Chapter 140

Episode 140

The message from the princess was brief, but it carried significant implications.

‘She’s tracking Prince Arthur?’

Moreover, the princess mentioned that Arthur’s last trace was in the eastern region of Alpheon. She said they lost his trail there and were searching with her subordinates.

This confirmed my suspicions.

‘He was targeting me after all.’

There had been a few magic-related incidents within the Empire, but Jericho and I reviewed all the information and concluded they weren’t related to the prince.

However, if the prince’s last trace was in the Alpheon region, which I recently annexed, he was definitely targeting me.

Furthermore, the Lady could be in danger too, as she was the one who had caused him heartbreak.

‘It’s a common trait of scoundrels. The vile desire to destroy what they can’t have.’

Still, I didn’t regret dancing with the Lady back then.

If I hadn’t made that plan, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

*Whoosh!*

I burned the note in the candle beside me and immediately called for Administrator Balzac.

“You called for me, my lord.”

“Do you have a way to contact Sir Selendis?”

“Yes. We regularly exchange messages through a designated location.”

“Send an urgent recall order to Selendis immediately. Something urgent has come up, and she needs to hurry.”

“As you command.”

I took a moment to gather my thoughts. I considered discussing it with Jericho first but decided to wait for Selendis. She was the one protecting the territory.

For now, I went to see the Lady.

“Aubrey, come in.”

The Lady had been smiling more often lately. I understood why Sir Edric had shared his concerns with me.

“How have you been? I met Sir Edric earlier. He seemed quite worried.”

“Worried? Did something happen?”

“He mentioned that you seem to be having trouble focusing on your lessons lately.”

I made a lighthearted joke. The Lady’s slightly surprised expression was somehow refreshing.

“You’re close enough to discuss such things?”

“Within the Dukedom, I’m known to be the closest to you, my Lady. Besides, I’m in your service.”

“I see… Aubrey, I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.”

“Not at all. In fact, I was relieved to see a more human side of you. If you’re the daughter of the demon Plione, it’s okay to show some vulnerability. Being perfect invites suspicion.”

“You’re really into that book, aren’t you?”

“No matter how many times I read it, it’s always new.”

We naturally started talking about . The Lady seemed to have read it multiple times too.

Of course, it’s a bestseller now, but someday I’d like to hear from the Lady that this story was all true.

How would I feel then?

“I have something to report. It’s rather urgent.”

The Lady waved her hand to dismiss the servants. The servants here were dispatched from the main castle.

“It seems Prince Arthur has awakened mana and learned magic. In other words, he’s become a magician.”

I shared all the information I had gathered, including the testimony from Beatrice, without leaving out a single detail.

The Lady was somewhat surprised but remained cautious.

“But learning magic isn’t something that can be done artificially, right? I think Sir Jericho mentioned that the mechanism is different from healing magic…”

“That’s correct. But Court Magician Muon is involved. It’s not surprising if some secret experiment is taking place.”

“You’re telling me this because I’m in danger too, right?”

“Yes.”

As expected, the Lady showed no signs of anxiety or fear. She simply smiled and looked at me.

“With Aubrey by my side, is there anything to worry about? You defeated the Bellatrix swordsmanship and recently bested Sir Mars. I’m sure nothing will happen this time either.”

It’s not that simple, my Lady.

I kept those words to myself.

Magical experiments are quite brutal. The problem is that these experiments are conducted to amplify power.

It’s naive to be complacent against a previously defeated opponent when the nature of the experiment is unclear.

You never know when or where disaster might strike.

Just looking at the magic I’ve learned, it’s evident. Unlike swordsmanship, magic can cause mass destruction.

“Of course. I’ll protect you to the end, my Lady. Please don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Aubrey. Would it be better if I stayed at the Kalisto main castle?”

“No, if you prefer this place, you can stay. I don’t see this as a crisis. If used well, it could be an opportunity.”

“An opportunity? How so?”

“I mentioned the magic revolution before.”

The Lady nodded slightly. I continued.

“The Empire is currently controlling magic with great power. My goal is to ease that control, even a little. Prince Arthur attacking me is a great opportunity. On a larger scale, it’s akin to the Imperial Family attacking House Kalisto.”

“You’re planning to use that as justification to obtain an imperial decree allowing the deployment of magical forces in House Kalisto?”

“Exactly. The Imperial Family will have no choice but to grant it. But that will set a precedent, and other great lords will also want to deploy magical forces. Gradually, magic control will become meaningless.”

The Imperial Family might just apologize and end it.

But considering the current relationship between the Emperor and Duke Kalisto, there’s a higher chance they’ll grant our request.

It’s akin to attacking an old comrade.

“So that’s why you called it a revolution. You’re amazing, Aubrey.”

“You’re too kind.”

The mastermind smiled brightly. Her beautiful smile always lifted my spirits.

There was a brief pause.

But the Lady’s gaze remained on me. Her eyes seemed deeper than before.

“I’ve heard your plan. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll gladly do it.”

With this, I could count on the support of House Kalisto.

There’s a saying, “Crisis is an opportunity.”

It’s unfortunate for Prince Arthur, but I plan to prove that this is a true saying.

* * *

Two days later, Selendis returned.

“I received your recall order, my lord. I’m sorry for the delay. I heard it was urgent. What’s the matter?”

“Two days is quick. No need to apologize. Why don’t you sit and catch your breath? You look like you ran here. Jericho, get something to drink.”

“Yes!”

Only then did Selendis relax. It was her first time receiving an emergency recall, so she had pushed herself.

Soon, Jericho brought refreshments.

“I made this especially for you, Captain. Enjoy!”

It was sparkling water with lemon slices. Jericho secretly used magic to make sparkling water occasionally.

In this era, sparkling water is very rare.

Moreover, cold sparkling water is something nobles would pay extra for.

So, the production and sale of sparkling water are on my business list. The decisive factor is that sparkling water with lemon slices is Selendis’s favorite drink.

“Thank you, Secretary.”

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me for this. It’s a hundred times better than just enchanting in the secret warehouse.”

“Aren’t you enjoying it? You seemed pleased that your mana purity was increasing just the other day.”

“Didn’t I tell you before? Geniuses don’t train.”

“Even the genius you acknowledged trains every day, yet you say that?”

“Who acknowledged it?”

“Don’t remember? Should I empty your wallet today?”

“……”

When I first learned magic, Jericho made a bet. He left a famous saying back then, calling me a genius who would leave a name on the continent.

“Thank you for the drink. Let’s get started.”

After Selendis quenched her thirst, we got to the main topic.

I shared the contents of the note from the princess and the current situation.

We then moved to a large table. A map of the territory, prepared by Balzac, was spread out.

I pointed to the eastern part of the Alpheon region.

This area was characterized by a mountain range running through the east, making it a very rugged terrain.

“The place mentioned in the note from the princess is around here. Prince Arthur’s trail was lost here.”

“It looks like a perfect place to hide. The problem is when and how he’ll move. It’s unpredictable.”

“It wouldn’t be surprising if he moved immediately. He’s definitely targeting me.”

Selendis, who had been resting her chin in thought, spoke.

“It’s best to send troops to the Alpheon region immediately. If it’s the prince I know, there could be significant civilian casualties.”

“I think so too. But I can’t leave the castle because I need to protect the Lady. Sending only you would be dangerous, so you and Jericho should go together this time.”

“Understood.”

“Does that mean I can use magic too?”

I nodded readily at Jericho’s question.

“But there’s a condition. Make sure the prince uses magic first. That way, it counts as self-defense.”

“Yes.”

“The Lady has also agreed to help. If this goes well, not only I but you, Jericho, will be able to use magic freely.”

“Just imagining it excites me! Hahaha!”

“But don’t let your guard down. Remember, there’s a court magician behind this.”

The two began their mission.

The bell signaling the assembly of the knight order rang three times, causing a commotion in the outer castle. Knights and soldiers quickly formed ranks.

Anyone could see they were well-trained elites.

“We’re heading to Alpheon immediately. This mission is extremely dangerous. Be prepared to lay down your lives!”

“Yes!”

I stood by the window, watching the procession led by Selendis and Jericho.

There had been no hesitation in my decisions so far. It had been the same with everything I’d experienced.

But this time felt different. There was an unusual unease in my heart.

Eventually, the knight order disappeared from view.

I returned to the table and examined the map. I couldn’t take my eyes off the eastern mountain range of Alpheon.

‘I’m worried about Beatrice too. I can’t shake the feeling that this is too reckless.’

No matter how skilled her subordinates were, dealing with a magician was challenging. That’s precisely why the Empire controlled magic.

What if Prince Arthur met Beatrice?

It’s not hard to imagine.

Prince Arthur would undoubtedly harm Princess Beatrice.

‘Please be safe.’

With that thought, I left the office. It was time to strengthen the defenses of the main castle.