Chapter 126
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: The Archmage Duke's Invitation
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The path where all the world's glory converges—Clarisse Road.
The name of the Royroad Empire's capital as well.
A sunlit land bathed in light from every direction.
The soil that embodied every glory in the Royroad Empire's history still basked in radiant light.
"Your Majesty. This year's Founding Festival looks like it will be an unprecedentedly grand affair."
Crown Prince Arthur Sunrise of the imperial family reported to the emperor.
The most recent grand Founding Festival had been the 100th anniversary two years ago.
But this year's seemed poised to match it in scale.
The reason wasn't just the empire's continued growth.
It was more due to the caliber of attending dignitaries and the shifting global situation.
The mage society was stirring unusually.
Until last year, the Archmage Duke families had merely sent token mages of little note.
But this year, exceptionally, the attending mages were of a different caliber entirely.
"Ugh... Uh... Ooh... Oooh..."
The emperor slumped in his throne, his pupils dilated wide.
Without jaw muscles to hold it, his rice cake tilted to one side, while incoherent babbling and drool spilled from his slack mouth.
"......"
"Hmph..."
The ministers who had accompanied Arthur bowed their heads, faces etched with sorrow.
Some couldn't bear to witness the emperor's decline and wiped away tears.
Who could have foreseen that the man who once commanded the continent would end up like this?
Emperor Cheonpyeong Sunrise III—the emperor who had expanded the Royroad Empire to its greatest territorial extent in history.
The current emperor of the empire, his condition had begun deteriorating over a dozen years ago.
It started small.
Forgetting minor things or occasionally dropping utensils—nothing unusual for an aging man.
But it worsened day by day.
Progressing beyond forgetfulness to childlike behavior, his mind flickering erratically.
From dropping utensils to his muscles wasting away entirely.
And now, he was reduced to this: an incontinent, mindless elder.
His consciousness seemed present, but that was all.
The physicians' diagnosis: "An unidentified disease, likely originating in the brain."
No treatment worked.
Not even 8th-circle healing magic had any effect.
His body was beyond saving.
Anything higher would require an Archmage Duke's power, but if revival was impossible, even that wouldn't suffice.
Reversing fate itself was forbidden magic territory.
That was why resurrection magic didn't exist.
If there was even a sliver of life left to grasp, perhaps—but the dead couldn't be revived.
The emperor's brain was ruined beyond what 8th-circle magic could touch.
It was a miracle he still breathed.
"...Then we shall take our leave, Your Majesty. See to His Majesty's care."
"We shall, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Arthur finished his report on the Founding Festival, knelt to pay respects to the emperor—who was little more than a dementia patient—and withdrew from the audience chamber.
Even to this impotent emperor, Arthur never once skipped a report or formality.
"As expected of His Highness... Even amid such busyness, he never neglects visiting His Majesty."
"Exactly. Any other man would have seized the throne by now..."
"You fool! Mind your treasonous tongue!"
The crown prince's conduct earned universal praise even within the palace.
Ministers had implored him multiple times to ascend, a right he held lawfully since being named crown prince before the emperor's decline.
Yet Arthur refused outright, governing as crown prince.
He couldn't usurp the throne built by the emperor who shaped the current empire.
As long as the emperor sat there, Arthur vowed to serve the empire as one loyal subject.
The ministers were moved by his resolute respect for the emperor and devotion to the realm.
In truth, Arthur governed well, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity.
Emperor Cheonpyeong's legacy: expanding the empire to its historical maximum.
The vast new territories exponentially boosted tax revenues, fattening imperial coffers.
But life for the imperial subjects was different.
War's passage left desolation.
Nearly every inch bore scars, forcing subjects to toil long after peace.
History brimmed with dynasties crumbling at such junctures.
Territories expanded, treasuries swelled—but the people's lives grew harsher.
Fertile ground for peasant revolts or ambitious nobles' betrayals.
Successful empires always followed expansion with institutional reform.
Using swollen coffers to restore conquered lands.
Then reforming systems to integrate diverse cultures.
Solidify the gains, and the nation rises as a great power.
The Royroad Empire tread this exact path.
Emperor Cheonpyeong Sunrise III achieved expansion.
Crown Prince Arthur handled reforms and welfare for unity.
Support from subjects and nobles soared higher than ever.
"What did you just say, you bastard? What about Yuna?"
"N-No, that's not..."
On the way back from the audience, Arthur spotted Akail.
As usual, Akail was harassing some imperial mage.
"Ha... Akail. I told you to stay quiet with the Founding Festival approaching."
Arthur sighed wearily.
Already swamped with preparations, and at a time when ties with mages were crucial—harassing an imperial mage again?
"This punk insulted Yuna! Want to die for imperial blasphemy?"
"I-I was just talking about Merhen..."
It was the imperial mage who had accompanied them during the subjugation festival.
Evidently, imperial mages had been discussing Merhen Magic Academy lately, and Yuna came up.
Yuna's standing in the palace was poor.
The weakest imperial youngest, who rejected the Imperial Academy for Merhen.
But imperial mages quite liked Yuna.
Most were Merhen alumni themselves.
This was surely another of Akail's absurd misunderstandings.
"I-I merely gave an accurate assessment of Princess Yuna's abilities..."
"Ha... Akail. Enough. Mages evaluate merit regardless of status—that's common sense."
Arthur pinched his brow and reined Akail in.
The freed imperial mage scurried away with obsequious bows.
"Daring to say Yuna lacks for A-Class with her skills? That no-account..."
"Akail. The Founding Festival is soon. I told you."
"Tch. Fine. I know lots of mages are coming. Oh, right—that guy's coming too. That obnoxious commoner."
Exceptionally, a first-year Merhen cadet was invited to the Founding Festival.
The crown prince inviting a mere commoner first-year? Unthinkable.
It was, in a way, Arthur's gamble.
Through that one commoner, he might glean the Archmage Dukes' intentions.
In fact, whether due to him or not, the dukes were acting differently.
"That guy just said the division commander is interested in that commoner..."
"The Imperial Mage Division Commander?"
"Yeah. Must be pretty impressive then..."
Akail muttered as he slunk off slyly.
Arthur pondered Akail's parting words.
If the commander took interest, it must be a skilled cadet.
Winning the subjugation festival as a first-year...
"Hm."
Arthur stroked his chin.
Sudden worry crept in.
The Imperial Mage Division Commander.
That man's temper was as foul as Akail's, if not worse.
"Ian. How'd the exam go?"
"Did my best. But my midterm grades are the issue..."
After exams ended.
Yuna visited our class.
I'd anticipated her purpose.
"Here about the Founding Festival?"
"You remembered. I heard Brother Arthur invited you, Ian."
"Yeah. But do I really have to go?"
"I'd like you there. You won't die if you skip, but post-graduation, guilds or the Imperial Mage Division might close doors. Or anywhere the empire's influence reaches..."
Damn. Guess I have to.
Practically a threat to show up.
Of course, the gallery folks were right—they probably couldn't outright kill me.
Maybe because the Archmage Dukes were watching me.
"But I'll guarantee your safety, Ian. You'll be treated like any ordinary guest."
And her assurance that no danger would arise if I went seemed credible.
Akail was the one who'd been rude to mage society first, after all.
At an event like the Founding Festival, mingling mages and imperials, touching an academy cadet would scream "Who messed with our kid?!" to mage society.
Gallery debates had covered that angle thoroughly—it should be fine.
Just... going sounded like a massive pain in the ass.
Standing awkwardly amid nobles? Torture.
Festival meant street stalls and wandering—screw formalities.
"Alright. Turning down the crown prince's invite would be rude."
"Great. Depart next week, so prepare. I'll look after you during the festival—no worries."
"Mm. Thanks."
At least Yuna would stick by me, preventing total isolation.
I wondered if a princess parading a commoner mage was okay, but recalling her low palace rank, I held my tongue.
"Then, until next ti—"
"—You're Ian Isaac?"
As conversation wrapped, an unfamiliar professor approached us.
"Yes. And you are?"
"I'm Professor Multipl, in charge of third-year computational magic."
"Ah, yes... But I'm a first-year."
"Archmage Duke Ilimost has a message for you."
"...Pardon?"
Yuna flinched at that.
I'd wondered why a third-year professor approached me.
His words were utterly unforeseen.
"For this empire's Founding Festival, His Excellency will take you personally."
"Pardon?"
"Furthermore, before the festival, at the Archmage Duke's estate, His Excellency will personally prepare you—a commoner—for festival etiquette, protocol, attire, and such."
The follow-up stunned me further.
Ilimost Archmage Duke Lee Soo-ah personally handling preparations?
At the Archmage Duke's estate? Meaning she was summoning me there?
"So I have to go to the Archmage Duke's estate? No, I don't need any of that to begin with..."
"You have no choice. His Excellency wills it, so it shall be. Someone will come from the estate tonight—prepare yourself."
"Wait, who decided to drag Ian off? He's an official guest invited by the palace."
"Cadet Yuna. The palace merely invited him—they didn't forbid His Excellency from accompanying. And even if they did, His Excellency answers to no one."
"Ugh..."
Yuna's protests faltered; she couldn't counter further.
She seemed eager to argue but drew a blank.
A princess or not, in the mages' academy, she was just a cadet.
And her low palace rank left her powerless against an Archmage Duke alone.
My situation mattered most.
Sudden kidnapping notice to the Archmage Duke's estate.
Harisha's words echoed.
People from the Archmage Duke families would approach.
We'd concluded they wouldn't kill me outright.
But Lee Soo-ah clearly had other designs.
"His Excellency plans to look after Cadet Ian Isaac throughout the Founding Festival, so the palace needn't concern itself."
Professor Multipl glared at Yuna and me before vanishing whence he came.
Why the glare?
"That old hag..."
Only Yuna's furious mutter lingered where the professor had stood.
More importantly, me.
No way she was keeping me a week just to pick clothes.
Going blindly was out of the question.
Pondering alone yielded nothing.
I opened the gallery.