Ch.5050. The Second Trial

The execution ceremony ended in failure.

I could immediately feel how the treatment toward me had changed 180 degrees.

Instead of the cold, dust-filled prison that the Magic Judges had guided me to, I was given an antique private room in the royal palace.

That didn’t mean I could stay here freely, though.

In truth, this place was just a more sturdy prison.

[Just as you said.]

The Dark Spiritmaster approached, passing through the wall, and nodded slightly.

[The Grand Mage and his disciples have surrounded this room from all sides. If you move your mana even slightly in a hostile manner, there will be bloodshed.]

The reason they brought me here was because they judged that the Magic Judges couldn’t stop me.

After all, I had defeated Judge Tyren, the strongest among the judges, without receiving a single wound.

Even considering that the location had been extremely advantageous for me, the fact that I had easily neutralized Tyren was something the royal family couldn’t overlook.

King Orpheus must have been quite flustered, not expecting this level of ability.

[So what do you plan to do now?]

“……”

When I gave no answer and gazed out the window, the Dark Spiritmaster corrected her vague question and asked again.

[Are you really going to complete all three trials the king mentioned? There are only two left, but do you truly believe he will acknowledge you, a Black Mage, if you complete them?]

“……”

I deliberately chose not to answer.

My faith in King Orpheus was firm. He was a king who took responsibility for his words.

[Even if he accepts you, will the citizens acknowledge you? What about the church? They’ll openly criticize you and absolutely refuse to accept you.]

The chilling resentment in her voice indirectly conveyed how Black Mages had been treated.

[You probably don’t know since you haven’t been on this path long. But you’ll regret it eventually. Do you think sincerity will persuade them? Do you think results will prove anything? Surprisingly, the world doesn’t place much importance on such things.]

“I know.”

I cut her off, sensing she would continue expressing her thoughts if I remained silent.

“I also don’t think the kingdom will accept me just because the king acknowledges me.”

But I needed official recognition to operate, and…

“Even if they don’t believe in me, I can make them keep their mouths shut.”

Aria and Findenai were working hard to solve this problem.

They probably hadn’t reached their destination yet, but with those two moving forward, it wouldn’t be too late.

[Make them keep their mouths shut?]

I deliberately didn’t answer because the door opened and King Orpheus entered.

“Ahem.”

He awkwardly cleared his throat as he entered the room. The Grand Mage following behind was looking at me with cautious eyes, unlike before.

“Did you rest well yesterday?”

“Yes, I slept soundly thanks to this fine room you provided.”

King Orpheus had opened his mouth to say something about yesterday’s execution ceremony, but seemingly unable to find the right words, he sighed and frankly admitted:

“I didn’t expect you to defeat the Magic Judge so easily. Your abilities are certainly impressive.”

I didn’t deny it.

While it was right to be cold in self-judgment, there was no need to publicly underestimate my abilities.

That would be less humiliating for the Magic Judge as well.

“So I’m thinking of giving you my second trial, if that’s alright.”

“I accept.”

After I calmly nodded in response, King Orpheus’s face darkened, unlike a moment ago, and he murmured awkwardly.

“I have a younger sister. Her name is Elenoa Luden Griffin. As you know, she’s currently studying as a student at Robern Academy.”

“Yes, I know.”

How could I not know?

Even in the game, Elenoa was quite an important character. User opinions about her were sharply divided, but she still served as a stepping stone for Aria’s growth as the protagonist.

“That child has been having chronic nightmares. It’s been going on for years now.”

Orpheus pressed the corner of his eye slightly, expressing his fatigue. Just thinking about his sister seemed to fill him with distress and concern.

“I’ve called in countless people to solve those nightmares. Even a Saintess came, but couldn’t resolve it.”

“……”

Honestly, I was a bit perplexed.

This was completely new information to me.

Princess Elenoa suffering from nightmares?

In the original work, Elenoa never showed such aspects.

Rather, she was a girl who was refreshingly confident, boldly self-assured, and proud of her royal status.

‘Even a Saintess couldn’t solve it?’

The fact that even a Saintess, the only one in the kingdom who could resolve spiritual incidents, couldn’t solve this was quite disturbing information.

“Yesterday, I summoned her. She should arrive in a few days.”

With a gloomy expression but a thread of hope, King Orpheus spoke to me.

“This is the second trial, Deus Verdi. If you can truly heal the hearts of the people like a Saintess, and comfort those whose minds have been damaged by Black Magic.”

“……”

“Please, cure my sister.”

* * *

Clunk, clunk.

Clunk, clunk.

“Mmm?”

Princess Elenoa, waking from sleep, slowly looked around. What was the situation now?

Her brain felt dried out from sleep and needed water. She reached for the water bottle in front of her.

She gulped down the lemon-scented water, organizing her thoughts.

It was admission season, and she had been busy with academy life.

She was surprised when Aria Rius, whom she considered her rival, suddenly disappeared, but nonetheless.

She had been working hard until late every night to maintain her grades and appearance befitting a princess when suddenly her brother Orpheus, the king, ordered her to return to the royal palace.

Unable to refuse the royal command, she explained the situation to her professors and departed.

Now she was in a carriage heading to the capital, Greyfond.

‘Lately I’ve been forgetting like this often.’

When she woke up, there was a momentary blank in her thinking. She needed a brief moment to recollect herself each time.

‘I’m fully awake now.’

There was still a long way to go before arriving.

Bored, Elenoa opened a book. She planned to read just until the point before getting motion sickness, as reading in carriages usually made her nauseous.

‘Huh?’

Surprisingly, no matter how much she read, she didn’t feel sick.

Moreover, the content of the book was entering her mind so clearly, which was truly strange.

It felt as if she ‘already knew this content from the beginning.’

‘Wait?’

Feeling something odd, Elenoa’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Looking around, the scenery was changing moment by moment. She took out the water bottle again and sniffed it.

The rich lemon scent tickled her nose.

She checked in front.

The back of the coachman driving the horses outside was the same coachman she remembered.

‘That can’t be.’

Elenoa slowly leaned back against the carriage cushion. She gave herself a self-deprecating smile for being too sensitive.

‘Maybe it’s because I just woke up.’

Putting the book away, Elenoa decided to practice magic instead and gathered mana at her fingertips.

“Huh?”

The mana wasn’t manifesting.

No, she just now realized.

She couldn’t feel any mana in the atmosphere.

Bang!

Realizing the situation, Elenoa urgently kicked the carriage door, but the carriage received no impact other than its regular jolting.

“Open up!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She tried desperately to escape the carriage, but it wouldn’t open.

Then, she felt the coachman’s gaze through the window in front.

Crash!

He broke the window with his forehead and slithered inside, swaying. Then he smiled slyly.

“This time it’s mana, huh?”

“S-stop!”

Another thing.

She had revealed a way to recognize this was a dream.

“Stop it now!”

“Heh.”

Despite Elenoa’s desperate cry.

“Hehehehehe.”

The coachman’s form began to distort. The coachman, now like slime, soon took on Elenoa’s exact appearance.

“I practiced, want to see?”

“What?”

She had no idea what this meant, but the fake Elenoa smiled and gestured.

“Hello, I’m Elenoa Luden Griffin.”

“…!”

That was exactly what she had said and done on the first day at the academy when introducing herself.

“I may be the kingdom’s princess, but I’d prefer if you didn’t mind that.”

“S-stop it.”

“Let’s just do our best as friends and competing classmates.”

“I said stop it!”

Thud!

“P-Princess?!”

She felt pain in her forehead.

Suddenly awake, Elenoa found her entire body drenched in sweat, and her forehead was red as if she had hit it against something in the carriage.

The carriage had stopped, and the coachman was looking at her with worried eyes.

“Princess! A-are you alright? You looked unwell, so I stopped first.”

“Huff! Huff!”

She recognized the coachman’s appearance.

The acidic smell of her own sweat stung her nose.

But this wasn’t enough to end it.

With trembling hands, she tried to manipulate mana.

Blue light naturally formed at her fingertips, making her realize this was reality, but…

‘This time it’s mana, huh?’

The chilling voice that had muttered about her realization still echoed clearly in her head.

“Ugh, kuh!”

Tears welled up and streamed down Elenoa’s cheeks.

The coachman was startled and said he would take her to a nearby doctor, but…

Elenoa curled up in fear, unable to give any answer.

“Please, please, someone…”

Her plea for help was choked by tears, unable to escape her throat.