Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Mage of the Imperial Palace (3)
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"You're here, dear!"
The Mage Tower Lord, Eleanor, beamed brightly as she approached Lunaris Evermoon.
"Hello, Grandmother."
"I can hardly recognize you. You're so beautiful, it's dazzling."
A warm grandmother from the world and her bashful granddaughter.
'No way... did she pick that little kid as the next Mage Tower Lord?!'
'This might be worth way more than I thought.'
'Gotta sweet-talk her while she's still clueless...'
The nobles' mental calculators spun rapidly at the sight of their intimate exchange.
At that moment, another group approached Lunaris.
Unlike the shabby mages from the Mage Tower, these were neat and tidy mages clad in pristine white robes.
They were none other than mages from the Imperial Mage Corps.
"Tower Lord Eleanor, it's been ages since we last met."
The elderly man at the front of the group bowed politely to Eleanor.
"If it isn't little Gerard. Your hair's gone a lot whiter since I last saw you."
"Hoho, little one? I'm well past sixty now."
"You should've stopped by the Mage Tower more often to show off how much you've grown."
"Even if I had, you'd just have been napping."
Corps Captain Gerard grinned and turned his gaze to Lunaris.
"Did you come down here for this child?"
"Yes. She's like a granddaughter to me. Quite talented, too."
"Vice-Captain Albert's been bragging about her nonstop, so I already knew she was something special."
Gerard leaned down slightly to meet Lunaris's eye level.
"I'm Gerard, Captain of the Imperial Mage Corps. Nice to meet you."
"...Hello. I'm Lunaris."
Lunaris bobbed her head sleepily, showing no sign of intimidation even before one of the Belhart Empire's top archmages.
"Hmm, up close, I can see she's definitely a cut above the kids behind me."
"...?"
"What do you think? Care to join the Imperial Mage Corps? That white robe would suit you perfectly."
"No thanks."
Her reply came out as fast as if she'd cast a spell herself.
Not expecting her to dismiss it without even a moment's hesitation, Corps Captain Gerard gave a wry smile of regret.
"Hoho, couldn't you at least pretend to think about it?"
"Better than fishing around pointlessly. Anyway, where's the vice-captain?"
"Albert? That guy's off hunting black mages. He's still in his prime—he's gotta stay busy."
"Aren't you still active, Captain?"
"Heh. Sadly, I'm a lame duck with just a few months left on my term. I was planning to just stamp papers until retirement, but I ended up sweating over preparations for an archmage inauguration in my old age."
Corps Captain Gerard let out a hearty laugh and took a crystal orb from one of his subordinates standing behind him.
"Do you know this? Mages of upper grade or higher have to register their personal mana signature to enter the palace."
"I'm still just an advanced mage."
"But tomorrow, you'll be an archmage."
"..."
"It's no big deal. It's like checking your weapons at the door."
Lunaris stared blankly at the crystal orb in front of her before suddenly asking,
"Do I have to do this?"
"Of course. Your master and the Tower Lord have both registered theirs."
Lunaris glanced back at Tower Lord Eleanor as if to confirm.
"It's a procedure I went through myself long ago."
The Tower Lord nodded with a kind smile.
"It's proof that the Empire acknowledges your power—and keeps an eye on it. Try to be forgiving."
At the Tower Lord's words, Lunaris let out a lazy sigh of resignation and nodded.
"Fine."
With a thoroughly bored expression dripping with reluctance, Lunaris placed her hand on the crystal orb.
The moment she infused it with mana, the orb began to shine with brilliant starlight.
Just as everyone watching let out low oohs of admiration at the dazzling sight—
-Fwoooosh!
Light exploded from inside the crystal orb like an erupting star.
-Crack! Pop!
With a sharp bursting sound, the crystal orb shattered into pieces.
Its mana was so overwhelmingly powerful that instead of shards flying everywhere, it turned to powder in midair and scattered.
And in its place—
-Shimmer...
Ethereal stardust swirled around Lunaris like a flowing galaxy.
A scene utterly divorced from reality.
All the more beautiful and overwhelming for it.
This was the origin of the epithet that would later define Lunaris: "The Star-Calling Sorceress."
"..."
The stardust settled into the deathly silent hall.
But no one could simply admire the starlight in awe.
"Hup... c-can't... breathe..."
"Urk! B-body's... heavy!"
Dense mana had spread from Lunaris, dominating the space inside the hall.
Even Corps Captain Gerard and Tower Lord Eleanor hurriedly released their own mana to neutralize the air, or it would have been disastrous.
If those two hadn't stepped in, people might have suffocated or been crushed.
Just as Corps Captain Gerard could no longer hold back and prepared to fully mobilize his mana—
Lunaris drew the starlight back into her body as if she'd been waiting for that exact moment.
It was like she'd timed it perfectly on the edge of disaster.
Gasps of relief echoed from all around.
Soon, all eyes fixed on Lunaris.
Astoundment. And fear.
Some nobles shot her suspicious glances, wondering if she'd deliberately shattered the orb.
"Uh..."
Lunaris herself just blinked vacantly.
"This crystal orb seems kinda weak."
"Hmm..."
"Maybe the durability's no good...?"
She played it off so nonchalantly, like a sly fox.
Corps Captain Gerard swallowed a short, dry laugh and shook his head.
"No way. This was made for measuring archmages, you know."
"Then maybe it's just old and worn out?"
Corps Captain Gerard scratched his head in disbelief.
Then he turned to Raymond.
"Hey, Raymond. What am I supposed to do when you raise a monster like this?"
"Ah, ha, ha... I-It'd been a while since I saw a shining gem, so... I polished her up... sincerely...?"
His bluffing voice trembled stutteringly.
Well, claiming he'd raised that would prick anyone's conscience.
"Anyway, what now...? We can't let her into the palace without registering her mana wavelength."
Tower Lord Eleanor stepped forward at his words.
"Let it slide this time. She can register properly next time she visits the palace."
The Tower Lord placed a hand on Lunaris's shoulder and added,
"How about Elder Raymond and I vouch for her identity this time?"
"Eek?!"
The word "vouch" made even arrogant archmages flinch.
"T-Tower Lord? I hate to say it, but I'm not big on vouching for others..."
Especially not for Elterion Academy's troublemaker, Lunaris Evermoon.
The memories of writing reflection essays and pulling night patrols because of her felt as fresh as yesterday.
She'd even nearly flexed her power just moments ago over a minor issue.
It was just a hunch, but he had a bad feeling he'd end up in trouble because of her again.
But when Tower Lord Eleanor shot him a piercing glare, Department Head Raymond caved and backpedaled.
"A-alright! Got it! I'll keep a close eye on Miss Lunaris! She's my prized disciple, after all!"
"See? And Miss Lunaris may be an archmage, but she's still a minor child who hasn't reached adulthood. Imposing restrictions and duties by force is less effective than a guardian's care."
In the end, Corps Captain Gerard raised both hands in surrender and stepped aside.
"Fine. Just this once, as a favor to you two, we'll let her in without registering her mana wavelength. No next time."
The captain patted Lunaris's shoulder and continued in a meaningful tone.
"Stay out of trouble in your old age, little miss. Don't make me clean up any messes."
"...I could've just skipped the palace altogether."
Lunaris grumbled in a sulky voice.
She'd thought she could legally head back to the dorms, so she looked thoroughly disappointed that it hadn't panned out.
"Where's the protagonist gonna go?! Come on! Let's head in, Student Lunaris!"
Department Head Raymond shoved Lunaris's back in a fluster.
With her criminal(?) record, he couldn't afford not to keep an eye on her.
She could fold space with spatial magic and vanish in a blink if she really wanted to.
It felt like raising a bundle of trouble wrapped in cat form.
After Lunaris and the other mages filed out of the hall en masse—
"Whew... impressive is right."
"Archmages really are on another level from your run-of-the-mill mages."
"This is my fifth archmage inauguration, and I've never seen a measuring orb shatter before."
Sighs erupted among the remaining nobles.
'...I'm screwed.'
Miriel was one of those nobles.
'Screwed, screwed, totally screwed...!'
Cold sweat trickled down Miriel's back as she stared at the spot where Lunaris had left, from a safe distance.
'What the hell happened over vacation for her to awaken into a straight-up monster?!'
That absurd existence.
Lunaris Evermoon, under tight watch by the Mage Tower Lord and the Magic Department Head.
...She had to introduce her to the Second Prince?
'Should I just head back to my territory...? Or return to the academy early...'
Miriel let out a despairing sigh.
The ceiling of the imperial palace's main hall felt especially high today.