he had expected the situation.

“Give me a moment, Lord Arendt.”

“I learned not to follow strangers.”

“…A stranger?”

“Yes, I don’t know you. Do you know me?”

“Hey, hey!”

Arthur, terrified, quickly tried to cover his mouth, but Arendt easily dodged it by quickly bending his upper body.

“We haven’t even exchanged greetings, and you don’t seem particularly familiar, but if you want to say you have business with me, you should first identify yourself.”

Marquis Lanford’s face hardened.

The Marquis, who had been pressing his temples several times as if trying to calm his anger, finally opened his mouth again.

“Just as I heard…”

“He’s reckless. He’s shameless. He’s presumptuous. I’ve heard them a lot, at least one of the three.”

“You, you, you… are you crazy?”

Arthur shouted, but Arendt just covered his ears as if it was noisy.

Now the Marquis seemed to be having a hard time controlling his expression. He seemed to be dizzy from the feast of words he had never imagined hearing from such a young person.

Arthur, caught between the two, couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease, but Marquis Lanford, unlike many who have been insulted by Arendt, made a wise decision.

Instead of scolding Arendt, he calmly opened his mouth again.

“I see. Since you have only recently entered the palace, you might not know who I am.”

Oh, it looks like he’s not just some idiot.

As Arendt watched him blankly, a smile that no one had seen crossed his lips.

“I am Lowell de Lanford. I govern a fief in the north of the Empire, and occasionally do small work for the Imperial Treasury. Would you mind giving me a moment of your time?”

Well, if he came out that politely, Arendt, who had been scratching the back of his head several times, nodded readily.

“Yeah. Well, I don’t really have a schedule.”

“Hey, but…”

“I can’t help it. Someone higher up has asked to see me.”

It was quite blatant and at first glance it sounded insulting, but it wasn’t wrong.

Arthur hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and started nagging Arendt.

“Don’t be rude. Marquis, I’ll go first.”

Arthur, who had an uneasy expression on his face until the end, quickly walked away from that place.

When the two of them were left alone, Marquis Lanford looked at Arendt with a slightly new feeling.

He was as handsome as he had heard, but he was much more innocent than he had imagined.

But those calm, settled eyes didn’t look childish at all.

‘I guess he’s not an easy guy that could be figured out at first glance.’

It was a voice full of displeasure that woke Marquis Lanford from his reverie.

“What is your business? Why did you stop a passerby?”

“I’m sorry. Actually, I don’t really have anything to say. I just happened to see you passing by and wanted to talk to you for a bit.”

Marquis Lanford fixed his expression and opened his mouth again.

“You can think of it as an old man’s blunder. Your name has been mentioned so often in recent meetings.”

“Why is everyone so interested in me?”

“Your humility is excessive. I have heard that you have helped the knight captains and have accomplished great feats.”

“It’s nothing. I just did them in the heat of the moment.”

He was always indifferent to compliments on his work.

“In the heat of the moment… that’s an interesting thing to say. It’s definitely something you can only do when you’re young.”

A small smile appeared on the corner of Marquis Lanford’s mouth.

Arendt, who had been quietly observing his expression, suddenly let out a short sigh.

“And as you know, Marquis, if they tell me to roll, I have to roll.”

“Huh? Because Lord Arendt is an imperial knight?”

“That’s not all.”

Arendt glanced around and showed his wrist to the Marquis. The silver bracelet hidden under his uniform was revealed in the sunlight.

Only then did the Marquis truly understand Arendt’s words.

“Huh… It’s a leash.”

“If I want to live, I must do whatever His Highness desires. I will do so by any means necessary.”

Arendt grumbled as he adjusted his bracelet again.

What those words meant was that he did not follow the Crown Prince because he liked him.

A glint came over Marquis Lanford’s eyes.

“That… must have been hard.”