My lord! Our territory is rich!

Feeling their way across the river by touching Ian—though it sounded rather strange, that was Carlos's current thought.

"We can learn from their experience in this regard."

Having delivered his final assessment, Carlos said, "Dikas, keep watch on Xiahui Territory and the Spirit-Veneration Church. I want to know their every move, every decision—this is a rather important social experiment."

"For all these years, I have been trapped in the Imperial Capital by the title of eldest prince, unable to put such things into practice with my own hands. But I can still draw upon the experience of others."

As you command.

On the other side of the mirror, Viscount Dikas replied respectfully.

The reason he followed Eldest Prince Carlos was not merely because the other man could point him toward the path beyond his dreams. Carlos's attitude that anyone could learn, as well as his spirit of pursuing the forefront of the age, were both things Dikas yearned for but found difficult to imitate.

At that moment, Carlos slowly closed his eyes.

"Another one whose dreams seek to change the world... They always inspire admiration. They always make one want to sing their praises."

"Unfortunately, among ten thousand, not one can succeed. Indeed, over the past thousand years, there has not been even one."

None of this was difficult for him to guess. Ian's goal might be considered novel and incomprehensible by the other nobles of the Terra Continent.

But to the offspring of Inaga II, to the Sertal Royal Family, everything Ian was doing was merely a remake of what the Black Tyrant had once wished to do.

Only, the scale was smaller, the force weaker, the limitations greater, and the progress slower.

And so...

It was safer, more suitable, and more stable.

More likely to succeed.

But only