EIYTMA Chapter 2

The Emperor of Muirenas had three sons and one daughter.  

 

After his firstborn prince died of a fever before reaching three months old, the Emperor made a vow to the seven gods. He swore that, no matter who the next child was, he would offer them to the gods. So, he pleaded with the gods to grant him a child.  

 

The child born afterward was Étienne. But upon seeing his newborn son, the Emperor no longer wished to give his child to the gods.  

 

Thus, he made another vow. If he offered Étienne to the gods, Muirenas would have no heir, leaving its future uncertain. Instead, he promised to offer the next child.  

 

And so, Ezekiel was born.  

 

Ezekiel was an exceptionally beautiful and intelligent son. The Emperor even considered offering Étienne in his place. But a promise was a promise.  

 

At the age of eighteen, Ezekiel became a Holy Knight of Udahl, the god of storms, thunder, and truth. A sacred mark symbolizing his status as Udahl’s knight was engraved on his neck, and his soul became the property of the god.  

 

…He thought that was the end of it.  

 

“Ezekiel, I need you to do something for me.”  

 

The crown prince, Étienne, had summoned Ezekiel three months ago.  

 

At the time, Ezekiel had already heard the news that the youngest princess, Geneviève, had thrown the imperial palace into chaos, refusing to marry an old magician.  

 

So, Ezekiel assumed Étienne had called him merely to pacify Geneviève. After all, the young princess always listened to him.  

 

But he was wrong.  

 

“I want you to escort Iris.”  

 

Ezekiel was momentarily dizzy at the unexpected name from Étienne’s lips. A name he had buried deep in his memory had suddenly resurfaced.  

 

“Iris… Who is that?”  

 

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, Ez. You do know her. Iris Querluxia. The daughter of Baron Querluxia.”  

 

Ezekiel closed his mouth. He knew Étienne was watching him, scrutinizing his reaction. Étienne smiled slyly.  

 

“Have you forgotten the trouble we ran into on your leave a few years ago?”  

 

“…So you mean that Querluxia.”  

 

Ezekiel barely managed to answer. As if he had just retrieved the name from the depths of his memory. Étienne shrugged.  

 

“Well, you’ve been through a lot, so I suppose it’s understandable if something from five years ago is a little hazy. But it was just five years ago, Ezekiel.”  

 

“I remember. But… for what reason do you need Lady Querluxia…?”  

 

Iris Querluxia. A woman from a house so insignificant that even calling it humble would be excessive. Why was he suddenly being ordered to escort her? Ezekiel asked, his gaze wavering slightly.  

 

Étienne surely noticed, but he only smiled as if nothing had happened.  

 

“Geneviève refuses to marry him no matter what, so what choice do we have? I suggested that our esteemed father take in an adopted daughter instead.”  

 

“…!”  

 

Ezekiel clenched his fists unconsciously. But Étienne continued speaking.  

 

“An adopted daughter is still a daughter. Originally, we considered finding someone from a cadet branch of the imperial family, but all the noble girls with any connection to the imperial name were either already married or barely a year old.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Then I remembered. ‘The Lame Baron.’”  

 

Baron Querluxia. That was what people called him.  

 

The reason was simple. Baron Querluxia had originally been a knight without a title in the imperial capital. One day, by sheer chance, he saved the Emperor’s life. More precisely, he threw himself forward to catch the Emperor when he nearly slipped and fell from a marble terrace.  

 

Unfortunately, in the process, Baron Querluxia’s leg was broken, leaving him permanently lame. The Emperor, who was a boy at the time, granted him a baronial title and a small estate, as if bestowing a favor.  

 

That title, however, was one of the many that the Emperor owned, and upon Baron Querluxia’s death, it would revert to the imperial family. It was undeniably stingy.  

 

“Anyway, it’s not difficult to claim she’s from a cadet branch. The title belonged to His Majesty in the first place.”  

 

“But… as far as I remember, she should be over twenty years old by now.”  

 

Ezekiel hesitated before speaking.  

 

In truth, his memory was not hazy. He knew for certain—she was exactly twenty years old this year. Étienne, still smiling, casually flipped through the documents before him.  

 

“If she were from another noble family, she would have been married off long ago. But perhaps because her family is poor, she wasn’t. That works out well for Geneviève.”  

 

It was a common tale—noble daughters missing their ideal marriage age due to a lack of dowry.  

 

But was it truly because her family was poor? Ezekiel didn’t think so.  

 

However, he couldn’t voice such thoughts. Instead, he changed the subject.  

 

“…Still, you can’t force a lady to go somewhere against her will.”  

 

“Who said she was unwilling?”  

 

Étienne pulled something from the pile of documents and handed it to Ezekiel. Ezekiel, who had been standing with his hands clasped behind him, narrowed his eyes.  

 

“It’s Lady Querluxia’s signature. The adoption process is already complete.”  

 

“…When did this happen…?”  

 

Geneviève caused an uproar just a week before Ezekiel’s departure. At Ezekiel’s question, Étienne chuckled.

 

“Why do you think money is so great? I used magic. Teleportation magic. It’s ridiculously expensive, but it was worth the cost. Geneviève won’t be able to buy a new dress for the next six months. Well, she probably prefers buying fewer dresses over getting married.”

 

In other words, he had sent the message via teleportation magic. Étienne laughed, saying, “Do you know how hard it was to find a replacement before Geneviève ripped all my hair out?”

 

“Teleportation isn’t just a simple *snap* and it’s done. In the end, handling everything took two whole days.”

 

Two days. That was all it took for Iris Querluxia to decide to marry a stranger in place of Geneviève.

 

Étienne continued speaking.

 

“But sending just a message back and forth is one thing. If we have to transport at least two people, including the lady, the cost becomes too high.”

 

“……”

 

“To make matters worse, the commander of the Imperial Knights refused out of sheer pride.”

 

The proud commander of the Imperial Knights of Muirenas rejected the idea of a two-month journey to the remote region. Officially, he claimed that his duty was to protect the empire, which was still at war.

 

But the real reason was obvious. Even though she was now an imperial princess, it was humiliating for him to escort a mere commoner who had been adopted just to marry a magician.

 

“Just in time, His Majesty’s donations to the temple of Udahl caught my eye.”

 

“……”

 

“Ezekiel.”

 

Étienne smiled at his brother, who had been dedicated to the gods.

 

“You’ll do it, right?”

 

***

 

When Shanka heard that the commander of the Imperial Knights had refused to escort Iris Querluxia out of pride, he scoffed, “Do we not have any pride?”

 

Milena retorted.

 

“We got paid.”

 

“Don’t the Imperial Knights receive their salaries too?”

 

“If you’re so upset, go complain to the priests.”

 

“Quiet.”

 

Ezekiel finally lost his patience and reprimanded Shanka and Milena. He was concerned that the magician inside the carriage they were escorting might overhear their conversation.

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

Shanka grinned and lowered his head.

 

Magicians and the temple did not get along. Magicians were arrogant and constantly mocked those who believed in the gods. It was natural that the devout found them unpleasant.

 

However, when it came to donations, such discomfort seemed to disappear.

 

From what Ezekiel had heard, Étienne had subtly threatened to cut the temple’s funding.

 

The High Priest of Udahl quickly decided to dispatch personnel. Instead of the proud priests, they sent Ezekiel, the commander of the Holy Knights, along with twelve paladins.

 

Their mission was to escort Iris Querluxia—now Iris Colette Muirenas—from the Querluxia estate.

 

From Querluxia to the capital city of Renat, the journey would take a month and ten days on horseback at full speed. Afterward, in Renat, her wedding with the magician Kazakov would take place.

 

The Emperor was quite pleased with Étienne’s arrangements. He had been anxious that Kazakov, out of irritation, might break his contract as the Emperor’s court magician.

 

Even though she was an adopted princess, having his third son, Ezekiel, who was also the commander of the Holy Knights of Udahl, personally escort her would make the arrangement appear dignified.

 

“Besides, Ezekiel, I heard that you are already acquainted with the girl. So isn’t this a good thing for both of you?”

 

His father’s words lingered in his mind, filling him with resentment. But Ezekiel did not let it show. Nothing good would come from doing so.