Chapter 3

“I’m done with my business.”

Elisha notified and passed the wizard, who was blinking his eyes, and went outside.

The knights at the entrance wanted to ask her something, but in the end, they couldn’t speak to her cold face and bit their mouths.

The news that she had stopped by the Ministry of Magic and who she was calling had already been rumored, making the eyes looking at her increased dramatically.

This is why the Imperial palace is so scary.

But Elisha didn’t care.

Elisha looked down at her hands.

White and slender wrists, and long fingers that looked weak.

She did not return with the fame or power she had accumulated in the past.

However, the experiences and memories that made her victory possible were all in Elisha’s head.

Just like the formula that made it possible to negotiate with William.

The magic formula wasn’t actually made by Elisha. It was by exploiting the talent William had found after Elisha. A few years later, though not now, William would take in another student and make him his prey.

Moreover…

Crack!

The red light on Elisha’s fingertip faded.

Ignis had not responded yet, but the contract with the Spirit King was imprinted in her soul.

Her return did not mean that her relationship with Ignis had been eliminated.

Not just because of their status as a spirit king and a summoner…

The relationship between Ignis and Elisha was special.

A wizard who forcibly fixes the form of mana is absolutely incompatible with a spirit person who feels and summons the spirits living in mana itself.

Their difference is beyond the ideological rejection that is common between wizards and knights. The origins of the two are simply different.

Even if Elisha’s path as a wizard had already ended, her broken body, the traces that used to lead the mana had not disappeared. She was also a great knight who became the first person in the Empire to successfully summon the Fire Spirit King.

“Answer me, just like back then. Ignis.”

Elisha clenched her hand tightly.

Ignis had been her most powerful hand in the past and this lifetime.

***

“Shit.”

Marquis Blemir took a deep breath as he went to the Crown Prince’s Palace. This is because he remembered the private meeting with the emperor in the reception room just before.

The black-haired, blue-eyed emperor was as inhuman as his sculpturally beautiful face.

A monarch who was expected to become one of the most capable emperors in the history of the Empire, who was also his brother-in-law, but Blemir did not like him.

Blemir’s sister, whom he had been following like a mother because of the large age gap, to the Imperial palace, withered and died in the Imperial Palace.

Blemir bit his teeth and endured to protect his lone nephew.

As the leader of the neutral faction, he took the place of his father, Duke Fontana, who couldn’t move easily, showing off his swordsmanship skills that he had been hiding for fear of becoming a nuisance.

He moved exclusively for his nephew, Crown Prince Asensio.

The emperor tried to exploit such Blemir by using Asensio.

“So, where are you going again this time?”

Blemir, who was gritting his teeth and swiping back the red hair that covered his eyebrows, drew a deep wrinkle on his forehead.

The Crown Prince’s Palace was more noisy than usual.

“What’s going on?”

As he entered the palace , he realized that the one he was looking for was not around.

“He is at the drill hall.”

As he hurriedly walked, his face grew even more distorted at the sight at the entrance of the drill hall.

“The one over there, how much more does she want to bewitch His Highness?”

In addition to the energy of a familiar boy, he felt a subtle annoyance.

Blemir stared at the woman sitting in a chair on the edge of the arena, staring at the sword-wielding boy in the center.

She has long, fine silver hair and blue eyes.

Even with colors that can only be called a light color, that woman’s presence is strong.

Blemir thought so every time he saw her.

It is said that the essence of the emperor, who engulfs all things in the deep darkness, and the woman with light color, who changes the whole thing by mixing the colors of the moment, are terribly similar to each other.

Of course, that woman, unlike the emperor, still has nothing and is not polished, so she will not be able to compete on an equal footing. But then again, there’s no way she’ll ever have the power.

“We’ll see if you can hold on until then. Hmph.”

Blemir snorted at her, and the woman’s gaze was fixed on him.

There was blue flame within her eyes.

***

Elisa, who just left the Ministry of Magic, was told that Asensio was practicing swordsmanship at the Crown Prince’s Palace, so she headed there and wanted to stop by for a while.

However, Asensio, who had already heard of Elisha’s visit, ran towards her right away, so she promised to wait until his training was over, and took a seat at the edge of the drill hall.

Swish! Whisk!

Although it is a wooden sword, the power it contains is unusual.

As explained in the Three Basics, Five Layers of the Paracion Continent…

There are only three Sword Masters in the Atien Empire.

Asensio also had considerable talent in swordsmanship, which resembled the ability of his maternal uncle Blemir, who was also the youngest between the three.

The 12-year-old boy, who was immersed in training, occasionally looked back at Elisha and smiled.

Four years were left until the light went out in those clear blue eyes and his black hair covered the ground.

Elisha unknowingly pressed her lower lip down with her upper teeth. Soon, she sensed a sign of someone approaching and turned her head.

The cool-looking young man with red hair and brown eyes was Marquis Blemir.

She didn’t get along very well with him because he was usually very displeased with Elisha for taking advantage of Asensio’s starvation of a mother’s favor.

However, if that person didn’t die by mistake…

Asensio’s death would not have come so soon.

After all, Marquis Blemir is the heir to the Duke Fontana, one of the most prestigious sword geniuses, one of the pride of the Empire.

After that, once he inherited the title of duke, he would become one of the four major dukes and become a strong supporter for the Crown Prince.

How long has he been making eye contact?

“I’ve seen the 2nd Empress.”

“Long time no see, Marquis Blemir.”

“Considering that the 1st Empress was not even aware of your visitation, and that you’ve personally come all the way here. I assume you must have a very big request for the Crown Prince today.”

“Well, it is a big request.”

“Ha!”

Blemir burst into laughter at Elisha’s blunt response.

Elisha didn’t even frown at his cheeky act.

There’s no way she could frown at him now when she came back to do something she didn’t do in the past.

“It’s the 3rd Prince’s birthday soon. If His Highness the Crown Prince can attend, the child will be very happy.”

“… If the Crown Prince attends , the 1st Empress will quarrel all along and the banquet will be a mess, do you not mind?” Blemir asked.

He thought if it were the 2nd Empress, even if the Crown Prince wanted to come, she would nail him not to come.

Elisha in the past had certainly done so, but not this time.

“I will only send invitations to the 1st Empress.”

At Elisha’s words, Blemir’s, who had no talent of hiding his own expression, eyes widened.

Sending only an invitation to the 1st Empress, who would be uncomfortable even with a direct visit to the Crown Prince’s Palace, is something that can make that fox pass out in anger.

While Blemir was calm on the outside, he was still worried.

Of course, it wasn’t for the 2nd Empress, but for Crown Prince Asensio.

If there is trouble for no reason. Only the heart of the Crown Prince’s heart will be weakened.

“If the 2nd Empress goes out to support the Crown Prince, we can’t promise anything.”

The one who needs nominal support is the 2nd Prince Stoneham, who lacks legitimacy and justification, not the Crown Prince.

Elisha nodded her head despite the obvious line that was drawn.

For Leon, Elisha could build a tower with thousands or tens of thousands of corpses, and she had actually done so in the past.

One cannot survive in the Imperial Palace if they’re weak enough to complain about the cruelty of what they’ve done.

However.

“It seems that Marquis has not yet set up his hands in the Imperial Palace, since you don’t even know what I was talking about at the Ministry of Magic. Please don’t forget that no matter who the opponent is, at any time, it is impossible to predict how the situation will change in the future. So, you should always leave room for anything.”

“…”

“Even if it is not comparable to the 3rd Prince, I also cherish the Crown Prince.

Blemir swept through her side profile.

Elisha’s indifferent expression remained the same. However, the slightly bent corners of her eyes softened her cold face.

At that moment, Elisha also turned her head to face Blemir.

“So, Marquis, don’t let the Emperor use you as his sword any longer. If Marquis is broken, who do you think will be the veil on that day? Marquis can’t bear a moment of pain, so is he going to harm His Highness the Crown Prince with his own hands?”

Blemir was always worried.

His weakness was the Crown Prince himself, and that was the reason the Crown Prince was able to stay safe until now.

If he ignores and acts ignoring the Crown Prince, harm will be done to the Crown Prince, and who will be able to stop that?

If his father, Duke Fontana, was going to come out, he would’ve done so in the first place.

Ellisa said as if she had read Blemir’s thoughts.

“I’ll protect him. I’ve let you lose in the past, but I won’t this time.”

In the past? There were so many puzzles, yet so many crises. Blemir simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Everyone has a heart to protect. However, the right to protect is only given to them who have the power. Did you say that you would help me and the Crown Prince? Would the 2nd Empress, who lost her magic, be able to do that?”

“Didn’t I just tell you? Please leave room for anything. Why do you decide I can’t? Above all, I haven’t fully decided yet. I will definitely protect the Crown Prince, but when did I say that I will protect the Marquis? Did I say I would?”

“Huh?”

Looking back, that was correct.

Marquis Blemir had asked that unconsciously, and now his face became as hot as the color of his hair.

Even a six-year-old child hides his true feelings and pretends to be an adult in this Imperial Palace. Being able to make such a face at the age of mid-twenties also requires talent.

Elisa burst into a small smile as she suddenly thought that it would be good if her own child could make such a face at that age.

The smile disappeared as soon as it was drawn, but Blemir, who was facing her, did not miss it.

At that time, Asensio walked over to their side from the center of the drill hall as the training was over.

“You two, what are you talking about? It makes me happy to see you two get along well.”

Asensio’s bright voice echoes brightly.

Elisha took a step towards Asensio and whispered to Blemir,

“I have something left to check, as well. So, the Marquis should attend the 3rd Prince’s birthday banquet next week with the Crown Prince and check yourself what hand I have, and how far will I draw the line between the Crown Prince and the Marquis?”

Elisha disappeared, leaving Blemir behind.

Blemir couldn’t take his eyes off of her slender back as she moved away.

It wasn’t the hostility he had often seen, but Blemir, who had a somewhat blank expression on his face, bit his mouth as if he was angry.