Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Perfect Timing
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"Perfect timing."
"...I'm at a loss for words with such a warm welcome."
Nihil stood there with his arms crossed, looking sullen. He'd barely registered the shadow knight approaching out of nowhere when he was suddenly scooped up. He was so flustered that he completely forgot to brag about our kid's first babble.
Of course, since they were strolling away from the palace servants' eyes, it wasn't a big issue. Still, he felt a twinge of guilt thinking about the old man left standing alone.
"Haha, sorry about that. There's something I wanted to ask..."
Sedes offered an awkward apology to his son's sulky friend. He'd been at a loss since the boy rarely visited, but when he spotted that shimmering white hair through the window, he'd immediately ordered him brought in—no excuse for that.
"About that magitech device you gave me."
Sedes held out his hand, engraved with a magic circle. He'd heard it had defensive magic, but he had no idea how to activate it.
Nihil gave the kid's dad a sideways glance before plopping down on the sofa and nodding for him to continue.
"Is there no way to take this off my hand, by any chance?"
"It can be dispelled."
"...But dispelling it means it can't be restored, right?"
"Then we'd have to make a new one. Want me to erase it?"
"No, never mind. Just tell me how to use it."
Sedes shook his head. Asking for a new one every time would be too shameless. But his son's friend replied indifferently.
"Too much hassle."
"...You do know that ruining the palace gardens is a serious crime, right?"
"Ah, our kid finally spoke. C'mon, baby, say something."
"Ku..."
"At least pretend to read the room..."
Sedes glanced at the black furball dozing atop his son's friend's head and sighed as he spoke.
"I asked several mages, but none could tell me what magic is engraved on it or how to activate it. At least tell me the incantation before you go."
"There isn't one."
"Then..."
How the hell was he supposed to use it?
"The magitech device is already active."
"...?"
"Let me demonstrate."
Demonstrate? Sedes grew uneasy, wondering if he had to strike some weird pose instead of an incantation. But contrary to his fears, his son's friend casually drew a dagger from his pocket.
...Now he was even more uneasy.
"What... are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to stab you with this, Father."
"Are you attempting assassination right now?"
"Stabbing you right in front of you isn't assassination."
"..."
It made sense, but somehow it didn't.
He wasn't the only confused one—the knights hovered with hands on their sword hilts, torn between intervening and holding back, inching closer.
"Stand down."
Even under orders, the knights kept wary eyes on his son's friend. Undeterred, the boy continued.
"The magitech device I made detects danger on its own."
"...Does it have a mind of its own?"
"Not quite. I just engraved specific, detailed commands. Father, give me your hand."
"...My liege."
"He says it's fine."
The knights protested, but Sedes extended his hand anyway. His son's friend flipped over the proffered palm, clucked his tongue at the paper cut from that morning.
"So careless."
"..."
"This magitech device only blocks damage beyond a threshold I set. It won't stop paper cuts or minor bruises."
"Then?"
"It blocks lethal wounds. For example..."
His son's friend trailed off, staring intently before flashing a suspicious grin. Then—
"...!"
"My liege!!!"
Before he could react, the dagger plunged toward his nape.
Kikik, thump! Crunch, crash-clang!
The study turned into chaos in an instant from his son's friend's surprise attack.
"My liege, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Sedes brushed off Ain, who frantically checked him, and turned to his son's friend, shoved into a bookshelf by the knights.
"...You okay?"
The boy lay buried under toppled books, knights still aiming swords warily.
"Cough, I'm fine... Somnus!"
Shaken from the impact, his son's friend coughed repeatedly before frantically shoving aside the book pile. He'd just remembered the mana beast on his head.
"Ku-ya!"
Thankfully, the little mana beast poked its face out unscathed from between the books and wiggled free.
"You alright?"
"Kui."
"Good, good..."
Then, the air shifted. Tense about what next, Sedes watched as the mana beast, just starting to babble, scanned the room and spoke lowly.
-Requies.
"...!"
Everyone froze at the unexpected Grand Duke's voice, staring. His son's friend stammered excuses.
"Sorry... I'm sorry. Fluffy's not badly hurt, so no need to worry..."
-What harm could befall a lump of mana?
"True, but..."
-Tend to your own body properly.
"...Yes."
With that short exchange, the furball stared up at his son's friend before wiggling back atop his head. The subtle pressure vanished.
"Fluffy."
"Ku?"
"No more announcements from now on."
"Kui."
"Good boy."
"..."
Sedes blankly watched before hesitantly addressing Nihil, petting the furball.
"No way... was that the Grand Duke just now?"
"This one's an anima made from the Grand Duke's mana, so it's connected to him."
"...Anima is... different from a mana beast?"
"..."
"Don't look at me like I'm pathetic."
Sedes glared back at his son's irreverent stare, then averted his eyes, thinking the Grand Duke might bite.
"An anima is a moving doll made of pure mana. Usually mimics the owner's personality."
Mimics the owner's personality...?
"...But that's..."
His gaze naturally drifted to the furball, rubbing against his son's friend's head.
'No way that thing mimics the Grand Duke's personality.'
"Father, your neck?"
"Ah."
Sedes snapped out of it, startled, and rubbed his neck. He'd felt the touch, but no wound.
Come to think of it, when the dagger hit, it sounded like metal clashing...
"...Could this be the magitech device's power?"
"No antidote function. Couldn't risk it since you can't remove it. Wouldn't want medicine failing if needed."
"..."
Antidote wasn't the issue now.
Sedes had never heard of such a magitech device—one that protected its owner automatically...
"...Could you make one for the prince? I'll pay any amount."
"I gave him something similar already, but..."
Nihil recalled the thread bracelet from his hair and shook his head. Performance differed vastly between devices linked directly to mana circuits and those not.
"Rian... couldn't bind one since his mana vessel is shattered."
"Must it be bound?"
"Best for constant operation."
"I see..."
Sedes smacked his lips in regret and drew his cherished sword. The surprise was too quick; he wanted to test it again.
It felt empty without the golden tassel, but he drew it casually. His son's friend shook his head.
"Father, if you're thinking of injuring yourself, stop."
"...Why?"
"It won't block minor attacks. Uses user's mana, so activates minimally. To test, you'd have to stab seriously."
"Uses my mana?"
"How else without a mana stone?"
"But... didn't you use that elf wood or whatever?"
"For mana amplification. Your mana is mouse-dung sized."
"..."
Too harsh.
Sedes felt glum. He was an Aura user with a mana heart, yet treated like this...
"...How big are my knights' mana?"
"Slightly larger mouse dung."
"..."
Nihil ignored the aggrieved stares and continued.
"Anyway, constant-operation magitech like this needs continuous mana flow. Without linking to the user's circuits, mana leaks—would've needed mana stones every other day."
The "mouse dungs" nodded at the explanation. They didn't know magic well, but grasped the mana waste.
"True... Useless if the stone's empty when needed."
"Exactly. So I engraved the circle directly on you to prevent leaks. Circuits always circulate."
"How strong can it block?"
"Any attack, with enough mana."
"...Based on my mouse-dung mana."
"Hm..."
Nihil gauged Sedes's mana and amplification before speaking.
"Assuming no prior consumption... Could block two or three sword auras from the Duke."
"...Block a Swordmaster's sword aura with mouse-dung mana...?"
Nihil frowned at Sedes using the kingdom's sole Swordmaster as benchmark.
"Duke level, not Swordmaster. Plenty stronger out there."
"...Right."
Sedes eyed his finger. The faint ring-like runes seemed to shift.
"If that curious, ask the Duke for one sword aura shot."
"...Pass."
No need to hand the throne to 7-year-olds.
Still tempted to test again, he pondered—then his son's friend spoke as if reading his mind.
"Want to verify again?"
"...Yeah."
Too fast before. As he excused, his son's friend nodded.
"Then let's verify."
"Huh?"
"Rima."
"...?"
As he voiced confusion, someone lunged, swinging a sword at his head.
"My liege...!? Urk!"
The shadow knights moved too, but halted, pinned by some force in that instant.
Kikik, kigigigik-!
"...!"
By the time knights could move, they could only gape, awestruck. Even Sedes, the target, was the same.
Sedes muttered at the boy pressing down fiercely with his blade right before him.
"...Performance is solid."
The boy's blade halted at an invisible barrier, not touching him. Calm-faced, but his dagger-grip hand whitened, trembling from effort.
Sensing mana drain in real-time, Sedes glanced at his engraved finger—the dim runes now pulsed his unique blackish-blue.
Kikik, clang-!
Only after the dagger shattered did the boy retreat. Knights surrounded him, but seeing his shaking hands sent chills up their spines—indescribable.
"It was my command. Punish the kid, punish me first."
"Stand down. No punishment, don't worry."
At his son's friend's low warning, Sedes withdrew the knights. But Rima looked most awkward.
"...Did you know I was there?"
"The old man sent you."
"Yes."
Rima had been asked by the butler to watch the young master, whose condition worried. Stealth his specialty despite weak combat; he'd follow unseen...
'Never thought it'd be detected.'
Rima eyed his still-trembling hands.
"...Does the magitech disrupt opponent's Aura too?"
"Absorbs some, strengthens the barrier."
"..."
"..."
The study fell silent. Sedes now understood why the Grand Duke said not to treat his son's friend's magitech as mere trinket.
"...Can you make these freely?"
"Won't make more at this level."
"Why...?"
"Breaks balance."
"...?"
"Even this was borderline."
Sedes didn't get it but nodded. No point prying. Then his son's friend called the boy assassin.
"Rima."
"Yes, young master."
"Third room right from central stairs on lower floor—flower pot there. Fetch it."
"Yes."
At Nihil's order, Rima vanished. Sedes stared blankly at the spot of his once-hired assassin, lost in thought.
'...Wasted commissioning the assassin guild...?'