The Prince's estate was busy through the entire night.
To ensure His Highness's comfort during the journey, the servants nearly dismantled the entire kitchen, planning to transport it wholesale.
The library maids carefully selected over a thousand books, packing them into crates—terrified that the Prince might grow bored on the road.
All of their efforts, however, were rendered meaningless by a single order.
Nothing from the estate was to be taken.
The Prince required only one personal attendant to manage his daily needs.
There were three female stewards in the Prince's household—drawn respectively from the Electro Cicin Mage, the Cryo Cicin Mage, and the Mirror Maiden.
This time, the one chosen to accompany Severin was the Mirror Maiden.
Among the three, she possessed the weakest combat ability. She had assumed the opportunity would go to one of her two senior sisters—never to herself.
The moment she received the notice, her mind went completely blank.
Fortunately, her professional discipline quickly prevailed, and she forced herself to calm down.
She rushed straight to the Prince's bedroom, tending to his hair, preparing his bath, and assisting him in changing clothes.
Mirror Maidens wore blindfolds year-round, their sight sealed.
As a result, their hearing far surpassed that of ordinary people—no subtle sound escaped their ears.
"Your Highness," she said softly,
"the Empire has docked at the harbor. I heard the ship's horn. It's the fastest warship in Snezhnaya—three days and two nights, and we'll reach Inazuma."
"Your first stop is Inazuma City. It is their honor. However… I've heard that the Raiden Shogun is not particularly friendly toward outsiders. You may wish to prepare yourself mentally."
The reply she received was calm—and merciless.
"The ones who should prepare themselves are them."
"You as well."
A perceptive attendant was always able to grasp her master's intent.
At those words, the Mirror Maiden's long legs trembled slightly of their own accord.
The Prince's stance was overwhelming.
It seemed this journey to Inazuma was destined to be anything but peaceful.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Was the young Prince merely ignorant of the outside world's realities?
Or was he truly that confident?
For the sharp-minded Mirror Maiden, anticipation welled up within her. She was desperate to see what methods the Prince would employ against a nation that had sealed itself away from the world.
His abilities were beyond doubt—three years of history had proven that time and again.
But this time, his opponent was the Raiden Shogun.
Would he still be unstoppable?
"Do you know why I chose you?" Severin asked suddenly.
"Go ahead—take a guess. Even if you're wrong, there will be no punishment."
His gaze swept casually over the Mirror Maiden's tall, shapely figure.
"This subordinate is foolish," she replied cautiously.
"I cannot discern Your Highness's thoughts. Please enlighten me."
"You're taller than your two sisters."
Tall women suited a man's presence better.
"Ah? Your Highness…?"
She had assumed she was chosen for some exceptional quality.
To learn it was simply because she was tall left her faintly disappointed.
"Of course," Severin added leisurely,
"the elegance characteristic of a Mirror Maiden is also perfectly embodied in you. A long journey is bound to be dull—I trust that elegance will make it far more bearable."
Only then did she feel fully satisfied, answering dutifully:
"This subordinate is willing to do anything for Your Highness.
Caring for your daily needs is my foremost duty."
"Get up," Severin said. "It's time we departed."
That day, Snezhnaya witnessed a momentous event.
The exalted Prince was setting out as the Tsaritsa's envoy to the other six nations.
The harbor was packed shoulder to shoulder as crowds watched the Empire warship depart.
Once the spectacle faded, murmurs began to spread.
"I heard the Prince's achievements overshadowed the throne, and the Eleven Harbingers grew jealous. Her Majesty sent him abroad to restore balance."
"Is that true? If the Harbingers are at odds with the Prince, that's terrible news."
"I heard it was because the Prince angered Her Majesty. She sent him away, and when the Harbingers tried to plead on his behalf, they were reprimanded."
"That's not impossible. Look—he boarded with only a single maid. No guards. No supplies. Clearly a rushed departure."
Whispers spread through the crowd.
To the Prince's loyal supporters, such rumors were unbearable.
"His Highness represents the Tsaritsa herself! Do you know what that means? Absolute trust! You people don't know a damn thing—stop spreading lies!"
"Who knows," someone countered quietly.
"I respect the Prince, but the six nations already harbor deep resentment toward Snezhnaya. Diplomacy is at a deadlock. Whether His Highness can turn the tide… no one can say."
Inside the Empire's bridge, Severin accepted a glass of red wine from the Mirror Maiden.
"Your Highness," she said,
"as instructed, our people deliberately released those rumors at the harbor. Forgive my ignorance, but when visiting foreign nations, wouldn't it be better to make a grand display—showing resolve and power? Why do the opposite?"
Severin gazed toward the storm-lashed horizon.
"The Eleven Harbingers have made slow progress in the six nations because they rely too heavily on Snezhnaya's intelligence network," he said calmly.
"They fail to realize that our enemies can intercept the same information through countless channels—and respond accordingly."
"Given past lessons, it's better to expose a weakness deliberately.
Let them believe I am at odds with Her Majesty. At odds with the Harbingers."
"When they attempt to exploit that… they will step straight into my trap."
The Mirror Maiden's eyes shone beneath her blindfold.
"I think I understand now. Many of the merchants at the harbor are spies planted by the six nations. They'll report everything they heard back home."
"They'll be helping you transmit your message—only it will be false information, misleading their leadership."
"Brilliant, Your Highness. Truly a masterstroke."
Her admiration deepened immeasurably.
From the moment the ship left port, the Prince had already begun scheming against the six nations.
Fortunately for Snezhnaya, he was their Prince.
Otherwise, he would have become a nightmare the nation could never escape.
Severin, savoring his wine, was unaware of her thoughts.
His mind was already focused on what awaited him in Inazuma.
This was the first stop of his mission.
If everything went smoothly here, collecting the remaining Gnoses across the other nations would become far easier.
Six Gnoses.
He intended to claim every last one.
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