Chiaros and Fron received urgent treatment.
Fron narrowly escaped the crossroads of life and death, but it was said that she would never be able to move gracefully again.
Naturally, it was not the same for Kiaros.
“You will be fine if you take the medicine for a few days.”
This was because unlike Fron, he was slightly scratched by the dagger and was resistant to poison.
“However, if you were seriously injured by the dagger, you would be in big trouble.”
The doctor said as he bandaged his arm.
“Especially since it's the dark period...”
Kiaros lowered his head silently.
Although the Emperor warned him about it, he did not know that the world was so scary.
If he had not recklessly mentioned the phrase “dark period,” Fron would not have been harmed.
A hint of guilt appeared on the boy's arrogant face.
“Fron will be fine after a few months of recovery.”
“But you said she wouldn't be able to move like before again...”
“It will be difficult to continue being in the Imperial Knights.
But she considers it a great honor.
Don’t worry.”
The doctor said with a smile.
“Fron is perfectly fine.
It is normal for the accompanying knights to sacrifice their lives for those they serve.”
“….”
"So don't worry too much.
Your safety is the most important thing."
Safety Kiaros.
If it weren't for that mysterious girl, Chiaros might have been wandering between life and death.
He was made safe thanks to the scrolls he had previously considered insignificant, blocking his path.
He slowly raised his head.
The knight who was guarding his side asked in a low voice.
“Is there anything from Count Culto?”
“No.
He said he would inform us immediately, but no one came to visit him.”
“Did you go to the library again?”
“No but even the librarian didn’t know who the child was.
However, he said she comes often, so I asked him to call me when she comes again.”
The servant spoke politely.
“You will be at Count Calto’s by tomorrow.
Or the library.
Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
“That goblin...”
“Your Majesty is investigating immediately.
Although there are many strange things, it is fortunate that he was captured alive, making it easy to track down the person behind it.”
Thanks to that girl, they were able to capture the goblin alive.
If he had fallen there, the goblin would have fled while the knights flocked to him.
“His Majesty advises you to focus on recovery rather than worrying about external matters.”
Kiaros sighed lightly at the doctor's words.
Now that he was in the dark period, he finally realized how important his dragon power was.
“Me too… when I grow up, I will become someone like His Majesty.”
At the same time that he felt relieved, he felt that his shoulders became heavy.
“Have a restful sleep, Your Highness.”
The doctor said as he offered some sedatives.
“Everything has already been resolved, and you will know everything tomorrow.”
Kiaros nodded and went to bed.
However, the doctor's reassuring words were only half true.
The next day everything was settled, but not everything was known.
“Your Highness, it is said that the goblin is an escaped test subject.
Apparently, there is a sinister criminal group in the south that is conducting experiments on monsters.”
“An experiment?
Is there a group that has experimented with monsters?”
The Emperor advanced and annihilated the monsters' habitat, but some monsters remained among the humans.
In response to Kiaros's question, the servant answered politely.
“Yes.
It is said that the modified goblins are very intelligent and can understand human language.”
“Ha…”
“Perhaps, after His Majesty annihilated the monsters, they were holding a grudge against the dragons.
They didn’t dare lurk around His Majesty, so they lurk around His Highness.”
It was something Kiaros could never have imagined.
Although monsters were considered enemies of humans...but conducting experiments on them?
Kiaros asked in surprise.
“Experience monsters...is this possible?”
“Yes, this is quite amazing.
His Majesty eliminated that criminal group, punished them all, and executed them.”
“Punish…”
“His Majesty said that a group capable of experimenting to this extent on monsters could do worse.
In fact, they have committed countless criminal acts as part of their experiments.”
It all happened in less than a day.
The Emperor's efficiency in dealing with such matters was impressive.
He always stressed the importance of quick action in such cases.
Kiaros had been observing the Emperor since he was young and was learning about the role of the ruler one by one.
He added: “Some remnants have escaped, but we are tracking them all.”
“Ha…”
“The base has been wiped out and the monsters have been exterminated as well, so they will never be able to experiment on monsters again.”
Kiaros was about to ask a few more questions but decided against it.
Anyway, he was now in the dark period and he was just an ordinary boy.
There was nothing he could do to help.
As the Emperor said, it was better to focus on recovery, which was slower than usual.
Instead, he asked what had been curious about him all along.
“So what about that girl?
Do you know who she is?”
“Oh, this...”
In response to Kiaros's question, the servant spoke with a puzzled expression.
“She did not go to Count Kalto, and she did not go to the library.
It is not easy to trace her because we do not know anything about her appearance.”
Since this was not the capital, there were not many people who could handle this.
The competent informants did not have enough time because they were busy tracking down the remnants of the dark organization.
"But I still have to track her down.
She's my savior."
Kiaros muttered in a low tone.
“There is no need to rush.
We can search for her steadily.”
The Emperor once said.
There was something to be learned in the dark period.
Chiaros learned feelings of helplessness, guilt, and crisis.
These were feelings he had never experienced in his short life.
At the same time, learn something else.
Gratitude.
How to be thankful.
[If I saved your life, you should thank me face to face first!]
He hadn't been able to properly say thank you yet.
So he planned to thank her properly, just like she said.
His promise to grant any wish was sincere.
Chiaros lived with arrogance and pride, but he was not the type to make empty promises.
But this girl's desire...
[I want to marry a man who has a lot, a lot, a lot of money!]
Despite her small appearance, she seemed quite physical.
That's why he thought she might eventually go to Count Calto's mansion.
He tilted his head and asked the servant.
“By the way, who is the man who has the most money in this empire?”
He quickly added:
“Oh, about my age.”
It seemed that the girl was around the same age as him, and even if she received a lot of money, she probably wouldn't want to marry an old man.
Then the servant answered with a face that expressed that he was asking the obvious.
“Well, the boy who has the most money among Your Highness’s peers… should be His Highness the Crown Prince, right?”
Kiaros's mouth dropped open at the new realization.
'Show!
Of all the ten-year-old boys in the empire, of course I am the richest!'
It was really a natural thing.
“The imperial treasury is full, and the budget allocated to you is also huge!”
“Yes, I see.”
Kiaros nodded slowly.
He began to wonder what he would say when he saw the girl again.
“Anyway, keep searching for this child.
Even after the southern inspection is over, I will mobilize my crows.”
'If a girl's desire is to marry a rich man...'
He felt that he must first tell her that he was the man in question and ask her if she would marry him.
Then Chiaros fiddled with his fingers and added:
“I would like to thank Fron personally.”
The doctor intervened and shook his head in surprise.
“You don't have to do that.
And like I said, Fron was doing what she had to do.”
If he had been the old Kiaros, he would have accepted that without much thought.
But now he shook his head and said:
“No.
From now on… I will make sure to thank those who directly saved my life.”