Chapter 13
A moment later, as if something had suddenly come to mind, Elion closed his eyes and murmured in a low voice.
“Tell Fred to prepare a pair of communication bracelets.”
“With whom will Your Highness be using them?”
“Who else? Lady Payson, of course. We’ll be meeting often from now on, and it seems inconvenient to rely on messenger birds each time.”
“Yes, understood. I’ll relay your words.”
That was the end of their conversation.
Though Elion kept his eyes shut, he was not asleep.
Instead, he was thinking about the barrier that had suddenly grown unstable.
He thought about Rubiana, who could easily become the target of monsters.
“Does her danger mean my danger as well…?”
Since there was no precise cure at present, Rubiana was said to be the only one who could stabilize his condition.
“Even the High Temple’s magical stabilizers cannot serve as a complete solution…”
If Rubiana were to be attacked by monsters, it would be the same as losing his only treatment.
A deep furrow formed between Elion’s brows.
Omar had said that his meeting with Rubiana was a blessing in disguise.
“But… was it really?”
Elion found it difficult to readily agree with that thought.
Because of this incident, both Omar and Rubiana had learned of the secret—that he had awakened as a Swordmaster.
Until now, only Hailey, Fred, and the Imperial Knight Order’s elite unit had known.
For the past year, Elion had avoided the eyes of other knights, leading only the elite unit and fighting at the very front lines.
It had been a fact known to only ten people in the world—until today, when the number increased to twelve.
And who knew when it might grow to twenty, or a hundred?
“If the Empress finds out, things will escalate quickly.”
The thought of becoming the target of the Empress’s scrutiny was tedious and troublesome.
A weary sigh slipped from his lips.
But that wasn’t the only problem.
The fact that a new weakness called “Rubiana” had emerged was another issue.
Even now, instead of worrying about the citizens’ safety due to the weakened barrier, he found himself more concerned with Rubiana’s safety.
It was not a welcome sign.
After bathing, Elion entered his bedroom.
While drying his wet hair with a towel and walking toward the bed, his eyes were drawn to an unfamiliar box on the table.
Opening it, he found a pair of bracelets inside.
“So these are the communication bracelets.”
Made of leather the width of a pinky finger, the bracelets each had a violet communication stone set in the center.
Already wearing another communication bracelet, Elion pressed its black stone twice: click, click.
The stone flickered, and soon Fred’s voice came through.
—“Your Highness, did you call for me?”
“I’ve just seen the communication bracelets on the table.”
—“Ah, I prepared them immediately after hearing from Hailey.”
“Well done.”
—“That’s only the basics, Your Highness.”
Hehe. A cheerful laugh came with the praise.
“But why were these left here?”
—“Pardon? I heard Lady Payson and Your Highness were to share them.”
“Me and the Lady?”
His straight brows instantly furrowed.
On the other side, a flustered voice replied,
—“Is that wrong? That’s what Hailey told me.”
Elion shook his head with exasperation and sighed.
“No, not me and the Lady. You and the Lady are the ones who should share them.”
—“Me and the Lady… is that what you mean?”
“That’s right.”
Arranging Elion’s schedule was one of Fred’s duties as his aide.
Elion’s voice carried irritation, as if Fred were asking the obvious.
But Fred suddenly spoke with a weary tone.
—“Your Highness, forgive me for saying so, but I already have five communication devices on me.”
“…”
—“Two on my right wrist, two on my left, and one on my finger. If you ask me to add another one…”
Fred trailed off.
“And if I do?”
—“…then it would be too burdensome for me, Your Highness.”
“Is there really a difference between carrying five and six?”
—“Your Highness, that’s rather cruel. I am still a knight who wields a sword. How could a knight fight properly with such heavy hands?”
“…True.”
Elion paused.
Fred was not only his aide but also a knight—one from the elite unit, and a skilled one at that.
At last, Elion nodded.
It was indeed unreasonable to burden Fred with yet another communication stone.
But still, he could never allow himself and Rubiana to share a pair.
“Then we’ll leave it to Hailey.”
—“Your Highness, may I say one more thing?”
“What is it?”
Fred lowered his voice, whispering as if telling a secret.
—“I believe those communication bracelets should indeed be shared between Your Highness and Lady Rubiana.”
“And why is that?”
—“Because the act of sharing magic is deeply personal, is it not? An intimate, private act.”
Personal? Intimate? Private?
“Well… secrecy is the most important thing.”
Fred’s point had merit.
—“So I think it would be much more efficient for the two of you to coordinate directly, without any third party interfering.”
“You may be right. Very well.”
—“Then…”
Fred seemed to want to say more, but it was too late.
Elion pressed and held the stone, ending the communication.
Taking out one bracelet from the box, he fastened it onto his wrist.
Now both of his left wrist bore bracelets.
The black stone linked him with Fred.
The violet stone would link him with Rubiana.
“Haa…”
The new bracelet felt heavy and suffocating, almost like—
“…a shackle.”
Rubiana was both the only treatment for his illness and his greatest weakness.
“Is it really necessary to go this far?”
Elion felt deeply skeptical of the situation.
He had never wished for an unnaturally long life.
He thought it was enough to live by accepting whatever fate was given.
He accepted being born a prince, only to be abandoned to his maternal family’s provincial estate.
While living quietly, he suddenly fell in love with the sword one day.
He accepted the life of a knight, devoting himself to swordsmanship.
He accepted the life of an imperial knight, traversing countless battlefields.
He even accepted the life of lowering himself endlessly under the Empress’s groundless hostility.
If so…
He could accept the fate of being consumed by magic that had amplified beyond control.
Living by depending on someone else’s help was not Elion’s way.
Nor did he cling to life so desperately that he would grasp at any means to survive.
And then—
A face flashed before him like lightning.
It was Rubiana, on her knees, weeping.
“Please, Your Highness, save me! Without your magic, I’m as good as dead. Don’t let me die. Please share just a little of your magic so I can live. Please?”
Elion buried his face in his hands, a painful groan escaping his lips.
He had made her kneel.
He had made her cry.
In the end, he himself had promised to help her, and so he could no longer ignore her.
Heat flared in his head.
Elion took a deep breath to cool it down.
“According to Omar’s explanation, Lady Rubiana’s illness may indeed improve.”
He remembered the words about a gap existing between body and soul.
Omar had said that gap would slowly close.
Since their magic resonated well together, there was even hope for faster recovery than expected.
“Yes. Just until then. I’ll remain in the capital only until Lady Rubiana fully recovers.”
Finally resolving his thoughts, Elion pulled the bell cord.
He needed to send out a messenger bird before it became too late.
Rubiana lay in bed, trying to sleep, but drowsiness would not come.
Her body was tired, but her mind was clear.
“For someone leaking magic, becoming a target for monsters is a hundred times easier than for ordinary people.”
Omar’s words lingered in her ears.
At the same time, the image of the terrifying monster that had attacked her came back vividly, making her skin crawl.
Its upper body resembled a crocodile, while its lower body resembled a scorpion.
She could never forget the hideous sight of it drooling as it opened its huge maw.
“Is my home really safe? What if monsters break in while I’m asleep? I’m scared…!”
Once the fear took root in her mind, it only grew larger.
At this rate, she felt she would never be able to sleep.
“Should I ask Sister Stephanie to sleep with me? No, I can’t.”
She could not allow her sister to fall into danger because of her.
Just as she decided to close her eyes and count sheep—
Tap—tap, tap—
She heard a familiar sound from the window.
