The imperial princess known as Seraphina possessed the flawless, refined beauty that was a hallmark of the Radiance Dynasty's royal line.
Her features were remarkably soft, yet beneath the princess's incomparably haughty and aristocratic bearing, they radiated a sharp, commanding brilliance.
Even Faust, who had grown accustomed to peerless beauties like Viviana and Eleanor and had cultivated the most discerning of tastes, could not help but acknowledge that the princess before him was truly extraordinary in her appearance.
She fell only marginally short of the Cinderella blessed by fate with transcendent charm.
And Seraphina, of all people...
"So it's her."
Expecting Faust to remember the royal families of every kingdom would have been thoroughly unreasonable, an impossible ask.
But the key figures of the Empire, those he had to understand, no matter what.
For the imperial clan of the Radiance Dynasty had held an iron grip on the Empire's power for centuries.
The reason was simple: the Empire's founding ancestor, the dragon-slayer, had pioneered a path all his own, a path that only those carrying imperial bloodline could inherit.
This was the painstaking legacy the founding emperor had crafted to ensure his descendants would remain forever great and noble.
In this fairy-tale world, most aristocrats of the mystical arts possessed bloodlines that gave them an innate edge over common folk from birth. Yet for most, it was nothing too extreme, amounting roughly to "a hero father begets a capable son."
The Radiance Dynasty, however, was in an entirely different weight class. Their imperial bloodline was nearly divine in nature.
The descendants of the dragon-slaying hero, regardless of individual talent, could seamlessly inherit the ancestral path known as the "Radiance Sovereign," and upon reaching adulthood, they ascended beyond the mortal realm automatically.
Born with it, brother. Truly born with it.
And precisely because of this, in order to make the most of their bloodline advantage, the Empire had never had a single emperor after the founding generation.
Every member of the imperial family served as a governor-general overseeing their own domain, and all of them together formed a joint ruling council.
This "Seraphina" was one of the rare imperial royals of the Second Empire, one who had distinguished herself brilliantly during the previous civil war.
"I've heard the name. After all, every member of the imperial family is renowned far and wide."
Faust extended his hand and shook the Second Empire princess's, while at the same time taking quiet, unobtrusive stock of Seraphina.
He noticed that her long, apricot-yellow hair, which cascaded down like a waterfall, had most of its ends and roots in a vivid sky-blue.
Yet it didn't look like deliberately dyed highlights. The sky-blue strands were even more brilliantly vivid than her natural apricot-yellow locks.
Seemingly sensing that Faust's gaze had caught the unusual coloring at her hair's ends, Seraphina raised a finger to twirl a strand of hair resting on her shoulder and smiled.
"Curious about this? It's a gift from Lord Lian, a mark that only those who belong to a dragon will bear."
The princess tilted her chin upward slightly, her expression Radiancely proud, as though becoming a traitor to humanity and a "dragon's lapdog" was some supremely honorable distinction.
"I see."
Faust gave a nod. Without genuine, heartfelt reverence for a true dragon, one could never become a dragon's follower and stand against the entire world.
Seraphina strolled leisurely down the train's aisle, trailing her fingers lightly along the tabletops, and remarked with an appreciative click of her tongue:
"Honestly, when I took on this assignment from Lord Lian, I'd already prepared myself to cross the border on foot. I never expected to find a city this modern out here in such a remote borderland."
Hearing someone praise his own accomplishments in governance, Faust perked up at once, his eyes brightening:
"Building this railway took no small amount of connections and effort on my part, but the returns have been well worth it. Aurum has become a trade hub acknowledged by all the smaller kingdoms in the surrounding region.
Our allied nations conduct large-scale transactions here, and given time, Aurum's influence and standing will gradually climb, until it becomes... well, never mind. That was an idea from before, still half-formed."
Faust's original plan had been to draw the neighboring allied kingdoms together into a small-nation coalition, then incrementally expand his influence to achieve a kind of joint governance. Only that way could he compensate for the Kingdom of Aurum's inherent weaknesses and fragility.
But now, with an alliance with the Second Empire already settled, there was no need to bring that plan up.
Seraphina pressed her knuckles thoughtfully to her chin and gave a contemplative nod:
"Would you take me on a tour of your kingdom's development? Even though the alliance is at Lord Lian's direction, I've come as a special envoy all the same, and I'd like to understand our future allies a little better."
"That goes without saying."
Faust acknowledged that he should indeed fulfill his duties as host and lead the Second Empire's delegation on a tour of the royal capital.
Imperial royalty had no need for a formal welcoming banquet; a journey of several dozen hours was beneath Seraphina's notice. They set off together to view the commercial district, the trade center, the workshop quarter...
Faust explained to Seraphina how he had planned and constructed everything, and the imperial princess nodded frequently, raising questions and offering suggestions along the way, which left the Prince of Aurum unable to suppress his growing excitement.
After all, the people around him before this had shown little interest in such topics. Whether it was his royal father, his elder sister, or his childhood sweetheart, none of them had any feel for the art of governance.
"I have a rough understanding of this kingdom now."
Outside the weapons workshop, Seraphina rested her hands on the railing, letting the night breeze wash over her:
"I've only seen it briefly, but I'm confident, even within the Empire, you would have what it takes to serve as governor of a core province."
Though her tone carried the bone-deep pride native to imperial royalty, this was no small evaluation coming from Seraphina. A single core province of the Empire could match three or four Kingdom of Aurums put together.
Faust swept his arm in a grand, spirited gesture:
"This is only the beginning. Once we set foot on the path of rising, Aurum will bring peace, prosperity, and glory to every subject under its banner!"
Yet to the prince's surprise, the princess who had just been lavishing him with praise suddenly shook her head.
"That's not possible."
Seraphina's jewel-toned eyes fixed on Faust with a meaningful, penetrating gaze. She stepped closer and whispered:
"No nation can sustain more than fifty years of prosperity and peace. It is absolutely impossible."
"Lord Lian told me you are also someone who has awakened from within fate's grasp. Then you should already know: fate will not permit such a thing to happen. No matter how earnestly one longs for peace, strife and conflict will always emerge.
No matter how painstakingly one builds and maintains, some senseless calamity will always come."
Faust saw in the imperial princess's eyes a fury that defied easy description. Seraphina's voice trembled as she spoke:
"Small nations like Aurum, great dynasties like the Radiance one, it makes no difference. All are slaves. All are prisoners."
After whispering her loathing into Faust's ear, the imperial princess's expression returned to its composed composure as quickly as it had changed. She clasped her hands behind her back and bounced lightly on her toes.
"Earlier in our conversation, you mentioned hoping to import a few production lines from the Empire?"
Faust nodded. "Yes. The Empire should have the most advanced technology available, and as allies, I hope to obtain both the technology and supporting infrastructure from you. Weapons technology as well, ideally, if that can be arranged."
Seraphina arched a delicate brow.
"Of course it can be given. You are an ally personally designated by Lord Lian; there is nothing that cannot be given... but the problem is, even if it is given, it will be of no use. It will only drag your country into the abyss."
What riddle are you speaking in now?
Noticing Faust's slight frown, Seraphina smiled:
"Let's find somewhere to sit down and talk through it properly."