C59 - 60
Chapter 59: Link (5)
A small shield-sized, brilliant magic stone.
Surrounding the magic stone were sages draped in blue robes.
Currently, there were hardly any among them who wore normal expressions.
More were standing than sitting.
Most had eyes widened in shock and mouths agape, merely staring at the face of the informant who had come to deliver news.
“What… what are you saying? Lord Lucion and Lady Cadelina are missing…?”
“I am conveying exactly that. Since the last manifestation of their power near Luwen, their presence has completely vanished.”
The informant spoke with a calm tone, as if he had already anticipated the reaction of the sages, but he himself couldn’t comprehend the current situation.
The disappearance of the dragons, the supreme race of the land.
Though termed as ‘missing’, it was practically tantamount to extinction since there was no trace of their presence left on this land.
The two artifacts, both losing their light, were evidence of that.
“As you can see, both of these ‘Dragon Stones’ have lost their light. When they handed over these artifacts to us initially, they clearly stated that when the light of these stones disappears, they would cease to exist in this world…”
Of course, such a thing would never happen, and they were simply commanded to follow our instructions verbatim.
Although the dragons who spoke and the sages who listened had never anticipated such an event.
“Lu, you said it was near Luwen, right? Have you been to the place where their energy was last manifested?”
“Investigators searched in every possible way, even using detection magic, but only a series of battle traces were found, and nothing else was found. Even small things like blood stains or scales…….”
The more they heard, the more absurd it was.
While everyone is making blank faces, unable to accept reality,
A middle-aged man sitting closest to the rainbow-colored magic stone was watching the current situation with a very serious expression.
It was ‘Regens Rainriver,’ the head of the Garam Kingdom’s Magic Society and one of the few people on the continent who holds the title of Great Sage.
“Hmm…….”
All the eyes of the wise men turned to him at the brief sigh that came out along with the wind from his nose.
Regens’ gaze was directed to the faded Dragon Stone.
“It was near Luwen, right? If there were traces of a battle, then Lucion and Cadelina… would have perished in that battle, wouldn’t they?”
“Y-Yes! However, Lord Lucion and Lady Cadelina possessed power equivalent to 8th rank…”
“Assigning titles to the deceased serves no purpose. There’s no need to elevate them further.”
Regens raised his hand, halting the respect for the dragons.
“But we should consider the battle more carefully. If not even a drop of blood was found, perhaps the individual who killed those two dragons erased traces with magic?”
“But, Lord Regens! As you know, the magic proficiency of the investigators is not low. Most were at least 7th rank or higher. If they couldn’t detect anything with their detection magic, wouldn’t the perpetrator need to be at least 8th rank or higher…”
“Likely a Dark attribute user.”
Specialized in concealment and deception rather than combat-oriented magic.
If indeed traces were erased by magic, the caster’s magical prowess would need to be far superior to that of the investigators.
“He killed a dragon instead of anything else, but if he really did that, it wouldn’t be at the level of the investigators.”
Regens remarked as if it wasn’t particularly surprising.
“Even so, Dark attribute…”
Even among the highly-ranked magicians known to the public, Dark attribute users were exceedingly rare.
In fact, the likelihood of possessing a Dark attribute and ascending to high ranks was slim.
However, Regens seemed fixated on the Dark attribute, repeatedly muttering the word to himself while tapping his desk with his fingers.
“Luwen was where the Royal Academy is located, right?”
Once again, he mentioned nothing other than the Academy.
“Yes. However, the only person capable of killing Lucion and Cadelina would be Chancellor Kundle. But his attribute is not Dark…”
“There’s no guarantee it must be the Chancellor. The specialty of Dark attribute is concealment, so perhaps a highly-ranked Dark attribute user with hidden power could be harbored there. It’s worth investigating. Expand the investigation range to include the Academy.”
“Yes, Lord Regens!”
As the instructed investigator left, Regens closed his eyes.
Everyone in the chamber remained silent, watching him.
Until he opened his eyes and spoke again, no one dared to break the silence.
“Sometimes, it seems like we’re in the midst of chaos, just like in the old days. Even though it was said that occasionally trouble may arise.”
Though his tone was composed, it carried an underlying sense of discomfort.
“What about finding a new trader?”
“We are currently scouring the entire continent for a capable trader, but it may take some time to find someone as competent and resourceful as Zikermann Albas.”
“What about investigating alternatives for the supply of demonic blood?”
“We’re looking into that in all directions, but it seems difficult to secure additional supply unless we can infiltrate new suppliers into the front lines. Most of the blood diverted by ignorant suppliers to the black market has already been recovered.”
Regens sighed deeply again.
“Do you all think that everything that has happened so far is just a coincidence?”
A collective gulp was heard from those present.
“Renald Crimson, who supplied demonic blood, was assassinated on the front lines, and Zikermann Albas, who provided us with research materials and human test subjects for years, was also assassinated out of the blue. And now, Lucion and Cadelina, the two dragons who have contributed the most to our society, have vanished. Could all of these events really be just coincidences?”
Regens’ eyes showed a mixture of anger and doubt.
“I don’t believe so. There must be some connection to the misfortunes befalling us. Until we understand and address it, the progress of our Magic Society will be hindered.”
It was more of an intuition than evidence.
However, the other sages couldn’t help but think that there must be some correlation between these series of events.
But as of now, they had no way of knowing, and it was frustrating.
Rising from his seat, Regens warned the sages seated at the table.
“So, everyone needs to brace themselves. It seems like there’s an ominous change happening on this continent. We must overcome it to move towards a brighter future!”
With that, Regens disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind the glowing emblem of the society engraved on his robe.
* * *
“Hey, how is it? Delicious?”
“Yeah! It’s really delicious! Snacks from Sister Arin are the best!”
Nana’s face was radiant as if she didn’t need heaven.
——————
——————
Her cheeks were filled with snacks brought by Princess Arin.
They seemed to be having a great time, just like two affectionate young sisters.
Actually, I am the one who gave permission to her to come see Nana, so I am at a loss to say anything.
It feels strange, though.
It’s the first time I’ve brought a stranger into my room.
It’s not like I’ve stacked up corpses or anything, and there’s no reason to prevent them from coming in, but the fact that a stranger who isn’t my seed has entered is not particularly pleasant.
*Clunk clunk*
Still, Brian, considering the guest valuable, quietly set up a table in front of the sofa and boiled some tea.
Sweat was dripping down his tense face as if it were raining.
He’s really doing what he wasn’t asked to do.
Never mind the tea, Arin, seeing Brian’s appearance, asked me,
“Is it really just Brian, no other knights?”
“As you can see, yes.”
Actually, he wasn’t even supposed to be here.
“Surprising, isn’t it? I thought you might bring the maid from the mansion. Her name was Emily, right?”
She remembered her name surprisingly well.
Well, it’s not surprising if a maid with that kind of presence is missed.
“I didn’t want to bring her, a mere maid, to the academy. I had no desire to resort to tricks either.”
I thought it would be better for her to stay in Velias than to come to the academy with me.
“Arin, it’s time for your classical literature class.”
“Oh, is it already that time?”
Ressimus, checking the clock, informed us that class time was approaching.
Upon which Princess Arin hastily tidied up her belongings and began to prepare to leave.
Well, now it’ll quiet down a bit.
Once those two are gone, maybe I can relax and do some exercise…
“Hmm?”
Arin suddenly stood up and was staring directly at my face.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Why are you like that?”
Her unexpected question caught me off guard.
“Don’t you have class to attend? We have the same class.”
*Sigh*
Deep inside, I let out a sigh.
Is the princess deliberately doing this?
“Nana! I’m going to class with Papa! Play nicely with Brian until then!”
“Yeah! Have a good time, Arin sis!”
My opinion didn’t matter anymore.
With Nana’s cheerful face waving goodbye, my body was already outside the dormitory.
“Surely you weren’t planning to skip class again? While taking care of Nana is important, the primary duty of a student is to attend class! If you keep skipping and end up failing, won’t that be a problem, Cyan?!”
She really is considerate.
I just turned my gaze slightly and contemplated slipping away.
At that moment, a familiar figure approached.
It was Cranz.
He spotted me, hesitated for a moment, then quickly turned and left.
There was no mistaking it, I had instructed him to do just that.
He was to disappear as soon as he saw me.
“Wasn’t he your brother just now?”
“Yes, but we’re not that close.”
I cut off any further conversation.
Moving on, as I arrived at the main building, I encountered another familiar face at the end of the hallway.
It was Barrett Louisemill, supported by knights and bowing with one leg raised.
His arrogant face remained unchanged.
“Hmph!”
Upon spotting me, he screamed and ordered the knights to carry him away before fleeing.
It was almost as fast as an assassin eliminating a target and disappearing.
“What’s wrong, Cyan? Is there something there?”
“Nothing.”
I ascended the stairs without revealing anything.
The chatter of dozens of students suddenly fell silent, all eyes turning towards me.
Their expressions seemed to question why I was there.
Ignoring those curious glances, I took my seat.
It had been two months since I entered the academy.
As I’ve said before, this place is just a fence to protect my current status.
Despite some interesting incidents, I need to quietly continue my life here, avoiding any unwanted attention.
I must gradually mend everything I should have but couldn’t do before.
I must continue to connect the faint links I have now.
Then, it will all collapse on its own.
It’s like the cunning plan of a wicked little demon’s child.
Thinking about that moment, a smile unknowingly formed on my lips.
——————
Chapter 60: Link (6)
“An unidentified faction was watching Cyan’s back?”
“Yes, all the scouts that were dispatched before have been dealt with by them.”
Aschel replied with a bewildered expression.
“And what’s their identity?”
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to ascertain that yet. However, according to the only surviving scout, they felt more like well-trained assassins rather than simple knights. Upon my own observation, it seemed they maintained a certain boundary but were quick to act if that boundary was crossed.”
Despite delivering a serious report, Kellen’s tone was oddly nonchalant.
“So, for now, it seemed like I should report to Lord Aschel first. We’ve ceased all activities and returned immediately. I apologize for not bringing back as much information as you desired.”
The anxiety before leaving seemed to have vanished completely.
It was as if he was seeing someone else.
“Thank you for your efforts. I need to think about this a bit. You may leave now.”
“Yes.”
With bowed head, Kellen turned without any hesitation and headed towards the door.
Aschel watched his departing figure intently.
“Kellen?”
Suddenly stopping him as he was about to open the door again, Aschel asked with a puzzled smile.
“I have a question to ask.”
Despite the intention to ask a question, Aschel remained silent for about ten seconds.
Eventually, it was Kellen who spoke first.
“May the blessing of Lumendel be with you.”
A somewhat unexpected farewell.
However, seeing this, Aschel burst into laughter.
“Thank you for answering, Kellen. Please don’t misunderstand. This is just a periodic ritual. You may leave now.”
Without a word, Kellen simply bowed his head and exited through the door.
Alone in the room, Aschel sank into contemplation with a face that was neither unpleasant nor cheerful, but rather mysterious and unsettling.
It wasn’t long before a knock was heard.
“Come in.”
A maid with light brown hair opened the door and entered cautiously, her shoulders tensed.
“M-Master! The royal family’s carriage has just arrived near Velias!”
“Ah, really? Then I must prepare and go out. Thank you for letting me know.”
They say there’s nothing as captivating to a woman’s heart as a charming smile on a handsome face.
For a brief moment, her face turned red with excitement, her heart pounding.
But then, in her uncontrolled emotions, her hand accidentally knocked over the flower vase that was standing nearby.
*Crash!*
The vase shattered with a loud noise.
“I-I’m sorry, Master! I’ll clean it up right away!”
The maid hurriedly began picking up the shards with trembling hands.
*Swish*
“…!”
Suddenly, as Aschel approached her hand, he uttered a spell.
“Restoration…”
The white light emitted from his hand enveloped the shards of glass in the maid’s hand.
The pieces seemed to fit together on their own, and before long, they had returned to their original state before being broken.
In place of the stunned maid, Aschel carefully placed the vase back on the table.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“What? No! I-I’m fine, Master! Thank you for your concern!”
His kindness was palpable, almost as if it were as natural as breathing.
The maid seemed to be lost in a trance, as if she had just seen the face of an angel.
Aschel couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity with her face.
“Come to think of it, your face looks quite familiar. Your name… was it Emily?”
“Y-Yes! I-I was serving the youngest master!”
Emily, the personal maid who had been in charge of Cyan until two months ago.
Aschel smiled mysteriously, his expression unreadable.
“Well, no one has observed Cyan as closely as his personal maid, right?”
“Um…?”
“Would you be willing to serve as my personal maid this time?”
The joy on her face immediately turned to stone-like stiffness.
* * *
“Is he the youngest of Duke Vert?”
“Yes. Although he’s a newcomer, he’s one of the few dark elemental users in the academy, almost exclusively at 92% darkness attribute.”
Regens Rainriver, the head of the Magic Society of the Garam Kingdom, chuckled suddenly as he read the report.
“With a darkness attribute at 92%, you’d think he’d be almost divine if you just look at the numbers.”
“According to the investigators, despite his noble status, he was assigned to the royal dormitory, Royal Crown, in the academy. Since then, Emperor Dionne’s influence has been at play, and he’s received considerable attention not only from the royal family but also from the headmaster, Kündel Quazel.”
“Seems like there’s not a single normal individual among the children of that family.”
Regens found it intriguing but tossed Cyan’s report aside.
“So, what are you trying to say? That this boy, who couldn’t even snap his fingers, is suspected of killing dragons… is that what you’re saying?”
He was indeed an exceptional being, but still just a boy.
The notion of a prodigy like him being the culprit behind the deaths of master-level dragons was almost laughably worthless, not even fit for a novel.
Regens’ eyes were so sharp that they could have unleashed a deadly spell at any moment, and a bead of sweat trickled down the investigator’s cheek.
“Well, of course, we can’t judge Cyan solely based on this, but there’s one thing. There was a crucial point of connection that couldn’t be overlooked!”
“A connection?”
“At the time when Renald Crimson, who supplied dragon’s blood, was murdered, this boy Cyan was also on the front lines!”
Regens’ pupils twitched for a moment.
“This boy was on the front lines too?”
“Yes. Before enrolling in the academy, he had been living on the front lines with senior knights for about a year to accumulate experience. The problem is that the time he was there coincides with when Renald Crimson was actively siphoning demonic creature’s blood and was murdered!”
There was practically nothing but coincidence here.
There was no evidence that Cyan killed Rennald.
But there was a rather uncomfortable connection that was pricking at Regens’ mind, making it hard to dismiss.
“And, this is just a rumor, but… at the time when this boy Cyan was on the front lines, there’s a story that he survived an encounter with a Demonic Dragon!”
“A Demonic Dragon?”
“Yes! We’re still investigating the details, but the story we received is that during Emperor Dionne’s visit to the front lines with the 5th Princess, the invasion of the demonic beasts happened, and after, Cyan, to protect the 5th Princess, became bait and was kidnapped by the Demonic Dragon, but returned alive!”
Regens’ expression, surprisingly, became dumbfounded.
Then, for a moment, his lips curved into a smile.
“Hahaha! This is ridiculous! All I can do is laugh! So, he’s gaining attention from the Emperor and the headmaster for no reason? A friend who’s already so popular at a young age!”
Regens burst into unusual laughter.
Regens continued speaking as he picked up the draft report again.
“How many people do you think will be enrolled in the Royal Academy from our Kingdom of Garam within the next two years?”
“Well, I’ll have to check the exact count, but I think there will be around 200 people.”
“Write it down.”
It was very unusual for him, who had not usually shown much interest in the academy, to mention the academy children were planning to enroll in.
“Select not only children from noble families, but all talented individuals from all over the kingdom. Status doesn’t matter, whether they’re a commoner or a lowlife. It’s okay even for people who have fled from other countries. We will have to attract at least twice the number of people currently planned.”
“B-but if that happens, won’t there be a backlash from the royal family and other noble families…?”
“That is none of your concern. Each person has something to do in his or her position. There is no development for this country despite what the golden bugs are saying.I’ll make sure to convey that to His Majesty the King.”
——————
——————
“I-I will uphold the orders of the society head!”
After the investigator left, Regens remained alone, staring blankly at the magic stone placed on the table.
“…”
When his lips, which had been straight, curved into a smirk, the magic stone faintly shimmered with iridescent light.
* * *
“Has it been two years since graduating from the Royal Academy? You seem quite content here in your hometown, Aschel.”
“Well, as they say, there’s no place like home, isn’t there?”
“At least, it doesn’t seem that way to me. This place is dull no matter when you come, but still better than the imperial palace, I suppose.”
Flowing silver hair and deep blue eyes, coupled with a dignified smile befitting the imperial family.
Louisnel Sevellerus, the first prince of the Ushif Empire, was currently conversing with Aschel in the Velias city center garden.
“Is His Majesty the Emperor doing alright?”
“It’s just periodic symptoms, nothing serious. It’s just that the timing wasn’t right this time. Well, for me, it’s not bad since I get to see your face, isn’t it?”
The prince replied nonchalantly, sipping his tea.
Currently, Emperor Dionne was bedridden due to a sudden aggravation of his heart disease, leaving Louisnel to handle solo diplomatic missions.
While the Emperor had often visited the front lines with the royal entourage before, it was the first time a prince, not the Emperor, had gone alone.
“So, how long do you plan to stay idle in this remote place? Isn’t it time to settle somewhere? It’s quite a loss for the empire, not to mention the continent, to have a talented individual like you just idling away. ”
“There’s still much to learn. I just want to learn more from my father’s side for the sake of the empire and the family.”
“Indeed, as straightforward as ever. Both you and I, we still need the shade of our parents. Just existing itself can be a threat, you know.”
The prince continued the conversation with Aschel, laughing heartily.
“Still no news from Alice?”
“……”
As soon as the prince mentioned Alice, Aschel’s brow slightly furrowed.
However, he didn’t show it and replied with a gentle smile.
“It’s really agonizing not knowing what she’s up to. Occasionally, letters come saying not to worry, but as a family member, it’s hard not to worry, isn’t it?”
“You’re good at jokes too. Do you think I don’t know what’s on your mind?”
The prince casually signaled to a knight waiting 10 meters away.
Shortly after, the nearby knight approached, offering a bottle of wine.
“You’re quite like me. Feeling the need for family, especially siblings, yet never fully trusting them. Just their existence alone could be a threat.”
“It’s a risky thing to say.”
“You didn’t expect me to know your thoughts, did you? You mentioned Cyan? Your youngest sibling.”
“…!”
The prince poured himself a drink with an unaffected expression.
“It seems the Royal Father is quite interested. He even got allocated a royal court at this year’s academy? It’s not common for our Royal Father to directly intervene, is it?”
The prince was smiling, but his inner thoughts were different.
It wasn’t envy regarding Cyan itself.
The reason Cyan was granted such privilege was because of a certain woman.
“At this rate, will we hear about an engagement in a few years? Who knows?”
As he raised his glass, the prince expressed his suppressed discomfort.
Upon this, Aschel refilled his empty glass and said.
“You never know, do you? Sometimes watering a plant just once can make it grow vigorously. It wouldn’t be bad to build influence with the Fifth Princess.”
“I didn’t expect you to say that.”
The prince responded unexpectedly.
“Well, of course, it wasn’t meant in a positive way given your personality. Are you telling me to ‘use Princess Arin’?”
“Isn’t it better than others saying it?”
The prince laughed heartily and emptied his glass heavily, then Aschel filled it again.
“Sure! It’s better for me to say it first than others! But for now, the Royal Father needs to be convinced. He’s probably still losing sleep over that girl, isn’t he? Wrapping up such a useless shell of a child with anything….”
“You have to see it as the privilege of the youngest.”
The mention of privilege made the prince lower his head.
“Well, whatever. Ultimately, time will tell. With everything, including Quazel, on my side, what is there to fear? I’ll just wait patiently for the right time.”
With another gesture towards the empty air, the young knight with a talkative face brought another bottle of liquor.
Looking at the knight, Aschel asked with raised eyebrows.
“Seems like there’s been a change in the guardian knight?”
“Oh? That’s right! It’s the gem I found on my recent visit to Slums.”
The knight, placing down the bottle of liquor, said to Aschel with a bow.
“Boris Ruchelheim.”
Aschel stared at the knight’s face for a moment.
It didn’t take long for him to speak again.
“You’ve found one of the highest-grade gems among gems, it seems.”
A mysterious smile appeared on Aschel’s face as he looked at the knight.
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