46
Chapter 46
There's no taking back words once they've been spoken.
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it.
'Idiot, you did the same thing with May; have you learned nothing?'
...I can't even argue with that.
I've already been through this once...
And of course, the situation is exactly the same.
I was far too impatient again today.
Because there was so much more to do than just getting her to take the wild ginseng.
"Excuse me, Imperial Princess?"
I called out to her, but she was trembling like a leaf.
Her eyes were filled with sheer terror.
"I had no idea Bio felt that way..."
"No..."
"Please just promise me one thing. Promise that you'll never send me to Quasar. If you do, then I..."
She's completely misunderstood the situation.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"Oh, yeah?"
Did she suddenly go deaf?
This is driving me crazy.
"If you don't admit that what you just said was a mistake, I'm taking back my offer to help."
...Only then did the Imperial Princess's expression soften slightly.
"You... you really didn't mean it?"
"I should have explained things first, but I was in such a hurry that the words just came out. I'm sorry."
I explained the wild ginseng and how to take it to the princess, who still looked suspicious.
Since she knew I was Blue Mist, I couldn't claim it was a family secret like I did with May, so I told her it was a special medicinal herb I stumbled upon during a mission.
"A medicinal herb that increases magic power? I've never heard of such a thing..."
She's more skeptical than she looks.
Do you know how hard it was to get this?
I could have gone out on the weekend to find some, but I knew finding wild ginseng wasn't easy.
That's why I practically lived in the East Great Forest until the day of the entrance ceremony, trying to secure some beforehand.
The day before school started, Ark urged me, saying he'd found some, but when I got there, an elf had trampled it, claiming it was a poisonous weed. I seriously felt the urge to kill him.
Of course, I couldn't go through with it, because killing an elf in the forest would have brought pursuers after me.
I could probably take down a single elf tribe using guerrilla tactics, but the tribes would likely unite if they were hunting a kinslayer.
My primary goal was the wild ginseng.
It's already hard enough to find; adding pursuers to the mix would just make it twice as difficult and annoying, so I exercised extreme patience.
"Do you not trust me?"
"No! I trust you, Bio."
I was almost disappointed, but I liked the look of absolute conviction in her eyes.
"Then just sit down and take off your cl... no, take off your robe, but don't take off your blouse entirely; just pull it down a bit."
I gave the instructions correctly this time.
Whether she truly trusted me or not, she followed my orders without a word of complaint.
I took the wild ginseng out of my subspace.
This one was 90 years old—nothing compared to what I took, and ten years younger than May's—but it was still incredibly hard to obtain.
I had the Imperial Princess eat the ginseng, then placed my hand on her shoulder to soothe the raging energy and help the magic power settle.
Perhaps because I had done this for May before, it was easier than I expected.
Or maybe it was because the energy of the ginseng was weaker?
I worried that the effect might be poor, but it was an unnecessary concern.
I had successfully perfected the incomplete fifth ring that already existed in the princess's heart.
If it hadn't been for the energy leaking toward the mana core, I think I could have even built the foundation for a sixth ring.
I tried my best to gather the energy into the circle while minimizing the leak to the core, but since it wasn't my own body, there was a limit to my control.
"It's finished."
"Bio, my Circle..."
"Congratulations on becoming a 5th Class Master."
Seeing her so happy she was almost in tears made me feel a bit proud.
It was worth all the effort.
"It must have been quite painful, but you handled it well."
"It did hurt, but it wasn't the agonizing pain you described."
Imperial Princess Helena did groan, but not nearly as much as May.
Was May just prone to exaggerating?
"Thank you so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you..."
"I think it's a bit too early for that."
"Pardon?"
"There's still a lot more I need to do for you."
"But I... I haven't done anything for you, nor did we agree on anything..."
If Lady Anna's grave had been swept away by a flood, I don't know what would have happened to me.
"You've already given me enough. I never once thought of Old Man Daph as a father, but Lady Anna was like a mother to me."
In hindsight, I might have abandoned all my missions to search for her or could have died because I couldn't focus.
From the moment I heard the story from Old Man Daph, the princess became a benefactor to me, as well as the old man.
"Seeing you speak this way, she must have been a wonderful person."
"To me, and to my peers and juniors who have already passed, she was the most beautiful, wise, and merciful woman in the world."
"...You really cared for her deeply."
That's a huge understatement.
"Do you know the average lifespan of a Black Agent?"
"Ah... no."
"On average, three years; at most, four or five. I've survived this long because I value my own life quite highly, but if I could have died in Lady Anna's place, I would have done so without hesitation."
I'm an orphan, so I don't know exactly, but that's what I believe a mother is.
"I've rambled on long enough. We're short on time, so shall we get to your lesson?"
"Lesson?"
"Now that you've reached a new level, you'll need the knowledge to match, right?"
****
"Oh? Tower Master. Do you need something?"
"Neri, I intend to focus solely on my research for the next month, so please avoid scheduling any outside appointments. Send all visitors away."
"Yes, sir. Understood."
"By the way, has anyone else been entering my lab?"
"Impossible. No one can enter your lab without your permission, and you even handle the cleaning yourself."
It was just as Neri said.
I set up double and triple security magic every time I left the lab.
Even checking the video recording crystal ball at the entrance showed nothing unusual.
No one had certainly gone in or out, yet I felt like my research materials were disappearing bit by bit lately.
"Right? I must be imagining things."
Am I getting old?
I told Neri she could go and returned to my lab.
Now I can finally do some proper research.
I'd finally figured out the activation word and usage of the artifact, but the bet with Bio had completely stalled my progress.
It wasn't a lie that I truly began to root for the Imperial Princess, but there's a limit to everything.
She always visited from early morning and begged for lessons until late at night.
Since I had made an oath of mana to teach her my best, I couldn't refuse, which was quite frustrating.
I took the artifact out of the safe under my desk.
"Eat, happy meal, woof woof."
As I chanted the spell, the bowl filled with cereal.
I've made it several times now, but it's still fascinating to see.
Creating something from nothing.
I picked up a piece of cereal, and a subtle sweetness was followed by a slight fishy taste.
Is it sweet today?
I later learned that the taste of the cereal wasn't always constant, but differed slightly each time it was created.
The fishy aftertaste was common, but yesterday it started with a slight spiciness.
What could be the condition?
It didn't seem to be the time or the date.
Maybe the air quality?
Deciding to fill my stomach first, I took out some milk and poured it over the cereal.
Since it's sweet today, I think it'll taste good.
The day before yesterday, the fishy aftertaste was so strong that I left some of it.
As I took a bite of the cereal softened by the milk, a sweet flavor enveloped my mouth.
A sip of the now-sweetened milk felt like absolute heaven.
That idiot Bio—I can't believe he sold such a precious thing for a pittance like 100,000 gold.
He didn't let it show at the time, but he was probably kicking himself in regret where no one could see.
I wonder if I should have given him a bit more money just to make sure he wouldn't complain later.
Just as I was about to take another spoonful, the communication crystal began to blink.
When I infused it with magic power, my secretary's face appeared.
"What is it?"
"An instructor from Belliard Academy named Bio is here, and he insists on seeing you even though I told him it wasn't possible..."
Bio? I thought he said he was quitting the academy; I guess he didn't.
"I'll see him, send him up."
It was late, but if it was Bio, he might have brought some new information regarding the artifact.
I went to wait by the elevator, and as the doors opened, Bio... huh?
There was someone else behind him, draped in a gray robe.
Judging by the aura, they seemed to be a wizard around the level of a 5th Class Master, and they felt strangely familiar.
Well, probably just a fellow instructor.
"Welcome. What brings you here at such a late hour?"
"It's not that late. I hope you've been doing well."
"I'm always doing well. Did you happen to find some new information?"
I had previously told Bio that I would reward him generously if he brought me new leads.
"I think you have something on your face, Tower Master."
"Ah, I missed dinner, so I was having a bowl of cereal made with the artifact."
"I... I see. It's not about the artifact. I think you can take off your robe now."
At Bio's words, the figure in the robe pulled it back, and I was stunned.
"Master!"
"Im... Imperial Princess?"
****
I told the puzzled-looking princess to come closer.
"From this moment on, everything I do is a secret between the two of us."
"A... a secret?"
"You're not misunderstanding me again, are you?"
"No. I'll believe whatever you say, Bio."
"I appreciate your trust. Oh! You must not tell Shine about this either."
"Not even Shine?"
"I haven't even told Count Daph."
As I spoke, I opened my subspace and pulled out a gray robe.
"Put this on. We need to hide you so no one realizes you're the Imperial Princess."
"Yes."
Since I had bought the largest size available for adult men, it should be more than enough to conceal the princess's petite frame.
While she put on the robe, I took out the round stick I had prepared.
At first, I had planned to lend her a 1-Person Warp Device.
But even though I'd agreed to help her, I felt a bit reluctant to give such a precious artifact to the princess.
When I asked Ark, he said they were out of stock.
He claimed they had all the materials and tools to make a new one, but they were short on power.
Fortunately, Ark mentioned he had a device that could transport more people, so I brought that instead.
"Is this the secret?"
This consumes more magic power than a personal warp device, but it can transport up to two people at once.
"Then, please excuse me for a moment."
As I spoke, I took the princess's hand with my left arm.
She murmured my name in surprise.
Her face flushed slightly; she seemed flustered by the sudden contact.
I understood why.
It wasn't just that I held her hand, but that I had interlocked our fingers.
Seeing her react this way made me feel a bit strange as well.
Of course, it wasn't because I'm some teenage boy getting flustered by holding a girl's hand—it was because of the device's name.
Since it could move two people, I naturally assumed it was a 2-Person Warp Device, but the actual name was the Couple Exclusive Warp Device.
While the process of infusing magic power was the same, the two people traveling together had to interlock their fingers.
As I infused magic power into the warp device in my right hand, a blue light emerged and enveloped the princess.
When I closed and opened my eyes, I was back in a familiar room.
Familiar to me, of course.
"W... what just happened? Where on earth are we?"
The princess looked slightly terrified; anyone watching would think I'd kidnapped her.
"Please, relax. This is a house in the capital. I bought it in advance."
"What? What do you mean? We were at the academy just a moment ago..."
"That's why I told you it was a secret. The stick I showed you is an artifact I happened to find during a mission."
"An artifact?"
"It would be easier to understand if you think of it as a portable gate that can be used by up to two people."
"Such an artifact exists...?"
"There's no time to waste. Shall we go? If you can't see well, just hold onto my sleeve."
It took less than ten minutes to leave the house and reach our destination.
I had specifically bought a house close to the Magic Tower.
"We've arrived."
"I can't see very well... where are we?"
"Wouldn't it be better for a student to keep learning from their teacher?"
"Then..."
"Yes. This is the Merdi Magic Tower. You can take off your robe once we meet the Tower Master, so please bear with it a little longer."
"Oh, okay."
I entered the tower with the princess.
Since it was late evening and usually a quiet place, there was no one there except for the receptionist at the entrance.
I revealed my identity to the employee and told them I was here to see Master Roy.
"The Tower Master said he'll be focusing on his research for the time being, so he's not taking any appointments or seeing anyone. I'm afraid it's not possible."
It seemed he planned to dedicate himself to his research after sending the princess away.
I felt slightly sorry, but then again, there was no need to be.
He certainly said he would do his best to teach her.
He never specified a deadline.
"I'll be an exception. Please just pass along my name."
After a moment, the employee said he had permission and handed me a Black Card.
"Let's go."
I led the princess into the elevator.
"Can I take it off now?"
She seemed quite stifled.
"There's a video recording crystal ball in the elevator. Just hold on a bit longer."
"Okay."
I didn't want to risk the staff recognizing her.
The elevator came to a stop.
Perhaps thinking I had brought more information about the artifact, Old Man Roy was waiting at the entrance just like last time.
"Welcome. What brings you here at such a late hour?"
"It's not that late. I hope you've been doing well."
"I'm always doing well. Did you happen to find any new information?"
He really did come out thinking I had some intel... wait?
I spotted a drop of white liquid on the Tower Master's beard.
No way. Is he eating it again?
"I think you have something on your mouth, Tower Master."
"Ah, I missed dinner, so I was having a bowl of cereal made with the artifact."
He's eating that again?
...For a moment, I almost burst out laughing, but I barely managed to hold it in.
"I... I see. It's not about the artifact, but I think you can take off your robe now."
"Master!"
"Im... Imperial Princess?"
"The princess said she wants to keep learning from you, so I've brought her here with great effort."
He looked less than thrilled.
"I heard you sincerely root for the princess. As expected of Tower Master Roy."
I returned to the academy specifically to help the princess, and Old Man Roy thinks he can just relax?
I absolutely cannot stand that.
Take this disciple!