CYGD 26

Chapter 26

Up until now, he hadn’t even responded unless absolutely necessary.

“Yes, Your Highness. If this succeeds, your magical sensitivity will increase. That means the magic I’m planning to cast will be easier to take effect on you.”

“So that’s a good thing?”

“Of course it is.”

Luzenvic nodded, even though he didn’t seem to fully understand.

During the meal, Cassia shared some amusing stories from earlier that day, and Erkan followed with tales about the trouble caused by his assistants at the Magic Tower.

They all laughed as they chatted, but Luzenvic couldn’t join in.

It seemed he believed this wasn’t the time to be laughing leisurely.

Noticing this, the others gradually fell silent, watching his mood. Eventually, Beatrice lightly tapped the back of Luzenvic’s hand.

Luzenvic looked at her, completely unaware of what she meant by the gesture.

Beatrice seemed frustrated, as if she couldn’t bring herself to speak openly in front of others, but I understood Luzenvic’s feelings.

“Luzenvic. This is going to take a long time. A very long time. We don’t know exactly how long, but if it’s us—only us—we might be able to shorten it.”

“I know.”

He looked puzzled, as if he didn’t understand why I was suddenly bringing this up.

“Luzenvic. You can’t endure that entire time while staying constantly on edge. I hope you can let yourself relax a little. Thinking about others might make you feel guilty for smiling right now. But you won’t be able to last that way. And more than anything, the people who love you wouldn’t want to see you living like this. Wherever they are, they’d want you to smile, even a little—to be happy, even a little.”

He lowered his head as I spoke.

“If you think of Beatrice, you’ll understand what I mean. While you weren’t hearing any news from her, I’m sure you wished the same for her. And I believe Beatrice felt the same way about you.”

“…”

Cassia and Erkan couldn’t say anything, and the mood at the dinner table suddenly turned solemn.

Then Cassia, as if she remembered something, suddenly brightened up and spoke.

“Oh, right. Your Highness, we still owe you money. Would you like a voucher or cash? You disappeared so quickly after handing over the dry wyvern that we didn’t get the chance.”

“I don’t need money right now…”

Luzenvic trailed off and looked at Beatrice, as if to ask whether he should have some money on hand.

“If you’re staying here, you won’t need any. Zeiphron Trading Company is always short on cash, so if you do want to receive it, it’s better to take a voucher or wait until later,” Beatrice said.

Luzenvic nodded and turned to Cassia.

“By the way, does Zeiphron deal in swords? I’d like to get one.”

“We do have swords, but most are standard issue. I’ll find something more suitable for you, Your Highness. If nothing fits, I’ll ask a skilled blacksmith to make one just for you.”

At her words, Luzenvic waved his hand, saying there was no need to go that far.

Cassia smiled and said, “Your Highness, you can’t think only about yourself anymore. You’ve taken on the duty of guarding our Deputy Leader. You must fulfill that responsibility. And we won’t charge you for it. Our company will cover the cost of the sword you’ll use to protect her.”

At that, Luzenvic looked to Beatrice again, as if asking if it was alright to accept something like that.

Beatrice nodded, appearing to think it was reasonable.

“Then I’ll inscribe a magic circle on the sword.”

“A magic circle? You can inscribe one on a sword?”

Luzenvic asked with a level of enthusiasm I hadn’t seen on his face before.

“Yes, Your Highness. We have quite a few mages here. And in war, preparing for enemy magic attacks is incredibly important.”

“I’ve heard that. In fact, one of the main reasons we lost was because of the enemy’s magic attacks.”

Erkan and Cassia both nodded.

“I thought as much. I’ve heard that Your Highness’s swordsmanship is unmatched, and that Pelmon had many skilled swordsmen besides you. Still, it would’ve been difficult to stand against magic attacks.”

“It really was. I tried attacking before they could finish casting, but the enemy soldiers protected the mages so fiercely that there was no way around it.”

Luzenvic recalled the experience with visible bitterness.

“But if you can inscribe a magic circle, what kind of effect would it have? And how would I use it? I’m not a mage.”

He didn’t simply despair—he asked Erkan directly.

“I succeeded in creating a magic circle that responds to a swordsman’s mana. It’s not yet in commercial use, and right now, only a few people know I made it.”

Luzenvic looked at him with undisguised amazement.

“How…? That’s…”

Even I knew how incredible that was. For Erkan to reveal this to Luzenvic before anyone else meant it was truly significant.

“If that’s the case… that might violate the laws of the Kingdom of Sedpol. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Luzenvic asked several times, as if this wasn’t something he could just accept as a favor.

Erkan smiled gently.

“I know. And unfortunately, that’s the conclusion I came to as well—that there’s no hope left in Sedpol.”

Luzenvic looked at Beatrice.

His eyes held a complex mixture of emotions.

He was probably thinking that with Erkan’s help, the dream he had believed impossible might actually come a little closer.

“Thank you. Truly…”

He could barely speak, looking as though he might cry at any moment.

Erkan smiled at the sight of him.

There was a certain resolve in Luzenvic’s expression.

“Your Highness, I have a request. We’re helping the Kingdom of Pelmon because we’ve lost hope in Sedpol—not because we want to overthrow the Sedpol dynasty and seize power. I ask that you find a way to do this without harming innocent people.”

When I spoke, Luzenvic nodded.

“You don’t need to worry. Since coming here, I’ve seen many of Sedpol’s problems firsthand. I’ve wished countless times that I could save its people. If the opportunity arises—if we reclaim Pelmon and are even able to annex Sedpol—I will always remember what you’ve said, Hestia.”

When Luzenvic finished, Erkan smiled and looked at him.

“Your Highness. A person’s heart can easily change depending on their circumstances. I hope you’ll keep that heart forever.”

“Yes. I will.”

“I can help you keep that promise. If you ever need it, just say the word.”

Luzenvic tilted his head, not quite understanding, and Beatrice explained to him about the vow-binding magic.

“If that exists, I’ll do it right away. I have no intention of breaking this promise.”

At his words, Erkan suggested they perform the spell right then and there—and no one objected.

Luzenvic and I pledged to each other, and the magic sealed our vow.

I was a bit surprised that Erkan didn’t warn Luzenvic about the terrifying consequences of breaking the promise until after the spell was complete.

“Your Highness. This is a very powerful spell. If someone breaks the promise, their heart will vanish instantly. The result is death.”

Luzenvic looked at me in shock.

“Hestia, did you know about this?”

“Yes. Everyone here has done it. Oh, except Beatrice.”

“I see.”

He looked relieved.

It seemed he had been worried I didn’t know about the consequences when I made the vow with him.

“So that’s how you’re all able to trust each other completely.”

Luzenvic said, amazed, and pride spread across Erkan’s face.

It seemed he believed that without this magic, it would have taken us much longer to build this level of trust.

“Then, I’ll be going. I have a lot of work to do,” Erkan said, standing up.

Cassia stood as well.

“I’ll go look for the sword. I’ll contact you as soon as I find one. And we’re still looking for Pelmon’s prisoners, so please stay strong, Your Highness.”

“Do you think there’s a chance?” I asked.

He nodded.

“The lower-class citizens live more freely, and their numbers are large. I think many of them might be hiding among them. Some nobles who were sold into slavery in Sedpol are believed to have escaped and gone into hiding.”

Thanks to his charitable work, things might turn out more easily than expected.

After they left, Luzenvic stayed by my side.

It seemed he believed that since guarding me was now his duty, he should always be with me. Once that belief settled in, he began actively protecting me.