Chapter : 13
The balcony was connected by a glass door, so unless the curtains were drawn, people could clearly see inside and outside.
I deliberately left the curtains slightly open rather than closing them all the way.
‘It would be troublesome if people started imagining strange things.’
Exhaling deeply, I finally faced Everett head-on.
“…What brings you here?”
I caught my breath and went straight to the point.
“There’s a problem.”
Everett stared at me silently for a moment before speaking.
“The Grand Minister doesn’t approve of Temis accompanying you on your mission. It might be impossible for you to be dispatched together.”
“E-excuse me?”
Blinking in surprise at his unexpected words, I processed what he meant.
“He said that since Temis hasn’t had any real experience yet, it would be reckless to pair him with you.”
…Hmm. Honestly, I didn’t expect anyone to stick to rules and principles at a time when magical manpower was so short.
But he wasn’t wrong.
After all, I was still a rookie mage with no proven track record.
‘No matter how much I worked at the Mage Tower…’
All the research and achievements I had done at the Mage Tower couldn’t be revealed to others, so proving my ability was difficult. That was why I had asked Everett directly for help—but the Grand Minister’s opposition was apparently stronger than I had expected.
‘Well, how much does the Grand Minister even care about Everett?’
The current Grand Minister, Owen, was a rigid old man, a classic stubborn type with a clear sense of personal authority.
‘Even though my master has lived longer than him…’
I constantly admired how different my master and the Grand Minister could be.
Ahem—putting aside my ever-recurring admiration for my master, I needed a solution to this problem immediately.
“Wouldn’t it work if you pushed it, Everett?”
“Even if I pushed, it’s impossible unless the Archmage himself recommends it. I can’t do it alone.”
“Ugh…”
I asked if it could be solved using a ‘hero buff’ from the main male lead, but it didn’t look that easy. Personally, I felt embarrassed to seek my master’s help for my own goals.
“I don’t want to rely on my master’s power.”
I hesitated, then asked,
“Would my efforts be recognized if I caught the culprit behind this recent terrorist incident?”
“Do you even know who the culprit is?”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
Well, I thought, maybe I could catch them if I tried. Everett gave a small, ironic laugh.
“…Was it always this way with you?”
“What do you mean, ‘always this way’?”
Everett looked astonished, as if he was looking at someone else entirely. Perhaps my personality had changed slightly since I decided to act for my master, but was it really that surprising?
“…We’ll have to continue this conversation later. Looks like everyone’s returning inside.”
Everett glanced behind me. As he said, the banquet hall was starting to get noisy.
“I suppose we should go in.”
“Yes, think of a solution.”
I nodded seriously at Everett’s words.
“If it’s really necessary…”
Everett opened the door and whispered softly to me:
“I’ll try to push my luck this once.”
That was somehow touching.
I watched Everett walk in first.
Grand Minister Owen was like a parent to Everett. Knowing that someone who had lived their whole life respecting Owen’s word spoke like this made me feel reassured.
‘I guess I left a better impression on Everett than I thought.’
Even though more than half my life was devoted to my master, it seemed I hadn’t wasted my life entirely.
Feeling more at ease, I surveyed the banquet hall. Everyone was looking toward the entrance. Were they waiting for someone?
“Princess Aria!”
Finally, Aria entered the banquet hall.
Princess Aria, having tidied her previously disheveled appearance, waved to the people first as she entered. A smile played on her lips as she waved around and then looked in my direction.
‘Huh?’
Our eyes met.
‘…There are so many people here.’
How did she recognize me immediately? I tilted my head, but Princess Aria smiled even more brightly at me.
‘She seems to like me a lot.’
Was she really that grateful for the one time I had helped her? Feeling proud, I looked at Princess Aria, and then the emperor entered.
He was not alone.
“The Emperor and the Archmage!”
I had wondered why my master hadn’t entered the banquet hall yet—apparently, he had been preparing to enter alongside the Emperor.
“How can someone be so attractive even without showing any expression…?”
“His charisma perfectly matches his position as Archmage.”
“And his beauty… not to mention his magical ability…”
I stifled a chuckle at the whispers. They thought he was expressionless.
But he wasn’t expressionless.
My master’s face clearly said he was sleepy.
‘How can they not see that?’
The slightly lowered eyelids by 3mm, the unfocused gaze, the crooked mouth—everything gave him away. Did they need glasses?
‘With so many people, maybe they can’t see me clearly.’
Even an Archmage doesn’t necessarily have perfect vision. I took the chance to look at my master closely—until our eyes met.
The moment our eyes locked, a flash of rage ignited in my master’s gaze, and a shiver ran down my spine.
‘…What?’
It was as if he had thrown a spark onto a pile of firewood. His glare was clearly filled with anger!
‘W-what is it?’
I tried to think quickly, and my master’s lips moved. Even from a distance, I could see as if he were right next to me.
‘Stay right there.’
Seeing my master so determined sent shivers through me.
While tensing up at the thought of being scolded, I noticed Princess Aria standing beside him.
‘…I guess I’m just my master’s student no matter what.’
Even amidst this, I felt happy that my master was paying attention to me while keeping the princess close—a hopeless feeling.
But I also knew how terrifying an angry master could be, so I quickly looked for a way to escape.
‘Where should I go…?’
If I showed any suspicious behavior now, my master would surely stop me. I carefully scanned the surroundings, trying not to be noticed.
‘Something’s off.’
Some of the attendants were behaving strangely. I scanned the hall again. The attendants exchanged determined glances. Other guests seemed focused on the Emperor’s speech celebrating the new princess and didn’t notice.
What was odd was that all the suspicious attendants had their sleeves rolled up.
Attendants in the palace were rigorously trained—never casually disheveled. And the wrists visible under the rolled sleeves were all frail, almost sickly.
‘They can’t be normal palace attendants.’
It was clear they had entered through a back route. Even the look in their eyes… it wasn’t normal.
‘…Assassins?’
But for assassins, they were far too bold.
I discreetly activated my magic, sharpening my senses. My heightened sense of smell caught a strange odor among the crowd: the smell of metal, soot, and… blood. And there was more than one source. It was spread too widely to be precise, but there were clearly intruders beyond just the attendants.
‘This smells similar to the previous terrorist incident.’
Something felt very wrong. I recalled the recent terrorist incidents I had been caught up in.
‘Are they about to strike? When? And at whom?’
I carefully watched them, ready to summon my staff at a moment’s notice. I was one of the few mages allowed to use magic in the palace.
Magic was generally forbidden inside the palace. Only the Archmage and a select few permitted mages could use it. And I, being my master’s only student, had the privilege to use magic there.
‘Normally, this privilege isn’t noticeable since I rarely come here…’
But now was different. This was an emergency.
‘This could be a great opportunity to prove myself.’
If I acted now, maybe Grand Minister Owen would acknowledge me and allow me to accompany Everett on his mission.
I hesitated.
…It was tempting that this was a chance to shine.
But I couldn’t waste any more time. The intruders could act at any moment in this tense, explosive situation.
