—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Do I have to say it myself? I want to hear it from your own mouth.”
Raymond spoke in a sharp voice. Perhaps he thought it was not an incorrect statement, as Desia’s small red lips parted.
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince, is it true that you reached the level of a low-level mage in just a week?”
So that was what she was curious about? Just as I expected. Desia Helly, she is of the bloodline of grand mages. She knows this fact herself.
‘Desia Helly moves with a deep longing for the level of a grand mage.’
To revive her fallen family, she must become a grand mage.
Although she was a genius mage on the verge of reaching the level of an intermediate mage after just three years of learning magic, she still felt inadequate.
In the midst of that, she met the Fifth Prince and was defeated.
‘I know the answer she desires.’
It’s truly simple.
“Are you asking if it’s true that I reached the level of a low-level mage in a week?”
Seeing her nod lightly in affirmation, I spoke with a calm expression.
“It is true. I fought you in a duel about a week after I started learning proper magic.”
That was the answer she wanted. And it was indeed the truth.
“Your Highness, how did you do it?”
Her tone was almost rude toward royalty, but I didn’t mind.
I could read the desire for a higher level in her eyes.
“Do you want to know?”
I asked quietly.
Desia nodded silently. At the end of her earnest gaze was the smiling Fifth Prince.
What could be so amusing?
“You don’t expect me to tell you for free, do you?”
At those words, Desia’s face stiffened as she recalled the Fifth Prince’s other name.
‘The rogue Fifth Prince.’
She might make an unreasonable demand.
‘But if it means I can reach a higher level…’
“Do as you wish.”
“Become my person, Desia Helly. I hope you will join the elite guards that will be formed soon.”
“I’m just a low-level mage on the verge of becoming an intermediate mage.”
Even if he is a rogue, would there be a place for an intermediate mage in the elite guards? Desia thought so.
“Don’t be mistaken.”
The atmosphere changed.
“I’m not making an offer to a mere mage on the brink of becoming an intermediate.”
The air grew cold.
“I’m making an offer to the bloodline of a grand mage, Desia Helly.”
“How…?”
“Is that important right now?”
There are more important matters at hand.
“I can make you a grand mage. I can help you revive your family.”
If we work together,
“I will definitely make you a grand mage.”
At that proposal, Desia quietly closed her eyes.
“I told you, I keep my promises.”
It seems she had already crossed over. I whispered a bit more.
Although I had received the ‘secret teachings’ from the Tower Master, the Fifth Prince had achieved the monumental feat of reaching the level of a low-level mage in just a week.
‘Perhaps it might be possible?’
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince.”
Desia spoke in a calm voice as she slowly knelt on one knee.
“May my magic illuminate your path, Your Highness.”
The future grand mage had joined.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Tower Master, Lysfield Dior, moved stealthily. He was skilled at crossing the walls of the Fifth Prince’s palace. It was no laughing matter; he had done it more than once or twice.
Arriving at the study, Lysfield emerged from the shadows before the Fifth Prince.
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince.”
“Have you come, old man?”
I closed the book I was reading and looked up.
In the place where my gaze landed stood Lysfield, wearing a brown robe without any patterns, rather than the blue that symbolized the Blue Tower.
“You no longer seem surprised.”
“When have I ever been surprised?”
I couldn’t recall any such moment.
“Well, I won’t argue with you.”
The Tower Master nodded with a faint smile on his lips.
Though he was old, he was confident in his memory. He remembered that there were times when the Fifth Prince had been surprised when he dispelled his invisibility magic, but he thought it best to remain quiet about it now.
“You conveyed what I said to Desia, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
According to the original plot of the novel, several magic books that the protagonist should have passed on to Desia were in the royal palace’s seventh annex.
I had secretly asked the Tower Master to bring them and deliver them to Desia.
In the novel, Desia grows stronger by reading the magic books given to her by the protagonist.
Although the timing was slightly advanced, the fact that she would grow stronger would not change.
Desia was a talented mage.
‘At least according to the settings in the novel.’
As I organized my thoughts, I silently brought the cup to my lips.
Did I appear to be seriously contemplating something? Lysfield cautiously stepped a bit closer and spoke.
“She is a talented girl. She will likely reach the level of an advanced mage without much difficulty.”
I’m sorry, but the Tower Master, you are mistaken.
‘Desia Helly will become a grand mage.’
That was an absolute fact based on the settings.
“Thank you for recognizing my efforts, old man.”
It was a bit embarrassing, but such things should be expressed in a timely manner.
“I’m glad you acknowledge it.”
Though he pretended otherwise, a bright smile spread across Lysfield’s face.
He was an old man who was not very honest with his own feelings.
“By the way, I have something I want to ask you, Your Highness.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve heard that there will be a victory celebration for the great war in three months. Are you aware of it?”
“Of course I am.”
It was an annual banquet held by the royal family to commemorate the survival of the great war of ancient times. There was no way I wouldn’t know.
‘Of course, the last time I attended was five years ago…’
With the death of the Third Empress, the years had gone awry, and Raymond had been holed up in the Fifth Prince’s palace, not stepping outside.
“You want to know if I plan to attend this time?”
“Indeed, Your Highness.”
The Tower Master did not deny it.
‘Since you decided to stand behind me, are you asking me to act decisively?’
Historically, the banquet was also a place where nobles would officially declare their allegiance to the powerful.
That was part of the setting.
“I appreciate your honesty.”
“That’s one of my few merits.”
Seeing Lysfield smile broadly, Raymond also smiled as he spoke.
“I intend to attend.”
I resolved to shed the stigma of being a rogue and embark on a serious path. This banquet would be the first stage.
‘Since I’m going to do it, let’s do it properly.’
I had made up my mind.
“Old man.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Can you guide me outside the palace?”
“Suddenly?”
The Tower Master was taken aback by the Fifth Prince’s bombshell declaration.
“You mean you’re going outside the royal palace?”
He confirmed again with wide eyes.
“Yes, I’m going outside the royal palace.”
“From what you said, you plan to sneak out without any guards?”
“Indeed, you understand me well, old man.”
I was glad I didn’t have to explain in detail.
“If you don’t mind, may I ask your destination?”
“The slums.”
“Oh no!”
The Tower Master clutched his head and sank down. He seemed to be in shock.
“Your Highness, the slums of the capital are far too dangerous to wander without guards!”
The empire is in decline, and the darkness of the capital is as deep as an abyss.
But whether he knew this or not, the Fifth Prince, Raymond, was simply smiling.
“Isn’t having a high-ranking mage enough for the protection of royalty?”
“Ah, Your Highness… Recently, the palace was also attacked. You know how precious the bloodline of the Philios family is, don’t you?”
The Philios family. The royalty who inherit that bloodline can control the ancient weapon, the Golem, that lies dormant in the empire.
If it weren’t for the existence of the Golem, the empire would have already crumbled.
The massive ancient existence that supports the decaying empire is the Golem.
“And that’s why I’m going.”
“Could you explain a bit more?”
In the slums, there is a one-armed swordsman. He has the talent of a sword master and knows how to awaken it.
“When the time comes, you will understand.”
It was too early to explain the details.
“Your Highness…”
“The Two Thousand Year Oath.”
“I will follow you.”
The Tower Master, Lysfield, had no choice but to stop trying to dissuade the Fifth Prince, but he couldn’t suppress the urge to sigh.
“There shouldn’t be anything to worry about, so don’t fret.”
“That should be the case. If anything happens to Your Highness, the Emperor will have my head.”
I was about to respond with a ‘that can’t be true,’ but Raymond soon found himself unable to speak.
Perhaps because he had shown a changed demeanor recently, the Emperor’s affection for him had deepened.
If I returned even slightly injured from the slums, it would surely cause a huge uproar.
“Being a rogue is tiring.”
“You are no longer a rogue, Your Highness the Fifth Prince.”
It was a thoughtless remark, but Lysfield firmly and seriously denied it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Having exited the royal palace, Raymond headed toward the slums with Lysfield. Following them was Alex, who was unusually armed with a sword at his waist.
‘The slums are far more dangerous than Your Highness thinks. So let’s take one more swordsman as a guard.’
That was the condition set by Lysfield. However, the royal knights of the Fifth Prince’s palace, even if they weren’t under the Third Prince, would surely try to dissuade him from going to the slums or report it to the Emperor, so Alex had no choice but to come along.
Having mastered the advanced swordsmanship passed down from the unarmed family of Baron Tiringer, he would possess knight-level combat power.
Moreover, with a high-ranking mage along, it would be sufficient for protection.
“This is the slums.”
Lysfield spoke in a very quiet voice.
“It’s far worse than I expected.”
I had read descriptions of the conditions in the slums of the capital in the setting book, but seeing it in person was a first.
“I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
Crows perched on the corpses scattered here and there. Many were collapsing and dying. A terrible stench assaulted my nostrils.
“Damn it.”
I couldn’t help but frown. It wasn’t because I thought it was dirty. It was because I felt regret that I couldn’t help them.
“Your Highness…”
Alex was observing the situation. He silently shifted his gaze forward. Even looking around, he couldn’t help them, so it was just painful for him.
“Let’s go.”
Thinking I needed to hurry and get out of here, I quickened my pace. How much deeper had we gone into the slums?
Unlike the relatively relaxed expressions of Raymond and Lysfield, Alex was anxious, his eyes darting around as he fiddled with the hilt of his sword.
“We’ve arrived.”
In front of us stood a very dilapidated hut. And there, a middle-aged man without a left arm was visible.
The man, who seemed to be staring blankly at the sky, turned his head toward Raymond and his companions.
“Two mages and one swordsman. What brings you to this shabby place?”
Is he a former high-ranking knight? He saw through us at a glance. Looking to the side, Lysfield also seemed a bit surprised. He had been hiding his strength.
“Captain of the Frost Shield Knights, Gestain.”
“…You know my name?”
Before I knew it, a sword was in his right hand. I didn’t even notice when he drew it.
Alex, startled, stepped forward, and Lysfield raised his mana with a tense expression.
“I may have lost an arm, but I won’t be easy to take down.”
“Don’t you want to go back?”
Instead of waiting for an answer, he continued speaking.
“Don’t you want to regain the swordsmanship you’ve lost?”
“Is that even possible?”
Gestain began to show interest.
“I’ve lost my left arm. Unless there’s something specifically designed for a one-armed swordsman, there’s no way I can wield a proper swordsmanship in this state.”
“There is such swordsmanship.”
He clearly didn’t know; after all, he couldn’t be expected to know the swordsmanship of the ancient era.
“Reveal your identity.”
“Me?”
I smiled slyly as I pushed back my hood. Then I pulled out the Fifth Prince’s ring from my pocket and slipped it onto my finger.
‘This should be enough.’
As expected, Gestain recognized the Fifth Prince’s ring.
“I am the Fifth Prince, Raymond Philios. I will help you regain the swordsmanship you have lost.”
“Is that really possible?”
His voice was filled with suspicion. Gestain’s gaze was not kind either. After all, he had been betrayed by the lord he had sworn loyalty to and lost his left arm.
It was understandable that he would feel there was no one in the world he could trust.
“I even visited Baron Heinkel, but I couldn’t find any solutions.”
Heinkel was one of the five disciples who had received teachings from the last sword master of the Philios Empire and was one of the lords in the north. I never expected he would have traveled all the way to the far north in his current condition.
“If I can help you regain your lost swordsmanship, will you follow me?”
“Is that a serious offer?”
In response to Gestain’s question, I nodded.
“If that’s the case, I will gladly follow.”
At that answer, Raymond smiled.
I knew how to help Gestain regain his lost swordsmanship. I was aware of all the settings, so there was no way I wouldn’t know.
‘With this, I can gain a future sword master.’
The plan to seize the protagonist’s opportunity was proceeding smoothly.
Who exactly is this mysterious protagonist?