episode_0041

An ambiguous boundary area straddling the capital and the outskirts.

Surrounded by dense forests, the area created a sense of distortion with the oversized leaves of the trees casting massive shadows, deceiving the sense of time.

After walking through the dense forest for a while, a vast field came into view.

Commonly referred to as the “Magician’s Mansion,” it was the epitome of civilization that benefited the continent as a whole.

The news of Serin’s visit to the Magician’s Mansion as an ambassador spread quickly. Therefore, it was expected that the loosely-robed magicians would come out to greet us.

Serin, the princess, and Luca. Just the four of us on this simple visit. Perhaps that was why they didn’t seem to be on high alert.

Soon, a middle-aged male magician approached us, placing his hand on his chest in a gesture of respect.

“Nice to meet you. Your Highness Seriniel Riterion. I am Paolo, one of the stewards of the mansion.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

The reason Serin treated the magicians with respect was that their status transcended the secular world. Neither commoners nor nobles, they were respected solely based on their achievements. Under the assumption that they were not a group of sorcerers spreading evil.

“I was quite looking forward to today. I wondered how the mansion here differed from those in the empire.”

“You can expect great things. We are magicians with the highest research capabilities on the continent.”

“Your words pique my curiosity. Can we skip the formalities and proceed with the tour?”

“Of course. Follow me this way.”

Paolo led the way into the mansion. We followed, exchanging brief glances. Although no actions were taken yet, it was an unspoken agreement not to let our guard down from now on.

“By the way, I didn’t expect the two princes to visit as well.”

“I have always been interested.”

“Haha, likewise, we were also curious. It’s rare to find magicians who rival the princes in skill.”

“I haven’t shown off my skills, so your words are puzzling. I advise you not to believe too much in rumors. Rumors are like a wet cotton ball, aren’t they?”

“Yes, rumors can be like that. Inflated and concealing small truths within.”

Tension rose.

The princess and Luca had a long-standing conflict with a group of dark magicians.

Although they tried to conceal their identities when they met directly, they seemed to have developed their own suspicions. It was as if the princess and Luca were not just suspicious of individuals but of the entire mansion of magicians.

“By the way, are you a servant of the princess?”

Paolo asked me.

“I am Rihard. I am in charge of guarding the princess.”

“Ah… I see, appearances can be deceiving.”

A man with no weapons and a mask covering his face. He didn’t look like a suitable guard at all. I acknowledged this fact and didn’t offer any rebuttal.

However, Serin seemed to have a different perspective.

“I would appreciate it if you refrained from making subjective judgments. He is my man.”

“Your Highness?”

“You have no right to judge someone based on your own standards. He is mine.”

“…”

In an instant, Serin’s demeanor turned cold and distant, sending a chill through the air. Overwhelmed by her aura, Paolo instinctively bowed his head.

“I-I apologize…”

“Just be aware of it and watch your words.”

She left him with a final warning.

“Wouldn’t want to be the subject of a comic book, would you?”

“Yes… I will make sure to heed your teachings.”

At first, he politely swore an oath, but there was an excessive rudeness in his cold eyes.

“Wow… Serin is incredibly powerful.”

“Is this the dignity of the imperial nobility…?”

In order, it was the impressions of the princess and Luca.

Although both of them were modest in demeanor, they were undeniably at the top of the social hierarchy. Even the princess and Luca were surprised by Serin’s bold actions.

I approached Serin with a sense of indebtedness.

“Serin.”

“Yes, Rian.”

“I appreciate what you’re doing for me, but it would be better to avoid it in the future. I can’t let your reputation suffer because of me.”

“But I don’t like it when my people are criticized. Especially if it’s you, Rian.”

“However, as a member of your guard employed by the Emperor, I believe that I should also protect your reputation as your guard. So, it’s best to avoid situations where the roles are reversed.”

“Is it the guard’s job to protect reputation?”

“… Even if it’s not the guard’s job, I believe it’s my duty.”

“Wow…”

Serin covered her mouth with both hands.

I realized it instantly. Whenever she reacted more excessively than necessary, it always led to awkward situations for me.

And unfortunately, there was no denying the ominous premonition.

“In other words, being a guard is just an excuse, and you want to do it for me?”

“… That interpretation could be possible.”

“In other words, you want to do it because you like me so much.”

“If there’s no other way to express it… then I can’t say it’s wrong…”

“Sigh… what should I do.”

Serin complained as she sighed.

“If I act like this, you should be so happy that you want to hug me tightly. Would you like to try lifting me up once? Or maybe hugging the princess?”

“What does Serin gain from such absurd behavior…?”

“Not much. Emotional fulfillment and an extended lifespan of about ten years?”

I sighed deeply at the endlessly illogical response. As a result, the touch of the cold mask on my palm cooled the warmth.

It was a bonus that the impressions of the two people standing shoulder to shoulder were added.

“Luca, why don’t you say something like that to me?”

“Maybe because you didn’t hug the princess like I did?”

“Isn’t it strange for a second prince to want to hug the princess like that?”

“It just means that I understand women well.”

Although the scene of the second prince, who was now a king, hugging the princess like a prince made me dizzy, I didn’t say it out loud.

Meanwhile, as we continued our conversation with Serin and the awkwardness of the princess and Luca, Parlo suddenly turned around.

“… From here on, it’s within the influence of spatial magic. If you move more than ten steps away from me, you might fly to a random place.”

Then he added coldly.

“Perhaps… the place you fly to could be a dangerous experimental site. Of course, I don’t know if the capable magician like the second prince will be fine… but I hope the rest of you will be careful.”

“Hahaha, as a lowly magician like me, that’s a very frightening advice.”

Although Luca shook his head, it seemed like Parlo didn’t care.

“Follow me.”

He took a step forward.

Just that, and the space around Parlo flickered for a moment, causing his appearance to blur.

Immediately, the princess and Luca following Parlo were also in a state of confusion.

“Shall we go too? Rian.”

“Be careful, Serin.”

“It’s okay.”

Serin waved her hand casually. And that’s when we followed behind them.

Zap!

“Rian? What was that sound just now…”

Zap, zap…!

“Serin? Your appearance is getting blurry.”

Fwoosh!

A strange noise echoed.

Serin’s appearance, not far away, was endlessly blurred, and the surrounding space was strangely distorted.

The distance between Parlo and me was no more than six steps. It was much narrower than the radius he had previously warned me about. Yet, the phenomenon Parlo had warned about enveloped me tightly.

“Rian! What… are you… doing…!”

Selin’s words came out broken, but even with my blurred vision, I could guess that she was running towards me in a hurry.

“Don’t come any closer, Selin! You must not approach!”

It was unclear if my words were getting through. The distant cries seemed muffled, making it likely that my intentions were faintly reaching them.

The twisted space reached its peak, and my vision was engulfed in darkness, losing its function.

◇

“What is this?! Luca, you didn’t… already…!”

“No! I didn’t do anything!”

In the chaotic scene, Kanarin and Luca quickly confirmed the facts.

They were much closer than the distance they had warned about. But it wasn’t Luca, the magician, who had done it. So, inevitably, on the narrowing line of suspicion, who was being pointed at?

Thud!

As Kanarin and Luca watched, a black figure passed by, leaving a lingering trace. It was a leap that was hard to catch even with eyes wide open.

Selin, who easily surpassed the limits of human capabilities, charged towards Parlo like a predator aiming for its prey.

Crash!

“Kahak…!?”

Parlo, who was only as physically capable as an ordinary human despite being a magician, was quickly subdued by Selin and slammed to the ground.

Immediately, Selin opened her mouth in a furious manner.

“You bastard, Rian, what did you do.”

“Ugh… wh-what did I…”

“You son of a bitch, I’m asking you what you did to my man!!!”

“Ugh… ugh…”

It was unprecedented.

Never before had someone lost their composure and raised their voice to someone. Even if it spanned past lives and present, Selin had never resorted to such low curses and shouts.

The fact that La Hilt was strong was irrelevant. As long as her father did not appear, there was no threat to La Hilt’s safety. Yet, Selin succumbed to impulse and anger.

The fact that this despicable dark magician, the monster group, dared to target La Hilt was the problem itself.

To someone who had hidden behind a mask to avoid enemies all their life, who dared. Who dared… to threaten La Hilt, to target someone with malice.

“Damn it…”

Parlo was acting as Parlo would.

“What kind of human power…!”

There were rumors that the princess of the neighboring empire was notorious as a monster. But since the princess had not directly participated in any bloody conflicts, it was a reasonable judgment.

“No matter how you look at it, this is strange…!!!”

Yes, there was no other way to express it but as strange.

Because, Parlo had truly done nothing.

“What the hell is going on!”

The second prince, Luca, understood his magic. The nature of magic was like a fingerprint, and skilled magicians could remember a magic they had experienced once.

Long ago, as a dark magician, Luca had faced off against Parlo, so he couldn’t release his magic recklessly.

Even if he did, it would be in a place where he had a clear advantage.

“Damn it, what the hell is that creepy entourage…!”

A ridiculous assumption popped into his head.

The spatial magic surrounding the magician’s mansion was structured to fix the presence of a marked person at a specific coordinate.

And those within a certain range of the mark were the same. On the other hand, those outside the mark were all randomly bounced away.

The penalty was so severe that even the most formidable person couldn’t avoid it, as if the space itself was warped.

‘What if… that person is such a powerful being that they can’t be fixed with magical coordinates…?’

Since it was beyond the effect of the marker, they would have entered the warped space immediately. It was a space of unknown destination, where one could end up anywhere in the mansion.

‘No, it’s all just theoretical talk. There’s no way such a person could exist in this world. I heard even the Emperor of the Empire casually received guidance to a magician’s mansion…!’

Then what was the problem exactly?

Pablo could only mutter in bewilderment, feeling the unexpected weight of anger.

“This is fucking ridiculous… seriously.”