Episode 50
“What did you just say…?”
Chelon?
There was no reason for him to mention Chelon, especially in front of Elonia.
For the first time in her life, someone completely unrelated to her past had uttered her former name. Elonia froze, her mind racing.
It was a worst-case scenario, but he might have discovered her true identity.
‘But how?’
He had muttered about mana before mentioning Chelon.
‘Did he recognize her through her mana?’
No, that was impossible.
Her mana signature had completely changed after her reincarnation.
Even Artius, who had fought against her for five years, had only suspected her based on her habits, not her mana. And even her disciple, Ricardo, had only realized her true identity after sparring with her.
‘Could he have participated in the war ten years ago?’
Even then, it was impossible.
How could he possibly know?
Elonia’s anxiety grew.
Ethan and Ricardo, sensing her fear, drew their swords, blocking the old man’s path.
“Step back! You are being disrespectful!”
The old man’s blue eyes, glowing with an eerie light, were filled with a manic energy.
Everyone instinctively realized that he wasn’t in his right mind.
“Hey, El! Snap out of it…!”
“Your Highness!”
The Asta brothers shouted, frantically trying to shield Elonia, pulling her behind them.
But the old man seemed oblivious to everything except for Elonia. His blue eyes shone brightly as he reached out to her.
‘If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll take him down before…’
Before he could harm her.
That thought filled Elonia’s mind.
She gathered mana in her fingertips, ready to strike.
And just then, the old man exclaimed,
“Your Highness, you are the prodigious talent I’ve been searching for! The future of the Magic Department!”
“…Huh?”
“The sheer quantity of your mana, and its incredible quality! A talent rivaling even Archmage Chelon! You were about to use magic on me just now, weren’t you? Please, show me your power!”
“W-what?”
Elonia was speechless.
What was he talking about?
‘Wait, has he been muttering this whole time?’
There were a lot of eccentric personalities among mages.
It was a common trait for them to be lost in their own world.
Elonia, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, asked,
“…Is that what you’ve been trying to say this whole time?”
“Yes, Your Highness! You are the dream student I’ve been waiting for, the hope of the future of magic, a budding prodigy! I heard you were visiting today. How wonderful that you’re already interested in the academy, especially the Magic Department, of course?”
‘He sure talks a lot.’
He answered every question with ten more.
Ethan and Ricardo continued to block the old man’s persistent attempts to approach Elonia.
But he was surprisingly strong, slowly pushing them back.
They were hesitant to use their full strength against an elderly man, but he was clearly more robust than he looked.
“Stop approaching me. Maintain your distance.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
The old man cleared his throat and stepped back at Elonia’s reprimand.
Elonia gestured for her knights to stand down.
She straightened her back, her expression stern, and scolded him.
“I don’t want to use my status to intimidate anyone in this academy, where everyone is equal under the pursuit of knowledge. But you are being disrespectful, especially in the presence of royalty.”
“Ah, my apologies, Your Highness. I was blinded by your talent…”
‘He’ll be in serious trouble if he loses his mind again.’
“I am Caroline, the head of the Magic Department and the instructor for Combat Magic. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
The old man bowed gracefully.
Now that she was looking at him closely, his manners and demeanor were surprisingly refined.
‘He aged well.’
They say a person’s life is reflected in their face as they age.
Professor Caroline might have a stern and somewhat cold expression, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.
But his first impression had been so terrible that Elonia, still frowning, barely acknowledged his greeting.
“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”
“Wait…! Your Highness, please consider the Magic Department! The Magic Department!”
“Shut up! It’s my decision!”
Elonia, unable to contain her annoyance, snapped at him.
Caroline stared at her with longing, his eyes pleading.
Elonia turned away, her footsteps brisk as she marched away.
“Let’s go.”
“Y-yes…!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The Asta brothers, intimidated by Caroline’s manic energy, quickly followed behind her.
The knights, still wary of Caroline, kept a close eye on him as they left.
Only when they were out of earshot did Elonia sigh in relief.
‘Whew, I was worried he had discovered my true identity.’
Well, even Artius hadn’t recognized her.
No one in the academy would know who she truly was.
***
[Lucius, report.]
Inside a dimly lit private prayer room, illuminated by a single candle,
Lucius knelt before a plaster statue of an angel, his hands clasped together, addressing the blond king projected on a red crystal ball.
“There are no unusual movements within Ravanta. They haven’t noticed our activities.”
[I see. How is the proselytization progressing?]
“We are making progress, but… the professors are proving to be difficult.”
[Tsk, living up to their positions, I see.]
The blond man in the crystal ball clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He grumbled,
[Things aren’t going well on this side either. Why are there no suitable candidates for the sacrifice?]
“…”
[It’s as if Chelon devoured all the mages who were supposed to be born in Heilan. Useless even in death.]
Lucius bristled at the insult towards Chelon, but he kept his emotions in check, waiting for Felix to continue.
[Your Highness, haste makes waste.]
Lucius shuddered.
Not only was it not Felix’s voice, but it was also a chilling, unsettling voice.
The owner of that voice stepped out from behind Felix, his pale hand caressing Felix’s cheek in a possessive gesture.
Even in person, his presence had been suffocating.
The crystal ball couldn’t mask his dangerous aura.
Tristan, seeming to enjoy Lucius’s discomfort, greeted him with a playful smile.
[Brother, it’s been a while.]
“Indeed, Tristan.”
[Ah, that’s right. All of Lucius’s work is for you, Tristan. It’s been a while since you two have spoken directly.]
Felix, ignoring his words, took Tristan’s hand and kissed it.
The gesture, filled with possessiveness, made Lucius lower his gaze, avoiding Tristan’s fingertips. Tristan chuckled, his voice dripping with honeyed charm as he addressed Felix.
[Working for me is the same as working for His Highness. Isn’t that right, Brother Lucius?]
“You are absolutely right, Tristan.”
[Anyway, it’s unfortunate that you haven’t had much success. But as Tristan said, haste is not advisable.]
“Thank you for your understanding.”
[And… ah, yes. We’ve decided on the children to send to the academy.]
Felix spoke, his expression troubled.
Lucius had a bad feeling about this.
[We were initially going to send only Simon, but Olivia threw such a tantrum that we had no choice.]
“So…?”
[The Emperor has granted his permission. Olivia will be going to Ravanta. But I can’t bear to send her alone, so Simon will be going with her. We’re sending them both.]
“But Prince Simon is still too young for the academy.”
Olivia would be eligible to enroll next year, but Simon was still four years away from turning thirteen.
Felix, massaging his temples, explained,
[I can’t bear the thought of sending Olivia alone and having her cause trouble. So we’ve decided to send both Olivia and Simon in four years. We can’t have another incident like that foolish Dolce.]
“Wise decision, Your Highness.”
[Olivia might be enrolling a bit late… but education isn’t important for a woman anyway. She’s been a nuisance here in Heilan, so we’ll use her to seduce a high-ranking Ravanta noble. That will make proselytization much easier.]
Lucius remained silent, his head bowed.
[Anyway, I’m entrusting those two to you. The others are incompetent.]
“It would be an honor, Your Highness.”
[Good. Continue your mission as usual, Lucius. And report immediately if you notice anything suspicious.]
“As you wish.”
[You’re reliable. And…]
Felix grinned, his green eyes cold and calculating.
[Don’t even think about betraying us. Remember, your life is in our hands.]
“…Of course, Your Highness.”
[Good. I’ll be expecting results.]
Felix smiled, pleased by Lucius’s submissive attitude.
[I look forward to hearing about your progress, Brother.]
The communication ended with Tristan’s playful farewell.
Lucius finally let out a sigh of relief.
He might be more mature than most adults, but he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by their menacing presence.
However, there was something he hadn’t mentioned.
Felix was desperate to find a suitable sacrifice.
And yet, after five years, they hadn’t found anyone within Heilan.
‘…But I know someone who fits the criteria.’
He had sensed it ever since Dolce caused that incident.
The Imperial Princess might be the perfect sacrifice.
But Lucius hadn’t reported it.
Initially, he had thought Chelon wouldn’t approve of sacrificing a child.
And now, with the Emperor doting on his daughter, it was too risky to stir up trouble.
Besides, he had a feeling he would regret it, as if someone was whispering warnings in his ear.
‘It’s probably just my imagination.’
Or maybe the voice of God was reaching him again. Either way, Lucius was relieved that he hadn’t revealed the princess’s true potential yet.
He was alive because Chelon had spared him.
He didn’t want to repay her kindness by sacrificing the children she had protected.
Maybe his feelings would change when Elonia grew up, but for now…
‘…Come to think of it, Alberich Asta said the princess had started learning swordsmanship.’
He had overheard them chatting, Llewellyn Asta and him.
They were arguing about which department the princess would join.
It seemed so childish now.
‘I had no idea she was aiming to be a Sword Mage.’
Sword Mages were rare and highly sought after.
But it was a difficult path, and many talented individuals ended up failing.
There were countless child prodigies who peaked early and faded into mediocrity.
The princess might be no different, and that gave him hope.
‘And her mana… it’s impressive for her age. But she’s still far from Princess Chelon. She’ll never surpass her power.’
Archmage Chelon had already been born.
The saying “a genius is born once in a thousand years” wasn’t just a figure of speech.
To be a suitable sacrifice, one had to possess mana comparable to Chelon’s.
Since Chelon had been born and died in this era, it was unlikely that another candidate with such potent mana would appear for at least a thousand years. And Elonia wouldn’t be able to surpass her.
By the time Felix shifted his attention to Ravanta, that fact would be undeniable.
Everything would be fine.
Lucius reassured himself and sighed.
“…I should get going.”
He always felt like he was being watched after communicating with Felix, especially after hearing Tristan’s voice.
It unsettled him.
Besides, all the Heilan hostages had been confined to their dormitories today because of the princess’s visit.
She wouldn’t visit the Theology Department, but Lucius felt a nagging sense of unease. He left the dimly lit prayer room, clutching his candle, as if fleeing from something unseen.