Chapter 86
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Mage of the Imperial Palace (8)
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How much time had passed?
Lunaris gripped the silver-white staff with both hands, her expression utterly impassive, and swung it lightly as if sweeping dust from a broom.
-Swoosh!
The stars scattered in an instant, and the distant night sky vanished without a trace.
The illusion disappeared like a figment of imagination, and the familiar scenery of the imperial palace returned once more.
In the dreamlike silence that followed, Lunaris stared down at Arke clutched in her hands.
The silver-white staff fit perfectly in her grasp, as if it had always belonged to her.
She let out a heavy phew, panting roughly, and muttered in a flat tone.
"Is this really the right way to scrub off all that old grime?"
"..."
First Prince Kalian blinked out of his daze, snapped back to reality, and nodded.
"Y-yes, that should be more than enough."
Something felt terribly off about the whole thing...
But in the end, the result had turned out perfectly fine, so it was okay, right?
"Then I'll put this back away."
Lunaris dropped the staff into the box with a thoroughly bored look on her face.
But.
-Humm!
The staff suddenly slipped smoothly from her grip and floated up into the air of its own accord.
Then, drawn like iron to a magnet, it drifted right back to her side.
"...?"
Lunaris furrowed her brow and snatched the floating staff hovering beside her.
"Get in there."
She shoved it back into the box with clear irritation.
But Arke was just as stubborn.
As soon as Lunaris tried forcing it back in, it resisted steadfastly, refusing to stay put.
"Ah, seriously..."
Was this thing picking a fight now?
Lunaris finally put some real force into it and managed to jam the staff into the box.
This time, she didn't just leave it at that—she slammed the lid shut and pinned it down hard with telekinesis magic.
-Rattle! Rattle!
Trapped inside, Arke thrashed wildly.
"What are you doing? Tie this thing up already."
Lunaris shot an irritated glance at the knights standing there dumbfounded.
"Ah, yes sir!"
The nearby knights scrambled over, wrapping heavy iron chains around the box and snapping the locks into place.
Lunaris scrawled a runic seal on top—the one she'd memorized earlier with a quick glance.
Only then did the box finally seem to settle.
But the makeshift seal she slapped on didn't hold for long.
-Crack! Crunch!
A twisting, wrenching sound echoed as the box began shaking violently again.
The knights recoiled in panic.
-Boom!
With a deafening explosion, the box shattered into pieces.
Even the sturdy chains snapped like twigs, shards flying everywhere.
From the wreckage, the silver-white staff rose leisurely into the air.
As if nothing had happened, it settled obediently by Lunaris's side.
What an utterly shameless staff.
"Ha..."
Lunaris sighed, eyeing the remains of the exploded box.
With a look of resignation, she picked up the staff—nearly as tall as she was—and swung it around a few times.
"Well, it does feel pretty good in my hands."
As she muttered to herself and glanced down at Arke, Lunaris suddenly turned to Prince Kalian.
"Your Highness. Is this stick supposed to be this much of a free spirit?"
Of course, the First Prince had no real idea either.
He hesitated awkwardly for a moment before looking to Gerard, captain of the Imperial Mage Corps.
Gerard stroked his goatee and groaned thoughtfully.
"It seems... the divine relic Arke has imprinted on you, Miss Lunaris."
"Imprinted? What's that?"
"...Some artifact-level relics have a tendency to choose their own masters."
The captain cleared his throat awkwardly and continued his speculation.
"It looks like Arke has taken a real liking to you."
"I don't like it much, though."
Lunaris recoiled in disgust.
"It's so long—carrying it around is going to be a pain..."
As if it had heard her complaints, Arke slipped from her hand and began spinning in the air.
Like it was desperately trying to prove its usefulness.
"...Anyway, it's just a bulky nuisance."
Lunaris's expression remained utterly bored.
The thought of having to deal with this annoying thing filled her with dread.
Wait a second. More importantly, this was an ancient heirloom passed down since the founding of the empire.
If she damaged it somehow, she couldn't even imagine how much she'd have to pay.
At that moment, Prince Kalian spoke up with a smile.
"Lunaris Evermoon."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"We'll lend you that staff—Arke—indefinitely."
A chorus of dismay rippled through the room at his words.
The nobles erupted in outrage at the idea of entrusting the empire's great treasure to a single individual.
"Um, wouldn't it be better to reconsider this?"
Strangely enough, the most vehement objector was none other than Lunaris herself.
"I mean, taking this piece of junk—no, national treasure—out of the palace just feels wrong."
Her voice dripped with annoyance.
The First Prince just shook his head with a chuckle.
"Don't feel too burdened. While Arke is a treasure of the imperial family, it's also been something of a headache to handle."
So you're just dumping this headache on me now.
Lunaris pouted inwardly.
"In the end, an artifact only has meaning when it's used, doesn't it?"
"..."
"Arke was purified by your mana, and it seems to have chosen you as its master. There's no reason not to lend it."
"Sigh... Fine. I'll take care of it for now, whatever."
Lunaris frowned in clear displeasure, pondered for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and nodded.
"It's not exactly a gift, but it feels weird just taking without giving something back..."
With Arke floating in the air beside her, Lunaris strode straight toward Prince Kalian on his throne.
"Your Highness, could I borrow your hand for a second?"
The chamberlain standing nearby jumped in alarm.
"How impertinent! How dare you lay hands on the royal person!"
He tried to block her path in a panic, but.
"This should do it, right?"
The First Prince brushed him off without a care and extended his gaunt, pale wrist.
"Your Highness! That mage hasn't even registered her mana..."
"Yes. Could you relax a bit?"
Ignoring the chamberlain entirely, Lunaris calmly grasped the prince's wrist.
She closed her eyes and began sensing the fog-like mana permeating his body.
Soon, a soft light bloomed from her hand.
Black, deadened threads began oozing out around the prince's wrist.
-Humm.
A strange sensation made Prince Kalian's eyes widen.
Something was being drawn out.
The sticky filth flowing through his veins.
The source of the pain stabbing his lungs.
It was all being pulled out by Lunaris's hands, attuned to natural mana.
"I don't know about other events, but you shouldn't show up to gatherings full of mages like this if you can help it."
"Cough... cough!"
"It's not good for your health."
As coughs wracked the prince, the knights jolted and gripped their sword hilts.
They thought Lunaris was harming him.
But Prince Kalian knew better.
No blood in the cough...
His body, heavy as waterlogged cotton before, now felt light as a feather.
His foggy vision cleared, and his labored breathing eased.
"Feeling better now?"
Lunaris released his hand casually and asked.
A clump of sticky gray smoke hovered at her fingertips.
She brought the mana residue near Arke, which sucked it up eagerly.
"What... was that?"
Prince Kalian flexed his hand in disbelief, over and over.
"What did you... do?"
"Nothing much."
Lunaris brushed the dust from her clothes and replied indifferently.
"I just pulled out the mana buildup in your body—like waste."
She snapped her fingers, scattering the remaining natural mana into the air.
"From now on, have the imperial mages draw it out periodically."
With that, as if her business was done, Lunaris turned on her heel.
"Well, I'll be going now."
Without a backward glance, she sauntered away down the red carpet, away from the throne.
The silver-white Arke trailed after her like a loyal puppy.
She paid no mind to royalty, nobles, or even the authority of archmages.
But that arrogant, aloof retreating figure was more befitting of an archmage than anyone else in the room.
*
The moment I stepped out of the hall, I sensed someone following me.
"Wait! Lunaris Evermoon!"
A voice called my name right away.
I glanced back to see some guy striding toward me purposefully.
Fancy robes, arrogant gait.
Obviously some noble brat.
"Got a minute?!"
Of course, I had no idea who he was.
Who the heck is this guy chasing after me? What a pain.
I tried pretending not to hear and kept walking.
-Clank, clink.
Knights in full armor were swarming behind him.
Wait, what's going on? Dragging knights around inside the palace like this—isn't this treason?
I grimaced in dismay, then spotted a familiar face amid the knights.
Someone in a simple dress, fidgeting nervously and biting her nails.
With striking red hair above all.
It was none other than Senior Miriel.
The instant I saw her, it hit me.
Oh right, she wanted to meet after the ceremony.
Relieved (more like, thrilled to have an excuse to escape this situation), I waved enthusiastically.
"Senior Miriel."
"...!"
Senior Miriel, who had been catching her breath, looked up in surprise.
"You said you were going to introduce me to someone."
"Ah, uh, y-yeah..."
She shuffled closer to me, all timid.
Gone was her usual confident demeanor—replaced by a thoroughly cowed version of herself.
"Th-that person right in front of you is..."
Senior Miriel's gaze flicked to the noble young man standing before me.
"The one I was going to introduce you to..."
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him again.
As if on cue, he lifted his chin with a smug smile.
"That's right, Lady Miriel! Introduce me to Lunaris Evermoon at once!"
"..."
Senior Miriel swallowed hard, then leaned in close and whispered in a low, grave voice.
"Lunaris. This is... His Imperial Highness, Second Prince Valerius Belhart of the Belhart Empire."
...Huh?
This guy... no, this person... is the Second Prince?