NOVEL NEXT Ch. 24
Chapter 24
“I am not sure why you have summoned me……”
Dean Cornelius fiddled with his neatly trimmed mustache and feigned humility.
“As the administrator of the Succession War, it is troublesome for you to summon me at a time like this.”
“But you came.”
“…Ahem.”
At Ferbias's piercing words, Cornelius cleared his throat.
He was right.
He shouldn't have left his post, nor should he have met him, but he had no choice but to come because of the money he had received.
“As it happens, I had some business with you as well.”
“What is it? Speak first, Dean.”
“I have something to return.”
Cornelius took a leather pouch from his pocket.
It was full of gold coins and looked quite heavy.
Without counting, Ferbias knew that there were exactly three hundred and twenty coins.
It was because it was the pouch he had given him before.
The prince let out a soft laugh.
“I don't know why you're returning the research funds I gave you for sponsorship purposes. As if it were some kind of illicit money.”
“Isn't it?”
Cornelius's eyes were unwavering.
“It was money received as a price for a favor and since I could not fulfill it, I must return it.”
“Well. It sounds to me like you just want to back out.”
Ferbias snickered.
It was money he had given to find out information about the Treasures.
To return that money at a time like this, his intentions were obvious.
He did not accept it and the money pouch was left sitting on the table.
“You're not going to say you've had an awakening of ethics, are you?”
“I am just afraid of my master.”
“Ah. Dean Hermai, he is indeed frightening.”
The Great Emperor Continua's closest aide, one of the Eight Sages, a mage of the six stars.
No matter how much of a First Prince he was, he could not disregard the old man, Hermai Merhes!
“But doesn't he dote on you.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyone can tell from the side. He's practically a doting fool.”
Cornelius tilted his head.
Hermai Merhes was his adoptive father and master.
He had always thought he was strict, but perhaps that wasn't how others saw him.
But that was not the important issue right now.
He pushed the money pouch towards the prince once more.
“In any case, my intentions are clear.”
“I have no intention of dwelling on a past favor either. You don't have to return the money.”
“…Then why today?”
“Don't be in such a hurry.”
Cornelius was puzzled.
He didn't want the money back, nor did he need information on the Treasures.
Then what was the reason for summoning Cornelius?
He wouldn't have called him just to chat, especially in a situation where he was falling behind.
“Hmm. Where should I start the story.”
Ferbias sipped his tea.
“You must know of my current situation.”
“…I'm not sure.”
“Don't play dumb. The rumors are rampant. That the First Prince Ferbias has fallen the furthest behind among the three factions.”
“……”
The Dean furtively glanced at his opponent's expression.
Ferbias had an unusually strong sense of pride.
It was hard to understand why he would bring up such a topic first.
But Ferbias did not lose his relaxed smile.
“Well, that's the situation. I'm in a bit of a hurry. But the more you're in a hurry, the calmer you have to be, don't you think?”
“You are absolutely right.”
“But Dean, I've got a good idea.”
Ferbias raised the corner of his mouth.
“By any chance, do you know about the 33rd Succession War?”
“…Even if you say so, nothing comes to mind right away.”
“400 years ago, when Sen Sorti was the Chief Mage.”
“Aha. That very… wait……”
Cornelius fiddled with his mustache.
Then he remembered something and whipped his head around.
His face was pale.
“…Prince Ferbias, you don't mean to speak of the Grand Convergence, do you?”
“That's exactly what I mean.”
“That's ridiculous!”
The mustached Dean had jumped to his feet without realizing it.
“It is an event that has happened only once in the thousand-year history of the Empire!”
His voice was loud for being in front of a prince.
But Cornelius was in no state to care about such things.
Just from the single phrase 'Grand Convergence', he had guessed what kind of plan Ferbias was concocting.
“It was a rule that had to be hastily created because Sen Sorti played a prank on the Succession War and ran away! To speak of it in this day and age, it's preposterous, preposterous!”
“But it seems to be still valid.”
At the prince's gesture, Amethus handed over an old scroll.
It was an old imperial law book about the Succession War.
Ferbias smiled and read it out.
It was written in Hotus, but it wasn't a big problem.
“Let's see, special provisions of the Succession War… regarding the Grand Convergence… my, it's written in a complicated way.”
“……”
“But the content is simple. If the administrator who should be managing the Succession War causes a fatal confusion, the rules are changed. A mock war fought over the undiscovered Treasures, the ‘Grand Convergence’.”
Cornelius remained silent.
Ferbias grinned.
This was exactly what he wanted.
A move that would completely overturn the state of the war.
“It's a bit of a shame that the already acquired Treasures are kept as they are. Still, it's enough to turn the tables.”
“That's a stretch, Your Highness……. There's no way a special case from 400 years ago would be valid.”
“I have the power to make a stretch a reality.”
A single phrase that sounded like a bluff.
But because it was the words of the First Prince, Ferbias Caseptus, it would not end as a bluff.
The Caseptus family was behind him.
“If the administrator of the Succession War cooperates just a little, the stretch will soon become a reality.”
“…Now I see why you called me.”
“Then give me your answer. Will you grant my request?”
“…I refuse.”
Ferbias playfully raised his hand.
“What a shame! Hard to believe for a man who took money from all three factions!”
“…I believe that is unrelated to my shame.”
“Well, alright. Do as you please. A request is something that cannot be forced, after all.”
The prince's eyes were golden.
“My, my, I wanted to end this with a request.”
A strange light began to flicker.
“It seems I have no choice but to command you again.”
“…A command, you say.”
Naturally, Cornelius could not easily open his mouth.
It was highly likely that whatever he said would end up with his neck in a noose.
Ferbias nonchalantly sipped his tea and then spoke lightly.
“Dean, you're not unaware of the Ars, are you?”
“…Of course not.”
A power given one to each soul.
The Empire called it Ars.
It was a secret power, but it would be strange for someone like the First Prince or the Dean of the Imperial Academy of Magic not to know.
Because they had already found the Ars of their own souls.
“Do you know about my Ars as well?”
“…I am not well-versed, but it must be something great. Since it is yours, Your Highness, it must also be secret.”
“Not necessarily.”
The prince tapped the table.
His teacup was already empty.
A servant appeared and cleared it.
Cornelius swallowed his saliva.
As expected of the First Prince, he was accustomed to being served.
“Humans live by dominating other humans. My Ars just adds a little bit of coercive force to that domination. I cannot dominate those who are unrelated to me. I can only encourage the obedience of those who are likely to obey me.”
Isn't that inconvenient?
Ferbias snickered.
If a commoner had this Ars, all they could do was dominate a few of their family members.
Thinking of it that way, it was quite pathetic.
“If I were not the eldest of the Empire, it would have been nothing special.”
Ferbias's eyes shone with a brilliant golden light.
“I command you.”
Cornelius tried to avoid it.
But he could not be faster than a gaze.
The brilliant golden gaze, Ferbias's Ars.
The eldest son of the Empire, convinced of his own righteousness, commanded.
“Work for me, Dean.”
“-Kuh!”
A groan escaped.
That was the ‘Prince’s Eye, princeps occuls’.
The First Prince's Ars, a power that forced domination on the human spirit!
“Kuh, ugh……”
The golden light intensified.
Cornelius groaned.
But soon, the golden light was pushed back, and the air vibrated.
What appeared was a strong blue light.
A blue close to green.
The color of the mustached Dean's soul.
“-You have greatly underestimated me-!!”
“Oh my.”
Ferbias felt his domination breaking.
It was because he had failed to capture Dean Cornelius's mind.
The Dean was wrapped in several layers of verdigris light.
He was a man called the best in the Empire in terms of protective magic.
Even Ferbias's Ars could not easily break through it.
“Though I am not as good as my master, I, Cornelius, am a mage of the four stars……!”
“As I thought, it was too much to dominate him at once.”
The verdigris intensified.
Dean Cornelius wrapped himself in even more verdigris protection.
Ferbias was nonchalant.
So much so that he called a servant and asked for another cup of tea.
He took a sip of tea and then turned his head.
“It's your turn.”
“As you command, Your Highness.”
Several men appeared.
At the very front was a short man.
He had a rat-like mustache, and Cornelius, recognizing his face, shouted.
“Dean Kentil……!”
“Haha. It is indeed a splendid protective magic, Dean Cornelius.”
“-Tsk!”
Cornelius clicked his tongue.
Behind Dean Kentil were dozens of red whips.
The whips were brandished, and cracks were carved into the verdigris protection.
Cornelius clenched his teeth.
The verdigris radiance grew even stronger.
“But it's not nearly enough yet!”
Even if they were both deans, they were not on the same level.
Cornelius was Hermai Merhes's top disciple.
A mage of the four stars!
Dean Kentil brandished the red whips again, but the verdigris protection had become even stronger.
Only a slight damage was done.
“If you were going to capture me, Cornelius, you should have prepared more, Your Highness!”
“Who said I didn't?”
Ferbias held up his teacup.
“Watch your head, Dean.”
“……!!!”
A chilling presence and then, CR-A-A-ACK-!!
There had been several layers of verdigris protection, but they were shattered and disappeared in an instant.
Dean Kentil screamed and Cornelius also trembled.
If he hadn't sat down, his head would have truly flown off.
He spread the protection again, but it was quickly shattered.
“Gently, Amethus.”
Dean Cornelius spread the protection.
It was his pride and joy magic.
But Amethus's sword devilishly pierced through the weak points.
It was a speed that was hard to follow with the eyes.
Before Dean Cornelius could summon his third protection, Amethus's sword touched his throat.
“Do not move.”
“…Dammit!”
Cornelius had no choice but to kneel.
A clear haze was shimmering on that blade.
It was proof that his skill was worthy of being called a master.
Looking at the jade-eyed swordsman, Cornelius muttered.
“You are, Amethus……! I heard from the Security Bureau Chief that you were an upright young man……”
“It was an order.”
The blade came closer.
A single stream of blood flowed from Cornelius's neck.
Only then did Ferbias wave his hand and stand up.
“Amethus, move the sword a little further away. He is a precious talent who will turn the tables for us.”
Ferbias smiled.
Cornelius remained kneeling.
The prince looked down at the Dean and smiled in satisfaction.
“You were all talk for nothing, Dean.”
“…You might as well kill me, Your Highness! I will not move as you wish!”
“That remains to be seen.”
The golden eyes shone.
Ferbias's Ars resided in his eyes.
The eyes, as if sprinkled with gold dust, began to swirl.
Cornelius felt his mind grow hazy and clenched his teeth.
“Look at my eyes, Dean.”
The Ars, ‘Prince’s Eye, Princeps oculus’.
The name of the power dwelling in Ferbias Caseptus's soul.
Those eyes exercised a just right to rule as the eldest of the Empire.
It captured the spirit and made the opponent a slave.
“Ugh, ughhhh……!”
“Do not resist.”
Cornelius clenched his teeth.
He was the Dean of the Imperial Academy of Magic.
No matter how much it was the First Prince's Ars, he would not be easily defeated.
However, those mages and the blade pressed against his neck, forced him to obey.
Ferbias's eyes continued to swirl and Cornelius's mind was gradually worn away.
“I am Ferbias Caseptus. The eldest son of the Empire who will eventually sit on the Imperial Throne.”
The ‘Prince’s Eye’ was a power that encroached on the opponent's mind.
The more one thought that Ferbias's rule was just, the more power it gained.
The First Prince gripped the Dean's neck and recited.
Cornelius foamed at the mouth.
His eyes grew dim.
He tried to come to his senses, but the assault was strong.
Even when he barely scraped together his mana, Dean Kentil scattered it.
The cold blade still touched his neck, chilling him.
“Therefore, obey.”
The Dean was succumbing.
He had no choice.
“For this is a just command.”