NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
I supported Sererassie and headed towards the ‘Hope’ Casino.
Fortunately, the masked ally had prepared a hideout, and we were able to evade the remnants of the other casinos chasing us.
After resting for about two hours, the masked ally announced the arrival of the carriage.
“I will repay this kindness soon.”
“Just the news of the Black Iron Knights is enough. Moreover… although it wasn’t your intention, it seems many of the competitors of this ‘Hope’ have disappeared, so that’s all the more sufficient.”
I left the Imperial Palace at dawn, gazing at the stars that rise at dawn, and upon returning to the palace, I saw the same stars shining again.
The coachman of the red-light district was accustomed to early morning guests, but the palace security guard was not.
“Do you not see this pass?!”
“Who is the woman beside you? The entrance of the palace is prohibited for those like Chunhee.”
“How dare you! This is Duke Sererassie Solletarass!”
After some back and forth, at last, I was able to return to the nostalgic Crimson Crescent Palace.
There were times when matters that could be resolved in a day dragged on for ten years, and times when issues that took ten years to materialize were resolved in a day.
Today was a day of the latter.
“It has been an exceedingly long day.”
I wanted to sleep after Rudi’s massage, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of time.
If I couldn’t explain why I had gone on a business trip to the red-light district, I could lose my post as an adviser. It was a euphemism for a severe reprimand.
With Rudi’s help, I treated Sererassie’s wounds and washed up.
She regained consciousness around the time the eastern sky cleared, with the recovery power befitting a royal.
I too wiped my blood- and sweat-soaked body with a wet towel and changed my clothes.
“Your Majesty, if you are very tired, why not close your eyes for a moment?”
Rudi cautiously spoke.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes were sunken, and my cheeks were pale.
It was a woeful sight reminding me of when I stayed awake for ten nights during the War of Mercury.
“If I sleep now, I don’t trust that I can get up again.”
Having pulled an all-nighter, I headed to the Main Palace to meet Jeilliris.
Though the eastern sky was still dim, I was well aware of how diligent the tyrant was.
* * *
The reception room was not as magnificent as the Audience Chamber, but it was grand and splendid.
If the Audience Chamber’s ceiling, adorned with a diamond chandelier against a dark blue backdrop, resembled the night sky, then the reception room’s dark red background, with an emerald chandelier and tapestries, looked like the sunset-lit sea.
Jeilliris was seated in an armchair in the Audience Chamber, crossing her legs.
The white uniform adorned with red patterns and gold trims suited her well.
Her white hair and golden eyes shone sharply from dawn, and the jewel-studded sheath of the long sword leaning against the chair shimmered as well.
I recognized that sword at a glance.
A weapon that had been by her side for forty years, significantly contributing to the world’s population decrease.
It was the translucent blade, ‘Glass Mirror.’
“Have you come?”
With a single remark, Jeilliris tossed the report I had submitted onto the table and motioned for me to speak.
“The Emperor’s advisor wishes to fulfill his first duty by recommending a talented individual to Your Majesty.”
I said this without blinking.
A moment of silence passed in the reception room.
“Duke Valencius. If you were asking for a joke, I would accept it.”
Jeilliris bit her lip, looking as if she wanted to drag me off and lash me at any moment.
However, the court official standing behind her wore a satisfied smile.
“Your Majesty, how could Duke Valencius dare to jest with Your Excellency, who is busy?”
Despite being in her eighties, the court official stood tall, with a posture that matched even that of a young person, and her eyes carried a depth of passion and sorrow not befitting her age.
She had been a faithful minister to the imperial family for a long time, whether in good or bad regard, and was deeply intertwined with Jeilliris, whether positively or negatively.
“Did you say her name is Sererassie?”
With a sigh, Jeilliris regarded her with a look that said, “Let’s hear it.”
I lightly tapped Sererassie on the side as a signal.
She politely removed her triangular hat and spoke.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I heard that you walk the path of magic. To what degree have you achieved?”
“I will express it in terms of circle magic. I can cast lightning magic up to the 4th circle, and earth magic up to the 3rd circle using silent casting.”
“Conversion? Explain in detail.”
The Emperor appeared intrigued.
Silent casting at the 4th circle was a commendable skill, even by the standards of court magicians.
Considering her age, just barely over twenty, she was bound to develop further.
“I also carry the blood of the royal family. Like Your Majesty, I can manipulate mana in a way different from the circle magic passed down from the Elves.”
Sererassie spoke, her gold-and-silver tinged body shimmering.
Jeilliris’ expression displayed a mix of satisfaction and wariness.
“Now I recall you. Once, you attended to the First Prince. It seems like ages ago, even though it was only a year.”
“I think so too. I feel honored to meet you again.”
The Emperor tapped his fingers on the desk, erasing expressions from his face.
It signified he wished to discuss practical matters, devoid of emotions.
“Magic is mysterious and useful, but it is also dangerous.”
“I agree.”
“My caution towards you is not simply because you possess a claim to the imperial succession. It is because you share blood similar to mine. However, it seems your blood is rather thick.”
Sererassie closed her mouth. Her distinctive golden and silver shimmer trembled with fear.
The royal bloodline held significant value beyond mere succession rights.
Sererassie would likely be aware of that.
She had enjoyed privileges due to her lineage, been praised as a genius, and understood that if she were to die because of it, there would be no one to blame but herself.
“What thoughts does Duke Valencius have in recommending her?”
So, desperately, I launched into the arguments I had prepared without a wink of sleep.
“I understand what Your Majesty is concerned about.”
I comprehended the Emperor’s worries and vigilance.
I also knew how the royals, who had been manipulated by the ancient entities and their minions of another world, turned into monsters and the dire fates they met.
There were several royals I personally thought should be killed quickly.
“Do you know?”
“However, the problem soon becomes evidence. If you were to kill everyone who could pose a threat, it would mean eliminating all potential evidence.”
Jeilliris’ golden eyes sparkled.
“If mere evidence could become a threat, what then should we do?”
“Who is there among the nobility that does not have even a drop of royal blood? I humbly submit, Your Majesty, but isn’t it true that we still haven’t found all those royals who fled outside the capital after your ascension? Killing one more does not resolve the situation.”
It had been the same in my previous life.
Killing one gave rise to two more rebelling in alliance with the provincial high nobles and foreign nations.
The reason for not seeking Justianus right away was that he was merely the last one who survived among them.
The Emperor sighed, seeming troubled, and nodded.
I felt a sense of relief as I continued speaking.
Originally, I would have said this decades later.
“The bloodline of the royal family is the pinnacle of noble families. Starting with dragons, over generations it has incorporated the strengths of countless races, including Elves, Merfolk, and Lizardmen, who are neutral in tendency, and has thus been completed.”
“Indeed.”
“Therefore, the blood of the royal family is powerful but also dangerous. Even the royals should not be treated carelessly.”
“That is indeed the case.”
“Thus, I believe that it should be managed by talented and specialized individuals. If there is a knot entangled in complexity, we should first call upon those skilled at untying knots.”
“It’s clumsy. Wouldn’t it be better to cut it straight?”
I bowed my head slightly as though feeling apologetic for bringing this up.
“I believe that the current mess arose precisely because it hasn’t been cut straight.”
“……”
It was an inquiry into why everything hadn’t been eliminated a year ago.
The court official looked at me with wide eyes, as if from surprise.
Objectively, it was a rude statement that warranted a beheading.
But I recalled the changes I had witnessed in her over the past forty years.
It was still acceptable.
Jeilliris sank into her chair with a sigh.
Silence enveloped the room for a moment.
The elder noble cleared his throat and spoke.
“Your Majesty, as Duke Valencius said, the royal bloodline contains many secret powers. Above all, it is understandable that Your Majesty, who is well aware of these secrets, is cautious about your kin.”
However, the elder noble continued.
“It is not like you, Your Majesty, to kill everyone out of fear. Please grant them the opportunity to prove their worth. They are too excellent to merely be watched over.”
“……”
“Moreover, vigilance is also a task. Most of your sharpest and closest swords, the Platinum Knights, are employed in the supervision of incompetent individuals.”
“I considered that a problem as well.”
“If you regard all weak possibilities as problems, nothing will remain unproblematic. Please show your usual boldness.”
I too lent my voice to the counsel.
“There is no need to kill all the pups because they might grow to be faithful hounds or biting wolves, right? There is no need to uproot the entire flowerbed because a few poisonous seeds are mixed among the flower seeds, is there?”
“……”
“If something problematic arises, it would not be too late to address it then. I’m not suggesting we withdraw all monitoring. I don’t think that should be done either. I simply propose that we give those with talent and loyalty the chance to prove their worth.”
I looked intently at Jeilliris.
She looked at me for a long time.
I could feel the deep anguish embedded within her golden eyes.
Jeilliris turned to Sererassie.
“Have you learned blood magic from the Ivory Tower?”
“The royals were prohibited from learning blood magic. My master was quite dismayed.”
“My master was also dismayed.” The words were ones not meant to be spoken in front of the Emperor.
If she wished to challenge them, it was a comment that could be interpreted as troublesome, but the Emperor did not show a chilling expression.
I thought it was because she understood what having a master meant to magicians.
“Did you learn alchemy?”
“I did not learn. The Ivory Tower scorns the Alchemist Guild, just as the Alchemist Guild despises the Ivory Tower. They do not interfere in each other’s domains.”
“If you join the court magicians, will you have money to buy potions and set up your own workshop to continue your research? The royal allowance would be far from sufficient.”
The moment that was said, Sererassie and I exchanged glances.
In my mind, I heard the sound of a cog clicking into place.
It felt as though I had crossed over a great mountain.
Sererassie smiled craftily, uncharacteristically.
“In truth, I have something to advise Your Majesty regarding that matter.”
I pulled out the chip bag I had placed under my chair.
Sererassie spoke, her gold-and-silver tinge gleaming.
“I have lived a life filled with shame over the past year. However, the reason I endured such disgrace is that I was certain that Your Majesty would someday make use of me.”
The mage’s tongue casting spells was very smooth.
“Long.”
“I have 198 bags just like this one.”
“And how much does that mean?”
Sererassie lowered her voice to respond, and at that moment, even the great Jeilliris let out a small sigh.
“So, the cash of the capital has all flowed into places like that.”
“I currently have no wand or potions, so I lack the strength to acquire this money from them. Therefore, I urge Your Majesty, who defends justice, to collect it for me instead. If you do so…”
“If you do?”
“I will offer half of the money obtained to Your Majesty.”
A blush crept onto Jeilliris’ cheeks, which had been firm like ice crystals.
I realized, in light of my previous experiences, that she was imagining what she could do with that money.
Clearing her throat, she rang a bell to call the attendants.
She wrote down a decree on the finest paper made by the alchemists as if personally inscribing it.
“I hope that my decision is not wrong. Sererassie. I hereby grant you the right to walk the path of magic again. Diligently pursue wisdom and serve the Empire and myself.”
Her golden and azure eyes trembled slightly.
Sererassie bowed her head, her indigo hair cascading down.
For a moment, her shoulders shook.
“The emperor is eternally gracious.”
Sererassie, who rose from her seat, knelt before the Emperor.
Jeilliris, as a ruler, responded with an imposing smile and extended her left hand.
The young magician pressed her lips to the insignia ring of the young Emperor, swearing loyalty.
“Do not suffer too much over how I have treated you over the past year. I love talented individuals and wish to reward their loyalty. Had you not been related to me, you would not have had to come back so far. If you were merely a stranger, you would have already grown closer than sisters; instead, having been born as real sisters, we have long remained wary and resentful.”
Sererassie’s eyes glistened with tears.
It must be relief at being able to use magic again.
I knew that she had died, shedding tears of resentment.
A mix of relief and satisfaction filled my heart.
At the same time, I felt another form of relief.
Loving talented individuals, rewarding loyalty, and building connections.
She could still say such words.
I had to protect her so that she could continue to say such words in the future.
* * *
The Emperor, who had sworn loyalty from the genius magician, smiled contentedly.
She instructed to determine a place for Sererassie to stay and said to me, who was about to follow her.
“Duke Valencius, please stay a moment.”
“Yes?”
“It seems we need to discuss your duties and the authority related to them. Furthermore… I want to hear how you managed to bring forth the silent casting magician, Sererassie.”
“I must have misheard?”
“If you cannot answer, I will have your head.”