161. Genius Infiltration: Lily Adenes Solion
Lily Adenes Solion. The princess with a gentle heart who loved flowers. Her nickname, taken from the lily, had long been Lily Princess. But after a tragic accident, she earned a far less kind moniker: Burned Lily.
Those rotten kids.
After we doused it with water, the mirror began to repair itself, but it would take a little time to become completely clean again. Thanks to our little mishap, we actually got special treatment. We were allowed to rest here for a bit and chat.
I introduced myself as Lania's pet. Suddenly, Lania had become the naughty girl who dragged her immature pet—a venomous snake, no less—into the Mirror Room. She had no choice but to play along, even if she felt wronged.
"You're so sweet. Like a little angel."
I basked in midday drowsiness on Lily's lap as she gently stroked my body.
"Your scales are strangely like crystals. So pretty."
Right? My scales are pretty cool.
"And you have a crown. Are you a prince? Or a princess?"
Of course, since I wasn't using Connection Crown, she couldn't hear me. She seemed awfully familiar with snakes, no matter how I looked at it.
"Doesn't it scare you, sis? Snakes?"
"Nothing to be scared of. I've raised them before."
Maybe because they were the same age, they were already getting close. Lily switched to casual speech right away.
"At the palace?"
"Yeah, not me exactly—Philly raised it."
"Ah, I see. Why didn't he mention it?"
Lania muttered, and Lily's eyes went wide. Lania noticed and waved her hand.
"Oh, the prince and I are close. We use casual speech because of Emerald School rules... Well, royalty is usually an exception, but Prince Philly..."
"No, no, it's fine. I already knew. Philly told me he made two friends."
"...You seemed surprised."
Lily gave a wry smile.
"I was. I didn't think he'd actually made real friends. I figured it was a lie."
"Ah, ahahaha!"
"She laughs so freely."
Totally.
Lania asked the things I'd been curious about anyway.
"How did you end up in charge of the Mirror Room?"
Turns out, the one managing this mystical national treasure of the palace was none other than Lily herself. It didn't seem like an easy job—why volunteer for something so bothersome?
"I have no claim to the throne, and... I like this mirror."
That made me wonder what it showed in the mirror.
"Want me to show you? Once the crack heals."
"Yes!"
The mirror seemed almost fully repaired now. I slithered onto Lania's wrist and prompted her to ask.
No, that's a bit...Why?It might be too sensitive.?
Lania hesitated to relay my question.
It's not like you can't ask.We don't have to...
She sighed deeply and asked.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
"Not sure if this is rude, but..."
"Oh, this?"
Lily smiled knowingly and pulled back her veil, revealing the burn scar on her face.
"I got hurt when I was little. Hot water spilled on me."
"Ah..."
So that's what happened. That was what I'd been wondering about. Lily explained without any hesitation. Lania let out an inner sigh.
I just aged ten years.But how does a princess get hot water dumped on her? Can't they heal it?
Lily explained without being asked.
"I wanted to heal it, but they said it's hard. I used the wrong potion at first, so it wouldn't take. You have to reopen the wound completely, but after time passes, even healing magic can't fix the scar."
Makes sense. Come to think of it, I'd seen a lot of people with scars. That Golden Leaf investigator elf chasing me had a big one over her eye. Just in case, I asked Pellelian.
No way to heal it?
-Of course there is. In a world where you can reattach severed limbs.
Pellelian snorted dismissively. But just because it's possible doesn't mean it's easy. Even a princess of a nation couldn't erase hers.
"Want to see what I look like in the mirror?"
"Ah... sure."
She offered so casually.
"I've never shown anyone."
True or not, that's what Lily said. What an honor. We waited excitedly as the mirror finished repairing. Lily stood right in front.
She removed her veil completely.
Tsutsutsu...
An image formed in the repaired mirror.
"Wow..."
Lania let out a pure gasp of admiration.
"So beautiful."
"Saa..."
It was cool. Incredibly cool. It was truly angelic. Because behind the grown Lily stood a pair of large wings.
And the scar on her face was completely gone.
"I like seeing this form..."
"It's really amazing."
"But humans can't have wings. Not sure what it means."
Humans can't evolve. So no wings. Or maybe artificial ones with magic?
"I hope your future comes true."
"The Mirror of Essence doesn't show the future, though."
"But sometimes what you see in the mirror happens."
"True."
I had Lania extend her hand and tapped Lily's hand with it.
"Oh, it feels like it's trying to tell me something."
"Ah..."
Lania didn't relay my words.
Someday, if there's a way to erase the scar, I'll help. Since we owe you today.
"Why didn't Philly ever mention he had such an angelic sister?" Lania muttered.
Then Lily said,
"Angelic? Not at all. The opposite, really."
"Don't say that..."
"And Philly feels sorry toward me."
"Sorry?"
"Yeah. He was the one who spilled the hot water."
The princess gave a wry smile.
* * *
"Hyaak!"
Philly screamed awake. Cold sweat poured down his body.
"Wha, ugh, what's wrong?"
"..."
Amaen woke up startled by the scream. Philly said in a trembling voice,
"N-nothing. Just a nightmare."
"What... ugh."
Amaen fell back asleep quickly. Philly lay down again, but the dream lingered, too vivid and unsettling. His body was chilled with sweat, and sleep wouldn't come.
That memory from back then...
An old memory resurfaced.
Lily Adenes. His half-sister, whom he'd adored despite different mothers. Philly knocking over a boiling teapot, ruining her face. And...
It's your fault, you little shit!
His sister, veiled and screaming curses through tears. Philly knelt and begged, but she slapped him and yanked his hair. His father glared coldly, and the empress wept while cursing him too. Surprisingly, Leon had been the one to hold her back.
I hope you die. Burn painfully and horribly.
Hearing those cursed words, Philly cried with her. Recalling it made his heart freeze.
These happy recent days only amplified his guilt. Philly bore a sin. One unforgivable forever.
He rose from bed. Whenever these nightmares hit, he'd hole up in his room for days. He glanced at Amaen—sleeping soundly. And Lania and Teacher Snake had returned from Lily Palace yesterday. He couldn't stay shut in here.
He quietly opened the window. Cold dawn air rushed in. Dawn was breaking in the eastern sky.
Now it truly begins. Solarion.
* * *
The Grand Festival lasted a week. And within it, the Solarion finals.
Solarion finals took place on the festival's last day. It wasn't just an academy student event. It was a massive affair attended by the king and royalty.
The entire Capital District 3, home to Emerald School, was in festival mode. Where crowds gather, so do opportunistic merchants. Markets lined the main streets, and even non-market areas had street stalls selling snacks and goods.
Street performers took donations in hats or cans. There were three-card monte hustlers and con artists too. And clowns.
The clown with white makeup on his face performed mime in front of passersby to draw attention. After the trick, he'd hold out his hat for money—but few gave any.
Yet the clown repeated the unprofitable act. This time, he targeted a tall man. Hard to tell under the hat, but up close, he was horrifyingly handsome. The clown blocked his path, miming an invisible wall.
Onlookers laughed as they passed. After the mime, he held out the hat.
Tak!
The man grabbed the clown's hand. A snake shot from the man's wrist, coiling around the clown's.
"Heuk!"
"Shut up."
A chilling command that sent shivers down his spine. The man then grabbed a nearby passerby's collar with his left hand.
"Wh-what...!"
"Return it if you don't want your wrist cut off."
"..."
"Three, two, one..."
"Yes!"
The passerby handed over the wallet. The tall man, Obern, pocketed it.
"You two have fleeced quite a few. Greed got the better of you."
"..."
He'd been watching from the start. The clown and accomplice picking pockets.
"Please, spare us! My sick mother at home..."
"I have four kids! Wife ran off!"
They begged desperately. But to no avail.
"Shut up and listen."
If Obern had been watching, there must be a reason he let them pick pockets.
"Want to live?"
"Yes!"
"Do as I say, and I won't report you to the guards."
"Anything..."
As repeat offenders, guards or sheriffs meant risking their wrists. They'd do most anything Obern asked.
"See that guy over there?"
Obern pointed. An ordinary-looking man stood at a nearby stall, sipping tea.
"Yes, I see him..."
"Pick his pocket."
"Pardon?"
The duo panicked. What kind of sudden order was this?
"Don't want to?"
"No! Just that, really?"
"Yes."
"We'll do it!"
They scurried off. They'd done this daily—it was easy. As they left,
Obern!
The snake held a pouch in its mouth.
I got the pickpocketing skill!...Congratulations.
The snake had swiped the clown's pouch in the meantime. For poor Obern, such side income was precious. He quickly pocketed it.
Unlike his calm expression, Obern's heart pounded.
Can we really infiltrate?
They faced a tough task.
We need to uncover Solarion's test, but this far...?
The chamberlain's order to Obern: Make 3rd Prince Philly win Solarion. He'd leaked the prelims' test. But not the finals—even the chamberlain didn't know.
How crucial is knowing the test in advance!
The snake emphasized it. The chamberlain agreed. They needed the finals' content beforehand.
Instead, he brought intel: Only the test maker, Headmaster Ballarnyar, and his aides knew. But Ballarnyar had recently been in close contact with Fine-Man Merchant Group. Over half the festival budget went there. Unless embezzling, he was prepping something for finals.
So snake and Obern investigated. With Amaen—or rather, his father Royle's—help. Royle, running Riddle Merchant Group, said Fine-Man bought a warehouse near District 3.
The red brick building ahead was it. Disguised plainclothes guards patrolled.
Just three. That's all I see.
The snake's sharp eyes spotted even the hidden ones. One had just vanished, claiming a bathroom break. Of the remaining two, one was the man Obern had sicced the clown on.
Pickpocketing a skilled martial artist was suicide.
And finally.
"You bastard!"
"Aaaak!"
The clown was grabbed and subdued by the wrist. His accomplice fled without looking back.
"That bastard—get him!"
"What!"
The remaining guard chased and tackled the "passerby."
Now!
The snake shouted. Obern, lightened with Lightweight, vaulted the wall.
I'm a genius!
The snake's gleeful brag echoed in his head.