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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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A peaceful, comfortable, and quiet life.
He was already far removed from the kind of life where he could just drift along peacefully, content with what he had.
What was the word for it? Self-sufficiency? A hermit’s life?
Come to think of it, Arwen had a point.
“If I wanted to live a normal life, avoiding trouble, I shouldn’t have left Weiss County for the capital.”
“You’ve finally realized that?”
Arwen, who was grooming herself like a cat, looked at him with a strange, almost pitying expression.
He tried to ignore it, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been thinking about this all wrong.
He was too fixated on the idea of a “peaceful life without any hassle.” It was a bit ironic, considering he was already riding a tiger, so to speak.
But what if he just accepted the situation for what it was and stopped trying to deny reality?
“…Take the Court Mage position, for example. Sure, it’s supposed to be inherited by the previous Court Mage’s disciple, but I’m the youngest to ever achieve it. An Archmage at twenty? What is this, some cliché fantasy novel from fifteen years ago?”
“I don’t know what this ‘fantasy novel’ is, but… It’s certainly not common.”
“I’m the youngest Court Mage, and on top of that, the first human to successfully use magic against a dragon. Does adding another title to that really matter?”
“It’s not entirely meaningless. You’ve achieved something that was considered impossible for humans, a feat reserved for heroes of myths and legends. The Magic Tower will surely come knocking once word gets out.”
“…Well, anyway. It doesn’t change anything. That’s what I’m saying.”
He nodded.
It was time to face reality.
He couldn’t just keep whining like a child, refusing to take responsibility for his actions.
It wasn’t like he’d suddenly experienced some profound growth and accepted this truth willingly.
He was simply forced to accept it because there was no denying reality any longer.
But still, it was better to face things head-on than to run away.
Besides, as the saying went, “If you’re going to get hit, it’s better to get hit first.” If he couldn’t avoid it, he might as well embrace it.
That settled it, then.
He had made his choice, and now he had to face the consequences.
He wasn’t sure what they would be, or what form they would take, but he knew it was only a matter of time.
And next to him was a True Ancestor, staring at him with wide, innocent eyes in her cat form.
“So, Arwen.”
“Yes?”
“Who was the Court Mage before the regression? My master… died around the same time, right? Just a slight difference in timing.”
“Who else could it have been?”
“Hmm…”
He supposed that if he hadn’t become the Court Mage in the previous timeline, Sylvia and Arwen wouldn’t have reacted so strongly this time around.
This time, he had taken on the position with the mindset that if it had to go to someone, it might as well be him.
He couldn’t help but feel a little regretful, if they had discussed this beforehand, he would have definitely opposed it.
But it was too late for regrets, he couldn’t change the past.
“So what happened in the previous timeline? I doubt I cast a spell on a dragon then.”
“It was rather sudden… but it wouldn’t hurt to learn from the past. I wonder what possessed you to do such a thing.”
“I’m asking for your advice, based on your… extensive experience.”
“…You make me sound ancient. And it’s not like I have any special wisdom. I’m simply offering advice based on my past experiences.”
“Wow, shameless.”
He shrugged, teasing her playfully.
“Is there a thousand-year difference between us?”
“…It’s absurd to compare human lifespans to a race that doesn’t age.”
“So, if we were to convert your age to human years, would you be in your twenties?”
“…I haven’t even lived half my lifespan yet. So if we were to consider a human lifespan to be a hundred years, I’d be in my twenties or thirties. We’re not that far apart.”
“That’s still two to three thousand years. I’m starting to feel like a cradle robber.”
“That’s why I told you not to phrase it like that!”
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The next morning.
Elena stared at the report in front of her, deep in thought.
She wasn’t happy about it, but the Empress’ health had deteriorated, and the Crown Princess was now the de facto ruler of the Empire.
As the one in charge, the Crown Princess would have to review the report.
It was a formality, but a necessary one.
But Elena was struggling to write even a simple report.
“…Eileen wouldn’t lie, would she? I doubt they would go to such lengths to coordinate their stories.”
She muttered to herself, tapping her quill on the report, leaving a trail of ink dots.
Eileen’s story was problematic for several reasons.
She was annoyed that a dragon’s childish antics had caused all this trouble, but dragons were practically forces of nature in this world.
They had remained uninvolved in human affairs for centuries, but if they chose to act, they could reshape the continent with ease.
Even the Empire had limited options.
Trying to hunt a dragon would be futile, and confronting it directly in its lair was impossible.
She could simply dismiss it as bad luck, but revealing everything that happened beyond the wall would be met with disbelief.
Revealing Sylvia’s true identity was a problem in itself, and if she deliberately concealed it, all the credit for resolving the situation would go to Rudrick.
Was it even possible for a human to fight a dragon in its true form on equal footing?
Elena still found it hard to believe that Rudrick had managed to restrain a dragon with a binding spell.
She knew how skilled he was, but it was supposed to be an impossible feat.
It was like someone claiming to have shot down a fighter jet or sunk an aircraft carrier with a single rifle, using Rudrick’s past life as an analogy.
“…This is difficult.”
After much deliberation, Elena finally set the quill down, unable to reach a conclusion.
Revealing that Sylvia, who was only known as the former Court Mage Lorenzo Tonali’s disciple, was actually a dragon was out of the question.
The repercussions would be too great, and Sylvia herself would vehemently oppose it.
That meant all the credit for holding back Abel until Rudrick arrived would go to Rudrick.
It was a dilemma.
Concealing Sylvia’s existence would elevate Rudrick’s accomplishments to the level of a mythical hero, a feat deemed impossible for a human.
It was a complicated situation involving many people, and Elena couldn’t make a decision on her own.
She got up from her desk.
“…I need to hear it from the source.”
Just as she stood up, there was a knock on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Rudrick poked his head in as soon as she gave him permission.
The moment she saw him, all her worries seemed to melt away.
It was like the feeling of seeing a cute animal, a feeling that made her want to reach out and pet it or hug it tightly.
She felt her worries vanish as if by magic.
“…This is a surprise. What brings you here so early?”
“You’re worried, Elena.”
“…Worried about what?”
“It’s written all over your face.”
Rudrick glanced at the report on her desk, which was barely started.
He chuckled knowingly.
“You can’t reveal everything because there are too many people involved, but omitting Sylvia’s existence creates a whole other set of problems.”
“…You’re sharp.”
Elena sighed, admitting defeat.
She had been struggling with this report ever since her conversation with Eileen last night.
“I was just about to ask you for your opinion. What are your thoughts?”
“I don’t mind.”
“As expected, you wouldn’t want to be in the spotlight… What?”
“We can’t say that Sylvia is a dragon who was fighting another dragon, can we? Just say I did it.”
Thinking back, it wasn’t a big deal.
His magic worked on dragons, so holding back Abel wouldn’t have been a problem.
Abel had struggled to break free from his binding spell, after all.
He felt a twinge of guilt for taking credit for something he didn’t do, but it wasn’t a complete lie.
“The worst that could happen is that the Magic Tower will pester me with questions. I can handle that.”
“…This is strange. You’re not acting like yourself.”
“I’ve matured.” Rudrick replied, deadpan.
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