TPM 09

Chapter : 9

“…Are you really that happy?”

Everett chuckled lightly as he asked, noticing my grin.

“Yes!”

When I answered honestly, Everett laughed even more. His usual calm smile looked even more charming today.

“It seems you’re happy too, Everett. Your smiling face is beautiful.”

I complimented him sincerely, and he blinked, a little puzzled.

“Isn’t it the same as always?”

“No. How should I put it…”

I hesitated, unsure how to explain what I was feeling, then quickly condensed it.

“It just feels better.”

“That’s an appropriate explanation,” Everett said, sounding slightly amused.

Then, as if to tease me, he took my hand.

“Alright, then. Let’s begin today’s treatment.”

Ah, right. Talking had nearly made me forget the reason I had come here today.

“Yes.”

As I held Everett’s hand, a refreshing energy spread through my body, and the persistent pain in my chest faded away.

“How do you feel now?”

“Very good.”

I gave a thumbs-up and spoke sincerely, and Everett’s lips curved into a small smile.

“Miss Themis, you really need to watch your words carefully.”

“My tone’s a bit like that, isn’t it? I wish I could speak as politely as you do, like a proper cleric.”

Sighing, I asked, since this had always been a concern of mine. Everett shook his head.

“More than that…”

He gave me a mischievous glance.

“You have a way of making people misunderstand things about you.”

“Misunderstand… what?”

“Just kidding.”

When I blinked, clearly not understanding, Everett coughed awkwardly.

“I don’t understand what you meant.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to.”

Alright then—I’d let that comment slide. After all, I’d already achieved my main goal today!

Late in the evening, Akilan, who had escorted Themis back to the Tower of Magic, went to find Everett.

They entered the prayer room and sat across from each other. The moment Akilan held Everett’s hand, the healing energy flowed in, relaxing the tension from his furrowed brow.

Everett gazed steadily at Akilan and muttered,

“You haven’t come in quite some time.”

Akilan rested his chin on his hand and replied calmly,

“I find relying on someone else annoying.”

No matter how experienced or high-ranking a Grand Magus was, even they couldn’t completely avoid relying on a cleric. Akilan recognized this truth but occasionally, in bouts of stubbornness, he would keep his distance from clerics, even knowing how much it hurt.

“So, how is Themis’ condition?”

“Completely normal.”

Everett chuckled softly, recalling Themis from earlier today.

“Really now…”

Akilan let the trailing remark hang and frowned slightly. Even he had to admit that Themis’ body showed no abnormalities. Perhaps they would have to accept the sudden change in her demeanor as it was.

“What about the treatment?”

“I gave it my all. Though, there is one thing I should mention…”

A cleric’s treatment depends on the total magical energy possessed by the mage. The extent to which a cleric can normalize the flow of mana in the body is what matters.

The stronger the mage, the more skilled—or numerous—the clerics assigned to them.

“Her mana has increased.”

The difference between the Themis Everett remembered as an apprentice cleric and the Themis he felt today was obvious.

“She has easily surpassed half the mana of a Grand Magus.”

A young mage, who hadn’t even fully tested her abilities yet, had already reached half the power of a Grand Magus—the only one of her kind in the world. Her promise to become a formidable mage wasn’t an empty boast. Her potential was staggering.

“…Whose disciple is she?”

Akilan raised the corner of his mouth as he listened to Everett’s report.

A mage’s abilities can manifest late for two reasons: either they possess an extraordinary power beyond what most can imagine, or they have such negligible power that they fail to meet even average expectations.

‘When I first saw her, I didn’t expect this much,’ Everett thought.

At first, Everett assumed Akilan had brought her along out of pity. The Themis of that time indeed had remarkable potential, but not enough to warrant his serious attention.

‘But it wasn’t just simple pity.’

Akilan had clearly recognized that she had potential comparable to that of a Grand Magus. That must have piqued his curiosity and prompted him to bring her along.

Moreover, the Themis they met today showed potential far beyond what they had seen recently—almost as if she had changed overnight.

To anticipate potential like that, Everett truly respected the Grand Magus.

“Have you met the princess who recently entered the palace?”

“Ah, yes. I greeted her.”

“She’s somewhat similar to Themis, isn’t she?”

“…Indeed.”

Akilan’s voice trailed off, deep in thought.

“You’ll meet her too, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll greet her at this banquet, but that will be all.”

Originally, they would have had to stay longer after the banquet to find mages to deploy, but Themis’ suggestion removed the need.

“Because of the monsters, I presume.”

Everett nodded wryly at Akilan’s remark.

“Yes. Thanks to the monsters, I can’t focus on the investigation into the princess’ attempted assassination either.”

Because of monsters rampaging at all times, progress on the investigation was slow. Even Akilan, the Grand Magus, had yet to catch the culprit.

“With this level of organization, it must be a large group. Yet we haven’t even caught a clue…”

Everett trailed off in frustration. Akilan also found it suspicious.

“One of two things. Either we were lacking, or the enemy is an organization meticulous enough to surpass us.”

After the attempted assassination of the princess, no concrete evidence surfaced, leaving questions about the culprits unanswered. Both Akilan and Everett shared these concerns.

Yet they couldn’t expand their suspicions further because

“…that’s only within the palace.”

The likely culprits were insiders.

“….”

Though unspoken, Akilan and Everett instinctively knew they were thinking the same thing.

When Princess Aria was born, two factions in the royal family were in fierce conflict: one supporting Empress Serena, the other supporting Empress Jane, who had gained the Emperor’s favor later.

Jane, being of low birth and having given birth to a girl like Serena, had a disadvantageous position. The Empress’ authority was solid, but the news of Princess Aria’s death turned the tables. Serena could no longer bear children after giving birth to Aria.

Rumors spread that perhaps Empress Jane had killed Aria to gain advantage.

‘Some speculated she conspired with rebels.’

Yet no evidence was found, and the sudden surge of monsters shifted public interest away from the matter.

‘But now that the princess has returned, the issue will rise again.’

Victoria, Jane’s daughter and the second princess, had solidified her position as the Emperor’s successor. Aria had suddenly become the first princess, recognized as the legitimate heir. Moreover, Aria’s awakening as a mage drew public attention.

Even Akilan, with deep ties to both the royal family and the temple, now had to consider whose side to take. Everett, as the future chief cleric, also faced the same dilemma.

It was all a headache just to think about. Everett decided not to overthink.

“I’ll focus on what I can do now.”

A person who was presumed dead returning alive was truly a blessing. Life is precious. That was enough.

“Taking down the monsters alongside the Tower of Magic ensures the safety of all the people.”

“Alright, I’ll observe the situation from here.”

Everett nodded.

“Contact me if something comes up.”

Despite seeming disdainful of Everett’s altruism, Akilan still took care to give such instructions. Everett admired him. Despite seeing the worst of humanity throughout a long life, Akilan still cared for people. Everett didn’t yet know how that was possible.

“Take good care of Themis. I’ll call her again.”

…They would naturally monitor her during deployments anyway, yet Akilan’s remark carried a subtle nuance.

‘…He did say he would go, right?’

Even for Themis’ independent growth, he wouldn’t have made a life-threatening deployment decision without consulting her… probably. Everett forced herself to ignore the late-rising doubts.

Her eyes, always fixed on Akilan, had changed… and she didn’t dislike it. She even wanted to support him.

Being tied to one place could be more exhausting than she realized, and she had understood that too late.