36
Chapter 36
"I'm going to turn off the lights now."
"Wait, my hair isn't dry yet."
"Shine! I told you not to speak casually to Bio!"
"Oh, Imperial Princess! It just slipped out, I'm sorry..."
"Apologize to Bio, not me."
"My back is itchy. You don't have a backscratcher at home?"
"I don't. Just use your hand. And turn off the lights later."
...I didn't want to deal with this anymore, so I crawled into my sleeping bag and zipped it all the way up over my head.
"Imperial Princess, don't you think there's a weird smell coming from the blanket?"
"Shine, stop talking nonsense and just lie down."
"Bio, you be the one to turn off the lights."
...Part of me wanted to scream at them to get out of my house right now, but I exercised extreme patience, unzipped the bag, stood up, and turned off the lights.
"Bio, I need to use the bathroom, so turn the lights back on."
I turned the lights on and picked up my sleeping bag.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll sleep outside."
"You should've said so sooner."
"Shine, why are you talking like that? Bio, are you uncomfortable because of us?"
As if that's even a question.
"No. I actually enjoy sleeping outdoors sometimes..."
"But it's snowing outside right now?"
"It'll be fine. I slept in the snow a lot during training in my younger days. Right?"
Is he talking about the winter survival training?
They didn't even let us sleep because they said we'd die if we did...
I didn't have the energy to argue, so I just nodded and stepped outside.
It was snowing, but fortunately, there wasn't much wind.
Not that it mattered much, since my sleeping bag was enchanted with Temperature Control Magic.
I spread my sleeping bag near the warehouse to avoid the snow and lay down.
It had a few holes here and there, but it was better than nothing.
Haha, why am I out here when I have a perfectly good house?
Especially after returning after several months and spending so much effort cleaning it...
An hour ago, I had told the Imperial Princess I'd help her and that I'd head to the Capital tomorrow.
The Imperial Princess was happy, and the Old Man was satisfied.
There was a bit of trouble when Shine was brought out, but the Imperial Princess handled it well.
After seeing them all off and changing my clothes, just as I was about to close my eyes, they came back.
Apparently, when they got to the Gate, the wizard was nodding off.
The stiff female knight smashed the window to wake him up, but he was completely wasted.
In reality, the drunk wizard wasn't even on duty today; it was his day off.
Usually, there are at least five wizards at a Gate, but the Gate in Seinti is managed by three since there's less traffic.
Each wizard works twelve-hour shifts, with one person off.
Two of the three are twins, and they'd rushed to the Capital after hearing their parents were critical, so the wizard who was off and drinking heavily had stepped in...
While the Imperial Princess and the Old Man are 6th Class Archmages, they still have to go through the security magic authentication process to activate the Gate.
Since that takes about three days, they decided to stay at my house for the night, which was absolutely ridiculous.
My house isn't an inn, so I offered to take them to the inn in the village below, but as luck would have it, it was temporarily closed until today.
...In the end, I had no choice but to surrender my bed to the Imperial Princess.
To be fair, the Imperial Princess declined repeatedly, but I was too worried about the Old Man's reaction if I let her sleep on the floor.
Shine also glared at me as if she wanted to tear me apart.
I closed my eyes again, and before long, I felt a familiar energy.
When I unzipped my sleeping bag, the Old Man was standing right in front of me.
"Why did you come out? Are you planning to sleep here too, Old Man?"
"As if. At my age, sleeping here would make my face freeze."
As if a 6th Class Archmage and Sword Master would actually worry about that.
"I feel like you'd be perfectly fine sleeping without even a blanket, Old Man."
"Wait until you're my age."
"Then stop acting miserable and go back inside."
"You're not thinking of running away, are you?"
That old man...
"I'm not running."
"Well, you've always kept your word, Bio. Should I cast some Temperature Control Magic on your sleeping bag?"
"It's already enchanted."
The Old Man lingered for a moment, then vanished after saying thank you.
How unlike him.
That was a phrase I'd never heard from him, not even when he was active.
He probably felt a bit guilty about me only agreeing because I mentioned Lady Anna.
Oh, come to think of it, I should have asked what the Imperial Princess actually helped me with.
Well, there's always tomorrow.
****
Early the next morning, I headed to the Capital with the Imperial Princess and her escort knight.
The Old Man went straight to the Intelligence Agency upon arrival, leaving just the three of us.
I said I'd help, but I really hated the fact that I was back in the Capital only a day after retiring.
"Um, Bio, you must be hungry. How about some breakfast...?"
"There's no time for that."
I wanted to shake off this Princess and her knight as quickly as possible.
"Huh? Are we going to a Magic Tower? This is where they're all clustered together."
"Yes. We're going to a Magic Tower."
"Which faction's tower...?"
"You'll see when we get there."
Shine glared at me with wide eyes, but it wasn't scary at all.
Since I agreed to help yesterday, the Imperial Princess had been on my side.
Still, I was slightly anxious since I hadn't made a formal appointment.
But that old geezer would definitely be in his tower.
It wasn't far from the Gate, so we arrived at our destination after about a fifteen-minute walk.
"This place is..."
"It's the Merdi Faction's Magic Tower. I'm quite close with the Tower Master here."
"With Lord Roy? He's famous for rarely meeting anyone."
So she knows Old Man Roy?
Good, that's one less thing I have to explain.
"I didn't make an appointment, but I'll be fine."
Since it was early and the Merdi Magic Tower was usually quiet with few visitors, there was no line.
Well, even if there was a line, I could just give the Princess's name and tell them to get lost.
I told the Imperial Princess to wait a moment and approached the red-haired receptionist.
"I'm here to see Lord Roy."
"The Tower Master? He said a few months ago that he wouldn't be seeing outsiders for a while due to his research."
He's probably still studying the artifact I sold him.
Not that it matters either way.
"If you give him my name, he'll see me. Tell him Bio is here."
"Hmm. I'll try to pass the message along."
After a short wait, the employee handed me a black card.
It was the Black Card used to reach the Tower Master's Office at the top.
"Let's go."
I entered the magic elevator, the symbol of the tower, and tapped the black key against the wall.
During the ride, I gave them a few warnings about Old Man Roy.
They seemed to know the basics, and they wouldn't have much to do anyway, but I didn't want Shine overstepping and ruining things.
I told them he was actually an 8th Class Wizard, contrary to public belief, and warned them to mind their behavior as they looked shocked.
When we reached the top and the doors opened, we were greeted by a haggard-looking Roy.
"Bio, I was just thinking about... huh? You have company today. A new companion?"
Since he was waiting right there, I wondered if he'd figured out the artifact's secret and was here to destroy me, but his expression didn't suggest that.
"Not a companion, this is the 8th Imperial Princess. And this is her escort knight."
"Roy, the Magic Tower Master of the Merdi Faction, greets the Imperial Princess."
He didn't kneel like I did, but just gave a slight bow; thanks to my warning, neither the Princess nor Shine seemed to mind.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Helena de Beluga."
"Why did you bring the Imperial Princess?"
Helena greeted him, but he ignored her completely and looked only at me.
I suppose that brief greeting was all the courtesy he intended to show.
Typical Old Man Roy.
"I'll explain everything in detail, so let's sit down first."
Following Roy's lead, I sat on a sofa in the corner of the lab.
Looking at the table and the clothes scattered everywhere, it seemed he hadn't even been home.
Still, he must have aired the place out and used laundry magic, as there was no smell.
"Understand that the room is a bit messy since I've been absorbed in my research."
"It's better than the last time I was here. Are you alright with this, Imperial Princess?"
"Yes. It's fine."
"Good. Now, what is this about?"
"Take the Imperial Princess as your disciple."
The Princess and Shine, as well as Roy, all looked bewildered.
Roy obviously had no idea, and the Princess seemed caught off guard.
Old Man Roy is the strongest wizard in Beluga.
I've never seen him fight, but as an 8th Class Wizard, he might even overpower Duke Dylan.
Of course, Duke Dylan is a 7th Class Master and a Sword Master, so he wouldn't fall easily, but since Roy is 8th Class—one level higher—they might be comparable.
He has no title, so he's not subject to the Emperor's commands.
Of course, if Helena—his disciple, not himself—fought Duke Dylan, she'd lose instantly, but for now, this is the best option.
"Disciple?"
I briefly explained the Princess's situation to the puzzled Old Man Roy.
"You've entered a bet that's absolutely impossible to win."
Being a brilliant wizard who has also suffered under the Emperor, he seems to have reached the same conclusion as I did.
Upon Roy's remark, the expressions of the Princess and Shine stiffened instantly.
"I think so too, but I've received a request I couldn't refuse. Since the Princess won't give up, why not try teaching her?"
"Hmm, it's a pitiful situation, but I don't just take anyone as my disciple."
An immediate refusal.
"Our Imperial Princess is so talented. She's already a 4th Class Master—wait, she said she can use some 5th Class magic, right?"
"I can use Fire Buster and Mega Lightning."
"Since you're eighteen this year, those are impressive achievements for your age. However, I don't want to waste my energy on a battle that cannot be won. I'm already too busy with my research."
Helena's complexion grew quite dark.
Shine felt the same, and I worried she might start sarcasm like yesterday, but thanks to my warning, she was gritting her teeth and enduring it.
I expected he wouldn't just accept her easily.
That's why I prepared.
"Have you finished researching the artifact I brought you last time?"
"In fact, I was just about to look for you because of that, Bio."
...Did I get caught?
"Me?"
"Why else? There's absolutely no information on it, so the research isn't progressing."
I thought he'd realized it was a dog food bowl and water bowl; what a relief.
"Is that so?"
"Where on earth did you get this? I've scoured every piece of literature, but there's not a single similar character or mention. Since the magic power within is extraordinary, it must be an incredible item. Do you have any more information?"
Extraordinary, my foot.
They're just dog food and water bowls.
"If I help you with the research, would you be willing to take the Imperial Princess as your disciple?"
"Didn't I already give you 100,000 gold? Why go as far as such conditions...?"
"That was the price for the artifact. If you're not interested, there's nothing I can do. Your Highness, let's leave."
I'd already cast the bait, so I helped the bewildered Princess up and stood from the sofa.
"Are we really just leaving?"
I didn't answer her and walked toward the exit, counting in my head.
One, two, three.
"Wait a moment!"
I knew it.
"What's wrong? I thought you weren't interested?"
"If the information you have isn't trivial... Fine! If it's at least enough to activate these artifacts, I'll take the Princess as my disciple."
He took the bait hook, line, and sinker.
After all, it's unthinkable that Old Man Roy—who's so obsessed with research that he even refused the Emperor—would give up on information he couldn't figure out for months.
"You're not going to change your mind later, are you?"
"Shall we make an Oath of Mana?"
"Yes."
Along with the conditions Roy had previously mentioned, they made an Oath of Mana that he would take the Princess as his disciple and teach her to the best of his ability.
"Now that the oath is done, hurry up!"
"I found these artifacts in a dungeon on the fringes of the Quasar Empire while exploring the Western Continent. At the time, there was a Dark Elf archaeologist in the expedition party, and she was the sponsor and leader."
"Oh, a Dark Elf archaeologist would certainly know a lot. What was her name?"
I felt a bit sorry for the glimmer in Old Man Roy's eyes, but the "Dark Elf archaeologist" was just a fictional character I'd made up.
"It's no use knowing her name. She died during the dungeon exploration."
"Then that means there's no information? Are you mocking me?"
"Of course not. While sorting through her belongings, I came across a diary with some strange phrases, and I later realized they might be the activation words."
"Oh! That's not entirely illogical. Then, try activating it."
'Bio, you would've been much more successful as a con artist than as an instructor or a Black Agent.'
I effortlessly ignored Ark's high praise and stood before the artifacts.
It felt a bit weird to actually do it, but if it meant throwing the Princess to Old Man Roy, this was nothing.
"Yummy happy eat, woof woof."
The original phrase was 'Woof woof happy eat meal,' but I changed it because I heard it works even if you shuffle the order.
The original was too obviously about feeding a dog.
Haha, I knew I'd feel this way, but the embarrassment is beyond imagination.
"Bi... Bio, is that actually the incantation?"
Everyone, including the Princess, looked at me with strange expressions, but the effect was certain.
"Huh? Wait, something is appearing inside both artifacts!"
Just as Old Man Roy said, clear water appeared in one bowl, and in the other, brown grains about the size of a pinky nail appeared and filled the basin.
The moment I thought, 'So that's the dog food,' Old Man Roy dipped his finger into the water bowl and brought it to his mouth.
"Hmm, this is just water."
"Wa... wait a second, Old Man Roy! Isn't it dangerous to just eat something when you don't even know what it is?"
"It's fine. Something like this won't kill me. Now, how about this?"
Since I knew everything, I tried to stop him out of moral obligation, but if he says he's fine... there's nothing I can do.
"It smells nutty. Could it be food? Wait, did they create food using only magic in ancient times? Bio, I think this artifact is far more incredible than I thought!"
He boasted as if he regretted selling it to me, but it wasn't the case at all.
Since I didn't react, Old Man Roy looked bored and popped a few pieces of dog food into his mouth.
"Hmm, is it only the scent that's nutty? There's not much of a taste... ah, there's a slight fishy aftertaste. I should eat more."
"Pfft... mmmph!"
"What is it, Bio?"
"Bio?"
"It's... it's nothing."
Grading the taste of dog food.
I tried my best to think of sad things, but the corners of my mouth kept twitching, and laughter was leaking out.
"Um, Lord Roy, may I try some too? I haven't had breakfast."
"I'm curious about the taste as well, just a little..."
"Oh, of course. Both of you, help yourselves. Since the artifact's magic hasn't decreased at all, we should be able to make more."
Imperial Princess Helena and Shine, who had been watching, approached and took a handful each.
"Would you like some too? It's actually quite edible."
Why on earth would I eat this?
"No, my stomach is acting up. Where was the bathroom again?"
"Your stomach must really hurt. The bathroom is just outside to the left."
"I think it's actually quite good now that I'm eating it. What do you think, Shine?"
"I think it would be a great snack when you're bored. Rather than the water that came with it, I think it would taste better dipped or mixed in milk."
"I have milk in my subspace."
Old Man Roy pulled a glass bottle filled with white milk from his subspace.
"Oh, it definitely brings out the nuttiness when mixed with milk!"
"Since it's made only with magic, wouldn't it help with dieting?"
Watching the three of them eat dog food mixed with milk and review it, I felt I couldn't hold it in any longer and immediately bolted from the lab.