Chapter 68
While I was flustered, Hwirok used a search spell.
His aura, close to deep blue, spread across the entire banquet hall and surged forward swiftly.
At this level, one would expect the palace’s security charms to activate. Yet, even after some time, nothing happened. It seemed that His Majesty or the Crown Prince had taken precautions in advance.
“It wasn’t a teleportation spell.”
“Huh?”
The enemy suddenly vanished before my eyes.
The only spells I knew that could do this were either invisibility magic, which conceals the body, or teleportation magic, which moves one quickly over short distances.
Hwirok suspected one of these two and scoured the area, but unfortunately, the tracking failed.
So, by reverse-calculating the traces of magic that remained, he reached a conclusion.
“It’s a clone spell.”
The spell the enemy used was a clone technique. This also meant that she had never been in this location to begin with.
There had been so many surprises today.
Following the magical contract earlier, witnessing a clone spell—an extremely rare and unusual magic—was astonishing.
“Clone spells require aptitude, don’t they?” I asked as I transformed into my human form. Hwirok nodded.
“Yes. Without natural talent, the form collapses or becomes sloppy, making it obvious. Even my father and I cannot perform a clone spell as sophisticated as today’s.”
“Then her skill level must be at least that of a high-level magician.”
“Yes.”
Hwirok closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and sighed.
“The main body isn’t here either, so using more power is meaningless.”
The same applied to the stench.
Though it had been intense, once the woman disappeared, there was no trace left. It was likely because it was only a clone.
Chasing further, as Hwirok said, would have been pointless.
We had been completely outsmarted. It was no wonder the elder of the Hong family had made a contract with her.
“But it’s not like we gained nothing.”
Where the woman had vanished, magical traces remained. Hwirok sealed them in an incense pouch before they dissipated.
At least we secured the evidence.
I looked up at the sky. The magical traces from Hwirok’s spell were slowly fading.
I worried a bit that someone might notice it was the same person who had left faint traces near the elder of the Hong family earlier.
But the traces were faint since only a minuscule amount of power had been used, and any skilled magician would likely not reveal it intentionally, so the risk was low.
“Let’s go back.”
It was time to return.
We immediately sought out the Crown Prince upon returning to the banquet hall.
He happened to be outside the pavilion, so Hwirok cast a blocking barrier.
It was different from the usual barriers—just like the incense burner we had seen inside the pavilion earlier, it concealed our faces.
People’s gazes lingered on us briefly, then dispersed.
It was improper to stare at royalty for too long, and the Crown Prince knew how to use this to his advantage.
“Tch.”
A crease appeared on His Highness’s elegant brow as he received the report.
“This is troublesome.”
He was right.
It was evident that the enemy was a high-level magician with considerable skill. Adding the mastery of clone magic made them even more dangerous. If they intended a crime, it would be difficult to stop them.
“A high-level magician who’s unregistered, of all people…”
High-level magicians could cause enormous damage with even a single misdeed.
The palace would summon any high-level magician under the pretext of recognition to meet them personally and issue a warning.
Traces of their magic would also be recorded so that if a crime occurred, they could be immediately identified.
Despite all these efforts, an unregistered high-level magician had appeared. The Crown Prince quietly grasped the back of his neck.
He muttered gloomily that there was more information to extract from Hong Ja-young.
For context, Hong Ja-young was an elder of the Hong family, while the head of the family and prime minister was Hong Jae-hyun—a relative of the same rank as the elder.
“There’s a risk of escape, so I hinted to the Prime Minister in advance.”
The Prime Minister immediately slapped his own forehead upon hearing a few words. Using his sharp mind, he deduced the entire situation.
“He immediately suggested a plan to secretly remove the elder.”
The method was simple.
Since both the chief and deputy of the exam came from the Hong family, the Emperor would call the guardians, inquire about their training methods, and then give them praise publicly.
It was indeed Hong Jae-hyun.
Meeting the Emperor ensured the elder couldn’t escape, and the justification was solid.
Since the Emperor would be personally involved, the Hong elder could only comply, albeit reluctantly.
“When will you execute this? Villains shouldn’t be given time.”
“Why the rush?”
“Bad people begin to suspect when given time. They’ll escape at the first sign of weakness.”
“I’ll heed the advice of our prospective sister-in-law.”
Fortunately, the Hong elder would be taken just before the meal. Hearing this, I placed my hand on my chest and sighed in relief. Hwirok gently wrapped his hand around my shoulder.
“What’s wrong?”
“What?”
“Your expression is dark, so I ask.”
Hwirok’s quiet words made the Crown Prince twitch his lips.
“Can it be seen?”
“To my eyes, yes.”
“You can’t hide anything from my brother’s gaze.”
His eyes then turned to the pavilion.
“My mother seemed a bit off. She noticed something from the magic traces earlier, but said nothing.”
I recalled His Majesty’s stiff expression earlier.
Even magical objects couldn’t conceal emotions completely. Though he quickly regained composure, seeing him startled like that was unusual.
“Well, if it’s important, she’ll tell us later.”
A mixture of worry and trust concluded the matter.
“It’s almost noon.”
Meal time approached. His Majesty rose inside the pavilion, naturally drawing the Prime Minister and elder’s gaze.
“We have matters at hand. The rest can wait.”
Hwirok removed the blocking barrier. It was time for each of us to move.
When it was time to eat, people had finished admiring the flowers and walked along the neatly arranged path.
The dining location was a massive pavilion slightly farther away, reminiscent of Gyeonghoeru from a past life, large enough to accommodate all banquet attendees.
Ascending the pavilion, the open view struck me first.
“Wow.”
After admiring the scenery, I looked around. Cushions were neatly arranged, each with a nameplate indicating seating.
My seat was right next to Hwirok, with the best view of the scenery.
“Gasp.”
This seating arrangement startled the young ladies.
The pavilion was divided into three tiers: the top tier, the central middle tier, and the lowest tier surrounding it.
“The top tier is our seat?”
Indeed, the young ladies were seated in the top tier, directly in front of the Emperor and Crown Prince.
Since they hadn’t been informed beforehand, they were utterly shocked.
“It’s a direct evaluation.”
“Direct evaluation, indeed.”
Those with sharp eyes, including Hwirok and me, quickly understood the situation.
Eating habits are among the most instinctive behaviors.
The palace had arranged this seating to observe the prospective Crown Princess candidates’ behavior while eating.
On the top tier were the Emperor, Crown Prince, and young ladies; on the middle tier, their families; and on the lowest tier, ministers and noble families.
Ordinarily, ministers might have begrudged being seated in the lowest tier.
But, understanding this was for selecting the Crown Princess, they quietly accepted their seats.
The fortunate part was that His Majesty had taken the Prime Minister and elder aside.
The young ladies, realizing the worst had been avoided, gradually took their seats.
“Everyone, please sit.”
“Haah.”
Still, they couldn’t escape the reality of eating right in front of the Crown Prince.
The young ladies were visibly shaken.
Half were relieved His Majesty wasn’t present, and half only realized it was a Crown Princess selection now.
“Crown Princess selection…?”
Among those late to realize was our little sparrow.
She had assumed she was the top candidate, but the deputy sat in the lowest tier while she, with the young ladies, sat at the top. Only a fool wouldn’t understand the situation.
Our eyes met, and she silently asked with her gaze, “Is this right?”
I nodded firmly without speaking.
“Yes, Hong Ram.”
The little sparrow silently squealed in relief.
Regardless of the young ladies’ internal screams, once the Crown Prince finished his greetings, palace staff brought small trays for each person.
Removing the covers revealed…
“Meat…!”
The dishes were carefully prepared and plentiful. The central clay pot, once uncovered, released steam.
It was nourishing food!
Carefully checking the contents, I found oxtail, beef tendon, golden pine mushrooms, chicken, and all kinds of healthful ingredients.
“Hyeon, eat plenty.”
“Ah, Hwirok too.”
I added a piece of rib to Hwirok’s spoon, reciprocating his generosity.
“Delicious?”
“Yes!”
Thanks to my fiancé’s influence, I could eat well despite the lingering stench. The young ladies, however, looked unsure whether the food was entering their mouths or noses.
Only two ate properly: Hong Ram and Gong Lihwa, the leading candidates.
Hong Ram began hesitantly but sped up as she realized it was delicious, while the bear-kin lady had always been a hearty eater.
“Another bowl, please.”
She was already on her third bowl.
The Crown Prince didn’t speak much to the young ladies, likely overwhelmed by the day’s events.
Thus, after the banquet, there was no further contact.
We could return home immediately, and I collapsed into bed in my dog form.
“Snore… Zzz… Snore.”
It had been an exhausting day, so tired that I couldn’t even retract my pink tongue before falling into a deep sleep.
