Chapter 105
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Long-Awaited Research Lab
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My research lab after so long.
To be precise, it wasn't the old one—it was a brand-new lab in a newly built structure, assigned after the previous building collapsed. But it was wider and more sophisticated than before.
"Seeing this really makes me appreciate magic."
Hardening concrete, laying foundations, making formwork—all handled in an instant with magic.
Coat it with a strength-enhancing spell, and you were done. Layer after layer could rise up in no time.
"I was shocked watching an eight-story building go up in less than ten days."
"...They threw money at it."
Building a structure normally followed a proper process.
Most of the time, fuel efficiency meant sticking to foundations and filling in materials, but pour in high-end manpower, and you got results like this.
"No wonder mages command such high salaries."
Isel nodded along beside me.
"Magic is amazing."
"Isn't it!?"
"......"
I took a sip of coffee at the sudden interjection.
I'd gotten a new coffee machine, but I was still relying on Isel's hand-drip.
Maybe because my tastes were a bit conservative, but once I got used to something, I rarely switched.
'Though Isel brews it that well, too.'
I set the cup down on the saucer and turned my head.
The student with yellow chitin-like hair, former top of her class in the Magic Department, who showed keen interest in magic.
She'd become yet another fixture in my lab now.
"So, why are you here, Miss Lianel? This is a lab in the Martial Arts College, not exactly a place for a Magic Department student to drop by."
"Huh? You care about that sort of thing, Professor? I thought it didn't matter up till now."
"...Elin, think back to how you ended up in my lab. I clearly told you not to come. I tolerated it, but I didn't expect extras to tag along."
Elin paused mid-bite of her snack and averted her eyes.
"...Something like a deal was struck. Though I did get my nose cut off while my eyes were open."
"Oh, that was me seeking out Elin for some business. It was about Her Highness Princess Lilian, right? There were just too many weird things."
"Weird things?"
"What happened in the imperial palace."
She smiled brightly, but I doubted her intentions were as innocent as mine.
She didn't say it outright due to the gag order, but her subtle hints made sense if she'd heard them from her parent, Lord Roosevelt of the Court.
"She seemed caught up in something dangerous without realizing it."
The coffee's bitterness surged up suddenly, turning my mouth thick. I closed my eyes and let it settle slowly.
'Sure, I did use Lianel quite a bit this time.'
"...Stay in my lab until you feel safe."
"Ah, thank you."
She didn't look grateful at all, so I let out an involuntary sigh.
"It's all my karma."
"Of course, as a trade-off, Father said to let him know if you need anything."
"Lord Roosevelt of the Court?"
"Yes."
That wasn't bad news.
For someone like me, cut off from the imperial palace, I needed at least one person who knew the ins and outs of what went on there.
'I could use Charlotte or Princess Lilian, but...'
The people watching me wouldn't let their guards down around those two either.
Lord Roosevelt was involved in so many places that any wariness toward him faded into irrelevance.
"I'll keep that in mind."
In that sense, it had been a long-awaited return to professor life.
The university wasn't fully operational yet, but I expected lecture halls to buzz with activity soon.
The semester was rushing toward finals, skipping midterms entirely.
As I savored the aftertaste, Elin scooped a handful of cocoa from the basket of pods.
"So, what's with this mountain of cocoa? Summer's almost here. You've got every brand, even loose powder."
"......"
Isel chuckled softly, but I didn't respond.
Instead, I savored another leisurely sip of coffee, as always.
If I had to excuse myself, I'd assumed Elin drank cocoa year-round, regardless of season.
As Elin tilted her head at my sudden silence, Radia sighed.
"The lab's bigger now, but somehow it feels more crowded."
"Isn't more the merrier?"
Arion had placed potted plants one by one in sunny spots.
I'd gotten occasional updates, but while handling palace affairs, he'd steadily tackled the fuel efficiency issues.
Now, all that was left was further growth.
'Give them the right direction, and they grow on their own, huh?'
Unlike Elin or Radia, who needed constant hand-holding, that was a relief.
Radia, who required relatively more attention, muttered softly.
"...Seeing women flock to you already, are you some kind of flower?"
"A flower?"
"Nothing."
Arion looked puzzled at Radia's mutter but soon shrugged it off.
No big deal, that gesture said.
But having overheard roughly, I swallowed a long silence.
I leaned back in my chair, contemplating this peace for a moment.
The laughter and chatter, the slightly rowdy lab, the light and comfortable vibe like a clubroom.
It was everyday life so normal, it was hard to believe someone was scheming somewhere even now.
I took in the scene wordlessly, then lowered my eyelids.
If I ever saw this game's happy ending, the credits would probably roll over something like this.
"Ah, speaking of which, where's Her Highness Princess Lilian? I figured she'd be here since she drops by Professor Aiden's lab often. Do you know anything?"
"Well, about that......"
As Lianel raised the topic, I reflected on that prior exchange.
* * *
Princess Lilian furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean? A great demon?"
"It's the plain truth, neither more nor less. You've figured out your attackers were devil worshippers by now, so why doubt it?"
"No, that's obvious, but......"
The existence of devils naturally implied great demons too, but it was still suspicious.
"It's just something from myths. Even if it exists, why would it be under the imperial palace of all places?"
"Didn't you dig into Count Rosert's family?"
"......"
Count Rosert's family, where Philia had been.
She may have been deceived at the end, but she'd been deeply tied to the devil worshippers.
Given their collaboration, excavating the Roserts should have unearthed evidence of their conspiracies.
But Princess Lilian drew a shaky breath, unable to hide her somber mood.
"...We didn't find much. Just that Lady Philia envied Professor Aiden and believed borrowing a devil's power would make her a master."
"Not particularly curious, but pathetic indeed."
Pathetic.
She rolled the word around her tongue before lightly touching her forehead.
Aiden might not care a whit, but Philia had drawn eyes in his stead, a prodigy who stayed out of the spotlight.
A knight who'd scored top marks at the Imperial Education Academy, the institution for forging masters.
Backed by the imperial family, she'd wielded no small influence.
Her exposure as a devil worshipper was a headache, whether they delayed the announcement to manage the fallout or not.
'And he sees her as nothing but pathetic.'
It wasn't incomprehensible.
I'd thought Aiden was just at the entry to master level, but he'd crushed Oshua's throat. Philia, whom I'd assumed was comparable, hadn't even touched his heels.
"We're still investigating, but most of it was already burned."
"That figures. They're a cautious bunch."
Princess Lilian gazed at Aiden.
That leisurely demeanor, hiding formidable prowess in secret.
Perhaps the sword master's endorsement made it seem even more alien.
'No matter how I look, he doesn't seem that strong.'
His impression might seem cold or curt, but not like an absolute being who could shake the earth alone.
Yet this man possessed the might to rival a nation by himself.
"I see. Hmm, not much found, eh......"
"Will that be a problem?"
"Too bothersome to explain. You're sharp; you'll get it."
He made a sullen face, truly annoyed.
He was so stoic his expressions barely shifted, but a close look revealed subtle emotions.
"Your attackers were devil worshippers. Specifically, from the Devil Church."
"I see. But why target me from a group like that?"
The public image of devil worshippers was resistance against the elite.
With the church as the one true faith, half-forced on the nation, anti-church sentiment rode satanism's wave.
"Most think that, but the Devil Church at their core is a cult. They truly believe in devils."
"Are you sane? Associating with devils brings nothing good for humans......"
"No point in asking. If they were sane, they wouldn't have gouged out my eyes to begin with."
Fair point, so she shut her mouth.
"They targeted imperial blood. You specifically. Any guesses why?"
"I'm the youngest royal, the easiest mark?"
"Painful truth, but no."
"Pardon?"
Princess Lilian questioned in disbelief.
Not because she was the easiest?
"Your hair—white with luster. Proof you've inherited thick royal blood."
"I... see? So?"
"Before primogeniture was set, the throne went to whoever had the thickest blood, collateral or bastard be damned. You know that?"
"Ah......"
The imperial family's history was steeped in blood.
Likely from the founding era, before the 6th century.
"Yes, I know. So what?"
"Then you know of the underground labyrinth beneath the palace?"
Underground labyrinth?
Her brow furrowed.
What nonsense was this? But he wasn't lying.
He wasn't the type to spin tales.
"No, haven't heard of it."
"Fair enough. We'll start from there."
His explanation that followed was shocking and convoluted.
"...There's an underground labyrinth under the palace, a great demon sealed there, and in the past, the one with the thickest blood became emperor to reinforce that seal?"
"Plus holy water to quash rebellions from direct or collateral lines. It's mad and abandoned now, though."
"Then the worshippers targeted me because......"
An ominous suspicion poked at her heart.
She'd blurted it out hoping for denial, but Aiden's gaze remained impassive.
"They really meant to use me as some sacrifice?"
"...Indeed."
"No, I can't accept that......"
She shuddered, unable to comprehend, then looked at Aiden with anxious, trembling eyes.
"Why?"
"...What do you mean?"
"How do you know all this?"
Professor Aiden fell silent.
Instead of answering, he urged her onward through the academy grounds until halting abruptly at one spot.
Princess Lilian, awaiting his words, faced the stopped Aiden.
"...The back mountain of the academy. Why here?"
Fenced off, but still unrestored from the heretical mage attack, it was a mess.
Professor Aiden turned to face Princess Lilian.
"Alright. Now I'll tell you why."
Right after he spoke, a hazy mist rose, revealing a massive lake that had no business being on the back mountain.