Chapter 38
Tessarion ignored everything, just glaring at Helios.
Deputy Commander Ibis pinched my arm and pushed me forward. He twisted his face into a grimace and urged, “Come on, stop them quickly!”
Sigh…
I blankly alternated my gaze between the idiot and the crazy man, who were locked in a fierce staring contest. Then, with a deep sigh, I muttered words I didn’t truly mean.
“Your Grace, I also would like to learn swordsmanship from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Absolutely not!”
But despite Tessarion’s objection, Helios stood up and thumped his chest loudly.
“Well, you have a good eye. No need to worry! Unlike the Duke, who was a natural-born genius, I’m a hard-working person who reached the master level through daily, grueling training. I’ll train you with step-by-step attributes to ensure you can pass the knight promotion exam in one shot. I’ll stake my name on it… Hmph, ugh!”
He was forced to sit back down again, as the Imperial Knights rushed to silence the Crown Prince.
Tessarion added fuel to the fire.
“You’re not seriously believing that nonsense, are you?”
“Still, isn’t it an honor just to be taught directly by you, Your Grace, and His Highness the Crown Prince? Where else would someone like me get such an opportunity?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Even if it’s dangerous, it’s my risk to take. If His Highness the Crown Prince decides to kill me, what harm would it bring to you or the Duke’s territory? I’m simply begging for mercy on behalf of my younger siblings, who will suffer without me, the head of the family, who has to pay off my father’s massive debt.”
“Indeed. A disciple who has learned swordsmanship from two swordmasters! This title is priceless. There’s likely no one else in the Empire who has this distinction!”
I presented a solid reason, and Deputy Commander Ibis eagerly agreed, praising my words. Tessarion glared at me fiercely, grinding his lower lip.
“No means no.”
I quickly brought up his obsessive rule.
“While you’re conducting the joint training, I will be standing by the platform, receiving instruction from His Highness the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince will be able to observe the joint training, and you, Your Grace, will also be able to observe the Crown Prince’s lessons. Surely nothing will go wrong?”
Both Tessarion and Helios blinked in surprise at my words.
“Fine.”
Helios boomed, giving his loud approval, but Tessarion just folded his arms and continued glaring at me. After a while of silently cursing me with his eyes, he reluctantly agreed.
“…Let’s do it your way.”
Once again, I had facilitated cooperation between the North and South. The top brass of the First Imperial Knights protested loudly, calling it “cheating,” “nonsense,” and “ridiculous,” but the idiot and the crazy man shook hands and hammered in the agreement.
That night, I received a long letter from Althea.
[Dear Roy,
I understand that you are in a great dilemma. Unfortunately—at least to my knowledge—there are no magic spells or potions that can make someone fall in love at first sight. While human emotions undeniably exist, defining their form and existence is incredibly vague. However, there is magic related to ‘memory’ at present, so it cannot be said to be entirely impossible.
In my hometown of Ashtari, there is an old legend about a sorcerer who stopped a war by using magic to move people’s hearts. It was once thought to be just a myth, but recently artifacts from the Magic War era have been unearthed, and there is increasing support for the idea that it might be a historical fact.
What worries me, however, is the final part of the song. The lyrics are as follows:
‘Everyone raised a toast to happiness.
The goddess was not happy at all.
She dried the poor sorcerer’s tongue and hands.
The sweet time became the ashes of regret,
And this song to honor the sorcerer will be remembered for a long time.
(For a long time, forever.)’
I still need to investigate further, but the magic you desire might very well be ‘forbidden magic’ that goes against the goddess’s will. Do you still wish for it?
I truly want to help you, but I am sorry for my clumsy words of comfort.
I worry that you may be restless and unable to sleep. I’ve enclosed a small note with a sleep spell. If you place it on your tongue, you should be able to sleep soundly until dawn.
I hope you have peaceful dreams…
Yours, Althea.]
“Forbidden magic…”
I put the letter down with a heavy sigh.
It was bleak.
To think that the magic of enchantment might be forbidden magic that goes against the goddess’s will—!
In this harsh romance fantasy, nothing ever comes easily.
Even in a fantasy world, magic is not omnipotent. People here believe that the three fundamentals hold the world together in balance, a belief clearly stated in Chapter 1, Verses 1 and 2 of the Holy Scriptures:
[I am the light, I am the creator, I am omnipotent.
I am your parent, faithful, just, and merciful.]
First, the goddess’s light and faithfulness represent “divine power,” which is the foundation of religion. Second, the goddess’s order and justice represent the ruler’s authority. Finally, the goddess’s power and mercy are symbolized by “mana,” which is governed by the three magic towers.
In short, magic that contradicts the goddess’s will should never be created or used.
The merciful goddess allowed humans the freedom to break taboos, but the consequences are dire. Simply touching her divine power causes one’s flesh to burn and die in the most excruciating way.
Because of this, black mages who created or used magic that opposed the goddess’s will hid underground, away from her gaze. That’s why I had never seen a black mage in my 9th life.
However, black mages still exist. Major events in Bellatinaum’s history were all the work of black mages.
The most recent incident was the one caused by the black mage Gunther 15 years ago. A three-day eclipse occurred in the southeastern Banner region, summoning demons from another world and destroying an entire city.
The hero who suppressed the disaster that spread throughout the empire is the current emperor, and the last survivor of the Banner region was the heroine, Berieta. At that time, Berieta lost her parents and became a cripple.
“As for me, I have no magic, so escaping from this world doesn’t matter. But if Althea becomes a black mage…”
The protagonist, who should have enjoyed pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and a happy epilogue, would end up carrying not only the idiot Emperor Helios but also Althea, who had fallen into the world’s strongest black mage.
Is that why Tessarion killed all the sub-male leads?
I stared blankly at the clear sky.
“Why is a happy ending so hard…?”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
[Dear Althea,
Althea, I was simply expressing my frustrations and sorrow. You don’t need to go as far as breaking the taboo to look into it. Over time, the wounds will fade, and I will forget. Thanks to your kind advice and consideration, I feel much better. Thank you for your concern.
P.S. Thank you for the sleep magic as well.
Roy Dover.]
Althea sighed. The black eyes of Omoki, his pet bird, looked particularly sad today. He set Roy’s short letter down and gently stroked Omoki.
“Has Roy cried a lot?”
Omoki chirped.
Omoki showed him the image of Roy, who had been sobbing under the blankets all night. Then, it also showed Tessarion, who was unable to sleep beside him.
“What should I do? I tried to be as careful as I could, but in the end, I made him cry…”
Althea’s heart felt heavy. He took off his glasses and placed them on the table, then slumped down onto the bed, resting his head in his hands.
Omoki chirped softly, almost as if to comfort him.
“I know. But I don’t know what to reply. I really don’t know…”
His voice twisted with anguish. He breathed in deeply, trying to swallow, but it only tightened his throat with a hot, wet sigh.
“I want to see Roy…”
He wanted to tear through the solid barrier, break it, and crush it, no matter what it took.
“I want to be by his side…”
Right now.
