Chapter 3

“I’m done with my business.”

Elisha notified and passed the mage, who was blinking his eyes, and went outside.

The knights at the entrance wanted to ask her something, but in the end, they couldn’t speak to her cold face and bit their lips.

The news that she had stopped by the Ministry of Magic and who she was calling had already been rumored, making the eyes looking at her increased dramatically.

This is why the Imperial Palace is so scary.

But Elisha didn’t care.

AD

Elisha looked down at her hands.

White and slender wrists, and long fingers that looked weak.

She did not return with the fame or power she had accumulated in the past.

However, the experiences and memories that made her victory possible were all in Elisha’s head.

Just like the formula that made it possible to negotiate with William.

The magic formula wasn’t actually made by Elisha. It was by exploiting the talent William had found after Elisha. A few years later, though not now, William would take in another student and make them his prey.

Moreover…

Crack!

AD

The red light on Elisha’s fingertip faded.

Ignis had not responded yet, but the contract with the Fire Spirit King was imprinted in her soul.

Her return did not mean that her relationship with Ignis had been eliminated.

Not just because of their status as a spirit king and a summoner…

The relationship between Ignis and Elisha was special.

A mage forcibly fixes the form of mana and is absolutely incompatible with a summoner, who feels and summons the spirits living in mana itself.

Their difference is beyond the ideological rejection that is common between mages and knights. The origins of the two things are simply different.

Even if Elisha’s path as a mage had already ended, her broken body, the traces that used to lead the mana had not disappeared. She was also a great knight who became the first person in the Empire to successfully summon the Fire Spirit King.

“Answer me just like back then. Ignis.”

Elisha clenched her hand tightly.

Ignis had been her most powerful hand in the past and in this lifetime.

***

“Shit.”

Marquis Blemir took a deep breath as he went to the Crown Prince Palace. This is because he remembered the private meeting with the emperor in the reception room just before.

The black-haired, blue-eyed emperor was as inhuman as his sculpturally beautiful face.

A monarch who was expected to become one of the most capable emperors in the history of the Empire, who was also his brother-in-law, but Blemir did not like him.

Blemir’s sister, whom he had been following like he would a mother because of the large age gap, withered and died in the Imperial Palace.

Blemir gritted his teeth and endured to protect his lone nephew.

He took the place of his father, Duke Fontana, the leader of the neutral faction, who couldn’t move easily, showing off his swordsmanship skills that he had been hiding for fear of becoming a nuisance.

He moved exclusively for his nephew, Crown Prince Ascencio.

The emperor tried to exploit such Blemir by using Ascencio.

“So, where are you going again this time?”

Blemir, who was gritting his teeth and swiping back the red hair that covered his eyebrows, drew a deep wrinkle on his forehead.

The Crown Prince Palace was more noisy than usual.

“What’s going on?”

As he entered the palace, he realized that the one he was looking for was not around.

“He is at the training ground.”

As he hurriedly walked, his face grew even more distorted at the sight at the entrance of the training ground.

“The one over there, how much more does she want to bewitch His Highness?”

In addition to the energy of a familiar boy, he felt a subtle annoyance.

Blemir stared at the woman sitting in a chair on the edge of the arena, who staring at the sword-wielding boy in the center.

She has long, fine silver hair and sky-blue eyes.

Even with colors that can only be called light, that woman’s presence is strong.

Blemir thought so every time he saw her.

It is said that the essence of the Emperor, who engulfs all things in the deep darkness, and the woman with light color, who changes the whole thing by mixing the colors of the moment, are terribly similar to each other.

Of course, that woman, unlike the Emperor, still has nothing and is not polished, so she will not be able to compete on an equal footing. But then again, there’s no way she will ever have the power.

“We’ll see if you can hold on until then. Hmph.”

Blemir snorted at her, and the woman’s gaze was fixed on him.

There was blue flame within her eyes.

***

Elisha, who just left the Ministry of Magic, was told that Ascencio was practicing swordsmanship at the Crown Prince Palace, so she headed there and wanted to stop by for a while.

However, Ascencio, who had already heard of Elisha’s visit, ran towards her right away, so she promised to wait until his training was over, and took a seat at the edge of the drill hall.

Swish! Whisk!

Although it is a wooden sword, the power it contained is unusual.

As explained in the Three Basics, Five Layers of the Paracion Continent…

There are only three swordmasters in the Atien Empire.

Ascencio also has considerable talent in swordsmanship, which resembled the ability of his maternal uncle Blemir, who is also the youngest between the three.

The 12-year-old boy, who was immersed in training, occasionally looked back at Elisha and smiled.

Four years were left until the light went out in those clear blue eyes and his black hair covered the ground.

Elisha unknowingly pressed her lower lip down with her upper teeth. Soon, she sensed a sign of someone approaching and turned her head.

The cool-looking young man with red hair and brown eyes was Marquis Blemir.

She didn’t get along very well with him because he was usually very displeased with Elisha for taking advantage of Ascencio’s starvation of a mother’s favor.

However, if that person didn’t die by mistake…

Ascencio’s death would not have come so soon.

After all, Marquis Blemir is the heir to the Duke Fontana, one of the most prestigious sword geniuses, one of the pride of the Empire.

After that, once he inherited the title of duke, he would become one of the four major dukes and become a strong supporter for the Crown Prince.

How long has he been making eye contact?

“I’ve seen the 2nd Empress.”

“Long time no see, Marquis Blemir.”

“Considering that the 1st Empress is not even aware of your visitation, and that you’ve personally come all the way here, I assume you must have a very big request for the Crown Prince today.”

“Well, it is a big request.”

“Ha!”

Blemir burst into laughter at Elisha’s blunt response.

Elisha didn’t even frown at his cheeky act.

There’s no way she could frown at him now when she came back to do something she didn’t do in the past.

“It’s the 3rd Prince’s birthday soon. If His Highness the Crown Prince can attend, the child will be very happy.”

“… If the Crown Prince attends , the 1st Empress will quarrel all along and the banquet will be a mess, do you not mind?” Blemir asked.

He thought if it were the 2nd Empress, even if the Crown Prince wanted to come, she would nail him not to come.

Elisha in the past had certainly done so, but not this time.

“I will only send an invitation to the 1st Empress.”

At Elisha’s words, Blemir’s, who had no talent of hiding his own expression, eyes widened.

Only sending an invitation to the 1st Empress, who will be uncomfortable even with a direct visit from the Crown Prince Palace, is something that can make that fox passes out in anger.

While Blemir was calm on the outside, he was still worried.

Of course, it wasn’t for the 2nd Empress, but for Crown Prince Ascencio.

If there is trouble for no reason, only the heart of the Crown Prince will be weakened.

“Even id the 2nd Empress goes out to support the Crown Prince, we can’t promise anything.”

The one who needs nominal support is the 2nd Prince Stoneham, who lacks legitimacy and justification, not the Crown Prince.

Elisha nodded her head despite the obvious line that was drawn.

For Leon, Elisha could build a tower with thousands or tens of thousands of corpses, and she had actually done so in the past.

One cannot survive in the Imperial Palace if they’re weak enough to complain about the cruelty of what they’ve done.

However.

“It seems that Marquis has not yet set up his hands in the Imperial Palace, since you don’t even know what I was talking about at the Ministry of Magic. Please don’t forget that no matter who the opponent is, at any time, it is impossible to predict how the situation will change in the future. So, you should always leave room for anything.”

“…”

“Even if it is not comparable to the 3rd Prince, I also cherish the Crown Prince.

Blemir swept through her side profile.

Elisha’s indifferent expression remained the same. However, the slightly bent corners of her eyes softened her cold face.

At that moment, Elisha also turned her head to face Blemir.

“So, Marquis, don’t let the Emperor use you as his sword any longer. If Marquis is broken, who do you think will be the veil on that day? Just because you can’t bear a moment of pain, are you going to harm His Highness the Crown Prince with your own hands?”

Blemir was always worried.

His weakness was the Crown Prince himself, and that was the reason the Crown Prince was able to stay safe until now.

If he ignores and acts ignoring the Crown Prince, harm will be done to the Crown Prince, and who will be able to stop that?

If his father, Duke Fontana, is willing to step up, he would’ve done so earlier.

Elisha said as if she had read Blemir’s thoughts.

“I’ll protect him. I’ve let you lose in the past, but I won’t this time.”

In the past? There are so many puzzles, yet so many crises. Blemir simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Everyone has a heart to protect. However, the right to protect is only given to them who have the power. Are you saying that you will help me and the Crown Prince? Will the 2nd Empress, who lost her magic, be able to do that?”

“Didn’t I just tell you? Please leave room for anything. Why did you decide I can’t? Above all, I haven’t fully decided yet. I will definitely protect the Crown Prince, but when did I say that I will protect the Marquis as well? Did I say I would?”

“Huh?”

Looking back, that was correct.

Marquis Blemir had asked that unconsciously, and now his face became as hot as the color of his hair.

Even a six-year-old child hides his true feelings and pretends to be an adult in this Imperial Palace. Being able to make such a face at the age of mid-twenties also requires talent.

Elisha burst into a small smile as she suddenly thought that it would be good if her own child could make such a face at that age.

The smile disappeared as soon as it was drawn, but Blemir, who was facing her, did not miss it.

At that time, Ascencio walked over to their side from the center of the drill hall as the training was over.

“You two, what are you talking about? It makes me happy to see you two get along well.”

Ascencio’s bright voice echoed brightly.

Elisha took a step towards Ascencio and whispered to Blemir.

“I have something left to check as well. Therefore, Marquis should attend the 3rd Prince’s birthday banquet next week with the Crown Prince and check yourself what hands I have, and how far will I draw the line between the Crown Prince and the Marquis.”

Elisha disappeared, leaving Blemir behind.

Blemir couldn’t take his eyes off of her slender back as she moved away.

It wasn’t the hostility he had often seen, but Blemir, who had a somewhat blank expression on his face, bit his lip as if he was angry.

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