NOVEL NEXT Chapter 87
EP.87 The Crazy Dog and the Crazy Maid (2)
The night is deep.
Though the night has fallen deep, sleep eludes me.
As she gazes at the flickering candle, the First Princess, Lruiel, thinks about this. A lot has happened throughout the day. Though she lives in a hurry, today has been particularly chaotic and overwhelming.
She gathers her thoughts while looking at the candle.
Watching the wavering flame calms her mood. It feels like her bare face is being revealed.
Hooom.
A breeze flows through the open window.
Though summer has begun, the night air is chilly. The candle flickers with the incoming breeze.
“…”
Lruiel buries her body in the chair and gazes out the window. It’s night. A night consumed by darkness and silence. In the vast expanse of the black sky, stars shine beautifully.
As always.
They just shine in that place.
Even when the royal sisters born with the stars die, those stars have always shone brightly like this.
“How ridiculous.”
Suddenly, those murmurs slip out.
It’s laughable. It’s ludicrous. Even though death approaches, she finds it ridiculous that she remains so calm. The situation itself is absurd.
‘…Was it called a summoning circuit?’
Lruiel reflects on what she heard from the professor earlier.
The professor had answered too easily. The response, delivered as if it were nothing, was the answer to the question Lruiel had spent her whole life searching for.
The death of her sisters.
The death that would one day come for her and Ayla.
No one knew its true nature, and there were rumors that it was a curse placed upon the royal family.
‘Though rumors circulated that the elder brother suppressed them because they were dangerous, it’s not a curse. It’s just that the bodies of those children were weak… Such nonsense was spouted.’
Due to her elder brother’s interference, the investigation was always conducted in secrecy. Lruiel delved into various books to research the deaths that had appeared before her sisters.
No one could be trusted.
The only one she could trust was herself.
So, Lruiel stepped into the world of magic. She studied how to read circuit patterns. She knows that she lacks talent in magic.
However, just because she lacks talent… reading the circuit is within the scope of learning and effort.
So she worked hard.
Her efforts bore fruit.
She became an honorary pillar of the Ivory Tower.
Immediately after becoming a pillar, she searched through every circuit in the Ivory Tower. Remembering the symptoms that appeared in her sisters, she combed through spells and conducted research.
Yet, she couldn’t find anything.
She had found nothing.
And then, death came for her, too.
There was nothing more she could do with her own power. She needed someone’s help.
That’s how she ended up hiring a professor.
‘Rania van Trias.’
The child of the Ashen Mage and the adopted daughter and disciple of Lord Rosel. And a professor at the Apuria Academy, where Ayla attends. As she looked at her, Lruiel thought.
Perhaps, she held this hope.
If it doesn’t work out, then it can’t be helped, she resigned herself.
And the god granted her hope. So effortlessly, everything was resolved. No, it hasn’t been resolved yet, but it will be.
– It’s a circuit used by the sorcery unit on the battlefield.
– It activates by utilizing the target’s life force.
The professor said this.
That statement is neither a lie nor a speculation. After hearing it, the evidence Lruiel had been gathering all matched, affirming the professor’s answer.
Then, there remains one question.
How did that professor come to find what Lruiel could not, no matter how much she searched? Although she didn’t ask the professor directly, that question lingered.
‘Did she say it was a circuit used by the sorcery unit on the battlefield?’
Lruiel also had insight on circuits. She is, after all, one of the pillars of the Magic Association.
Life is precious.
Holding a higher value than anything else.
Hence, circuits that handle life become inevitably complicated. It wouldn’t be easy to draw them. Ordinary battlefield mages likely had never encountered such.
Moreover, Lruiel heard of the sorcery unit for the first time today. It’s not that she hasn’t studied the spell systems on the battlefield. She has encountered them through books and records.
However, there are things one cannot grasp through books.
“The Phantom Territory beyond the front lines.”
A place where letters can’t even reach.
A territory long polluted by magic, known entirely as the Phantom Territory.
‘The spell systems there change almost daily. There’s no time to leave records. Spells are woven, shattered, and countered…’
The history of magic is rewritten several times a day in the Phantom Territory. That place is called the Phantom Territory for a reason.
A place where common sense does not apply.
A place where there are no rules because common sense is absent.
‘Surely, that’s where the circuit originated from.’
Why a circuit only used in the Phantom Territory would be found in the royal household remains unclear. She has no idea what kind of antics her elder brother has been up to to acquire it.
One thing is certain.
The professor she hired possesses the skill to recognize that at a glance. Not only that, but she also knows the disassembly method precisely.
‘…That was certainty in her eyes.’
Those who are confident in their abilities have different eyes from the start. They have conviction. Actions that stem from conviction are dignified. There’s no bending.
Such integrity was felt from the professor.
“How absurd…”
Lruiel murmurs.
Where on earth is such a professor?
‘Thank goodness, Ayla.’
It seems there’s a quite capable individual by your side. As she murmured this, Lruiel closed her eyes. She focused on the sound of the breeze.
Knock, knock.
A noise mixes with the rustling wind.
Someone knocked on the princess’s door.
“Come in.”
The one who opened the door and entered is the professor.
She dragged something behind her into the room. Lruiel squinted at her.
“…What’s that?”
“I said I’d bring him in today.”
With a thud, she dumps what she’s carrying.
What she laid down was a middle-aged man. How she managed to drag him in is a mystery, but that’s not the important part.
The real question is, who is the man the professor brought in?
It didn’t take Lruiel long to recognize him.
“That outfit…”
Isn’t that the outfit of a Court Mage?
Lying face down, the man’s eyes trembled as he looked up at Lruiel.
“Ugh, ugh!”
It’s odd that he can’t even utter a single word, as a white glove was shoved into his mouth. Briefly glancing at his face, Lruiel spoke.
“…Isn’t that Lord Nekelt?”
Court Mage, Nekelt.
He avoids Lruiel’s gaze. However, the professor does not let him be.
“Oh, shh.”
She yanks Nekelt’s collar and lifts him to his feet as easily as a child. As Nekelt stands unsteadily, the professor kicks his knee with her shoe.
“…! …!”
A silent scream echoes.
With a thud, Nekelt kneels down and bows his head.
“Look up.”
She gathers Nekelt’s ankles and stomps with her shoe heel, then grabs his hair to force his head up.
Shiver.
Nekelt’s eyes tremble as he looks up at Lruiel, seated in her chair. That gaze is almost pleading. As if asking that madwoman holding his hair to do something about this situation.
Lruiel tilted her head back.
“…Hoo.”
Then she pressed her temples.
What sort of chaos is this at this hour of the night?
“Um, professor?”
“Yes?”
The Ashen-Haired Girl tilted her head.
Despite her seemingly innocent look, she holds an adult man under her control.
Watching the once-powerful Court Mage, unable to utter a word or cast a spell and is now completely subdued… it was more bewildering than surprising.
“What on earth are you?”
“Um…”
The professor momentarily turns her gaze elsewhere. A word springs to mind, but her expression suggests she’ll say something else.
“An Apuria professor?”
“…”
What is she trying to convey by answering in the form of a question?
And which world’s professor could so easily subdue a Court Mage as if it were a piece of cake?
“…If you say so, then I suppose that’s what it is.”
Lruiel gives up deep thinking.
2.
I briefly explained the situation to Princess Lruiel. When I first entered, she looked at me as if to say, who are you and what is the author… but Lruiel understood my words quickly.
“So, this guy…”
She pointed at the kneeling mage.
His name seems to be Nekelt.
“…has released surveillance golems in the Royal Quarters, and now that you’ve removed him, he’s trying to release them again?”
I nodded.
Princess Lruiel sighed and pressed her forehead.
“I knew most Court Mages sided with my brother, but for this sort of thing to happen in my Royal Quarters…”
She narrowed her eyes.
“Looks like they see me as some sort of joke.”
Her cold gaze was directed at Nekelt, who she looked down upon. She closed her eyes momentarily then opened them again.
“What’s the reason for capturing him?”
“He seems to want to rough up the Court Mages.”
“You understand my intent very well.”
Lruiel chuckled softly.
Her smile was a mix of satisfaction and mischief.
“I’ve got it, professor.”
The princess nodded her head.
“It’s time for the mad dog to bark.”
3.
Early in the morning, a letter arrived for the Court Mages. To be more precise, the letter targeted the five Court Mages who are the hands and feet of the First Prince.
-Greetings, the reason I’m sending this letter is nothing special. As those serving as the hands and feet of the royal family, I am in desperate need of your help…
The letter wasn’t long.
It could be summarized in two sentences.
– Come here at once.
– If you don’t want to die.
At the end of the letter is the mana of Court Mage, Nekelt. They too are aware that Nekelt, who had gone to inscribe the circuit at midnight, has not returned.
“…”
The five mages pondered for a moment before making their way to the Royal Quarters. A guard knight waiting in the corridor of the Royal Quarters guided them into a reception room.
They opened the door to the reception room.
As soon as they opened the door, they saw her.
The First Princess, Lruiel, sitting cross-legged in a solitary chair. She twirled her silver hair around her fingers as she welcomed her guests.
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
She smiled.
“I apologize for not preparing chairs for you in a hurry. Understand that it’s enough to stand and hear what must be said.”
Princess Lruiel gestured.
The Court Mages bit their lips and stood at a distance from her.
And then.
“Close the door.”
The princess’s voice lowered.
Clank, the door shut with a sound. No one held the doorknob.
Lock.
A spell locks the door. One cannot discern where the spell originated. An unsettling air envelops the room.
“…You summoned us for a reason?”
“Well, in truth, I’ve captured a filthy traitor.”
She gestured.
Somewhere in the room, a maid stepped forward. In her hands was a familiar figure.
‘…Nekelt?’
There was no time to question.
Swish, the maid swung her arm. With a loud noise, Nekelt landed face-first on the floor. He looked as if he had already lost consciousness.
“…Princess.”
The expressions of the Court Mages contorted.
“We Court Mages serve the royal family. Without solid proof against us…”
“I have proof. That guy came to my Royal Quarters at midnight without so much as a word to me.”
“There was a reason for that.”
The mages had their excuses prepared from the moment they realized Nekelt was missing.
“Yesterday, the circuits inscribed in the Royal Quarters ceased to function altogether. Isn’t it a grave matter that the circuits protecting the Royal Quarters have failed?”
“Oh?”
“It’s crucial that this fact doesn’t get out. Therefore, Lord Nekelt sought to secretly inscribe the circuits again…”
“By coming to my Royal Quarters at midnight?”
The princess nodded her head.
When her head lifted, her expression bore a deep sadness.
“Looks like I’ve failed to recognize my loyal subjects. To punish a loyal servant for daring to come to my aid and safeguard my safety, as a traitor.”
“Exactly! We’re more than saddened to hear that. Lord Nekelt was doing so purely…”
“Yes, it seems I was mistaken.”
Princess Lruiel smiled.
Her narrow eyes squinted. With a spine-chilling smile, she waved her finger.
Thump.
A massive eyeball resembling a monster dropped before them. In that instant, the Court Mages flinched and trembled.
‘How is that possible?’
The golem they thought had been destroyed. That golem was now rolling before their eyes. Even as they were confused, Princess Lruiel continued speaking.
“I truly didn’t know.”
She pointed at the golem.
“That hideous creature is a golem meant to protect me and this Royal Quarters, is it not? The golem that followed above my head?”
The mages turned pale.
“Our, our loyalty to the protection of the princess…”
“Yes, in the name of safeguarding me, you’ve kept me under constant surveillance. Your loyalty is a bit different from that of the commoners, I see.”
She rested her hands on her knees.
“The circuits protecting the Royal Quarters have never been damaged. What has been damaged is something else.”
Golden eyes glared at the mages.
“What I’ve destroyed is the circuit that unleashed those freaking things. You’ve hidden it well.”
“That’s…”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
The mages fell silent.
They had nothing to say. But they shouldn’t keep their mouths shut. Ultimately, one of them found his words.
“Th-That, too, was meant for your safety…”
“Silence.”
The princess cuts him off.
With a voice that carried a low growl, she spat out through clenched teeth.
“You truly see me as a joke.”
As her platinum hair flowed down.
Golden eyes gleamed sharply, like a beast. In those eyes, one could sense a form of madness.
At that moment, the Court Mages realized.
It was not a new realization. Just a moment’s lapse, and they recalled a fact long forgotten.
“Submit.”
The rabid dog, Lruiel.
The mad dog of the royal family gestures. The maid standing behind her steps forward.
“Right now.”
She claps her hands.
The Court Mages instinctively realize. A spell is about to manifest. They reach out their hands reflexively. They summon mana to resist the spell.
But it’s of no use.
“Huh?”
The mana they tried to gather scatters.
The spell they were trying to weave splits apart. And in the blink of an eye, the completed enchantment ensnares their bodies.
With a clank, chains wrap around the five mages. They are pulled down to the floor, kneeling.
Clack.
Princess Lruiel approaches them, her heels echoing. The mages lift their heads to look at Princess Lruiel.
“Now we can have a proper conversation.”
The cold, hardened golden eyes gaze down at them. It was a piercing gaze that sent chills down their spines.
*
“Professor, did you see their eyes? This is the first time I’ve witnessed them filled with fear!”
Princess Lruiel babbled with delight.
Originally, her voice bore a hint of mockery, but now it flowed with pure enthusiasm.
“It’s quite refreshing. These fools who forgot the courtesy of lowering their heads before me must be thoroughly taught manners for the next few days.”
Lruiel laughed, not mockingly but genuinely gleefully.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“How could I not be? Truly, professor, I loathe those Court Mages!”
She pointed at the Court Mages, being dragged off by the guard knight to the basement of the Royal Quarters.
“I was ready to capture and torment them at a moment’s notice, and now they’re coming to me of their own volition. Isn’t that a wonderful thing?”
“…Isn’t the First Prince’s faction fierce? Can we treat them so openly?”
I didn’t expect it to be handled this way.
At my question, the princess shook her head as if it were nothing.
“Not at all.”
“Eh?”
“My elder brother easily discards anything. Even if it was once his ally, if he believes it will no longer be useful, he casts it aside like flipping a hand.”
“Even so, someone like the Court Mages…”
“They are indeed a valuable asset. A rare talent, I suppose.”
She smiled wryly.
“My elder brother is someone who killed even the Second Princess simply because he didn’t like her. They may be precious, but are they of more value than a member of the royal family?”
“……”
“And that’s not for you to worry about. It’s something I must bear.”
The princess glanced at the departing Court Mages and the maids who distastefully viewed them.
The glances filtered through the crack of the door.
As they met the princess’s gaze, she said.
“It’s actually a good thing.”
“A good thing?”
“How many of those will be able to serve as my elder brother’s eyes? They will analyze this situation and report back to him.”
She shifted closer to me.
“In their eyes, you are an unknown figure. The hairpin you wear disguises your identity. None among them will recognize you.”
“A mere maid gets to engage in secret conversations with the princess. Furthermore, they are now dragging Court Mages away, defeated without anyone else around. And that was done with a spell.”
What does that imply?
She smiled.
“They will notice. You are an unidentified mage hired by me. But no one will be able to discover your true identity. What will ensue?”
“……”
“Fear.”
Princess Lruiel narrowed her eyes.
“The more you unleash your power, the more my elder brother will shrink back. He’s not someone bursting with spirit, so he shrinks from even the slightest danger.”
Then what must be done?
I also knew the answer.
“So, you’re saying I should run wild as I please?”
“Precisely.”
“Will you handle it?”
“Have you forgotten what I initially said?”
The princess smiled.
“Go rampage as you wish. For you, I will gladly bark at whoever approaches.”
Ha.
-Laniel, just one promise.
Master.
-Finish everything quietly, as quietly as possible.
I’m sorry.
‘But the princess says it’s fine to overturn things.’
Since I was on the front lines, I had been the kind of knight who followed the orders of Commander Heinkel. It’s the duty of a good soldier to obey their superiors.
I smiled.
“That sounds great.”
There was no reason not to follow her orders.