Chapter 182: Inspection (2) |
— It will feel like entering a viper’s nest.
It was a phrase the elderly emperor uttered without warning.
In a situation where the succession of Princess Roselin to the throne was practically assured, and all the bureaucrats of the imperial faction did nothing but praise her name.
When they were left alone in the audience chamber, the old Emperor Gatrell, who had managed to survive countless thorn-filled paths and had made it to just beneath the throne, spoke to Roselin.
— Huh? Father… what do you mean by that…?
— There will be ferocious beasts everywhere, eager to swallow you whole in a single bite. You will have to stay tense even when blinking, and even regulating your breathing will not be easy.
— That… is only natural, Father.
Roselin had eliminated countless rivals to become the effective heir to the throne.
The time had already passed for feeling fear or revulsion toward the dense darkness that permeated the Palace of Gremport.
At least, that was what she believed as she slowly lifted the corner of her lips with elegance.
— I will not disappoint you.
— No. Even if you disappoint me, that’s fine.
— …
The luxurious imperial chamber.
From the terrace, through which the cool breeze of late spring entered, the elderly emperor dragged his aged body and raised his gaze toward the starry sky.
His back was that of an old man who had grown old crossing more thorny paths than Roselin could imagine.
The starlight seemed to envelop him, as if whispering something to him.
His prime had ended, and the era had changed.
The skin on his fingers clung so tightly to the bone that it looked more like a shell than flesh.
Then, as if foreseeing something, the emperor spoke.
— When one day I die bitten by those vipers… remember this, no matter what happens.
Ominous words.
And yet, the gentle tone with which he continued sounded as though he were gazing into the future.
— You only need one person.
— …What?
— Do not trust too many. Do not let yourself be swept away by the romantic fantasies of those who speak of embracing people with trust or governing vassals with sincere communion. Choose only one. The most useful and the most reliable. Just one. Remember that. The rest is unnecessary.
The emperor’s eyes had lost their former brilliance.
But from time to time, they fleetingly regained the intensity of his golden age.
In Gatrell’s eyes, which gazed at the starry sky as if everything had become empty, that clarity had returned for the first time in years.
Roselin could do nothing but watch him in silence.
“…”
When Princess Roselin realized she had fallen asleep, the carriage was already entering the Duchy of Duplain.
Through the swaying carriage window, the scenery of the Ravenclaw Academy was reflected in her eyes.
Each building was meticulously maintained, and it seemed that as much effort had been invested as in the constructions of the Palace of Gremport.
It was logical, given that they were facilities meant to educate the children of noble families, but the scale far exceeded what she had imagined.
‘I had heard that among the nobles of the southwestern part of the continent, large investments were being gathered for the construction of the Ravenclaw Academy, but it’s even bigger than I expected.’
A plan of such magnitude had only been possible because the Duchy of Duplain had ceded the land at no cost, and because the noble houses of the southwest had unanimously gathered funds and support.
And if one were to ask who stood at the center of all that, most would immediately think of Aiselin.
But she was not the true backing.
Even she, known as the queen of high society in the southwest of the continent, moved while leaning on Baron Ravenclaw, a rural noble from a peripheral region.
And the one backing Baron Ravenclaw was none other than Melverot of the north.
With that picture in mind, the absurd scale of the Academy began to make sense.
‘To push forward an Academy of this size without Melverot’s voice? That old hero has become very skilled at lying.’
In reality, everything was simply the result of cooperation between Dereck and the Duchy of Duplain.
However, in Roselin’s eyes, it was impossible for something like this to be achieved without the help of powerful nobles with influence in the capital.
‘Among the most influential noble houses of the southwest, besides Duplain, there are Belmierd, Beltus, and Renuel, right?’
She had heard that each of those families had at least one disciple within the Ravenclaw faction.
She did not know how influential or extraordinary Dereck was, as a mage and as a teacher, but if he managed to have the children of so many prestigious houses follow him as their instructor, he was not someone to be underestimated.
Even so, Roselin’s gaze sharpened with coldness.
‘He’s surely just another idiot intoxicated by magic, like Kohella, drunk on his sense of privilege.’
Thinking that, Roselin ran her hand through her dark red hair.
Dereck Lydorf, Baron Ravenclaw.
That unknown man, who for now existed only in her imagination, did not yet deserve for her to lower her guard.
***
“This doesn’t look like an inspection delegation, but rather a mass migration.”
Ellen was wearing a beautiful dress and silently observed the arrival of the delegation from the main entrance of the central building of the Ravenclaw Academy.
Through the great gate, adorned with elaborate iron grilles, the inspection carriages continued to enter without end.
The line seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon.
The escort alone consisted of several hundred soldiers, and there were more than thirty carriages in total.
Among them, the carriage transporting the imperial family was so imposing that it seemed to require nearly twenty horses to pull it.
Now she understood why it was traditionally said that members of royalty had “heavy backsides.”
It was often remarked that, for the imperial family, even moving from one place to another entailed a tremendous budgetary expense.
That the imperial escort was noisy was nothing new, but at this rate, the entire day seemed destined to be consumed by ceremonies and protocol.
“Lady Ellen, why have you come out here?”
“Oh, Dereck… there’s nothing in particular to do in the hall…”
Ellen brushed aside her red hair and looked toward where the voice had come from, then raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Dereck… you’re going to have an audience with the emperor. What is that attire?”
“As you can see, it’s my usual outfit.”
As always, Dereck wore a simple white tunic, a leather belt, dark trousers, boots, and a cloak.
His appearance was closer to that of a mercenary than a noble.
Ellen showed a bewildered expression, but the one who seemed truly confused was him.
“For great nobles, an audience with the imperial family requires a lot of ostentation. But for a peripheral baron like me, drawing too much attention would only be counterproductive. A frontier baron should dress according to his position.”
“Even so… you are my master. I’m worried they might look down on you in front of the imperial family…”
Ellen pursed her lips in displeasure and crossed her arms.
Although in practice Dereck governed only a tiny territory in a remote region, his influence had already reached a level comparable to that of many powerful nobles.
If he were an ambitious noble, this would be the moment to weave connections, expand his network, and aspire to an even higher position.
But Dereck had no interest in such worldly power.
He only cared about magic.
That attitude, so clearly reflected in his behavior, made Ellen let out a deep sigh and ultimately accept it.
Thinking about it, he had always been like this.
After living surrounded by vassals obsessed with power and greed in the Belmierd house, she had forgotten that people like Dereck existed.
In fact, that was one of the reasons why Ellen valued him so much.
By his side, she could set aside political intrigues and power struggles, and focus solely on the pure relationship between master and disciple, devoted to magic.
‘Teaching so many influential young noblewomen and yet remaining untainted—perhaps that is his true talent.’
With a more relaxed expression, Ellen crossed her arms again and added.
“By the way, they say my older brother, Linus, is at the Academy…”
“…He must be conversing with Lord Leigh, the head of the family.”
“I’ve heard quite a few times that that disgrace of the Belmierd house keeps coming to see you, Dereck. I was uneasy, wondering if that dishonorable man might have caused you some trouble…”
Seeing Dereck’s ambiguous expression, Ellen let out another deep sigh.
“If that individual has caused you any inconvenience, I apologize first. He is someone completely impossible to control; it seems that even my father has already given up on dealing with him.”
“It hasn’t been like that. I wouldn’t say he’s caused me any serious harm—nothing particularly grave.”
“This time, when I face him, I’ll have to grab him by the collar at least once. Without fail…”
Ellen spoke through clenched teeth, her tone truly fierce.
In truth, the only things that could be considered a nuisance about Linus were his excessive familiarity, which could be annoying at times, and the foul odor that emanated from his body.
If anything, he had been a key figure who actively helped Dereck integrate into the noble world, so it was difficult for Dereck to speak ill of him.
However, the poor relationship between Linus and Ellen was another matter altogether, a strictly family issue that Dereck preferred not to meddle in.
“I must return to the banquet hall. Dereck. When the sun sets and the welcome reception begins, let us greet each other there again.”
“After such a long journey, you must be very tired. It would be better for you to rest now.”
“Yes… I suppose so. Besides, something good happened, so I feel that my fatigue has eased a little.”
“Something good…?”
At Dereck’s question, Ellen smiled mischievously and grabbed his shoulder firmly.
“I saw your face.”
Having said that, she entered the hall with satisfied steps.
There was a subtle weight in that smile and in the feelings that accompanied it, but Dereck was in no position to be distracted by such things.
The imperial delegation of Emperor Gatrell was enormous two members of the imperial family, three high officials of chancellor rank, a 6-star mage, four direct magical advisors of the empire, eighty attendants, and nearly six hundred escort soldiers.
In addition, more than a dozen carriages carried ceremonial equipment alone.
At that level, Ellen’s description—that it looked more like a mass migration than an inspection—was not exaggerated in the slightest.
Wherever the emperor set foot, that place had to become empire.
Such was the supreme rule of protocol of the imperial house of Gatrell.
And it was not a metaphor.
***
‘…Is this man Baron Dereck Lydorf Ravenclaw?’
Princess Roselin blinked as she looked at the man who had stepped forward as the representative of the welcoming party upon their arrival at the Academy grounds.
He was the figure she had imagined countless times during the journey from the Palace of Gremport to the Duchy of Duplain.
Baron Dereck.
The man favored by Melverot, instructed directly by Drest, and cautiously observed by Kohella.
A former mercenary who had risen to become the most renowned instructor of Ebelstein’s high society, the teacher of innumerable young noblewomen from prestigious families.
Despite holding only the minor title of baron, his name and influence had already been mentioned several times in the imperial council.
And yet, there he was, dressed miserably, like a mere mercenary, accompanied by only two servants.
To Roselin, who had lived her entire life surrounded by imperial reverence, Dereck’s appearance was not merely modest, but downright insignificant.
It was hard to believe that someone like this had led the construction of an Academy that bore the name of his house.
“Thank you for coming from so far away. We will offer you lodging in Amaryllis House, the residential building of our Ravenclaw Academy, in one of its largest and most luxurious rooms.”
“Good. I appreciate it. It will not compare to my private quarters in the Palace of Gremport, but I suppose it will suffice.”
With her arms crossed and her chin raised, Roselin looked Dereck up and down.
From his appearance alone, it was impossible for her to believe that he was a man as outstanding as people claimed.
‘I thought he would be more presentable—though, thinking about it, perhaps this is better than someone who only knows how to speak prettily and dress in finery.’
Roselin’s expectations plummeted, and she felt her shoulders relax.
“There will be a welcome banquet tonight. Your name carries quite a bit of weight; may I expect the banquet to be worthy of it?”
“I could hardly meet the standards of the Rose of the Palace of Gremport. I will do the best that I can.”
Although his attire was humble, he at least maintained the proper manners of a noble.
Roselin let out a deep sigh and turned her neck in annoyance.
“Very well, I will keep that in mind. Still, the next time you have an audience with the imperial family, try to show more dignity. Even if you keep that attire, you should bring more servants with you. Your authority feels far too light.”
“I appreciate the advice. I will do so next time. However, today there was a reason to act this way.”
“Ah?”
On either side of Dereck stood the head butler Delbriton and the head maid Elpin, two people of absolute trust, discreet and loyal.
Sensing this, Roselin frowned even more.
‘He has come to speak in private.’
At that very moment, Dereck raised his gaze and spoke firmly.
“Have you come to Ebelstein to search for a 6-star confusion mage?”
“…”
The question was direct, like a dagger to the heart.
Roselin was momentarily left without words, though she did not allow the emotion to show on her face.
The words she had spoken in the past had already transformed into conspiracy theories circulating throughout the empire.
The world was altered once.
That exclamation from the young Roselin was still etched into the memory of the imperial servants.
The image of a child Roselin, clutching at the servants’ clothes with a distorted expression, remained vivid.
— Sebast! Lavender! Carlos! Don’t you believe me…?! Do you also think I’m crazy?!
— A confusion mage passed through here…! Something… something changed…! It changed, I’m telling you!
No matter how much she screamed with a trembling voice, the imperial bureaucrats only spread rumors that the princess had suffered hallucinations or that her mind was unstable.
Without evidence or clear explanations, no one was going to take the words of a child seriously.
And yet, the genuine terror Roselin displayed did not seem feigned.
As time passed, those words became nothing more than urban legends wandering through the empire.
No one took them seriously.
“I also believe that a 6-star confusion mage exists.”
Dereck’s voice broke the silence.
“And if there is a way to find him, we must do so without fail.”
A being capable of manipulating memories and playing with human perception as if it were a toy.
When Leigh and Linus spoke to him about it, Dereck neither mocked nor showed cynicism.
On the contrary, he had felt a growing excitement welling up inside him.
Roselin stared straight into his eyes.
If there was even the slightest possibility that such a mage existed, Dereck was willing to risk his life to find him.
That impulse was born from obsession, from a madness for magic.
There were few 6-star mages, and each was an irreplaceable treasure in magical history.
To let something like that pass without investigating it was unacceptable.
‘Where have I seen that look before…?’
Someone else had seriously believed in the existence of that mage and had tried to find him.
‘Kohella.’
A woman who had devoted her life to magic, capable of discarding anything to reach a higher level.
Though she presented herself as an elegant noble mage, that monster never revealed her true inner self.
The chief magical advisor of the Palace of Gremport, Kohella, had exactly the same look as this man.
‘This man seems insignificant, but he is the same type as that viper Kohella…’
Roselin swallowed.
If he set his mind to it in earnest, he would find him.
Sensing the obsession in Dereck’s eyes, she unconsciously took a step back.
Then she recalled Melverot’s words.
— Princess. If you are going to meet that frontier baron, there is something you must keep very much in mind.
— What?
— He is far more addicted to magic than you imagine. It is not wise to speak lightly about confusion mages.
— Why?
— If he bites the bait, he will not stop until he finds that mage.
Roselin, who had despised the privilege associated with magic her entire life, still did not understand what it truly meant to be mad for magic.
Nor what that truly entailed.