Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Epilogue: "The Mad Mage to the Academy"
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Second Prince Irid's office was in the former brothel Rosaria—currently a hidden outpost of the Imperial Defense Bureau, and publicly known as the suspiciously low-service inn "Beer and Songs".
Irid had simply placed a new desk in one of the corner rooms on the third floor and decorated it with a single sprig of rosemary in a vase as he handled his work. It was an office far removed from imperial dignity.
Even among Imperial Defense Bureau agents, opinions were divided on why the second prince—holder of the empire's most noble bloodline—had set up his office in such a rundown inn.
Some speculated it was to cultivate frugal habits in preparation for being pushed out of the imperial succession race.
Others said the enlightened second prince was volunteering for the tough jobs out of empathy for the people's suffering.
Still others guessed he was plotting to exploit the bureau's weaknesses and dismantle the department.
However, only one agent knew the true reason.
'All your guesses are trash.'
Analyst C thought this to himself while assisting Irid with his work.
"Next."
"Yes. The next item is an unidentified dungeon discovered near the academy. According to the survey team's investigation, traces of black magic activity were found throughout the dungeon."
"That alone wouldn't warrant a report coming to me. Any peculiarities?"
"Yes. An elite mark was found. We borrowed the Compendium of Evil Deeds from the Goddess Church and confirmed the owner of the mark: 'Corpse Flower That Devours Fear'."
"...I remember that. I think I heard it in a fairy tale my sister read to me. The black mage with the white crow and black swan who single-handedly burned down a castle in one night... Put this case on hold. I need to draw more high cards first. Next."
"Yes. The next item. Another petition from the Crimson Magic Tower has arrived, requesting an increase in imperial funding."
"They know the imperial heirs have no authority over funding allocations... You informed them again, right?"
"Yes. And it came again anyway. This time, they went further and scattered printed petitions from the airspace over the permitted flight zone."
"Sometimes I think we should lock the mages in a religious facility once a week for their mental health. Ignore it. Next."
"Yes. The next item is a letter from First Princess Elaine. She says she'll visit soon..."
"No idea what it's about. First, hide the classified documents that could cause trouble. Send the agents who've sworn loyalty to me on field assignments, and store Centra's portrait in the underground vault—"
BAM!
A sound that absolutely shouldn't come from the door rang out as it burst open.
And an intruder in a red dress strode in boldly.
"Hello, little brother~!"
"Wh-what is this, a sneak attack...? Or a trap?! Armed struggles for the throne are forbidden in the name of His Majesty the Emperor—mmph!!"
CRUNCH!
The ferocious first princess's hand snatched Irid up into the air. Then she squeezed him tight. It was a hug overflowing with joy and affection. Analyst C, who witnessed the scene, later testified:
'Like the round sun setting between mountain valleys, so too was the second prince's face.'
Elaine finally set Irid down after spinning in place for 35 full turns.
Irid sat at the table and had Analyst C massage his stiff shoulders. It was the aftereffect of being hit by a human centrifuge.
Elaine glanced around like a child visiting a theme park for the first time, then asked bluntly.
"Why are you working in such a cramped room?"
"That's none of your business, sister."
"A room this small leaves no room to dodge. It's disadvantageous in so many ways if you're attacked, plus one explosion spell could take the whole place out."
"I'm plenty careful about security, so don't worry... Wait, I definitely set up a protective barrier around this room."
"You should've been thorough with the windows too."
Irid looked up at the crystal orb hanging from the ceiling. The orb that should have been emitting the protective barrier had lost power and become nothing more than a pretty ornament.
As suspicion flickered in the second prince's mind that C might have betrayed him, Elaine revealed her trick.
Tap tap. Elaine flicked her fingers, and the window opened on its own. A single gust of wind blew in, turned on the crystal orb's power, and fled.
"...You had an ability like that?"
"I got it through dimensional magic. Not bad, right?"
"I thought the venom had drained from your eyes, but there was a reason."
"...You can see that too?"
"I figured you might die anytime. I can't read everything. Just subtle things, like how you're quietly conscious of your weight, or how you hesitate over whether to eat a macaron before stuffing it down and regretting it... Gaaah!!"
The human centrifuge spun seventeen more turns.
C straightened Irid's disheveled hair from the sudden acceleration.
"Ahem. Teasing your big sister like that... You've changed a lot, Irid."
"To be precise... you've changed."
It's not that I've grown bold enough to tease you—it's that you've become relaxed enough to let me. Irid muttered with that meaning. Until now, the first princess had given off an aura that she was ready to snap someone's neck at the slightest whim.
Who would dare tease a lion baring its fangs?
"I've tidied it up 2-to-8 style, Your Highness."
"Don't mess with a prince's hair. Put it back the way it was, C."
After warning the elite agent C—who could devour two servings of madeleine in one sitting—Irid fell into thought.
He had gained love, but his sister had undergone a change in ability.
He knew the first princess's original power well. A walking storm, a bloody gale sweeping the battlefield. By the end of combat, a red mist would form from the finely ground corpses of enemies—a extreme allegory laced with self-harm.
There was a reason the Goddess Church priests held monthly protests in front of the first princess's residence, begging her to "please just listen to one good word before you go," only to get dragged to prison. Extreme allegory bred extreme sublimation.
And those who achieved extreme sublimation were close to madmen.
History proved it. The Sword Ghost who rampaged a century ago, and the Spear Ghost from ten years prior who massacred in a fit of mania, was now confined and subjected to human experiments in the Golden Magic Tower's research wing.
They were unstable in the allegory stage, but the moment their twisted minds reached sublimation... they became enemies of the empire. If his sister had sublimated as-is, she might have been called the Blood Ghost.
So, it was fortunate.
"...Want another hug?"
"No thanks. State your business. You came here for a reason."
"Two big things. One's important, the other's... I don't know if it's important, but something I want to say personally..."
"You're wordy. The first one."
"What are you going to do about the Violet Magic Tower?"
"No idea what you mean."
"Just what I said—her disposition. Oh, not that I want to kill her... But keeping her secret feels like a waste."
"You're right. It is a waste."
There were so many ways to make use of her.
The second prince, who had personally died inside it, knew well. It had solid safety measures, offered valuable experience, and the mere fact of experiencing death could change one's outlook on life.
Plus, even without dimensional magic, he needed an illusion mage right now... The academy needed a professor to teach about illusion magic.
He didn't know how to use illusion magic, but they needed lectures on how to counter it. And also...
Shuffle.
Second Prince Irid pulled a few sheets from the stack of documents. The academy's enrollment list, black mage movements, and the nearby unidentified dungeon.
"The annual event's about due."
"You mean the academy raid?"
"Yeah. Before that, it's just a hunch, but I think there's a high chance black mage lackeys are inside the academy. Normally, we'd dispatch boy knights and call it a day, but..."
"Mm, too noisy. The异種族 council's coming up soon. He'd have to focus there..."
Irid sketched a grand plan in his mind. Strengthening academy students, preparing for black mages, and a single move to resolve faction formation and infighting at the academy.
It clicked.
Drop the mad mage in.
"I'll attach one inhibitor to the mad mage and send her to the academy."
Irid looked at C.
C maintained a blank expression while inwardly firing off fireworks. The academy was a sweeter posting than expected. It even had famous dessert cafes.
"If you entrust it to me, I'll handle it with utmost sincerity..."
"? No, you need to stay by my side."
"Then the implication of that gaze."
"Look for someone suitable. Someone a bit off in the head but reliable with orders."
"I'm actually a bit off in the head myself."
"You're perfectly normal, so don't sell yourself short."
Irid drafted the necessary orders for this operation, stamped them with his seal, and handed the bundle to C. C inwardly bid farewell to the academy's Mont Blanc and headed out to work.
He leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
"...So?"
Elaine, who had been watching her brother work with amused eyes, startled at his call and fidgeted.
"Huh?"
"You have something to say. It's written on your forehead."
"Oh, that... Well. If I said the first prince was behind it, would you believe me?"
"Haven't we been over that story a few times already?"
"...This time, it'll be different."
Irid turned to look into Elaine's eyes. He still couldn't read everything. Masks built up over long years don't peel off easily.
But he could clearly see the change.
A cool breeze blew in her eyes. Not the stagnant, swirling bloody wind, but one stretching out freely. And... expectation.
The honest hope that he'd listen to her story and believe it. Irid harbored expectation too. He'd heard this tale countless times before and ultimately distrusted it.
This time too, he'd suspect, probe the odd parts relentlessly, demand circumstantial evidence. But if, at the end, he could believe his sister... the two could return to their innocent childhood.
"...I'll listen slowly. Don't just stand there—sit. No, not on the bed. That's my designated seat."
"Then where should I sit...?"
"The floor or the desk."
"Can't you really move to a bigger room...?!"
The story went on for quite a while. Elaine unraveled the truth of that day, and Irid listened attentively. The twisted feelings that had blinded them were carried away by some mage's illusion. That alone cleared the misunderstanding.
The only tragedy that day was Elaine shedding tears of joy, hugging Irid, and spinning 28 more turns.