Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Thrilled
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I gaze at the jewels clutched in both hands.
They shine brilliantly in blue and red.
"..."
The graduate student gapes at the sight before clearing her throat with a cough.
"Well, ahem. This is truly... rare."
"Rare?"
"Yes. How should I put it..."
She sighs with a groan, scratching her cheek.
"It's the stuff of legends, like something straight out of history books."
"History?"
"Yes. The kind of tale you only hear in myths passed down orally."
"..."
If it's that rare, it actually makes me a bit uneasy.
"I've only ever seen this phenomenon in history books myself, so I'd hesitate to comment lightly. But on the flip side, it's something that only appears in those books—and now it's happened to Your Highness."
"As expected of Master."
Clue beams at me, right on cue.
Hmm, beats me.
I stare at the two jewels, thinking that.
"So, what happens to me now?"
Do I have to stay in the Magic Tower to contribute to magical research or something?
That might be... less than ideal.
As that thought crosses my mind, the graduate student shakes her head firmly.
"No, Your Highness can just carry on as usual."
"Eh, really?"
"Yes."
She nods.
"We'll come by occasionally to check on Your Highness's condition."
"Is that alright?"
It feels like special treatment.
"We can't have Your Highness trekking back and forth to the Magic Tower constantly."
Special treatment confirmed.
"The Tower Lord plans to visit personally to look after you, and..."
"I see..."
"Yes, the volume of your mana is immense. As expected from His Majesty's blood—you're above average in every way."
The graduate student nods and looks at me.
"That's all."
"Then I..."
"Do whatever you like."
"..."
She offers a soft yet professional smile.
Then she turns her gaze back to the paper and mutters something.
I get it.
From the moment she smiled, it's clear she's extending terrifying consideration.
I know better than to treat a graduate student like an ordinary human.
Thanks to that...
"Master, what will you do now?"
"Uh..."
Suddenly, I've got a gaping hole in my schedule.
Back to the palace tomorrow.
Meaning today is wide open...
"..."
Somehow, just sitting around feels like a waste.
"Sword practice?"
"Shall we?"
I could practice magic too, but I haven't touched sword training while here.
With that in mind, I grab a wooden sword from the room and head outside.
I sneak past Lily sis, blissfully asleep, and fetch the wooden sword.
"Clue, can you help with sword practice?"
"Yes—shall I take a few hits for you?"
Clue tilts her head.
"Of course not."
No matter that she's a homunculus, I'm not swinging a sword at someone who looks thirteen.
Thinking that, I spar with Clue.
"Master! Are you alright?"
"F-fine...!"
I get pummeled so hard I can barely breathe.
Later, Clue starts sniffling and watching me warily.
Even if homunculi are tough, isn't this overkill?
I got too cocky for a moment. Time to get humble again.
Yeah. Effort—pure, relentless effort.
Talent means nothing without it, no matter what others say.
My goal: surpass my two sisters in their respective fields.
"Gotta put in the work."
"I'll help."
"One more round, then."
"Masteeer, that hurts my conscience... You don't think homunculi lack one, do you?"
"Hold the wooden sword, Clue."
"Masteeeeer..."
Endless effort, nothing more.
Time flew by like an arrow.
"Hup!"
I swing the sword swiftly.
Sword in my right hand, mana cloaking my left—ready to propel myself at any moment.
And sure enough, a strike comes flying in.
"Haap!"
I blast wind to forcibly shove my body sideways and counter with a swing.
-Smack!
My movement gets read, and a sharp impact jolts my wrist.
"Ugh!"
A stinging pain shoots through, and the sword drops from my hand.
"...Good work."
"Good work, Theo!"
"...Yeah, Ravire sis too."
I admit defeat.
I'm staring down nine years old,
and in all that time, I've yet to beat Ravire sis even once.
"...Theo, you okay?"
Until last year, she'd cheer every time she beat me. Now she starts gauging my mood.
These days, she doesn't celebrate victories—instead, she eyes me like she's committed a crime.
Last spar, she tried throwing it on the sly. I caught her, so we skipped meals together for a week.
By day two, she came crying to my room to apologize, and I let it go.
"...I'm fine."
I lift my sword and look at sis.
The mountain I must climb.
By age eight, I'd beaten every trainee my age—except Ravire sis.
Even the Knight Commander marveled at my rapid progress.
And I can wield both magic and sword.
Yet Ravire sis remains utterly unbeatable.
Her reflexes, swordsmanship—everything overwhelms me.
"A truly high-level bout."
The Knight Commander approaches us both with a gentle smile.
"Ravire Princess is... in a few more years, I might have to vacate the next Knight Commander spot."
"Can a princess serve as Knight Commander?"
"Excellent question. No precedent—perhaps ask His Majesty?"
"I will."
I let their conversation flow past one ear while sheathing my sword.
"Theo, where to?"
Ravire sis immediately strides over from her chat with the Knight Commander.
"Magic practice."
"...With Lily?"
"Yeah."
Ravire sis's brow furrows at Lily's name.
Two years on, and there's no sign of their relationship improving.
If anything, it's gotten worse.
"Can I come watch?"
"You can, but..."
"Magic's dangerous anyway. Could explode anytime. Sword training is pure physical honing..."
Her eyes gleam as she presses on,
"You can't even use magic."
A flat voice cuts her off.
Lily sis approaches from afar, fussing with her dress hem.
Her face looks extremely displeased.
"Why keep eyeing magic you can't use?"
"...Not eyeing it—I'm just going to make sure you don't feed Theo more nonsense."
"Nonsense comes from you. Theo's always wiped after training with you."
"Theo's always exhausted after magic practice with you too— you know that?"
"..."
"..."
Lily sis and Ravire sis stare each other down, and I sigh softly to myself.
As always, mediation falls to me.
"Ravire sis, that was fun today."
"Ah, Theo..."
"Lily sis, magic practice time now. We're short on time."
"...Yeah, Theo's right."
I deftly smooth things over and give a slight bow to the Knight Commander.
He's watching me with a wry smile.
"Good work, Your Highness."
"Thank you. See you the day after."
I bow politely and walk off with Lily sis.
"...Theo."
"Yeah, sis."
"Sword training later really hurts. Switch to magic now at least..."
"Sis."
"...Got it."
Their lines are always the same.
Of course, I have no intention of dropping either.
"Gotta work harder."
"...Theo, you're really gonna wreck your body."
Lily sis plants hands on her hips and scolds me, but I'm dead serious.
"Never beaten Lily sis at magic, never beaten Ravire sis in a spar."
I beat everyone else.
In spars, in magic.
But those two—no matter what, I can't win.
If they slacked, I could envy their talent. But both pour in insane effort.
Lily researches magic till dawn; Ravire's out swinging her sword before daybreak.
So even if I can't surpass them, I can't fall behind.
I yawn lazily and dive into magic research with Lily sis.
"How's the thesis coming, sis?"
"Tower Lord's handling most. I'm just assisting."
The magic hierarchy I'd suggested two years ago was progressing splendidly.
"For units, the circles you mentioned seem best, so we're using those."
"Ah..."
Circles are a somewhat outdated concept, but...
"Nine stages total. 1st Circle to 9th."
"Y...eah."
"Makes it so much easier."
Lily sis smiles softly.
"I'm roughly 6th Circle... Theo's 4th, right?"
"Y...eah."
Bitter pill.
I sip water from the Holy Grail and fidget with my hands.
"...Theo, I've said it a million times... Kids your age are 1st Circle. Talented ones hit 2nd."
"I know, sis. Don't worry about it."
She soothes me, and I smile back at her.
I don't want to worry my young sis, after all.
I sip from the Holy Grail, feeling power slowly well up in my body.
Without this, I'd probably collapse from exhaustion by evening.
"You know Mother worries a ton too."
"Yeah, I know."
I recall getting caught practicing magic past midnight last time.
Mother sobbing, clutching my hand and bawling.
After that, we set the cutoff at 11:59.
"...Yawn..."
I yawn hugely, extend my hands, and resume practice.
How long did Lily sis and I train?
"Ow."
Lily sis whimpers, biting her finger. I snap my gaze to her.
"You okay, sis?"
"Ah, yeah... Just nicked my finger..."
A paper cut—she's sucking on her finger.
"It's fine. Happens all the time."
She shakes her head, glancing at me.
Not words for a twelve-year-old.
"Hold on..."
I grab her hand and inspect it.
A tiny cut on her finger.
Paper cuts hurt the worst.
Tiny wound, brutal pain.
I hold her finger to cover the wound.
-Flash!
White light blooms.
"...?"
"......?"
"...Huh?"
Lily sis stares at her finger.
White light still pours from my hand,
"...It's healed..."
and her finger bears no trace of injury.
"...So."
The Prince's Physician, Judas, rubbed his forehead and muttered.
"His Highness has been drinking Holy Grail water for nearly four years now..."
"Yes."
"And suddenly, touching a wound makes it heal."
"Yes."
"Which now looks like Holy Power. That's what you're saying, right?"
"...Yes."
The prince nods slowly,
"Sigh..."
and the physician presses his hand to his forehead again.
His head was starting to throb.