Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Purple Light Within
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Ten days had passed since the Empire's Third Prince, Lucius, visited the White Tower.
However, after the first day, Jeon hadn't set foot in the White Tower at all, staying cooped up in his lodging instead.
There was a reason for that.
For one, Jeon had no desire to get further entangled with the imperial family.
So when Walter collapsed and the brainwashing broke, taking the Third Prince down with him, Jeon had promptly escorted him straight to the White Tower.
'Not only would things blowing up be a hassle, but getting tangled up with royalty while they do... Ugh, I don't even want to imagine it.'
Some might say he'd practically saved the Third Prince's life.
They might argue he could at least claim a hefty reward for it.
'But if I go demanding a reward, I might end up having to pay with my own life.'
This wasn't just about saving some random royal passerby's life.
For starters, the one he'd saved was the Empire's Third Prince, and the one involved alongside him was the Empire's Second Prince, actively engaged in the battle for the throne.
In other words, boasting that he'd foiled the Second Prince's schemes and saved the Third Prince's life would be the perfect way to paint a target on his back for the Second Prince.
'Lucky for me, Lord Luke and Lord Morgan understood.'
Fortunately, Morgan had heard Jeon's full story and relayed it to Luke, who decided to publicly frame the incident as something handled at the Tower's level. That way, Jeon managed to avoid any direct ties to the Third Prince.
'His condition has improved quite a bit, from what I heard.'
Still, he'd gotten regular updates on the Third Prince's status through Lena.
Apparently, he'd been out cold for about a day due to the brainwashing aftereffects but had woken up with his condition being pretty stable overall.
He vaguely recalled what he'd done while brainwashed but didn't remember it fully.
At least there were no health issues, which was a relief.
'They're still investigating the truth behind it.'
His side had stayed at the White Tower for recovery and fact-finding, only departing for the capital again this morning.
"Brainwashing..."
Lying on his bed in the lodging, Jeon mulled things over as his eyes slowly drifted shut.
It wasn't sleep.
He was simply closing his eyes to block out the outside world and focus inward.
A purple glow soon flickered to life in the darkness behind his eyelids.
This was Jeon's inner world.
His personal mental image, which he'd recently learned to enter on his own.
'All thanks to this.'
He hadn't constructed a full mental world, but being able to enter his own mental image was tremendous progress for a mage.
A mage who could peer into their inner self wielded magic that grew far more solid and profound.
But Jeon hadn't achieved this growth through his own efforts.
It was all thanks to that purple light.
'From the circumstances... it seems like the power Walter wielded.'
After defeating Walter, a force had surged into Jeon's body.
That force was this purple light.
At first, he'd sensed something settling inside him but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
Over the past few days in his lodging, he'd focused on uncovering its nature, which allowed him to access both the purple light and his inner world.
'The real question is why it came to me.'
He had a few hypotheses.
Jeon's recent conclusion was: 'If one who possesses a mystery kills another who possesses a mystery, they can absorb the dead one's mystery.'
In other words...
'The Korean Patch ability is a type of mystery too.'
Of course, there was no evidence to back this up.
It was purely Jeon's intuition.
And as always, he wasn't one to dwell long on unsolvable problems.
Having roughly concluded why Walter's mystery had taken root in him, Jeon turned his attention to how to use it.
'Brainwashing... no clue how that's done.'
Unlike the Korean Patch, which activated instinctively upon seeing text,
he had no feel for how to wield this new mystery.
But one thing was certain.
'At least I won't fall victim to mental brainwashing anytime soon.'
Judging by the aura emanating from the purple light,
its mere presence in his body allowed Jeon to resist most external mental influences.
For example, if Kairon tried invading his mental world now, the purple light would shut him out at the door.
'If I use it right, it could be a huge boon for my magic too.'
Who knew.
Considering how Walter had brainwashed himself, combining that power with runes of will might yield something good—and applying it to magic could produce impressive results.
'For now... I'll just keep observing it.'
He didn't know how to use it properly yet.
But someday, he'd master this power too.
With that, Jeon finished contemplating his inner world and opened his eyes.
He also sat up in bed while he was at it.
"Hmm, maybe it's time to visit the Tower after all this time."
With the Third Prince gone since morning, it was about time to check in on Tower business.
After holing up in his lodging for ten full days, it was time to prepare to head out.
Clang, clank.
The training grounds echoed with the clatter of knights' armor and weapons.
"Haaah!"
"Hiyaa!"
Other knights charged at the man standing in the center, shouting battle cries.
Though it was meant to be training grounds, the attackers were fully armed with weapons and armor.
"..."
In the center, a man dressed not in steel plate but in a simple, sweat-wicking cotton shirt opened his bandaged eyes as they approached.
Seeing the weapons closing in, he casually swung the sword in his hand.
Then, something astonishing happened.
"Wh-what!?"
"This is...!"
Clangclangclang!
The weapons of the charging knights were swept along his sword's path as if caught in a current.
Those who lost their grip were flung aside; those who resisted were dragged bodily by the flow.
Thud thud crash!
With one move from the central man, all the charging knights sprawled across the ground in a comical scene.
"You've finally reached that realm, Your Highness. Congratulations."
"Ah, Helena."
Through the fallen knights stepped a woman with lush auburn hair, greeting the man.
The man in the center, Lupeon, smiled back at her greeting.
"It's all thanks to you, Helena."
"No, I merely awakened Your Highness's talent a bit sooner."
"Haha, you're always so humble—it's refreshing."
As the two exchanged smiles and words,
the knights, sensing the mood, gathered their gear and bodies and quietly withdrew from the grounds.
They knew better than to interrupt the Empire's Second Prince and his right-hand woman.
With the clamor of weapons and knights' fervor faded to calm, Lupeon and Helena continued their conversation, eyes only for each other.
"I've finally caught up to where my brother stands."
"By age alone, Your Highness reached the master realm far faster."
Master.
It seemed an lofty title for Lupeon, just past thirty,
but in truth, he'd only just stepped into the master realm.
The spar just now had been to test his newfound power.
"If I reached master at a younger age... That doesn't matter. What counts is I just got here, while Brother Lucard has been at this level for five whole years."
Lupeon was currently thirty-two.
The First Prince, Lucard, was thirty-eight and had shocked the Empire by reaching master at thirty-three, five years ago.
Though Lupeon had achieved it a year sooner, overturning the view that his talent lagged behind Lucard's, he wasn't satisfied with mere parity.
"What matters in the end is whose skill is superior now. My rival is the current Lucard."
Comparing at the same age, Lupeon led—but currently, he still trailed by several levels.
"It's fine. You've closed the gap this quickly already. It will shrink even faster now."
"Hearing that from you gives me confidence, Helena."
Taking the towel Helena offered with her encouragement, Lupeon dabbed at his barely-there sweat.
Suddenly, he turned to her with a question.
"How about the others lately?"
"No notable moves from the other princes or princesses."
"They haven't committed to a side yet... something like that?"
"Yes. They're probably all watching and waiting."
"Hm, watching and waiting..."
Lupeon gave a faint smile at Helena's words.
Truth be told, when he'd first set his sights on the throne, no one had paid him any mind.
Back then, Lucard had been the overwhelming frontrunner.
But now, things were different.
Others were watching him and Lucard—that meant his standing had risen.
"They need to decide quickly if they want what they desire."
Of course, Lupeon wasn't one to settle for that.
From the moment he'd chosen this path, his goal wasn't Lucard, but the throne itself.
The First Prince was merely a stepping stone.
"That said... there seems to be trouble on the Third Prince's side."
"Hm?"
Amid their amicable chat, Helena—ever attuned to Lupeon's mood—broached the topic cautiously.
His smiling eyes narrowed slightly at her shift in tone.
"On his way back from the mission, he stopped at the White Tower in Linkcroft... and stayed there ten days before heading back to the capital this morning."
"The White Tower? Why go there?"
"It seems Walter led him there."
"Hm. And?"
The Third Prince visiting the White Tower was unusual, but explainable.
"Contact with Walter cut off after that."
"...Any leads on what happened?"
"Word is, as Lucius's group left the Tower, some were bound and dragged away. Walter might've been captured—or already dead."
"Meaning... the brainwashing on Lucius broke?"
"It looks that way."
As Helena reported, Lupeon's smile faded, a faint frown creasing his brow.
"The White Tower... Did that old fox Luke catch on?"
"Rumor has it the Third Prince met with Vice Tower Master Morgan and Tower Master Luke, then stayed on longer."
"Tch, that old bastard rubs me the wrong way."
Luke was the Empire's top mage, presumed to be an 8th Circle grand mage.
If he'd sensed something off with the Third Prince and acted, even Lupeon couldn't confront him lightly.
Worse, claiming ties to Walter might backfire.
"Tracking Walter's status?"
"Yes. If he's alive, we'll handle it."
"Even if he's dead, check how much the White Tower knows."
"Already planning to send someone useful over there."
"As expected, you handle things perfectly."
The frown eased slightly at her follow-up.
"Anyway... time to pressure those who've declared neutrality."
Until now, he'd focused on building his supporters to match Lucard's level.
Now at parity, it was time to sway the neutrals.
"Send capable agents not just to the White Tower, but all neutral factions."
"Understood."
"They'll want to choose wisely if they hope to keep their power after I become emperor."
It was bold to speak of post-coronation already, but Lupeon was confident.
"The Empire will enter an era of unprecedented prosperity under me."
Ambition burned fiercely in Lupeon's eyes as he spoke.
"So, you finally come out of the Tower after ages, and now where are we going?"
"Hurry and pack! We can't be late!"
Jeon had just arrived at the White Tower after ten days of solid rest.
But no sooner had he joined the dispatch team than Lena grabbed his arm and dragged him off to pack forcibly.
"Lady Mirna sent word that she's stabilized enough for you to visit."
"I get that, but... this suddenly?"
"Well... as you can see, Lady Lena's quite excited."
At Tasha's explanation while helping pack, Jeon glanced back at Lena.
Her thrilled expression as she stuffed bags showed how pumped she was...
"What did you tell her to get her like this?"
"Hm... Hard to explain it all, but I said a great Foxkin mage wants to meet you, and... yeah."
"...Did Lady Mirna okay Lena coming along?"
"Actually... she seemed delighted?"
"Dear god."
Jeon pressed a hand to his forehead at Tasha's words.
It wasn't incomprehensible, though.
Lena had studied magic, but her family favored swords over it.
Meeting another Foxkin great mage from afar was naturally exciting.
Mirna wanting to see Lena made sense too.
The problem was Jeon stuck between them.
"Haa... This is gonna be such a hassle."
He'd planned to visit leisurely when time allowed.
But sensing the Silvermont mage trip would be more troublesome than expected, Jeon sighed despite himself.