NOVEL NEXT Chapter 168.1
Chapter 168.1. The Path To The Throne
“…Lily-sama?”
Even he hadn’t expected her to appear here.
Hermes muttered in astonishment as Liliana turned to face him, then quickly averted her gaze.
Because if she looked, she might lean on him. She might depend on him.
But now wasn’t the time for that. Now was the time for her to stand strong.
With that understanding, she faced forward once again.
“—The Princess herself?”
But even now, the captain looked at her with suspicion.
“What brings you here, lounging on your throne while leaving everything to your subordinates?”
“I’ve come to show that I don’t just lounge around.”
She retorted with all her strength.
But her words only made the captain’s expression twist in irritation.
“Ha! You? What is this, some sudden burst of benevolence? Or is this just another royal whim? Sorry, Princess, but we’re sick of that nonsense!”
“—”
“Must be nice, having such incredible people bowing and scraping for you! With subordinates like that, you can do whatever you want! Now you think you can use that power to hold hands and sing ‘kumbaya’ or something? That’s just another form of a royal decree!”
“Get lost already!”
“This isn’t a place for someone like you to meddle!”
The deluge of insults born of distrust—words they wouldn’t normally dare utter.
Liliana felt a twinge of fear, but not displeasure.
Because—she understood.
She had once been one of the powerless.
When someone with unparalleled strength appeared, who could possibly remain calm, wondering if that power might harm them?
“If you understand, then retreat behind your capable subordinates and—”
That’s why she did this:
“—All of you!”
First, she shouted, raising her voice with all her might to avoid being swallowed by the storm of emotion.
Then, as the room fell silent, she asked carefully, searching their hearts:
“What is it that you desire? Here, in this rebellion in the north—what do you want? What do you wish to achieve?”
It was a reexamination of their demands.
The soldiers, taken aback by this seemingly belated question, responded with a mix of anger and scorn.
“All we want is for you to protect this land properly!”
And to that, she interrupted:
“—Is it not you yourselves who wanted to protect it?!”
“—”
She said it.
Words that pierced the distortion in their hearts.
Liliana continued.
“This land where you were born and raised, this beloved homeland, this place to protect! Wasn’t it because you wanted to protect it with your own hands that you became soldiers? Even without Bloodline Magic, even without enough strength, didn’t you join to be part of that defense?”
“…What?”
For the first time, the captain, who had been speaking with fiery emotion, faltered, his words trailing off.
His face betrayed a realization.
Liliana didn’t blame him.
Because she understood.
When someone far superior appears before you, solving every problem with ease like a hero, it’s all too easy to depend on them, to let yourself flow toward comfort without even noticing your own smallness.
Just as they had. Just as she once had.
That’s why she first spoke these words—to remove the unseen poison circulating within them, to realign their twisted perception.
And indeed, confusion filled the soldiers’ faces—perhaps her words struck a chord.
Liliana could sense that movement in their hearts better than anyone.
Thus, she anticipated their next reaction.
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
As expected.
The captain spoke again, quietly—but with a voice laden with renewed, building emotion.
“I wanted to protect this place. I wanted to believe we could defend it with our own strength and hold onto that pride! But—!”
He gave voice to his lament.
“It’s impossible! We’re powerless against the Northern Alliance, and that monster Lucius wiped us out single-handedly! Even Hermes, who saved us, is just another monster! In the end, it’s always those kinds of people who decide the future! No matter what we do, we’re just dragged around by them!”
A confession of the frustration they had held against the powerful.
“So what can we do?! We took on this job because we wanted to protect! Of course, we wanted strength like theirs! But—”
She had been waiting for those words.
“—Then I will grant it to you!”
Liliana’s voice rang out, cutting him off.
She spoke of the stark disparities and distortions she had observed during this Northern Rebellion.
Of the tragic foundations of this nation.
And of the conclusion she had reached after much thought—her solution to aim for a new kingdom.
“I will grant you the power to protect that you desire so much. So—!”
“…What?”
The captain’s voice was filled with confusion.
At this moment, one question dominated their minds: “How?”
Before answering, Liliana turned to Hermes.
Her expression was resolute as she made her request.
“…Master, may I ask for one outrageous favor?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
To her surprise, he answered without hesitation.
She widened her eyes, looking at Hermes, and understood—of course, he had already grasped everything.
Reassured, she proposed the words that marked the beginning of a new path.
“I will teach all of them [Emerald Tablet].”
A ripple of astonishment spread—not among the soldiers, but among Liliana’s own camp, except for Hermes.
Their shock stemmed from the peculiar nature of the magic. Hermes articulated their concerns.
“If that is your decision, Lily-sama, I have no objections. After all, this magic was designed to be ‘usable by anyone’. My master would not disapprove.”
“Indeed.”
“But—you do understand, don’t you? This magic cannot be used just by knowing it.”
That was the crux of their confusion.
“Hey, what’s going on here? What are you two talking about?!”
The captain shouted, his tone now filled with genuine doubt rather than anger.
Doubt meant they were finally willing to listen.
Liliana seized the moment. Assisted by Hermes, she explained the truth of the magic he had once taught her—the characteristics of the [Emerald Tablet].
And most importantly, both Hermes and Liliana were among the so-called “powerless.”
Their reactions were as expected: disbelief and unease.
“Wait. Even if everything you said is true,”
“Yes?”
“It still wouldn’t matter! Like Hermes said, if it can’t be used just by knowing it, what’s the point?!”
That dissatisfaction had been anticipated.
“I said it, didn’t I? This magic is creation magic. Its primary function is to ‘create’ magic. And while I may not match my master, I am also a practitioner.”
She paused, then declared, with resolve in her gaze that swept over everyone present:
“Then—I will create magic that anyone can use.”
That was her plan.
The use of the [Emerald Tablet] to bring about new magic for everyone.
Hermes aimed to craft his own original, unparalleled magic through the tablet.
Liliana’s goal differed: it didn’t have to surpass Bloodline Magic or even match existing spells. Instead—
“Using the [Emerald Tablet] as a medium, I will create magic that anyone, regardless of qualifications, can wield. That is my goal.”
Her aim was the creation of a new kind of universal magic.
Stronger than the existing ones, magic that anyone—without bloodlines or innate power—could use.
Magic that would empower people to overcome their natural weaknesses.
And—here and now, Liliana declared her vision as royalty:
“Thus, I, Liliana Joseph von Eustia, declare: I will raise the magical standard of this nation to that of bloodline magicians—for everyone!”