Chapter 377 Duke Evermoon [1]

Right now, Michael was even toying with the idea of staying outside the capital. There were... too many eyes here. Too many complications.

Hmmm.

Well, maybe it was just the Kingdom Princess.

However, Michael did like his peace.

"...When?" he finally asked.

The man perked up instantly. "Now, if you’re available."

Michael frowned. "Now?"

"Yes. The Duke made time in advance in case you accepted the reward today."

Michael sighed.

"Well then," he muttered, standing up and grabbing the two boxes beside him. "Let’s get it over with."

The official opened the door of the carriage for him and stepped aside respectfully. "Shall I have an escort carry those for you?"

"No need," Michael said.

His tone was dry, but he moved easily despite the weight.

Michael immediately made his way home.

Once inside, he made his way to his room.

He placed the two boxes in his storage space.

"That’s better."

With the boxes secure, he stepped back outside.

The carriage was still waiting, the official seated patiently.

Michael climbed in without a word, arms folded as they resumed the journey.

"You seem... less enthusiastic," the man said after a moment.

Michael gave him a look. "Is it that obvious?"

The official chuckled nervously. "Just a bit."

Michael didn’t reply. He stared out the window.

He wasn’t overwhelmed.

He was just unwilling.

The carriage rumbled forward as it left the outer city’s cobbled streets behind, passing through one of the main roads that cut across the capital.

As it neared the towering gates separating the outer and inner city, the guards stationed there didn’t so much as glance at the passing vehicle.

Not a single hand was raised.

No inspection. No pause.

They simply stepped aside and saluted as the carriage rolled through without slowing.

Michael’s gaze narrowed slightly.

This wasn’t the kind of treatment you received just because you were noble.

No, this was the kind of courtesy reserved for those with clout. People who were either feared, respected, or dangerously important.

Michael leaned slightly against the window frame.

He remembered the first time he crossed into the inner city, when the guards hadn’t recognized him. It was only after word got out that he was connected to Mage Lian that the real shift in treatment began.

Michael wasn’t sure if it was deference... or fear. But whatever it was, it cleared paths that had once been walls.

And now?

Now he was on an official visit tied to the Duke’s household.

Unless someone was suicidal, of course the gates would open like water to a blade.

They continued on, and Michael once again noticed the difference—clear and sharp as ever—between the outer and inner zones.

The outer city had dirt and life.

But the inner city?

It was clean. Composed. Decorative stone lanterns lined the wide marble roads. Fountains bubbled in quiet parks tucked between towering manors. Nobles walked slowly as if time itself bowed to them.

Michael didn’t look too long.

He’d seen it all before.

So instead, he turned to the man beside him.

"You said you work directly under the Duke?"

The official smiled lightly, folding his hands over his lap. "That’s right. I’m one of his logistical aides. Anything the Duke considers too minor for himself, but too delicate to leave to just anyone."

Michael raised a brow. "So... you’re important."

"I like to think I’m trusted," the man said modestly. "Though in the Duke’s household, importance is relative."

Michael tilted his head, watching him more carefully now. "How much power does Duke Evermoon really have?"

The man didn’t answer immediately.

He shifted in his seat and glanced out the window.

"Too much."

Michael blinked.

The man chuckled faintly. "It’s not an exaggeration. Within the Kingdom, the Duke is a pillar. He has economic weight, a private military larger than most border garrisons, and a personal network of mages, knights. Ohh and yes, he’s also a grand mage himself.

Michael was a bit surprised. "That strong?"

The man nodded.

Michael leaned back slightly, digesting that.

So the man had political power, military strength, wealth beyond reason, and was a top-tier mage too?

All this only reinforced one thing for Michael — the Duke was someone best avoided.

He hadn’t always felt this way about people in power within the Kingdom. In fact, there was a time he didn’t think much of them at all.

But after his encounter with the Princess, that changed.

Part of it was her suspicion toward him.

The other part... was her overwhelming strength.

In front of her, Michael had felt like an insect — powerless, exposed. It was a feeling he couldn’t shake, one that left a bitter aftertaste.

Maybe, if Lucky advanced to Rank 3 like he suspected, he’d regain some confidence.

But until then, he had no desire to stand out.

He preferred to stay under the Kingdom’s radar — far away from the eyes of its strongest.

Of course, with his previous actions, this was a bit too hard to achieve now.

However, a man can still have a wish!

The carriage turned onto another main road, and the city shifted around them.

Michael found himself staring out the window again, and this time, he truly looked.

The inner city... was huge.

It wasn’t just wealthier.

It was massive.

Palatial estates stretched endlessly in every direction, each one surrounded by high stone walls, private gardens, and even artificial rivers or bridges.

Despite the fact that it was inside the capital, the inner city felt like a separate kingdom of its own.

Michael could only shake his head.

Just then, the carriage slowed.

Michael looked forward and went still.

They had reached the Duke’s estate.

Michael took in a deep breathe.

It was not a building.

It was a domain.

A front gate guarded by two dozen knights in polished armor, each standing like statues. A cobblestone path nearly as wide as a road led through a courtyard so large, it could host a small tournament.

Banners of deep violet and silver hung from towering pillars. The emblem of a crescent moon biting into a ring of stars fluttered in the wind—Duke Evermoon’s crest.

And beyond it all, the Duke’s mansion rose like a palace. No—like a fortress.

Michael looked up at it all.

His lips twitched.

"...Maybe I’ll really stay outside the capital," he murmured again.