Chapter 81
I nodded.
“Yes! I’m really smart. I love studying magic, and I want to visit the Magetower someday!”
“The Magetower, you say?”
“Yes! I heard it’s really hard to get into the Magetower. Even if you win a lot of awards at academic conferences, you can’t enter unless you pass a scout or interview…”
Theo was silent for a moment, but surprisingly, he agreed obediently.
“Debocchio does have a bit of that kind of nature,” he said.
Then he asked,
“So you wish to purchase an artifact?”
“Huh?”
“Artifacts are remnants of ancient magic that no longer exist. The Debocchio Magetower protects and studies them. I’m asking whether that aspect interests you.”
Blinking in surprise, I quickly replied,
“No? I’m not really interested.”
“…”
“I only came because Your Highness offered to get it for me. I don’t really want it that much.”
“…”
“I won’t buy it if it’s too expensive.”
I had to remember one thing: this was a negotiation for the artifact’s price.
“This is an artifact. Discussing its price is laughable for such a treasure.”
But Theo immediately objected.
I shook my head quickly.
“No. If you remove the word ‘artifact,’ it’s just an ordinary necklace.”
“That’s not true. It was made by the ancients and preserved by their descendants—it’s an ancient artifact.”
“No! For something like that, its effects should have been proven, but they haven’t been.”
I smiled triumphantly at Theo, who had fallen silent.
‘See? I’m right, aren’t I, Master of the Magetower?’
In this world, there were a total of four ancient artifacts.
Of those, only three had been physically confirmed, and the obsidian necklace I held was the first.
Next were the two artifacts displayed at the Magetower…
‘And the last one? Even the Magetower doesn’t know its location.’
According to the Magetower, each artifact had a unique effect.
But even so, the effects sounded extremely abstract.
For example, the “Dragon Hunter’s Sword” displayed at the Magetower was said to purify monsters and save corrupted souls.
In today’s era, with monsters mostly gone, it was impossible to confirm.
Another displayed artifact, the “Censer of Mana,” supposedly emitted pure magical energy when certain conditions were met—but no one had ever activated it.
Moreover, nobody knew what those “specific conditions” were.
Finally, the effect of my obsidian necklace was said to be “luck.”
“Luck? How can anyone believe something so vague? Maybe a fool would.”
Then I paused.
‘It’s not a lie that it supposedly brings luck. It worked for me.’
‘If you wear it, luck comes to the owner.’
Oh my, thinking back, the fool who believed that was Tian.
Back then, I had only thanked him to preserve his innocent heart…
Blinking in embarrassment, Theo sharply challenged me.
“You said the artifact is just an ordinary necklace, so why are you wearing it, Princess?”
I flinched and instinctively looked at Tian.
Yes, I didn’t believe in the artifact’s effects.
But I couldn’t say that out loud.
The necklace was a gift from Tian, but also a keepsake from the late Empress.
“I-I don’t believe in its effect, but it’s a precious necklace.”
“Precious, but ordinary?”
His tone had a subtle, pointed edge, and my eyes narrowed.
‘What’s this?’
Of course, I had spoken back to the Master of the Magetower first.
But Theo was not to be underestimated.
Even though he could have let a five-year-old win, he was countering every one of my words.
‘Why so competitive? And with a five-year-old me?’
The problem was, I too was starting to get competitive.
“It can be ordinary but still precious. Master of the Magetower, you think too much in black and white.”
“I was merely pointing out a contradiction.”
“Pointing out a contradiction isn’t black-and-white thinking. Huh—do you learn in the Magetower that you must always think one-sidedly?”
“…Are you mocking me right now?”
Startled, I waved my hands.
“I-I’m only five! I wouldn’t dare mock the great Master of the Magetower!”
From the side came a soft “heh” sound.
Tian was covering his mouth with one hand, desperately suppressing his laughter.
Then, after regaining composure, he said as if nothing happened,
“Ria, it’s fine. Even if you don’t believe in the artifact.”
I pouted, looking unfairly treated.
“B-but this necklace is my favorite and most precious! I don’t believe in the luck effect, but it’s truly my most treasured possession!”
“I know,” Tian’s gaze softened.
“That’s enough for me. You don’t have to believe just because I do.”
“Your Highness…”
“And I think you have a point. No one has actually witnessed an artifact’s effect, now that I think about it.”
I straightened my chest, feeling triumphant.
Then I looked at Theo as if to say, “Go ahead, explain.”
“You heard that, right? So, if your intention was to sell it at a high price…”
“If the effects of a displayed artifact were remarkable, wouldn’t that be a problem in itself? The Magetower would be an easy target,” Theo interrupted sharply.
His expression was far more serious than before.
“We are a research institution, not a guild that trades artifacts. The more precious the item, the more reason it must be kept hidden.”
Then, in an even quieter voice, he added,
“In fact, the artifact I brought today is no different. For similar reasons, it has never been publicly revealed.”
My eyes widened.
‘An artifact that’s never been revealed?’
“So far, three artifacts have been publicly known: the obsidian necklace you’re wearing, the Censer of Mana, and the Dragon Hunter’s Sword displayed at the Magetower.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Theo.
“In fact, the remaining artifact, which has never been publicly revealed, is also kept at the Magetower. Specifically, I’ve been guarding it as the successor to the previous Master of the Magetower.”
So, to summarize:
The last artifact, previously thought lost, was brought today by Theo.
Exchanging glances with Tian, Theo rose from his seat.
He carried a sturdy box placed a few steps away.
“Only my assistant and I know of this artifact’s existence. Even scholars affiliated with the Magetower do not know.”
The box was wrapped in chains, and the lock was covered in blue seals.
It seemed sealed with a complex magical script.
“Rumors about teleportation or defensive effects are just that—rumors about this artifact.”
Theo began unraveling the intricate magical script without a flinch.
With every movement, a strange magical tool on his wrist glowed blue.
Even I, who knew most magic tools, had never seen this one.
Finally, the identification spell confirming the owner vanished in a mist.
Theo skillfully unwrapped the chains around the box.
Then he looked at me and said,
“This is the only artifact whose effects you can witness directly.”
The final lock clicked open in his hands.
Slowly, something emerged from the box.
“This is…”
I half-stood from my chair without realizing it.
The artifact was a pair of rings made from an emerald-like material.
“The Twin Rings of Lasandra,” Theo said, removing one from the deeply carved wooden slot.
He gently pulled my wrist and placed the ring on my palm.
Its smooth surface shimmered in the surrounding light.
Something was inscribed across the center.
It was a third, unknown script—neither Ancient nor Imperial.
“As the name suggests, each person can wear one, and the effects are shared simultaneously between the two.”
I touched the ring, entranced.
It was cold to the touch, yet emitted a warm, comforting feeling.
“The real reason I came to the Empire today…”
Theo’s calm voice echoed through the audience hall.
I tore my gaze from the ring and looked at him.
“Was to find a partner to research the artifact’s effects with me.”
“A partner?”
Tian asked again, with a somewhat puzzled expression.
“Not to sell it?”
“On the surface, yes. But I intend to give this artifact freely.”
Theo paused briefly, then looked at me.
“For you, Princess Abner.”
