Chapter 44

(43)

“I understand. Is there anything else you would like to ask?”

I secretly hoped that Jeilliris would push for a meeting with Saint Matheos or something similar.

The Church of Brightness is a religion that represents the forces of light spread across the entire continent beyond the Empire.

If one were to meet with such a saint and stage a performance to acknowledge the ascension, no one could ignore Jeilliris’s legitimacy.

In my previous life, Matheos had significantly fragmented the noble alliance.

To pursue that more smoothly, I had to deal with Dismas, with great reluctance, and end up in debt to Matheos.

“It’s done. Hurry and go meet your sister. Be careful with that red heart. If any corruption occurs in the workshop due to that heart, both you and Sererassie will face execution.”

However, Jeilliris seemed to have no intention of meeting the saint at all.

It was as if she had lost interest in our meeting in an instant.

I advised her cautiously, as if stepping onto thin ice.

“Your Excellency. If I finish all my tasks by Sunday morning, would you not join me for mass? I fear I might get stoned if I go alone.”

Jeilliris frowned her picture-perfect brow.

The attendants and knights simultaneously inhaled sharply.

“Do you know why Duke Valen is behaving like this today?”

“I don’t know. He seems to have something he wants to say, but it looks difficult for him to express it.”

Yet the Emperor’s voice was surprisingly gentle.

“Mass. Yes, I suppose I should go at least once. But this time, it seems it will be difficult. The Church will be in chaos due to the birth of a new saint.”

It felt as though she understood what I was thinking when I suggested going to mass.

At the same time, it seemed like she was questioning why I was speaking up.

I felt like I had overstepped.

For her, who managed state affairs intuitively, upon hearing of the saint’s birth, she should have thought of the need to meet.

“But Duke, since when did you become so interested in state affairs?”

A smirk appeared at the corner of the Emperor’s mouth.

I instinctively sensed danger and waved my hands dismissively, backing away.

“No, Your Excellency. In fact, I feared that if my work finishes before the weekend, additional duties might be immediately assigned… I shall take my leave now!”

Still, it could be said that the possibility of being invaded by the nobles was non-existent.

Unless Matheos decides to flee the capital the moment the saint is recognized or dies unexpectedly.

* * *

“Have you been ordered to cut the variables? Well, at least I’m the one holding the knife rather than being cut out. I thought you were finally coming to get rid of me this time.”

I headed to Sererassie’s workshop accompanied by the administrative officer from the Department of Nobility.

The workshop among the tree roots was an ideal spot for discussing matters of life and death.

Sererassie looked like she hadn’t slept a wink since we parted.

She wore the robe from that day, covered in dust and stone powder, and her navy hair, tied back tightly, smelled faintly of burnt substances and blood.

She dozed off, alternating between gold and yellow, swaying slightly.

On the desk were an array of bizarre grimoires and cups that had once contained coffee, while thorny slimes and a bug resembling a cat, about the same size as a cat, scampered about wildly, seemingly fighting.

…A thorny slime and a bug that resembled a cat?

A red whistle rolling around the desk caught my eye.

“They are monsters born from the touch of the ancients!”

Was she going mad wanting to get herself executed?

“No, it’s not that. I made them as a test. This is my first time studying the ancients, and it’s so thrilling that I can’t sleep. Do you really think you can ignore this passion?”

“Excuse me, sister. You’re sleeping with your eyes open. Take a nap and freshen up a bit. Then let’s talk again.”

After three hours of sleep, Sererassie returned, her gold and silver hair shimmering as if she hadn’t said any nonsense at all.

With refreshed hair flowing like navy silk, she said, “I don’t want to say this, but I’m sorry. To make excuses, as I mentioned earlier, once I began to look into fragments of the ancients, I couldn’t sleep.”

“I understand. Did you figure anything out?”

“The ancient entity that Dismas served is called Abadonion, said to resemble a locust and reputed to govern all pests. It has appeared a few times in ancient texts, and there are records of it being exterminated right before its descent.”

“So, it served a completely useless monster. That’s why the Infiltrators probably turned into centipedes or scorpions.”

“It also has the power to resurrect the dead, like an ancient. But inside, it’s still just a bug.”

“What kind of power does that whistle possess?”

“It serves as a key and door to summon Abadonion’s power. It can also transform living beings into monsters.”

I kicked the slime that was bothering the bug and said, “Was that how you made the slime and the bug?”

Looking at me sideways, Sererassie nodded.

“Yeah. Just with a tiny bit of power, they mutated to that extent.”

“If we compare it to mana?”

“It’s like a swordsman who has just gained Sword Expert level managing to maintain a mana blade for about a second.”

“That sounds impressive but dangerous.”

“If the royalty wield this and get corrupted, you’d need a Sword Master or a Grand Mage to stop them.”

“Then it might be best to seal it, after all?”

I said in a leading tone, and fortunately, Sererassie nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah. But it’s better not to destroy it. According to texts, it might be able to eliminate or send back a large swarm of locusts.”

“Better to use it only in a controlled environment.”

Sererassie wrapped cloth around the red whistle and unleashed a discharge, taking down both the cat-sized bug and the thorny slime.

“Now, can you tell me whom we need to take down? I’m quite satisfied with the realization that I’m not a variable that can be cut away.”

With the administrative officer beside me, I spread out the list and began explaining.

“Most of these are royal illegitimate children. They were born to our half-brothers and sisters before Jeilliris’s ascension.”

“Then it’s not a matter of inheritance rights. There are bound to be many royals of higher ranking than those kids anyway.”

“Exactly. The problem is the corruption. I heard that among the priest-level Infiltrators killed by the Black Iron Knights, there are four royal illegitimate children who were operating as third-rate mages on Magic Street.”

The administrative officer corrected me, saying there were six.

Sererassie narrowed her eyes.

“Indeed, we are likely to awaken as mages, priests, shamans, or spirit masters. Our mana absorption is significantly high.”

“The emperor commands that we gather those kinds of individuals. We cannot live with fireballs that could explode at any moment in the capital.”

After hearing my words, Sererassie showed a complex expression.

Perhaps she felt that she could also end up in the same predicament.

“I will lead. I’m familiar with Magic Street too.”

* * *

In the capital, there were two main areas that could be called Magic Street.

One was the special autonomous district of the Ivory Tower, which jutted out in a semi-circle on the western wall, and the other was a street next to the Street of Learning, where several large academies, including the Imperial Magic Academy, were located.

Each large academy had a magic department, and the students there were typically the third or fourth children of noble families.

No matter how much one might call it an Empire, it ultimately remained an agrarian society, and there were always more job seekers than positions in specialized occupations. Even in the capital, it could not accommodate all of the graduates pouring out of those institutes.

Having lived lavishly supported by their families, they did not want to work in foreign lands that were embarrassingly undeveloped compared to the Empire.

But neither could they remain tied to their families for their entire lives.

Reluctantly becoming independent, they sought to earn money to continue living in the capital, using the knowledge they had acquired.

They engaged in various dubious activities such as illegal copying without guild approval, illegal magic potion production and sales, and illegal magic tool production and sales.

Surprisingly, their businesses thrived because their magic tools were overwhelmingly cheaper than those made in the Ivory Tower, and they could subdue the scrutiny from the various guilds and the inspections of the guards with their noble status.

The street where they gathered had become bizarre enough to rival a red-light district.

Bioluminescent mushrooms covered five-story houses, man-eating vines were grown in pots, and three-headed snakes walked their owners.

That was Magic Street.

An intriguing point was that everywhere, there were looks of jealousy and envy directed at Sererassie.

“There are plenty of mages here dressed like this, but there aren’t many who can wield this kind of staff. You should consider it an honor to be standing next to me.”

After about 40 minutes of walking, I stood in front of a house with Sererassie.

There, green smoke rose from the chimney, yellow smoke from the room’s window, and red smoke from the living room’s window.

“Looks like it’s someone selling potions.”

“Yeah. But don’t judge too hastily. The mage inside might have flunked the magic potion exam.”

“Really?”

“This smoke isn’t the kind that comes from concocting potions. Look closely. It’s just dyed flour being blown about by the wind.”

“A fraud, huh? He might not even be a graduate.”

“Though his bloodline is mixed with royal blood, he must have had some talent.”

Sererassie knocked on the door.

“Welcome! You’ve arrived at Bastatin’s Potion Shop. If there’s something you’re looking for, please let me know. Healing potions? Clarity potions? Memory-enhancing potions? Luck-bringing potions? Aphrodisiacs? All the potions you seek are here.”

A cheerful voice came from a man with tangled green hair and chick-like yellow eyes, who shouted with enthusiasm.

He wore a neat apron over his shirt, resembling a handsome florist more than a mage.

I put my foot in the door to prevent it from closing.

Inside, I could see several customers crowded around.

The interior was also lavish, indicating that the business was doing quite well.

“Today’s business ends here!”

Sorry, but it was time to wreck things up.

“Valenciaunos?”

Upon seeing my face and the color of my eyes, Bastatin’s face twitched.

He tried to swing his hands, but Sererassie, who was pressed closely behind me, was quicker to slam her staff down, unleashing a discharge.

“Aak!”

He dropped the test tube he had hastily grabbed in his right hand.

The yellow liquid seeped out from the broken test tube, sizzling on the floor and emitting black smoke.

The customers screamed and fled through the side door.

I couldn’t even guess what he was trying to spray.

“Let’s have a cup of tea and talk. Don’t worry. If you have no crime, nothing will happen.”

Logically speaking, if there were no crime, I wouldn’t be here.

I placed both hands on his shoulder.

Bastatin nodded with gritted teeth.

We followed him into the back of the shop.

“You can sit over there.”

His living space wasn’t exceptionally clean, but it felt cozy.

Sererassie sat opposite him, and I took a seat next to him.

On a small table, a kettle emitting steam sat, and he poured tea with trembling hands.

“What brings esteemed lords like yourselves to my humble shop?”

He took a sip of tea first.

Sererassie gave me a subtle glance.

I smiled softly and poured my cup onto Bastatin’s thigh.

“Aak! W-What?!”

Bastatin screamed and twisted his body.

Gurgling, gurgling.

Mushrooms sprouted in bizarre shapes from his thigh, turning it into a grotesque sight, nourished by the flesh of his thigh.

“What the hell were you planning to feed us?”

I asked, not out of anger but in disbelief.

I had anticipated poison, but I never thought it would be to this extent.

“Your Majesty. Please wait just a moment. I have something to say.”

“Sounds like something important, huh.”

I grabbed his left wrist, placing it on the table, and drew a dagger, forcefully stabbing it down.

“Aak!”

His hand was pierced through like an insect specimen.

While I considered whether that was a bit too much, thinking that mushroom nearly made it down my throat, this felt rather generous.

I raised another dagger and grabbed his right wrist.

“Bastatin. From now on, answer truthfully. Did you know you were of royal blood?”

“I had a suspicion, but I only found out recently.”

His voice sounded quite bitter, as if he had already accepted being wrong.

I replied with utmost solemnity.

“It is the order of His Majesty the Emperor to apprehend all the royals in the capital. If you comply willingly, I won’t kill you.”

Bastatin winced, gritting his teeth as he responded.

“Why would I be called a royal when I haven’t received anything from my father and am just trying to do business!”

“Yet you survive by cursing and speaking disrespectfully to me, so you are a royal, and you possess talents inherited through blood, thus you are a royal.”

“When are you planning to let me go?!”

Chiiiing!

I realized a little late that the sound of the dagger melting that was piercing through his hand had been too late to notice.

Sererassie hastily unleashed a discharge, and as he deflected it with his forearm, he staggered back.

Green scales began sprouting in layers on Bastatin’s neck, arms, and the back of his hand.

It seemed his blood mingled with the royal lineage was causing the traits of lizardmen, nagas, and medusas to manifest strongly.

Drawing my sword, I replied, “So you deal in poison. Enjoying the talent passed down through your blood sounds delightful, but do you not wish to fulfill the responsibilities that come along with it?”

Bastatin conjured green liquid into the air as he replied, “I’ve never thought of this as a talent. I just wanted to live a normal life.”