"Unless he is absolutely certain of victory."

Alaric’s frown deepened upon hearing this.

"Other than Her Majesty, there are six known Venerables in Veronica. Two of them died in the recent war with the heretic cult."

"Two are currently in Sorl, the Commander of the Crimson Phoenix Knights Order, Bai Seol-hwa, and the Grand Commander of the Veronican Army, Ludwig."

"The Carefree Duke, Namgung Ilsun is also one of them. And the last one... is Ji Kangmin who is protecting Veronica’s southern border."

With a deep look, he questioned Mathilda. "Including herself, Yskaela’s side has four Venerables. How can the Carefree Duke match her military strength? Not to mention that she still has hidden forces that she hasn’t revealed yet."

Mathilda wasn’t flustered and calmly responded. "There are only two possibilities..."

"The first one is that the Carefree Duke also has four Venerables on his side."

"As for the second possibility... the Carefree Duke has already exceeded the level of a Venerable."

Alaric was stunned.

"That’s absurd." He shook his head vehemently.

He knew how hard it was to advance from the Unfettered realm to the Beyonder realm. Without proper guidance and sufficient mana, advancing to the Beyonder realm was impossible.

Transforming the energy core into a mana heart alone already required a tremendous amount of mana. Other than this, one also had to guide the mana to the newly formed mana heart properly. Although this might sound easy, both phases required enormous effort, talent, and even luck.

"Your Highness, I’m only speaking the most plausible reasons. We cannot rule out the possibility." Mathilda could understand his doubts, but this was the most logical explanation she could think of.

Alaric was silent for a moment. He ruminated about the possibility of her conjectures.

She is right. We cannot rule out the possibility that Namgung Ilsun has advanced to the Beyonder realm.

Thinking about this, he rose to his feet and asked. "Where is Lord Bellator?"

"I think Lord Bellator is playing chess with the Lord Duke at the rear pavilion. Do you want me to bring him here?"

Alaric shook his head. "There is no need for that. I will go there myself."

As soon as he said this, Alaric stepped out of the mansion and headed to the rear pavilion.

...

At the rear pavilion.

"Lord Bellator, I surrender." Lucas sighed in resignation. He had played chess with Bellator for a few hours, but he hadn’t even won a single game. The man was just too good.

Bellator smiled, feeling a bit smug at the consecutive wins. "Better luck next time, young man."

"You should improve your strategies. You were so obvious in your approach which made it easier for me to guess your next moves. To win a match, you must be ten steps ahead of your opponent." He added in a lecturing tone.

Lucas might be prideful, but in front of this man, he didn’t dare show any arrogance. He was like a student who was receiving his mentor’s teachings.

"I understand." He smiled awkwardly.

Just as Bellator was about to say a few more words, he suddenly paused and looked in a certain direction with an eyebrow raised upward.

Lucas followed his gaze and saw Alaric heading toward them.

Alaric nodded to his father before he greeted Bellator in a respectful manner. "Lord Bellator, I have something important to discuss with you. Do you have time?"

Hearing this, Bellator nodded.

He stood up, clapped Lucas on the shoulder, and mumbled. "Let’s play again next time, Lucas."

"Yes, Lord Bellator." Lucas nodded with a chuckle. Although he was curious about what Alaric wanted to discuss with the other, he was smart enough not to mention it. He knew that Alaric would tell him if he wanted to.

Bellator followed Alaric to the man-made pond.

The two stood beside the pond, looking at the fishes swimming around.

"Just speak your mind." Bellator urged him when he saw Alaric hesitating.

With a serious expression, Alaric said. "Lord Bellator, do you think someone in this desolate region can advance to the Beyonder realm?"

Bellator was surprised by the unexpected question he posed, but when he saw the seriousness in Alaric’s face, he calmly responded. "With the level of mana density here, it is almost impossible. However..."

"If someone has sufficient talent and a bit of luck, it can be done. The issue of mana density level can be solved by using other resources as a replacement like spiritual plants or items with abundant energy."

Alaric rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Considering the Carefree Duke’s vast wealth and authority, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to amass enough resources to supplement his advancement.

"Why are you asking about this?" Bellator sent him a probing look.

"I believe you have heard of the Carefree Duke."

Bellator nodded. During his free time, he did some research on the situation of Veronica.

As one of the most famous personages in the country, it was impossible for him to miss the Carefree Duke’s name.

"I’ve heard of him."

With a stern voice, Alaric said. "I think there is a chance that he is someone in the Beyonder realm."

Bellator revealed a look of interest. "Go on. I’m listening."

Alaric told him about Mathilda’s conjectures. The more he spoke, the more Bellator became interested in the matter.

"Are you worried that this so-called Carefree Duke would lead a rebellion against that girl, Yskaela Veronica?" Bellator smiled faintly, realizing his concerns.

Alaric didn’t hide it from him and nodded his head. "Although we aren’t married yet, she will soon become my wife. I will not allow anyone to harm her."

Bellator was satisfied with his response.

"I have some free time now. Do you want me to investigate this fellow and see if he is really in the Beyonder realm?"

Alaric who was prepared to beg for his help was surprised. "Yes! Please investigate this man, Lord Bellator. If possible, I don’t want the wedding date to be delayed again."