By Zephyria 
Marianne feigned a sigh with a smiling face, letting out a groan. It was astonishing to see Shayden readily chiming in with agreement.
“Oh dear, our Your Highness has already lost his chance at marriage. He’s already stamped the marriage certificate.”
“I was worried because you seemed to be suffering for quite a while, but you were more daring than I thought.”
“Well… I don’t know if you can call it suffering… Besides, wasn’t Your Highness always like this before?”
“…Ah.”
“I guess people… tend to resemble the ones they like…”
“…Uh-huh, well… Since it’s Mika, he has to go this far…”
I had no words to retort to the children’s chatter, which used my embarrassment as fertilizer. I swallowed a sigh, washed my face with dry hands, and let the children’s voices flow past my ears as I sipped my tea.
Then, when the children’s babbling became so cute that I eventually let out a soft chuckle, Marianne pushed her beaming face toward me and nodded her head emphatically.
“But, the more I think about it, the better idea it seems.”
“What does?”
“The Second Prince saying he’ll climb the Yuil Mountains with us. It’s a way of clearly showing off his strengths.”
“Strengths?”
“Yes. The Second Prince is talented enough to become a Sword Master within the next ten years. The First Prince has no talent for magic or swordsmanship. The Sierran Empire has a strong tendency to revere the strong more than the other five kingdoms. If the Second Prince’s conquest of the Yuil Mountains were published, it would be hugely popular, you know?”
Perhaps it was because so many people went up and down the Yuil Mountains. I had heard that it was a mountain people climbed with a will in their testament, but Marianne didn’t seem worried at all.
After examining dozens of species of Monsters, I was twice as nervous as when I knew nothing. Marianne’s naively bright reaction was simply amazing.
To think that going to a place where such huge and dangerous beasts roamed looked cool and good to her.
Not because it would help her improve her skills?
Come to think of it, some of the seniors I met when I was attending the academy also encouraged me, saying that my getting stronger was a good thing for them too. I recalled a few whose faces were already blurry and asked again.
“What if something happens while I’m away?”
“Oh, there’s no way that could happen. His Majesty the Emperor is there.”
Marianne replied as if she were stating something obvious.
It was strange. Even if Rubel said that the Emperor easily trusted and followed his father, it was still amazing that all the people of the Empire spoke of the Emperor’s safety and well-being as if it were a matter of course. The current Emperor was neither a Martial artist nor a Wizard.
When I said that I wondered what kind of great person he was for that to be the case, Shayden, who knew that I was weak in basic common sense, nodded and prepared to add an explanation.
“Well, the Growth and Reflection class only teaches basic theological theory and inner exploration.”
“Hmm.”
“You know that there are two types of Divinity, right? One that is realized through strong faith, and one that is innate.”
“Yes.”
“The imperial and royal families of the Empire and the five kingdoms are born with Divine Power. That means they are immune to all curses. Moreover, once they ascend to the position of Emperor or King, they receive the protection of the First Goddess.”
“Through what?”
“Well, wouldn’t they have a Divine object passed down through the generations?”
I had learned about Philix’s Divine Relic before.
The story came up again that both the Empire and the kingdoms each enshrined Divine objects, but their forms and methods of transmission were not known.
It was also said that the current Emperor cherished both Princes equally and wanted them to have a fair competition, so he had announced that he would not fully decide on a successor until the Second Prince, Ruben, turned twenty-five.
Twenty-five. Ruben was nineteen this year, so you could say there was plenty of time, or you could count that there wasn’t much time left.
“But it’s not entirely my fault that he decided to climb the mountain.”
“Then what is it?”
“You’ve heard the story that as the amount of Mana on the continent has increased, the Monsters have become more ferocious, and some of the Imperial Knights have volunteered to participate in the subjugation of Monsters in the Yuil Mountains, haven’t you?”
“I have…?”
“They can’t be reached.”
Marianne, who had been answering obediently, widened her eyes in surprise and asked again.
“Isn’t that what always happens when you climb the Yuil Mountains? Where do they have time to sit down and write letters?”
“The two Wizards who were sent with them also can’t be reached, just in case.”
“Huh?”
That’s right. It was something to be surprised about. I calmly added an explanation.
“But it’s strange that the news isn’t spreading. Wesley Kiadris goes back and forth to the capital every couple of months and acts nonchalantly, so is there a reason why he wouldn’t tell us the news of those who climbed the mountains? At least if he had given a hint to the Emperor, the Second Prince, Rubel, would have known.”
“…That’s…”
“I don’t know what he’s plotting with the Magic territory. But…”
“…It’s definitely strange. Most of the Knights who volunteered to go to the Yuil Mountains have skills above Sword Master. It hasn’t even been a year yet, so it’s okay that we haven’t heard from them… But the Withrow duchy should be able to hear the news and pass it on.”
Marianne nodded. Even if I protected the child who would go with me as much as I could reach, it was obviously dangerous. Wesley Kiadris is a Martial artist of Hwagyeong. I warned him without hiding it, thinking that he would be able to show better results if he set him as his goal and worked hard.
“Yes. It’s still just a hypothesis, but it’s better to be careful. Shayden, you too.”
“Yeah, I’ll look into it separately. …Did you tell the Professor? What about the family elders?”
“Well… Professor Maelo Sanson doesn’t want the conflict between Wesley and me. As for my relatives… it’s not a story to be told in writing, so I decided to tell them at this graduation ceremony.”
“…Ah.”
“Since it’s not something that can be resolved right away, it’s better to wait and see. Let’s keep in touch and exchange news if there’s anything to tell even after I climb the mountain.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
Then, after rambling on about trivial things, I avoided the situation appropriately when Marianne tried to tease me again.
After that, I stood in a place looking at Rubel again, and then gathered the children and had a meal. Of course, Marianne and Shayden were also there, but no one at the table brought up the increase in Mana or Wesley Kiadris.
I did the same.
❖ ❖ ❖
The next day, and the day after that, Wesley Kiadris could not be seen.
I thought that since he was a son of the Duke family and I was close to the center of power by borrowing the power of my maternal family, I could ask for a meeting once. However, I only heard that age was also included in the sharp etiquette of high society, so a person from the Opal Palace could not send a servant to invite a person from the Crystal Palace.
I couldn’t do anything, so I grabbed Edwin Kiadris and told him to call his brother once, and I saw the child’s eyebrows soaring to the sky. It was truly amazing how that beautiful face could be distorted like a Yaksha.
But as life is like finding a few big clams when you dig through the mud to find pearls.
The time I spent walking side by side with Rubel and exploring the gardens of the Crystal Palace with a good excuse was enjoyable just by walking. I kept smiling.
January 8th, it was a garden of the Imperial Palace where the warm midday sun was pouring down.
Rubel and I sat side by side on a huge chair that looked like it could seat at least four people. It was a swing tied to a large tree with thick ropes. Just sitting still and moving back and forth was very comfortable in harmony with the quiet shade of the tree.
Listening to Rubel’s beautiful voice as if it were a song, I didn’t bother to stop my eyes from closing and leaned back loosely. It was cute and funny to see Rubel occasionally kicking his feet to make the swing sway.
After a while, Rubel carefully brought up the story of the graduation ceremony.
“…Hey, Mika. Is there anyone you’ve invited to the graduation ceremony?”
“Hmm.”
I opened my half-closed eyes and looked straight at the child.
There was no way I wouldn’t know why the child was asking this. Benjamin had once told me that it was possible to invite people who were not family members to the graduation ceremony.
But I hadn’t brought up the story to Ruben yet. It was also because I didn’t know about the child’s graduation ceremony and didn’t go, and it was also because I didn’t think much of my graduation ceremony.
Above all, there was another big reason.
“I heard that all the imperial family members are busy right after the New Year Festival.”
“No, I’m not busy at all.”
“…”
“…I’m, I’m busy… But I’m okay for a day.”
I had already heard that the graduation ceremony was from early morning to evening. Since my family and maternal family members would all gather at my graduation ceremony, I would have to spend time with my relatives as soon as the ceremony was over, so how much could I get along with this child?
When I couldn’t answer right away because of such worries, the child looked into me with a tearful face.
It was amazing.
“…Even if you look at me so cutely…”
“…Huh? …Me?”
“Ha… I understand. Come and see me.”
“Uh-oh… Huh?”
The child widened his slender eyes and blinked a couple of times. Soon, the corners of his mouth melted away. Soon, a clear laughter rang out like a bell.
Ruben, who was covering his face with one hand and fidgeting, then covering his face with both hands and stomping his feet while making a sobbing sound, was so pretty that I ended up laughing with him.
Just because I allowed him to come and see the graduation ceremony, he was so happy. It would have been a disaster if I had told him not to come. Anyway, there was no way to overcome this guy’s flattering attitude.
I was worried that I might spoil the child because of me.