Is this woman really Duchess Ariel?
This thought seized Kaysis for a moment.
He was here because of a simple suspicion.
'There is someone who cannot be trusted.'
This wounded the emperor's pride.
His Knights, distinguished Awakeners and Guides, were an elite group chosen with the utmost care.
It was true that when they fought with the mages led by Duchess Ariel in the meeting room, they looked so childish that it made one wonder if they were really that talented of a force.
But for an uncontrollable rumor to spread in a group he had carefully formed himf was unacceptable.
'From the wizards' reactions, it is clear that they feel wronged.'
So, he decided to move himf.
He told his surroundings that he would enter the gate for three days, and moved without leaving a trace, except for his two trusted knights.
The line of investigation followed from the witches' meticulous reports.
Their reports were meticulously written, recording who said what and when, and when he acted on them, he noticed strange things.
And so he came to a quiet alley.
This place was associated with villages that witnessed the rampage of the Awakened for no apparent reason.
'Medicine.'
There was that medicine man who dared to try to rile him up, him, the Emperor.
He saw a person with blue bruises on his face, clinging to the medicine and not letting go, so Casey moved without hesitation.
'I have provided the witness and the evidence.'
Catching the three escapees was not difficult.
But why?
“Why?”
His body moved on its own.
It also happened in the Imperial Palace when the Awakened tried to attack someone.
When he regained consciousness, he had already stood in front of a person hiding like a mouse behind him.
Until that moment, he didn't really know.
He thought that the thin person was a dangerous person, but he did not know that it was Duchess Ariel, that woman.
Eyes wide open, a troubled expression, and red hair fluttering.
It was nothing like her.
Then his eyes fell on what the Duchess was holding.
“What is this?”
Why do you hold on to it?
It looked like an ordinary stone from the road.
A stone large enough to cause serious injury if someone is struck from behind with it.
“Why are you holding on to this?”
“Speak, Duchess.”
Doubts suddenly rose.
Is this woman really Ariel?
But very few could stare at him with cold and dismissive looks in front of him.
'Now that I think about it, there was something strange.'
When was the last time he saw the Duchess use magic?
But he couldn't continue thinking because he realized that he had made an unusually stupid mistake by being preoccupied with this woman.
“They escaped.”
Caisse realized, after deploying his senses too late, that the fugitives had completely disappeared from the place.
At that moment, he did not notice the obvious relief on Duchess Ariel's face.
'Did they dare to escape from my grasp?'
Insults exploded inside him.
But with this guide, the medicine, he could at least calm the noisy witches and awakeners.
And then, I realize__
'There is a hidden power.'
A power beyond the magicians and the awakened.
This was definitely a bad sign.
Of course, the Duchess also has something to say about this.
Hilaria was certainly an excellent person as a subordinate.
Wasn't the Duchess the only one besides him who noticed something strange?
Although her personality, character, and actions do not please him, he cannot love her.
“Duchess, isn’t there something you want to say?”
However, he thought that this woman who suddenly appeared was the one who had ruined everything.
'Why, when it comes to you, do I act so strange?'
He couldn't accept his out of control situation.
His feeling of resentment rose.
The doubts that he had gotten rid of began to return again.
“Duchess.”
Why was she here, and why was she holding a stone instead of using magic?
“Explain.
How did you get here, and why haven’t you used magic yet?”
When he stared at her with narrowed eyes, the Duchess responded, as usual, with a cold, disgusted look and clear sarcasm.
“Magic leaves a mark.”
Is this an excuse?
He stared at her in astonishment, but the Duchess responded rudely:
“I'm a natural fire mage, I don't know how to quietly knock someone unconscious.”
“What next?”
“I could probably roast everyone here.”
“Did you want all the evidence to disappear?
Ah, it seems that Your Majesty’s intentions were not achieved this time.”
“Stop being sarcastic, it's annoying.”
She wasn't wrong.
Natural magicians, especially those gifted with elemental mana, specialized in offensive magic and were difficult to control.
'She is a fire mage who has reached the level of a great mage, so what she says is not wrong, but…'
He had a bad feeling.
“Furthermore, since Your Majesty has honored this humble place, why should a lowly duchess like me interfere?”
“Do you call this speech?”
He couldn't shake his suspicion that her silence was hiding something.
And what's more,
‘Duchess, there is definitely a connection between you and my mentor.’
But in front of this woman who was pretending to be cold, he felt the hatred rising.
Magicians have always been like this.
They look with arrogant and cold looks, belittling the pain of the awakened as if it were nothing.
As his mother always was.
'This woman is no different.'
He clenched his teeth and turned around.
“I will take care of this person and the medication.”
“If you insist on taking this trouble, I will not stop you.
With this, we can calm the rage of the witches and the complaints of the awakened.”
“Is this the price?”
"Yes."
“Isn't there really something you want to say about today?”
“Your Majesty did not deign to say anything, so how could someone as stupid as me know anything?”
You always act this way.
She certainly had a reason for coming here, but Duchess Ariel, as usual, maintained her annoyed, emotionless expression.
Her slowly blinking eyelids.
Her hair, which he thought for a moment looked like his kind mentor's hair.
'How dare you.'
He clenched his teeth.
His gaze turned to the stone that the Duchess had deliberately thrown.
Did she really not attack because she is a fire mage?
So, why was she the only one whose face stiffened while all the magicians rejoiced when they were allowed to perform magic?
Was that an illusion on his part?
“Then, Your Majesty, I am busy, so I will come back first.”
But Duchess Ariel smiled coldly, as if she were mocking his doubts.
When the Duchess moved, even he, though not a magician, felt a powerful energy swirling around her.
Magic.
The magic he doubted, the magic of the great witch.
'True, an arrogant witch like her can't lose her magic.'
Space twisted, and energy disappeared.
Even if he was awake with the power of nature in his body, tearing apart and killing monsters, Duchess Ariel's magic, which transcended human limits, carried a prestige that made even Caesis feel uneasy.
The Duchess, who had used navigation magic to mock him, vanished as if she were evaporating smoke.
Just like…
Every night…
“Duchess, that promise must be true.”
His guide also disappears like leaking sand.
“You must not be the shadow that hides my guide.”
Otherwise, an unimaginable bloody storm will rage in the empire.
“Cough, ugh, cough!”
“Tsk, tsk, what’s this situation, Meow?”
I didn't even have the energy to look at the sparkling case window.
When the Emperor asked me what I was carrying, I felt as if my heart would drop.
So, to prove that I could use magic normally, I skillfully used Transference Magic.
But why was the pain so severe the second time as well?
“You, cough, why didn’t you tell me about the side effects, ah!”
The cat laughed in the same usual annoying way.
“Tch, ch, you are not the original Great Witch’s soul, Miu.
With effort, it will get better, Miu!”
“You trickster cat!”
My fingertips trembled.
I got up with difficulty.
I stared at the sparkling case window with a fiery gaze.
Since the Emperor has discovered the medicine and the existence of a hidden power, I will at least succeed in stopping the fighting between the witches and the Awakened.
This means that the task succeeded, and with this I can obtain another specific magic.
'Did I succeed in prolonging my life...?'
So, this time for sure.
“I will unlock the offensive magic.”
I opened the status window.
And I pressed hard.
I chose to receive the reward.