.｡.:✧ Chapter 14 ✧:.｡.

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
Around the time Rudrick had been ensnared by an evil mage and branded as a graduate student slave…

“……”

“……”

A chilling atmosphere accompanied the silence in the office of the 2nd Princess of the Esgelant Empire, Elena Esgelant.

Elena Esgelant, the 2nd Princess of the Esgelant Empire.

Eileen Nord, the Grand Duchess of the Nord Duchy, commonly known as the Northern Grand Duchess.

Privately, they were relatives, and publicly, it was a meeting between the empire’s grand duchess and princess. To an onlooker, it might have seemed like a dangerous encounter where the 2nd Princess and the Nord Grand Duchess were plotting political schemes. However, neither of them had the leisure to concern themselves with such perceptions.

“If someone saw us, they might think I had already laid hands on Ric. Don’t you agree? Your gaze seems particularly murderous today, cousin. As if you’re about to devour me,” Elena remarked.

“…That’s not impossible. And stop acting overly familiar by calling him by a nickname. It’s irksome,” Eileen retorted.

“Eileen.”

“Entrusting a cat with fish? Nonsense. I know you better than anyone else.”

“You’ve misunderstood again. This is why preconceived notions are frightening. Isn’t it sad?” Elena sighed, feigning a crying gesture and touching her forehead in response to Eileen’s sharp rebuke.

“You may find it laughable, cousin, but I truly had a change of heart after meeting Rudrick,” she added.

“…Ha.”

As soon as Elena finished speaking, Eileen scoffed.

Eileen’s current demeanor embodied the chilling image the world associated with the Northern Grand Duchess. Her attitude was razor-sharp, her voice cold, and her eyes piercing, as if she were about to devour Elena.

Knowing Elena’s illustrious track record, Eileen had given her an artifact that could directly connect to her, but she was not at a stage where she could afford to be complacent.

That was why she had waited in the palace until late into the night to confront Elena.

“It seems the meaning of the phrase ‘change of heart’ has evolved without my knowledge. So, you killed your parents and siblings and donned the crown because you had a change of heart. Is that it?” Eileen sneered.

“You’re touching on a painful wound. I merely made a rational decision, but it seems you disagree, cousin,” Elena replied.

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Eileen bared her teeth and growled.

“Don’t delude yourself, Elena. The only reason I supported you was that you were the option that could end the civil war the fastest. Remember, I didn’t side with you because I liked you.”

“Then I’ll just have to manipulate the situation again to ensure cousin takes my side. It should be easier the second time around, considering I’ve already done it once. Don’t you think?” Elena retorted with a smirk, as if making an offer Eileen couldn’t refuse.

“If you try that again, I’ll have no choice but to sever your head myself.”

“Cousin, let’s resolve this peacefully. Like the civilized individuals we are, through dialogue. Brandishing a sword at the slightest provocation is the act of a barbarian, isn’t it?”

Elena’s lips curled into a sardonic smile.

“If you let your temper get the better of you and behead me, not only will you face political backlash, but Ric might also shun you, don’t you think?”

“Elena…!”

“To him, I’m currently just a slightly kind princess who helped him leave his rural estate and play in the big leagues. What a predicament. That kind princess suddenly had her head severed by the Nord Grand Duchess who appeared out of nowhere. It’s easy to imagine how Ric would react to that.”

Her tone was infuriatingly smug, making Eileen want to strike her.

Shrugging her shoulders, Elena placed her hand on Eileen’s shoulder. Unlike her previously slick demeanor, she now spoke with a stiff expression and a low voice.

“If both you and I have regressed, you should remember. We agreed to respect Ric’s choice and accept the outcome gracefully. After all, we’re not the only competitors, are we?”

“…You.”

“When you think about it, it’s quite amusing. Even I, who became the emperor of a nation, as well as the fearsome Nord Grand Duchess, Admiral Lassiel, and even a true vampire and a dragon—we’re all vying for the affection of a single man.”

Tap, tap.

Elena lightly tapped Eileen’s shoulder and smiled amiably once more.

“And don’t forget. Right now, what’s important isn’t squabbling among ourselves while awaiting Ric’s choice. The urgent matter is curing his curse before he makes his decision.”

“…This is the only time. There won’t be a second chance. If you dare lay a hand on Ric…”

Eileen roughly brushed off Elena’s hand and hissed in her customary chilling tone.

She left the rest unsaid, but Elena could easily surmise what Eileen had swallowed back. It was undoubtedly a threat that if Elena dared touch Ric, Eileen would kill her before any civil war could break out.

Elena smiled brightly.

“If I had intended to do that, I would have chosen him as my empress consort the moment I ascended the throne.”

“…Your loose tongue never ceases to amaze me.”

“A mouth is meant for speaking, Eileen. It’s not like I had it pierced for decoration.”

Eileen left the room without responding to Elena’s playful retort.

As soon as she departed, the temperature in the office, which seemed to have dropped by at least 5 degrees, gradually returned to normal. Left alone, Elena furrowed her brow.

“…Hmm, now that Eileen is dealt with, the other pests will start swarming again soon.”

It would be nice to have a clever trick up my sleeve.

Elena’s murmur faintly echoed in the room.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

I fervently hoped that my mentor’s comprehensive explanation to Sylphia and me was all a bluff, but unfortunately, it was the reality I had to face.

The graduate student joke I had initially made with a hint of disbelief had indeed become my reality.

I used to find it amusing when I watched Yankee animations where people had yellow skin, and they mocked graduate students, saying, “I’m a thirty-year-old graduate student! I earned a whopping 600 dollars last year!” But I never imagined that would become my reality.

If I had known, I wouldn’t have laughed along with them.

However, regret always comes too late, which is why it’s called regret.

“…Ah.”

On the first day of reporting to the research lab…

Back in my estate, I used to strictly adhere to at least eight hours of sleep per day, but now I was dragged to the research lab at the crack of dawn after only five hours of sleep, leaving my head in a daze.

But my mentor was overflowing with enthusiasm from the early morning.

Annoyingly so.

“Hoho, it seems you’re a bit late since it’s the first day. No worries, no worries. It’s understandable on the first day.”

His tone, finding fault with a mere ten-minute delay from the scheduled time, implied that he was letting it slide because it was the first day, but there would be no leniency from the next day onward. I could only nod repeatedly with a dazed expression.

Magic was essentially a field of study that pursued truth.

More precisely, it aimed to glimpse the world beyond the origin reached through the process of pursuing truth.

My simple act of learning magic spells one by one through self-study with magic books in my estate was akin to tying my shoelaces and replenishing calories by peeling bananas or energy bars to endure a marathon in the pursuit of truth.

My task was to broaden the foundation of the magic I used and explore magic as a field of study itself, not just as a means to an end.

And it was a given that this process would involve formulating numerous hypotheses and conducting research to prove them.

“Rudrick, do you know what your greatest talent is?”

After a considerable time of mixing magic potions and observing the reactions that occurred when combining ingredients as instructed by my mentor, he approached me and asked a question while I was transcribing the observations onto paper.

“…I’m not quite sure, even if you ask me like that,” I replied.

“It’s just about time for a meal. I’ll have someone bring food, so take a short break and listen while you eat. First and foremost, your greatest talent is insight.”

“…Insight?”

“That’s right. Insight. You have an exceptional ability to intuitively grasp phenomena when you observe them.”

This nefarious mentor had a magic communication artifact permanently installed in the research lab, allowing him to summon food at any time. It was a simple system where infusing mana into the artifact would send a signal directly to the palace kitchen, prompting the servants to deliver meals—a wicked setup designed to exploit his disciples in every possible way.

After sending a signal through the artifact and granting me a much-needed short break that brought tears to my eyes, my mentor continued.

“This old man has been researching throughout his life, but to be honest, I still don’t fully understand what truth is or how to reach it. If I did, I would have long become a grand mage who had attained the truth of the world.”

“……”

“And in that process, the ability to intuitively grasp the numerous phenomena that occur is an immensely remarkable talent, which you have yet to fully comprehend. This is also why you don’t face difficulties in learning magic. Your exceptional insight allows you to immediately understand the structure of magic and fully internalize it as your own.”

“…Then what about Sylphia over there?”

Sylphia, who had suddenly turned her gaze towards us as if wondering why she was being dragged into the conversation, widened her eyes in surprise. However, my mentor answered without hesitation.

“If Rudrick’s strength lies in his intuitive understanding through insight, then Sylphia’s talent lies in her ability to absorb what she understands, refine it, and develop it further. In any case, you two are the hope of the Tonali school and have a complementary relationship where you support each other.”

Sylphia, who had been staring at us with wide eyes, abruptly turned her head away. She appeared to resume her own research, but I could sense that her ears were still attuned to our conversation.

How could she not be?

After all, she was a dragon. This level of research must be a piece of cake for her.

That must be why she seemed so relaxed and showed no signs of fatigue.

As I inwardly lamented, feeling like I was the only one being taken advantage of, my mentor stood up with a smile, patting my shoulder in a gesture of encouragement.

“Well then, I’ll step out for a bit to get some fresh air. If the food arrives, take your time and eat. You can continue the rest after having your meal.”

Telling us to eat first and then continue, even though we had already been working since the crack of dawn, and it was now noon.

I had skipped breakfast and felt dizzy from focusing solely on the tasks at hand.

How very thoughtful of you, mentor.

I wanted to retort sarcastically, but I swallowed my words.

Sigh, such is my lot in life.

As I grumbled inwardly and glared at my mentor leaving the research lab, Sylphia, who had been concentrating her attention on our conversation, spoke up as soon as he was out of sight.

“Is it manageable for you? If it’s too tough, let me know. I can help you out a bit. Surely I won’t collapse from overwork just by assisting with some of your research, right?”

“…Ah.”

Mentally, I knew it was an impossible ploy, but the way she consoled me with her sweet voice…

…This was playing dirty.

For some reason, I felt the urge to cry, missing my parents from both my past and present lives.

…I just want to return to my estate. I don’t want to be a mage anymore.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇