If You Don't Go Looking for Trouble, Trouble Comes Looking for You (33)

Mikael's tone was as intimidating as could be, as though he were deliberately trying to frighten people.

Ian fell silent for a while, then laughed.

"Isn't that exactly what Your Highness wanted?"

Sitting in a chair in the archives, the white-haired youth said with a hint of slyness, "With a Fourth Energy Level powerhouse like you helping us, this expedition of mine and the fairy ladies will be much safer."

That's right, talking with you really is pleasant—and you actually noticed the arrival of my Soul Light Body? The old phoenix was right. Your psionic power is unexpectedly strong, nearly approaching the legendary 'True Sight.'

Hearing Ian's words, Mikael laughed heartily, clearly very satisfied with the youth's quick reaction. As for what you said... indeed.

Too many people are watching me. I can't go there openly. Though the Fourth Energy Level is strong, compromises are still necessary.

But I know that, as Grandfather's heir, even if you have no intention of muddying the waters, you will at least go and see the other heir's 'plan,' and try to reconstruct Grandfather's true purpose back then.

The current generation's Grand Duke Solin was originally quite a mild-tempered man, yet now he has done something as mad as nearly sacrificing an entire viscountcy... He should not be this sort of person. There must be another reason behind the disaster in the Avak Region.

Perhaps, for Grand Duke Solin, this too was an accident—so we may be able to intervene instead.

Just as Ian had thought, the Second Prince also believed that Grand Duke Solin was not acting normally.

He believed that the disaster in the Avak Region should have been an accident. And this accident... was also an excellent opportunity for him to attempt to "reclaim the inheritance."

As for Ian?

Well, to people of such stature, Ian was already one of their own.

Mikael had no time to study alchemy, so Ian naturally counted as having been "reclaimed" already.

And Ian understood that perfectly well.

He did not mind it. He even welcomed it.

The Dragon-Worshiping Cult thought he was one of their own, the Alchemy Association thought he was one of their own, Count Phoenix held him in high regard, and the Inspecting Knights Order and the Second Prince also thought he was one of their own...

—A good thing!

When he became everyone's own man, that would probably be when he fulfilled his wish. Unfortunately, even for Ian, accomplishing such a thing was quite difficult.

As for Grand Duke Solin actually possessing an inheritance of Inaga II... that answered one of Ian's doubts—he finally understood where that vague sense of connection had come from.

Mikael wanted to reclaim the inheritance on Grand Duke Solin's side, and naturally Ian wanted it too.

But for now, he would let the Second Prince handle it. After all, if it was documents, getting a free copy would be far easier than he had imagined.

From now on, I will not contact you, lest anyone discover us. But once you reach the Western Frontier and arrive at the Inspecting Knights Order's temporary camp, call my name. I will hear you, and then appear.

Mikael's Soul Light Body spoke thus as the bird of light gradually faded away. I will assign a squad to you to ensure your safety... Do not forget, Ian, no matter what you wish to do, staying alive is what matters most.

Your life is extremely precious—whether to yourself, to your family, or to those of us who have invested in you...

Not to mention your dream. Whatever your dream may be, with the strength of your psionic power, it must be a grand one—do not die. Otherwise, you would be letting down your own yearning.

"I will be careful."

Ian could only answer like that. He could hear that Mikael's warning was deeply sincere, but he could not respond with much more. "Then, Your Highness, if possible, I would like to designate some acquaintances for the escorting party."

No problem.

The Second Prince naturally did not care about such trivialities. Such small matters are entirely up to you.

Mikael's Soul Light Body departed.

After remaining silent for a while, Ian sensed that the other party's gaze truly was no longer fixed on him.

—In the imperial capital, keeping secrets was truly difficult.

Thinking so, the youth became even more convinced that his cautious choice not to rashly concoct and consume the Rockforged Knight Magic Potion had been correct.

He had always been using Precognitive Vision to observe the possibility of making and consuming the potion himself, but the results had never been very good. The reason was probably here.

Especially recently, Mikael had likely been watching Ian all along.

In the eyes of this Second Prince, Ian had probably long known about Grand Duke Solin's status as an heir and would go to the Western Frontier no matter what.

He was simply catching a ride with Ian, using him to conceal his tracks.

If Ian did not go this time, that would be what made Mikael suspicious.

He might even begin to doubt Ian's identity as the "heir to Inaga II's alchemical arts"... That would not be good. Ian's disguises could only maintain people's trust when they were plausible—especially when others had deduced them themselves, as those were easier to conceal.

But they could not withstand forceful investigation. Once someone dug too deeply, Ian's disguise would inevitably be exposed.

Now, even if only to preserve his disguise, he had to go to the Western Frontier.

"Even in the haze, I still chose the right choice... Sure enough, when an opportunity comes before you, trying to flee from it for the sake of safety may instead bring danger."

"If one refuses what Heaven grants, one will instead be punished; if one fails to act when the time arrives, one will instead meet calamity. A prophet must always remember this."

With a long sigh in his heart, Ian felt somewhat relieved. "There may be some unexpected turns, but with a Fourth Energy Level powerhouse holding the line, there should not be any real danger."

"But I cannot place all my safety in Mikael's hands. My own strength still needs to advance further."

And now was a perfect window of opportunity.

To avoid being discovered, Mikael would no longer watch him until they reached the Western Frontier and he "called Mikael's name."

Aside from Mikael, no one else would care about a minor figure like him—someone with merely a little talent in alchemy—when such major events were unfolding in the Western Frontier.

"Come to think of it, responding when someone recites his name... Though it requires a specific area or object to accomplish, the Fourth Energy Level is already practically divine, isn't it? And the Fifth Energy Level probably would be no different from gods walking the earth."

With such thoughts in mind, Ian used Precognitive Vision to see through the wall and observe the feedback Frost Butterfly had sent back.

Hmm... hmm?

Ian froze.

Because the light returning from Frost Butterfly was not purple—not even cyan...

—It was silver?!

Blinking, Ian confirmed that he had not seen wrongly. Astonishment filled his heart. "What is going on—advancing to the Second Energy Level, Dual Polarity Domain, actually changed the future this much?!"

Though he did not understand why, the youth instead became wary.

This silver feedback alone was enough to tell Ian just how great the rewards would be in the enormous muddy waters he was about to wade into—those of "Grand Duke Solin, the Spirit Cognition Institute, and the Blazing Flame Lands," with "Inaga II's inheritance" added on top.

And just how many dangers accompanied those rewards.

After all, Frost Butterfly was unlike the little fairy from back then, or Elan.

Even if Ian himself died, Hua An and Mo Feng would still care for this "orphan"... Rather, truly killing a fairy was the difficult thing.

He absolutely could not lower his guard because of such enormous gains!

With that vigilance in mind, Ian called the staff back and continued registering the three fairy ladies.

Then, he designated Teres's squad as the guards for himself and the others, escorting their "special observation team" to the Avak Region of the Western Frontier.