Ever since receiving instructions from Gerald, Lillian has been busy. As the successor, she had been managing various projects in the duchy... Lillian had been busy assigning various talks to trusted and talented individuals.
Lillian felt anxious about assigning her work to someone else, but at the same time, she also had various things she wished to check out in the capital. She trusted Camen with most of it.
Camen is an immigrant boy who fled from his own nation. He is about the same age as Lillian and Zen. He said that in his country, they were forced to do farm work from morning till night without any break, and if they slacked off even a bit, a whip would come their way.
Lillian felt a shiver run down her spine when she heard that, but then told her, "Lady Lillian, your eyes are scary. They seem to say, 'I'm going to kill you, you bastard!' or something similar."
As such, after settling in her room in their house in the capital, Lillian decided to check out the company's branch in the capital. When she walked in through those doors, all the employees there stood up and bowed. Even though Lillian told them over and over that there was no need to give her such courtesy, nobody listened to her. Conversely, someone said, "No, I don't feel like the morning begins before giving such a greeting to My Lady," with a serious expression. As they said, she couldn't pass it off as a joke because of the atmosphere.
Lillian asked Zen about it because she was perplexed, but he just laughed to avoid responding. He muttered, "It's because you're a heresy of a young lady," and Lillian heard him.
That evening, Lillian had returned home after a long day when Tanya, her personal maid, informed her, "My lady, a colleague of yours has come to visit."
A colleague. That word was all it took to drain the color from Lillian's face. Lillian wanted to run away, but she knew it was pointless. Restraining every urge to scream, she went to the parlor, where a good-looking man with sleek chestnut-colored hair in braids was waiting for her, a smile on his face. Right next to him stood a beautiful blond woman wearing a maid's uniform.
The man wore a splendid frock coat, with a monocle at his eye and a cane in his hand. Clearly, he was a refined, sophisticated gentleman. Above all, his vaguely feminine, delicate facial features were so
attractive; most girls would have been enraptured at first sight.
Lillian, however, stared at him in wide-eyed terror, desperately holding back a scream.
Normally, he wore a gold embroidered robe and carried a magnificent staff—for he was a
mage. The beautiful girl in the maid outfit waiting behind him was no human, either, but a spirit who had formed a contract with him.
"It's good to see you again, Mr. Louis," Lillian said, hiding her anxiety.
He put his head to his breast and offered an elegant bow. "Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it, Lady Lillian Islar? Or should I say, the Silent Witch of the Seven Sages, my fellow Sage?"
Tanya quickly brewed some black tea and brought out some sweets, placing them beautifully on the table between the two.
This man, who had called Lillian a colleague, is another of the Seven Sages. He is Louis Miller, the Barrier Mage. He is turning twenty-seven this year, making him ten years older than Lillian. They'd both become Sages at the same time, however, so he often referred to her as his 'fellow.'
When he wasn't talking, Louis appeared to be a beautiful, delicate man, but he is also a martial mage, boasting the second-highest solo-dragon-slaying count in history. He had served as the leader of the Magic Corps and is feared and respected by its members for his shrewdness.
Once Tanya left the room, Louis looked at the maid waiting behind him. "Ryn, a soundproof barrier, please."
"Right away, sir."
The maid he'd called Ryn gave a nod, and all noise from the surrounding area disappeared at once. The inside and outside of the room had been separated, blocking even the sound of the wind and the cries of birds. Ceasing his pretend nap on the shelf, Nero shuddered his whiskers uncomfortably, and his golden eyes stared at the woman in the maid uniform.
She was a tall, slender beauty, but though she had a pretty face, it was expressionless. It made her look somewhat like a doll. The reason she'd been able to put up a barrier without chanting was that she wasn't human but a high spirit. Only about ten mages in the empire had claimed a high spirit as their attendant.
"I'll get right down to it. I've come today to ask a favor of you."
"A favor?" asked Lillian without trying to hide her wariness.
Louis offered a graceful smile and rested his chin on his gloved hands. Even his little actions were picture perfect. "Yes. Last month, I received sealed orders from His Imperial Majesty directing me to serve as the second prince's bodyguard."
The Castina Empire currently has three princes, each born to a different mother: Prince Lional, who would be twenty-five this year, Prince Felix, who would be eighteen, and Prince Albert, who would be fourteen. Viewpoints were split among the imperial nobles over which of them would inherit the throne. Lillian had no interest in these sorts of power struggles, so her only knowledge on the matter came from hearsay. Apparently, the first and second prince's factions were about the same size, with the third prince's being somewhat at a disadvantage.
These factions extended to the Seven Sages as well—Louis Miller, the Barrier Mage, is a representative of the first prince's group. Why would Louis have been ordered to guard the second prince? Lillian frowned at the disconnect.
"Mr. Louis, as I recall you're with the first prince's faction, aren't you?"
"Yes. I have my thoughts as to why His Imperial Majesty would order me to guard the second prince, but it would be disrespectful of me to speculate on his thoughts. What's important is that he ordered me to carry out my mission without the second prince noticing."
"…Without him noticing?"
It went without saying that it was incredibly difficult to guard someone without alerting them. And why would the emperor order Louis, who supported the first prince, to guard the second? Why did it have to be kept secret from him?
As Lillian sank into confusion, Louis continued to explain, his tone detached. "As I was saying, His Highness Felix is currently attending an elite boarding school called Karelia Academy. If I'm to guard him without attracting his notice…Well, the most appropriate move would be to infiltrate the academy."
Louis, infiltrating a school? In all honesty, Lillian couldn't wrap her head around that one. The Barrier Mage—including his appearance—was too well-known. Not to mention his handsome looks would stand out in a crowd. In short, he was particularly ill-suited to infiltration.
Louis seemed to realize his himself. "I could never do it, though," he said plainly. "The academy is under the direct patronage of Duke Crockford, the leader of the second prince's faction. I wouldn't be able to infiltrate it."
As the second prince's maternal grandfather, Duke Crockford has some of the greatest authority in the empire. And frankly speaking, he and Louis were like oil and water. It was unlikely that the duke would cooperate with Louis on this secret bodyguard assignment.
"If you can't enter the academy, then how are you going to guard him?"
"That's why I created this magical item."
Louis removed a small, wrapped object from his inside pocket and placed it on the desk. Inside the wrapping was a broken broach. A large crack ran through a sizeable ruby inlaid in the center and the fine metal clasps had been ruined. He removed the ruby so Lillian could see it. The cracked ruby and exposed setting were each engraved with magical formulas. One look was all Lillian needed to understand its basic function.
"A compound barrier: Threat detection, a short-range physical-magical barrier and tracking and reporting function."
"All that from a single glance—but I expect no less. Yes. I took great pains to create this magical item in order to guard the prince."
Magical items were tools using specially tailored jewels and the like imbued with mana to contain a magical formula. They were very convenient, as they granted their benefits even to those who were unable to use magecraft. However, they were still extravagant luxuries owned only by a handful of the most powerful nobles. And if one of the Seven Sages, the greatest mages in the empire, had created this one, it must be priceless. It would probably fetch two or three houses in the center of the imperial capital, at least.
Louis brought the cracked ruby to the light filtering in through the window. "This is one of a pair of broaches, one ruby and one sapphire. Whoever possesses the ruby will know the location of whoever possesses the sapphire. If the sapphire holder comes under some sort of attack, it will trigger a defensive barrier. When that happens, the ruby will shine in response."
Lillian took another look at the magical formula embedded within. She remained silent for a few moments. Then, she asked Louis, "So, does that mean it's more for keeping watch on the second prince than protecting him?"
Louis smiled easily, as if to indicate he had no cause for guilt. "It's only natural a bodyguard would need to know what the person was doing right?"
"But wouldn't he be mad if he found out?"
"You seem to be somewhat too earnest, my fellow Sage…And for that, I offer this old adage." Louis put a hand to his breast, then spoke clearly, like a clergyman citing scripture. "Anything goes as long as nobody knows."
Is it really that simple? Lillian couldn't help wondering. Still, it would be difficult to read and understand a formula embedded in a magical item—especially an extremely complicated one made by Louis. Even high-mages wouldn't be able to figure it out so easily.
"I had His Imperial Majesty pass the broach to Prince Felix. He was to keep secret the fact that it was a magical item I had created and pretend it was a simple gift from father to son."
As long as the second prince kept the broach on his person, then Louis would be able to constantly track his movements and respond to any emergencies. And besides, Duke Crockford was very strict in his administration of Karelia Academy. Any villains aiming for the prince's life would have a hard time infiltrating it, so there was little chance of anything happening to begin with…Or so Louis thought.
"Unfortunately, despite working on these broaches for a week without rest, it seems the one His Imperial Majesty gave to Prince Felix broke the very next day. A full week with no breaks, and it only took one day…When I saw the ruby crack, it was hilarious. I simply couldn't restrain my laughter. Ha-ha-ha."
Louis's laugh was frighteningly monotone and his eyes weren't smiling in the least. This was no laughing matter. If Louis's ruby had cracked, that would mean some kind of danger had befallen the second prince.
"So, was the second prince alright?"
"Well, when the item broke, I dragged my sleep-deprived body out of bed and ran to the academy right away. And what do you think he said to me?" Louis's eyes gave a strange glow from behind his monocle. "His Highness told me that nothing had happened. He told me that he'd broken the broach entirely by accident."
The ruby in Louis's hands made hard, crackling noises. Its shards trembled out from between his gloved fingers.
"Something I made would not have broken that easily. In fact, I had imbued the broach with several self-protection formulas. Clearly, the blow it took was heavy enough to break them all…Prince Felix, however, isn't talking."
This whole conversation was starting to sound fishy. Lillian had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling. Louis scatted the ruby's fragments on the desk, then turned a smile on her, which belied his display of brute strength.
"You're beginning to get the picture, aren't you?"
As the heiress to one of the ducal families, Lillian will be attending the Karelia academy starting next month. It is both to further her education and also increase her social circle. She had filled out the application last week and got a confirmation few days ago. However, now she isn't so certain that she should go.
"…Mr. Louis, I'm still the daughter of Islar. I cannot be seen…"
Louis outright ignored her. "I'd like you keep an eye on the prince in my stead."
"I refuse."
"You do realize you have no right to. I'm too famous. Look at how beautiful I am. I can't cover all this up with a disguise, can I? You, on the other hand, seldom appear in social circles and you keep your hood down over your eyes and even wear that mask during ceremonies. Nobody knows what you actually look like. And most importantly…" Louis paused, gave a smile generous enough to enrapture anyone, "Nobody would ever suspect you of all people to be a secret bodyguard."
"Mr. Louis…I'm not transferring to Karelia just as a student but as the TA. I won't have enough time to guard the second prince while also working. Besides, I've never guarded anyone before."
"And that's why you're such a good fit."
The words surprised Lillian. Louis wearily lowered his gaze and shook his head. "His Highness is an extremely sharp-witted boy…I sent few members of the Magic Corps to guard him and he saw through it immediately. He's been surrounded by bodyguards for almost as long as he's been alive, so he's good at spotting them. And that's why I'm turning to you."
He then fixed his gaze on Lillian and declared, "Even he would never suspect a clear amateur and a lady at that, would be a secret bodyguard. Above all, you can cast spells silently, without attracting attention. Perfect for a secret bodyguard, wouldn't you say? There's nobody more suited to this mission than you."
Louis's logic seemed impeccable, but Lillian couldn't help think he was just trying to get back at the prince for breaking his magical item. Seeing that Lillian was maintaining her silence, Louis took a deep, exaggerated breath.
"Look, I'm not asking you to stick to the prince every waking seconds. I just want you to quietly deal with matters that would compromise his security. I believe that much is something you'd have done even if I don't ask this favor of you."
Lillian finished her coffee before speaking. "You're right. I would have acted if I 'happen' to learn that there is 'something' that would put the prince's life in danger. However, since you are asking me of this 'favor' to deal with it and report to you, would I be correct to assume that you would be repaying me, Mr. Louis?"
"If it's something within my capabilities, then yes." Louis answered immediately and looked at Lillian with sharp, grimacing eyes, "Though I should warn you, I have no intention of throwing away my current position. That's why, failure is not an option, my fellow sage."
"Then we have an agreement. For as long as I'm in Karelia, His Highness, Prince Felix's safety would be my responsibility. I'll fill you in should something happen."
"Thank you."
If Lillian failed to protect the prince, it would also be a failure for Louis. If that happens, what will Louis do to her is something she doesn't want to see. On the other hand, should she succeed, she would have one of the strongest martial mages as her piece. It's not a bad deal…The only question now is, what kind of outcome does His Imperial Majesty actually wants.
..............................…
Louis Miller, the Barrier Mage, who had negotiated with Lillian to guard the second prince, returned home to his lovely wife, Rosalie, only to find out that she was away because of work. Louis exhaled a sigh, "Why can't I just spend time with my beloved wife?"
Sighing, he leaned back in his chair as Ryn set a cup of black tea in front of him. He opened up a drawer in his writing desk and took out his reserve of strawberry jam. Opening the lid, he poured it into the teacup, nice and thick and mixed it around with a teaspoon. His wife always told him to eat sweets and drink alcohol in moderation, but after so much mental labor, there was nothing better than something sweet. He sipped at his black tea—which barely tasted like black tea anymore—a look of satisfaction on his face.
As he did, Ryn spoke, "I actually had something to ask of you, Lord Louis."
"What is it? If it's a silly question, I'll knock you flat," replied Louis as he took another sip, his eyes turning to look at her from behind his monocle.
But the spirit, insensitive as she was—or rather, she didn't have the same sort of sensitivities as human in the first place—simply continued speaking at her own pace. "Why did you request that the Silent Witch guard the second prince?"
"I would ask your thoughts on that first, Rynzbelfeid."
Louis's contracted spirit had little expressiveness to speak of, but she had a habit of trying to act human by imitating those she read about in books. Without moving any part of her face, she brought a finger to her chin in a thinking gesture—then hit her palm with her fist as though she'd thought of something.
"When you received this mission to guard the second prince, you worked day and night to create a magical item embedded with a defensive barrier. You gave it to the second prince, who then broke it, which you were very angry about."
"Yes, I seem to recall something like that."
"I believe that perhaps, in your rage, you vented your frustrations on the weak-willed Silent Witch to try and make yourself feel better."
Hearing her rude remark, one would doubt Louis was truly her master. But then, she didn't call Louis 'master' in the first place. This spirit had never had any intention of respecting him.
Louis returned his cup to the saucer and glared at her. "Just who do you think I am, exactly?"
"I've been told that you have a bankrupt personality and enjoy bullying the weak."
Without a moment's hesitation, his contracted spirit said this to Louis, and he was smiling with a furrowed temple. "Bring the person who blurted out that assessment to you here. I will trample him thoroughly until his head sinks into the floor."
"That person is your mentor, Lord Gideon Rutherford."
His mentor, Gideon Rutherford, is one of the few people even the proud Louis can't handle. Louis clicked his tongue ungracefully and shook his head in a dramatic gesture as she spoke in a sorrowful voice.
"Oh, how deplorable it is! I am so misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?" repeated Ryn flatly.
Louis slowly brought the corners of his lips up into a smile. The gray eyes behind his monocle gleamed with belligerence. "Bullying the strong is much better sport than bullying the weak."
This was hardly a respectable motto. Not only was the idea alarming, but he hadn't even denied the comment about his personality. Even presented with Louis's sinister grin, Ryn remained impassive, merely tilting her head to the side.
"Lord Louis, it would seem to me that you are quite entertained with your tenacious tormenting of the Silent Witch. Does that not qualify as bullying the weak?"
"Her? Weak? Do you have any idea who you're talking about?"
Two years ago, the Aqua Mancy Mage—a member of the Seven Sages at the time—had decided to retire and so they had held a screening to decide who would be the replacement. Originally, this meant only one person would be accepted. However, another one of the Seven Sages, who was advanced in age at the time, suddenly fell ill and was forced to retire. That meant they would need two.
The one they'd chosen had been Louis Miller, the Barrier Mage and Lillian Islar, the Silent Witch. The screening had consisted of an interview and practical combat trials where one magical attack was permitted. Lillian had been asleep during the interview, that's why most people think that she was probably appointed from the waiting list. But none of the Sages serving on the screening committee had ever said a work whether Louis or Lillian was more talented.
True, Lillian had committed a massive blunder during the interview but she'd still been chosen as one of the Seven Sages. There must have been a pretty good reason for it.
Louis closed his eyes and recalled the combat test from few years ago. He was the former commander of the Magic Corps. He was considered an accomplished dragon slayer and was practically undefeated in battle. He had assumed a little girl with no combat experience could never hold a candle to him. But then…that little girl—Lillian. Yawning and sighing, she had thrown out one absurdly powerful attack spell after the other, eventually completely shutting Louis out. Louis was known as one of the more martial mages, but he couldn't so much as scratch that puny little girl.
If a spell was particularly powerful or wide ranging or if it included any special effects, the chant would grow longer and longer in proportion. And yet, the Silent Witch could easily wield magecraft that was high in power, wide in range and chock-full of special effects without chanting at all.
Louis Miller had pride in his own genius. But if he was a genius, then Lillian was…
"As the Barrier Mage Louis Miller, I can say this for certain. She is a monster."
Louis had firmly declared that little girl, who doesn't even show her face in public, was a monster. After being shown the gap in their strength during the combat trial, he was not very happy to hear that she was selected only because she'd been on the waiting list.
The whole reason he'd dragged her along to slay the Black Dragon of Worgan was to show the world just how powerful the Silent Witch is. But after she'd defeated it, she'd quietly left without saying a word. You defeated me. If you put yourself down like that, then what does that makes me?
Louis took another sip of his tea and narrowed his eyes. "I told my fellow sage that should this mission fail, it could, at worst, mean execution—but I doubt the probability of that is very high."
"Why is that?"
"You see, His Majesty ordered me to secretly guard the second prince. But I couldn't believe that's what he really meant…I think the emperor's true intention is to keep an eye on the second prince in secret."
The second prince is a talented young man. He excelled at both book learning and swordsmanship and he had gained the trust of nobles both in and out of the empire with his strong diplomatic abilities—despite still being a student. His handsome features and soft smile—more from his mother than his father—charmed anyone who saw him. He mastered everything easily and had a superb understanding of how people felt and thought. Finally, he had his grandfather—Duke Crockford, a high noble with the most authority in the empire—at his back. Felix Arc Castina had a lot going for him. And yet, he remains mysterious.
Louis always got an eerie feeling from the young man—it was like something disturbing lurking beneath that soft, friendly smile. But when Louis had attempted to pry into what was making him feel that way, Felix—with that soft smile of his—had passed it off and deflected.
"The second prince is quite the con artist. We won't be able to outwit him without thinking outside the box."
That was why Louis had chosen Lillian as his collaborator—nothing about her added up, with her monstrous talents and reserved personality.
"Like I said, I want to bully the strong, not the weak."
"In other words, you want to bully two strong people at once—the second prince and the Silent Witch."
Louis simply offered a handsome smile without confirming or denying. Finally, he turned his back on her to signify that the conversation was over, before putting some more jam into the teacup, which was about half empty at this point. It was pretty much just jam now.
Ryn watched him impassively, then gave a firm nod. "I understand. I shall revise my personal estimation of you to man with a morally bankrupt personality who enjoys bullying the strong."
"Revise the part about my 'morally bankrupt personality' too, you failure of a maid!"