Chapter 580: Stinking Men
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 580: Stinking Men
"Ugh, I’m beat."
After a long day of buried under a mountain of paperwork, Phyllis Rosetti stretched her limbs languidly, stood up, and gazed out the window.
She was a woman of striking beauty, possessing a voluptuous and seductive figure. Her deep-red uniform only served to accentuate the heart-racing curves of her waist as she moved. Every gesture exuded the mature aura of a noble lady; whatever girlish innocence she might have possessed in her youth had long since ripened into something far sweeter and more intoxicating.
Unfortunately, there was no one there to appreciate it. Even the most beautiful flower could only admire its own reflection when left alone.
After a moment of self-pitying vanity directed at her reflection in the glass, her gaze fell upon the thick, impenetrable darkness of the night. She continued to mutter her complaints.
"Overtime, overtime, every single day. I’m working so late I can’t even get my beauty sleep. If I’d known being the Guild Master of the Royal Mage Corps was this exhausting, I never would’ve taken the job."
"Don't be so childish at a time like this, Guild Master."
The door opened silently, and a figure stepped inside, walking toward Phyllis’s desk with practiced familiarity.
"The entire Royal Mage Corps relies on you to hold things together. You can't afford to lose heart now."
"The whole Corps relies on one woman?"
Phyllis rolled her eyes.
"Beck, you might be able to charm the young girls with that talk, but you won't fool me. I knew that old bastard of a former Guild Master well enough. He was a total deadbeat who barely showed his face at headquarters a few times a year, and everything ran just fine without him."
"Times are different now. You can't compare the two," Beck replied.
He placed another thick stack of documents on Phyllis’s desk. As her eyelid began to twitch, he offered a helpless smile.
"During the old Guild Master’s tenure, the Empire was at peace. The Royal Mage Corps’ only job was to guard the palace; naturally, there wasn't much to do. But now..."
"But now, chaos could break out at any moment, right?" Phyllis groaned, clutching her head in pain.
She should have known that when the old bastard was so eager to pass the position to her, it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart. No sooner had he vanished than His Majesty the King fell gravely ill, and the entirety of Belland was sucked into the power struggle for the throne.
The Royal Mage Corps was not exempt. These past few days, simply turning down the lobbyists sent privately by various factions and Great Nobles had been enough to give her a migraine—not to mention the internal issues cropping up within the Corps as the situation escalated.
She had just dealt with a group of traitors a few days ago, but anyone with half a brain knew that the rot hidden within the Royal Mage Corps went much deeper than that.
Learning magic required an immense amount of resources that commoners could rarely afford. Thus, magic was often called a "noble’s game." While the backgrounds of the elites entering the Royal Mage Corps were strictly vetted, it was impossible to guarantee they didn't have other "connections" buried deep in their pasts.
Just like those recent traitors—on the surface, they were clean, but their deepest ties could be traced back over a decade.
"It’s so hard..."
Thinking of the myriad difficulties ahead, even the endless paperwork seemed like a minor annoyance. Phyllis leaned her head against the windowpane in a display of utter defeat. Her "dead-fish" eyes, with their slightly smudged eyeshadow, stared out at the palace under the night sky.
The night was deep, yet the palace was ablaze with lights.
Maids and guards could be seen moving along the wide avenues as usual, but a tense, eerie atmosphere radiated clearly from the magnificent halls.
"The Second Prince is dead, so it looks like the First Prince is a shoo-in. And yet... our King doesn't seem to think so. What a mess."
Phyllis sighed. "If only I could use time reversal. I’d go back a month and slap my past self. I’d tell her not to be so stupid and to actually use her head."
"Well, regret is useless, Guild Master."
Beck took a delicate teacup from a nearby cabinet. His movements were skillful and elegant as he prepared the brew. Soon, a cup of hot tea was placed before Phyllis.
"I got some medicinal tea from Old Delwin. Why don't you try some?"
"Medicinal tea?"
"Supposedly, it’s a blend of many precious herbs that can restore depleted spiritual power. Given Old Delwin’s medical expertise, it shouldn't be anything ordinary. I had to pester him for ages just to get this little bit."
"Thanks. I appreciate the thought."
Phyllis took the cup and swirled it gently. Watching the tea stalks bob in the brownish liquid, she couldn't help but smile before draining the hot tea in one gulp.
"Ah... that’s better. I’m glad you’re here with me, otherwise I’d probably drop dead from overwork sooner or later."
"As your deputy, it’s the least I can do."
Seeing Phyllis drink the tea, Beck nimbly cleaned the cup with a spell and put it away. He then began organizing the thick stack of documents on the desk.
"Leave the rest to me. You should get some rest."
"Alright. I’ll just close my eyes for a bit. Thank you for the hard work."
Phyllis didn't stand on ceremony. Although her realm was high, she was a pure mage; physical stamina was not her forte. After working all day, she was indeed exhausted, and her spirit even more so.
She propped her chin on her hand and closed her eyes to rest.
Soon, the only sound in the room was the rustling of paper.
Beck processed the documents quickly, but as he flipped through them, his movements suddenly paused.
He heard a faint sound of snoring.
Looking up, he saw that Phyllis had somehow fallen asleep at the desk, her beautiful face buried in the crook of her arm. She had said she was just going to rest her eyes, but now she was sleeping soundly.
She really was exhausted.
Beck shook his head with a helpless smile and stopped his work, letting the room fall into total silence.
"Rest well. Tomorrow will be a fine day," Beck whispered in farewell. He picked up some of the unfinished documents and headed for the door.
Though this was the headquarters of the Royal Mage Corps, the room was not overly lavish or large, thanks to the previous Guild Master’s eccentricities. Beck reached the door in just a few steps. As he had done countless times before, he reached out and gripped the handle.
However, the door did not open.
The moment he applied pressure, the door handle in his hand turned into fine sand, trickling through his fingers.
As the sand scattered in the air, Beck’s expression remained calm.
"Beck, how long have we known each other?"
"Nearly thirty years."
Beck didn't turn around as he answered.
"From the moment you became a member of the Royal Mage Corps, I’ve stayed by your side as your partner—or your deputy."
"Thirty years... that’s a long time."
Though he couldn't see her, Beck could imagine her leaning back in her chair with a sigh of nostalgia.
"It is a long time. I remember thirty years ago, you were a frail girl who cried every day because you couldn't win over a man. Now, you’ve become a fierce woman who points at people’s noses and curses them the moment you see them."
"Is that so? I’d forgotten. Thirty years really does change a lot of things... even the once-clean you has actually..."
Phyllis sighed. "What did they offer you? Or are you like the others—did you have some shady connection with those people who fear the light from a long time ago?"
"...No."
After a moment of silence, Beck shook his head.
"It wasn't about rewards. And connections... I don't have any shady ties with anyone."
"Then why...?"
"I simply believe this is the right thing to do."
Beck finally turned around, his expression calm and resolute.
"For the Royal Mage Corps, this is the best choice."
"The best choice... is to betray me?"
"If it can bring everything to a close, and stop the senseless conflict and bloodshed..."
Beck’s eyes were as clear as they had been thirty years ago.
"Then this betrayal is necessary."
"I see..."
Phyllis lowered her head and chuckled, then shook her head as if mocking herself. The entire room began to vibrate slightly. Accompanied by a low roar, a massive surge of mana rose up like a tidal wave.
"I swear... you stinking men, with your sanctimonious faces and your constant talk of 'greater truths'... none of you are any damn good."