"Ilay is quite busy, haha." To ease the awkwardness, the Duke gave two dry laughs.
Nabe, on the other hand, was dismissive; she had no desire to converse with inferior beings.
In this situation, even the thick-skinned Duke felt a bit restless. He represented the Blood Emperor's prestige and could not stoop so low for a mere worker.
"Then I shall take my leave."
"Wait."
This was the first time Nabe had spoken on her own initiative, and the Duke, who had already risen, felt like he was about to cry.
He had been ordered to win over Ilay and his companions and not to act disrespectfully, so he had been patient. He hadn't expected Nabe to be so unfeeling, yet despite being treated this way, he didn't feel angry.
This made even the experienced Duke sigh at the power of beauty.
Nabe spent a few seconds brewing a cup of tea and placed it on the table. "Please enjoy it while you wait."
The Duke looked at the still unfurled tea leaves and sat down, steeling himself. "Thank you."
Since he had waited this long, an extra hour or two didn't matter.
Just then, a knock sounded, and a servant rushed in, whispering something into the Duke's ear.
Nabe naturally heard it clearly, but she pretended not to. Although her acting wasn't great, the Duke clearly didn't notice, as he was engrossed in thought.
It wasn't until late afternoon that Sig appeared at the agreed meeting place.
By now, he had changed into ordinary clothes, wearing a white shirt on his upper body, and the mask on his face had been replaced with a new one, though it still couldn't hide the overwhelming sense of weakness.
"What does the Duke need from me? Let me say first, I cannot take on any tasks for now. I apologize for making you wait so long."
The Duke waved his hand, indicating he didn't mind, then showed a concerned expression, completely devoid of aristocratic airs.
"It was my visit at the wrong time that made you come here with your ailing body."
"I see, has this matter spread so widely?" Sig sighed, his tone seemingly helpless.
Nabe's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and her gaze towards the Duke became a bit more dangerous.
The Duke forced himself to take a sip of tea, feigning composure, and comforted him, "Ilay, this matter isn't entirely bad. You might not know about the heroic deeds of the Silver Knight. Fighting him will only make your reputation soar."
"Oh? Is he very famous?" Sig asked, puzzled.
"It's not just about being famous. The Silver Knight was a figure from a hundred years ago, one of the Thirteen Heroes. His appearance this time is probably not simple; something big might be about to happen."
The Duke's guess was quite astute; he wasn't just a messenger. However, the Blood Emperor wouldn't keep idlers around; one needed some ability to gain a foothold.
Sig then asked casually, "Could it be an impersonation?"
"Unlikely. You have also witnessed his strength, haven't you? Why would you ask such a question?"
It seemed Sig had underestimated the influence of a Fifth Tier magic caster. It was hard to believe a strong person simply popped out of a rock, but with the explanation of the Silver Knight, it became much more reasonable.
"I just wasn't sure of his identity."
After using this to deflect, the Duke didn't press the matter. His evaluation of Ilay had already risen a notch; this was reasonable respect.
"My purpose in coming here is actually to convey a message. The Emperor has always been paying attention to Ilay and hopes to have a chance to meet him."
With such earnest words, Sig had no reason to refuse. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Is that so? What's the location?"
The Duke was overjoyed; accepting the meeting meant there was a chance. Next, it was a matter of trusting His Majesty's charisma, and his mission would soon be complete.
"The arena will host a Martial King's match the day after tomorrow. At that time, a dedicated person will escort you to the private box."
"Then I'll trouble you. I also wish to behold His Majesty's heroic presence."
Although he knew these might be polite words, the Duke didn't say much more, leaving with a smiling accompaniment.
Sig picked up the teacup and sniffed it, looking at Nabe with a playful expression. "It's not good to treat guests like this, you know."
Nabe visibly panicked, her ponytail drooping, and she lowered her head, looking like she had done something wrong.
"But this isn't our territory either. Let's go back for now; we have things to do tomorrow."
Sig revealed a triumphant smile and tapped Nabe's little head.
"Mmm, as you command." Nabe covered her head, wincing in pain, and puffed out her cheeks.
Walking back, Nabe couldn't help but ask curiously, "Ilay… Sir, what are we going to do tomorrow?"
"Meet someone named Fluder, but human names might be hard for you to remember."
"I'll try my best!"
Thinking of Lupusregina, who could get along with humans, Nabe felt she couldn't continue to be so sluggish. She clenched her fists.
Sig hadn't expected Nabe to be so motivated. Just as he was about to encourage her, Lupusregina ran over from a distance.
Sig patted both of their heads, one with each hand, and smiled, inviting, "Let's go for a walk together. I've been too busy to let you relax."
Lupusregina happily snuggled closer along Sig's hand, playfully sticking out her tongue, "Great! Let's go buy some delicious food."
Just like a large canid, Sig suddenly had this feeling. After all, werewolves were a type of canid, weren't they?
After wandering around the Central Market, time quickly moved to the next day.
Located in the heart of the Imperial Capital, the Ministry of Magic was where all the Empire's magical technology was concentrated. Its head was Fluder, and the most heavily guarded tower was his daily residence.
At this time, Fluder was conducting magic experiments with his disciple, as always, researching the topic of the Death Knight, although there was still no progress.
Ever since he captured this Death Knight five years ago on the Katze Plains, he had tried to dominate it, but even his self-created Sixth Tier magic had no effect.
Fluder firmly believed that if he could dominate the Death Knight, he would far surpass Rigrit, one of the Thirteen Heroes who was a necromancer, but the current situation couldn't help but make him disheartened.
"Master, three people are requesting an audience with His Majesty's token." A man rushed in, he was Fluder's favorite student, responsible for the security of the Ministry of Magic.
"Who is it?"
"The one leading them claims to be Ilay of Dragon Slayer, the newest worker team."
Fluder remembered the three-person team that had recently gained fame in the Empire. Before considering why they wanted to see him, he was already looking forward to discussing magical knowledge with the rumored high-tier magic caster, Ilay.
Since they held the token, their master Jircniv must also want to see them, and he couldn't afford to be negligent.
He commanded with slight urgency, "First, take the three of them to the lounge; I will be there shortly."