Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Imperial Capital Carnias (4)
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A few days before Sion's party arrived at the imperial capital.
Linie, who had come to the imperial capital at the Hero's invitation, was sharing words with Karl in the reception room.
"...So, why'd you call me here?"
Of course, the conversation wasn't exactly friendly.
Linie might not hold the elves' typical chosen-people ideology, but she still carried a sense of racial superiority.
"Haha, don't be so cold, Linie. It's been ages since we saw a comrade."
"If it weren't you, I'd have shredded that invitation."
Still, based on their shared time in the Demon King Subjugation Party, Karl Leonhardt was one human she could respect.
Karl was among the rare few humans Linie treated with any warmth.
"So spill it. Why'd you summon me?"
Even so, the tense air had only eased to a prickly simmer.
"Um... well..."
Karl, for his part, didn't take Linie's attitude to heart.
It wasn't as if they'd only met a handful of times—he'd already gauged her personality back in the subjugation days.
Karl's ability to lead the party stemmed from his generosity in tolerating even such sharp edges.
"It's about Sion."
"...Why bring her up out of nowhere?"
Sion.
The mere mention of those two syllables drew an immediate scowl from Linie.
If the man before her weren't the Hero, she'd have bolted from the room on the spot.
Sion was, to Linie, an object of utter loathing.
"It's important."
"...Haa. Keep talking."
"...You know that Demon King's Core Sion took?"
Back when Karl had been trapped in the demon's domain on Mount Bestia, most of the demon's questions to him had revolved around Sion.
"And?"
"...Mishandle it, and we might get a new Demon King."
The Demon King's Core wasn't some mere leftover scrap from slaying the Demon King.
More precisely, it was the single most vital ingredient for creating one.
"What kinda lunacy is that? Why would it come back to life?"
"The core Sion took is the key to reviving the Demon King."
As her condition for joining the subjugation party, Sion had claimed the Demon King's Core.
The demons serving under the Demon King were hunting her down for it.
"So I need your help."
On this continent, the finest tracker of people was probably Velkail, the beastkin assassin from the eastern lands.
But for hunting down a mage? Karl was certain it was the elf before him.
"You want me to track Sion with my own eyes?"
"Exactly."
Linie's magic eyes could pierce straight through another person's mana.
Follow the traces of mana Sion had left across the continent, and even a grand archmage's trail could be sniffed out.
"...Fine, whatever."
Linie accepted without hesitation.
"But you'll owe me—and the Empire too. Something I want."
"Deal."
The elven homeland of Elnora Forest was mired in a crisis even the elves alone couldn't resolve.
In times like these, racking up a debt with the neighboring Leonian Empire opened all sorts of doors.
"Oh, right—one more thing. Shocking news."
"Hm?"
"Heard Sion took on a disciple? She's headed to the palace soon."
Sion... with a disciple?
"Bullshit."
Linie dismissed it as Karl blurting out some random nonsense.
"...Who the hell are you?"
I figured Karl had spouted more idiotic drivel.
But it wasn't entirely nonsense.
No clue why she's parading around looking like that.
But don't you dare try fooling my eyes too, you wretched little shit.
"...What's your real identity?"
Whatever trick she pulled, I couldn't say.
But this small, mousy girl in front of me? Definitely Sion.
The dense mana rippling around her was proof enough.
But...
"Hic... M-me?"
This one's really Sion?
This... sniveling, pathetic little fool?
"Haa. Never pegged you for an acting prodigy. Then again, the secrets you've kept from us were never just one or two."
During their time together in the Demon King Subjugation Party, she'd memorized the nature of Sion's mana over and over.
Pure and pristine, like the radiant light of starshine.
Mana that clashed utterly with Sion's sleazy, scheming vibe—she remembered it vividly.
"Why not drop the act already? Or should I rip the mask off myself?"
The mana swirling around the girl calling herself Rion matched Sion's perfectly.
Coincidence? No chance in hell—
"Hold it, Linie!"
"Let go—this girl's definitely—"
[Rion is Sion's blood kin.]
Karl's whisper only knotted Linie's thoughts tighter.
'Blood kin?'
Same blood could mean similar mana signatures, sure.
But this level of perfect overlap? Even Linie had never witnessed it.
'No, that bitch is...'
Sion.
Definitely Sion.
But...
"Hic... I-I really... didn't hide... anything..."
[...Why are you staring like that?]
That's Sion? That brainless ditz?
She hid a face like that behind her smug mask?
"No... no way."
Impossible.
If that really was Sion, it'd make Linie look like a total idiot for ever bothering to watch her back.
"Right—Sion couldn't possibly be some moron like this."
"W-what?!"
"C-Cloe... calm down..."
Yeah. That's not Sion.
That realization smoothed the chaos in her head.
"Sorry. My mistake."
"R-really...?"
"A spineless thing who can't string a sentence together or even meet someone's eyes? No way that's Sion. Guess I've lost my mind."
"Hey!"
Gazing at Rion, half-hidden behind her comrade, Linie steeled her resolve once more.
That's not Sion.
Not Sion.
Her magic eyes kept insisting otherwise, but Linie shoved the intel aside.
"Anyway, we're done here. Hope I never see you again."
"Rion-nim! Let me at her—I'll handle this pointy-eared freak...!"
"C-Calm down, Cloe... I'm okay..."
Staring at that Rion girl just kept triggering headaches.
In the end, Linie retreated to her room.
'W-we almost got busted...'
Oblivious to whatever schemes Rion might be hatching.
"S-so... I'll head out..."
The second day after arriving at the palace.
Finally, the day for an audience with the Emperor of Carnias.
"Take care, Rion-nim."
Unfortunately, Cloe couldn't join for the audience.
Even with her pardon, ushering a former criminal into the chamber was out of the question.
"Sorry I can't come along..."
"No worries. I'm not all that keen on meeting the emperor anyway."
[Careful—that's borderline lese-majeste, Cloe.]
Not that Cloe cared much either way.
"Anyway... it shouldn't take long. Don't fret."
They called it a commendation ceremony, but the real point was probably just to get a look at Sion's disciple—me.
What political machinations came after? No clue, and I didn't care.
On my end: peek at the emperor's mug, done.
Afterward? Enjoy the banquet, then bail.
That's what Sion figured right up until the audience chamber doors.
Unaware Edelra had other plans.
The audience with the emperor proved far less grand than imagined. Utterly routine.
"Though hailing from foreign lands, We hold your devoted service to the Empire in the highest regard."
Standard spiel: recap my feats, express imperial gratitude.
Yawns bubbled up halfway through, but I choked them back.
The only real distractions? Edelra and Linie glaring daggers from the front dais.
Edelra made sense, but Linie? What was her deal?
Had the disguise not landed perfectly?
Truth be told, fooling Linie and her magic eyes was never on the cards.
She just bought all the nasty rumors about me hook, line, and sinker—so no overlapping Rion with Sion.
Either way: music to my ears.
Just as things wrapped up smoothly...
"Y-Your Majesty? Might I have a word?"
Edelra, silent until now, requested the floor.
"Edelra? Speak freely."
"I have a request for Rion-nim."
'Request?'
"As the disciple of the Grand Archmage, would you grace me with a lesson?"
"Eh—"
Hold up.
Didn't you drop this...?
"Hmm... a lesson, you say..."
A duel? One thing.
A spar for instruction? Different story.
Edelra was a talented mage; requesting a match with the Grand Archmage's disciple wasn't odd.
Just... the emperor had no inkling of her ulterior motives.
"We have no issue, but mind you don't trouble our guest, Edelra."
"Urgh..."
My daughter wants to spar. But if you're weary, no need.
How many could refuse when the emperor framed it like that?
If I were Sion? Hard pass. One hundred percent.
But I'm Rion now.
"...I'm fine with it."
Rion wasn't bold enough to snub an imperial request.
Once the formalities ended, most of the audience chamber crowd funneled toward the training grounds.
All to watch the magic duel between me and Edelra.
Part curiosity about the palace idol's spells, sure.
But mostly...
"Sion's disciple, huh..."
"Wonder how much of a monster she is."
"At least Olivia-knight level, right?"
...eager to gauge my strength.
I didn't exactly hide my power, but unleashing full throttle with Linie watching? Suicide.
Sticking to my signature style? Even riskier.
"...Subspace."
I cast the spell, retrieving a dusty staff long abandoned in storage.
Hadn't touched it since unlocking the truth of casting.
Casting staffless in front of Linie? Recipe for disaster.
This sleight-of-hand would have to do—
"Um, you're holding the staff backwards."
"Ah."
So this is the front.
...Too damn long since I last used it. Slipped my mind.