The magic cards I made are absolutely flawless!

Pritzker bowed slightly and explained to Dekan.

Dekan nodded upon hearing this.

He had instructed Isabelle not to publicize any relationship between herself and her servant, to play the role of emperor honestly, to consider everything rationally, and to keep a low profile.

Isabel has only given him an honorary dukedom, which is quite good.

Seeing Dekan nod, Pritzker continued:

"As for the war criminal Adair, he fled to the front lines immediately. But rest assured, as long as he dares to escape back into the Empire, I will personally track him down and capture him."

"And the former High Priest of the Cult of Calamity, Kozmo, has now been sent from the Imperial Prison to the Kingdom of Norton. The recipient is your friend, Mr. Chloeux. I believe that Kozmo, as a dark astrologer, can help you and your friends quickly find Adair's whereabouts."

"On your recommended return journey, the Empire's intelligence department has also located Mr. Avalon's current residence. When you arrive in the former northern kingdoms, you will soon pass by Mr. Avalon's location."

"Due to the subsequent ceasefire and friendship agreements with the various kingdoms, we withdrew all intelligence personnel stationed within the kingdom's territory. Therefore, we sincerely apologize that we were unable to conduct a thorough investigation regarding the kingdom's information. However, if you require it, we will also send intelligence personnel as your entourage to return to the kingdom..."

Pritzker explained these important matters concerning Dekan one by one.

Dekan was very satisfied with the Imperial service.

Even the matter of "wanting to see Avalon," which he had only mentioned casually to Clay, was fulfilled by the Empire's utmost efforts after Clay mentioned it to Mier.

Avalon, a former ninth-tier card maker of the Kingdom Alliance and one of the few top-tier card makers capable of creating Crimson Light Epics, originally resided in the Northern Kingdom.

After the fall of the northern kingdoms, Avalon was also captured by the empire.

Fortunately, the Empire treated Avalon exceptionally well.

A month ago, when the war was declared over, Avalon was immediately released.

However, Avalon is different from other ninth-tier powerhouses or nobles. He has a very Buddhist personality and is almost without desires.

Both before and after the war, the residences he chose were secluded places that were difficult to find on a map.

After Pritzker finished recounting the information, he bowed to Dekan again, and also bid farewell to Icardinos and Sheen behind Dekan, before stepping back to make way.

"Uh……"

Dekan looked at Pritzker, hesitant to speak.

He had assumed that Pritzker's respectful attitude was out of fear of Dekan's real power or because he was being ordered around, but he was surprised to find that Pritzker seemed so genuine and sincere, with no trace of falsehood.

After all, on that day in the cathedral and arena in the capital, Pritzker could be considered a super tool who was completely manipulated by Dekan from beginning to end.

Even given Pusser's personality, he would have been quite angry upon learning the truth that he had been tricked.

Are you having any doubts?

Although Dekan didn't show anything on his face, Pritzker quickly realized what Dekan was thinking.

"You seem a bit different."

Dekan shrugged and shared his thoughts.

There's no point in lying to this person anyway.

"Perhaps this is a misunderstanding on your part. Although I, Pritzker, like to assess situations, my loyalty to the Empire is absolutely unwavering. Similarly, you may think I am just a petty person, and that I am only forced to speak the truth due to the side effects of my job. But you don't know that I have always been proud of my sincerity."

Pritzker bowed again and spoke with particular sincerity.

His attitude was clear: he was sincerely grateful to Dekan for eliminating the most evil forces for the empire and for bringing the struggle for the throne to a happy ending for all.

Dekan was slightly taken aback when he saw Pritzker's expression.

At least in his memory, when the demon underling from the Holy Kingdom and the Demon Realm, Pusel of the Abyss, was forcibly given the name "Sincerity," his forehead was still bulging with veins.

Indeed, good and bad are not predetermined; things are up to us, and some things will eventually change.

Dekan had originally intended to pat Pritzker on the shoulder as was his habit, but he paused slightly before extending his hand out to Pritzker.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, General Pritzker."

“It is my pleasure, Mr. Dekan.”

Pritzker also politely shook Dekan's hand.

When Dekan and Pritzker bid each other farewell and entrusted him with some important matters of the Empire.

On the other side.

"So what's the use of an honorary duke? Does he give out money?"

Clay, the coachman sitting at the very front of the chariot, turned his head and asked Mier, who was standing to the side.

As far as he knew, an honorary duke had neither land nor titles; he was merely a duke in name only.

"Logically speaking, apart from the emperor and dukes, all other citizens of the empire should bow to an honorary duke. Also, sometimes the certification of some territorial lords requires the personal presence of a marquis or higher-ranking noble, and an honorary duke would also qualify..."

Mier explained earnestly.

"Besides these, what else makes them different from ordinary people?"

Upon closer reflection, Clay realized that aside from the impressive-sounding title, the honorary dukedom of Dekan was actually quite useless.

Mier was also asked by Clay, and despite his vast knowledge of astronomy and geography, Mier couldn't figure out what use an honorary duke could possibly be.

Finally, it seemed she could only find one answer:

"Very high-class."

Clay: "..."

……

A month later.

Within the territory of a small country in the northern regions.

The setting sun still carried a hint of warmth in the mountains, the river's water level was gradually decreasing, and thin ice floated scattered on the surface.

On this once quiet, natural land far from any town, the wind blowing through the flowers and grass on the cliffs and the approaching sound of animal hooves became increasingly clear.

Finally, the tank came to a stop as if it had reached its destination.

Several tens of minutes later, the sky became completely dark.

Inside a large wooden cabin nestled in the mountains, firewood burned in a stove, occasionally accompanied by the crackling sound of the wood.

Smoke and the aroma of dinner wafted from the house.

Although it is not as luxurious as the mansions of nobles or wealthy merchants, the warm-toned wood furnishings and soft lighting seem to dispel all the chill in this winter.

Sitting indoors, I imagine I'll soon find myself dozing off.

Although the northern kingdoms, formerly part of the Kingdom Federation, do not experience winters as cold as the Empire, it is now late December, and without proper precautions against the cold, they are still susceptible to frostbite.

In this room, a man in his sixties, dressed simply, generously offered food to travelers passing through.

The travelers were naturally Dekan and his companions who had embarked on their journey home.

The owner of this mansion is Avalon, the top-tier card maker that Dekan was looking for.

He is currently still renovating the new house, as he is still wearing work clothes as a base layer and a thick vest.

Although he may be much older than he looks, his straight posture suggests he must have been very handsome when he was young.

Although the visit of Dekan and his group seemed somewhat deliberate, Avalon and Sheen were already acquainted, so Avalon treated them as guests in a very friendly manner, even though he could tell at a glance that there was an alternate version of the former Empress among the visitors.

Dinner time passed quickly, and after Avalon arranged rooms for the group, he returned to the reception room.

Dekan also followed Avalon back to this place.

Avalon seemed to have known all along that Dekan wanted to ask him a question, so he brewed fruit tea and gestured for Dekan to sit opposite him.

“Mr. Avalon, I had Sheen do a divination. Legendary materials are not a prerequisite for creating legendary cards.”

Finally, Dekan exhaled a puff of white mist and spoke slowly to Avalon.

"Ah."

Avalon seemed unsurprised, as if he had known the answer all along.

This convinced Dekan that Avalon knew more than he did.

After all, Avalon, the human card maker who has gone the furthest on the path of card making in the world today, has experience that I cannot match at the moment.

From the moment he saw Avalon, Dekan had a fleeting feeling that Avalon was already capable of creating legendary red cards, but he just hadn't done it yet.

"Mr. Dekan, do you think that 'creating the Crimson Epic' is a prerequisite for 'creating the Red Legend'?"

Avalon asked Dekan with a smile.

He didn't seem to regard Dekan as a young man several generations younger than himself, but rather as an equal friend.

I think so.

Dekan answered affirmatively.

It was precisely because after creating the Crimson Epic that he clearly realized that "he had met some of the prerequisites for creating the Red Legend, but was still missing some key points."

"The craftsmanship and material utilization of Crimson Epic and Red Legend are completely equivalent, because that is the limit of magic cards."

Avalon calmly explained the conclusions he had drawn from his long career in card making.

"In a sense, the Crimson Light Epic is a red legend, but it is a red legend that lacks 'legendary color', so it ultimately remains at the epic level."

"So, how exactly should we understand this 'legendary quality'?"

Dekan frowned. He felt he understood Avalon's meaning, yet he was still caught in his own confusion and dilemma.

He always felt that even if he poured his soul into creating another Crimson Light Epic, it would still be something lacking.

It's as if his so-called "legendary" aura is not complete, or is far from it.

As he struggled with this for a long time, Dekan became even more unsure of what he was still lacking.

Avalon handed over some snacks and, while waiting for the tea to be brewed, began to tell Dekan his story.

Many years ago, the human card-making genius Avalon honed his card-making skills to perfection at a certain age.

However, it was precisely because he moved too fast that he reached a bottleneck area that few card makers could reach, and he was trapped in a predicament where he could not take another step forward. Later, he was tormented to the point that his mind and body could not bear it.

Avalon finally found the answer by seeking it from Sheen.

The difference between the Crimson Epic and the Red Legend is "a lifetime".

At the time, Avalon's understanding was that a legendary life needed to be etched onto the card.