FLNL 40

Chapter:40

“The emperor of this empire is me. And yet, just because he was once a companion of the First Emperor, I must personally go to the Magic Tower and beg them to open the gates? No matter how great Ruaire is, is he greater than the First Emperor himself? If so, then why not make Ruaire the emperor instead! What would the people think, seeing this? Wouldn’t it seem as though Ruaire stands above the emperor? … Of course, the history books replaced this with far more dignified words, but the reality wasn’t much different.”

A distant descendant of the First Emperor’s twin, born on the same day, spoke with a cold smile hanging on his lips.

“The Tower Master accepted the arrogant requests of the emperors without resistance. However, ever since then, in the Tower’s domain, no one could use magic unless they possessed a ‘token’ imbued with Ruaire’s mana. Furthermore, for any reason whatsoever, inscribing magic circles within the Tower’s territory was strictly prohibited.”

The sound of fireworks sporadically bursting in the sky echoed faintly in their ears.

“That’s how it all began. With every Festival of Origins, we’ve had to fight those cursed beasts. There were occasional small-scale outbreaks before, but something like this—this is the first time I’ve seen such chaos firsthand. My late father said he faced many incidents, but I assumed the current emperor had shown satisfactory conduct in the Tower Master’s eyes. So… I thought I was rather lucky.”

The man with cold green eyes spoke with a bitter smile.

“Apparently not.”

…There was something unsettling about his gaze. Maia’s face slightly hardened.

Tower Master Hyperion Ruaire.

He was the one who cherished Lich deeply, and Lord Terzen too had turned out to be far more normal than expected… While his speech seemed a bit rough and immature for his age, he didn’t seem like a bad person.

Hyperion Ruaire, after all, was revered alongside the First Emperor, a figure of unshakable admiration and respect throughout the empire.

…But to think he deliberately caused this incident?

Maia stood frozen, listening to the monstrous shrieks echoing in her ears.

Could it be that even Hael Terzen, who seemed so perfectly ordinary, had cast the protective magic weakly on purpose, under the Tower Master’s orders?

So that a certain level of casualties would arise, simply to satisfy the Tower Master’s twisted whims?

…And the person he cherishes most is none other than Lich.

“No.”

Maia muttered to herself, snapping out of her thoughts.

This wasn’t the time to be caught up in such speculations.

Especially when those words were being spewed by none other than the Duke of Aetherna.

They couldn’t possibly be an objective or dispassionate account of the past.

“Your Grace, the Duchess!”

Just then, a maid came running into the magic circle.

Her clothes were torn in places, and her hair was a mess—clearly she had only just escaped from something while being chased.

“…Aren’t you a maid from the Marquis of Keppel’s household? What’s going on?”

Now that Maia took a closer look, the face was familiar. She was always by Elise’s side.

“Please, please save my lady, Your Grace!”

The maid fell to her knees, sobbing as she cried out.

“…What are you talking about? Speak clearly!”

The Duchess urgently questioned her.

“It’s just… When the monsters invaded, the young lady said she felt stifled and went for a walk in the forest with me and a knight escort. But then, suddenly, monsters appeared… While the knight held them off, we fled in panic and ended up getting separated. Please, merciful Duchess, I beg you to save her!”

The maid’s lips trembled as she spoke.

It was more serious than expected. Maia’s face turned grave.

“To be separated in the very forest where the monsters appeared…”

The Duchess trailed off as she turned around.

Only about twenty imperial knights remained unharmed.

Sending them into a monster-infested forest to look for someone who might already be dead was too great a risk.

“There is a way.”

At that moment, a noble voice broke the silence.

Countess Polaris, who had been inside the duchess’s tent until then, pulled back the flap and stepped outside as she spoke.

“A way? What do you mean?”

The Duchess asked in confusion.

Countess Polaris tore off a jeweled button from her sleeve with her crimson-painted nails.

“Oh my!”

The gem, no bigger than a gold coin, soon transformed into a long, red-tinged rifle.

As everyone watched in shock, Countess Polaris spoke in an even, unemotional tone.

“It’s a specially crafted magic weapon. It can take down large monsters. If you permit me to take a couple of knights and mages with me, I’ll lead a search in the forest myself.”

The Duchess looked at her with tears in her eyes.

“Countess Polaris… you truly possess a noble soul. I grant you full permission.”

So Countess Polaris herself would be going to search for Elise Keppel.

That was unexpected. Were the two of them close enough for such a sacrifice?

Maia stepped back a few paces, lost in thought.

“But if we could have even one more combatant with such a weapon, it would be an even greater help.”

A calm voice, unreadable in tone, stopped Maia in her tracks.

“Someone with a weapon capable of killing even large monsters.”

Maia slowly lifted her head and looked at Countess Polaris.

The woman, somewhere between middle-aged and elderly, curled her red lips into a cold smile.

“I believe the Duchess of Western received a firearm from Lord Earis earlier today. One capable of slaying both small and large monsters.”

Maia looked down at the silver pistol tied at her waist and clenched her jaw tightly.

“Searching for someone in that vast, dark forest will be no easy task. Please extend your hand, Duchess of Western.”

…Lich. The pistol you gave me out of worry might now be the very thing driving me into danger.

She could have refused this absurd request. But…

“…”

The surrounding people—imperial knights included—were looking at her with expectant eyes.

As if it were obvious she would comply.

If she refused, she’d instantly become a detestable and selfish woman unworthy of any respect.

That was fine—if she could just ignore them…

“Madam Western… I’m terribly sorry to ask, but would you please assist Countess Polaris in searching for Lady Keppel?”

Even the Duchess herself was saying this now. That was the problem.

There was no escape. Maia silently cried out Lich’s name in her heart and slowly answered.

“…Very well.”

“Oh my, thank you so much!”

Damn it. Every twist of fate was now threatening Maia’s life.

“I’m back.”

Hael announced in a curt tone as he opened the door. A young man lounging on the sofa with his legs crossed answered without looking up.

“Good.”

Hyperion continued reading the document in his hands.

He didn’t spare even a glance for his subordinate who had just completed a mission.

And yet, for that woman, he went to such extraordinary lengths.

Hael stared at Hyperion in disbelief.

Perhaps because the Tower’s domain was so close to where Hyperion resided, it was also where the remaining Twelve Beasts dwelled.

Whenever their numbers increased, Tower magicians would go down and cull them.

But this time?

The Tower Master himself descended a few days ago and personally annihilated every single monster.

‘…Was that really necessary?’

‘Huh?’

Hael had watched in stunned silence as Hyperion erased bloodstains from his sleeves with magic, standing amidst the corpses of enormous beasts.

‘Even imperial magicians can manage some protective spells.’

‘Not trustworthy enough.’

Hyperion brushed Hael’s argument aside with a single sentence, then walked toward a fleeing beast in the distant brush.

That day, the Twelve Beasts were not just culled—they were exterminated.

“There are no monsters left, so why did you give her a monster-slaying weapon?”

Even after that, Hyperion still wasn’t satisfied. He instructed Hael to deliver a magically enhanced weapon to Maia—one capable of slaying even large beasts.

“Just in case. It’s better to prevent all possible risks.”

Of course you would say that.

Hael sighed and sat down across from him.

He had already witnessed the Tower Master go on a rampage and wipe out monsters with his own eyes. So when he inscribed protection spells, he’d only done the bare minimum.

If a flying beast appeared—which was highly unlikely—he’d incinerate it on sight.

He also placed a few protective wards around the duchess’s camp, in the center of the estate.

Honestly, even that might’ve been overkill.

Hael shook his head in disbelief at Hyperion’s overprotectiveness.

Oh, right.

“By the way… that pistol you gave Lady Maia—what is it exactly?”

The moment he held it, a tingle shot through his hand. A normal person wouldn’t notice, but Hael was certain:

It was no ordinary weapon.

“That thing?”

Hyperion finally looked up from his papers.

“It’s the weapon Adelstein used.”

“…Excuse me?”