Ian let out a chuckle and lowered the hand holding the bottle onto the saddle, turning to Thesaya. "Your ambition really has no end, Thesa."

"It can’t be helped. As I said, the situation calls for it."

"Of course it does." Ian snorted again at her shameless reply, turning his gaze away.

Figures. A fairy through and through.

"But that’s not all, Ian. It’s also because of the prophecy," Thesaya added lightly.

That alone was enough to make the faint smile on Ian’s face stiffen.

"I said there was no way for everyone to survive, and even told you to kill the Emperor immediately, didn’t I? I kept wondering why I said something so absurd back then, but now I’m sure. It was because a situation where that’s possible is being created."

Ian stared silently at Thesaya as she continued, realizing only then that he hadn't been the only one dwelling on the prophecy.

Meeting his eyes, Thesaya smiled. "And if that happens, we might even prevent the greater chaos that comes after the civil war."

Ian’s brow twitched.

After watching him for a moment, Thesaya’s eyes lit up. "Good heavens, Ian. You really hadn’t thought that far ahead, huh?"

"No," Ian answered in a low voice. It wasn’t just because he already had too much on his mind.

He had always believed the civil war would lead directly to the game’s ending, so any thoughts beyond that were inevitably limited to finding another way to return. Even that, he’d deliberately avoided thinking too deeply about. It was a possibility he didn’t even want to imagine.

"Well, it is still early. The war hasn’t even properly begun yet."

Shrugging, Thesaya leaned her shoulder against the window.

"And you, Ian, are surprisingly indifferent to things that don’t interest you. You always look like you’re considering everything, so I tend to forget. But don’t worry."

With a nearly cheerful smile, she confidently raised her thumb to the side. "This elder has already thought it through for you."

Instead of replying, Ian clicked his tongue softly and turned his gaze toward the gently rolling hills of rippling wheat.

"Even if the royal side wins the civil war, their influence won’t be what it used to be. They’ve abandoned decades of cause and justification with their own hands. Especially the families conscripted for the Martyrdom Expedition—they’ll never forget that resentment."

Of course, Thesaya continued speaking as if none of that mattered, even wiggling her raised thumb for emphasis.

"If you ask me, there’s a high chance the Great Church will completely seize control. It might be different if you throw your weight behind the Emperor, Ian, but then conflict with the Church would begin. The Emperor might even start keeping you in check."

Ian could feel her gaze on him, but he pretended not to notice and brought the bottle to his lips. It wasn't that her reasoning wasn't worth hearing; rather, no matter how he thought about it, the situation only seemed to worsen.

"If the Dark Prince wins, well, the empire will completely split apart. No need to overthink that one."

Unbothered by his silence, Thesaya raised her index finger alongside her thumb and continued, "No matter how revered a hero he may be, he’s still a corrupted one. Eventually, that truth will come out, and it’ll become justification for opposing him. Even if he steps down instead of taking the throne, it won’t change much. It’ll just delay the division a little."

Her tone carried certainty rather than mere speculation. Thesaya alternated between flicking her thumb and index finger as she continued speaking.

"These outcomes were practically set the moment the Emperor refused to accept the Dark Prince. Well, I suppose it could still be salvaged if he changed his mind now..."

"...He won’t."

At Ian’s quiet response, Thesaya snapped her head toward him, eyes gleaming. "Exactly. Otherwise, why would you and the princess have seen that kind of future?"

A smile tugged at her lips as she shrugged. "Whether it’s because of his inferiority toward the Dark Prince, or because he can’t stomach bowing to the Great Church... who cares?"

"So that’s how you arrived at the conclusion that I should become emperor," Ian muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue.

Thesaya nodded as if to emphasize the point. "If the process is justified, no one will be able to question your legitimacy. You’re the Agent of the great Platinum Dragon, a recognized demigod, and you carry the sacred bloodline of the First Emperor."

A long sigh escaped Ian as he stared out over the wheat fields.

It wasn’t simply because he had no desire to become emperor. There was another reason, one Thesaya could never understand—something that made it impossible for him to take that path.

Of course, part of it was also because he was already thinking about how to refuse. If he didn’t give a convincing answer, she might just keep scheming behind the scenes again.

"I already know you’ll refuse, Ian. But no matter how I think about it, you’re the only one who could quell all that chaos. And at the center of it will be that princess, and the Bastard King."

Unaware of his thoughts, Thesaya continued, her tone calm, almost coaxing, as if trying to persuade him no matter what.

"The princess harbors immense ambition. She denies it, but anyone watching can tell. And what about the Bastard King? His desire won’t be satisfied until he’s either dead or has swallowed the continent whole."

Ian slowly took another drink as she added, "Thanks to you, he’s even gained legitimacy now. When the opportunity comes, he won’t let it slip. But if you become emperor, they’ll both willingly submit."

Why is everything she’s saying so damn convincing today...

He already knew well enough about Seras’s hidden ambition and the Bastard King’s desire born from his origins. He’d even nudged and used both of them himself.

"Think about the North, Ian. You fought it every step of the way, hated every second of it... and still ended up wearing the crown. We call that fate or inevitability."

Even as he thought, Thesaya’s voice continued. Now, there was a faint hint of impatience beneath it.

She had clearly noticed that he was preparing to argue back.

"This might be the same. Even without intending it, things are already flowing in that direction. So—"

"I get what you’re saying, Thesa," Ian cut her off calmly.

Turning to the momentarily startled Thesaya, he lightly tilted the bottle in his hand. "Honestly, it’s a pretty convincing argument."

"I-It is?" Thesaya asked cautiously, her expression tense.

Ian added evenly, "Even if I did decide to become emperor, nothing would really change on the surface for a while anyway."

Her eyes widened. She wet her lips slightly, staring at him as if trying to determine whether this was a trap.

Guess we really have been traveling together for a long time...

It was enough to make Ian suppress a chuckle. He could almost hear the gears in her head turning along with her tension.

Taking another casual sip, he continued, "Think about it. My plan was always to watch the civil war and step in at the end anyway. And you’re heading off to meet Duke Jihandar. If you persuade him, then the central region is effectively isolated."

"Right. I think so too, Ian."

After a moment, Thesaya gave a small nod. Her gaze briefly flicked to the bottle in Ian’s hand, as if her throat had gone dry.

When he offered it without hesitation, she accepted it carefully and added, "Doesn’t it feel like fate? The way everything falls into place even without us intending it."

"Yeah. Funny how that works." A faint, bitter smile touched Ian’s lips.

It felt like part of some greater current, like a branching point that might have existed in the game itself.

After taking a deep swig from the bottle, Thesaya added, "Of course, even just the Eastern Front and the central elite forces would be formidable enough. And if the civil war really begins, the Great Church won’t have a choice but to cooperate."

Now that her intentions were out in the open, she seemed to have decided there was no need to hold back.

"So we should delay our intervention a little longer, Ian. It’ll reduce our losses and give us stronger justification."

"Civil wars aren’t exactly pretty," Ian replied as he took the bottle back from her.

Thesaya swallowed and nodded, her eyes suggesting she still had more to say. Ian pretended not to notice, turning away and raising the bottle to his lips.

Miguel remained slumped in the driver’s seat, his head still hanging, completely motionless. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Clack, clack.

By then, the carriage was passing over a low hill. Between the vast fields of wheat and barley, scattered farmers could be seen here and there. Somewhere beyond the next hill, there was likely a small farming village.

"The most peaceful option would’ve been for me to mediate between the Emperor and the Dark Prince from the start," Ian said at last, his eyes still fixed on the fields beginning to shift in color.

"I’ve met both sides, and they both owe me something after all. So at the very least, I would’ve been given one chance."

Thesaya blinked as she looked at him. It was clearly not what she had expected him to say.

Of course, Ian continued without caring, "If I’d gone to the Emperor first and told him the truth, things probably wouldn’t have gotten this far. He would’ve had enough time to prepare."

"That wasn’t possible. You returned to the South from beyond the Wall, and the inner sea was blocked. You barely made it to the frontier," Thesaya said.

Her brows furrowed. "And the Platinum Dragon destroyed the Black Wall. If you’d stepped into the capital, you would’ve been dragged underground by the Great Church before even meeting the Emperor. You knew that too."

"There were probably ways, if I’d looked hard enough. I just... didn’t want to, Thesa," Ian answered evenly, finally turning to look at her. "I liked the Dark Prince, and I didn’t want to get involved in the royal family’s internal conflict. To be more honest, I didn’t want to waste time on something far more likely to fail."

Because it was far more practical to spend that time leveling up and looking after my friends.

"It was the same in the North. There were other reasons, sure, but in the end, I ignored the Emperor’s request for support."

"And because of that, you saved a lot of people," Thesaya replied, tilting her head slightly. She was still clearly trying to grasp his intention.

Ian nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I don’t regret my decisions."

"Then what, are you saying this isn’t fate?"

"I’m saying it’s not the kind of good fate you think it is. This is the result of choices made while knowing they’d put the Emperor at a disadvantage. It’s completely different from the North."

Thesaya’s raised eyes slowly twisted, her expression tightening. Even so, she stared straight at Ian.

"Are you saying that becoming the new emperor would be usurpation?"

"You could call it that. And even if it isn’t, I don’t want to be swept up in a fate I no longer desire. I’ve had more than enough of that already."

Thesaya bit her lower lip. After letting out a long breath through her nose, she lowered her gaze.

After watching her for a moment, Ian curled the corner of his lips upward and added, "And besides, it’s not like everything would be solved just because I became emperor. I might disappear halfway through, after all."

"What do you—" Thesaya’s words cut off as she froze.

A moment later, she snapped her gaze back to him, eyes wide. "Don’t tell me you mean ascension."

Figured you’d think that.

Instead of denying it, Ian just shrugged. In the end, it wasn’t all that different.

From his perspective, becoming emperor felt like one of the possible endings that had existed in the game.

Unlike the game, where he would’ve continued ruling the empire, he had a chance of returning to his original world. And if that happened, the chaos Thesaya had described would continue.

Of course, if he couldn’t return, that situation would become even more troublesome in its own way.

"Seems you forgot I’m a demigod for a second," Ian added, the smile still lingering at the corner of his lips.

Thesaya stared at him blankly for a moment before her lips trembled slightly. "B-But you said you had no intention of becoming a god."