Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Monster Wave (1)
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Agnes Elizabeth Blaze.
The eldest daughter of the Blaze Viscount family, born between Arthur Elizabeth Blaze and Nadia Evangeline Blaze.
She was also known as the heir apparent to the Elizabeth family, and at that moment, she was attending the masked ball hosted by the Third Imperial Princess Seraphin.
Having slipped away from the Evening Rose Hall, where nobles of all genders were mingling in full swing, she leaned alone against the quiet terrace railing.
"Haaah..."
She sighed, wishing this utterly boring and tedious event would end as quickly as possible.
'Why on earth do I have to attend this meaningless birthday celebration...?'
Instead of wasting time at such a bothersome event that didn't suit her at all, there were countless more productive things she could be doing.
She could be researching new fire magic in her personal lab back at the Blaze territory, or studying the new magic tome she had acquired in the capital yesterday to build her knowledge.
Even hunting monsters near the Blaze lands for magic practice would have been a far better use of her time.
She was already furious about the two full days it had taken to travel from her distant family estate to the imperial palace, and being forced into this unproductive affair only fueled her considerable dissatisfaction.
...If it weren't for the pressure from her main family threatening to cut off support unless she showed her face at events like this, she would have ditched this ridiculous gathering long ago.
'Everyone already knows who everyone else is anyway. What's the point of wearing masks and dancing like fools?'
Who even came up with such a stupid, bizarre party plan?
The tiresome social event held in honor of the Third Princess's birthday, the high nobles subtly revealing their identities to draw attention from others amid it all, and the sycophants fawning over them in hopes of catching their eye...
Every single one of them grated on Agnes's nerves.
There had to be nobles around her age who would enter the Imperial Academy in a year or two, or were already studying there.
Why were they forgetting their duty as noble mages and getting worked up over such a pointless event?
Lost in those thoughts, she had escaped the crowd to the terrace and was gazing out at the scenery beyond the palace, deep in contemplation.
And even as she did, she smugly admired the ingenuity of the transformation magic she had come up with today.
'Good thing I used transformation magic to get in. If I'd just worn one of these stupid masks that don't hide a thing, annoying people definitely would have swarmed me.'
No matter how much she hid the Elizabeth family crest on her clothes and accessories, strutting in with her strikingly obvious red hair flowing freely would have made it impossible to conceal her identity.
If that had happened, it would have been like every other event—leeches eyeing the Elizabeth family's prestige sticking to her like glue.
The Elizabeth family had a habit of pitting branch family children against each other and adopting the most suitable one as heir to the main house.
Many people, including herself, were convinced she would be the heir for this generation.
That was why, at events like this, children from other branches always drew irritating attention her way.
The fact that simply changing her eye-catching red hair to blue meant no one recognized her showed just how shallow the people who usually approached her had been.
'They'd never imagine I'm using transformation magic.'
Ignoring the noisy laughter and dancing of the other nobles inside the Evening Rose Hall as best she could, she turned her gaze outward from the terrace.
That was when a voice calling out to her came from behind.
When she turned her head, a woman with an otherworldly glow, as if emitting her own light, was smiling at her.
"The party's not that fun for you, is it, nameless miss?"
"......"
The woman approached, striking up a conversation with Agnes, who had deliberately sought out the terrace to avoid people.
Even with part of her face hidden by a mask, her radiant beauty was immediately apparent.
Agnes tensed up warily the moment this woman—who could probably attract admirers anywhere in the ballroom—approached her instead.
How could someone who chose not to bask in others' attention inside seek out someone isolated on the terrace? It was suspicious.
"The weather's nice, huh? Hehe, even though it's already a dark night."
"......"
"Do you prefer admiring the dark scenery outside over mingling at the masked ball, miss?"
"......"
"Everyone has their own likes, after all. It seems the host's wish for all to enjoy themselves, regardless of status, didn't quite reach you."
"......"
"If it's all right with you, how about chatting with me for a bit instead?"
This blonde woman kept pestering her with words even though Agnes deliberately ignored her and averted her gaze.
When Agnes turned toward the voice again, the blonde was still beaming brightly despite her rudeness.
Feeling a pang of conscience for no reason, Agnes turned back to the view outside the terrace, politely signaling her refusal to engage.
"...You'd be better off not wasting your time on me. There are plenty of people inside who'd suit you more."
"But right now, I want to talk to you, not anyone else."
"I don't have anything to say to you."
"Is that so? I thought we could have a deep conversation about magical knowledge."
"......Why would you think that?"
"Well, you're hiding your true identity with transformation magic right now, aren't you?"
"......"
To think there was someone here among these fools who could see through her magic.
Agnes's wariness eased slightly at the blonde noble lady's unexpected remark, and she showed a flicker of interest.
The blonde girl smoothly steered the conversation forward while watching her.
"Using transformation magic even at a masked ball to hide yourself—does that mean you just hate dealing with people? Or that you won't talk to anyone who can't see through your transformation magic?"
"...Both."
"It felt a bit different from the transformation magic I know, so I almost didn't notice at first. Usually, transformation magic stands out because you feel the mana clash between the caster and the target, right? But yours barely had any of that... It surprised me."
"...Of course. I'm casting it directly on myself, so the mana flow feels different."
"I thought you had a twin sister with similar mana capacity, but you cast it on yourself?"
"I don't have any siblings. And not to brag, but I've never met anyone my age with mana capacity close to mine."
"Hmm..."
The blonde noble lady gazed at Agnes with an intriguing look after her words.
Agnes, unaware of what that gaze meant, simply tilted her head quietly.
After that, the two leaned against the terrace railing and happily chatted about various topics.
From fire magic—Agnes's specialty—to all sorts of magical knowledge and lore.
"...That's why fire magic circuits absolutely can't have straight lines. Unless it's a composite spell with other magic."
"Right. Fire magic is amorphous, after all. You could reduce the curvature to the limit to boost power, but straight lines are a no-go."
"Exactly. It's the total opposite of nature magic. That stuff is all straight lines with jagged circuit edges..."
Agnes might have looked down on those distracted by socializing with others, but deep down, she too harbored a desire to mingle.
She just hadn't felt the need until now because no one matched her wavelength.
But the moment she could dive deep into her favorite subject, her words flowed freely.
Watching her like that, the blonde noble lady smiled quietly to herself.
'Now, it seems no one at the party is left unable to enjoy it.'
She had wandered the ballroom, striking up conversations with those feeling isolated or excluded.
Since she had planned and hosted this event herself, she couldn't tolerate anyone being left out.
Having spoken plenty with Agnes under the shining full moon on the terrace, she figured it was time to reveal her identity and wrap up the masked ball.
However...
"......?"
The finale she had planned for the evening couldn't proceed due to some unexpected reason.
"...This transformation magic I'm using relies heavily on imagery too. Imagining parts of yourself you can't see is the most crucial skill for a mage..."
"Wait a moment, Miss Agnes."
"...W-Why? Are you not into transformation magic talk?"
"No, Miss Agnes, could you take a look over there by the lakeshore...?"
"The lakeshore...?"
Agnes's gaze slowly followed the blonde girl's pointing finger as she called her name in a serious tone.
Something unusual was stirring near the shore of Verdan Lake, where her finger pointed.
It didn't take long for both of them to realize it was a horde of monsters crawling out from the lake.
Soon after, the doors to the Evening Rose Hall burst open as an Imperial Guard soldier rushed onto the terrace.
"Your Highness! Abnormal monster proliferation reported at Verdan Lake!"
"...Yes, I just confirmed it myself."
Verdan Lake to the north of the palace—monsters emerging from there and heading toward the palace.
Having witnessed it with her own eyes, she nodded at the soldier's report.
Agnes, stunned by the guard's words and the lady's demeanor, put on a dumbfounded expression.
"......Princess?"
Agnes muttered blankly, her eyes turning naturally to the blonde noble lady beside her.
The blonde girl gave her a smile tinged with a hint of apology as she met her gaze.
"...Sorry, Miss Agnes. I didn't mean to deceive you. I just thought you might feel uncomfortable if you knew who I was."
With that apology directed at her, Princess Seraphin leaped onto the terrace railing.
Agnes stared, entranced for a moment by the elegant poise she displayed.
Seraphin smiled at the guard who had come to escort her.
"No need to worry about me—please evacuate the lady over there first."
"No, Your Highness! You must preserve your royal person...!"
"It's fine. It's a full moon tonight, and I'm not fated to die here yet."
"Your Highness!"
-Thwack!
Seraphin dodged the approaching guard's hand and leaped into the air.
With the sound of her foot kicking off the railing, she somersaulted outward from the third-floor terrace.
Under the full moon, Seraphin's shadowy silhouette was a perfect match for her epithet, the "Moonshadow Princess."