"Professor Munib from the Free City of Starhorod!" the herald announced, and the man entered the hall, simultaneously commanding his iron servants to follow him. While he had been in the palace, he had heard with one ear that some scandal had broken out, and then he had been detained, asked to wait a little while their King dealt with the situation. But now, in his formal white bisht, he entered the hall filled with nobility, and all their gazes were fixed upon him. Some even began to walk towards him, only to freeze a moment later after his creations followed him in. Emitting clouds of steam, they stood nearby like guards, and the man felt calm, even though many people began approaching him after they stopped feeling fear towards these strange creatures.

  Mentally, the man was prepared for all these questions about his creations, but as practice showed, he was already beginning to tire from the first minutes of dialogue with these nobles. When he wanted to find salvation in old Howard, he saw him together with some young man heading towards a certain couple. The girl from that couple was dressed in an extremely licentious outfit that bared her entire back, and she also wore no shoes, which astonished the professor even more—how could one walk on such a cold and dirty floor? The man, on the contrary, looked quite decent and well-dressed, and apparently according to the latest fashion of the kingdom, if comparing him to other people in this hall. At least he looked pompous, mature, and very stylish, which resonated with the professor. Of course, his weekend bisht was also quite beautiful, as the professor himself thought, but it didn't quite fit into the local atmosphere, and he felt like a white crow at this celebration, sometimes catching strange glances.

  While the man was pondering all these things and giving dry, standard answers to the nobles surrounding him, he suddenly realized that there were fewer and fewer questions, as well as nobles themselves. And a moment later, he understood why. Standing beside him was that old woman whom Munib feared, especially after old Howard's words about how dangerous this old woman was, even within the kingdom itself.

  The Duchess Blood.

  And now this old woman was standing near Munib, politely smiling at him, although behind that smile, nothing good was visible, and the man even sighed somewhat dejectedly.

  "I greet you, Professor Munib," the woman said, still smiling. "You sigh so sadly, surely you're not unhappy to see me?"

  Munib tried not to wince at this question and already regretted having let out that sigh, but he wasn't sure he had managed to keep his composure.

  "I greet you too, Duchess Katerina," the man replied, realizing he had mixed up the forms of address due to being nervous at the sight of this woman. He couldn't even say exactly what frightened him about her; it was as if a certain aura of horror emanated from her, and the closer she stood, the more distinctly it was felt. "No, not at all, I'm just a little tired from answering questions about my servants that I demonstrated today."

  "Well, that explains why you mixed up the address. No harm done; you are such an important guest at this ball, I shall forget this misunderstanding," the woman continued to smile, and Munib felt a chill run down his spine. "Then allow me to inquire of such a respected gentleman, who has arrived from distant lands, whether he has kidnapped my beautiful granddaughter?"

  At these words, goosebumps ran through the professor's entire body, and he trembled like a leaf in autumn, to use Caspar's language, who loved all sorts of sayings and such. He didn't understand why such a seemingly fragile old woman evoked so much fear and terror in him, and even more, he didn't understand why he could do nothing about it. Even when talking with Howard, who seemed to him a not particularly emotional man, there had been nothing like this. Did all the Dukes in this kingdom possess such a dreadful aura? And what about the King? Would he be just as terrible? Although Munib was yet to meet that man today and discuss certain matters regarding the train he had brought, as well as the knowledge the professor could share with this country.

  "No," Munib said, finally mustering the courage to answer this old woman.

  "Then, would you not..."

  "Grandmother!" a girl's voice familiar to Munib interrupted the Duchess. He had spent at least a month with this girl, traveling through the Duchy of Blood to the Duchy of Celestial, and then also on the way to the Royal Ball of Crow. Her name was Katerina Blood the Younger.

  "Oh, my dear granddaughter, how long it's been since I last saw you!" the elderly woman exclaimed and immediately headed towards the approaching girl, but the latter extended her hand forward, stopping the old woman. Munib also noticed that next to the girl stood a young man with short blond hair, also dressed in a black suit similar to what Munib had seen on that young man from the couple old Howard had approached. "You won't even let your grandmother hug you, dear? And I am extremely surprised by your company."

  "I greet you, Lady Katerina, Duchess Blood," the young man said, making a rather courteous bow towards the elderly woman, not letting the girl standing beside him answer.

  "I am also glad to see you, Your Highness Arthur, Prince of Crow," the woman replied dryly, not taking her eyes off her granddaughter.

  "Grandmother!" the younger Katerina continued. "Don't create unnecessary problems for Professor Munib! I already heard the beginning of your conversation, and no one kidnapped me! I ran away from home myself in search of support!"

  "You little wretch, is that how you speak to your elders?" the elder Katerina said quietly, and once again a chill ran down the professor's spine.

  "Lady Katerina, please, calm your emotions," Prince Arthur said calmly, but even Munib could see that he was slightly shaken in the presence of this woman. The professor felt a certain surge of strength, as if finding support in this young man. "Your granddaughter and my sister have decided to enroll in the Academy of Crow, and we, the royal family, support her in this endeavor."

  "But, Lord Arthur, how can you make such a decision on my behalf?" the elder Katerina exclaimed with malicious surprise. Munib saw the young man flinch, but Katerina took his hand, as if encouraging him.

  This scene reminded Munib of moments when children stand before adults and begin to put forward their selfish demands, but the man had the feeling that right was on the side of these children, not the woman.

  "This is my decision, Duchess Blood," the younger Katerina suddenly replied, looking at her grandmother with a somewhat arrogant gaze.

  "You brat, we'll discuss this at home. Now, please be so kind as to release the Prince of Crow and..."

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  "Forgive me for interrupting you, Lady Katerina, but this is not up for discussion. Your granddaughter, Lady Katerina the Younger, will be enrolling in the Royal Academy of Crow, and His Majesty Idivig has approved it."

  Now Munib was surprised. Of course, he and old Howard had discussed the possibility that the escape of this crazy old woman's granddaughter might be pinned as a kidnapping. But then, to their surprise, Katerina herself had said she was seeking help from Viscount Lines and Baron Star, that she wanted to enroll in the Academy and study, and that she was tired of her grandmother's tyranny, who forbade her everything. And in such a short time, old Howard had apparently managed to write letters to the King himself and the Prince, and possibly others, so that now this girl was standing up to this woman with her head held high.

  "How dare you, a mere youth, speak to me like that!" the Duchess Blood hissed angrily.

  "Lady Katerina, I believe I should intervene," said a tall man with black hair, dressed in a military uniform and a fur cloak. Munib noticed his narrow eyes and the impeccably correct gait of a warrior. As the professor observed, this man had been standing nearby all this time, examining his iron servants. The man even noted that this person was the same height as his creations, but he couldn't assess his musculature through the uniform. However, he had the feeling that he would not find an ounce of fat there, only a body toned by training.

  "Lord Ryo," the woman said, looking at the man with open hatred, who had decided to intervene in their conversation. But the reason for this hatred, as Munib assessed, was not that he had intervened, but something much older.

  "You are showing disrespect to our future king. Do not forget that," replied the one she had called Lord Ryo.

  "I am merely worried about my granddaughter," said the Duchess Blood, making the intonations in her voice somewhat softer, and Munib was amazed at how quickly this woman could change her mood and suppress her emotions.

  "I think she will be perfectly safe in the capital itself, considering that the future king himself advocates for her protection. Am I understanding correctly, Your Highness Arthur?" the man said, addressing the young man next to the younger Katerina.

  "Yes, that's correct, Duke of Storm," Arthur replied to him.

  "As you can see, Lady Katerina, you have nothing to worry about, since Lord Arthur himself, the Crown Prince of Crow, the future King of Crow, vouches for your granddaughter's safety," Lord Ryo said just as calmly, which amazed Munib, as if he felt no fear standing next to this woman. Although Prince Arthur had called him a Duke, meaning he and the elder Katerina were birds of a feather, Munib recalled Caspar's expression, which would probably fit this situation perfectly.

  "If Lord Ryo himself says that I should calm my worries for my only heiress, then I suppose I really should trust a youth who has not yet ascended the throne," the elder Katerina said, and the professor caught notes of sarcasm in her voice, which the woman apparently did not hide. But Munib also noticed that this Duke did not react at all to the old woman's barbs.

  "Be more polite, Lady Katerina. What light are you presenting our state in now?" the man chuckled, emphasizing the last two words, then turned towards the professor. "Professor Munib, I assume our conversation has tired you, so you are free to leave us."

  "Oh no, you don't," the Duchess Blood interjected, looking at Munib with a certain contempt. "This man kidnapped my granddaughter and brought her here, so..."

  "Lady Katerina," Arthur interrupted the woman. "I have to interrupt you for the second time, but you cannot accuse Professor Munib of kidnapping your granddaughter. Therefore, Professor, you may calmly leave us with your wonderful creations while we resolve this conflict."

  "But!" the elder Katerina began to speak, showing irritation on her aged face.

  "No buts!" Prince Arthur said loudly, raising his intonation for the first time during the conversation, attracting more and more attention from other nobles to this exchange. But none of them, unlike the Duke of Storm, dared to intervene, merely continuing to listen. "Professor, I beg you."

  Munib said nothing, merely nodded at the young man's request and ordered the pair of Mu-6 to follow him, leaving the others in the hall. He moved away towards the balcony he had noticed earlier. But as he retreated, it seemed to him that the old woman smiled mysteriously, as if everything was going according to her plan. The man shook his head, dismissing foolish thoughts from his mind, and continued his way towards the balcony. The professor stepped out to breathe some fresh air. This whole party was already beginning to tire him. Of course, he had liked the effect his iron servants had produced, but the bothersome questions from all these aristocrats, whose faces he couldn't even remember, exhausted him—especially the last conversation with the Duchess. So Munib was extremely glad when Prince Arthur suggested he leave. And now he stepped out onto a small balcony, leaning on it with his hands. The man raised his gaze and was struck by the sight before him—the long-awaited sea, which he had only seen in his dreams. Of course, he had glimpsed it briefly while in the capital, between buildings, but such a beautiful view as opened up from the balcony of the royal palace touched him to the depths of his soul: the full moon, already risen above the dark sky, illuminated the vast expanse of water that disappeared beyond the horizon, and the professor could see neither its end nor its edge. The celestial body itself was reflected in the water, creating a huge copy of the sphere that was visible to the man from his height. The beautiful spectacle mesmerized the professor, and he asked his iron servants to step away so they wouldn't interfere with him listening to the night sounds of the city spread out below him, hoping to hear the sound of the sea waves. Although the sounds of the ball behind him interfered with this concentration, he tried with all his might, and finally he heard it.

  The sound of the sea wave.

  Of course, it was distant and quiet, but it was exactly the sound Caspar had told him about, and the professor was pleased to have heard it. At last, he felt peace in his soul that one of his dreams had been fulfilled. He hadn't even suspected that because of this ball, he would be able to contemplate the sea from such a height, which only intensified his impression. For the first time, he was grateful for having come here, and for having endured all those conversations with these nobles—all for this moment.

  Masculine romance—that's what he would say to Caspar now, if he were nearby, and the lad would probably support the professor. He should find the lad and look at this view together while they could, to discuss it later and remember it on the way home to Starhorod. For some reason, Munib was sure the lad would follow him on this difficult journey back, in a few years, when they finished all their business in the Kingdom of Crow.

  Then he heard loud footsteps behind him, clearly heading in his direction, and the man desperately hoped he was imagining it due to all the concentration he was exhibiting.

  "Professor Munib?" someone's rough, male voice called out behind him, snapping the man out of his thoughts about the journey home. Munib sighed wearily again—this evening had already finished him, and he just wanted to enjoy the view of the magnificent and beautiful sea that stretched across the horizon.

  "Yes," the professor finally replied, turning around to come face to face with a huge, dark-skinned man. He had supposedly been introduced as Delmar the Third, the second son of the current emperor, if Munib had heard correctly. But at that time, he had been occupied with a conversation with the nasty old woman and hadn't paid much attention to the herald announcing guests. Still, he was almost certain this man was from the Desert Empire.

  "His Imperial Majesty wishes to convey a message to you," the prince said dryly, observing the man's reaction as he looked with bewilderment at the representative of the empire standing before him.

  "Does everyone want to convey messages to me today?" the man muttered under his breath, unable to contain himself. How much more of this farce did he have to endure? Right now, he wanted to be alone and enjoy the sounds and views of the sea, because afterwards he would clearly be plunged into the chaos surrounding this train.

  "The message is this: say hello to your father, Garib," the tall, dark-skinned man said and quickly moved forward towards the professor.

  "Wha..." Munib began to say in surprise, but the prince's two strong hands had already grabbed his head and, with one simple motion, twisted the professor's head around to face his back.

  "No!" was the last thing he heard, the cry of young Caspar, as Munib's body fell from the balcony of the royal palace downwards, watching as his Mu-6 tore the prince in half, sending him flying after the professor.