"So—so you're really going to the western forest border? My lord, why go that far?"
Bastian's panic was palpable the moment he learned the emperor was planning to drag his Duke into a dangerous, monster-infested land, just to confirm there was no upheaval causing these creatures, who supposedly never left their nests, to suddenly attack and lay waste to the forests near the settlements.
Why did his Duke have to get tangled in such a risky ordeal? Hadn't he already gone to extreme lengths, leading a reform that, had it failed, wouldn't have just tarnished the Carter family's noble name in Winterbraun, but would've handed the entire southern region over to their enemies? His Duke should be resting, not being forced into some absurd arranged marriage orchestrated by the emperor, one that had now spiraled into an even more nonsensical hunt.
