Chapter 70
When the order came to return to the North, the capital residence once again grew busy.
The hurried footsteps of maids making preparations to leave and the rumbling wheels of wagons being loaded echoed throughout the manor.
The duke’s household, who had quickly finished their packing, headed straight for the gate.
In front of the gate leading to the North.
The children stared at the swirling blue light, each with a complicated expression.
Their short stay in the capital had left them with more than just training.
Above all, the greatest outcome was undoubtedly the official announcement of Serdian as heir.
Elbadin himself had declared him heir in front of the Emperor and Empress.
For Serdian, this was a monumental moment.
It firmly established his position as heir in a way no one could deny.
In the original story, such an announcement had never been made before Serdian was cast out of the ducal house.
That alone meant a great deal had already changed.
Lucillea stared blankly at the gate.
She too felt a certain relief at the thought of finally returning after so long, yet at the same time, she couldn’t shake off the heaviness weighing on her chest.
“It feels like coming to the capital only gave me more things to worry about.”
Especially because of that mysterious mage called Latavis.
“Something about him felt unsettling, but… he didn’t seem like a bad person.”
For some reason, she couldn’t get the face of that suspicious mage out of her head.
Though she couldn’t explain why, she suddenly had the strong feeling that she would cross paths with him again soon.
But more immediately—
As Lucillea stared at the gate, a troubled look flickered across her eyes.
“Ah, this isn’t fair.”
She had planned to gather ingredients on the way back, but by traveling through the gate, she would have no chance of encountering monsters—and thus no chance to gather materials.
“My precious ingredients!!”
And, sure enough—
“Uwek!”
At the very moment she was pushed through the gate, the familiar side effects hit Lucillea once again.
Darkness swallowed her vision, and the sickening sensation of her body endlessly plummeting overwhelmed her.
Once more, Elbadin had to carry her on his back and bring her all the way to her bedroom.
How much time had passed?
When she finally opened her eyes again, it was night.
“Ugh, damn gate side effects…”
Lucillea let out a long sigh, blinking her stiff eyes slowly.
The familiar ceiling of the duke’s residence came into view.
Then, a faint herbal fragrance tickled her nose.
It was then—
“You’ve awakened.”
A deep, low, somewhat rough and unfamiliar voice.
Startled, Lucillea whipped her head around—only to find herself locking eyes with an unfamiliar old man seated in the chair beside her bed.
She gasped sharply.
His thick white hair and long beard bore the weight of countless years.
And yet, what stood out most were his violet eyes—mysteriously deep and startlingly clear.
His face was unfamiliar, but the embroidery on his dark indigo robe was strikingly familiar.
“Wait—that’s the same symbol on Teacher’s robe!”
And indeed, just then, the bedroom door opened, and Noah entered.
Spotting Lucillea awake and the old man smiling down at her, Noah rushed forward in a panic.
“Master! What are you doing, scaring her like that the moment she wakes up?! Staring at her like that—you’ll make the child faint all over again!”
Not that you even look particularly kind to begin with!
Master? Lucillea’s eyes widened.
“Teacher’s teacher?!”
Which meant… this old man was none other than the Tower Master himself!
At that moment—
“Silence.”
Tower Master Arkel dismissed Noah’s fussing with a wave, his gaze fixed solely on Lucillea.
“Is your headache tolerable?”
“Ah, y-yes… I’m fine.”
“And your stomach? Any pain?”
“M-my stomach? Uh… no, not really.”
“And your legs?”
Though Lucillea answered that she was fine, Arkel leaned closer with a skeptical expression, continuing his barrage of questions.
“Any sting in your eyes? Or the feeling of your hair being yanked out?”
“N-not at all…! I really feel perfectly fine.”
Awkwardly replying, Lucillea pushed herself up.
Her body was in surprisingly good condition—far better than the first time she had experienced gate sickness.
“But… why are you asking all this?”
Instead of answering, Arkel simply stared at her in silence.
“Wh-why is he looking at me like that?!”
As Lucillea grew increasingly flustered, Arkel finally reached for a small ceramic cup on the table.
Inside, dull-colored leaves frothed with silvery bubbles.
“W-what is that?”
“This is the best cure for gate sickness. Peppermint, snowroot, and… a secret.”
“A… secret?”
“The bitterness is the secret.”
“……”
It looked more like poison than medicine.
Even so, Arkel pushed the cup insistently toward her.
Lucillea cautiously took a sip—then immediately squeezed her eyes shut.
“Uwah! I-it’s way too bitter!”
“Which means it’s effective. Drink it all down.”
“Ugh…”
With tears in her eyes, Lucillea held her breath and gulped down the rest of the foul brew.
“Keuhk!”
The taste was so bitter it felt like her tongue might go numb.
Just then, Noah stepped forward and popped a small candy into her mouth.
“This should take the edge off.”
Arkel turned toward him.
“Seeing you dote on a disciple like this is… unfamiliar. Perhaps my death really is near.”
Clicking his tongue, he chuckled.
Noah snorted. “Do you have any idea what kind of disciple she is? I told you already—she’ll be the last student I ever take in.”
At that, Arkel burst out laughing.
“Well then, let us see if you keep your word. Still, I’ll admit—your disciple is better than mine.”
Noah narrowed his eyes.
“…That sounds like an insult.”
“No—then it’s fortunate indeed.”
“…What?”
Before Noah could ask what he meant, a yellow fluffball suddenly flew in and plopped onto Lucillea’s blanket.
[Next time, don’t even take the gate!! Every time you do, I think you’re gonna die and my heart nearly explodes!!]
Lucillea chuckled, stroking Cookie’s head.
“Sorry, Cookie. I just keep making you worry.”
[It’s not your fault! It’s the Tower’s fault for not fixing something as simple as gate side effects!!]
“Well, the Tower Master himself is right here. Why don’t you tell him?”
Cookie giggled.
[Only you can hear me, remember?]
“You’re good at calling people stupid, though. Time to practice saying other things.”
[Hehe. Hehehe. As long as you can hear me, that’s enough.]
“……”
Watching the two of them, Arkel let out a soft chuckle.
“It seems very fond of you.”
“Oh, our Cookie? Yes, he’s smart, brave, cute, and absolutely adorable.”
[And quick-witted too!!]
Lucillea smiled faintly. “And quick-witted.”
Arkel laughed heartily at that.
“Well then, our little magician here must be hungry after just waking. I’ve kept you too long. We’ll speak again later.”
Patting Lucillea’s head, Arkel turned to leave.
Noah followed, promising to return later as well.
“Thank you for the medicine!” Lucillea called after them.
Arkel paused, glancing back at her with an unreadable look, as if weighed down with thoughts he didn’t voice.
At last, he smiled faintly and gave a short reply.
“Of course.”
In the duke’s northern manor, inside the study.
After leaving Lucillea’s bedroom, Arkel and Noah met with Elbadin.
The three sat together, exchanging greetings and updates.
“To think the banquet ended without incident—that was unexpected.”
At Arkel’s words, Noah nodded.
“My thoughts exactly. I half-expected something big to explode during it.”
“Bringing up the matter of the duke’s bloodline in front of so many nobles was already no small thing.”
“Well, true…”
“The Emperor likely had no idea the Empress would say such things.”
At Arkel’s comment, Elbadin gave a slight nod.
“Yes. His Majesty even apologized for her words.”
Stroking his long beard slowly, Arkel murmured, “It feels like this is only the beginning…”
At that, Elbadin placed a portrait and a sealed letter on the table.
It was the portrait of the mysterious mage Lucillea had described, along with the message the carrier pigeon had been carrying.
Elbadin spoke while looking down at the painting.
“This is the portrait of the suspicious mage who sent off the carrier pigeon that night at the palace. And this…”
He unfolded the letter beside it.
“…is what the pigeon was carrying.”
Arkel studied the ciphered letter and portrait with a calm gaze.
“The man’s name is Latavis.”
“Do you know him?” Elbadin asked.
Arkel nodded slowly, recalling from memory.
