Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Have You Ever Seen Something Like This?
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Have you ever seen something like this?
It was the first time.
Sitting face-to-face with the wastrel prince like this, calmly sharing a serious conversation.
"If you'd known you'd act like this now, why didn't you choose me back when our duchy put me forward as a marriage candidate?"
"Back then, weren't you such a tomboy that no one could tell if you were a boy or a girl? You were obsessed with sword training every single day."
"Is that why you chose my sister?"
"That's right."
'Liar.'
Canelian still remembered it vividly.
The words the prince had brazenly said in front of the ducal prince at the time.
Canelian had secretly hidden away and eavesdropped on the conversation between the ducal prince and the prince.
-Your Grace, I think tormenting the frail older sister in bed would be quite the thrill.
That leering expression had left a profound shock on the young Canelian back then.
At that time, she had been smitten with the prince's statue-like beauty and harbored a secret crush on him.
When she overheard palace rumors that she might become his fiancée instead of her sister,
she was so excited she couldn't sleep for days.
The innocent heart of that girl who didn't crumble even after hearing that shocking statement...
turned to disillusionment after she witnessed the prince stripping a maid naked, hanging her upside down, and laughing as he whipped her.
The depth of her affection had been so great that...
the backlash was equally proportional.
"I won't rush the marriage ceremony. Once His Majesty shows signs of recovery, we can make it official then."
The king's health was poor.
It could be delayed indefinitely.
"Wouldn't that be even better for you, Duchess? You'd have plenty of time to prepare yourself mentally."
Canelian racked her brains desperately.
Could it be true that there was some unspeakable reason behind his wastrel behavior?
'No way that's possible.'
He might just be putting on false airs even now to toy with her.
"Then you'll learn about the magic in this brooch much later too, since you said you'd save it for the wedding night pleasures."
"Or would you like to experience that pleasure ahead of time? How about tonight?"
"... "
Canelian glared at him unwittingly, then flinched and forced a smile.
"You know how to make the kind of face men like."
"...Your Highness."
"Hand over the brooch."
"Pardon?"
"On second thought, keeping you in suspense for too long doesn't seem polite."
The prince held out his hand.
And Canelian ultimately handed over the brooch.
The moment the prince muttered something, Canelian flinched.
An unfamiliar language she'd never heard before.
At that instant, the brooch was enveloped in dazzling light.
The obsidian-like black gem began to glow with an emerald-blue radiance.
Canelian clenched her fists tightly.
'It really is an emotional artifact?'
Even the faint doubt vanished in that moment.
The gem shot out an explosive flash toward the window.
Canelian instinctively turned her head.
Outside the window, a massive blue dragon was swimming through the sky.
A mystical sight, circling slowly as if swimming through the ocean depths.
Canelian covered her mouth with both hands.
"D-Dragon...!"
"It's a blue dragon. It's said to wield dominion over water."
"How is this possible... Dragons really exist? Was that brooch an artifact that summons a blue dragon?"
Dragons were legendary divine beasts.
The official last sighting record was thousands of years ago,
and even that was strongly claimed by the Magic Tower to be a fabricated legend.
'Summoning a dragon—this is a mythic-grade artifact?'
Canelian trembled with ecstasy.
The warm light emanating from the massive blue dragon was simply blinding.
"How strong is this dragon?"
"It has no offensive capabilities."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
The blue dragon thrust its head through the wide-open window.
It pointed its house-sized massive horn toward Canelian.
A motion like a fierce beast acting cute.
"Want to touch it?"
"C-Can I?"
"You can. It's just an illusory projection without a physical form."
"What?"
The prince nodded insistently with his eyes.
Canelian, slightly panicked, stroked the blue dragon's horn.
But her hand passed right through it, groping empty air.
"...?"
Suddenly, the blue dragon opened its mouth wide and swallowed Canelian in one gulp.
Canelian instinctively drew her sword and slashed at the dragon's maw,
but the dragon's head passed right through her.
Canelian blankly looked up at the dragon swimming outside the window again, then turned her gaze to the prince.
Eyes filled with confusion, demanding an explanation.
"Isn't it magnificent? It's truly befitting of mythic grade majesty."
No way...
Canelian stammered haltingly.
"...Your Highness. My artifact doesn't contain magic to summon a blue dragon?"
"Didn't you just experience it yourself? It's an illusory projection without substance."
"... "
Canelian's mind went blank.
There were artifacts like that.
Ones with absolutely no practical use for combat, crafting, or anything else.
Just for amusing people and bringing joy.
Producing intangible flowers or fireworks,
or playing beautiful music.
Those used solely for entertainment were, naturally, worthless despite the name "artifact."
The prince's face as he gazed at the dragon outside the window looked genuinely delighted.
"This is exactly what a mythic-grade looktsal... no, illusion is. Duchess, have you ever seen anything like this even once?"
"...This is my first time."
"Of course it is."
Canelian stared at the blue dragon with unfocused eyes.
She'd thought it was a powerful combat artifact that summoned a legendary divine beast.
'This crap... is mythic-grade?'
Canelian returned to the guest palace feeling utterly drained.
The necklace around her neck was no longer its former black but emitted a sea-like blue glow.
The maid Emma made a huge fuss.
"Lady Canelian! A dragon appeared at the palace! Did you see it by any chance?"
"Ah... the dragon?"
"Yes! It was only for a moment, but lots of people saw it clearly! It flew around the main palace and then suddenly vanished. Could it be a sacred omen that the Arcana Kingdom is reviving?"
"... "
The attendants and maids dispatched from the duchy were all abuzz with talk of the suddenly appearing dragon.
Over dozens had witnessed it briefly, and their descriptions matched perfectly.
"Lady Canelian, Lady Canelian! I just heard that the Founding King of the Arcana Kingdom was actually the incarnation of a dragon!"
"I-is that so?"
Canelian responded half-heartedly.
The older and more prestigious the noble family, like the royal house, the more grandiose founding myths they tended to have.
Even the Elryad ducal house, which had branched off from the Arcana royal family...
"Maybe the ascended Founding King was worried about the kingdom's future, so he descended briefly to impart wisdom to the prince and then returned?"
"... "
"Everyone in the palace is saying that. They're worried about their sole rightful heir going astray, so the Founding King came down for a moment to discipline him."
"Ah, I hope the prince finally develops a character befitting his looks."
"... "
Dragon talk was everywhere she went.
They said there were only about twenty witnesses, yet it felt like everyone in the palace had seen it.
Canelian clutched the now blue-glowing brooch tightly.
She wanted to tell Emma the truth but missed the timing.
And now she could no longer speak the truth.
"The Founding King must have descended to tell the prince to get his act together."
"Even after ascending, he's always watching over the kingdom."
"Come to think of it, when other regions suffered severe droughts or floods, our kingdom never has, right?"
"That's true. I checked the records, and since its founding, our kingdom has never once endured a major natural disaster."
"Devotees line up every day with flowers at the sacred resting place where the Founding King slumbers. I offered flowers there yesterday too."
"His Majesty needs to pull himself together soon and hear this news. He'd be so overjoyed."
Whenever such talk reached her ears, Canelian unconsciously gripped the brooch tightly.
The situation had spiraled out of control.
The illusion of the blue dragon summoned by the brooch had become the soul of the Founding King descending to the mortal realm.
Canelian no longer had the courage to shatter people's hopes now.
"Did you hear? The prince hasn't flogged anyone for three whole days!"
"Wait, hasn't it been since the day the Founding King visited briefly?"
"Yeah, it seems like it! Right from that day! The prince hasn't picked up the whip!"
"His expressions and speech seem much softer than before too. Am I imagining it?"
"No, I felt it too."
The rumors spread uncontrollably.
That after the soul of the Founding King—incarnation of the dragon—visited, the prince's demeanor began to change.
There were some skeptical glances too.
"But has the prince really changed? People don't change that easily."
"Even so, after being scolded by the Ancestor, he might at least act the part out of fear?"
"I hope so..."
Canelian decided to bury the truth.
In the western palace of the royal palace, the Rose Palace.
Ragna's younger sister, Princess Raisha, slammed shut the magic tome she was reading.
Healthy skin tone.
Golden hair cascading to her waist like fine threads drawn from gold, just like her brother's.
Her calm golden eyes, seemingly indifferent, turned toward her teacher clad in a mage's robe.
"Is that really true, Teacher?"
"No way. It's clearly a rumor the prince spread intentionally."
"But there were over dozens of initial witnesses."
"Dozens is hardly anything."
The mage's eyes sharpened.
"I'm certain it's the prince's own act."
"Why would he do such a thing? It's so unlike Brother."
"Perhaps it's the burden of the throne weighing on him."
"The burden?"
"It must have jolted him awake. Worrying that if His Majesty passes, there might even be a rebellion.
His past misdeeds are catching up to him now.
So he's pretending to reform to soothe the people's hearts."
Princess Raisha said flatly.
"Isn't that good? He's at least showing the will to get his act together."
The mage nodded too.
"It's a good thing. Hopefully, he pulls himself together for real this time.
I've been so anxious all this while, fearing His Majesty might bequeath the throne to you..."
"Now I can finally focus solely on my magic studies without such worries."
"Exactly. Now we can catch up on progress. Well then, the magic I'll teach you today is..."
For the first time in ages, teacher and student could immerse themselves in scholarship, forgetting external worries.