Episode 93
Julietta’s brown eyes flashed unnaturally, mirroring Natalie’s earlier state.
Lucius, unfazed, asked,
“Who broke the brainwashing?”
“The princess.”
“…I see.”
Julietta, seeing no surprise in his reaction, raised an eyebrow.
“Did you anticipate this?”
“…I’m quite surprised, actually. I just hide it well.”
“Hmm…”
Julietta narrowed her eyes, tilting her head.
“Apostle, you said there were no suitable sacrifices yet for Tristan? What about the princess?”
“That’s too dangerous.”
“Why?”
“Her status is an issue. And I almost died when I tried to test her mana with that stone. If it weren’t for Professor Caroline, I would be dead.”
“Ah.”
Right, that had happened.
Julietta remembered being surprised when Lucius returned to the Theology Department dormitory unconscious.
“So, is that all you wanted to report?”
“Yes. We weren’t discovered. His Majesty won’t be visiting the academy again. He was pale with shock, thinking the princess had killed Natalie.”
That was true.
No matter how extraordinary Princess Elonia was, she was still a nine-year-old child. Witnessing someone die, even unintentionally, while trying to save them, would be traumatic.
It was a fortunate turn of events. Lucius had been growing increasingly uncomfortable with Elonia’s friendship with Olivia and her frequent presence near the Heilan hostages.
Lucius lowered his eyes.
“…Thank you for your hard work. I’ll report to His Highness tomorrow afternoon.”
“Not now?”
“He seemed busy when I contacted him earlier.”
“I see.”
Julietta understood.
Felix was quite fond of that man.
Lucius, however, still felt a sense of unease.
Why did adults do such things?
He pushed aside the disturbing thoughts and changed the subject.
“Please prepare for the prayer meeting during the break. His Highness Felix is taking this one very seriously.”
“Don’t worry, Apostle. It’s time for our true god to reveal himself.”
Julietta knelt obediently.
A devout follower of Madicte had become a loyal servant of Sirius.
The sight always made Lucius’s skin crawl. He wanted to turn and run.
He wondered when this charade would end, when the day of the ritual would finally arrive.
Then he wouldn’t have to lie and deceive, constantly worrying about being discovered. He would finally be free.
Lucius, his white cape billowing behind him, entered the dormitory.
“Your Highness, it’s Sarah. May I come in?”
Elonia, curled up on her bed in the darkened room, the curtains drawn tightly, replied listlessly,
“…Sorry, I want to sleep a little longer.”
“…Yes, Your Highness. Please call me if you need anything.”
Sarah lingered for a moment before leaving.
Only Ethan’s presence remained outside her room.
Elonia had been replaying the events of that day in her mind ever since returning home.
There had been hope. She had been confident that she could handle Felix’s plot.
And then Natalie had died.
Artius had told her it wasn’t her fault, that she should forget about it, but how could she?
She had always relied on her strength.
Her talent in Sword Magic had saved her from countless dangers.
But that also meant her talent had been used to kill others.
She had believed that she had been reincarnated with her memories so she could atone for her sins by using her power to save lives.
She had used her power to save Natalie, and yet, Natalie had died.
‘Dad and Caroline trusted me.’
Why did she always fail?
Why did she always make the wrong choices when it came to matters of life and death?
She wished life were like an academy exam. A test with clear answers, where even if you made a mistake, you were given another chance.
Then Natalie wouldn’t have died.
Or she would have been resurrected.
Elonia buried her face in her knees and glanced towards the door.
Only Ethan was guarding her room.
Ricardo had been summoned by Artius.
He was probably being interrogated, forced to reveal everything he knew, or didn’t know.
“…When did Artius surpass me?”
When they were younger, Artius had always been behind her, and she hadn’t felt threatened even when he was half a step ahead.
Because she had been stronger.
No one could match her in terms of brute force.
But strength wasn’t everything. At some point, Artius had become a capable adult, leaving her behind.
She had always believed she could catch up, but now, he seemed so far away.
“And I’ve become even more childish.”
She suddenly thought,
What had she even accomplished in this life?
Artius had ended the war.
He had initiated the conflict with the Delan Kingdom, but it had been to cripple their weapons production, and he had stopped waging war after achieving his goal.
And what had she done?
She had simply committed suicide nine years ago, using someone else’s hand.
‘I wanted to do something myself.’
If even the Theology professor, a priest of the God of Abundance, had been swayed by the Calamity God, then the students weren’t safe either. And if a priest had fallen, then she couldn’t trust the other professors either.
Lucius was the most suspicious.
Caroline had witnessed him offering her the holy tool, and she had reported it to Artius.
But even if Artius believed her, the other Ravanta citizens wouldn’t.
They weren’t religious.
They would dismiss her warnings about the Heilan fanatics as a joke.
And even if the nobles took her seriously, it wouldn’t end well.
‘There would be a war.’
The Ravanta nobles already hated Heilan, the nation responsible for the Continental War.
They would seize this opportunity to destroy Heilan completely.
But Heilan’s population was comparable to Ravanta’s.
A war would mean the deaths of countless people.
Ravanta would also suffer heavy losses. War had to be the last resort.
Caroline’s words echoed in her mind.
“What is your dream, Elonia?”
Elonia’s dream had been to be loved and protected by her family.
And that dream had already come true.
‘…I don’t know anymore.’
She still didn’t know what she wanted to be.
Did she want to be kind and brave like Sarah, strong and resolute like Lady Asta, or a ruler who prioritized her people’s well-being, even at the cost of being called a tyrant by the nobles, like Artius?
But one thing was certain.
Slap!
Elonia got out of bed and slapped herself hard across the face.
She kept hitting herself until the stinging pain cleared her mind.
Ethan, startled by the sound, called out from outside,
“Your Highness?”
But Elonia, ignoring her, continued to slap herself.
She had endured many hardships in her life, but she had always been able to find small moments of happiness to keep her going. But while she was wallowing in self-pity, Heilan’s shadow was growing, threatening the people she loved.
Artius was working tirelessly to ensure her safety and happiness.
She couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Slap!
Elonia slapped herself one last time, then pulled out the dagger she kept hidden under her pillow.
It was an old, worn dagger, its age evident despite her careful maintenance.
It was a reminder that she hadn’t abandoned her past self, Chelon.
She might have been a ruthless War Demon, but she was different now.
Ravanta lacked information about Heilan, and she had a nine-year gap in her memories, but she could still share her knowledge and power.
She might have failed to save Natalie, but she had proven that her power could overcome the brainwashing.
There was no time to waste.
Elonia strapped the dagger to her leg, her rapier to her waist, and flung open the door.
“Ethan! Come with me!”
“Y-Your Highness! Your cheek…!”
Ethan was startled by the redness of Elonia’s face.
And where were they going?
Before Ethan could ask, Elonia grabbed her hand and cast a teleportation spell.
In the blink of an eye, they were at the academy.
“Your Highness, you can use teleportation magic…?”
“Yes, I tried it yesterday, and it worked.”
Ethan was speechless.
So that was how she had snuck out.
But was it even possible to use such advanced magic at nine, without any mishaps?
She remembered Elonia’s innate talent for magic and asked a different question.
“But Your Highness, why are we at the academy…?”
Ethan knew about the incident.
Artius had given her orders while dragging Ricardo away.
Elonia had secretly followed Artius to the academy and witnessed something disturbing. Artius had instructed Ethan to keep an eye on Elonia and report any unusual behavior, worried about the potential trauma.
It wasn’t meant to be surveillance. Elonia had simply wanted some time alone and had dismissed both Sarah and Ethan.
But why was she back at the academy after witnessing such a traumatic event? Ethan couldn’t understand.
Elonia, her expression serious, interrupted her thoughts.
“Ethan, there’s someone I need you to bring to me.”
“Excuse me…?”
Ethan, though confused, nodded obediently. It was her duty to obey.
Elonia, satisfied, gestured for her to come closer.
“…Are you serious, Your Highness?”
“Yes, I’m serious. Just use my name, and they’ll follow you.”
“…”
Ethan’s face hardened, but she didn’t argue and left to carry out her orders. Elonia, using magic, teleported again.
Her next destination was Caroline’s lab.
Caroline, her face unusually serious, was hunched over her desk, a magnifying glass in one hand and a quill in the other. She looked up, startled, as Elonia appeared.
“Your Highness?”
Even Caroline couldn’t hide her surprise. Elonia had appeared in her lab, just a day after the incident, despite the protective spells on the door.
She must have broken through them easily. She was truly a gifted child.
Elonia, ignoring her surprise, sat down unceremoniously.
“I’m here as a student today, not a princess. I need your wisdom, Professor.”