Satoru observed the field stretching beyond the city walls.
The plain was covered with monsters. From that height, the army looked like a dark ocean extending far beyond the reach of the city's torches. Goblins, skeletons, ogres, and twisted creatures moved within the mass of bodies, forming an irregular tide that slowly advanced toward the walls.
Above them floated the Hydra.
Its enormous wings moved heavily as the Hell Demon watched the city from above with evident satisfaction.
Satoru narrowed his eyes slightly.
For a moment, he considered his options.
There were many ways to resolve the situation. He could activate his instant death aura and simply walk through the monsters until they all collapsed around him. He could repeatedly cast sixth- or seventh-tier spells until he exterminated them one by one. He could also send Hans or use summons to clear the field without much effort.
But none of those options would produce the effect he was seeking.
Satoru slowly raised his hands before his chest. One palm rested above the other, separated by only a few centimeters. Between them, a visible current of air began to form, slowly spinning.
As the flow of wind condensed between his hands, words in an unfamiliar language began to leave his lips.
The soldiers nearby could not understand a single syllable.
It was not the language of this world.
While he chanted, Satoru's mind recalled a comparison he had made many times since arriving in this world.
The magic of YGGDRASIL was superior in several aspects. Its casting speed, the clarity of its system, and the way it structured the power of spells made it extremely efficient in combat. For years, Satoru had considered that, in direct confrontation, that system was clearly superior to the one that existed in this world.
But it was not perfect.
Even ninth- or tenth-tier spells rarely exceeded a few hundred meters in range when it came to area attacks.
Satoru looked back toward the plain.
From the walls he could see how the army stretched across kilometers.
Within YGGDRASIL's system, only super-tier magic could cover such distance. However, his human body was not capable of using that type of spell.
And even if he could, Satoru had no intention of using magic of that level against enemies like these.
The magic of this world worked differently.
It was less structured and far more difficult to master, but it possessed one advantage that YGGDRASIL did not: flexibility.
By altering the verses of incantation, it was possible to modify the behavior of a spell, expand its range, or change its form in exchange for a greater amount of mana.
When he first arrived in this world, Satoru barely understood that system.
Now the situation was very different.
He had absorbed the magical knowledge of the Black Demon, whose demonic magic easily surpassed that of humans. He had also obtained the knowledge of the Sword Heroine, a mage who had mastered multiple magical traditions: human magic, fairy magic, demonic magic, and the magical knowledge of dragons.
Compared to that, altering the structure of a spell was simple.
The wind between his hands began to spin faster.
A sphere of greenish air slowly formed between his palms, growing little by little as the air around the walls began to stir. The soldiers' cloaks snapped violently and the torches trembled under the pressure of the rising wind.
In the sky, the Hell Demon narrowed his single eye.
Something about that magic gave him a bad feeling.
At first he did not move. He had wanted to see what trump card that human would reveal.
But the sphere of wind continued to grow.
The demon's instincts screamed a warning too late.
Satoru slowly lowered his hands.
"[Wind Cutter]."
The sphere exploded forward.
The air itself became a storm of blades.
An invisible hurricane descended upon the plain and advanced like a devastating wave. The first rows of the army disappeared instantly. Goblins were shredded before they could understand what was happening, skeletons shattered into fragments of bone, and ogres were pierced by hundreds of cuts that tore their flesh from every direction.
The storm advanced without stopping.
Invisible slashes stretched across kilometers while everything in their path was destroyed without distinction.
The Hydra barely had time to react.
The Hell Demon opened his eye in fury when he realized the danger.
But it was already too late.
The blades of wind pierced the creature's body from every angle. Its wings were torn apart, its heads were severed from their necks, and its enormous body fragmented in midair.
Even the demon himself was cut into pieces before he could escape.
For several more seconds, the hurricane of blades continued to sweep across the plain.
In a short time, where an army of monsters had once stood, only a field covered in remains remained.
On the walls of Muno, no one said a single word.
The wind that had accompanied the spell still moved slowly across the plain, dragging dust, loose soil, and fragments of the monsters that moments earlier had covered the field. The dark mass that had threatened the city had almost completely disappeared. Where an endless army had once stretched out, now there was only a devastated strip of uneven land marked by furrows and scattered remains.
On the walls of Muno, the soldiers remained motionless.
Some were still staring at the field with wide eyes, as if their minds could not yet accept what they had just witnessed. Others had lowered their weapons without realizing it.
No one had given an order.
No one seemed capable of doing so.
The scene had happened too quickly.
Only minutes earlier, the Hell Demon had presented himself above the army with the absolute confidence of someone who had already won. His voice had echoed over the entire city through magic, announcing Muno's inevitable end.
That threat had been heard by nearly all the inhabitants.
Many of the merchants and minor nobles who had begun preparing to flee since the demon appeared had already made their way into the streets. Others had run toward the walls or toward the city gates in a desperate attempt to escape.
But the army had appeared too quickly.
The soldiers had not even had time to close the gates.
From the streets, from the plazas, and from the open approaches to the city, countless people had been able to see the plain.
They had seen the Hydra rise.
They had heard the demon's voice.
And now…
They had seen the army disappear.
A murmur slowly began to spread across the walls and the nearby streets.
At first it was only a few voices.
Then many more.
No one fully understood what had happened, but everyone had seen the result.
The army that was supposed to destroy the city no longer existed.
On the wall, Baron Leon remained kneeling.
The impact of the wind blast had forced him to brace himself against the stone parapet, but even after the spell ended he had not stood up.
His mind was still trying to process what he had witnessed.
The threat that had reduced the city to silence minutes earlier had disappeared with a single spell.
A single spell.
His breathing was still uneven when he heard footsteps approaching.
Leon slowly raised his gaze.
Satoru was standing before him.
The young man had returned to the place where the baron knelt. His expression remained as calm as before, as if nothing that had happened held any real importance.
Leon felt a shiver run down his spine.
Minutes earlier, when Satoru had looked at him on the castle balcony, that gaze had given him a strange sense of reassurance.
Now it was different.
Satoru's expression remained serene, but something in his eyes had changed.
Under the night sky, the glow of his blue eyes seemed to outshine even the light of the stars. From the position where Leon knelt, the young man's figure was outlined against the dark sky in such a way that his presence seemed to dominate the entire space before him.
Only then did the baron understand something he had been unable to accept until that moment.
The figure before him could not simply be called human.
Leon felt his throat go dry.
Satoru watched him silently for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"Baron Muno."
The voice was calm, but there was no uncertainty in it.
Leon tensed slightly.
"A moment ago, you made a promise."
The baron immediately remembered his own words.
He had said his name and his territory would answer for any condition.
He had sworn he would fulfill whatever was necessary.
The memory of that moment returned with brutal clarity.
Leon slowly lowered his head.
"Yes…" he murmured.
Satoru held his gaze for another moment before continuing.
"I do not expect an immediate answer."
His eyes briefly shifted toward the devastated plain.
"I understand that you will need time to organize yourselves."
Then he looked back at the baron.
"I will give you that time."
The statement was delivered with complete naturalness.
As if the future of the entire barony were simply an administrative matter that could be resolved later.
Satoru turned around.
Liza, Tama, and Pochi waited a few steps behind him.
The two girls were looking at the battlefield with shining eyes, watching with fascination the devastated terrain where the army had vanished. To them, the scene seemed almost exciting.
Liza, on the other hand, maintained the same calm expression as always.
When Satoru began walking back toward the castle, the three followed without saying a word.
Along the wall, soldiers and citizens instinctively stepped aside as he passed.
No one needed to give an order.
The crowd simply parted before him.
Silence accompanied his steps as he walked back toward the interior of the castle.
***
Satoru walked calmly through the corridors.
There were very few places inside the castle that he knew clearly, and the baron's office was one of them. Without thinking much about it, he headed directly there.
Liza walked behind him with her usual firm posture, while Tama and Pochi followed a few steps further back. None of the three asked any questions during the walk.
When they reached the office, Satoru opened the door and entered without ceremony.
The room remained exactly as they had left it before going up to the walls. The mana lamps still illuminated the central table and the shelves full of administrative documents that covered the walls.
Satoru looked at the small group before speaking.
"You did well."
The three demi-humans looked up at him.
"Even though it was only a spawn, its power was comparable to that of a low-rank demon," he continued. "Being able to repel one shows that you have improved."
Liza inclined her head slightly.
"All of it was possible thanks to the training we received," she replied calmly. "You and Lord Hans were the ones who taught us to fight this way."
As usual, she shifted the credit toward others.
Behind her, Tama and Pochi's reactions were far less restrained. The two girls were visibly happy about the praise and looked at each other with excited expressions.
"That was fun!" said Tama.
"Yes!" added Pochi enthusiastically.
Liza sighed softly when she saw them.
Then she turned her attention back to Satoru.
"In comparison… I think master was more impressive."
Her words were simple and direct, without unnecessary embellishment. For Liza, it was not about analyzing magic or understanding the mechanics behind that spell. Seeing the reaction of the soldiers and the citizens to her lord's power had been enough to make her feel proud.
The two girls immediately reacted.
"Yes!" exclaimed Tama.
Tama then raised her hands in front of her chest, trying to imitate the posture she had seen on the walls, placing one palm over the other while adopting an exaggeratedly serious expression.
"Wind Cutter!"
Pochi watched her for a second before trying to do the same.
"Wind Cutter!"
Her version ended up looking more like an enthusiastic gesture than an accurate recreation of the movement.
For several seconds the conversation continued in that light tone.
Then Satoru cleared his throat softly.
The small sound was enough to regain their attention.
"I will be leaving for a moment," he said calmly.
Liza lifted her gaze slightly.
"Is something wrong?"
"The Black Demon has relayed some information to me. I want to verify it personally."
Satoru then pointed to the parchment Liza was already carrying.
"If something happens while I am not present, inform me."
The lizardwoman nodded.
"Understood."
Satoru added nothing else.
He raised a hand and magic briefly gathered around him. A circle of light appeared beneath his feet.
An instant later, he activated the teleportation spell.
Satoru's figure disappeared from the room.
***
Meanwhile, on the walls of Muno, confusion still dominated the atmosphere.
Several soldiers hurried to help Baron Leon stand up. The emotional shock of what had happened was still evident on his face. His legs seemed to have weakened after the storm of emotions he had endured over the past minutes.
Even so, he managed to steady himself with the help of the men around him.
Around them, the situation was not much different.
Many soldiers still stared at the plain, unable to look away from the devastated ground where, only minutes earlier, an army of monsters had stretched out.
The scene was difficult to accept.
Some men murmured among themselves, trying to reconstruct what they had witnessed. Others remained completely silent, their eyes fixed on the empty field.
One of the guard captains was the first to break the stillness.
"My lord…" he said cautiously. "What should we do now?"
The question seemed to release the tension that had been building.
Other soldiers began asking similar questions. Several gazes turned toward the baron, waiting for a clear order that would allow them to understand the situation of the city.
Leon heard the questions but did not answer immediately.
The truth was simple.
He did not know.
The appearance of the army, the revelation of the demon, and Satoru's intervention had all happened so quickly that he had barely been able to react. Everything had changed in a matter of minutes.
First the threat of destruction.
Then the complete disappearance of the army.
The baron breathed slowly as he tried to organize his thoughts.
For several seconds he remained silent.
Finally, he made a decision.
"Find Miss Nina," he ordered.
The officers looked at him attentively.
"Immediately."
The baron lowered his gaze briefly before continuing.
"If anyone can understand what is happening… it is her."
He did not know whether the viscountess would have an immediate solution for what they had just witnessed. But even in the worst case, Nina Lottel had always proven to be the most capable person within the barony's administration.
At the very least, she would know what steps to take.
The soldiers did not question the order.
Several of them turned almost at the same time and began descending the wall's stairs to begin the search within the castle.
***
Hours later, inside Muno Castle, the woman known within the kingdom's administration as Nina "Blood and Iron" remained seated on her bed.
For years she had served directly under the duke's authority, earning a reputation few administrators could match.
Her honorary title of viscountess did not come from a family house or an ancient inheritance. It had been granted for personal merit. In practice, she was treated with the authority of a member of the nobility.
It was a distinction granted to the individual.
Even so, that kind of recognition was rarely given without an intention behind it. On more than one occasion, titles like that eventually became the origin of a new noble house. If an individual managed to gather enough territorial stability and political power, their name could become the beginning of a new lineage within the kingdom.
The duke had had exactly that in mind when he sent her to Muno.
The barony had been slowly deteriorating for years. If anyone could reorganize the territory's administration, stabilize the economy, and restore a degree of order, it was Nina. If she succeeded, the baron could rise to the rank of count, and Nina herself would consolidate a much stronger position within the political structure of the kingdom.
In addition, her reputation carried enough weight that a letter signed by her could open more than a few doors in different territories.
But all of that ability had been rendered useless for years.
The mental manipulation of the demon that infiltrated the barony had resulted in Nina being imprisoned in the castle's dungeon. Worse still, the creature's influence altered the memories of those around her.
For more than a year she remained there while Muno's situation deteriorated further and further.
Nina raised a hand to the bandages wrapped around her head and adjusted them slightly. The simple movement caused a faint pain.
Very little time had passed since they had taken her out of the dungeon.
Far too little.
Now she sat on her bed in one of the castle's rooms. Her back rested against the wall while several pillows supported her posture. She still could not stand without assistance, and the castle's physician had been very clear about it.
Rest.
But her mind did not seem willing to obey that recommendation.
Since regaining consciousness she had not had a single moment of calm.
Nina let out a brief sigh.
"Just when I thought the worst had already passed…"
She murmured to herself, though she did not truly believe those words.
Her gaze drifted.
Nina had not witnessed what happened on the walls. When the army appeared and the demon revealed himself, she was still trapped inside the castle.
Everything she knew came from reports and hurried accounts from those who had witnessed the events.
Even so, the image that had formed in her mind was enough to provoke a faint grimace of irritation.
For a long time Nina had refused to accept the popular idea that the region was "cursed." She had always suspected there was something more behind the constant decline of the barony. Some force manipulating events from the shadows.
That suspicion had been exactly what led her to investigate too deeply.
And what ultimately caused the demon to imprison her.
Even now, however, she could not help but think that Muno possessed an absurd ability to attract misfortune.
Nina let out a dry little laugh.
"Perhaps it really is cursed after all…"
The idea did not amuse her.
Though blaming it on "luck" would not be correct either.
Nina knew the real history behind the tragedy that had marked the region's fate. Not only the popular version that was performed in plays across the kingdom, nor the original version of that play, but the facts she had discovered through her own investigations.
The incident between the fallen mage Zen and the Muno family had not happened exactly as the stories claimed.
It had not been the marquis who became infatuated with Zen's wife.
It had been his own brother.
The marquis allowed the situation to happen and tried to cover up the scandal to protect his family. That decision ultimately caused his death and marked the beginning of the territory's decline.
Muno survived only because Zen, even after his fall, had the consideration not to drag civilians into the conflict.
But the incident left a deep scar upon the land.
Over the years, the region became an enormous source of negative energy. Without a lord capable of maintaining the barony consistently, problems began multiplying. Eventually it was that depressing condition that attracted the demon.
Now that demon was gone.
But something else had appeared.
Something that might be even worse.
"Satoru."
The name crossed her mind and Nina closed her eyes for a moment.
During the few hours she had been free she had tried to gather as much information about him as possible. As soon as she regained access to the available channels of communication, she sent inquiries to the duke and to every contact she could still use.
An individual with the power described by the soldiers could not possibly have gone unnoticed.
And indeed, he had not.
What she discovered quickly destroyed her initial evaluation of him.
At first Nina believed Satoru might be comparable to a high-ranking demon. A dangerous figure, yes, but still within the known scales of the world.
The reports she received completely changed that idea.
In Seiryuu he had killed one of those demons with ease.
In the same city he had also killed an unknown hero.
More recently he had confronted the empire's hero, and that man had returned completely intimidated by the power of his opponent.
According to Hero Hayato's own evaluation, the only reasonable comparison for someone like Satoru was that of a dragon.
Nina had remained silent for several seconds while staring at the documents before tossing them onto the table.
"A dragon…"
The word left her lips as a tired murmur.
And to make matters worse, the church had confirmed a detail Nina would have preferred not to hear.
Satoru had a dragon under his command.
Nina raised a hand to her head again and closed her eyes.
The pain in her temple only grew stronger.
How was one supposed to negotiate with someone like that?
What could a being of that level possibly want from an impoverished barony like Muno?
Nina knew she could not ignore that question.
But neither could she allow herself to focus only on it. Even if Satoru's presence now dominated all her concerns, the barony still faced immediate problems. The city had just survived a massive attack, the citizens needed answers, Karina—the baron's daughter—was still missing, and sooner or later opportunists would appear ready to take advantage of the chaos.
Then an idea slightly shifted her perspective.
Why would someone like Satoru ask for anything?
An individual with that level of power did not need to negotiate with anyone in Muno. He could take whatever he wanted without facing real resistance.
For a moment Nina allowed several negative scenarios to pass through her mind. Some of them were frankly terrible. But after analyzing them one by one she decided to discard them.
Not because they were impossible.
But because if any of them were true, then there would be nothing she could do to prevent them.
So she made a decision.
She turned her head slightly toward the door.
"Is someone there?"
The door opened almost immediately. A servant cautiously peeked inside.
"Yes, Miss Nina."
"Send a message," she ordered calmly. "Tell Lord Satoru that I would like to speak with him here."
The servant hesitated for barely a moment before nodding.
"At once."
When the door closed again, Nina slowly released the breath she had been holding.
Now she was waiting for Satoru to arrive.
She was not arrogant enough to believe she could manipulate someone with monstrous power.
The reason was simple.
She was looking for an opportunity.
Fortunately, Satoru accepted the invitation.
Even so, as she waited for his arrival, Nina could not help but wonder what that decision truly meant.
Whether he would interpret her request as a simple consequence of her injuries or as an insult to his authority.
Her gaze returned to the door.
For a time the room remained completely silent. Nina focused entirely on preparing herself. Only the faint murmur of the castle reached her from outside, but her attention remained fixed on the hallway.
Then she heard footsteps stopping in front of the door.
The maid's voice came from the other side.
"Miss Nina… Lord Satoru has arrived."
Nina replied without losing her composure.
"Let him in."
She straightened her back slightly against the pillows while her hands settled over the blanket covering her legs. Her expression regained the firm calm that had defined her reputation.
The door began to open.
However, the person who crossed the threshold was not Satoru.
Instead, it was a tall man dressed in dark clothes reminiscent of a ninja.
Nina did not recognize him.
The words she was about to say briefly caught in her throat.
While she was still processing the unexpected appearance, the man scanned the room with a quick and precise gaze. He did not say a single word. After that brief inspection he stepped slightly aside.
Only then did Nina understand something.
Satoru's forces were not limited to the demi-humans everyone had seen in the city.
There were more people under his command.
Even before entering, Satoru's voice came from the hallway.
"Viscountess Nina."
The greeting was polite.
And with it, the initiative Nina had planned to take disappeared before it could even begin.
A moment later Satoru stepped through the doorway.
His presence filled the room in a way that was difficult to describe. There was no tension in his movements nor any gesture of superiority, yet it was impossible to ignore him.
Nina studied him carefully.
His appearance was… strange.
Not because there was anything grotesque or unsettling about it. On the contrary.
The word that appeared in her mind was simple.
Beautiful.
His features were too perfect, too balanced to feel completely natural.
And yet what truly made her uneasy was not his appearance.
It was the silent sensation that the man before her did not entirely fit the common idea of what a human should be.
Nina acted before the silence stretched too long.
"Lord Satoru," she said in a formal tone, "allow me to begin by thanking you."
Her hands remained calm over the blanket as she spoke.
"The city of Muno owes its survival to you. If you had not intervened, the consequences of what occurred tonight would have been… irreparable."
She paused briefly.
"I must also apologize for not being able to receive you properly or visit you personally earlier. My current condition does not allow me to move freely through the castle."
It was not an excuse. Nina had even avoided drinking a potion so that her physical state would genuinely match her words.
When she finished speaking, she remained silent, waiting to observe his reaction.
Satoru responded without delay.
"You should not worry about that."
His tone was calm.
"I understand your situation."
That small gesture was enough.
Nina released an almost imperceptible sigh, and the initial tension in the room eased slightly.
The silence that followed Nina's sigh did not last long.
Satoru resumed the conversation without hesitation.
"The reason for this meeting is practical," he said. "I need resources to continue my research."
Nina did not interrupt.
"Materials, magical tools, and consistent funding to sustain my work."
The weight of his words caused the atmosphere in the room to tighten again. After all, the man before her was someone capable of destroying an army alone, and dealing with someone like that demanded caution.
Satoru then produced a document.
Without further explanation, he extended it toward her.
Nina took it.
The list was extensive.
Different types of materials appeared carefully organized. Some were clearly magical in nature, others far more common. There were also items related to research itself: magic stones, creature cores, instruments, weapons, or components that could serve as study material.
Nina said nothing.
Her eyes moved across each line while her mind began working quickly.
At first, the volume seemed large.
But as she progressed through the list, something began to draw her attention.
Nothing Satoru requested was truly impossible to obtain.
Some materials would be costly, yes. Others would require time or trade with various territories. But none were beyond the normal reach of the kingdom's market.
Even the magical materials could be acquired if the appropriate trade routes were mobilized.
The real problem was not the materials themselves, but the immediate capital. Muno had been in decline for too long and, although the resources existed in the kingdom, the barony did not have enough money readily available to acquire them quickly.
As she processed this, Nina began considering solutions almost automatically: loans, agreements with other minor houses, or advances from merchants who still trusted the territory's administration. With her contacts it would not be impossible to gather the necessary funds.
It was then that Satoru spoke again.
"I would prefer to receive the materials as soon as possible. My research depends on them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"But I understand Muno's current situation. The barony has just survived a crisis, and reorganizing the territory will take time."
Nina slightly lifted her gaze from the list.
"While I remain in the region conducting my research, I will use my own strength to deal with problems that may arise in the territory."
His tone was as calm as before.
"If monsters appear, if trade routes are disrupted, or if any inconvenience arises that would normally require mobilizing soldiers or hiring adventurers, I will handle it."
Nina looked back at the list.
And at that moment something began not to match what she had expected.
Satoru was not claiming land.
He was not asking for political privileges.
He was not demanding rights over the barony.
Nor was he requesting something Muno could not obtain with time and organization.
What he was proposing was access to resources and funding for his research.
Nothing more.
Confusion slowly appeared in Nina's mind.
After all, Satoru was the savior of the city. The entire barony owed him its life. She herself was alive thanks to the fall of the demon he had caused.
For a debt of that magnitude, helping him with research would not have required a formal negotiation.
Muno would have agreed to cooperate regardless.
Then the question appeared.
If his request truly was at this level… why had everything before been necessary?
According to the accounts of those who had been on the walls, many felt as if a bargain had been made with a monster. That scene had led everyone to believe the barony would be squeezed to its limits.
But what she had before her now did not match that expectation.
For a moment Nina wondered if she was overlooking something.
She decided to check in the most direct way possible.
She lifted her gaze.
"Lord Satoru," she said, "in order to organize something like this, I would need to better understand the scale of your project. What level of funding do you expect… and for what period of time?"
Satoru answered without hesitation.
He indicated the amount he considered appropriate as monthly funding to sustain his research.
The figure was clear, and the moment Nina heard it her internal reaction was immediate.
That was… completely normal!
It was not an absurd amount. It was not a sum that would empty the barony's coffers. In fact, it was the kind of funding a noble house could allocate to an important project without much difficulty.
"I understand," she finally replied.
But inside her mind the confusion had only deepened.
If that was truly the magnitude of what Satoru wanted, then the situation everyone had feared simply did not exist. What stood before her was not an impossible demand, but an agreement clearly tilted in Muno's favor… and that was precisely what made it strange.
Nina looked at him more carefully.
"Lord Satoru… do you truly consider those terms appropriate for you?"
There was no irritation in Satoru's expression.
The question did not seem to surprise him.
"Yes," he replied naturally. "What I need is a place where I can work."
He was not seeking political power nor control over the barony.
"I need stability."
His words were calm, yet firm.
"My research requires many different materials. Instead of searching for them myself, it is more efficient to rely on a region capable not only of obtaining them but also providing the quantities required."
For someone like Satoru, it was a practical matter. He did not need a kingdom or a court, only a place where his work could advance without constant interruptions.
"Muno can fulfill that role if it manages to recover."
The statement did not sound like a promise or a warning, merely a simple conclusion.
Then he continued.
"Working with large noble houses would be more troublesome."
Nina slightly raised her eyes.
"Wealthy territories are always surrounded by political interests, family conflicts, and obligations that sooner or later drag in anyone who gets too close. That kind of environment does not interest me."
Satoru was perfectly aware of something.
If someone attempted to pressure or manipulate him within that kind of political structure, the result would probably not be pleasant for anyone. Avoiding such environments from the beginning was simply the most reasonable option.
"Muno is in a different situation," he continued. "It is a territory that needs to stabilize. It has no margin for complex political games."
Then he added, almost as a final observation.
"That makes cooperation more straightforward."
The room fell silent again for a moment.
Then Satoru looked at Nina once more.
"Besides… you are clearly a competent person."
There was no exaggeration in his tone.
"Someone with your ability can manage the administrative and logistical side far better than I can."
Nina did not respond immediately.
Because what Satoru had just said implied something quite clear.
He was not trying to compete in the political arena.
Nor did he intend to.
"I prefer to handle these things directly," Satoru concluded. "It is simpler for everyone."
From his point of view, the situation was simple: he needed resources to continue his work, and Muno needed to recover and stabilize.
If both cooperated, both would obtain what they sought. A simple, straightforward conclusion and at the same time… somewhat naïve.
Faced with his words, Nina could not help but remain silent for several seconds.
She had expected to meet someone calculating. Someone who, aware of his power, would use that advantage to extract everything possible from the situation. But the more she listened to him speak, the harder it became to fit him into that idea.
His words were not embellished, nor did they hide ulterior motives. He simply said what he wanted… and nothing more.
The impression it created was strange.
It was not naïveté. Nina knew, from the reports she had gathered and from the way he had handled the situation in the city, that Satoru was not foolish. Quite the opposite.
And yet…
There was something in his attitude, in the direct way he explained his motives, that produced a feeling she found difficult to describe.
A word suddenly appeared in her mind.
Dragon.
She remembered the way Hero Hayato had described him.
For a moment that comparison began to acquire a different meaning. Dragons were forces of nature that no kingdom could stop, intelligent creatures yet free in a way few races could understand.
They ate what they wanted. Slept where they wanted. Did what they wanted, whenever they could.
Not because someone allowed them to.
But because they could.
The idea that arose from that thought surprised her.
Like a child.
Not because he was immature or ignorant. Rather because of the purity in his words. They were not idealistic or naïve; they were simply sincere and transparent in a way Nina rarely encountered in important discussions.
For a moment she tried to find a logical explanation for that feeling.
But none came.
The only thing she could say with certainty was something much simpler.
The person she was speaking with… felt strangely young.
Nina lowered her gaze for a moment. The list remained in her hands, slightly tilted from the moment she had begun thinking.
Her eyes passed over some of the lines written on the parchment, more out of inertia than necessity. Nothing had changed. None of it hid a trap. It was exactly what Satoru had explained: a place to work and a territory capable of sustaining his research over time.
Her fingers settled gently along the edge of the parchment before she lifted her gaze again.
When she spoke, her expression had already returned to its usual calm.
"I understand. Then I will ensure that the barony fulfills it."
The acceptance came with the same calm with which she had listened to the entire explanation.
"I will arrange what is necessary."
Her gaze remained steady on Satoru, calm and professional. Nothing in her expression revealed the thoughts that had passed through her mind moments earlier.
Satoru simply nodded.
"Good. When your condition allows it, send someone to find me. Then I will be able to begin my part."
After that brief reply, he turned and walked toward the door. Hans moved a step ahead of him to open it, allowing his lord to leave the room.
The meeting had concluded.
*************
Author's Note:
This chapter ended up being a bit longer than usual because I didn't want Nina's introduction to be an entire chapter on its own, so I thought it worked better to combine both parts.
I hope it didn't feel too heavy to read. Nina will be one of the relevant characters going forward, along with a few others, so I hope at least her introduction didn't feel off-putting.
That's all for now. See you in the next episode.