"Greetings, Father!"
Inside the Bach Empire's royal palace, First Prince Eric approached a lavish study and bowed in greeting to the King of the Bach Empire seated behind the desk.
"Mhm, sit down!" The king did not even raise his head, continuing to examine the many letters in his hands.
"Father, did you summon me this time because you have something to instruct me?"
Unlike when he was outside, Prince Eric now conducted himself with perfect propriety. Both his words and bearing suited his status as heir to the throne.
"There is a letter from the Nock Empire. Have a look!" The king paused his work and handed a sheet of letter paper from the desk to First Prince Eric.
Eric quickly read through the letter after taking it.
"This... that fellow actually appeared in the Nock Royal Capital, and he has even gotten acquainted with Duke Miller of the Nock Empire?"
After reading the letter, First Prince Eric's expression shifted between light and dark.
The person mentioned in the letter was the only one in recent years who had ever made him suffer a setback—the country bumpkin Nalant.
Back then, because Nalant had displeased him, First Prince Eric Eric had specifically sent one of his guard captains to deal with Nalant.
Yet who would have thought that not only had the matter failed, even his guard captain had vanished without a trace.
Afterward, Eric had many suspicions. He wondered whether his subordinate had betrayed him for some reason, or whether the beastmen had killed his guard captain for reasons unknown.
But later, when he secretly sent people to investigate, he was surprised to discover that it was not only his guard captain who had disappeared.
Even the Pighead People tribe he had contacted had been wiped out, their camp