Hearing Kefra's question, Gwen fell silent.
Ever since that time Viktor met with His Majesty, Gwen's Heart of Justice had been acting up, working only intermittently, becoming less and less effective.
Although Gwen could sometimes still use the Heart of Justice to sense the truth in others' words, the effect was far worse than before.
For instance, she could occasionally still tell when someone was lying.
But this on-and-off Heart of Justice seemed to be telling her something.
Could it be that, just because she couldn't stand those mages targeting Viktor, and told one little lie for him before His Majesty, that the Heart of Justice now judged her as no longer just?
Gwen's expression showed pain, as if she was about to cry.
"That's fine too."
Kefra gently patted Gwen's head, smiling to comfort her.
"This useless ability, if it disappears, then let it disappear."
She looked at Gwen, her eyes showing a trace of pity.
Gwen was a child who didn't know how to be flexible.
Perhaps because she had the Heart of Justice since childhood, Gwen possessed an exceptionally strong sense of justice.
She couldn't stand any act of the strong bullying the weak.
However, in this era, people were divided into strict classes.
Commoners, as those at the very bottom, existed to be trampled upon by the nobles like harvested leeks.
Yet Gwen, with that kind of sense of justice, was herself of noble birth.
Her words and actions were misunderstood by everyone, she was treated like an oddity.
Thus, Gwen had no friends, because no one liked her since childhood.
Not even her own family.
Perhaps because of the Heart of Justice, she couldn't lie, and even bluntly pointed out others' lies.
That sense of justice was indeed admirable, but…
Still, the fact remained, Gwen was a noble.
Among nobles, whose world was full of hypocrisy, Gwen's behavior was simply wrong.
Even during polite, insincere conversations between nobles, she would directly call out whether someone was lying.
That sort of thing wasn't good among the nobility, especially since their father held immense military authority.
Because of that, their father didn't like Gwen.
He despised her inability to lie, perhaps he despised that unwavering sense of justice in her heart, which stood above his own interests.
What he needed was an obedient, sensible child, and in that, Kefra's younger brother did quite well.
So Gwen, who possessed this "ability," became like an eyesore at home. Adults avoided talking in front of her as if she were the plague.
Even the servants spoke carefully when she was around.
Only Kefra, as the eldest sister of the family, loved and protected her.
As time passed and Gwen grew older, the family found her more and more useless. Her absolute sense of justice brought no benefit to the family.
Thus, their father sent Gwen away to train as a knight.
As a girl, she could have lived a beautiful life, but instead, she became a knight.
And that was how Gwen became engaged to Viktor.
Back then, the former head of the Clavenna family was on very good terms with her father, often bringing his son along to visit.
It was also then that Kefra first met Viktor.
When he was young, Viktor was unbearably arrogant, always with a cold, stiff face, never saying a word to anyone.
Eventually, her father arranged a family marriage between Gwen and Viktor.
That was Gwen's childhood.
So, the Heart of Justice hadn't really brought her any happiness.
Kefra thought that if this ability disappeared, it might actually be good for Gwen.
She wouldn't have to keep noticing others' hypocrisy all the time.
Kefra comforted her sister gently, but Gwen only responded with long silence, lost in thought.
———
Viktor sat in the carriage, feeling the jolting as the wheels rolled over cobblestone roads. Shops and streets passed one after another outside the window, but he simply stared blankly.
Veigar lay sprawled across Viktor's lap, dozing off, it was so sleepy it took every chance it could to nap.
"We're here."
Viktor gave a quiet reminder.
Veigar perked up and looked outside the window.
They were at the royal palace.
A servant opened the carriage door. Viktor placed Veigar on his shoulder and stepped out.
As soon as he got off, he saw a row of palace servants waiting in front of the carriage.
They had already come to greet him.
Viktor nodded slightly and followed them inside.
The servants calmly led him through the palace and stopped before a small chamber. One of them bowed slightly and said, "Sir Viktor, please enter. His Majesty awaits you."
Viktor turned the golden doorknob and slowly pushed open the gilded door.
"Come here, Viktor."
Emperor Aubrey saw Viktor and gestured toward him with a smile.
Viktor walked up to him and gave a deep bow.
Standing behind the emperor was Aurelian.
"Today is your first day on duty," the emperor said. "Viktor, don't disappoint me."
Viktor bowed his head and replied calmly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty."
Seeing him, Aurelian peeked out from behind the emperor and smiled softly at Viktor, like a little sprite in the morning light.
After their conversation at yesterday's banquet, the two had grown closer, and Aurelian was no longer so shy in front of him.
Under the guidance of servants and guards, Viktor was brought to the princess's private palace.
The golden walls glittered with embedded jewels, and crystal-like pendants hung from the beams.
Everywhere were curtains woven from fine silk and shimmering silver threads.
Veigar clicked its tongue in awe.
"So this is royalty? Damn, they're loaded!"
"Viktor, seriously, you should consider marrying this princess. Then we'll never be short of money again!"
Viktor completely ignored Veigar's nonsense and walked into the palace with Aurelian.
Guards stood by the door, and servants waited quietly nearby.
Naturally, the emperor wouldn't allow the two to be alone in a room.
"Teacher."
Aurelian looked at Viktor and called him "teacher" for the first time.
"What are you going to teach me?"
Viktor lowered his gaze, reading endless expectation in her eyes.
Indeed, Aurelian was looking forward to seeing if this youngest genius of the empire could offer her something different from all those dull mages.
Something that could truly surprise her.
Viktor bowed slightly and extended a hand toward her.
"Your Highness, please give me your hand."
Aurelian looked puzzled, but still lifted her arm and placed her hand in his palm.
The female bodyguard beside her immediately tensed, watching Viktor closely.
When Viktor's fingers closed around the princess's small hand, a soft, delicate warmth spread from her skin.
The guard saw this and grew furious, her hand instinctively gripping the hilt of her sword.
'Teaching is one thing, but why is he holding her hand!?'
She'd already heard rumors that Viktor liked underage girls, but to think he'd dare flirt with the princess...
Before she could shout, however, Viktor had already let go.
By touching an NPC, Viktor could see their level.
Aurelian's level was, [LV15.]
Very low. Extremely low.
If Viktor didn't already know what would happen in the future, he could never have connected this fragile, doll-like princess with the future Eternal Witch.
And at that level, she could only learn first-tier magic.
Viktor said nothing. He turned his hand, and a gray magic circle appeared in his palm.
There weren't many complicated runes or intricate lines, just a simple spell.
A puff of black smoke formed in the air, spreading around them.
Viktor waved a hand, dispersing the gray mist that carried a faint hallucinogenic effect.
"Well then, can you imitate this?"
Aurelian tilted her head thoughtfully.
"It's a new kind of spell. My previous teachers never taught me that, but…"
She also extended her hand, and from memory began tracing the magic circle.
After a while, her circle glowed faintly gray, and a small cloud of black mist appeared in her hand.
Veigar glanced at her spellcasting, it was as if she'd copied it perfectly.
"Interesting," it murmured.
There was no way she already knew that spell; her first-time awkwardness was genuine.
Though her casting speed was far slower than Viktor's, just seeing it once and reproducing it, was she truly a genius?
Viktor understood immediately. He changed spells and conjured a slightly more complex magic.
This time, two interwoven circles appeared, the runes twisting intricately, though he'd really only added a couple more symbols.
"Second-tier spell: Meteor Fragment."
A purple shard of rock rose from thin air, then shot downward with a sharp hiss, stabbing into the palace floor.
The surrounding air warped slightly as nearby silver curtains were sucked toward the impact point and pinned to the ground.
The princess began imitating Viktor's formation again, but this time much slower.
She tried carefully, and finally, she managed to cast the same spell.
When the purple meteor appeared, the well-traveled Veigar narrowed its eyes.
A first-tier mage using second-tier magic? Her mana must be off the charts.
Nothing strange about that, Viktor replied silently.
The talent of the Eternal Witch was already beginning to take shape.
In the game, she could copy anyone's spell perfectly, and her immense mana made those spells even stronger.
And the reason she was called the Eternal Witch, was because of her absurd innate passive, The Eternal Furnace.
When she cast a spell, 80% of the mana spent would restore her health; if her health was full, the excess would convert back into mana.
Likewise, when she was injured, 80% of the lost health would restore her mana; if her mana was full, the excess would heal her.
In practice, this meant that when she was at full health, her spells only cost about 20% of what other mages would expend.
This monstrous talent made her body incredibly durable and her regeneration terrifying.
Not only that, her spells were devastatingly powerful.
In gaming terms, she was both tanky and dealt massive damage.
Though her mana was still limited now, the fact that a first-tier mage could cast a second-tier spell was already outrageous.
It was no wonder the emperor had said she was a terrifying genius. The reason those other mages gave up after only three days was obvious.
She was too abnormal, teaching her further would only mean she'd learn all their secret spells.
Viktor clapped softly. Unlike other mages who were intimidated by her freakish talent, he actually liked having such an effortless student.
He didn't even need Veigar to explain spell principles for him to translate.
Viktor asked, "Aurelian, how many spells do you know?"
Aurelian thought for a moment, then answered honestly, "Hmm… probably? Too many to count."
She'd had quite a few teachers over the years, and she'd copied nearly every spell they'd taught her.
Viktor nodded. "Then, when it comes to magic, there's not much I can teach you."
Aurelian looked up, surprised.
"But… Father said you're the youngest genius mage in the Empire. If even you can't teach me, then…"
She didn't finish her sentence.
Every time she remembered the way her former teachers looked at her, with disbelief, as though she were some kind of monster, her heart sank.
And now, was Viktor giving up on her too?
Her chest tightened slightly.
But then Viktor's calm voice rose again, "Next, we move on to actual combat."
Aurelian blinked in confusion, not yet understanding what he meant.
Before she could even think, the blue magic circle beneath her feet had already appeared.
Terrifying mana filled the air, making it shudder and twist. A wild storm swirled throughout the palace.
Pendants and curtains whipped violently, thrashing as if in a dance.
The fierce wind lifted Aurelian's hair, and the bodyguard beside her was blown clean out of the circle, slamming into the golden wall.
"Princess!" she cried.
But the moment she shouted, the glowing magic circle flared, swallowing everything.
The next second...
Biu!
When the light faded and everyone looked around, both the princess and Viktor were gone from the hall.
'What the hell!?'
"The princess, she's been kidnapped by Viktor!!!"
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