Chapter 503: 459 Found the Hidden Land
Reiger’s return, apart from Yuri and Marilyn, wasn’t known to anyone else.
"How am I supposed to explain this situation?"
With this sentence as a summary and reason, Yuri chose to temporarily conceal the news of Reiger’s return.
If it became known that Reiger could magically move such great distances at will, the nobles within the capital would surely act like sharks that have caught the scent of blood. The royal family might even entertain some thoughts that they shouldn’t, concerned with this, Yuri decided to keep the news of Reiger’s return under wraps so that not even Mistis, Isu, Ai En, and Ian were aware of it.
Reiger did, in fact, want to tell Yuri that she was making an unnecessary fuss.
After all, Revin had already reported his condition to the royal family in a written letter, and the King himself had already sent a reply, asking Revin to retain Reiger if possible. Under such circumstances, the fact that Reiger could use "Portal" had gradually spread among the noble circles, becoming common knowledge— it was just a question of sooner or later.
Yuri, having no faction and belonging neither to the royal nor the Duke’s side, usually received information somewhat later than other nobles who kept each other informed. But after some time, she too would receive the news and learn about what Reiger had done in the Mepros territory.
By then, such concealment would become meaningless. Those who were supposed to take notice of this matter would still do so, and nothing would change.
Reiger was not ignorant of how convenient the "Portal," which allowed instant transportation regardless of distance, was in this world.
Not only could this magic shine in war, but if applied to commerce and trade, it could yield substantial profits as well.
Thus, Reiger, the bearer of "Portal," had certainly become far more coveted than before. Not only was he exceptional in combat, but he also possessed the added value of fame and fortune. Anyone would find it hard to resist the allure of the current Reiger, and they might resort to more enthusiastic, intense, or even brazen methods to try to win him over.
If it was discovered that he had returned to the capital, then this time, people were likely to do more than just send letters to befriend him. They would go out of their way to create various occasions to ensnare him.
Especially the royal family, they would certainly want to know whether the "Portal" spell was difficult to learn, whether others could learn it, and if not, whether they could study the spell to create magical artifacts with the same power, among other questions.
If such magic could be mass-produced, what would the Jinas Kingdom turn into then?
Just thinking of that scenario, not to mention others, the King would surely be moved and take action.
Although Reiger wasn’t afraid, he still felt it was better to avoid unnecessary complications.
Therefore, he did not oppose Yuri’s handling of the situation and chose to cooperate with her in concealing his trail.
As for why Liz later appeared in the capital and met with the King, Yuri had already prepared an excuse to prevent others from knowing that Reiger had returned to the capital.
Thus, Reiger returned to his room in the Franzel mansion without anyone’s knowledge and stayed there.
The next day, Yuri took Liz with her to the palace.
Reiger did not accompany them and waited at home for news.
Liz’s visit lasted an entire day.
That day, Liz did not return until the morning of the following day, when she arrived alone at the Franzel mansion and knocked on Reiger’s door.
"...May I come in? Master."
Liz’s soft and familiar voice reached Reiger’s ears.
"Come in."
Without hesitation, Reiger welcomed Liz into his room.
The little princess looked no different from before she left the previous day, except for a faint weariness in her eyes, suggesting she likely had not slept the entire night.
Reiger observed Liz carefully and noted that the bewilderment she had been carrying on her face recently had not dissipated; instead, it had grown even more profound.
Seeing this, Reiger immediately realized something.
"What is it?" Reiger invited Liz to sit down and looked her in the eyes, saying, "You didn’t get the answer you wanted from your father, did you?"
"...Yes." Liz was silent for a long while before she finally nodded and said in a low voice, "I asked father, but he said he barely remembers anything about mother."
This was indeed an exceedingly cruel answer.
But it was to be expected; Liz was only Hemulinp’s illegitimate daughter, the result of a casual liaison the King of the Jinas Kingdom had during a journey.
If Hemulinp truly loved Liz’s mother and valued the woman he had met outside the palace, he would have brought her into the palace long ago; why else would he have left her to give birth alone outside and passed away immediately after her daughter was born?
In the end, Liz was raised by an unknown woman named Mia until she was seven, when Mia contacted Hemulinp to bring Liz into the palace. This clearly showed that Hemulinp had long forgotten the mistake he made in his youth. Naturally, he wouldn’t remember a woman he had met outside the palace.