The Rebellion's Swift Conclusion
The rebellion of the Second Prince in the Millennium Capital was swiftly concluded. Although the ringleader, the Second Prince, and his right-hand man, the Southern Commander, managed to escape, countless other remnants were captured in droves. In particular, Roderick, the Second Prince's most trusted aide, was found having committed suicide in the detached palace, dealing the Second Prince an immeasurable loss. The fleeing Second Prince holed up in the Southern Commander's territory and declared independence. The empire had now fallen into a state of civil war.
"War calls for blood, and it's only the soldiers who suffer." I left that brief remark and put my pipe in my mouth. Muran sat before me. She wore a serious expression as she met my eyes, but I shifted my gaze past her. There stood an elderly alchemist in silence.
"…This is the alchemist who will transfer the alchemy magic you requested."
"So how exactly do we hand over the magic?" Without further questions, I activated Balance on the old alchemist. Whether he wanted money or had struck some other deal was none of my concern. In the end, what mattered was the magic.
"Thank you for your trouble."
"Hmph."
The old alchemist who had transferred the alchemy magic wore an expression that was somehow regretful yet simultaneously relieved, then left the inn. I tapped out my pipe and savored the alchemy magic. This sweet yet bitter taste. I had obtained it properly.
"…How is it?"
"It's the real thing. As expected of the Alchemy Guild built on trust and faith."
"…That's good. Then may I hear our next destination?"
"Why are you asking about our next destination, Muran?"
It was so natural that I nearly answered without thinking. Why would you need to know where we're going next? What is this person up to? When I questioned her in that awkward situation, Muran tilted her head as if she herself were the one confused.
"…Because I have to come along as well."
"Did I perhaps request your accompaniment as one of my conditions?"
"…No, but alchemy magic is easy to learn yet extremely difficult to master. Someone must teach it. You didn't obtain it just to admire the magic, did you, Ruina?"
She was certainly right. I don't collect magic to hoard it. I collect it to use. My talent is simply too lacking to master it myself, but learning alchemy magic in the first place is easy. The difficulty lies in applying it to produce results.
"So you're saying you'll follow me around and teach me?"
"…Yes."
"You don't even know where I'm going."
"…It doesn't matter where. This is a promise."
"Understood."
Regardless of anything else, the offer to teach me magic resonated. "I've been wanting to learn magic from someone anyway. It's been boring trying to master it all alone until now."
"What? Alone? Weren't you learning magic from me, Ruina?"
"What are you talking about, Jerry? When did I ever learn magic from you?"
"Then why exactly am I here?"
Leaving Jerry, who had fallen into confusion, behind, I asked Muran about the next matter. "What about the Star Silver?"
"…I inquired with the imperial family and received it. The processing was just completed. Here it is."
Muran placed the Star Silver on the table. She also set down a leather pouch alongside it. "These are the ten gold coins I received as a down payment. I decided not to charge a commission fee."
The Star Silver had been compressed and processed into the form of a lantern. I stroked the lantern, its form reminiscent of starlight. My precious…
"Ruina? Your eyes are glazing over. Are you all right?"
"I'm always normal."
"No, your eyes are definitely glazing over."
"I'm always normal."
I carefully set down my usual lantern and floated the Star Silver lantern into the air. Then Chris spoke. "You're not using both? I thought you'd definitely use two lanterns now that you can float them with magic."
"Due to the constraint placed on me, using multiple lanterns has no effect."
"Ah."
Whether it was one lantern or a hundred, I could only activate magic with a single lantern. There was no need to carry around the cumbersome extras. The silver-white lantern floated through the air and bumped into Jerry. He flinched in surprise.
"Why me?"
"I didn't do that. Jeogyeng did it on her own."
"It's magic you activated, Ruina."
"I activated it, but it moves according to its own will."
It listens if I give it a direct command, but otherwise it judges and moves on its own. It was an interesting magic in many ways. "You could call it a magic that creates an artificial ego."
"Is that so."
"Of course, the foundation of that artificial ego is me."
"Then it is something you did, isn't it…"
But I only think about it and don't actually execute it. My Jeogyeng must have a lot of curiosity since she was just born. "Ruina."
Leon spoke in a serious voice. I nodded. "You want milk, right? Order some."
"That is not it."
"I see."
Well, it was about time. I fiddled with my usual lantern and opened my mouth. "Let's entrust this to storage and go meet the Witch of Wisdom, shall we?"
*
"Aigoo." Valion Dragomil put a cigar in his mouth, then took it out again as if he wasn't in the mood. "With my one and only disciple in this state, how can I walk around with my shoulders squared anywhere?"
"I'm sorry, Master."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's all my fault."
Valion laughed heartily and asked Haze, "How is it? The capital?"
"It's chaotic."
"If it's chaotic, why did you come here? Go do your work."
"I can at least pay my respects. The situation has more or less been wrapped up."
As expected, there was no need to rely on Valion, but a major incident comparable to that had occurred. It was only proper to come and report, wasn't it?
"I heard you came back from the dead."
"Yes."
"You're not being prideful. You've changed a lot."
"I realized that such things are utterly useless."
Haze had truly realized many things this time. Pride was one of them. "No matter how much I stubbornly cling to pride in normal times, it doesn't help at all in a crisis."
"So you've only realized that now, you dull disciple."
"I should have heeded your words sooner."
"Aigoo." Valion clicked his tongue and soon scanned Haze's body. Then he took out the cigar again and put it in his mouth. "Your swordsmanship has improved in that short time. Did something change in your mindset?"
"We use Refinement magic, but we are not mages. I have come to understand the meaning of those words precisely."
"So you've only realized that now as well, you dull disciple. You're not going to start insisting on learning magic again, are you?"
"I want to, but I can't. I already gave it away."
"You gave away magic?"
"Yes."
Valion furrowed his brow for a moment at the puzzling words, then soon laughed heartily and said, "Who on earth did you meet?"
"I met the Witch of Vengeance, who can even stop a crying child from wailing."
"She certainly stopped the child from crying."
"So, Master." Haze spoke with resolve. "I intend to quit being a guardian knight."
"Is that so?"
"Instead—" Instead, I intend to follow one person's journey, he was about to say, but Haze blinked as Valion grabbed his shoulder tightly. "Master?"
"I've been wanting to fix all the bad habits you've picked up since becoming independent anyway, and now you're the one suggesting it first. Come to the training ground right away. I'll work you to the bone without mercy."
That's not what I… Huh? Haze was dragged off to the training ground by Valion. Regardless of his own will. It was a shame, but following Ruina would have to wait for the next opportunity…
*
Orpin slowly lifted the crown and placed it on his head. The object that had been his father's symbol was now Orpin's. Feeling its weight, Orpin participated in the meeting. Since holding a formal coronation was rushed in many ways, Orpin, who had succeeded to the throne provisionally, began handling various duties as emperor. "Have the surrender recommendation and warning letters been sent to Isaac?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"The reply is the same nonsense as last time, I see. What do you plan to do about the subsequent response?"
"We have currently deployed troops around the rebels' base. A total of ten territories, centered around the territory of the border count Darin Zeterion, have joined forces and—"
While handling diplomatic issues such as letters and gifts to send to neighboring countries, Orpin faced the core and most important task of today's meeting: the distribution of rewards. It was about giving appropriate rewards to everyone who had helped him. As he was setting rewards for various people, Orpin stroked his chin when it came time for today's main character. "Her name was Ruina, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"What else is known?"
"We're investigating, but it's still…"
"She is a third-circle mage with the fire attribute."
At the sudden voice, Orpin shifted his gaze. At the words of the Fifth Prince, Kairen Eterno, Orpin opened his lips with interest. "Third circle?"
"That is her own claim."
"That's curious. Anything else?"
"She has burns all over her body."
"I can see that. Besides that…"
"And she has a master named Kelton. Her registered hometown as a mercenary is West Shade Grapeton, but tracing her movements suggests a high probability she is from South Clamp Wood. She is seventeen years old and moves with companions including the merchant Chris, the paladin Leon, and the mage Jerry. She appears to have deep ties with the Croft School—"
"Wait, wait, wait." Orpin stopped Kairen in confusion. Kairen looked at Orpin with a nonchalant expression. "What is it, Your Majesty?"
"How do you know all that in such detail?"
"I happened to overhear it."
"You call that something you can just happen to overhear?"
It was absurd, but since the person himself claimed it so calmly, there was nothing to be done. "You happened to learn quite a lot. Anyway, what would be an appropriate reward to give this Ruina? Everyone, feel free to voice your opinions."
"How about granting a substantial monetary reward?"
Orpin's brow twitched slightly at a noble's suggestion. A substantial monetary reward. Though it seemed generous at first glance, this compensation was extremely insubstantial. It meant settling Ruina's contributions with mere money. The price for helping the crown prince, and even the person who would become the next emperor after the previous emperor's death, was not something so trivial.
"A monetary reward sounds good."
"It would be best to give as much as possible. Mages spend a lot of money on research, after all."
The nobles chimed in together. Orpin, who had been quietly watching the scene, spoke to Kairen. "What do you think?"
"I happened to play Arcana Chess with Ruina once."
"Chess?"
"Yes. I still remember a play Ruina made at that time."
"What kind of play was it?"
"She used the exact same opening I had just used and thoroughly crushed me."
That was quite an interesting play style. "I also played chess with Ruina."
"You too, Princess Tasia?"
"Yes." The Eighth Princess, Tasia Eterno, also shared her experience. "She deliberately deployed an opening that was disadvantageous in terms of compatibility with the one I had spread out and thoroughly crushed me."
"I get a sense of her personality." It was a persistent and ruthless personality. Well, with that kind of personality, she would have come looking because the Second Prince had stolen her Star Silver. Orpin was a calculating person. Therefore, if something was the correct answer within his calculations, he could sufficiently overlook it even if it was an immoral act. That was why he found the nobles who shamelessly tried to reduce Ruina's reward disgusting, but separately, he was willing to listen to their opinions. However, in Orpin's view, rather than unnecessarily disappointing the burned fire mage named Ruina, suppressing the nobles' opinions and giving an appropriate reward carried less risk. After all, it was the achievement of saving the emperor. This was a situation where even opposing nobles would find it difficult to push back strongly.
It was decided. Orpin declared, "I shall bestow the title of baron and a territory upon Ruina, who saved my life and made a great contribution to suppressing the rebels. This status and territory shall be inherited by her successor. Does anyone object?"
"……"
"It seems there are none." Objecting here would make one a traitor. The achievement of saving the emperor's life carried that much power. Seeing the nobles fall silent, Orpin smiled inwardly and asked Kairen an additional question. "I also want to provide treatment for her full-body burns. What do you think about this part, Kairen?"
"She often plays pranks in her burned state, but she seems to have the intention to fix it herself. She will like it."
"Good." Orpin ordered the chamberlain. "Summon Ruina to the imperial palace immediately."
"Understood."
Thus, Orpin spent time thinking about what to say to Ruina. "She's not here?"
"I'm sorry."
And Orpin's mouth fell open at the fact that Ruina had already left the capital. "No." Orpin's lips moved in disbelief, then he muttered softly. "Where in the world is someone who saves the emperor and then immediately leaves?"
"I'm sorry."
"Is there a way to contact her?"
"She has no known connections, so there is no way to contact her. We don't even know where she went."
"This is maddening."
*
"Leon! Look at this! Our child has grown 1mm!"
"Please refrain from calling Refinement magic 'our child.'"
"Why?"
"If I say don't, then don't."
"Okay."
A week had passed since leaving the capital. Today, as always, I was mastering magic. This Refinement magic is tough. It's difficult.
