Chapter : 103
Victoria was a princess whose rank didn’t match Aria, who was of pure royal blood.
“So, Victoria—who shouldn’t even be on the same level as Aria—has suddenly been recognized by the Emperor as the true heir?”
Until now, since there was no other successor, she had reluctantly received heir training, but even within the royal family, her bloodline was always seen as a flaw.
That was also why she was immediately promoted to princess upon Aria’s discovery.
The Emperor had planned that once Aria’s position as princess was secured, he would publicly announce her as the true heir. Aria had both the bloodline and the ability.
That was how it had been in the original story.
Even in the original story, Aria suffered because of dungeons and rebel forces, but there was never any issue with her inheriting the throne.
Yet now, suddenly, Victoria was the heir?
“It’s strange that there hasn’t been any contact with Princess Aria yet.”
Compared to Aria, who had personally gone through dungeons to save the empire’s citizens, Victoria had no presence. Public sentiment toward the two princesses was worlds apart.
It was strange that royal power was suddenly backing Victoria, but even stranger that Aria hadn’t been informed until it reached this point.
Something about this was suspicious.
As I frowned, Rider nodded.
“I find it strange too, Themis.”
Rider then looked at Master with a doubtful expression.
“No matter how I think about it, I believe the Archmage should personally meet with His Majesty the Emperor to assess the situation, but from what I see now…”
“You could just use illusion magic. What’s the problem?”
Of course, Master wasn’t someone who would be intimidated by a few words from Rider.
“…But to maintain that illusion, you need treatment from the priests. And these priests are acting suspiciously behind the scenes, so that’s what I’m worried about.”
Rider furrowed his brows sharply. Master and I held our breaths.
“Did you find something out?”
At Master’s question, Rider cupped his face and performed a dry-washing gesture.
“A secret space was discovered in the underground temple at Terma.”
“A secret space?”
“…It seems like a place to confine someone. Judging by the soot and damage on the walls, it looks like it’s where Aren was hidden.”
The evidence fit perfectly, almost laughably so.
“I also suspect the temple.”
I relayed the marks of the rebels found on Aren, along with Sara’s testimony after her brainwashing was undone.
“Brainwashing… We’ll need to be cautious when confronting the priests in the future.”
“The safest thing for now is to create an artifact that can resist brainwashing. The pearl you have, Themis, will be very helpful.”
I nodded at Master’s words and took out Siren’s pearl.
“I’ll research it myself.”
Creating a high-level artifact required significant study. Given the urgency of the situation, I was prepared to postpone the dungeon and dedicate the time.
However, Master shook his head.
“No, Themis, it’s better if you come with me to the palace to observe the royal situation. Can you temporarily hand the pearl to Rider?”
It was dangerous for Master, who was cursed, to move alone in the palace. Someone needed to accompany him in case of emergency, and that someone could only be Rider or me.
“You’ve been to the palace more often than Rider, so it’ll be more natural for you to accompany me.”
Since I often went to the palace with Master, it would arouse less suspicion if I stuck close to him.
“I understand it might be uneasy to hand over your treasure, but I promise to return the pearl as soon as this is over.”
“Of course.”
I was about to hand the pearl to Rider when I hesitated.
“Rider, there’s someone whose brainwashing I want to check first. Can I give it to you afterward?”
“I think I know who. Alright.”
I doubted whether the male lead, Everett, had been brainwashed—but to be safe, I wanted to confirm. If Everett had been affected, he absolutely needed saving.
“It’s also about time he needed treatment. Let’s call Everett.”
Master sat right beside me and took out his staff. Rider’s eyes twitched nervously.
“Shouldn’t you step back a bit? You’re too close to Themis.”
“I want to.”
Master’s unusual behavior today made me laugh quietly.
Shortly after the light from Master’s staff disappeared, a knock echoed on the door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Everett entered, startled to see me. Apparently, he didn’t expect to see me here. He bowed slightly and greeted both Rider and me.
“Hmm…”
Rider stroked his chin as he observed the awkward exchange between Everett and me.
“Will the treatment be done here?”
Everett approached Master with his usual calm voice.
“Wait a moment. I want to try something first, Themis.”
At Master’s call, I took out the black pearl.
“I want to use this pearl to treat Everett.”
“‘Treatment,’ huh? An odd word to use with priests.”
Everett paused thoughtfully, then looked toward me.
“I suspect this is related to what you were hiding from me, Themis.”
His intuition was truly impressive.
“I will accept it willingly. You wouldn’t do anything harmful to me, Themis.”
Everett’s cooperation was always willing.
“You’ll explain everything to me afterward, right?”
“Of course.”
The black pearl melted into Everett’s body.
By the time I used the third pearl, I had confirmed something:
“This activates at the cost of my magic.”
It was similar to when summoning darkness. I hadn’t realized it at first due to the urgency, but now it was clear. Every time I used the pearl, my mana drained instantly. The pain stabbing at my heart was clear evidence.
“Using it on Everett, I can feel it more. The stronger the brainwashing, the more magic it consumes.”
It wasn’t just a ridiculously powerful item—it had side effects.
I took a deep breath to steady myself. Such a large magic consumption meant Everett must have been under extremely strong brainwashing.
After a short while, black powder left his body and returned into the pearl.
“I feel my mind is clear now. Thank you, Themis.”
“No. Do any memories different from before come back?”
I hoped that, like Sara, new memories might emerge in Everett now that the brainwashing was undone. As the next minister, he held an important position. If he had been brainwashed, it meant the information he originally had was crucial.
“No.”
But Everett’s answer disappointed us.
“Let’s wait a little longer. Maybe something else will come back.”
We waited, but Everett’s answer remained the same. The amount of magic used on him was tremendous, comparable to clearing a dungeon, yet nothing seemed different.
What could this mean?
We pushed aside our confusion and decided to proceed with treating Everett. Even so, Master stayed glued to my side, which made me quietly smile at how childishly he stuck to me.
The next day at dawn, Aria received an imperial edict: she was to return to the palace immediately.
“I worry about leaving the children behind. Mitchell, I trust you alone.”
“I will do my best, Princess.”
James’s death was to be announced today. Since no lord had been appointed to manage Deshua, Aria entrusted the temporary lordship to Mitchell, whom she could somewhat trust.
“I will go ahead first, Archmage. And…”
After a brief farewell to Master, Aria hesitated as she held my hand.
“It’s been an honor to go to the dungeon with you, Themis.”
“The honor was mine, to receive the support magic of a noble princess.”
Aria smiled brightly.
“Come visit the princess’s palace whenever you like. You’re always welcome. We are friends, after all.”
Friends. An unfamiliar yet pleasant word. I handed her my bag and whispered.
