Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke

180 The Secrets Beneath Asagrim

The first thing that caught their eyes was the intricate architecture—elegantly constructed buildings, roads paved with impeccable precision.

Even the residential districts, meant for commoners, bore a refined, almost noble aesthetic.

Further beyond, the inner wall rose in majestic splendor—taller, more refined, and somehow even more awe-inspiring than the outer one.

But what truly stole their breath away—

The palace.

"The White Palace…"

Someone whispered the name, utterly entranced.

It wasn't built from mere stone or bricks.

It looked as if a mountain-sized pearl had been sculpted into a grand, gleaming palace.

Everything else—the walls, the roads, the buildings—was magnificent.

But in comparison to the White Palace, they felt like mere decorations.

Those who had visited before found themselves lost in nostalgia, while those seeing it for the first time trembled with emotion.

Even William, despite all the stories he had heard, couldn't suppress a breath of awe.

"…It exceeds all expectations."

He had assumed people were exaggerating when they said it was more beautiful than the Imperial Palace.

But now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he had no choice but to admit—

They had been understating it.

What kind of technology did they have a thousand years ago to build something like this?

Lost in admiration, William let his gaze wander—until something felt off.

His expression sharpened.

The security here is excessive.

It was supposed to be an open city, a pilgrimage site.

Yet, the level of surveillance and patrols felt more like a strategic military base.

"Sir Rottier."

"Y-Yes?"

Rottier visibly flinched at being addressed.

William turned to him with a cool gaze.

"The security here is… unusually strict. Why is a tourist site being guarded at this level?"

"…Your Highness, with all due respect, my duty is to protect the Emperor's direct domain. I cannot disclose classified information to an outsider."

His tone was firm, devoid of personal resentment. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

At a glance, it sounded reasonable.

William smirked.

"I see. You're right—it wouldn't be proper for me to pry into Imperial secrets."

"Thank you for understanding," Rottier replied stiffly.

"But."

William's tone grew sharper.

"This is my territory now. If you withhold information about a danger that leads to my harm, that responsibility falls on you."

Rottier's face twisted.

Of course.

William wasn't just some noble anymore.

If something happened on his land, the blame could easily be shifted onto Rottier for failing to warn him.

Had Rottier flatly refused from the beginning, he might have escaped the trap.

But he had already acknowledged that it was a classified matter.

Which meant… if William or Glenn pushed him further—

"Sir Rottier," Glenn interjected smoothly.

"Are you saying that even I, an Imperial Inquisitor, have no right to know?"

The Emperor had gifted Asagrim to William to secure his allegiance.

If withholding information caused William to feel less indebted, it would be a loss to the Imperial Family.

Rottier's jaw clenched.

"It's not that I can't tell you…"

"Then tell us," Glenn said simply. "Since this is now His Highness's land, any classified matters regarding this territory must be disclosed to him."

There was no way out.

With a heavy sigh, Rottier finally relented.

"…Recently, we discovered a barrier."

"A barrier?" William frowned. "You mean the magical kind?"

"Yes."

Magical barriers were used to block intrusions or protect something valuable.

Most of them simply functioned as invisible walls, preventing unauthorized entry.

But some were far deadlier—obliterating anyone who touched them without permission.

Ancient ruins often had such traps, which had vaporized many unfortunate explorers in the past.

"But to be clear," Rottier continued, "this is not a hostile barrier. It was designed to protect the city. We can activate and deactivate it at will. The only reason it was undiscovered until now is that the control artifact was hidden within the city's foundations."

William raised a brow.

"That is surprising," he admitted. "But ancient ruins sometimes contain hidden artifacts. That alone wouldn't explain the extreme security."

Then something clicked in his mind.

"Wait. A barrier for the entire city? How big is it?"

"It extends in a semi-dome over all of Asagrim," Rottier admitted. "And its defensive capabilities are on par with the strongest known ruins."

"…!"

William's entire group inhaled sharply.

Most magical barriers only covered entrances or specific sections of a structure.

A full-scale defensive dome—especially one that could withstand serious attacks—was unheard of.

Even the Imperial Palace didn't have a barrier of that scale.

"Wait," William narrowed his eyes. "What does this have to do with the heightened security?"

"The problem," Rottier admitted, "is what happens if an outsider tampers with the artifact."

William's gaze sharpened.

"What happens?"

"If someone interferes with the controls from the outside, it's possible that the barrier could trap everyone inside."

William frowned.

"…That is concerning. But couldn't you just deactivate it from within?"

"In theory, yes. But if the control artifact were damaged, we don't know what would happen. The worst-case scenario is that the entire city gets sealed off indefinitely."

William opened his mouth to argue—

Then stopped.

Something wasn't right.

The explanation made sense on the surface.

But it was too flimsy.

Rottier was a knight, not a mage. He wouldn't be able to analyze the barrier himself.

Which meant…

Someone else had fed him this explanation.

William's gaze turned cold.

"That's an awfully convenient assumption," he mused.

"…Excuse me?"

"You don't know how the artifact functions. You don't know if it can really seal off the city. You don't even know who created it."

"Well, that's—"

William cut him off.

"And yet, despite knowing almost nothing about it… you're restricting entry to the city. Limiting the number of visitors. Acting as if this thing is actively dangerous—when all you have is speculation."

Rottier's expression tightened.

Glenn sighed.

"Sir Rottier," he said, rubbing his temples. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

William didn't need an answer to know the truth.

There was something deeper at play here.

Something that neither the Emperor nor his officials had revealed.

And William intended to find out exactly what it was.