Chapter 31
By the time we descended from the Mage Tower, the sunset had slipped past the horizon.
The Master of the Mage Tower handed me a ring before I left, saying it would let me contact him directly.
It was a silver band set with a small violet gemstone.
“…So I just use this ring to contact you?”
“Yes. Tap it twice. If I’m not outside the continent, it’ll connect immediately.”
I stared at the ring on my finger, fascinated. The gemstone shimmered with mysterious colors as the angle changed.
‘…It’s beautiful.’
From Carlos’ artifact to this communication ring, it felt like I was seeing all the amazing objects after my return.
“I’ll be coming soon to get the refined stones, don’t forget.”
“Yes.”
“And if you go to get them… it’d be bad if you were dead.”
‘…….’
That was hardly a normal farewell. I couldn’t tell if it was a blessing or a curse.
Meanwhile, the Master waved his hand in the air. The floor beneath Damian, my horse, and me began to glow.
“This is my favor. When you open your eyes, you’ll be at the Grand Duke’s residence.”
It had taken a day and a half to get here, but apparently returning would take less than a minute. I bowed, feeling the power of magic anew.
“See you again, Master of the Mage Tower.”
“Sion.”
“Huh?”
“My name.”
Before I could react, a bright light filled my vision.
“Call me that next time.”
That was the last faint voice I heard. When the light faded, we were standing at the entrance of the Grand Duke’s residence.
“…It actually works.”
I muttered in disbelief. It all happened so fast that it felt like a dream. Damian, standing next to me, looked equally bewildered.
“The Master of the Mage Tower is really incredible.”
Even near the capital, the inland lands had long been consumed by magical energy. To perform large-scale magic without a single mistake in such an environment was astonishing.
“You seem surprised, Grand Duke.”
“Yes. I’ve never seen anything like it. We can’t even attempt large-scale magic inland due to the shortage of refined stones.”
I kept my mouth shut, intending to tease him a little, but it backfired.
“So, what exactly did you say to the Master to convince him so willingly?”
“That’s a trade secret.”
“Huh?”
“If I were going to tell, we wouldn’t need the barrier.”
I felt a reluctant gaze on my back.
“Did you talk to the First Prince like this as well?”
“Then Vincent probably wouldn’t dislike me.”
“…Even more exasperating than this, huh.”
Damian sighed, shaking his head. Then he pulled the reins, guiding the horse toward the Grand Duke’s residence.
“So what will you do now, Grand Duke?”
“What do you mean?”
“With your temper, you would report anything suspicious. I’m curious what you decided.”
My calm words made Damian’s expression subtle and cautious.
“Have I suddenly turned from thirteen to thirty-three, Princess?”
“…Suddenly?”
“You talk about life-and-death matters so casually.”
I wasn’t thirty-three, but I had grown older than my age—more like twenty. I steadied my trembling shoulders from Damian’s unintentionally sharp observation.
“It’s the truth.”
Damian kept his mouth shut, looking uneasy, as if something were caught in his throat. He muttered after a long pause:
“…I’ll watch for now. I can’t report false information.”
“So it’s on hold?”
“Yes. We’re not at the level of trust yet, are we?”
I had already shown Vincent my lowest point. Yet he said we weren’t trustworthy. I understood, but it was frustrating. Especially since I had held Damian’s hand in front of the Mage Tower—he showed no mercy here.
“Well… do your best.”
“…….”
“Until I feel I can trust you.”
“Oh my! Why are you back already?”
When we entered the main hall, Mia, carrying a lamp, stopped in surprise. She couldn’t believe we returned in just three days when it should have taken a week.
“Did something happen?”
Her eyes glanced at me.
‘…She thinks something happened because of me?’
With the Master, Damian, and now Mia, I started questioning myself.
“Nothing happened. We returned safely from the land of mages, and I successfully convinced the Master.”
“Convinced him? Princess?”
Her disbelief was clear. Damian tried to stifle a laugh, muttering quietly.
“You see? This is the normal reaction, Princess.”
“No need to remind me how terrible my image is, Grand Duke.”
“I see.”
Damian pouted mischievously.
‘I can’t even hit him.’
Mia waved her hands late, sensing the tension.
“Ah, Princess, I didn’t mean that.”
“It’s fine.”
I didn’t bother replying and went upstairs, blaming the fatigue.
Before I could reach the top, I ran into Carlos coming down the stairs. He glanced at me silently, then muttered dryly:
“You survived and came back, huh.”
“Yes, I did.”
His thin eyes gave me an odd feeling. He acted as if my life didn’t matter, yet he sent artifacts with Damian.
Carlos didn’t continue down; instead, he turned and retraced his steps.
“Follow me. I have something to tell you.”
“…Now?”
No answer. Silence meant yes.
‘What now?’
I followed him curiously. Carlos led me to his office, grabbed something from his desk, and handed it to me.
“There’s a problem.”
It was a letter sealed with the temple’s emblem.
‘…The temple?’
A bad feeling settled in my chest. I hadn’t even sent the guardian documents yet. Carlos added, his voice low:
“The royal family made a move while you were gone.”
