Without a need or reason for smuggling anymore, the journey ended surprisingly quickly. Maintaining the proper cruising speed of the airship, it wasn't difficult to reach the capital in about three days.
If there was any issue, it would be the complicated entry procedures. But even that wasn't a big problem. Elfihera was the one who had to deal with the trouble.
If she hadn't been useful for that purpose, they wouldn't have brought her along in the first place.
"I'm dying of exhaustion!!"
Elfihera sprawled out on the deck, grumbling. They had now arrived at Idranhil, the capital of the Kalion Archipelago.
Even airships had to complete their entry procedures at sea here. This was because the military vessel docking area was located at the sea port.
Whenever a warm breeze blew, the blue sea rippled gently. The waters were too clear to be the harbor of a major city. The almost emerald-colored seawater surrounded the island.
"Wow..."
"Wipe your drool. You really look like a country bumpkin who just came to the big city. Hehe."
When Lucia and Lundis gaped at the distant cityscape with their mouths hanging open, Elfihera laughed with a shrug.
At her words, Lundis frowned sharply.
"Even the smallest city in Andgrund is wider and more magnificent than this!"
"Ah. Are you talking about that cozy little cave village?"
"Elder, today I shall become a righteous executioner."
"Not allowed."
"You've betrayed our people, Elder!!"
"I am not a dwarf."
At Ivan's words, Lundis ran into the cabin, sniffling. Ivan sighed and looked at Elfihera.
"Don't tease him."
"But it's fun. And he's cute."
She chuckled and continued.
"Lord Coenulf left to check on the sword. He'll be back in two or three days. In the meantime, shall we do some sightseeing around the city? I'll be your guide!"
"Later."
Ivan gestured with his chin toward the massive white castle gleaming in the midday sun.
"We should meet with the Queen first. What's the procedure?"
"Well, it's not difficult. Submit an audience request, have it reviewed by the court... about two days?"
"...That quickly?"
This was strange. Normally, it should take much longer to meet with a monarch of any country. Even official procedures through diplomatic channels usually took a couple of months.
Moreover, this was the land of elves. Long-lived races had a distorted sense of time. For those who lived for centuries, a couple of months was but a moment.
Usually, when the Counterintelligence Command requested cooperation from Kalion, it took at least half a year for approval. (Conversely, requests from Kalion would receive complaint letters if not processed within two weeks.)
"Her Majesty the Queen is quite free."
"Free, you say."
"It's the same with humans, isn't it? The more authoritative a position, the busier it is. They arrange things so that work can only proceed when they personally handle it."
Authority is equivalent to approval power. Typically, leaders twist the approval rights of tasks so that it wouldn't be strange if all work came to a halt without them.
As a result, even if it's just a matter of stamping a seal, operations become impossible without that trivial act.
It was the most common way to secure one's power. Holding the final decision-making authority in one hand.
No wonder Elizabeta was buried under mountains of paperwork every time they met.
"So our Queen has no choice but to be leisurely."
A monarch in name only who has delegated all authority to the Privy Council. The only reason she is respected is for one thing alone: the symbolic bloodline that manages Aldrenwell, the ancient forest.
All old elves gradually become trees. This is not a metaphor, but literally true. Elves who have lived long lives and finally grown sufficiently tired of the world take root in the earth and harden.
Therefore, elven funerals, unless they died in battle, are all handled as woodland burials. It's a forest of naturally deceased elves.
A communal cemetery where beings whose individual lives span historical epochs have passed away over generations. The oldest graves date back to the mythical age. And that's just within about 20 generations.
In terms of species, elves are young. The genealogy of the race hasn't even passed through 20 generations. But in terms of history, elves were the closest race to the gods in this world.
Those who built civilizations even when gods walked the earth directly. Those who developed culture by imitating the power and techniques of the gods.
Technologies that qualify as "ancient" by elven standards have all been lost. They've become techniques that can never be reproduced without the geology and atmospheric environment of that era.
The Milestone is a prime example of this.
After expounding on the greatness of her race for quite some time, Elfihera laughed and said:
"Anyway! It means it's not difficult to meet our Queen in about two days. Hehe, I happen to know someone in the High Astronomical Office."
"Then let's go to the Astronomical School."
Because he needed to meet Beolgrin.
At Ivan's words, Elfihera awkwardly rolled her eyes.
"That's a bit of a problem...!"
"What is it?"
"My father isn't there right now...?"
Elfihera closed her eyes tightly and said:
"It's been about 8 months since he disappeared without contact... Umm... But you don't need to worry too much. Usually when elf mages disappear for a year or two, it just means they've locked themselves in their lab for a bit of research!"
"Do you know where that lab is?"
"I was thinking we could meet someone who can solve both that issue and the audience problem at once... Would you like to come along?"
"Let's do that."
Hermon Warrensil was a high-ranking official in the court, serving as the Royal High Astronomer. He was a prestigious nobleman almost certain to enter the Privy Council after retirement.
In an office at the Court Administration Building of Idranhil's Eternal Palace, Hermon was peacefully enjoying his time as usual. The High Astronomer typically had no work to do.
Until someone suddenly burst into his office without even knocking.
"Have you been well?!"
He made no effort to hide his disgruntled expression as he looked at the junior who had abruptly barged in.
"Good to see you. Without even a letter."
"I don't want to stay long either?"
"I wonder who you got your rudeness from."
"Your teacher."
"Sigh."
Hermon waved his hand with a deep sigh. Soon, warm tea appeared on the table. He crossed his long legs elegantly and leaned back in his ornate chair.
"Is the human who came with you a bodyguard?"
"You could say that. Elf."
"You've brought an interesting human."
Hermon looked at Ivan with a smirk. He quickly scanned Ivan up and down and whistled.
"Good physique. From Krasilov?"
Is this elf doing background checks? As Ivan's eyes grew hostile, Hermon lightly waved his hand.
"Ease up. There aren't many muscular races walking around with such gloomy faces except for those from Droan or Krasilov. The Droan ones are a bit more loudly insane, while the Krasilov ones are a bit more quietly insane."
"Wow, did you see that, Lord Yeremov? That's the elven insight. Surprised?"
"It's dizzying."
Hermon took a sip of tea and asked:
"So what brings our cute junior here?"
"Where's my father now?"
"What am I supposed to say when his daughter asks me that?"
"I'm asking my father's disciple because I don't know either. Honestly, you're closer to my dad than I am."
"Why did you go study abroad then? You could have just quietly learned at the school."
"Well... that, um. Ahem. You don't need to know about that. So where is my father?"
"I don't know."
Hermon shrugged. At this, Elfihera's ears twitched. Before she could burst into anger, Hermon hastily continued:
"I really don't know. Is Lord Grikenkos the type to report where he's going when he leaves? He disappears without a trace every few years."
"You don't even know what he went to do?"
"He doesn't report that to me either. Let's see. 8 months and..."
"13 days."
"Hmm?"
Ivan closed his eyes with a sigh. Hermon tilted his head at the sudden remark, then quickly expressed admiration.
"How did you know?"
"I briefly contacted him in Krasilov during that period."
It was when the elven airship (now renamed as the Krasilov airship) crashed in the airspace above St. Yansk University.
That was the last time he possessed the body of the elven captain. Ivan frowned suddenly as he mulled over the memory.
"Elfihera. Didn't you say you contacted Beolgrin right before the tournament?"
"Yes, through a crystal ball."
"So he was still in Kalion until then."
He was active in Kalion until the tournament that took place last summer. After all, he personally dispatched Edelplat to Krasilov.
Then if it happened after that...
'Alexandr incited the dwarf rebels and necromancers to spark a civil war, and plotted with the 1st Legion.'
Beolgrin disappeared at that time...?
When Ivan spoke directly with Beolgrin at that time, he was tracking Alexandr. And from the last point he was confirmed—
'They said the method of contacting the 1st Legion used "elves."'
That was the reason he became certain that Alexandr was hiding in Kalion. Then, to summarize somewhat boldly, it's one of two possibilities.
Beolgrin went missing at the point when Alexandr "definitely" hid in Kalion. In other words, Beolgrin has already been assassinated.
Or.
The reason Alexandr could "definitely" hide in Kalion. And the background that allowed him to carry out external operations using elves from the beginning...
'If Beolgrin directly helped him. If that guy joined hands with Alexandr, the framework makes sense.'
Ivan felt his shoulders stiffen as he froze for a moment.
Assuming Alexandr and Beolgrin joined forces, most questions would be resolved. The reasons why a foreign royal with no connections, who had only experienced failures, could infiltrate elven society and command elves like his own limbs.
But if that assumption is correct.
'I must confront Beolgrin.'
The question of how immediately comes to mind. How on earth should one deal with that man?
Ivan had seen Beolgrin fight countless times. In most cases, when he observed combat methods so closely, he would devise strategies to counter the subject.
It was instinctive. Even with Maximillian. Regardless of whether it was possible or impossible, it was a thought experiment that began naturally.
How should one deal with that person? What are their weaknesses?
For Gil Berd, Einar, and even Maximillian, there were at least minimal countermeasures, but not for Beolgrin.
In combat situations, as a trained agent, he could mimic fighting styles he had seen once. But magic was a different matter. Perhaps because magic didn't exist in the 21st century, he was particularly vulnerable to it.
'Beolgrin. What are you thinking?'
Ivan sank deep into thought.
"Why is that human suddenly acting like that?"
"Leave him be for now. He gets like this sometimes. He won't answer even if you ask him?"
Elfihera turned her gaze away from Ivan, who had fallen silent after some realization. Anyway, she needed to buy some time now.
If that man was forgetting his surroundings to this extent, it must be no small matter.
"Would it be possible to have an audience with Her Majesty the Queen?"
"I can ask. She seems rather bored these days. Two days from now?"
"Just as expected."
"I'm dying too. She keeps asking me when would be the most auspicious day for her to die."
"Wow, can an astronomer of your rank even know such things?"
"Do you think I would?"
Hermon shrugged with a smirk.
"The Astronomical School is really only necessary when sailing beyond Kalion waters. Do you think looking at stars shows you the future?"
"Isn't that what the Astronomical School gathered for?"
"How can you be like this when your father is the dean? You haven't learned any astronomy at all, have you?"
Hermon grumbled as he sipped his tea.
"It's not prophecy, it's rationality. What would stars know? Starlight is magical power sent from very far away tens of thousands of years ago."
"...Oh..."
"Some stars from twenty thousand years ago, some from just two hundred years ago. How could they read the future of this land at this very moment? Does that make sense?"
"Then why look at stars?"
"While there's no standard in the magical power sent by stars, standards emerge when that magical power passes through this land's atmosphere. This is interesting. Look? In the world there's some—"
"I'm getting sleepy already."
Sensing an academic discussion was about to begin, Elfihera yawned while stretching. Seeing her reaction, Hermon shook his head and put down his teacup.
"How can you be so unlike your father?"
"I take after him in intellect and appearance."
"If even those were different, I might believe you were adopted. So what else are you curious about?"
"You must be bored too, senior?"
Elfihera chuckled and glanced at Ivan. He was still deep in thought. She figured he needed more time to wake up.
If that's the case, well, I should support him. What else can I do? Our leader is reviewing strategies.
Elfihera grumbled quietly to herself and turned her head.
"Ah, you said it's useless in Kalion. Why is that?"
"Within Kalion waters, the magical power of starlight has no meaning. What good is it if misfortune, unhappiness, calamity, or disaster falls as it penetrates the atmosphere? The magical power of the Great Filter flows in the sky above this land."
"The Milestone?"
"Yes. Heavenly fortune. Prosperity. Flourishing. Happiness. No matter how vast the magical power of the sky is, it's meaningless. So asking me to find an auspicious day is ridiculous. Every day is auspicious—what am I supposed to do?"
Hermon laughed as if joking, but Elfihera felt a slight chill inside.
They're trying to turn that off now...?
The ancient artifact that twists the flow of the world to make the elven lands prosperous...?
Her gaze shifted sideways. She soon found herself meeting Ivan's direct stare.
As she looked into those deep blue eyes for a while, her ears, which had risen in fear, slowly drooped.
Whatever. Our leader looks like that right now. Wow, really. How can a person be...
"Let's go. We need to meet Edel."
"Ah, I was glad to see you too, human. Thanks, but there's no need for that."
"Thank you."
"Well, he's not completely without manners. Our junior's path ahead will be rough."
Hermon grinned as he looked at Elfihera's melting face. Noticing his gaze, her face turned bright red as she shouted:
"Don't say useless things! If you see my father, tell him his daughter is looking for him, and it's urgent!"
"Sure. Take care, and come to the front of the palace in two days. Morning-ish? Roughly."
"Why is that 'roughly'?"
"Because no matter what time you come, be prepared to wait a couple of hours. Go on. Your senior is busy."
"Busy with what? You said the astronomer has nothing to do."
"You think I'll end my career at the Astronomical Office? I have lobbying to do, you know? The world of adults is this busy. This is why college students..."
Elfihera waved goodbye to Hermon, who was making a fuss, and stood up.