It was the middle of summer, and hot weather had lasted for several weeks without even a hint of rain. Luckily, the situation wasn't dire in the capital, and the southern and northern regions had water coming from Kushana and Theo Anatolia. This illusionary sense of security led a certain number of people to feel relaxed. For Cornelia, it meant difficulties in persuading officials. Right now, even low-ranking officials' support could turn the balance in her favor. However, hot weather made many lazy. They prefer to leave work early and relax near the pools at Ravenglass Thermae rather than sit in stuffy studies and review her proposal.

The discussion stretched out over a month. After debates, gathering supporters, and defending the need for such a mission, the king's permission was finally granted. The long and meticulous preparations for a diplomatic mission to the Indivisibles began.

Some were anxious, but many people were excited. Discussions about the upcoming event filled every corner of the capital. It was not a secret that the wall sometimes had contact with these creatures. However, there were almost no regular relationships between the Indivisibles and human kingdoms. Humanity never went to war with them. On the contrary, some merchants visited them and brought a few goods and many stories to impress and frighten the young ladies. The noblewomen saw these creatures as nasty and ugly. Crude men would make vulgar jokes, and politicians demonstrated absolute indifference.

There were more rumors than solid information about the Indivisibles. One reason why humans knew little about them was because of the constant threat from nymphs. People have no time or resources to be concerned about creatures living quietly inside caves to the West outside the wall. The path to them was not easy and could be dangerous. But the most important reason was the language barrier. The indivisibles didn't speak, they used smell to communicate. Human noses couldn't catch the difference between barely noticeable fragrances. Any attempts at negotiation turned into a pantomime. And due to differences in the bodies and experience of the two species, this wasn't an easy task.

Soon enough, after the first contact, many kingdoms gave up on building any relationship with these creatures. They were too different and too weird and probably couldn't give anything valuable to humanity anyway. To Cornelia's relief, this point of view was not supported by the majority. The time of indifference began to give way to curiosity. When she told Dr. Winda about her plans, fire lit in the woman's eyes.

"You do understand that I have to be part of this delegation, right? And before you say anything, the crops will be perfectly fine, while being observed by my assistants."

Her interest in Indivisible's farming culture was understandable. However, with the current schedule, the mission will depart in August and return in late autumn. When Cornelia noticed that the doctor would miss the arrival of her fiancé to the capital, Winda was disappointed, but only for a moment. Then she waved and said that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, while the opportunity to enter Indivisible's caves was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 'I guess science requires sacrifice,' thought the princess, watching the doctor pack and hum.

Remembering how happy Dr. Wind was, Cornelia smiled. Unlike him, the official assigned to oversee the supply preparation was sleepy and annoyed. He obviously wasn't a fan of morning work. Yawning, he hastily covered his mouth, noticing the princess' gaze on him. This small attention made the man straighten up and imitate vigorous activity. Kroghan chuckled and waved to show the servants what they needed to pack next. Cornelia's smile faded. It was a controversial decision she was forced to accept.

"I still don't think we should take it with us," she nodded to the side of a certain crate. Bringing rifles to peaceful mission sounded like a bad idea. It could lead to misunderstandings and become the sole reason for distrust. The princess knew that getting another chance like this might be difficult. Even this mission required political influence she could not have dreamed of a few years ago. It was only possible thanks to the combined efforts of her allies. And she wasn't the only one who was aware of it.

"The Lord Parnell pulled some strings to make the whole trip happen. So, Your Highness, please just be grateful and accept it," Kroghan said, looking around the yard. "By the way, I don't see Dietrich anywhere. I'm certain he has already returned from the wall. Is he supposed to arrive later?"

The shadow crossed the princess's face. He noticed the change immediately. She knew that the vice-captain wouldn't interrogate her further, but keeping a secret felt wrong. "He doesn't know. I didn't tell him."

"Hmm... I see..." The awkward pause between them lasted longer than he expected. Kroghan coughed and asked, "Did the two of you fight?"

Cornelia shook her head. The memories of their last conversation popped up in her mind. Right after a short rest from the trip, Dietrich sought a meeting with her. Her hopes that the talk would be about his experience visiting the border were shattered the moment he arrived, all dressed to the nines, and with a package from the most luxurious jewelry store.

"It's not that simple. Our views seem to be drifting apart. It started after the trip to Theo Anatolia, to be precise. Lately, he has been more supportive of my father's plans than mine."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"But he did oppose the marriage to the duke, right?" Kroghan had known the Berg knight for a long time, and certainly didn't want the princess to focus only on negative events.

"Right. And then Dietrich proposed himself."

"What?!"

A sudden exclamation alarmed people around them. Embarrassed by his emotional outburst, Kroghan forced a smile and waved his hand to dispel suspicion. He lowered his voice and said, "The little rascal certainly doesn't waste his time. So... May I dare ask if you have agreed, Your Highness?"

"I can't marry now, when our kingdom's crisis is at its peak. Yes, he made it sound like an offer to be in a political alliance with his family. But I'm not blind; I know he wants to marry me."

Once again, Kroghan coughed, as he always did when caught up in an awkward or embarrassing situation. "Well, you two would make a nice couple."

"...It's not that simple," after a long pause, Cornelia finally repeated the same words she had already said earlier.

Fortunately, the vice-captain of the Royal Guard read the intention to end the discussion. He wanted to discuss the amount of ammunition for the delegation with the official in charge of supplies but noticed his subordinate leading a young man who looked like a civilian through the palace's back yard. Kroghan glanced at the princess - her gaze was also fixed on a royal guard and his strange companion.

The pair approached them, and after the greeting, the soldier introduced a young man. "He gave him the permit to enter with the stamp of Her Highness. He said that he was from Gunner."

The name sounded unfamiliar to Kroghan, but it wasn't to the princess. She accepted the permit handed to her by the soldier and quickly scanned it. Then she nodded to the royal guard and dismissed him. With the servants and officials busy with the cargo, even the wide-open square was a good place to talk about matters meant for only a few trusted people.

Cornelia gave a careful look at the guy in front of her. He stood out from the crowd with his pure white hair, despite his obvious young age. His clothes were similar to those worn by servants and commoners. But what made Kroghan frown was not the fact that the man was of humble origin, but rather the way he stared at the princess. His lack of even trying to avoid eye contact was a rude violation of etiquette. Even commoners know not to break this rule. The vice-captain stepped forward and placed his hand on the impudent fellow's head, then gave a little push, making the man lower his face and gaze at the same time.

"Gunner wrote about you, if I'm not mistaken," said Cornelia. She decided not to pay attention to Kroghans actions, as the guy's intent stare did make her feel a bit uncomfortable. The people who allowed such behavior were those who used it to pressure her - her father and brother. Shaking off the thought of them, the princess continued, "What brings you here? Did Gunner send you with a letter or did something happen?"

"Gunner died in a fight with Vardana's police," answered the young man in a flat voice. Kroghan had already removed his hand from the man's head, but he maintained the posture he had been forced into.

"I see. Thank you for bringing this news," the princess closed her eyes for a moment. "I need to contact his family in this case."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. You can leave this matter to me," Kroghan nodded in the direction of the supplies.

But before he could get an answer, the white-haired guy spoke again: "Gunner asked me to deliver the information..."

"You can't talk when you're not given permission and especially don't interrupt the higher-ups." The vice-captain raised his hand again, but Cornelia stopped him.

"It's fine, Kroghan. Gunner was one of my informants. It could be important." When the veteran's indignation had been quelled, she turned to the young man. "Please continue."

The white-haired guy resumed his speech without any emotion. "The crew we were part of came across a boy. Gunner was sure it was Ashwin Cheda."

Kroghan looked at the princess in surprise. With just a few words, this impudent fellow had made her face brighten. She took a few steps towards the palace, hardly holding back from running.

Cornelia stopped when the young man spoke again: "Your Highness, I can't return to 'Fenghuang' now. Can I stay here?"

The princess exchanged looks with Kroghan. He was not pleased with the situation but refrained from commenting.

"Yes. Kroghan, please take care of our guest. We will discuss your further plans later - I need to inform Lord Cheda about this." Receiving the nod as confirmation of her order, Cornelia hurried to the palace.

The vice-captain sighed, observing how the white-haired guy raised his head and followed the princess with his gaze. Kroghan coughed, attracting his attention.

"Listen, you did a good job. And Her Highness is a fine woman, but you shouldn't stare. It's rude."

His words made the young man lower his gaze, giving him a guilty look. Kroghan glanced at the official, who slowly but surely was turning his attention away from supplies and towards a pretty maid carrying a tray of coffee in her hands. The preparations were delayed once again.

"Alright," said Kroghan, "let me announce a break, and then I'll show you to your room."