Progress at the Research Institute

"Stop, Wisdom Shield, or they'll be punished again."

Vivienne glanced back at the guards chasing them.

The two soon stopped, and the guards quickly caught up.

"Your Highness, Miss Vivienne, it's almost dark. Please return to the city."

Wisdom Shield turned to Vivienne.

"Vivienne, I'm usually so busy that I hardly have time for you. Would you like to camp out tonight? If you do, we won't go back."

Vivienne's ears reddened at his tender words.

"Don't say that, Wisdom Shield. Let's go back. There are too many mosquitoes out here at night, and I don't want to be covered in bites."

"All right. On the next full-moon night, I'll have someone bring mosquito repellent. Then just the two of us can camp out and admire the moon."

He turned to the guards.

"Let's go back."

After returning to the Royal Capital and parting from Vivienne, the smile Wisdom Shield had worn all evening slowly gave way to a heavy expression.

Much had happened within the Kingdom of Moss over the past few years. To advance Wisdom Shield's reforms, Moss XIII had used Duke Griffin's treason case to deal with many diehards.

As that wave of political purges swept through, many of Wisdom Shield's people had seized the chance to fill the vacancies.

Amid this changing of the guard, power in the kingdom was quietly changing hands as well.

Moss XIII's health worsened by the day. He no longer had the strength to help Wisdom Shield deal with threats from outside; Wisdom Shield would have to handle them himself.

Now even from the Royal Capital, tall smokestacks could be seen. Exhaust purified through special magical channels drifted skyward in straight white lines.

After parting from Vivienne, Wisdom Shield did not hurry back to the Crown Prince's Manor. Instead, he went