Episode 64
“Letters arrived from the imperial capital while you were out.”
Upon arriving at the hotel, I was immediately handed three letters. Two of the envelopes had names written on them: Rurik and Ren, respectively.
I had sent a letter to Rurik announcing my safe arrival, so this must be his reply.
‘And Renya probably wrote to say he arrived safely at the imperial palace.’
The one I was most curious about was the unmarked envelope, but I decided to read Rurik’s letter first.
My dear Lu,
Now that my mind has finally cleared, I realize how right you were.
I’m glad you are in Flavi.
Please rest easy, enjoy yourself, and stay as long as you wish.
Rurik.
Huh?
I had no idea what he meant.
‘What exactly did he realize?’
I was puzzled, but it was still better than him anxiously demanding I return quickly. So, I took a deep breath and opened the unmarked envelope.
‘Oh my god.’
I instantly understood the nature of Rurik’s sudden realization.
‘Helena is there.’
To Her Royal Highness, Princess Louise,
I have only just received your letter and have now reached the imperial palace.
Fortunately, upon my arrival, I met His Highness Rurik, and thus I have come to understand the reason you summoned me.
Thank you for enlightening this foolish girl.
Even now, I will remain by His Highness Rurik’s side and perform the duties given to me.
The fact that she didn’t sign her name even at the end suggested Helena was still hiding her identity.
Connecting it with Rurik’s letter, it meant Helena had successfully purified the magical energy within Rurik, and as a result, Rurik had fully grasped the circumstances he had been placed in all this time.
‘Is it time for a storm of blood to sweep through…?’
Despite being a pregnant woman who had possessed this body alone, I couldn’t possibly prevent all misfortune. If the perpetrators of that misfortune were the Emperor and Empress, then they deserved to be punished.
‘So, is the Rurik problem really resolved now?’
Well, perhaps not resolved, but rather passed into Helena’s hands.
To be honest, I had thought I’d lost Helena for good, so her letter felt like a surprise gift. I found myself grinning widely alone before finally opening Len’s letter, which I had saved for last.
My beloved Lu,
The atmosphere at the imperial palace is unusual, so it seems I must stay here for the time being.
It’s actually a good thing you are in Flavi.
Still, if you need me, contact me anytime.
Ren.
The fact that everyone unanimously agreed it was good I was in Flavi suggested the tumultuous events from the novel were finally about to unfold.
‘I’m worried…’
But Helena was there, and Ren was there, so Rurik would absolutely not lose. I hoped the protagonist’s buff would start exploding spectacularly now.
The next day, Magic Tower
Moghold was attempting to restore the demon sword as the Empress had demanded.
“Restore the demon sword.”
With those words, the Empress had held out the box containing the fragments of ‘Belih’.
‘Lenny, why did you leave this behind?’
Moghold lamented, but the Empress had promised to overlook his secret intrusion into the Emperor’s study on the condition that he restore the demon sword.
One might think the former Magic Tower Master wouldn’t obey an unjust command out of fear of imperial punishment, but he had his own reasons for accepting that box.
“And ensure the sword regains its will and chooses a host. The Crown Prince is weak. If there were another option, the sword would never choose him.”
In other words, she planned to transfer the Crown Prince’s yoke onto Rurik.
‘My past sins have returned, snowballed and enlarged.’
Moghold genuinely regretted it. Perhaps the time had come to end his seven years of meaningless wandering.
“Very well. However, I have a condition of my own.”
So he spoke.
“If I succeed in restoring the demon sword, you will hand over the ‘Book of Studites’ to our Magic Tower. As it is an artifact of the founding Master, it is only right that we keep it.”
The Empress, desperate for her dying son, could not refuse Moghold’s request.
—Clang!
It was just as the non-magical blacksmith began hammering the newly forged blade. A commotion erupted outside, and the smithy door opened.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Moghold didn’t clear his workbench even at the sound of his disciple’s voice.
Ren’s eyes widened in shock as he approached.
“Master?”
Moghold spoke calmly.
“I have been ordered to restore the demon sword.”
As the current Magic Tower Master, Ren was someone with whom even imperial secrets could be discussed.
“So they intend to restore the demon sword and have it seek a host once more.”
Ren’s brow furrowed deeply.
“You plan to sacrifice His Highness the Second Prince again? You know how much he has suffered all these years! How can you participate in such a thing again!”
Moghold let out a low laugh.
“How can you be so sure the sword will choose His Highness the Second Prince?”
“Even if I were the demon sword itself!”
Ren’s sapphire eyes gleamed dangerously.
“Why would it choose that fool of a Crown Prince?”
Moghold’s laughter grew louder.
“You’re the one who shattered the demon sword.”
“That was an unavoidable accident…”
“I heard that day, you only defended the Princess.”
That day, Ren, his mind focused solely on Louise and the baby in her womb, had failed to protect even the Crown Prince and Rurik, getting himself injured in the process.
“I had my reasons that day…”
Moghold didn’t listen to a word of Ren’s excuse.
“These fragments are an absurdly small amount.”
“What? Then…”
“Fortunately, you seem perfectly fine, I hear.”
When he relayed Helena’s words, Len looked bewildered and asked.
“What do you mean, I seem fine?”
Moghold didn’t answer Ren’s question and continued.
“Both His Highness the Crown Prince and the Second Prince lacked basic internal magical power, and they were closer to the sword when it shattered, so they absorbed the fragments. That explains the Crown Prince’s condition.”
Ren flinched and tilted his head.
“But His Highness the Second Prince is perfectly fine, isn’t he?”
Moghold’s gray eyes glinted meaningfully.
“He carried the sword for half his life, and Lady Helena is by his side, is she not?”
“Lady Helena?… Are you speaking of the monk Louise sent?”
“She is no monk.”
Ren, frustrated by his master’s riddles, asked impatiently.
“What? Then, what is she?”
“A Saint.”
“…What did you say?”
Moghold lowered his voice.
“She can purify the fragments of the demon sword. Thanks to her, the Second Prince is now clean. His body and mind haven’t been this pristine since he was a very young child.”
Ren asked, perplexed.
“Then, are you saying the Saint didn’t purify the Crown Prince? Why not?”
“Because I revealed the secret of the demon sword to her and urged her to make the right choice.”
“…What?”
Ren hurriedly felt his master’s neck, pulling out a necklace identical to his own.
The necklace, which could not be removed once worn until the day of death, was as hot as a brand.
Startled, Ren let go of the necklace.
“Master!”
The Magic Tower Masters swore an oath, pledging their very lives to protect the Emperor’s secrets. Moghold’s disclosure about the demon sword was a clear violation of that oath.
Ren asked urgently.
“W-what do we do now? Are you already paying the price for breaking the oath?”
“Lenny.”
Hearing his old name, Ren looked at his master with reddish eyes.
“You know I started this matter.”
Moghold was referring to the Book of Studites. He had read it to them, and about his failure to stop the Emperor and Empress’s vile plan.
“Therefore, it is also my role to finish it.”
It meant he was prepared to pay the price.
“That’s absurd. There must be a way.”
Moghold smiled faintly and raised a hand, stroking his disciple’s head as he had when Ren was young. Then, taking advantage of the brief moment when the distraught Ren was off guard, he activated a powerful forgetting spell.
He had not only broken the unwritten rule of not using magic on each other within the Tower but had also betrayed his disciple’s trust. The memories since entering this room should have suddenly vanished.
And Ren, unaware that he had just been betrayed by the only man he trusted, frowned as he looked at his master. He then repeated the question he had asked upon first entering the room.
“What is the meaning of this?”
This time, Moghold hurriedly cleared his workbench.
“Since when must I report everything I do to you?”
The Magic Tower Masters swore an oath, pledging their very lives to protect the Emperor and his secrets.
‘My remaining life may not be long, but I cannot sacrifice Ren’s life as well.’
Unaware of his master’s thoughts, the young Tower Master asked impatiently again.
“I’m not asking what you’re doing, old man. It’s about that monk, Helena. I heard she came to the imperial palace at Princess Louise’s summons. Why are you hiding her near His Highness the Second Prince?”
Moghold laughed.
“I’m curious about that myself.”
