chapter_0026

Chapter 25 : Competitors

“Oh my. It seems it’s too late today. Please come back early tomorrow morning.”

“But isn’t there really anything you can do? It’s an urgent matter. Please, I beg of you.”

Hearing the commotion outside, the sage inside the tent lifted the flap and stepped out.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh… Sage, there’s no need for you to come out. I can handle this myself.”

“Sage? Are you really that sage?”

When he stepped outside, a graceful-looking girl with soft pink hair was gazing at him intently.

“Yes, that’s me. May I ask what this is about?”

The moment she saw the sage in person, the lovely girl with delicate pink hair immediately fell to her knees and clung tightly to his legs.

“I am Natalie Ermack, daughter of the head of the Ermack Trading Company of Eldrian. I know it’s late at night, but I have an urgent matter to discuss, so I came here despite the hour. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Hearing the name of the trading company, Reyna reacted.

“Eh… Ermack Trading Company?!”

“Let’s not make a fuss and at least hear what she has to say, Lord.”

“Ah! You’ve returned! But… what are those packages you’ve brought?”

“These… these are…”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Lord.”

As Elena blushed and hesitated, Reyna quickly stepped in to change the subject.

“You should’ve told me if there was a visitor waiting for you, Lord.”

“But you’ve just returned from a long journey and haven’t even had a proper rest yet…”

“This much is nothing. Please, don’t just stand there—come inside. Let’s take our time and hear you out.”

The red-masked man welcomed her warmly, and Natalie smiled brightly at his kindness.

“Just as the rumors said—you really do seem to love helping others.”

Her smiling face exuded a sense of elegance and nobility.

As Reyna and Elena exchanged glances, they gently nudged the two of them inside the tent.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and come inside!”

“Let’s hear exactly what’s so urgent.”

***

“So… the trading company was attacked by beasts while crossing the border, and your father was gravely injured. Is that correct?”

“Yes… no matter what we tried, we couldn’t heal him. As we searched desperately for a solution, we heard rumors that the sage’s healing abilities were unmatched on this continent. We rushed here as fast as we could, but since you were away, we had no choice but to wait several days.”

Hearing this, the people gathered exchanged meaningful glances—they had heard a very similar story not too long ago.

Moreover, this Natalie Ermack…At first, no one suspected anything, but the more they observed her, the more she didn’t seem like the daughter of a trading company’s head.

Her every gesture and word was filled with refinement and grace far beyond what you’d expect from a merchant’s family.

“Lord, could you please wait outside for a moment?”

“Eh? All of a sudden?”

“It will only take a moment. Please, I ask for your understanding.”

“Well… if the sage insists, I suppose I have no choice.”

Once the lord had stepped outside, the sage turned back to Natalie.

“Now then, shall we continue this conversation?”

“But… I’ve already told you everything I came here to say…”

“Lady Natalie, if it turns out later that your words weren’t entirely true, I’m afraid I won’t be able to trust you. And if I can’t trust you, I may not be able to help you.”

“Everyone here is trustworthy. I swear on my name as a sage that nothing discussed here will ever leave this room.”

“…It seems keeping this secret was harder than I thought. When did you start suspecting me? No—how much have you already figured out?”

“To be honest, we don’t know the whole story… but there’s one thing we’re fairly sure of.”

“As expected… You truly live up to your reputation—skilled not only in your craft but well-informed as well, Sage.”

Natalie Ermack straightened her posture and, with a dignified air, finally revealed her true identity.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Armis Eldrian, the second princess of the Eldrian Kingdom.”

”…Huh?”

What?

”Wait, what?!”

‘Oh my!’

They couldn’t help but be shocked.

Everyone had assumed she might be a noblewoman at most—no one expected the second princess of the kingdom to visit this remote town in person.

“I sincerely apologize once again for approaching you under false pretenses.”

“N-No! We had no idea you were royalty! Please forgive our discourtesy.”

“Please, don’t feel bad. It’s my fault for hiding my identity in the first place.”

“Then… the father you mentioned earlier…”

“Yes. My father is none other than the King of the Eldrian Kingdom.”

“…Hmm.”

A heavy sigh escaped the sage’s lips.

The weight of the situation had suddenly increased tenfold.

It wasn’t that he doubted the power of his healing magic, but if something went wrong, the consequences would be enormous—after all, this wasn’t just any noble family’s request.

This was a direct request from the royal family.

“Of course, I wouldn’t dare ask for your help without offering something in return.”

“Then…”

“I hear this city doesn’t belong to the Empire. Whether this endeavor succeeds or not, I will ensure that my authority provides this city with support and supplies—”

“Alright. Let’s leave immediately.”

“…What?”

The princess blinked, startled by the sage’s sudden and unexpected change in attitude.

“I’ll have the carriage prepared.”

“…Excuse me?”

“W-Wait! You’re really planning to leave right now?”

“Why not? Her father’s in critical condition—we need to hurry.”

Due to the rapid population growth of the castle, the amount of tribute being brought from the warehouse of Count Glacia kept increasing — and Elena’s growing disapproval had already been weighing heavily on his mind.

But just in time, here was the princess of a neighboring kingdom offering support in the form of tribute.

This was an opportunity too good to pass up.

“Still, for today…”

“It’s so late at night…”

The two sisters, who had prepared a surprise gift for the sage, looked disappointedly at the packages they held in their hands.

“Let’s follow their advice, Sage. I heard you just got back from a long journey — you don’t need to push yourself too hard.”

“…Would that really be alright?”

Seeing the sage so willing to help put the princess at ease.

“It’s just one night, isn’t it? I think we can manage that much.”

‘Yes! That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, Princess!’

‘Phew…’

“Then the question remains — where will you spend the night, Princess?”

After a brief moment of thought, Armis fixed her gaze on the sage.

“I would like to spend the night here.”

“What?”

The two sisters were far more shocked than the sage.

‘‘…What?!’‘

“N-No way…!’’

“Then I suppose I should give you some space.”

‘Oh… Ohhh! That’s the way, Ruan!!’

’‘Phew…’’

“That won’t be necessary.”

The sisters felt like they were being tossed back and forth between heaven and hell as the conversation continued.

Frustrated, Elena finally spoke up.

“Why? Why must it specifically be the sage?”

“Because isn’t the safest place here by the sage’s side?”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

“If anything were to happen to me, could you take responsibility?”

There was no way to argue with that.

‘If she knows that, how can she be wandering around alone? Is she brave… or just reckless?’

It was a critical blow to their plans.

But Elena wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable staying with him?”

‘That’s the spirit, Elena!’

“As a guest, it’s only natural for me to endure some inconvenience.”

As expected of the Eldrian princess — she smoothly and gracefully deflected Elena’s aggressive push.

“By the way, Sage.”

“Yes? Do you need something?”

“It’s nothing serious, but there’s something I’ve been curious about for a while now…”

Armis turned her gaze to the beast bound to one of the tent’s support pillars.

“That beast… is it, by any chance, your…”

“Prisoner! It’s a prisoner!”

The sage swiftly cut off the conversation before it could take a strange turn.

“A… prisoner?”

Armis looked at the sage with clear suspicion.

After all, no one was perfect — and everyone had their own… preferences.

“That beast is Luciphra, the commander of the Demon King’s Third Elite Corps.”

“W-What?!”

For the first time, Armis lost her composure and raised her voice.

“The… the commander of the Third Corps…?”

Even her father, the strongest in Eldrian, had been defeated by the commander of the Eighth Corps and was still unconscious.

But here, the commander of the Third Corps — an even greater powerhouse — was tied up like a mere captive.

It was enough to leave anyone stunned.

Elena and Reyna, meanwhile, wore smug expressions, as if they were the ones who had captured Luciphra themselves.

It was the kind of look that said, ‘See? This is the kind of man we have.’

‘This sage… If possible, it would be best not to make an enemy of him. No — the best move would be to make him an ally.’

She had heard the rumors, but this was the first time Armis had directly felt the sage’s strength.

Though she held the highest status in the room, it was crystal clear that the most powerful person here was the sage.

And with that realization, the dynamics of the tent’s “ecosystem” suddenly became very clear.

‘So that’s why they were so on edge…’

One man — and four women, including herself.

This tent wasn’t just a resting place.

It was a fierce battlefield for the attention of an extraordinary man.

“If it’s not too rude… may I ask which noble houses you belong to?”

Before engaging in any competition, knowing both oneself and one’s rivals was the first step to victory.

“I am Heleshia Arcana, head of the Arcana Marquisate.”

‘The Arcana Marquisate…?! Isn’t Arcana known as the Empire’s Compass…?’

There was no way she wouldn’t know of that house.

The Arcana family was one of the imperial court’s most influential allies — a major reason why the Velodenit Empire was able to maintain its dominance over the continent.

“Reyna Arcana.”

“Elena Glacia, acting lord of the Glacia territory.”

“So you’re all high-ranking nobles of the Empire. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Reyna, Elena, and Heleshia all noticed the subtle shift in the princess’s demeanor.

It was something that couldn’t be explained logically — just an instinctual understanding between women.

The presence before them was no mere guest.

She was a formidable rival — a destined opponent in the battle for the sage’s heart.

And so, the sage’s tent — with the sage himself blissfully unaware — became the stage for an intensifying three-way rivalry, deepening under the cover of night.