Episode 51
“The Mark of Humanity.”
She didn’t know exactly what kind of treasure it was, but just identifying the location of the third treasure was a big enough accomplishment.
Miel smiled and gently patted Koselico on the head. Koselico beamed with joy.
“Hehe! See? I told you! Once Liad’s power returns, I’d remember more!”
“Yeah, you were right. Thank you, Koko.”
“Huhu! That’s the power of this great being!”
Koselico proudly puffed up his chest in delight.
“I should go to the Eastern Continent soon.”
Miel smiled as she said that, then headed to bed.
“Good night, Koko.”
“Huhu, yes, let’s sleep.
Yawn~ I’m sleepy too.”
Miel lay down, and Koselico nestled beside her.
Before long, Miel fell into a deep sleep.
And once again, she began to dream.
‘This is… like last time!’
Darkness surrounded her, and Miel quickly realized she was dreaming—just like the day she found Sellu.
Again, she was inside the old Magic Tower. The setting was the same as last time—a dark night, the magical garden.
But this time, no one was around. Only the old garden appeared before her. Miel looked around quietly.
Just then, the gate to the garden creaked open, and two people walked in.
‘It’s them again… those people from before.’
Though she couldn’t see their faces, Miel knew it was the same couple.
The two strolled through the magical garden, enjoying each other’s company. They held hands, embraced at times, and even kissed…
‘Should I really be watching this?’
Even though it was just a dream, Miel felt strangely embarrassed. But one thing was certain—they were deeply in love.
Even without seeing their faces, it was obvious from just watching them.
The scenery shifted. The couple appeared together in different places: not just the garden, but the training grounds, research rooms, and other areas.
They spent time together, smiling at each other in perfect happiness.
‘So… this is what love looks like?’
Even someone like Miel, who didn’t really understand love, could sense what it meant just by watching them.
Eventually, the dream ended after a scene where the two looked especially happy.
At dawn, under a pale blue sky, Miel woke up earlier than expected.
‘That dream… even made me feel happy.’
Perhaps because of that, she got up, gently patted the still-sleeping Koselico, slipped on her cardigan, and quietly stepped out.
She headed toward the magical garden—the same place from her dreams, and where she often met Jade.
Creak—
She gently pushed open the door and entered.
There was someone already there.
It was Jade, looking at the magical flowers. He wore a black robe and pajama pants. His robe was slightly open, revealing part of his chest.
Miel quickly averted her gaze. For a wizard, Jade had an unreasonably good physique.
“You’re already up?”
Jade crossed the garden with large strides and stood in front of her in an instant. Miel avoided his gaze awkwardly.
“Y-Yes, I just happened to wake up.”
“Waking up this early? I thought you were tired.”
“Well… I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t.”
“Happens sometimes. Come here.”
Jade smiled gently and led her deeper into the garden. Then he picked a single white flower.
“Here.”
He handed it to Miel. She tilted her head slightly but accepted the flower.
“This one helps with sleep. Keep it next to your bed tonight. It’ll help until it wilts.”
“Oh… thank you.”
“No need to thank me for something like this.”
He smiled faintly and gave her a light wave.
“I’ve got a morning meeting soon. I’ll go ahead.”
Then he gently patted Miel’s head before leaving the garden. Her face turned red.
‘He patted my head again…’
—
At the same time, Troy was busy in his office, buried in paperwork from their recent journey.
‘That journey…’
He didn’t feel like he’d been much help. The mystery behind the World Tree’s recovery still lingered.
‘But I can’t meddle in matters of the Magic Tower carelessly.’
Knowing this, Troy felt frustrated and focused even harder on his work.
After a while, when the sun had fully risen and the day began at the palace—
Knock knock.
There was a sharp knock, and Troy’s aide, Haven, entered.
“Your Highness. Urgent report.”
“What is it?”
Haven, usually calm and composed, looked unusually tense. Troy’s eyes narrowed slightly. This was definitely serious.
“There are multiple reports from all borders of the kingdom. It seems the movements of monsters are unusual.”
“What? Monsters?”
“Yes. They’ve been appearing more frequently near border areas, about 1.5 times more than usual compared to previous years.”
At Haven’s report, Troy’s expression darkened. He stood from his seat and grabbed his coat.
“Call an emergency meeting. Now.”
He swiftly left his office.
—
The next day, Miel was finally enjoying a rare, peaceful break.
“You’ve been busy lately, huh?”
She was in the Magic Tower’s bathhouse with Sella. The two soaked in the warm water and chatted.
“I had some things to take care of.”
“What things? I’ve seen you going around with the Tower Master a lot. Is that it?”
Miel didn’t answer right away. She knew she couldn’t keep hiding it forever.
Especially since Saek was the Tower Master. Whenever he was away, most of the wizards noticed.
“Mm… yeah, something like that.”
“Geez, isn’t the Tower Master working you a bit too hard?”
“Haha…”
Miel chuckled awkwardly at Sella’s words. In truth, it wasn’t Jade pushing her—it was her own journey, and Jade was simply accompanying her.
But she couldn’t talk about the sacred treasures, so all she could do was smile.
‘In fact, I’ve been getting a lot of help from him.’
“By the way, the Crown Prince hasn’t been around much lately, huh?”
She couldn’t reveal that he, too, was involved with the treasures.
“Oh, right. He must be busy.”
Miel looked away, avoiding eye contact.
“I still think he likes you, you know?”
“L-Likes me?”
Interest…? Was it really interest?
“Well, didn’t he ask you to be his partner at Princess Jnah’s birthday banquet?”
“W-What?! Then he really did like you!”
Sella got all excited, even more than Miel herself, and started playfully splashing around.
“So what happened? Huh? What did you do?”
“Huh? Me? I turned him down. There were plenty of noblewomen around anyway.”
“Whaaat?! So you just went with the Tower Master instead?”
“Yeah. Since I belong to the Tower, and if I didn’t go with him, he’d have to go alone.”
“Well… that’s true.”
Sella gently massaged her temples.
“I guess it was a tricky situation for you too.”
Miel shrugged.
“It wasn’t that big a deal.”
“Still! It was the Crown Prince! You could’ve been future empress! That was your big chance!”
“I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”
All Miel wanted right now was one thing—to gather the sacred treasures.
“Every noblewoman in the empire would kill for that spot. You really are something else.”
“I’ve never had a desire for power.”
Sella laughed out loud.
“Yeah, that sounds just like you.”
After spending a fun time with Sella, Miel returned to her room in the evening.
‘I wonder if Koko’s doing okay?’
She had left Koselico in the room to rest. When she opened the door—
“Koko, you okay?”
Koselico was sprawled across the bed, fast asleep. He had stuffed himself with the delicious food Miel had prepared earlier.
“Sleep well.”
Miel smiled fondly as she looked at him.
Knock knock
Just then, the door opened with a knock.
“Miel.”
It was Jade.
“Come to the Command Room immediately.
The Crown Prince is here to see you.”
