Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Royal Academy of Arts - [2]
The capital of the empire, the central avenue that cut through its very heart.
Normally, it would be bustling with merchants' shouts and the rumble of carriage wheels.
But today, it was shrouded in an eerily solemn silence. It couldn't be helped.
Thud thud thud—.
A heavy vibration shook the ground.
"They're coming...!"
Someone in the crowd shouted. As if on cue, the citizens parted to the sides of the road and bowed their heads.
At the end of their gazes appeared a procession of overwhelming grandeur.
Leading the way were the Imperial Guard. Their silver-white armor gleamed under the sunlight, red plumes fluttering atop their helmets.
Following them came a carriage drawn by six massive black horses.
It was less a carriage and more a moving fortress. The door bore the crest symbolizing the Imperial Family, etched in sharp relief.
"Gasp..."
The citizens held their breath. Was this the emperor's procession? Or perhaps a visit from a neighboring king?
But the carriage was heading straight for the commoner district.
"Who the hell could be riding in there to get royal treatment like that?"
"Haven't you heard the rumors?"
A man in the crowd, the type who fancied himself a know-it-all eager for attention, whispered conspiratorially.
"That's the carriage come to fetch that musician named Aiman!"
"Aiman? You mean... that young guy who played in the marketplace?"
"That's him! The legendary musician who brought down that notorious Merchant Guild overnight and even humbled the great Lucian!"
"What...?"
"Lucian himself dragged Red Beard to the guards and spilled the beans. Said they nearly lost a once-in-a-generation genius because of him, and that this Aiman guy was on a whole other level."
The crowd's eyes widened in shock. Rumors didn't just have legs—they had wings.
And as they passed from mouth to mouth, they grew flesh and bone.
"Plus, they say he likes 'em fresh and lively, like a true artist."
"Fresh and lively...?"
"You know."
"Whoa..."
Of course, while it was a legendary procession outside, the scene inside the carriage was something else entirely.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Whoa..."
Haruna couldn't close her mouth. She gawked around the carriage interior, letting out one gasp after another.
"Aiman, this thing's bigger than my house. No, bigger than my workshop."
It wasn't an exaggeration. The interior must have been enchanted with spatial expansion magic—it was far roomier than it looked from outside.
The floor was covered in plush sheepskin rugs, and a chandelier made of magic crystals cast a soft glow from the ceiling.
A piano even sat comfortably in one corner. Strangely, the carriage didn't jostle at all.
"Yeah, tell me about it..."
I settled awkwardly onto the sofa and replied. I had no choice but to respond sheepishly, glancing around.
Because Anna was sitting right across from me.
...She's scary as hell.
Her gaze was fixed on me.
"Have you been well... in the meantime?"
Anna spoke cautiously.
"How's your health? Any discomfort anywhere?"
I straightened up tensely.
"Oh, yeah. I'm... fine. Very healthy. Though I'm a bit nervous, of course."
My body was trembling. Maybe that's why my voice shook—Anna's expression didn't brighten.
She wasn't even hiding it anymore. She had to be Ria's maid or something. Ria was probably a fake name too.
"I heard you resolved the Merchant Guild matter."
"What... do you mean?"
"The Baron Merchant Guild. Word is you dismantled that infamous corrupt organization in just a few days and aided the victims."
Anna nodded.
"Uprooting such things is usually the job of nobles, not commoners."
"..."
"Those weeds keep sprouting no matter how many you pull... Oh, and I heard you took complete control in a short time. They say your influence is quite strong, Sir Aiman."
"N-No, that wasn't me."
That was all Hans and Lady Rozina. I just sipped tea and watched from the sidelines.
"My friends Hans and Lady Rozina handled it. I was just... standing by."
"So humble."
Anna cut in with a look that was almost wistful.
"Hans... I heard about him too. That he managed it based on your advice."
This conversation wasn't going anywhere. It felt like she'd already made up her mind and was just informing me.
She was buttering me up way too much!
As chills ran down my spine and I shuddered, her gaze shifted to Haruna, who sat blankly beside me.
"Lady Haruna, it's been a while. I didn't get to greet you properly last time."
Haruna, who had been debating whether to scratch the gold leaf decorations with her nail, jumped at her name.
"Ah, yes!"
She snapped to attention like a disciplined recruit. Anna seemed to scan Haruna from head to toe.
"I look forward to working with you on Aiman's piano."
"Y-Yes..."
The atmosphere grew oppressively heavy. Haruna and I exchanged glances.
-Hey, Aiman. What's with this vibe?
-Beats me. Just sit tight.
After a long ride, the carriage slowed.
"We've arrived."
The door opened at the coachman's call. I stepped out and took a deep breath.
"Whoa..."
It was overwhelming. Nothing like seeing it from afar.
Towers pierced the sky like sculptures carved from pure white marble, their gold-plated roofs reflecting sunlight in a blinding blaze.
Endless gardens bloomed with unfamiliar flowers, and statues dotted everywhere were so lifelike they seemed ready to move.
Damn... get lost in here and you'd starve to death.
The sheer scale left me awestruck. How did people who lived in places like this even think straight?
I couldn't wrap my head around it. It screamed prestige, sure.
"This way. Leave the piano and follow."
Anna took the lead. I figured she'd guide us to the concert hall or our guest quarters.
But her steps led not to the grand main building, but to a slightly secluded annex.
As we neared, a familiar scent hit my nose.
Or rather, a familiar sensation.
'A hospital?'
It was unmistakably a clinic.
"Uh... Lady Anna? What is this place...?"
"It's the first place you need to see, Sir Aiman."
Anna stated firmly.
"Lady Haruna, you too."
We shuffled inside hesitantly. Haruna poked my side and whispered.
"Aiman, why are we here?"
"No idea..."
I scanned the area with uneasy eyes. Actually... it made sense now.
"Probably need to be clean to enter the palace. Checking for diseases or something."
"Oh... right. Makes sense."
Haruna nodded as if convinced. Fair enough—bringing fleas to an audience with the emperor would be disastrous.
"Sir Aiman, this way."
Anna led me to the innermost room, marked 'Special Treatment Room'.
"We need a thorough examination. Very... detailed."
She pushed me in with unyielding force. Before the door closed, I glanced back at Haruna.
"Lady Haruna, please wait here. You can read the books."
"Got it."
I followed Anna into the treatment room, leaving Haruna alone in the waiting area.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So boring..."
Haruna jiggled her legs as she looked around. True to imperial standards, even the waiting room was luxurious.
A fine table held magazines and books for visitors.
"Anything to read?"
She rifled through them.
-Imperial Medical Texts.
-Latest Potion Recipes.
-Herbal Encyclopedia.
Interesting stuff, but not enough to spark Haruna's interest.
"Boring. All about curing human ailments."
She closed one and went to shelve it. That's when she spotted it.
Tucked in the corner of the bookshelf, amid flashy volumes, was a worn, thick leather-bound tome.
No title on the cover—just black leather. But gold lettering on the spine caught her eye.
Haruna pulled it out absentmindedly.
"This looks kinda cool...?"
She blew off the dust and flipped it open. The title on the first page jumped out.
[Mana Curse] - Records and Symptoms of Bodies Abandoned by the Gods - Haruna tilted her head. She'd never heard the term.
"Mana Curse? What's that?"
Curiosity piqued, she turned the page.
Case 1. Congenital mana circuit severance.
Special notes: Cannot sense mana at all, extremely vulnerable to external mana interference.
Prognosis: Death around age 10 on average, before adulthood. Miraculous survivors given terminal prognosis.
Haruna's hand froze.