Chapter 142

Episode 142

It seemed she had something to discuss. I sent Selendis away and welcomed the Lady.

“I heard Princess Beatrice and the knights were severely injured… What happened?”

“It would be better to move to a different location.”

We entered a nearby meeting room. Although the servants outside were trustworthy, I cast ‘Enclave’ just in case.

“Arthur eventually attacked Princess Beatrice. It seems a battle broke out while she was personally pursuing him. The fight took place in the Alpheon region.”

“So, it was true that he learned magic?”

“Not just any magic, but high-level magic. Archmage Muon conducted a very dangerous experiment.”

I informed the Lady about the mana circuit transplantation. Yet, her expression remained perfectly calm.

“Recently, there was a report that one of the court magicians disappeared. I suspect they transplanted that magician’s mana circuit.”

“So, Prince Arthur has become a very dangerous individual.”

“That’s correct.”

Once again, the Lady proved herself to be the mastermind.

It’s a cruel experiment, extracting a mana circuit from a living person and transplanting it into another.

It was enough to make one frown, yet she remained unfazed.

“Still, what’s important now is Princess Beatrice’s recovery. How badly is she injured?”

“Her condition isn’t good. Sir Jericho is doing his best, but…”

At that moment, the Lady took out a small box from her pocket.

“Take this.”

I carefully accepted the box and opened the lid. Inside was a pure white orb, indistinguishable whether it was a gemstone or made of ivory.

My ‘Mana Detection’ skill activated.

The orb contained an immense amount of mana and aura for its size. What kind of medicine was this?

“Is it an elixir?”

“Yes. You seem curious about where it came from. It’s made from the horn of a demon you retrieved earlier. Sir Sommelier made it, so it should be effective.”

“I’ve never heard of a healing effect from a potion made from a monster’s horn.”

Was that a thoughtless question? The Lady looked at me and smiled slightly.

“People often don’t realize that light is born from darkness… and that darkness is the beginning of everything.”

Is she referring to the concept of “all streams return to the source”? It means that all flows eventually converge into one.

It sounded quite profound.

If I delved into it, she might attribute it to the influence of , but I had a different thought. Perhaps she was conveying her beliefs to me.

I realized a few things from this brief conversation.

‘The Dark Soul was definitely written by the Lady. Moreover, the fact that she had an elixir made from the horn suggests she anticipated needing it soon…’

In other words, she accurately foresaw Prince Arthur’s rampage. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to have the elixir on hand.

I still felt like I was dancing in the palm of the Lady’s hand.

But I didn’t feel powerless.

Instead, I felt a thrill as if I had taken a step closer to the truth.

“Go and use the elixir. Sir Jericho should be able to make good use of its effects.”

“I apologize, but I must confirm one last thing. This elixir was made by the Lucius Club. Their items are meant for the Inspection Unit only. Is it alright to use it on Princess Beatrice?”

Sir Sommelier had warned me at the Lucius Club. If someone outside the Inspection Unit used their items, it could cause trouble.

“After all, Her Highness fought for us, didn’t she? It’s not strange to make her an honorary member of the Inspection Unit.”

“Thank you for your grace, my Lady.”

It was as if she was considering me a friend of the princess.

I returned to the room where the princess was. Jericho was drenched in sweat.

“Whew, it’s not easy. For now, maintaining her life is the best I can do. But I won’t give up.”

“Try using this.”

“Huh? What’s this?”

“It’s an elixir from the Lady. She said it’s effective for internal injuries.”

Jericho examined the elixir closely. He was a skilled magician and doctor. He quickly realized the immense energy contained within the small orb.

“Who made this? The mana and aura are so harmoniously combined…”

The astonishing fact brightened Jericho’s weary expression.

“This should definitely help! But how did the Lady get something so precious? The princess hasn’t been here long.”

“It’s not strange for someone precious to have something precious.”

“That’s true.”

Jericho immediately administered the elixir to the princess.

*Swish!*

Amazingly, the elixir turned into liquid as soon as it entered her mouth and flowed down her throat.

*Whoosh…*

A refreshing sound of water was heard. Soon, the princess’s body began to glow blue.

Jericho didn’t miss this opportunity.

A bright white light flashed from his heart, and the mysterious power of the Tulu family flowed through his circuits to his fingertips.

Jericho pressed his hand firmly against Princess Beatrice’s chest, and the white light was infused into her heart.

It was a series of surprises.

The blue light from the elixir and the white power infused by Jericho clashed as if checking each other, but eventually, they merged under Jericho’s skilled touch.

The Tulu family seemed even more remarkable.

“Whew.”

Jericho let out a short sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“It’s done! Her internal injuries are healing. She should wake up soon.”

“Great work, Jericho.”

“It’s all thanks to the Lady. Without that elixir, it would have been a disaster.”

“Go rest. I’ll take care of the princess.”

“You’re the one who always says not to let our guard down, my lord. Just because her internal injuries are healing doesn’t mean we can relax. Since we can’t identify the source of Arthur’s power, it’s best if I keep watch.”

I silently patted Jericho’s shoulder and left the room.

Around that time, a messenger hawk flew from Alpheon to the Imperial Palace.

* * *

The recipient of the messenger hawk was First Prince Karma. He immediately recognized it as the hawk his sister Beatrice usually kept.

The prince retrieved the note from the tube attached to its leg and read Beatrice’s message.

‘The Arthur in the palace is a fake? And he learned magic?’

Karma’s brow furrowed.

He had been concerned lately because reports indicated that Prince Arthur had changed drastically. And now this.

Princess Beatrice was clever. Just before the battle with Prince Arthur, she had sent the current situation to Karma using the messenger hawk connected to him.

So Karma was able to grasp the situation before receiving O’Brien’s secret letter.

‘How did he learn magic? It was already determined that he had no magical talent.’

He couldn’t understand it at all. But he knew his sister wasn’t one to exaggerate or slander others.

Thus, Prince Karma didn’t hesitate for long.

His sister was also a righteous knight. So he took it as sincere advice rather than slander.

“Summon Sir Olaf immediately!”

At his command, the attendants moved swiftly. Soon, Olaf, the captain of the Imperial Guard, entered the prince’s quarters.

“I greet the Empire’s little sun, Your Highness. I heard you summoned me urgently.”

“Secure Arthur immediately. There’s been a report that he’s a fake.”

Olaf was too shocked to speak. Karma waved the note.

“It’s a message from Beatrice. The real Arthur is in the Alpheon region.”

“Alpheon… Could it be?”

Sir Olaf realized that the location was within the Kalisto Dukedom and widened his eyes.

If true, it would undoubtedly shake both the Imperial Family and the Empire. Every noble knew that the current Emperor and the Duke of Kalisto were old friends.

“I’ll execute the order immediately.”

“And bring Court Magician Muon and Count Apellai here at once. I’ll interrogate them personally.”

“Yes!”

Since the Emperor was ill and Prince Karma held command over the Imperial Guard, this was possible.

Sir Olaf led a group of knights to personally raid Prince Arthur’s quarters.

“Stop where you are! If anyone moves, I’ll cut you down!”

But no one was inside.

Olaf grabbed a nearby maid and asked.

“Where is the prince?”

“He… He was inside… We were waiting for his call outside.”

“If he was inside, why isn’t he here now?”

The maids were flustered. The prince had been in his quarters until yesterday. But he vanished overnight.

“Captain! You need to see this!”

At his subordinate’s report, Olaf rushed to the prince’s bed.

“What… is this?”

The knights who followed also focused on the bed.

Where Prince Arthur had been lying, only his favorite clothes were left, with no sign of their owner.

It was a bizarre scene, as if his body had evaporated.

“Something’s gone wrong… Damn it! Search the area thoroughly! Contact the guards and issue a warrant!”

“Yes!”

The knights began moving busily. But ultimately, they failed to secure Prince Arthur.

But the problem didn’t end there.

The traces of Court Magician Muon, who was suspected to be behind this incident, had also disappeared.

Sir Olaf personally led the knights to the Magic Tower, but they couldn’t find any trace of him.

In the end, he had to return empty-handed.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I couldn’t fulfill the order. The fake vanished suddenly, and Muon left the Magic Tower some time ago.”

“What about Count Apellai?”

“I believe he’s on his way to the palace.”

Prince Karma couldn’t hide his frustration. He was soon to be crowned crown prince. But if such an incident occurred in the palace, it wouldn’t bode well.

At that moment, a report came in that Count Apellai was requesting an audience. Karma immediately allowed him to enter.

“I greet Your Highness. What brings you here at this late hour?”

“As the Empire’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, you are loyal to the Empire. Remember, the question I’m about to ask is as the Empire’s legitimate successor, not as a prince.”

Karma exuded a menacing aura. But Apellai received it calmly.

“Please ask.”

“Did you know the Arthur in the palace was a fake?”

“A fake? That’s impossible. When I saw him recently, I didn’t notice anything unusual.”

“Are you trying to feign ignorance in front of me?”

Their gazes clashed in the air. But Apellai didn’t back down.

“Do you wish to dismiss me, Your Highness? If so, I’ll gladly resign. The Manald family has served the Empire and the Imperial Family for generations. The same goes for Your Highness. Please don’t be angry.”

This sly old fox!

The prince was frustrated, but he had no choice. There was no direct evidence.

“I’m not doubting your loyalty or that of the Manald family. But since a report has come in, I must investigate. Stay in the palace for now.”

“As you command, Your Highness.”

Count Apellai withdrew without resistance, unlike his usual self. It seemed strange, but the prince had no other options.