My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 167

§ 167. Guests Arrive in Ruben (1)

Cyan led Conrad and Elena into Ruben.

“Lucas, I’m counting on you.”

Cyan entrusted the immediate aftermath to Lucas.

He wanted to handle it himself, but he couldn’t leave the Crown Prince and Princess waiting outside the Dark Forest.

And, in truth, it was hardly a major aftermath.

It mostly involved treating the injured and clearing debris.

There weren’t any critical issues, but attention was still needed.

“……”

However, Lucas’s expression as he looked at Cyan was peculiar.

He seemed confused by the situation.

Of course, he knew that Kai and the White Wolf Knights were expected.

Cyan had informed him of that in advance.

But not about the Crown Prince and Princess.

Lucas and the others had no idea that the Crown Prince and Princess were visiting Ruben.

And it seemed like…

He had also just heard the news that Cyan had been granted the title of Count.

For Lucas and the residents of Ruben, it was an unbelievable and perplexing turn of events.

But there was no time to stop and explain everything.

“Don’t worry, Lord.”

Lucas seemed to understand this, as he nodded without pressing for details.

Cyan left the cleanup to Lucas and headed to the Lord’s Castle within Ruben.

Thus, they proceeded along the road leading to the Lord’s Castle.

“W, what is this…?”

“G, good heavens…!”

Conrad and Elena exclaimed, one after the other, upon entering Ruben.

Conrad momentarily forgot his princely composure, his mouth agape.

His head swiveled, almost straining his neck, as he took in the sights of Ruben.

And with good reason, given the spectacle before Conrad.

“This is… Ruben…?”

It was impossible to think of this as a mere territory.

First of all, the quality of the buildings was astonishing.

Each structure, even the seemingly randomly placed ones, was almost on par with those in the Imperial Palace.

And the areas for commerce, agriculture, animal husbandry, housing, etc., were neatly divided.

The zones were perfectly delineated according to their purpose.

Even though it was Conrad’s first time in Ruben, it was easy to discern the function of each area at a glance.

Darkan, the most developed city in the Empire, and perhaps on the entire continent, wasn’t even like this.

Even Darkan had underdeveloped areas and shadowy corners.

But Ruben was different.

Everywhere the eye landed, everywhere the feet trod, words like “awe-inspiring” and “fantastic” came to mind.

“This is a territory located in the Dark Forest…?”

It wasn’t just Darkan.

No territory or city in the Empire could compare.

To be blunt.

Someone unfamiliar with the Charlotte Empire might mistake Ruben for the capital, not Darkan.

Besides.

“Aren’t those… dwarves?”

Dwarves were visible everywhere on the streets.

They looked at Conrad and Elena with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

The curiosity was directed at Conrad and Elena themselves.

The fear seemed to stem from the earlier clash with the White Wolf Knights.

In any case, they appeared to be residents of Ruben.

But dwarves as residents…?

They already knew that Dark Elves resided in Ruben.

They had dealt with them directly during the Northern incident.

And they had heard from Cyan that dwarves were also present.

But seeing them in person evoked a different feeling.

Because dwarves were known for their stubbornness.

It wasn’t for nothing that they were called the race of artisans.

Although they had become more accommodating than before, they still didn’t readily live alongside humans.

They typically formed closed communities within their own tribes.

But here, they seemed to coexist harmoniously with other races.

“Is this… is this really a territory?”

Conrad’s jaw remained dropped.

And Elena was equally astonished.

Even though Elena had visited Ruben before, she was no less surprised than Conrad.

In fact, because she had been to Ruben before, the shock was even greater.

“H, how could it be like this…?”

Because it was so different from her memory.

The contrast between the Ruben of then and the Ruben of now was immense.

It had only been a few months.

But the current scenery looked as if it had developed over centuries.

The reason was simple: there was a difference of over 100 million gold [currency] between the Ruben Elena had seen and the current Ruben.

Ruben, completely transformed by an investment of 100 million gold.

From Elena’s perspective, unaware of this fact, the shock was overwhelming.

A remarkable rise. A sea change.

No words could adequately describe this transformation.

“N, no way…”

“T, this can’t be…”

Elena and Conrad could only repeat these phrases.

As Conrad and Elena marveled at the scenery and beauty of Ruben,

They arrived at the Lord’s Castle.

And the appearance of the Lord’s Castle.

“What is this…!!”

“H, here too…?”

Conrad and Elena couldn’t help but be amazed once again at the sight of the Lord’s Castle.

The Lord’s Castle, upgraded from Lv.2 to Lv.3 this time.

Its grandeur and structure were, frankly, unmatched even by the Imperial Palace.

To be even more honest?

One could argue that the Imperial Palace paled in comparison!

“How on earth…?”

Therefore, Conrad struggled to believe it.

Because the Imperial Palace was built a thousand years ago when Charlotte founded the Empire, by Arnise and Morcru, renowned as the Divine Craftsmen.

The magnificent Imperial Palace, even after a millennium, remained unparalleled.

No architect in the Empire could replicate it.

That the Imperial Palace seemed inferior…?

That meant.

That the architect who built this Lord’s Castle surpassed Morcru.

But was that even possible?

That an architect existed who surpassed Arnise’s level?

Conrad and Elena could only stare at the majesty of Lord’s Castle Lv.3 with their mouths agape.

And Cyan, the owner of this Lord’s Castle Lv.3.

“Ugh…!”

Cyan couldn’t regain his composure.

Pain shot through his body with every step he took.

The injuries he sustained in the clash with Kai seemed more severe than he had initially thought.

But he believed he would be alright.

To be exact, he thought he would recover.

He couldn’t leave Conrad and Elena waiting outside, and he had the blessing of the World Tree, Instiz.

So he thought he could endure it.

But instead of improving.

“Agh…!!”

Somehow, the pain was intensifying.

The twisted mana [magical energy] was wreaking havoc internally.

Something seemed amiss.

The World Tree’s blessing, Recovery Speed +7,000%.

He shouldn’t rely solely on that.

Recovery speed was just that, recovery speed.

It didn’t completely heal the injury.

It was incredibly effective for external wounds, but it could be detrimental for internal injuries.

For example, when a bone is broken.

It only accelerated the bone’s healing process.

Therefore, realigning the bone was crucial.

“Are you… alright?”

Conrad asked worriedly, noticing Cyan’s continued pain.

Elena also looked at Cyan with concern.

“I’m… fine.”

Cyan forced himself to speak.

“Cough…!!”

But he couldn’t suppress the pain.

The twisted mana was completely turning his insides upside down.

Something seemed wrong.

The World Tree’s blessing, Recovery Speed +7,000%.

He shouldn’t just rely on that.

Recovery speed was just that, recovery speed.

It didn’t completely heal the injury.

It was incredibly effective for external wounds, but it could be poisonous for internal wounds.

For example, when a bone is broken.

It only increased the speed at which the bone healed.

Therefore, the process of returning it to its original position was essential.

“Don’t push yourself and get treatment. Don’t worry about us.”

“Yes, Young Master. Something terrible will happen if you keep going.”

Cyan hesitated at Conrad and Elena’s words.

But he quickly changed his mind.

“Ugh…!”

Because in his current state, he couldn’t properly greet his guests.

He wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Instead of suffering alone, it would be better to seek treatment from Ellie quickly.

“I apologize, but… I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time, don’t overdo it.”

“No. It’ll be quick, please wait in the Lord’s Castle for a moment. Hans will be inside. He will show you around.”

Cyan said, hurrying towards the treatment center.

#

After Cyan left,

Conrad and Elena entered the Lord’s Castle.

And the sight that greeted them inside.

“Heh…”

Conrad exclaimed, forgetting his princely decorum.

A neat and comfortable atmosphere.

Yet, it didn’t feel outdated.

In fact, the classic style was emphasized.

He wondered if it was appropriate for the Crown Prince to think this.

Compared to this place, the interior of the Imperial Palace felt like rags.

As he admired the interior of the Lord’s Castle,

“I am Hans, assistant to the Young Master. It is an honor to meet Your Highness the Crown Prince and Princess.”

An elderly voice spoke from the front.

It was Hans, the administrator of Ruben.

“Ah, you’re Hans. I’ve heard a lot about you from Cyan.”

Conrad nodded with a small smile.

It wasn’t a lie; he had indeed heard many stories.

Whenever Cyan and Ruben were discussed, Hans’s name invariably came up.

Therefore, Conrad knew how much Cyan trusted Hans.

“Please come this way. I will guide you to a room where you can rest until the Young Master returns.”

Conrad followed Hans.

The room they arrived at.

As expected of the Lord’s Castle, the room was impressive.

The view of Ruben from the window was stunning.

Even the atmosphere was cozy and inviting.

He wanted to collapse and rest immediately.

If he didn’t hold the title of Crown Prince, he would have.

“Now I understand why you were so eager to come to Ruben.”

Only then did Conrad understand Elena’s obsession with Ruben.

Elena started to say something, but stopped herself.

As they looked around the room,

“I have brought some refreshments for you both.”

Hans returned with a large tray.

On the tray were various treats, including cookies.

As if freshly baked, warm steam rose from them.

Elena’s eyes sparkled.

As Hans placed the refreshments on the table, she quickly!

Elena sat down at the table.

And as if someone would steal them,

She began to devour the refreshments.

Fortunately, her ingrained princessly manners kept her somewhat in check.

Otherwise, she would have appeared quite gluttonous.

One, two.

Elena kept eating.

One plate was emptied in an instant.

Elena reached for the next plate.

Then, perhaps sensing Conrad’s gaze,

She paused.

Elena’s hand froze.

And she looked troubled.

Then, she demurely placed her hand in her lap.

“O, Older brother, have some… too.”

Elena said.

Conrad chuckled.

Would it make a difference if she acted modest now?

Especially with crumbs on her mouth.

And both cheeks puffed out like a squirrel.

Conrad sat next to Elena with a smile.

And picked up a refreshment.

The shape was decent.

But it couldn’t compare to what he had eaten at the Imperial Palace.

The head chef in charge of the Imperial Palace’s food was the best in the Empire.

But this was made by a cook in a territory.

Not only the cooking skills but also the level of ingredients had to be different.

No matter how great Ruben was, it couldn’t compare in terms of food.

Conrad took a bite with mixed expectations and doubts.

Crunch.

The taste of the refreshment filled his mouth.

And as expected.

Conrad immediately realized Elena was lying.

What he had eaten at the Imperial Palace was trash.

Objectively speaking, it wasn’t that bad.

“…!!”

What he had eaten at the Imperial Palace was not trash but sewage!

“W, what is this…?”

Conrad opened his eyes wide and savored the taste.

Delicious…?

No, it wasn’t just delicious.

It melted in his mouth.

The moment the refreshment touched his tongue, it dissolved.

Truly an unbelievable, heavenly taste.

He couldn’t describe it with just “delicious!”

But was this possible?

It was not a joke.

What he had eaten at the Imperial Palace was no different from sewage!

Conrad involuntarily reached for the refreshments.

And not to be outdone, Elena hurriedly reached for them too.

One, two.

Conrad and Elena ate as if they were competing.

“I will tell Dana to bake more refreshments.”

Hans left.

But Conrad and Elena didn’t hear him.

They didn’t even notice he was leaving.

Grab, crunch.

They were focused on the refreshments.

The refreshments disappeared, leaving only one.

Grab. Grab.

Conrad and Elena’s hands overlapped.

And they looked at each other.

“How about you let your younger sister have it, older brother?”

Elena said, raising her eyes slightly.

And Conrad, who would have normally agreed,

“Didn’t you eat plenty last time?”

This time, he didn’t.

Once again, Conrad and Elena’s eyes met.

“It’s not good for your health to eat too many refreshments.”

“You should wipe the crumbs off your mouth before you say that.”

At Conrad’s words, Elena flinched.

And she wiped the crumbs from her mouth.

Conrad smiled and said.

“If you marry Cyan, you can eat as much as you want. So let me have this one.”

Conrad brought the last refreshment to his mouth.

But Elena grabbed his wrist and said.

“Anyone would think we’re already married. You know the Young Master is a tough nut to crack, older brother.”

“That’s how it is now, but it won’t be forever. Since we came to Ruben together, I’ll help you.”

“Then let’s talk again after we get married. And if that happens, I’ll load a carriage full of refreshments and send them to you, older brother.”

Neither was willing to give up the last refreshment.

A typical sibling squabble.

It didn’t seem like a conversation between the Crown Prince and Princess at all.

The two people’s eyes met again.

The will to not concede collided.

Then, just as they were about to fight over the refreshment.

-Hey.

A strange voice was heard.

Conrad looked around.

But there was nothing.

Conrad wondered what it was, but dismissed it.

There was no way he could have heard “hey.”

The only beings in this room were himself and Elena. Only two people.

Only the Crown Prince and Princess were in this room.

Who would call them “hey?”

Only the Emperor and Empress could do that.

But the Emperor and Empress didn’t call Conrad “hey.”

So he must have misheard.

Conrad focused on the last refreshment again.

But Elena, somehow, seemed different.

Flitch!

Elena’s body trembled.

At the same time, Elena’s face turned pale.

“Elena?”

Conrad asked.

But Elena didn’t answer.

Instead, her shoulders trembled.

She looked scared.

Just as he was wondering what was wrong.

-Huh? Are you ignoring me again?

Once again, a strange voice was heard.

And this time, he didn’t mishear.

It came from the table where the refreshments were placed.

A woman’s head popped out through the table.

Long, silvery-white hair and a captivating appearance.

And grayish-white eyes.

Human, but not human-like.

Also, the body was slightly blurred.

People called this.

“Ghost…?”

…they expressed.