The Sage Who Drinks 46

My meeting with the Tower Master in the research lab ended with my coughing up blood.

Time passed, and finally, the day of the party arrived.

The streets were bustling with influential figures from all over the world visiting the Pitch-Black Tower. The excitement was palpable even though I hadn’t gone outside.

‘Well.’

For citizens, visits from the upper class naturally meant revitalization of the commercial district.

Inside the Pitch-Black Tower, numerous people were crowding about, so much that I would see familiar faces just by walking around the corridors.

“Your Highness.”

And, of course.

“How do I look?”

There was no room for disagreement that today’s protagonists among the countless people were Adela and me.

Adela twirled around in a circle. Her pitch-black silk dress fluttered in the breeze.

Her hair, spread like the night sky, seemed especially well-maintained today. It was beautiful as it flowed.

Adela gently held the hem of her dress with both hands and approached me with small steps.

Lowering her head slightly and looking up with upturned eyes, she said one thing.

“Well? How do I look?”

Is she asking for my impression? My plain reaction followed.

“You look beautiful.”

“Pft, you’re so boring.”

She pouted her lips and raised her body again.

“That’s it for now. I’d like to talk more, but unfortunately, I can’t.”

“Do you have appointments?”

“First, I need to meet the people who’ve come to the Tower as the next Tower Master.”

She brushed back her hair with slender fingers. Adela muttered as if bored.

“Dealing with formalities is such a hassle. It’d be much more fun to chat with Your Highness.”

“I appreciate your words, but I hope you don’t forget your duties.”

“I know.”

She turned her body. Showing her smoothly curved back, she left a few words.

“Well then, I’ll see you at the party. Be prepared to dance with me then.”

Well, is it presumptuous to say such things to someone raised in the Imperial Palace? Adela said, chuckling.

It was then that I addressed her as she was about to leave without hesitation.

“Lady Sage.”

“Yes.”

“Is there no change in your intention to confess when today’s party ends?”

It was a difficult subject to touch on, but I chose to bring it up.

‘If it cannot be avoided, it must be accepted.’

If Adela’s heart remained unchanged. I would also prepare myself accordingly.

“Of course.”

Adela’s answer had no hesitation. Without showing any sign of worry, she very confidently said.

“I’ll see you on the terrace tonight. You’ll know where it is without me telling you.”

Leaving such mysterious words, she immediately left.

“…”

Hoo- A deep sigh escaped from my lips.

‘Do I finally have to make a decision?’

It was a result I secretly knew. How could I not know that Adela intended to settle the matter?

However, as Loran von Welert’s heart had not yet made a decision.

“It’s difficult.”

I remarked that love is truly complicated.

 

While wandering around the Tower, assessing visitors in my own way.

An unwanted figure entered my sight.

Golden hair proving the imperial bloodline. However, it looked dry and of poor quality.

Blue eyes that had lost their luster, filled with ugly pupils full of wrinkled desires.

Finally, a massive physique that seemed dull, unlike a ruler of the empire. Just the protruding belly would reveal the person’s tendencies.

My little older brother and the Empire’s Second Prince. Gaius von Welert.

“Really, there’s nothing but worthless things here.”

His voice, echoing through the corridor, was unpleasant just to hear.

He was approaching from the opposite side, waddling like a pig. Behind him were his followers gathered together.

“Speaking of the Tower, what should happen? When I personally descend, shouldn’t the Tower Master come out and bow her head?”

“That’s absolutely right, my lord.”

His attitude of making statements that would greatly offend Tower officials without any hesitation remained the same.

However, the figure agreeing beside Gaius was someone I had never seen before.

Judging by the sword at his waist, he must be a swordsman. But I couldn’t recall his profile among the imperial guard.

Above all, the nasty emotions dripping from him.

‘He’s dangerous.’

My dragon eyes opened wide to analyze the man’s aura. The unique energy of a blade-wielder who enjoys hurting others and spilling blood.

“And the woman called the Sage doesn’t even show her face. How impertinent… Huh?”

Since I didn’t stop walking either, it was inevitable that we would see each other’s faces.

If I wanted to avoid it, I could have done so easily. But it would also be ridiculous for me to move just because Gaius is unpleasant to look at. I was confident in handling whatever provocation might arise.

Gaius’s gaze passed over the wall and turned toward me. His expression immediately distorted as he recognized his younger brother’s face.

“…Loran.”

“It’s been a while.”

My head nodded slightly.

It was proper etiquette, but literally ‘proper’. Not the attitude of a brother sincerely respecting his elder brother.

Yet not losing courtesy either, truly just showing the appearance of minimal care.

Gaius, who couldn’t fail to understand that, shouted loudly. The corridor echoed with sounds like a pig squealing.

“Insolent brat! What kind of attitude is that in front of your brother?”

“I think your voice is more disrespectful to others, brother.”

“You still talk back every time, showing your lack of manners.”

Gaius ground his teeth.

It was the same conversation as always. Gaius picked fights with his younger siblings, and the younger siblings didn’t care at all and just brushed it off.

Among the servants at the Imperial Palace, rumors spread that the younger siblings tolerated the ugly brother’s actions. Nevertheless, no one would voice it aloud.

‘Inevitably.’

It’s an argument between princes and princesses. Who could intervene?

However.

It seemed there was a fool who couldn’t do that.

Sreung- I see the swordsman beside him drawing his sword.

“Why think about it so complicatedly, my lord? Can’t we just cut him down?”

And then he immediately unsheathed his sword and pointed the blue blade at me. Due to the curse of emotionlessness, there wasn’t much change in my expression, but.

‘Has he lost his mind?’

I couldn’t help but be considerably taken aback.

I don’t know who this swordsman is, but he has no right to intervene in an argument between royals. Even if he’s Gaius’s loyal servant, who wouldn’t know that this crosses a line?

Moreover, just pointing a sword at a prince is a disrespect deserving of extinction of three generations with no room to complain.

‘In the first place.’

Seeing the killing intent already flowing out, it’s a case of like master, like servant.

Anyway, since even Gaius himself knew that the situation had gone beyond what could be reasonably tolerated, he urgently stopped his subordinate.

“Hey! I told you not to draw your sword recklessly. Now is not the time.”

“What, you did? Then there’s nothing to be done.”

Click- The sound of sheathing the sword. The swordsman licked his lips as if disappointed.

“…”

I considered rebuking him and using this opportunity to give Gaius a taste of his own medicine.

‘Not good.’

The swordsman was not normal. From the start, if he had common sense, such an act would have been absolutely impossible.

‘The moment I blame him.’

He would immediately rush at me and swing his sword.

If it had been before when the dragon blood erosion was less severe, it wouldn’t have been a major risk. But now, I couldn’t leave even a sliver of dangerous possibility, so.

I chose not to make an issue of it.

“Ahem. Listen, Loran.”

Gaius, having sorted out the situation, raised his voice pretentiously.

With an arrogant attitude as if looking down on inferiors, the Second Prince declared to me.

“What just happened was because my subordinate got momentarily excited. Forget it. Do you understand?”

“You have a talent for making significant matters insignificant, brother.”

“Shut up!”

I shook my head from side to side.

It wouldn’t be difficult to publicize this incident by sending a letter to the Imperial Palace. But I couldn’t easily do so.

‘What Gaius is aiming for is obvious.’

In his black mind, the ugly desire to aim for the sovereign’s position is visible.

Since I had known from before that he coveted the First Prince’s right to succeed the throne.

‘If I were to act in a way that interferes with that.’

It would become tiresome.

Of course, having been born and raised in the Imperial Palace, political conflicts weren’t difficult for me.

It’s just that the timing isn’t good.

‘Either I recover from the dragon blood erosion. Or build up more power.’

It’s still too early.

Having finished my assessment, I spoke impassively.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not the first or second time my little older brother has acted this way.”

“That cursed tongue of yours hasn’t died, brother.”

Gaius grumbled and stepped forward again. The servants lined up behind him also tried to follow.

At that moment.

“However.”

My lips opened and uttered words.

One notable point might be the extremely thick concentration of emotion contained in those words.

“I recommend that you do not run your mouth carelessly.”

“…What?”

Gaius’s expression distorted again. His ugly features were steeped in displeasure.

That much, the language I was now generating was aggressive. And sharply honed.

“The Sage is not someone light enough for you to mention carelessly. The same goes for other figures by my side.”

I was warning him.

Telling Gaius not to extend his dirty hands toward the people around me.

‘Surprising.’

My exceptional mind quickly grasped the background of the statement I had made.

Yet I was still surprised because I didn’t expect to be this angry about Gaius insulting Adela.

Strangely enough, the faces of Rinet and Silvia also came to mind. Realizing that so many precious people had gathered around me at some point.

“I hope you don’t overstep your bounds.”

With those final words.

I walked past Gaius.

However, seeing the look in Gaius’s eyes as we crossed paths, it was unmistakable.

Kaadeuk, with a grinding of teeth, the groan that escaped contained the message “You’ll see, Loran” –

I had the intuition that a collision was not far off.