Chapter 179: The player (2)
cFZlMc“It seems that even Sir Melverot, called the Sword of the Empire, grows soft with love for his daughter as he ages. Keeping her locked in the tower for so long must have hurt him quite a bit. Don’t you think?”mJLNq
HO5Each time the seasons changed, the great nobles of the center of the empire gathered in the enormous conference hall of Gremport Palace, in the imperial capital, to discuss matters of state.HCoe
kibPMIn essence, it was a meeting reserved for the central nobles, known for their strong sense of privilege.DGpS4E
plyJEven so, Melverot, a territorial noble of the north, attended on occasion.qn0t7k
2b2In addition to de facto representing the military power of the empire, his territory demanded fewer administrative responsibilities than the fertile central regions, allowing him greater freedom.YPxkv
LIhIThat the Sword of the Empire periodically visited Gremport Palace held important meaning even for the imperial family.iHrK
5ghQzSzIt was a constant way of reaffirming that Melverot, someone whom most mages could not even aspire to face, continued to act as the empire’s shield.imFZP
rJMZ0For that reason, members of the imperial family usually welcomed Melverot’s visits.lnG
QTMAll except one person.xofev
W8Ra“…Princess Roselin seems the same as ever today as well, from what I can see.”tbA
RKvHvA“Hehe. Or could it be that you haven’t changed either, Sir Melverot? When I was barely learning to add, you already looked like a grown uncle, and yet you don’t have a single wrinkle. Sometimes you even seem not to be human.”XRo4y
PATQzd“I’m flattered.”6RYd
Jp7tyPDMelverot raised an arm and signaled to the officials around them, indicating that they should withdraw first.SaBOO4o
v7ScSeeing the gesture, the bureaucrats immediately left the area.kUUk
5uFEven the noble officials departing after Melverot dispersed cautiously, attentive to the situation.Z5JO0I
smRxCvRWithin Gremport Palace, saturated with bureaucrats aligned with the noble faction, Princess Roselin, the living symbol of the imperial faction, was a true thorn in the eye.AH1
XOdGo5QEven so, she endured all those uncomfortable gazes with a hollow smile, resting her hands on her hips.B1XXaIQ
iIliem“They scatter without even meeting eyes, like rats exposed to the light. They’d do better to worry about the filth clinging to them and feel ashamed.”kSLR
tyY“Those concerned can hear you.”riY1
UzF“That’s exactly why I said it. Or what? Could it be that even you, Sir Melverot, fear those fattened pigs? Someone who could split this palace in two with a single gesture.”5T93Z
VMGIvIf Princess Roselin were to be described in a single word, it would be discord.GTRPw0
QhYbCJsEach of the elements that made her up seemed incapable of fitting with the others.LuOp
wgq9bAlthough she had just celebrated her coming-of-age ceremony, her manner of speech resembled that of a centenarian elder.KzQ
059aAJShe often quoted archaic expressions or used outdated words, as if her interior were already completely worn away.TkbeflF
pxBDDespite being Emperor Gattrel’s most beloved daughter, the nobles preferred to speak of her in hushed tones.F6O4KV
oa3C4That same reason meant she also failed to harmonize with the palace’s high bureaucrats, causing constant conflicts in practical matters.p4D2NSS
l8ghjyWithin Gremport Palace, there was not a single official who did not feel uncomfortable in her presence.P0C1ndu
8QiiK4aMelverot was no exception.EfS
yXJDrHe knew well that, to survive in the long term, the wisest course was to keep his distance from figures as unpredictable as her.ZygD
tbf4oNWHowever, Roselin seemed to have no intention whatsoever of doing so.FknxkHa
Vty4“Dereck Lydorf, Baron of Ravenclaw.”RuI
pwgICcm“…”CPxkvW
B3u2“They say you were the one who personally recommended him to receive his title. His name has come up several times even in meetings of the Council of State. I found it curious that someone as indifferent to politics as you would personally choose someone, so I decided to investigate.”b4ZfyL
wLzlAs she spoke, Roselin casually twirled her curled locks around her fingers and smiled.Z1P
9UbHer hair was black and red at once, two tones intertwined, seeming to perfectly represent her two facets.Z7j35tl
zoCSinister, or perhaps cruel.88Oxkw0
poIThat was how the bureaucrats of the noble faction described her.FPHZc
s23And what was curious was that Roselin herself never bothered to deny those accusations.GtQjxoK
339hjb“It doesn’t seem like you, Sir Melverot, to keep an instructor in your pocket for your daughter. You’ve always been so stingy with that kind of favor. What wind blew you this way?”KW5
c0wh“I planned to use him as staff to manage a border wine-producing region.”mWXZhS
zWU“Do you think I’ll believe that, when more than a dozen official documents about the Ravenclaw Academy have already arrived? I didn’t take you for someone so skilled at hiding your true intentions.”2NLKo
adykRoselin narrowed her reddish eyes and brought a hand to her small chin, drawing out her words.2VlEXyH
fsEocWi“It’s strange. I detest those obese pigs of the bureaucracy, but I always had a certain fondness for you because you seemed to have no interest whatsoever in worldly power. With the abilities you possess, you were always surprisingly humble.”g1OUSi
LK41Rm“…”RHZ
zkopTB“And now it turns out that you’re pushing the founding of an academy using a border noble under your command. Frankly, it gives me an enormous sense of incongruity. It’s not something I would expect from the Melverot I know.”g6V
CjvXiDespite the fact that Princess Roselin’s dress was laden with ornaments, it was surprisingly austere compared to the authority she emanated.xt0cpoc
iYvkThat reflected her character well.Enhti
BmjnmShe liked practical and rational things.TTJAu8
jDFNlShe believed that a person’s value did not reside in visible authority or ostentation, but in their ability and judgment.8IyIi
ELIbPrecisely for that reason, there was something about this enormous empire that she found intolerable.Ev8VowW
NniM2DL“Or are you just like those stupid pigs? Do you think a pinch of magical talent defines a person’s value? I thought someone who had reached such a high level would understand that better than anyone.”N7HznEg
oefd“I didn’t come to the imperial palace to debate that kind of idea.”vvO
t5Y“Oh? Then it’s curious that, through a subordinate, you’re founding an academy to educate young nobles from prestigious families. I can’t help but wonder what your true intentions are.”98hi7
avAqLearning magic was, without a doubt, something positive.9fFAnza
6PG9But it was still a skill, like wielding a sword, counting coins, striking an anvil, or sowing a field.LBFFWsV
vOSjUGMages learned magic and used it to benefit the world and forge their own lives.reo
vpb91Magic was just one of the many elements that made up the empire.NVB
qa0noPBeing skilled at it did not make anyone inherently superior or noble.o8ptH2B
vMYThe reason Roselin could not help but clash with the imperial bureaucrats lay precisely in that value deeply engraved within her.pfHX
4Zf4Fw“So, are you trying to say that all of this is a unilateral decision by the Baron of Ravenclaw, and that you simply decided to look the other way?”5QEu
G3c5Z70“Would you believe me if I told you so?”jSpkf
npTf“Haha. Of course not. That Melverot of House Rochester would allow something like that? Not even those obese pigs who just left the hall would believe it.”aiMB1qR
SYGBiCOne should never think of Melverot of the north as a kind man.37IuLdn
3aesxOQHe had banished several servants to the frozen wasteland for violating regulations.MgQdW
DwY8oUAt least for the inhabitants of the north, his figure inspired more fear than respect.R6w
OF5AjQ1In his conception of governance, fear was an indispensable element.gg25R0o
BQylXAnd yet, Roselin did not blink even once before him.zgoIx
CuTIYsQThat she could remain unperturbed before one of the greatest archmages in the world had a clear reason.zNg
HsqkjHer constitution was something all mages could not help but fear.gbb
1pN“Sir Melverot. I thought that at least you would be different from those privilege-soaked pigs who believe they’re nobles just because they wield a bit of magic.”VCazel
clSG5r“…”AdVQQB
jZo“I thought you were someone who didn’t get drunk on power, who always kept sharp senses, judged swiftly, and understood the weight of a ruler’s responsibility. But it seems that’s not quite the case. Perhaps you’re not so different from that poisonous magical counselor Kohella, like a viper, or from types like the greedy Chairman Damon.”xNp
fIAt8Melverot did not bother to refute her.e3WNx
DTPHe had already realized it.rIPCfE
yGTPrincess Roselin was deliberately provoking him with words she did not even truly feel.kJ8Q
VJhHShe was waiting for Melverot to react, to strike back with some retort.U6kH
Agi3FBBut Melverot did not move as she wished.cK7G
kTYzqRoselin knew that too.8VV
r4NlMMelverot never fell for such cheap tricks.b6P
5Mxhj8He simply closed his eyes calmly and spoke, as if spitting out the words.U9NS
o8cSaCq“Who knows. The fact that he built an academy and teaches magic there certainly has its own reason. Perhaps Princess Roselin, who detests considering magic an exclusive privilege of the nobles, is unwilling to accept that intention.”oVRid
D0ljBa“How interesting. Then what is that reason?”AWYYJ
y2j1Roselin narrowed her eyes.ebx
HF127Q“I need to hear that answer to decide what stance to take in the upcoming inspection.”YdORQN
5FuAWhy had Dereck gone so far as to found an academy and teach magic to young noble ladies?JGOhJ
5T2JIf one had to list reasons, there would be too many.ktMm
boWvuzIt could be that he found meaning in the simple act of teaching magic.SUZT
i1gKOr that he had created an environment suited to perfecting his own magical art.4iWKIO
6aSIt all depended on how it was interpreted.DAMkEy
ByxNWQBut in the end, there was a clear answer.CSg2i9
UzS0g“To make money.”5VMT
Jpo2U“…”olQjy
jt1For an instant, Roselin was left speechless.wCxWRi
CQ2Not just anyone was capable of rendering her mute.FNpFew3
JqQCiThe princess brought her fingers to her temple, as if her head hurt, and crossed her arms.ZAI
oMRhQO“I never imagined Melverot would say something so frivolous… There must be an abundance of gold coins in the ducal house of Rochester. Do you think I don’t even know that?”QE9Pe
Tki“That money is for my territory. Not for him to use.”tGg4z2
a3tuv“Even so, you allowed it knowing how politically delicate this matter is? Since when have you been so indulgent and understanding?”slREm
aIFDk“…”2Jg
Rs63PrqThe truth was that Melverot could indeed have stopped Dereck if he had wanted to.kYsZsv8
5mBHe could have ordered him not to get involved in unnecessary trouble and to remain quietly teaching only Siern.9ywVDGs
GcY9If Melverot had imposed his authority, Dereck would not have been able to refuse.YiWL4y
bE1z4zgBut he did not, because—Imhm0
Xo7rThe image of Siern, staring at Kalimford as if she were about to devour him with her eyes, crossed his mind again.t1K
mQL162She clung to Dereck like a growling beast, ready to pounce on anyone who tried to oppress him or treat him as an enemy.2R9Tc
KyB“…”WVW
5Yp7LRoselin, despite her young age, had accumulated a great deal of knowledge and experience.1ySV9x
jsJTEven so, there were things she still could not understand.T7S3VU
cQCcy5lWhere was there someone capable of manipulating a six-star mage at will?Aec
TzfswVaAnd yet, surprisingly, in this world there existed a young girl capable of moving, not one, but two six-star mages at her whim.7syW6L
qy00LAnd she was much younger than Roselin herself.mHr
OKqFcsdThere was no reason to explain something like that to her.GDThep
dSPlGMelverot answered only with silence.s6Eex
zc3Roselin felt a faint sense of strangeness at his attitude, but did not probe further.3WlL1
Qkm“In any case… it seems you place a great deal of trust in that Baron of Ravenclaw.”41zQm
1RXAgNsShe smiled calmly.Dif
ooNmM“In that case, I’ll have to go inspect it personally and judge him with my own eyes. I’ll also truly evaluate the intention behind the founding of that academy. Just now, a matter has arisen that obliges me to pass through Ebelstein, so the timing is perfect.”tCF
zNP“…And if you don’t like what you see, what do you plan to do?”54PK
2Rz924Roselin adjusted her hair and smiled, her eyes gleaming in an unsettling way.wYl
jjwCS4Behind her, it almost seemed as though flames were burning.uAnybc
tIAw“Burn it all down with my own hands.”jjw3
w31ufMelverot understood why even the most radical officials preferred to keep their distance from her.rEsy
ZLLFtHe slowly closed his eyes and had no choice but to turn his head away.0E6U
rxSLX5***UBPwHAO
Osv6r“The world was altered once.”6FW
Pv2JpOffice of the head of the Duplain family.5Vd
CHaLeigh, with his hair freshly cut, was already wearing the attire befitting the head of the family.cviO
COjoCompared to his days as a young noble, he looked far more seasoned; he gave the impression of someone who truly bore the weight of that mansion.oKrvy
kjvDIn contrast, Linus, who was still a young noble in name only, was sitting on a high-quality sofa in tattered clothes, giving off a stale stench and soiling it without the slightest hesitation.HGh4GAW
uTn4L“That’s what Princess Roselin shouted—the one who occupies the seat of the master of the Palace of Truth, deep within the imperial palace of Gremport. In fact, among the high-ranking nobles who come and go from the center of the empire, that phrase circulates almost like a horror story.”VE6
tV8rnASurprisingly, the story about the six-star confusion mage that Princess Roselin was said to have mentioned was not known only by Linus; Leigh knew it as well.vQmt
KHvAccording to him, it was quite a famous story.C2pW
rNg2UGhHowever, because it sounded so absurd, it had been treated as an old legend and buried over time.vEptJc
8aUW8FG“Well, it might sound unromantic to you, but among hardcore gamblers, this goes around as a pretty amusing story. Hehehe.”r5k
645tu“Are you still hanging around gambling tables, Linus? It seems that even the Belmierd family has already given up on looking for you…”LIo
WgEO9“Well, Ellen pinches her nose and gets angry every time she sees me like this, so maybe it’s better not to go near her, right?”HvIkbJ7
W1Z9H“…”PbA
PMhDereck remained seated in silence, watching Linus and Leigh trade barbs.GJ4
XbR7Linus, thanks to his peculiar social skills, had an absurdly wide network of contacts, even though as a person he did not amount to much beyond that.6TiH
by2Still, he never failed to bring interesting information from time to time.pXwll
R9dyl“What exactly does that ‘the world was altered once’ mean?”SATUk
Wg5eID“They say that one day, as she was leaving the Palace of Truth, the young Princess Roselin shouted that. If you hear the rest of the story, supposedly a six-star confusion mage turned the world over once. That with magic on an absurd scale, they completely twisted some fundamental perception of the world.”BylAqXn
PDXe“…Twisted? What exactly did they twist?”fix
3iXJ5hb“That’s the funny part. Princess Roselin never said.”uYOXl
mhDxAY“…”5CB
8aSThat was precisely the most important part, and yet she had remained silent about it.sgkDX9v
EttDereck frowned with an incredulous expression, but Linus eagerly tipped back his glass, sank even deeper into the sofa, and continued speaking.1Xv
4D7li66“That’s why the people who heard the story started imagining and playing with the idea. If there were a six-star mage who transcended everyone’s perception, and who twisted the world’s common sense, what do you think it would have been? Leigh, you know these kinds of stories well too, don’t you?”LZNRQ
Brz4gBG“I’ve heard many. But they’re nothing more than fantasies. That they replaced the emperor, that they reversed the concepts of day and night, that they erased from history a villain who was about to devour the world—there’s everything. But honestly, none of it sounds realistic.”11sBHj7
mdT“Oh, yes?”SCGlWpN
sTpG1“Of course. Even if it were a six-star mage, twisting all the memories and perceptions of the entire world at once? That doesn’t seem like something that could be done so easily…”dqG
22b“Don’t turn into one of those boring adults who look for realism in horror stories. Haha. What matters is that it’s interesting.”cNFxO
00gxkRThe bottle Linus was holding clinked.PKK2
WeZL4After letting out another belch, he brazenly rested his arm on the backrest and continued.p4A
If7Gy“Besides, if you look through figures from the past in the history books, there’s at least one six-star confusion mage. What was her name…? The great witch Kelin, from the Elim mountain range. They said that just by meeting her gaze, she could completely dominate a person’s mind.”ZMF
JPo“Yes, but even so, as far as I understand, not even she had power on the level of altering the world. In the end, she was subdued by Kalimpford and executed in the palace of Gremport.”03H
bYc2ySix-star mages are at the limit of what is human, but that does not mean they are omnipotent.xgj
nQ3aThey can alter maps, twist principles, and violate laws, but even so, changing the perception of all the inhabitants of the continent at once is not something that can be done easily.3SnAi
Zy1JaA conspiracy theory.pRL
oS6IP1tA horror story.QWl4cLR
Dx13Something closer to a legend.rprpO
N20gThe general opinion was that it was an absurd story, but, against all expectations, that tale carried an unsettling weight.rKo3
FHu“Then it must have been concluded that it was nothing more than a senseless monologue by the young Princess Roselin.”tSxbTsC
8RVFUwJ“At the time, yes. But if it still circulates today as a conspiracy theory, it’s because there are reasons. When you start fitting the pieces of the puzzle together, a rather suggestive picture emerges. That’s how these theories are born.”fLqmWL
W91oXv“Really? Normally it would have been dismissed as a simple rambling of Princess Roselin… Does she have deep knowledge of magic?”YFCur
uZp“No. Quite the opposite. She can’t even use one-star magic. In fact, I think she can’t even handle mana.”CF5
aOcnqJEAt Dereck’s apathetic gaze, Leigh calmly closed his eyes and shook his head.KXoY
IxsqdcsFor someone of such high rank, having no magical knowledge at all was unusual.cqCnR
egZ5WCWhat sense did it make, then, for someone like that to speak so insistently about confusion mages?49B88
tsbThe most logical conclusion was that it was merely a passing incident.7zH
4rIp0trAnd yet, both Linus and Leigh fell silent.1KC
uFo“Isn’t it strange from the very beginning? Even if there were a legendary confusion mage who altered the entire world, how is it possible that only Princess Roselin knows that fact?”UxjxC
ajHAb4“You’ve hit the nail on the head, Dereck. That’s the key point.”KIT
QkPA“Huh?”3HT9UF
8dSXz3Leigh, the head of the family, spoke frankly, arms crossed.4Sjo
3kfmBJf“You don’t know the nature of Princess Roselin. It’s something only the highest-ranking nobles are aware of.”GZXq
EfbUMo“Her… nature?”gDEp
bMk“She bears on her back the Anti-Magic Seal, something that appears once every three generations in the imperial Gattrel family. Guaaah.”DRw
2QR2pThere was a reason why, despite her lineage, she could not use any magic at all.lsbSt
AeTl“No magic or mana can affect her. Even the nails she trims or the sweat she sheds contain a bit of the power that emanates from the Anti-Magic Seal.”sxxqLzC
Xl8C6Vw“In other words, her very existence is the natural enemy of mages.”r5k
tZumeIn an era in which magic had become a symbol of authority and a weapon of the nobles, for someone of imperial blood to possess such a nature was deeply significant.SdrqEA3
w6G0WJShe could die if stabbed, if she fell from a cliff, or if she ingested poison.TDdTym8
7bqLBut magic simply had no effect on her.37UQu
7gL1JgNot even the most powerful mage on the continent could subdue her using magic alone.nzeL
YmNfBzBefore her, all magic became useless.w45Z
zn4VVIn short, there was a reason why that conspiracy theory continued to breathe.VSXr
Rn9mxil“……”iGRNKVv
RGCkIf there truly existed a confusion mage who transcended all perception in the world, there would be only one person on the entire continent capable of noticing it.UjWi
fO4Conspiracy theories bloom upon a minimal foundation of credibility.5U4p9g
hK4Dereck looked at Leigh and Linus.74ey5ij
W6NjUsBoth of them, each in their own way, wore expressions laden with meaning.INIn5gx
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