The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

49 – 12. The Princess Can’t Sleep (6)

1.

Approaching the children playing and resting under the shade, covered in sweat.

“Kids, want to see something cool I can do?”

What could I do for the kids? No matter how much I pondered, it was all related to magic. However, Léwen had a good idea that creating memories for children was also helping them.

Leaving unforgettable, vivid memories.

Like a dream.

“Watch closely.”

She started off lightly.

Created flames on her palm.

It was a flame resembling a rose.

“Wow!”

Children who rarely encountered magic were fascinated by even basic spells.

“This is the most basic flame in fire magic. All flame magic starts here.”

She moved her fingers.

The flame, static like a log fire in a quiet winter forest, disintegrated into a magical circle.

Moving her fingers in the opposite direction, it returned to the form of a flame.

“It’s not hot?”

A child asked a question.

Fire possesses both a captivating image and a fearsome one.

The lively flickering flames seize the curious eyes of children. However, there is fear associated with knowing that the fire is hot.

“I’m not hot, but if you touch it, won’t it be hot for you?”

It has no effect on the caster.

There is only air tinged red hovering in the empty space.

“But if you do it like this…”

Another magic circle overlapped on top of the existing one.

Crystallization.

A transparent crystal enveloped the flames.

The flames became a jewel embraced by the crystal.

“Wow!”

The children exclaimed even louder.

“If you do it like this, it won’t be hot. Try touching it once.”

Evan extended the crystal to the child nearby.

The child hesitated and reached out their hand, as if checking the temperature of water, lightly tapping the crystal and quickly withdrawing their hand.

Then, once again, they slowly raised their hand over the crystal.

“It’s not hot… not hot at all!”

“Really?”

When one child said so, the others rushed to touch the crystal, saying they wanted to try too.

Watching this, Evan played a prank.

He removed the crystal surrounding the flames.

As a result, the child who had been caressing the crystal with their hands ended up touching the flames with bare hands.

“Ahh!”

The girl clenched the flames in her hands.

“Huh…?”

“Not hot?”

The girl nodded with a puzzled expression.

“How did you do that?”

As if he had been waiting for this question, Evan smiled slyly and said, “It’s simple. Just remove the part where the heat is generated from the magic circle forming the flame. The magic circle becomes unstable, so the size of the flame decreases, but it won’t be a flame hot enough to burn even if you touch it with your bare hands.”

Although the children didn’t understand what he was saying, they marveled once again as they touched the flames.

Anyone showing such a reaction would be eager to show something more.

Evan was no exception.

He unfolded a magical performance like a clown using various spells. The children applauded and cheered with each new magic trick.

“Now, this is the last one.”

Ahh, the children sighed in disappointment.

This level is just right. It’s appropriate to feel a bit disappointed rather than fully satisfied when enjoying something pleasant.

“Watch carefully. It will be a sight you’ll never forget in your lifetime.”

He spread his arms wide.

Mana surged.

-Clap!

He clapped his hands vigorously.

Colorful flames shot up into the sky.

-Boom! Boom!

Fireworks launched in broad daylight.

Various colored flowers embroidered the azure sky.

Thanks to the power of mana, the shapes were vivid, allowing them to appreciate the beauty of the fireworks even though it wasn’t nighttime.

“Wow….”

The children watched in awe with their mouths agape.

Hundreds of fireworks were launched into the sky, turning it into a garden of flowers to celebrate the princess’s birthday.

It was truly a sight they would never forget, just as he had promised.

For the children.

For the villagers below the hill.

And for Luen, who had once enjoyed a modest fireworks display with him in the past.

2.

Three days passed.

The village gate opened, and a white carriage led by a white horse entered the village.

Around the carriage were five knights clad in platinum armor.

“Hello?”

The man who stepped down from the carriage greeted Léon with a nervous smile.

“Pleased to meet you. Terryart, the Restful Sage.”

Terryart extended his hand to Léon as if inviting a handshake.

“Léon, Commander of the Star Knights.”

Politely returning the greeting, Léon shook hands with him.

“Thank you for coming from afar.”

“It’s willingly done, considering it’s a request from someone who safeguards the world.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Terryart’s gaze shifted to the man standing beside Léon. He was a man in a robe.

“And this is…”

“Evan. Nice to meet you.”

This time, Evan extended his hand to Terryart.

“A person aiming to become a sage, I presume. It’s an honor to meet you.”

If one were to name the most remarkable figure in this gathering, it would be Evan.

While the Restful Sage’s position could be achieved through long training and effort, becoming a sage required an unparalleled amount of effort and talent. Moreover, Evan had surpassed all other magicians to secure that position.

After the introductions, they entered the building.

“Let’s get straight to the point. What do you need me to verify?”

“It’s this.”

Evan took out a gray bead from the inner pocket of his robe and handed it to Terryart.

“I found it in the lowest level of a dungeon in the demon realm. Just to be safe, I sealed it.”

“Can you unseal it for a moment?”

“Of course.”

Evan snapped his fingers.

Instantly, a magic circle appeared above the gray bead, and like shattering glass, it broke.

“Thank you. Let me check it right away.”

Terryart placed the gray bead on his palm and pressed it firmly with his other hand, as if feeling for a pulse.

“Hmm…”

Terryart exhaled as if surprised.

His body trembled as if in convulsions.

His breath became increasingly rapid.

Evan asked Teriat about his strange symptoms.

“Why is this happening?”

In response, Teriat placed the bead on the table as if to shake it off.

“Heu…heu….”

He breathed heavily.

Already pale like a dead body, his face drained of color and became as pale as a corpse.

“I…should I consider it lucky that I found this…?”

“What was inside?”

Teriat spoke while beads of cold sweat dripped.

“……A vampire.”

Evan was doubtful of that answer.

Vampires are known to be dangerous beings, but they are not existential to the point where they would cause contemplation. If someone were to encounter contemplation, it would be more likely to happen from the vampire’s side.

“……The queen.”

His expression quickly stiffened.

In an instant, Evan understood the reason why Teriat was scared.

Based on Evan’s knowledge, the vampire queen is the mother of all vampires in this world.

Though different in numbers, the queen’s blood is mixed within the bodies of all vampires.

She was the main culprit behind the near destruction of the Western Kingdom in the past.

She attacked the kingdom out of curiosity about the taste of royal blood.

At that time, King Aikard III perished, and three princesses were devoured.

It was like a festival, with the relatives running amok and enjoying the massacre.

But there were those who stopped that.

The Hero Party.

The hero, Cain.

The sage, Arahan.

The saint, Meriella.

The archer, Sharina.

They prevented the downfall of the Western Kingdom.

“You may be familiar with the famous story. The Hero Party defeated the vampire queen. However…they didn’t completely destroy her. They inflicted damage that would make recovery impossible and the holy sword pierced the queen’s left chest…but there was no heart there, they say.”

That’s why they couldn’t completely deal with the vampire queen.

There are two main ways to kill a vampire.

Burning it with holy power or piercing its heart.

It doesn’t have to be a stake.

Whether it’s a sword or a spear, anything sharp can pierce the heart.

To the people, it’s known that the vampire queen has been defeated.

But as I just mentioned, that’s not entirely true.

“Could it be that the soul of the vampire queen has been found like this… It seems she was dreaming of resurrection, waiting until the burns on her soul from the holy power of the former saint could heal.”

“So what do we do now?”

The identity of the soul embedded in the bead is known.

“Destruction would be the best, but… trying to destroy it recklessly could pose a greater danger. If Evan allows, we will take care of it in our kingdom.”

“Please do that.”

Anyway, even if Evan had it, it would be meaningless. Managing the soul of the vampire queen in the kingdom is the safest option.

“Thank you for your permission.”

Teriat covered the ashen bead with holy power.

It’s a shame.

There was a secret hope for it to be a new spirit.

If so, it would have served as a summoned servant.

After the conversation, everyone got up from their seats.