Chapter 53
He was born the Second Prince and grew up to become the Master of the Magic Tower.
He had spent his entire life among glorious and noble beings, yet even for someone like Cheyen, it was the first time he had ever come face to face with a Spirit King.
The sheer presence alone was overwhelming, leaving even him momentarily speechless.
But you… you weren’t like that, were you?
That casual, natural attitude — what on earth was that?
“Were you already acquainted with the Spirit King?”
“No.”
…How does our temporary secretary manage to keep such a straight face? She almost makes it believable.
“It’s almost been a month now.”
“Yeah.”
Luca was expected to return tomorrow — which meant Ceres’s temporary role as Cheyen’s assistant was about to come to an end.
“Aww, that’s boring.”
“What is?”
“Should I give you another month of vacation?”
“What?”
“No, nothing.”
“What do you mean, nothing?”
“……!”
A familiar voice suddenly cut into their conversation.
Leaning against the doorway, arms crossed and wearing an incredulous look, stood Luca, the real secretary.
Unlike the startled Cheyen, Ceres showed no hint of surprise — she clearly knew he was already back.
“What, you’re here already?”
“Yes, regrettably. Maybe I should’ve taken another month before coming back?”
“Ha… haha.”
…Yeah, he heard that.
“You’ve got sharp ears, huh.”
“I trust you also realize that, thanks to these very sharp ears, I heard everything you just said.”
Cheyen forced an awkward grin as Luca shot him a withering glare. Smiling was the only safe move here.
“Has everything been fine?”
Ignoring Cheyen’s attempts to defuse the tension, Luca turned directly to Ceres.
“No major incidents at the Tower. As you can see, the place is still standing.”
“That’s a relief.”
Cheyen’s lazy antics often drove the Tower’s people mad, but as Luca had warned before, no serious disasters had occurred.
“Thank you for your work.”
Luca gave a small but sincere bow.
Apparently, Cheyen had even attended an imperial meeting.
Of course, he’d likely made a scene there too — but still, the fact that he went was the important part.
Having received reports before arriving, Luca had been quite surprised.
It must be because of this woman.
Otherwise, there was no way that stubborn man would willingly attend an imperial council.
What kind of spell did she cast on him, anyway?
“Have you considered working more?”
“More?”
“Yes. Not as a temporary aide, but as my official secretary.”
Adding another assistant to the Tower Master wasn’t an issue, and Luca truly thought it would be a waste to let Ceres go.
“That’s a great idea!”
Cheyen immediately lit up at the suggestion.
“No.”
“Ah, why not!”
“It’s just not my thing.”
Ceres shook her head firmly.
She had only taken the job for the money, but it didn’t suit her at all. Babysitting someone else and tending to their every need wasn’t her style.
She had thought sticking to someone’s side doing nothing would be easy — but it turned out to be surprisingly exhausting.
“So, you’re going back to the restaurant?”
“The staff can handle that place just fine.”
She’d probably just stop by once in a while to manage things.
“Then what are you going to do next?”
“Hmm… not sure.”
Ceres fell into thought.
The most troublesome issue — the change in the head of the Ellicia family — had been resolved.
That kid…
If it was Herion, he’d surely lead the family well.
It would be rough at first; after all, he had been looked down upon within the family. Many would struggle to accept such a sudden new head.
But he had a very powerful ally by his side.
[“From now on, I shall accompany you. Serve me well.”]
“Huh? Serve you? Can’t we just be friends?”
[“Friends? How could a mere human be friends with me!”]
“The weather’s nice today. Want to go for a walk?”
[“Are you even listening to what I’m—”]
“There’s a pretty flower garden over there. Let’s go see it!”
[……]
…She really had a way of bulldozing things her own way.
Even the ill-tempered Spirit King of Fire, Jubelios, had been left speechless.
She’d be fine. She even had an extraordinary talent for healing magic.
And yet, something about it still nagged at Ceres.
“If the essence itself has changed, then why?”
“I’m completely lost here, Ceres…”
“That’s fine. I didn’t expect you to keep up.”
Switching topics out of nowhere, she pressed him for an answer, leaving Cheyen shuddering in frustration.
Still, he knew she didn’t speak nonsense — so despite puffing his cheeks, he answered obediently.
“If the essence has changed, it’s either because too much time has passed, or because they’ve grown fond of something powerful enough to abandon their long history and traditions.”
“Such as?”
“Money?”
…That actually made sense.
Ceres unconsciously nodded.
Right — there’s a lot of money to be made in healing.
Thinking of the Ellicia family’s roots, she stifled a sigh.
Swordsmanship.
When she had personally visited the family, she’d been appalled.
Was this really the same house once called the Empire’s Sword? Their swordsmanship was a disgrace.
The knights under House Ellicia were so pathetic she’d been at a loss for words.
You could’ve picked random mercenaries off the street and gotten better results.
Remembering that depressing scene, a bright smile spread across her face — one that sent chills down Cheyen’s spine.
Not knowing why he suddenly felt a cold shiver, he rubbed his arm and added,
“It could be power or fame, but those don’t have the same immediate payoff as money. And nothing affects survival as directly as wealth.”
“True. The Ellicia family’s knights were proof of that.”
“Huh?”
“Their swords were shining like brand new. Considering it’s been less than a month since the Black Forest appeared near the capital, that’s odd, don’t you think?”
Maybe they were regularly supplied with new weapons?
But Cheyen, oblivious to the deeper meaning, simply grinned.
“They’re rich, sure, but that can’t be it. They’re too weak to even hunt monsters!”
Unbelievable.
So they’d completely thrown away their swordsmanship, huh.
She let out a helpless laugh, picturing those flashy, useless knights who looked more like parade soldiers than warriors.
It was her doing that had introduced healing magic to the Ellicia family in the first place.
Which meant — the current situation, where the Empire’s greatest sword lineage had turned into a family of healers, was partly her fault.
What should I do about that…?
It wasn’t necessarily bad that the family had evolved into a healing house.
Still, something about it didn’t sit right.
If someone else had caused it, she could have ignored it. But since she was the one who started it, it bothered her.
Could she really just stand by and watch the family once called the Empire’s Sword fade away?
KWAANG!
“……!”
A massive explosion suddenly shook the Tower.
Ceres frowned and looked out the window.
What now?
“What the hell?”
Outside, something was smashing through the Tower’s defensive barrier —
The Spirit King of Fire, Jubelios.
“That damned bird! What the hell is it doing?!”
“Yeah, seriously.”
Was it out of its mind?
Watching it tear apart his own barrier, Cheyen raised a hand, ready to cast a spell.
“Don’t.”
“Why not?! That half-burnt chicken is destroying my shield!”
…He wasn’t like this before.
Maybe Cheyen should stop visiting that stew tavern — he’s definitely picked up some bad slang from the mercenaries.
“Just wait.”
Pulling him back a step, Ceres leaned out the window and shouted,
“What the hell are you doing, you feathered idiot!”
[“Ah! There you are. This thing was blocking my path.”]
“So you destroyed it?!”
Still as reckless and brute-headed as ever.
With a sigh, Ceres asked Cheyen to release all the defensive spells.
“Could you maybe not make such a scene?”
Dozens of curious onlookers were already staring in awe at Jubelios.
Why did she always have to be the one embarrassed?
[“How could I possibly move more quietly than this?”]
“…Forget it. So? Why are you here?”
[“Take this. A letter from Herion.”]
…You’re a messenger pigeon now? Really?
Ceres stared, speechless, as the great Spirit King plucked a tiny envelope from his feathers and dropped it neatly before her.
