CFT 102

Chapter 102

‘……So what he wants is to know the method of the Mana Test.’

The Mage Tower, which monopolized the method of discovering new mages through the Mana Test, held their heads very high.

From Berinian’s perspective, Liana’s words must have sounded like a tremendous opportunity.

Still, it wasn’t easy for him to be the one to bring it up first.

After a moment of thought, Liana spoke up on his behalf.

“First of all, I think this is something that should be discussed with His Majesty present. I’ll leave it to you to bring him here, Duke.”

He wouldn’t come if she were the one to call.

That part, she kept to herself.

“……Your Highness.”

There was no way Berinian could have missed the positive nuance hidden in Liana’s words.

Even so, his face still carried not pure joy, but guilt and lingering hesitation.

At that, Liana deliberately grinned and tapped the table lightly.

“Duke, I don’t have that much patience. If you don’t bring His Majesty quickly, I might just change my mind.”

A playful, half-joking threat.

“……Thank you, Your Highness.”

Only then did Berinian finally smile faintly and rise to his feet.

With a nod from Liana, he walked toward the door and half-opened it.

“Bring His Majesty here. Tell him it’s urgent, and that I’d like him to come quickly.”

The same attendant they had seen earlier nodded silently at Berinian’s order.

Born with a body that could not sense Aura, the attendant moved away once more without making a single sound.

“Sir Rabiel mentioned earlier that the attendant outside is your personal servant?”

“Ah, yes. He’s a child I took in a few years ago.”

Berinian, who had just sat down again, nodded openly at Liana’s question.

“When he came earlier to deliver your note, I noticed his movements were quite sharp.”

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing she had noticed.

His small frame, his body incapable of handling Aura, his silence, and his noiseless movements.

Those traits all pointed toward one particular field where such qualities were crucial.

Liana knew this very well, since she also had such a child by her side.

“……In truth, he used to belong to the assassination guild that His Majesty wiped out. He had nowhere to go, so I took him in.”

“I thought so.”

“You suspected it?”

“To some extent, yes. Once you mentioned his frame, movements, and condition, it all added up.”

At Liana’s words, Berinian gave a small nod.

“No matter how many times I tell him to make his presence known, he can’t seem to break the habit. It’s too ingrained.”

“How old was he when you took him in?”

“It’s been three years, so…… he would have been fourteen. He’s seventeen now.”

Seventeen.

The assassination guilds usually kidnapped children under five or bought orphans to raise.

Those who couldn’t survive the hellish training were simply discarded.

The fact that Berinian’s servant had lived until fourteen meant he had endured and survived that horrific training — proof of his skill.

Such habits, etched into the body through years of pain and torment, couldn’t possibly be fixed in just three years.

Especially not when they were carved through such brutal conditioning.

“What’s his name?”

“Ashil.”

Ashil.

A beautiful name.

‘Dana would want to look after him if she heard this.’

“Duke, if there’s a chance, could you send Ashil to the training grounds?”

“……Ashil?”

“There’s someone I’d like to introduce him to. A girl named Dana, who has the same past as Ashil.”

Dana was a child Liana had taken in. Born with natural resistance to poison, she had been sold to an assassination guild as an infant.

At sixteen, she was rescued by Liana.

“She could help him break the habit of constantly hiding his presence.”

Berinian agreed to at least ask Ashil about it, and the matter was settled there.

Liana, too, had no intention of forcing the issue, so she nodded in acceptance.

About five minutes later.

Liana sensed a familiar energy entering the palace.

That lazy yet overwhelming aura could only belong to Ianheart.

“Seems His Majesty has arrived.”

At her remark, Berinian let out a long sigh and muttered,

“……I envy your ability to sense energy.”

“Uh…… really?”

Liana had heard before that Berinian wasn’t particularly interested in swordsmanship or martial arts.

But before she could dwell on that, he added,

“Lately, His Majesty has been slacking too much. He keeps slipping away from me and leaving the White Stone Palace without notice……”

At that, Liana couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Pffft!”

Her cheerful laugh rang out.

And right on cue, the door clicked open and Ianheart entered.

“You’re here?”

“Mm.”

He answered casually, in his usual warm but blunt manner.

The sight of him brought a question to the tip of Liana’s tongue, but she knew the time wasn’t right. That could wait.

“You’ve arrived, Your Majesty.”

“Berinian, if you’re going to complain about me, do it to my face.”

Ianheart scolded him as he strode over and sat down beside Liana.

At those words, Liana chuckled inwardly.

Telling a vassal to criticize the Emperor directly to his face — who in their right mind would dare?

“What I said wasn’t a complaint. It was the truth. And if I recall, I’ve said it dozens of times in front of you. Please announce where you’re going before you leave. But you never listen.”

……Oh. Looks like there is such a bold vassal.

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Haa……”

Ianheart’s halfhearted reply made Berinian pinch his brow and sigh deeply.

The weight of that sigh alone was enough to show his pent-up frustration.

‘Hmm, I should probably send him some herbs later for stress relief.’

Liana thought to herself as she watched.

“So then, what’s the matter……”

At that moment—

“Ah! Divine Beast, sir…!”

A flustered maid’s voice rang out, followed by the door opening with a clatter.

Bounding inside was a black furball — Leon.

Having just woken from a nap of about an hour, his fur was adorably tousled.

“……Lord Leon?”

Berinian’s surprised voice made Liana smile awkwardly.

“He was asleep in my chambers, but I guess he woke up.”

“Kyuung……”

As if to agree, Leon gave a small cry, padded over, and leapt gracefully onto the sofa.

Then, without hesitation, he sprawled across his favorite spot — Liana’s lap.

“……Some life he has.”

Ianheart let out a helpless laugh at his Divine Beast’s carefree behavior.

At his words, Leon cracked open one eye, shot him a look, then closed it again, brushing Liana’s arm with his thick tail as if demanding pets.

“……He didn’t sleep well last night, since he came in so late.”

Leon’s unusual clinginess was puzzling, but Liana just patted his plump backside and stroked his back, her touch practiced and natural.

The purrs rumbling from him were full of contentment.

Ianheart, looking down at Leon with a somewhat sour gaze, shifted his eyes to Liana.

“Liana.”

“Yes?”

“Does he do this often? It seems bothersome for you. Why don’t I just take him with me?”

Kyarrrrk-!

Before he could even finish, Leon’s eyes snapped open and he growled ferociously.

Of course, it didn’t faze Ianheart in the slightest.

“Watch your temper. Who said you could barge in without permission?”

Kyaaak-! Kyawng-!

“Quiet.”

The discussion finally began in earnest only after Leon calmed down under Liana’s soothing hand and flopped back down on her lap.

“……So, you said there’s something urgent to discuss?”

Ianheart sighed, glancing at Leon, then turned to Liana.

Berinian, in turn, looked at her as well.

This was entirely in her hands, and he judged it wasn’t his place to speak first.

“You know about the Mana Test, right?”

Liana went straight to the point.

The Mana Test.

Ianheart’s brow rose slightly at the sudden word, and he gave a small nod.

“Of course. Isn’t that why those old geezers at the Mage Tower hold their heads so high?”

From his tone, it was obvious that he disliked the Tower’s arrogance.

And rightly so.

The benefits the Towers squeezed from each nation under the pretense of conducting Mana Tests were no small matter.

Sure, it was fair to profit from what you possessed.

But the Towers’ demands were excessive.

Not only did they take enormous sums from aspiring mages, but they also demanded state subsidies for their “research.”

And the key problem — the Towers weren’t even state-run institutions.

After considering for a moment how best to phrase it, Liana decided to just blurt it out.

“Mm, to put it simply—”

“Mm.”

“I know how to conduct the Mana Test.”

The effect of her blunt delivery was explosive.

“……What?”

Ianheart, who was rarely ever surprised, was genuinely taken aback.