episode_0062

Hwaruruk

The red-haired girl raises her hands in the air, concentrates for a moment, and a ball of flame appears.

The girl closed her eyes and lightly snapped her fingers. Then, the ball of flame followed the gesture as if it had life, then hit the wall and disappeared with a bang.

As it was a place specifically designed for magical training, the sturdy walls, which did not react to even the slightest impact, had slight scorch marks and dents left on them.

“Okay!”

An excited voice came out of the mouth of Xenia, a red-haired girl who had achieved the feat of controlling things as well as using magic without a spell.

Although Xenia had used primitive magic without a spell in the past, what she did now was on a whole other level.

In the past, magic was used forcibly using overflowing magical power, so its efficiency was very low.

Even though his blood was thin, even the mana of a Dragonian, a half-breed of a dragon and a human, was enough to tire him out after using magic once or twice.

Her master, Yustav, said it was as wasteful as hunting goblins with the legendary weapon, the Dragon Slayer.

Of course, under the guidance of Yustav, Xenia quickly learned magical knowledge and how to use mana efficiently, and made great progress.

She was recently greatly inspired by a book.

Lloyd Cavallo, the flame alchemist from .

He appeared as the most powerful alchemist, wearing white gloves and using the friction of his fingers to shoot sparks.

As she watched the cavalry manipulate oxygen and hydrogen through dust in the air to create flames, Xenia realized.

The magic he originally used was literally primitive, and the magic his master, Yustav, taught him was a bit more advanced, but still ineffective.

‘It’s not about creating fireworks, it’s about manipulating the elements that create fireworks.’

Creating the flame itself is inefficient, no matter how refined the spell is. However, manipulating the components that create the flame is much easier and more efficient.

‘I have to get stronger!’

Xenia already knew that just with this discovery, everyone, including the Master, would praise and exalt her.

But that wasn’t enough.

-It’s still too early for you to participate in this investigation.

When Xenia heard that Rupert Somerset, the author of the children’s book that saved her, was under threat from dark magicians, she immediately wanted to participate in the investigation to save him.

I ended up not being able to participate because of Yustav’s words that it was still too early.

The words that she was still young, still lacking, and still weak pierced deep into Xenia’s lungs.

‘He saved me, but I can’t do anything to help him… .’

The uncle and aunt who tormented and beat him every day. The villagers and children of his age who ignored and discriminated against him as an orphan.

There was a time when Xenia even thought about burning them all.

Because I felt resentful that I was the only one who had to live such a miserable and difficult life.

However, in the fairy tale books Rupert created by chance, there were stories of protagonists in difficult situations like his who finally found happiness.

So Xenia could also have hope. She could dream of saving those who had ignored her and standing proudly before them.

furthermore

‘The author must have remembered me too.’

Although they only met briefly at the Somerset residence where he had been forced to follow Eustace, it was clear that he remembered him.

When Xenia saw the children’s book that came out later, she couldn’t hide her excitement as the emotions from that time came back to her.

Although the main character, Nero, is a boy, he has a face and red hair that are exactly like him.

‘Did I look like a boy?’

Although she was a little disappointed that she had suddenly been mistaken for a man, she couldn’t hide her joy at having drawn a fairy tale based on her.

Especially after the publication of A Dog of Flanders, people were no longer afraid of redheads.

Rather, it is said that children with red hair are more likely to receive unreasonable favors from people.

I am also extremely grateful and thankful to my teacher, Yustav, who accepted me as his disciple and allowed me to live with treatment better than that of a nobleman.

Rupert was special to Xenia. He was the benefactor who first gave her a ray of light when she was in the darkness.

When I think about how if it weren’t for Rupert I would never have met the Master in the first place, no matter how many times I think about it, it was really him who gave me the happiness I have now.

‘This time I will become stronger and protect you.’

She braced herself again as she recalled the pale complexion of Rupert she had seen before.

***

A woman was quietly and carefully wiping the inscription inside the ossuary with a dry towel.

An elderly man stands behind her with a reverent attitude.

“Your Majesty, do you remember that today is the anniversary of the late Empress?”

“Yes. She was my brothers’ mother and my father’s wife.”

Ayton felt a deep resonance in Princess Iolin’s words.

Although she has occasionally appeared disheveled recently, the princess was fundamentally a good-natured person.

Ayton, who had recently stolen the books the princess had collected. In fact, even if he was the personal chief of staff, such behavior could be severely punished if it offended the royal family.

However, Ayton was not punished in any way. This was possible because the princess knew that he had done such a thing for her own good and would not blame anyone for such a thing.

Furthermore, it was not something he could do readily, to visit the ossuary of the former empress, who could be said to have nothing to do with him, every year on the anniversary of her death.

Ayton, who had been suspicious that the princess, who said she had somewhere to go early in the morning, had another ulterior motive, felt ashamed of himself.

“That’s all, let’s go.”

“Your Majesty, may I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

Ayton couldn’t hold back the sudden question and asked the princess.

“I have no connection with the previous empress. Why do you come here early every morning to clean?”

Ayton was very curious as to why he had never been able to ask before.

The princess was slightly surprised by Ayton’s question, as if it was an unexpected question, but soon answered with a calm expression.

“My father comes here every year on this day after finishing his work. My eldest brother is always hesitant and either mistakes the due date or forgets it, and comes a day or two later.”

This time, Ayton was surprised by the unexpected answer. How on earth did the princess know such facts?

“My second brother always comes here before me. But he doesn’t want to let anyone know he’s been here, so he stays here quietly.”

– Since she is still loved this much, the former empress must have been a good person. So I want to let her meet her family in a clean state.

After hearing Iolin’s words, Ayton fell into deep thought.

The image of the former empress in Ayton’s memories, who had served the royal family for a long time, was just as she had said.

He was such a kind and gentle person. I even thought that maybe that was why the crown prince became even more twisted.

The crown prince’s father, the emperor, was not a man who could be described as affectionate, even in vain.

The void left by the warm presence of his mother would have been even greater.

The royal family’s columbarium was located in a place that was not even revealed to the attendants for security reasons, so management was kept to a minimum.

The columbarium where the previous emperors are kept is managed daily by a select group of extremely secure individuals.

The ossuaries of empresses and other imperial family members were often neglected.

To come to a place like this and clean it for the family that will visit later.

“Let’s go, Ayton.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ayton thought that when he returned to the palace, he should return the princess’s collection that he had previously confiscated.

His thoughts were short. Even though he showed a momentary confusion, the person he had brought in was a wise and good person who would never change.

I can’t believe in such a person. I have renewed my faith that he is not someone who would be swayed by such evil things and lose control of himself.

But he didn’t hear it.

‘I think Father will be depressed today. I’ll ask him about the key tomorrow.’

That she still lacks self-control.

***

A village in the empire.

Charles, the second son of an ordinary family there, woke up early in the morning.

“Ah! Today is the day that the 5th volume of The Iron-Blooded Alchemist comes out!”

Charles jumped out of bed and said to his mother who was cooking in the kitchen.

“Mom, the 5th volume of The Iron-Blooded Alchemist came out today, right?!”

“No, what the hell are you talking about? Didn’t it say at the end that volume 5 was postponed?”

“Lies!!! It must have come out today! Dad, where are you?”

It’s clearly the time when the 5th volume should have been released, but Charles still can’t believe that the release has been delayed and denies the reality as he searches for his father.

That was because I thought that my father, who was also a fan of , would definitely tell me the truth.

but.

Bang!

All I could see was my father lying on the floor, holding a hammer in one hand.

“When I open my eyes… Volume 5 of The Iron… Blood Alchemist is out… .”

Charles, seeing his father muttering with foam at the mouth, hurriedly tried to pick up the hammer in his father’s hand.

The mother, who had been watching this, spoke quietly but clearly.

“Stop being a jerk and go eat.”

“Yep!”

The father who had fallen and the son who was about to hit his head with a hammer answered at the same time, and peace was finally preserved in the family.

Since once a person’s threshold is raised, it is not easy to come back down, the people of the empire who had read the interesting and fun story called waited for the release of the 5th volume as if they were looking for a drug.

When it was learned that the writer was ill and had been delayed, the aftermath was evident in the delivery of all sorts of things to the Somerset household.

Boxes containing common herbs used in various folk remedies, as well as rare medicinal herbs and potions that were hard to find even in noble households, were delivered.

‘This smells royal!’

Perhaps it was because he had experienced so many crises? Now that he had developed reasoning skills, Rupert screamed in horror as soon as he saw the box.

In fact, the box was actually sent by the imperial family, and by the princess. Jorge, the princess’s secret bodyguard who was disguised as an errand boy, was so shocked that his expression almost distorted.

At that moment, when the whole world was waiting for news of a new book release.

A single notice was posted simultaneously in all branches of the Uren.

– Volumes 5 and 6 are scheduled to be released simultaneously.

A notice stating that will be released at the same time exactly one week later.

The world is entering the era of the Taiwanese-style policy.