episode_0268

Episode 268

“The basement of the royal palace? What on earth is in a place like that…? Could it be that there is something in the dungeon?”

“No, I’m not talking about the outskirts, but the area right below the royal family.”

If it’s there, I know it. It is not a particularly secret place to the people who live here.

In the basement of the palace, there was a royal tomb to commemorate past kings.

It was there that Carmel performed the sacred ceremony to become queen.

“At the royal tomb… Are you saying there was a document there that could justify your actions? What is the object that gives reason to thoroughly bury the events of that time?”

“No, no… If we look at the results alone, they may be similar, but that is an explanation with the cause and effect reversed.”

“What does that mean?”

Monaz seemed to be wondering whether she should say everything that was on her mind. But soon he started speaking as if he had made up his mind.

“Relics have the power to read fate. The same goes for the grimoires held by me and the princess.”

“I know. That’s how choices are made. What does that have to do with this?”

“The same goes for the monument protecting Lustier and the royal family monument. Through sacred ceremonies, we determine whether a person is suitable to be accepted into the royal family. The same applies to the qualification examination of royal magicians.”

“I know that too. …Ah.”

I think I vaguely understand.

Did that mean that cause and effect had changed?

Rather than persuading self-conscious mages to destroy forbidden knowledge,

This means that only those who can perform that role were selected from the beginning.

“I understand. You and other royal magicians who have continued that role are real people who have been certified as loyal to the royal family. You can be sure of that.”

Loyalty is real, as determined by the holy relic. The direction may be the problem.

“Yes, that’s right. You are as intelligent as expected.”

Monaz looks as if she is relieved to have let out everything she had been holding in her heart. Although it was still somewhat dark.

“But I don’t know if that judgment was wrong. It was a very daunting duty for me. After confessing everything to the princess like this, I feel more at ease.”

“For all that, didn’t you cast magic on me without hesitation at the ruins? He didn’t look like he was in much distress.”

“Uh, that’s… Because of my impatience to prioritize the mission… I’d like to apologize once again, Princess…”

Monaz looks as if there is a hole in her stomach wall. I was somewhat certain that the man named Monaz had no intention of opposing me or the kingdom.

But that doesn’t mean the problem has disappeared.

According to Monaz’s words, the person who assigned the mission of eradicating records to the position of court magician and who continued this for a long time through the means of sacred rituals is none other than the royal tombstone.

It is recorded that the origin of the royal family’s monument dates back to the time of the first king, Luke the Great.

Well, there is nothing strange. In the end, throwing out Enekra, annihilating her followers, and finally sending soldiers to kill her were all accomplished on Luke’s behalf.

That is too thorough. Even fear can be felt in those steps.

Did it really have to be that way?

What on earth was Luke so afraid of?

The truth? What trouble will the truth bring?

Even hundreds of years in the future?

If so, that is now a story of the distant past.

The kingdom was firmly established. Even if a little noise is mixed into the founding myth of Luke the Great, the royal family will not be shaken.

If so, now is the time to eradicate that old bad habit.

“Let’s go see the royal family’s tombstone.”

“Yes?”

“Activating the royal monument is the job of a court magician, right? Since the story came out, I have to take a look.”

“Uh, yes, I understand. Are you going now?”

I nodded and stood up.

* * *

The Lustier Palace shown outside is very gorgeous. The white-painted exterior was perfect for the people to look up at and envy.

However, the royal tomb below is in a style that emphasizes grandeur rather than splendor. As if to represent the weight of the many years the kingdom has passed.

In front of the door leading to the royal tomb, a huge monument stood majestically. It was not an unfamiliar sight. Because I have already been here several times.

I walked closer to it. As the most important relic managed directly by the royal family, the surface of the monument was shiny as if it were new.

“You who stand in front of Lustier. Let Lustier look into you.”

That is what was written on the tombstone in the old Lustier language. It was a phrase fitting for a tombstone, a talent verification system for the royal family.

“How do we read and evaluate a person’s fate from the royal tombstones? It doesn’t mean that someone’s consciousness is present, right?”

“Consciousness… That can’t be possible. This is because it was created during the founding period. If there were a way to store consciousness in an object for that long, it would be tantamount to a method of immortality. It would have been used in a different form.”

“Hmm… really?”

But wasn’t Enekra like that? Of course, it was only a fragmentary thought and not Enekra’s actual consciousness, but it was possible to hear the story.

A similar thing might be possible with magic from the same era. If I could just talk for a moment with the fragments of Luke Lustier, the man who erected this monument, my questions would quickly be answered.

Lost in thought, I walked around the monument. There was nothing discernible from the exterior. I returned to the front of the monument again.

“Now that I think about it, I have never received a sacred ceremony. Monaz, can you activate the tombstone?”

There appears to be no other way to magically interact with the tombstone than to receive a sacred rite. Of course, I never received it.

“Sacred rites? Ha, but a lot of administrative procedures are required before activating the monument…”

“It’s okay. After all, managing the tombstone is your job, right? If you keep quiet, no one will know.”

“…Okay.”

Perhaps because of her guilt, Monaz obediently did as I said. Monaz stood behind the tombstone. Soon he was seen radiating magical energy.

“Then let’s begin. Don’t move from that spot, princess.”

The monument began to operate thanks to Monaz’s magic power. The letters engraved on the front glowed golden light. While green magic surrounded me, the golden light was pointing exactly at me.

Did you say that holy relics can read fate? Will the royal family’s tombstone be able to determine that I am not the real Princess Sera?

My heart is pounding a little. But I don’t have much to worry about. In any case, it was an item that was fooled by Carmel’s poor magic.

Even if the royal tombstone detects my identity… only Monaz knows it. As long as Monaz’s biggest weakness was in hand, it wouldn’t be difficult to silence him.

But no matter how long I waited, the royal tombstone remained silent.

“Hmm… That’s strange. The royal tombstone is clearly operating normally… but it doesn’t seem to recognize the princess. Or maybe it’s a refusal to recognize it. Since it is unprecedented for a royal to receive a sacred ceremony…”

“Hmm… Really? all right. Then please stop now.”

I’m disappointed. I thought something was going to happen.

When Monaz withdrew the mana, the monument stopped working and returned to being a cold rock. I spoke to Monaz, who came back from behind the monument.

“Let’s keep today’s matter a secret from each other. What you did at the ruins, what I did when I activated the sacred ritual at will. Of course, I believe you know better which side will be more fatal if the secret is not kept, Monaz.”

“Yes… I understood exactly what you said.”

“Then I think we have returned to friendly relations.”

“When you say that, I am just overwhelmed with emotion…”

I came back to the ground with Monaz, who was feeling discouraged again.

* * *

That night.

I woke up in a room full of books.

I’ve had this experience several times already. I knew right away that it was a dream.

“…who?”

In front of me was a man wearing a strange hat. It’s hard to say exactly what it was, but there was a mysterious atmosphere. It seemed almost certain that he was a mage.

“My name is Adrian. Queen of the distant future.”

The man took off his hat and took it into his arms, bowing down. It is an old-fashioned Lustier etiquette.

“I’m not the king yet. Although he is the heir to the throne.”

“I see. But it’s the same for me. I am extremely happy to know that the great kingdom will continue into the distant future.”

“I’ve been to this kind of space in my dreams before.”

“So, it must have been possible for you to contact me like this. You are amazing. It is an extremely fortunate thing that Lustier’s successor was born with such great magic talent.”

The attitude of the man who identified himself as Adrian was extremely polite. Not only that, it seemed like he was sincere in his excitement to meet me.

“I was planning to meet King Luke… Who are you?”

He answered with a happy smile.

“Let me introduce myself again. My name is Adrian Eldritch. He was the right-hand man who helped found the nation by King Luke’s side and was the first King Mage.”