The Crown Prince's Commission
During her two years as an Eina in Morgana, Pay had visited the imperial palace countless times, yet she had never formally met the Emperor or the Crown Prince. That had been the Duke and Duchess of Klein’s wish as well.
She herself would have felt terribly burdened if such a meeting had been arranged.
She was, however, acquainted with Empress Lanya and her son, Prince Astain. The Empress hailed from the defeated Kingdom of Delpier and had married into the empire; she possessed a rather gentle disposition.
The Prince, unlike the fastidious nobles, was broad-minded and therefore preferable to a complete stranger.
Judging by how they firmly ruled out direct imperial blood, it cannot be them. The Emperor… or the Crown Prince? Either way feels burdensome.
Since Empress Besiadne, mother of the Crown Prince, had passed away early, any involvement from the maternal side would never have been labeled direct lineage. Perhaps the request had come through a noble house and been rejected by the Magic Tower?
The Klein ducal house, where Dot resided, already made her uneasy enough. Now she was being asked to enter a fox’s den only to flee into a tiger’s lair.
She had no desire to leap into a place fraught with danger.
When Pay’s expression grew visibly troubled, Ben tried again to persuade her.
“Well, Lady Pay, we understand perfectly that a request from the imperial family would feel burdensome. Still, the fact that they specifically asked for you must mean something. During the Fruit Festival, you stepped forward and ensured the ice reserves were plentiful, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“And even though it was not a formal request, you also helped pull a noble’s carriage out of the mud?”
“Ah… how did you…?”
Ben offered a good-natured smile.
“Haha, even if no one seemed to be watching, such deeds always find their way into the light. As your magical achievements continue to grow, you have been quick to lend a hand in such matters. I imagine that reputation played a small part as well.”
“……”
“You may go to the palace, hear the details of the request, and refuse if you wish. In that case, you will be given the Water of Forgetfulness so that the matter never happened. Even if you decline, both the Magic Tower and the imperial family guarantee your safety.”
“Hmm…”
“Do not worry. The Water of Forgetfulness will also be provided by the Magic Tower.”
Could the Emperor or Crown Prince truly have sought her out based solely on those two incidents? There were mages already attached to the imperial household, and the imperial knights possessed real military power.
Therefore, if the task truly required Pay’s involvement…
Does that mean it is something they cannot openly reveal to others?
Pay’s brow furrowed slightly, and Lucius’s expression turned grim.
“They cannot even explain the client or the details, yet they expect you to accept blindly? Do not take it, Pay. It will surely end badly.”
“Lord Lucius.”
“What?”
“If you wish, you may accompany me. The palace has granted permission for one person from within the Magic Tower to participate on equal terms, should Lady Pay desire it.”
“Let us do it.”
Pay did not glare at Lucius, who had flipped his attitude as easily as turning his palm. Having him accompany her to the palace would naturally put her at ease. The remaining issue was her own judgment.
Think carefully, Pay. Are you truly confident you can go to the palace alone and accept an unknown request? Even if you encounter Dot or members of the Klein household there, can you remain composed? Can you keep from getting angry? Will you prioritize the monastery’s safety over your own grudge?
Ben waited patiently without pressing the conflicted Pay for an answer.
I…
can do it.
Dot will scheme regardless of whether I stay still or not, will she not?
Let us begin, just as I chose differently on that unexpected day I returned from death.
After a long silence, she nodded.
* * *
The road to the imperial palace felt strangely long.
Pay rested her chin on her hand by the carriage window, her mind captivated by the bustling heart of the capital visible beyond the glass.
It was indeed splendid and full of life.
“What are you thinking?”
“Lucius, do you have any connection to the imperial palace?”
“No. If there is even the slightest thread, it would be far stronger with you than with the palace. I have never set foot inside this empire’s imperial palace.”
Lucius had spoken with brutal honesty, yet Pay, unaware of the ominous implication, replied indifferently.
“I suppose so… I have no ties to the palace either. That makes me even more curious. There are so many mages in the Magic Tower, so why did they call for me specifically? I hope it is not something like freezing someone to death inside ice.”
“If it were simply a matter of killing someone, they would have hired a skilled assassin instead of you. It must be something more complicated.”
Pay could find no flaw in Lucius’s reasoning.
Indeed, who had summoned her?
Pay’s curiosity only grew until the carriage finally reached the depths of the palace. Realizing she had never visited this place even as Eina Morgana, her questions were answered the moment she stood before a young man with brilliant golden hair.
He wore the imperial family’s formal uniform with striking elegance—a man she had only read about in books at the Klein ducal residence.
This person was none other than Crown Prince Silas, the enigmatic figure who had always remained secluded from high society in the past!
The vial of the Water of Forgetfulness tucked safely in Pay’s bosom felt suddenly cold.
“Welcome.”
“…I am Pay, a mage of the Magic Tower. This is my companion, Lucius. You are… His Highness the Crown Prince, correct?”
Silas offered a gentle smile.
“Indeed. When you heard it was a request from the direct imperial line, you must have assumed it came from either me or His Majesty the Emperor.”
“…Yes.”
Lucius remained silent, but Silas did not comment and moved straight to the point.
“There is something I must set in motion, yet no one must know that the spark originated from the imperial family. That is why I secretly commissioned the Magic Tower.”
“There are countless other talented mages besides me.”
Silas shook his head.
“They say that when it comes to water magic, no one can match Lady Pay in talent. More importantly, you are a mage who has been in the Magic Tower for less than a year.”
“……?”
“In other words, your reputation within the Magic Tower has not yet reached this side. In my sole judgment, there is no one more suited for this task than you.”
“Ah…”
What exactly was the Crown Prince planning?
Pay’s curiosity swelled like a snowball.
She found it difficult to guess what he had been scheming or thinking in the past. After all, even noblewomen long immersed in high society had not seen Crown Prince Silas for years.
The Duke of Klein seemed to catch occasional glimpses of him, but the Duchess had once grumbled that the Crown Prince was someone she could hardly see even once a year.
Curiosity stirred within her about the hidden side of the past she had never known.
A request from the imperial family is dangerous, I know, but I want to find out what it is.
“There will be a mock battle tournament held during the upcoming Harvest Festival. Lady Pay, all you need to do is cause a small accident there and provoke friction between the gathered factions.”
“If I do such a thing, will I not face severe consequences under human law?”
Lucius’s voice was so cold that Pay was startled. Though he spoke with formal respect, a chill sharper than the ice she wielded swept over her.
The Crown Prince showed no sign of displeasure and answered seriously.
“No. Even if Lady Pay does not attend, the unlawful movements will begin someday. All we are doing is drawing that wind forward a little earlier, and Lady Pay will not be harmed in any way.”
“A small accident…”
“If your identity is fully revealed at the scene, it will actually be safer. What I want from you is simply to use magic to ignite a small fire at a designated location.”
“A fire?”
“It will cause an explosion, but it is merely gunpowder that makes a loud noise with minimal destructive power. In truth, no one will be injured. However, the two factions gathered there will begin to suspect each other.”
The more the Crown Prince explained, the deeper Pay felt she was sinking into a maze.
If it is a mock battle attached to the Harvest Festival, it ultimately amounts to a fight between noble houses. Then why provoke friction between them?
Could it be…!
Gathering her courage, she asked.
“…Your Highness the Crown Prince. Is this perhaps related to the reason you have been in seclusion?”
Silas’s expression, which had remained gentle since their meeting, slowly changed.
A cold abyss filled his once-warm gaze, like a raging sea submerged in darkness.
How strange.
To think of the sea while looking into pale golden eyes.
At any rate, Pay instinctively knew she had guessed correctly.
“If you wish to hear more from here, you must formally accept the commission, Mage Pay.”
“What will I receive if I succeed?”
She asked quite boldly.
Pay had chosen to bury even the secret of her birth that had led to her death. She had no reason to cling to a mere commission for money.
“I do not believe you will fail, but… regardless of the outcome, I intend to guarantee the protection of your identity. Should you face any significant threat in the future, I will give you a token that allows you to mobilize the power of the imperial family.”
Silas removed the brooch from his coat and placed his hand over it. The emblem of the Arkan Empire glowed red before slowly fading.
An imperial oath that could never be broken, no matter what!
“Ah…”
“What is your answer?”
He was sincere.
With wide eyes, Pay took out the Water of Forgetfulness from her bosom, set it down, and replied.
“I accept.”
“Very well.”
While the two vials of the Water of Forgetfulness were removed and Pay received Silas’s brooch, she struggled to suppress a wry smile.
It was not because the situation itself was amusing.
I rejected everything and fled back to the Magic Tower, yet in the end I am drawing closer to them of my own accord. This is a fate I created, untouched by anyone else.
No matter how one tried to phrase or justify it, by accepting the Crown Prince’s commission…
The possibility of encountering members of the Klein ducal house had grown infinitely larger. Pay had taken that dangerous and arduous path herself. The fight with Dot had not even begun, yet she had made this choice.
Anyone who knew the full circumstances would have clicked their tongue.
She listened attentively without rashly speaking in front of Silas.
“Lady Pay, you just mentioned my seclusion, did you not?”
“I apologize.”
Perhaps because she had just accepted the commission, Silas’s expression relaxed once more.
“Not at all. A mage’s curiosity about the truth is an important quality; how could I blame you for it? More importantly, do you know who I was once engaged to?”
Pay was Pay.
Most people would have hesitated, mindful of the Crown Prince’s reaction, but she answered promptly and honestly.
“I believe it was Lady Manuela de Rasel.”
The Arkan Empire had only two proper ducal houses: the Klein and Orleans families.
Manuela de Rasel was the princess of the fallen Kingdom of Rasel.
They had been brought to the empire and reduced to a ducal house without territory; only one member of the royal family remained—the princess.
In other words, if the Rasel princess failed to produce an heir, the Rasel house would lose even its nominal ducal title.
If the Rasel princess married the Crown Prince as planned, the Rasel house would naturally disappear in due course.
However, even though the engagement had been broken and the plan halted, the Rasel house had still not been recognized as a proper ducal family.