𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟒
“A letter arrived from the Imperial Palace while you were out.”
As soon as I arrived at the hotel, I received three letters. Two of them had Lurik and Ren’s names written on the envelopes, respectively.
I had sent a letter to Lurik informing him of my safe arrival, so this must be his reply.
‘Ren would have written that he arrived safely at the Imperial Palace.’
The most intriguing one was the envelope without a name, but I decided to read Lurik’s letter first.
My dear Lou,
Now that my head is finally clear, I realize you were right.
I’m glad you’re in Flavi.
Relax, enjoy yourself, and stay as long as you like.
Lurik.
Huh?
I have no idea what he’s talking about.
‘What exactly did he realize?’
I was puzzled, but it’s better than him urging me to come back quickly.
So, I took a deep breath and opened the nameless envelope.
‘Oh my.’
I instantly understood what Lurik’s sudden realization was.
‘Helena came.’
To the esteemed Princess Louise,
I have finally received your letter and arrived at the Imperial Palace.
Fortunately, I met His Highness Lurik as soon as I arrived, and I was able to understand why you called for me.
Thank you for enlightening me, who was so foolish.
I will stay by His Highness Lurik’s side and do what I am supposed to do.
Seeing that she didn’t write her name until the end, it seemed like Helena was still hiding her identity.
Thinking about it in connection with Lurik’s letter, it meant that Helena had successfully purified the magical energy within Lurik, and thus, Lurik had fully grasped the situation he had been in.
‘Looks like a storm is brewing……’
Being possessed alone while pregnant, I can’t prevent all misfortunes.
If the Emperor and Empress are the source of the misfortune, they deserve to be punished.
‘So, is Lurik’s problem really solved now?’
It’s more like it’s been passed on to Helena’s hands.
Honestly, I thought I had lost Helena forever, so her letter felt like a surprise gift.
Smiling to myself, I opened Ren’s letter, which I had put off until last.
My beloved Lou,
The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace is unsettling, so I think I’ll have to stay here for a while.
It’s a good thing you’re in Flavi.
Still, contact me anytime you need me.
Ren.
Seeing as everyone is saying it’s a good thing I’m in Flavi, it seems like the chaos from the novel is about to unfold.
‘I’m worried……’
But with Helena and Ren there, Lurik will never lose.
I hope the protagonist’s buff finally kicks in.
🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹🔹
The next day, at the Magic Tower.
Moghald was attempting to restore the magic sword as requested by the Empress.
“Restore the magic sword.”
The Empress said, holding out a box containing the fragments of ‘Belich’.
‘Renny, why did you leave this behind?’
Moghald lamented, but the Empress promised to overlook his secret intrusion into the Emperor’s office if he restored the magic sword.
Although it’s unlikely that the former Tower Master would succumb to the Imperial punishment and obey an unjust order, he had a reason to accept the box.
“And make the magic sword regain its will and choose a host. The Crown Prince is weak. If there’s another option, the magic sword will never choose him.”
In other words, she meant to remove the shackles from the Crown Prince and transfer them to Lurik.
‘My past sins have returned, snowballing.’
Moghald truly regretted it.
Perhaps it was time to end his meaningless seven years of wandering.
“Very well, but I have a condition.”
He said.
“If I succeed in restoring the magic sword, you will hand over Studites-nim’s book to our Magic Tower. It’s an object belonging to the first Tower Master, so it’s only right that we keep it.”
The Empress couldn’t refuse Moghald’s request, especially with her son withering away before her eyes.
―Clang!
He began to hammer the new blade forged by the non-mage.
The outside became noisy, and the door to the forge opened.
“What is going on?”
Despite his apprentice’s voice, Moghald didn’t stop working.
Ren’s eyes widened in shock as he approached.
“Master?”
Moghald spoke calmly.
“I was ordered to restore the magic sword.”
Since Ren was the current Tower Master, they could discuss it even if it was an Imperial secret.
“They want me to restore the magic sword and let it find a new host.”
Ren’s brows furrowed.
“Are they going to sacrifice the Second Prince again? Don’t you know how much he suffered all those years? How can you participate in this again!”
Moghald chuckled.
“How can you be so sure that the sword will choose the Second Prince?”
“Even if I were the magic sword!”
Ren’s violet eyes flashed fiercely.
“Would I choose that idiotic Crown Prince?”
Moghald’s laughter grew louder.
“You were the one who broke the magic sword.”
“That was an unavoidable accident……”
“I heard you only protected the Princess that day.”
That day, Ren was so focused on Louise and the baby in her womb that he didn’t even protect the Crown Prince or Lurik, let alone himself.
“I had my reasons that day……”
Moghald didn’t listen to a single word of Ren’s excuses.
“These fragments are a ridiculously small amount.”
“What? Then……”
“Fortunately, you seem fine.”
He relayed Helena’s words, and Ren asked, perplexed.
“What do you mean I seem fine?”
Moghald continued without answering Ren’s question.
“The Crown Prince and the Second Prince lack basic internal magical power, and they were closer to the magic sword, so they absorbed the fragments. That explains the Crown Prince’s condition.”
Ren hesitated and tilted his head.
“But isn’t the Second Prince fine?”
Moghald’s gray eyes twinkled meaningfully.
“He carried the magic sword for half his life, and Helena-nim is by his side.”
“Helena-nim…… Are you talking about the nun Louise sent?”
“She is not a nun.”
Impatient with his master’s riddles, Ren asked,
“What? Then, what is she?”
“A Saint.”
“……What?”
Moghald lowered his voice.
“She can purify the fragments of the magic sword. Thanks to her, the Second Prince is clean now. His body and mind are as clear as they haven’t been since he was very young.”
Ren asked, puzzled.
“Then you’re saying the Saint didn’t purify the Crown Prince? Why?”
“Because I told her the secret of the magic sword and urged her to make the right choice.”
“……What?”
Ren hurriedly fumbled at his master’s neck and pulled out the same necklace he wore.
The necklace, which couldn’t be removed once worn until the day one died, was as hot as a heated iron.
Startled, Ren dropped the necklace.
“Master!”
The Tower Masters swear on their lives to protect the Emperor’s secrets.
Moghald’s revelation about the magic sword was a clear violation of that oath.
Ren asked urgently.
“W-What do we do now? Are you already paying the price for breaking the oath?”
“Renny.”
Called by his old name, Ren looked at his master with reddish eyes.
“You know that I started this.”
Moghald was talking about Studites’s book.
He had read it to him, and about how he couldn’t stop the Emperor and Empress’s wicked plan.
“So, the end is also my responsibility.”
It meant he was prepared to pay the price.
“That’s absurd. There must be a way.”
Moghald smiled gently and raised a hand to stroke his apprentice’s head as he did when he was young.
Then, in the brief moment when the heartbroken Ren was unguarded, he cast a powerful forgetfulness spell.
Not only did he break the unwritten rule of not using magic against each other in the Magic Tower, but he also betrayed his apprentice’s trust in him.
The memories after entering this room would have vanished.
However, Ren didn’t realize that he had just been deceived by the only man he trusted.
He frowned and looked at his master.
Then, he repeated the question he had asked as soon as he entered the room.
“What is going on?”
This time, Moghald hurriedly cleared the workbench.
“Is there a law that says I have to report everything I do to you?”
The Tower Masters swear on their lives to protect the Emperor and his secrets.
‘I don’t have much time left, but I can’t sacrifice Ren’s life as well.’
Unaware of his master’s feelings, the young Tower Master asked impatiently again.
“I’m not asking what you’re doing, old man. I’m talking about the nun named Helena. She said she came to the Imperial Palace at Princess Louise’s call. Why did you hide her with the Second Prince?”
Moghald smiled.
“I’m curious about that too.”
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