One-Eyed Monster

Recently, Governor Rostov had been out of sorts.

As a favored dignitary of His Majesty, the King of the Kayne Empire, an excellent Politician like him should not have displayed such uncharacteristic behavior.

This uncharacteristic behavior mostly manifested in his emotional control; recently, he had been somewhat irascible. Especially at the moment he received the Mail Bird from Guru Village, he almost toppled a table in anger.

The Mail Bird was from his League Guard. Cocking its head and COOING timidly, it informed His Excellency that they had lost track of Young Master Hustace. However, they currently had a slight lead and, barring any mishaps, would soon find the young master.

Governor Rostov simply did not have much spare energy to worry about his beloved son. As a Politician, he had countless concerns and could not afford any leisure. Now, this matter, which ought to have been his wife's concern, had somehow landed in his hands. This caused his already taut emotions to suddenly snap. The released tension then erupted like volcanic lava. Indeed, if not for the ingrained restraint from his years as a Politician, he might have flung the table before him out of anger right then.

Hustace was, after all, his son. His own flesh and blood, his whereabouts unknown; even if his limited energy did not permit him to dwell on it, his blood still surged somewhat with concern.

However, he was not overly worried. After all, the Guru Village Hustace had gone to was not the Star River. That place was still within Luona's sphere of control. Within his jurisdiction, his son should not face any mortal danger.

If he were to die, he would be worthless.

As an exceptional Politician of the Empire, Rostov had long seen through the trickery hidden behind the scenes. Opposition factions were always trying every means to obstruct his progress, regardless of how despicable their methods.

To some extent, Rostov admitted that his strides had been a bit too large…

This was precisely the main reason for Rostov's current slump. The leader's strides were too large and the pace too fast, causing followers to lag behind. An originally well-formed team had become scattered due to this frenetic pace. Those who could not keep up began to oppose the team's direction; those who could barely keep up maintained a distance, observing from all sides; and those who were completely in sync began to agitate for an even faster pace…

If the team continued in such disarray, the Luona City Administrative Office itself would collapse.

Administrative Chief Louvkat was the leader of the opposition forces, having clashed with Rostov multiple times. When Lord Governor proposed establishing the Yonder Travel Academy, Louvkat retorted that the capital's academies could not even fill their student quotas, so why bother with this unnecessary move? When Lord Governor planned the Star River Steam Railway, Louvkat argued it was unnecessary to lay tracks in such a remote and impoverished area. When Lord Governor suggested establishing a Wizard's laboratory, Louvkat countered that Politicians and Wizards should counterbalance each other, and there was no precedent for such collaboration.

If Rostov had been anyone else, he would have long ago found an opportunity to eliminate this man. However, Rostov was, after all, an esteemed Politician of the Empire. He knew that without appropriate restraints on the path of rapid advancement, the team would soon become complacent and lose its bearings. Only necessary restrictions could ensure the team's sound development.

In Rostov's eyes, these opposition forces were necessary restrictions on the team's path forward. Without them, the treasury of the Government Administrative Office would likely have been squandered by him long ago. It was precisely because Louvkat guarded the purse strings so tightly that Luona had surplus funds and provisions to handle the upcoming festival and the Empire's tax burden. It was also Louvkat's constant opposition that had pushed Rostov's various plans toward perfection step by step. Without opposition forces, Rostov would not have achieved what he had today. It was precisely these checks and balances that prevented his pace from becoming a reckless sprint.

But now, these opposition forces seemed to be crossing the line… Louvkat was guarding the purse strings tighter and tighter; now, even the Finance Minister could not get near the Imperial Capital's true treasury. Moreover, this Administrative Chief was constantly recruiting dark elements, like Crows and Rats, and who knew what he was plotting.

Before Governor Rostov could analyze Louvkat's recent series of abnormal actions, his train of thought was interrupted by his wife, who approached him with a grave expression.

Clearly, she was here about their precious son. Given her temperament, Hustace must have encountered significant trouble. The Lord Governor knew his wife; she would never have let their precious son venture out so readily without secretly arranging numerous people to protect him along the way. Now, his wife's somber face seemed to indicate that Hustace's disappearance was not so simple.

It was against this backdrop that an emergency meeting was convened in the Luona Assembly Hall. Governor Rostov's brilliance lay in his ability to openly declare many of his "despicable" schemes, unlike Louvkat, who resorted to clandestine plotting.

That meeting was grand in scale; indeed, a powerful new weapon like Fury Thunder certainly warranted a full assembly. The final outcome was that the Politicians of Luona uncomplainingly set out to search for the Governor's precious son. This approach was truly brilliant, so much so that even Louvkat had to admit he was outmatched, though he could only complain endlessly behind Rostov's back about the Governor's despicable actions.

Rostov's methods were indeed brilliant, but the eruption of his volcanic emotions had caused him to overlook many details. He had been so focused on the outcome that he neglected the factor of time. Even by the fastest route, it would take half a month to travel from Luona to Mount Guru. Who could say what might happen in that half-month?

By the time Governor Rostov thought of this, the assembly members had all departed. Even Chairman Rolin of the Wizard Alliance had left, tapping his cane slowly. The Lord Governor had actually wanted to ask him to perform a Divination for his son.

Loss of emotional control, flaws in planning... After recognizing these uncharacteristic failings in himself, Governor Rostov gradually calmed down. Through this series of events, he identified another significant problem: the capability of his League Guards was far too inadequate. They could not be relied upon at all for future emergencies. That 'excellent candidate,' Goding, whom his League Guard Captain had assigned, had actually managed to lose track of someone without noticing any anomalies. He was even less reliable than the civilian organization his wife had hired.

I must find a way to rectify this situation. When the storm comes, if I rely on this bunch of good-for-nothings, the entire Government Administrative Office will be finished.

Just as Governor Rostov was mentally outlining a reform of the League Guards, the Housekeeper rang the doorbell.

"What is it?"

"My lord, Wizard Hughes requests an audience."

Wizard Hughes. Governor Rostov frowned upon hearing the name. This Wizard had been cast out by Chairman Rolin of the Wizard Alliance. To regain his place in the Alliance, he had presented Rostov with an Invisibility Cloak, a matter Rostov had never paid much mind. Now this fellow was at his door again; it was undoubtedly about rejoining the Alliance.

"Tell him to come back another day. I have important matters to attend to right now."

"My lord, Wizard Hughes says he has a way to find Young Master Hustace."

Hearing the Housekeeper's words from outside the door, Governor Rostov's heart gave a lurch. The feeling of familial connection, of his own flesh and blood, surged through him once more. "Show him in."