The politics of this country were quite stable.
At least, that's what the lord of Sirius thought.
The royal family, the wizard tower, the church.
These three major forces appropriately maintain a balance of power.
Then there's the existence of evil known as the Demon King's army, considered humanity's enemy.
Because of them, even other races like elves and beastmen, who maintained close relations with humanity, were included.
A proper separation of powers and a clear presence of an enemy.
And many smaller forces actively supported this balance for their own benefits.
Together, they maintained a delicate yet solid balance.
Naturally, at the core of this are the 'Hero' and the 'Demon King'.
-The Hero is chosen by the 'God of Heroes', and the Demon King is chosen by the 'God of Demon Kings'.
This has been a long-standing premise.
Especially, those chosen as Heroes become the owners of the holy sword and receive powerful strength.
Thus, many believe all Heroes were strong… but that's a misconception.
Sirius was one of the few nobles who learned from history and knew this wasn't always the case.
'It's not because they're Heroes they're strong. It's because those overflowing with talent were chosen as Heroes.'
Not because they were chosen as Heroes were they strong.
Originally, those who were righteous and strong were chosen as Heroes.
However, this tradition was broken this time.
'But this Hero is different.'
It's common for Heroes to come from modest backgrounds.
Some were even of commoner birth.
They faced quite a bit of discrimination, but they performed their Heroic duties better than anyone.
A tale that proves the remarkable discernment of the God of Heroes.
However, this Hero was truly different.
Even considering everything, this Hero's achievements were abysmal.
No matter how you look at it, the skills and accomplishments were disappointing.
It's puzzling why the God of Heroes made such a mistake.
'In fact, there were talks that it would have been better if the mage, Lee Hyun-woo, had been chosen as the Hero.'
Surprisingly, even the royal family did not stop such talk.
This indicated they somewhat agreed with this sentiment.
Sirius, who had sworn loyalty to the royal family, agreed with this as well.
After all, he held Lee Hyun-woo in high regard.
'It's regrettable, so regrettable. If Lee Hyun-woo had been the hero, the war would have ended much sooner, and peace would have come much earlier.'
…Was that why he thought so all along?
The lord of Sirius was more perplexed than ever before.
Currently, the fact that the black magician, Lee Hyun-woo, was expelled from the hero party was considered a state secret.
Because it's uncertain how Hyun-woo's absence will affect the morale of the kingdom's army.
Still, the high nobles knew this fact through their own networks.
Naturally, a question arose.
-So, where exactly is the expelled Lee Hyun-woo?
He's that significant of a figure.
All the nobility, the royal family, the mage tower, even the church.
A person the entire kingdom was searching for.
Then, suddenly, he appeared before them.
"...So, you're saying he's staying in the Armeina estate?"
"Yes, that's what happened. It's a nice place to live."
Sirius couldn't help but smirk.
The Armeina estate was right in front of them.
His son who left will finish his business and return soon.
Even though it's so close, it's ridiculous that they didn't know.
It's not that he was naive enough to believe the saying, "The lamp under the bushel is dark."
'Did they… directly control the information?'
Especially since the story about Lee Hyun-woo was top secret.
If the magician himself controlled it, Armeina would be no different than an island in the vast sea.
'I've heard rumors, but he's more terrifying than I thought.'
What exactly was Lee Hyun-woo doing in Armeina?
Why would a magician expelled from the party come to the hero's hometown?
Sirius, who has a rough understanding of the situation, harbored a guess.
The sudden appearance of such a person was hardly a cause for celebration.
'It's dangerous.'
His noble instincts sounded the alarm.
A magician believed capable of altering the war's outcome single-handedly.
The esteemed prophet who single-handedly guided the unfortunate hero party.
Had he not joined the hero party, he might well have become a tower master.
The sole apprentice of the 'monster' revered as a legend in the mage tower.
Confronted with such an individual, even a politically astute lord couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
"Ah, don't worry too much. I'm just here on some business and then I'll be on my way."
Hyun-woo nonchalantly set down his teacup.
Had he already seen through everything?
Attempting to regain his composure, Sirius spoke up.
"So, what brings the esteemed magician here?"
He chose to be forthright.
From what he had gathered, beating around the bush wouldn't work with him.
"Ah, it's nothing significant."
Hyun-woo's response remained casual.
"I'd like you to call off the engagement between Carl Sirius and Lorein Armeina."
Sirius was momentarily taken aback by Hyun-woo's request.
It was wholly unexpected.
Sirius had braced for some political maneuver or a plea for support.
He even thought he might be asked to back him as the next hero.
Yet, the request made was surprisingly straightforward and quite humble.
"Do you mean… to call off the engagement?"
"Yes."
Armeina.
A common rural estate found anywhere.
It seemed poised for a modest rise by producing a hero, but with that hero's failure, it's likely to remain unremarkable.
The sole redeeming feature was that the lord and her daughters are all striking beauties.
Carl, his son, has been smitten with Lorein, the eldest daughter, since childhood.
'Carl made such a pitiful scene that I reluctantly consented to the engagement…'
Of course, it wasn't that Lorein was unworthy.
On the contrary, Sirius held her abilities and character in high regard.
Had she been born a man, she would have been more than qualified to be a knight commander.
This just meant she was considered lacking, given the status of the estate.
Anyway, why was this magician suddenly talking about the engagement?
"…I find it hard to understand what you mean."
"It's not a difficult matter. You just need to break off the engagement and promise not to interfere any further."
"Noble engagements are not so easily broken. Such impudence while negotiations are still ongoing—"
Hyun-woo snapped his fingers.
Then, jewels scattered across the table.
Each one was of such value that even Lord Sirius couldn't help but be surprised.
Hyun-woo spoke of them as if they were mere stones.
"If it's a matter of compensation, I'll pay generously. It should be a profitable deal for you, right?"
"Why go to such lengths..."
Sirius swallowed hard, trying to ask.
By now, he was more curious about the reason than the statement itself.
However, Hyun-woo didn't seem inclined to share that.
"That's something you don't need to worry about. As you said, the engagement is still 'under discussion.' You should realize I'm already making a significant concession by offering this much."
"That's… well…"
"If you continue to ignore my sincerity… then I'll have no choice but to consider Sirius an enemy."
"Hm, hm!"
Sirius coughed awkwardly.
Hyun-woo's gaze showed that he was not bluffing.
It intimidated the elderly lord, politically and otherwise.
Sirius did not want to make an enemy of Hyun-woo.
There was too much to lose.
"My son and those pushing for the engagement will oppose."
"List those who would interfere. I'll take care of them."
"That can't be possible…"
"Do you think I'm incapable?"
Silenced by Hyun-woo's confident retort, Sirius closed his mouth.
Perhaps due to his opponent's youthful appearance, Sirius kept forgetting who he's dealing with.
Or maybe it's his age, clashing with common sense.
There wasn't another individual who could so openly challenge the Sirius estate.
Probably not in the future either.
'Except for this magician.'
Eventually, Sirius sighed deeply.
"Understood. I'll handle it myself."
"You've made a wise decision."
Hyun-woo nodded with satisfaction, smiling.
Sirius inwardly sighed in relief.
"Ah, but of course, my presence in Armeina is a secret."
"That can't be hidden forever."
"Don't worry. I'm being careful enough."
"I hope this doesn't lead to doubts about my loyalty to Her Majesty."
"You won't regret today's decision."
For Sirius, it was actually a beneficial arrangement.
Breaking off an engagement that hadn't even been formalized yet and receiving a hefty compensation.
Even if it couldn't be discussed elsewhere, knowing Hyun-woo was in Armeina was beneficial enough.
'Convincing Carl will be the issue.'
Carl has been infatuated with Lorein for a long time.
He's liked her for so long yet never received a proper smile in return, as far as he knew.
Knowing this, he strongly pushed for the engagement.
His feelings must have been deep.
'Could Lorein be so remarkable that even this man takes interest?'
This thought made him curious.
It was okay to call it mere human curiosity.
"May I ask just one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Why go to such lengths for Miss Lorein? With someone like you… there must be many other women. Ah, I'm not underestimating her."
To Sirius's question, Hyun-woo answered with a magician-like smile.
"Because I like Lorein."
…Of course, Sirius didn't believe him.