The young man brought a chair from elsewhere and sat between me and Fabre.
He looked at Fabre and said, “Hello. I’m Geoffrey. A friend of Mage Ran.”
Fabre, seemingly uninterested, started playing with the beetles again.
It seems even ordinary people are included among those he doesn’t mingle with.
Geoffrey’s eyes narrowed. I raised my hand and tapped in front of him.
“Count Furst will never become a member of your guild.”
Geoffrey rolled his eyes to look at me.
“Wasn’t that the condition?”
“Yes. But it’s an impossible condition. That’s why I brought his son.”
One corner of Geoffrey’s mouth rose up to his ear.
“How disappointing. I didn’t know Ran was someone who took promises so lightly.”
I crossed my legs.
Then I turned my head to look at the city.
Various people were doing various things.
“You’re well aware that Princess Elisabeth has come to the port of Sangria, right?”
“I also know she’s staying at the Furst mansion. Information on the movements of such a big shot can fetch a pretty penny.”
“We’re quite close. I’ve known her since before my family fell from grace.”
Geoffrey was silent for a moment.
He probably didn’t expect me to admit being a noble from Franche with my own mouth.
Soon he asked,
“Were you from the Prejean family, Ran?”
“Didn’t you already guess that?”
“I wasn’t certain. Not until hearing it from your own mouth like this.”
I turned my head to look at him.
“I asked the princess the same thing I asked you.”
“……”
“The answer was quite different.”
Geoffrey nodded his head briefly once.
“So that’s why you suddenly wanted to see me at dawn yesterday. To cross-check information.”
“Sorry for disturbing your sweet sleep.”
“No. It was a time I’m usually awake anyway. Actually, this is my sleeping time.”
I smiled slightly.
“I’m not sure how much of your information I should believe. What you gave me is incomplete information from my perspective.”
“So you’re going to fulfill the condition incompletely as well?”
“You can still achieve what you want though.”
“How?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“When someone becomes a member, their family members are automatically protected too, right?”
“There’s no such clause.”
“Then? Even if a noble becomes a member, their family members can still be assassinated?”
Geoffrey crossed his arms, slightly stuck out his tongue, and turned his eyes to the sky.
His two eyes soon turned to me.
“It’s difficult.”
“Right? So if Fabre becomes a member, Count Furst naturally gets protected too, doesn’t he?”
“That’s true.”
“What you wanted was justification anyway, right? Justification for not having to assassinate.”
“.….”
“So if Fabre becomes a member, doesn’t that satisfy what you want? Did I think wrong?”
Geoffrey moved his fingers like playing the piano with his arms still crossed. He made a sucking sound pushing out his lips and rolled his eyes here and there.
Then suddenly he unfolded his arms, raised them above his head, and said,
“The information I gave you is certainly real. I don’t know what the princess said, but she probably twisted her words here and there to persuade you. To use your desire for revenge against the King of Franche for her own gain of power.”
“Yeah. She did. But what’s unknown is unknown. Which one is true remains to be seen. Anyway, I did my best. It’s up to you whether to accept it or not.”
I pointed at Fabre with my palm open.
Geoffrey looked back and forth between me and him several times, then soon raised his head and glared at one side.
Then a large man from that direction came with a long scroll and spread it wide on the table.
There were numerous names on it.
I scanned all those names at once.
“You just need to write your name. Then it’s done.”
Looking closely, I could feel a faint magical power from the scroll.
Fabre must have felt it too, as he looked up at me and asked,
“There’s magical power.”
When I turned to Geoffrey, Geoffrey answered.
“A spell is cast so that the name won’t be written unless it’s the real name. It must be written by the person himself.”
“May I check it?”
“By all means.”
I picked up that paper. And I carefully examined the magic cast on that paper.
It had a very simple principle, so I quickly understood it.
When I nodded at Fabre, he soon wrote his name.
“Congratulations on joining.”
Geoffrey smiled brightly and was about to get up.
“Wait, sit down. I still have something to say.”
Geoffrey sat back down in an awkward posture.
“You’re speaking rather sternly. What’s the matter?”
“It’s about what you told me before. That you sold subscription services as a new business item and became the best in the industry.”
“Yes, yes.”
“How much of that is true?”
Geoffrey tilted his head.
“What do you mean?”
I looked straight at him and said,
“You see, Count Furst was often away from his mansion due to New Continent business. But you said you attempted assassination once a month. Something doesn’t seem to add up. Did you really target the Count?”
“…….”
“And what was it, a special service to mentally torment by only attempting assassination? That was really interesting. Fun. But isn’t it unrealistic to commercialize that in reality? It just doesn’t seem to make sense. Weren’t you really trying to assassinate rather than just attempting?”
“…….”
“When I brought Fabre, honestly, what did you think? Anyone can see it’s forced, right? You asked me to bring the Count, but I brazenly brought his son and said it’s okay because he’s family? It’s ridiculous. But Geoffrey. You seriously accepted this ridiculous thing? Pretending to be persuaded by my words. I found it really amusing.”
Geoffrey quietly glared at me.
The large man who was far away put his hand in his coat with a murderous look in his eyes. Not only that, similarly murderous auras could be felt from the middle of the street and even from the rooftops.
If they want to try something, I’m ready to take them on anytime.
When I took out my staff and grabbed it, Geoffrey smiled.
“What do you want?”
At that moment, all the murderous intent directed at me disappeared.
“Princess Elisabeth’s current location. Just tell me that. Then I’ll let it go. Didn’t you say earlier you were tracking her movements?”
Geoffrey licked his lips once.
“She’s at Sangria Cathedral.”
“Good. You can leave now.”
Geoffrey wrinkled his nose, then soon got up and left.
When the large man followed him out, only we remained on the terrace.
“The person who tried to kill mother. Did you find out who it was?”
I reached out and stroked Fabre’s head once.
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Fabre lowered his head indifferently and started playing with the beetles again.
But if he were truly indifferent, he probably wouldn’t have asked.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything.”
“I’d like to borrow the magic power of Jangshir.”
Fabre held out his left hand, and on it was Jangshir.
The two-horned fire-winged beetle.
I took out my staff and brought its tip close to the beetle’s horns.
At that moment, my vision started to float up. I could see my body and Fabre below, and soon after leaving the building, the cityscape came into view.
Also, countless conversations buzzed around my ears.
One conversation among them captivated my mind.
“Which way should I go to get to Sangria Cathedral?”
“Ah, just follow this road straight up.”
“Thank you.”
I was already looking at the traveler who asked that question. The traveler slowly moved his steps and reached a huge cathedral.
Clank!
Clank!
Two knights blocking the main gate looked at the traveler and said strongly,
“You cannot enter at this time!”
The traveler tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.
“Why is a cathedral stopping travellers in broad daylight?”
The knight repeated the same words.
“You cannot enter!”
Upon closer inspection, the knight’s face was identical to that of the knight who had been with Princess Elisabeth at the mansion.
I went through the tightly closed door and entered.
Sangria Cathedral was indescribably beautiful. Various colored artworks and coloured shadows illuminating the inside through painted windows. And the statues erected here and there also looked alive.
I passed through the firmly closed door and went into the prayer room located in a deeper place.
There, Elisabeth in plain clothes and Priest Hansis were having a conversation.
Fortunately, unlike Merlin, they didn’t seem to notice my consciousness.
The princess spoke.
“Are you really thinking of giving up the path of magic?”
Hansis nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“It’s all meaningless.”
“Meaningless?”
“What’s the reason for learning magic? First, to avoid one’s own death, and second, to fulfill one’s greed, isn’t it? What meaning is there in living life like that?”
“But isn’t life about avoiding death as much as possible and getting what you want?”
“That’s just existing. Not living. People should live according to the Lord’s will, that’s living.”
“You’re giving up magic because of your faith? Why do you have to do that? Can’t you believe in God while learning magic too?”
“God is in the lowest places. From the highest places, you can’t even meet Him, let alone understand Him.”
The princess snorted.
“Your words sound as if you’re detached from everything. But you’re currently serving Duke Balkan, aren’t you?”
“Him ruling Baritone is somewhat better. There’s no one among Baritone’s nobles who matches him. Serving Duke Balkan is not for the Duke’s sake, but for the people.”
The princess didn’t hide her sneer.
“What about Count Furst? You said you settled here because you liked him.”
“He represents the next generation. Now, it’s Duke Balkan. My role is to connect the two.”
Princess Elisabeth crossed her arms and shook her head.
“Hmph. I’ve heard a lot about Duke Balkan. They say he’s so arrogant that he treats other nobles like servants. Is such a person the best?”
“He is arrogant to arrogant people. Therefore, in the eyes of the nobles, there’s no one more arrogant than him.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“He has not fallen into corruption, not even slightly. Also, he has mercy towards those less fortunate than him. He’s also patient. If he were truly arrogant, these traits of his wouldn’t be explained.”
“You’re the only one who speaks well of him, Master.”
Master.
It seems Priest Hansis is Princess Elisabeth’s master.
Then Priest Hansis didn’t fail to become a formal mage, but he gave up the path of magic and fell to the apprentice level.
Hansis spoke again.
“And what did you think of Count Furst?”
“He was nothing special. Rather, the mage next to him was more interesting.”
“You mean Mage Ran.”
“He used to be very famous in the past. I didn’t expect him to become a mage. No, in hindsight, it was inevitable. That look in his eyes. That voice. That face. It’s hard to believe he’s the same person.”
Hansis lowered his gaze for a moment, then raised it again to look at Princess Elisabeth.
“Be careful of him.”
“Why?”
“He… I can’t be sure, but he didn’t seem human.”
“What are you saying? Not human?”
“No, he’s human, but not quite…”
“…….”
“I’m sorry. I’m rambling. Anyway, it would be better not to get too involved with him.”
Elisabeth looked at Priest Hansis with a strange gaze, but Priest Hansis didn’t say more.
She shrugged her shoulders once, then put her hand in her clothing. Then she took out a transparent jewel.
“Here. What you mentioned.”
Priest Hansis received it.
“Thank you, Princess.”
“That’s one of the treasures of the Franche royal family. It wasn’t easy for me to get either.”
“I won’t forget your kindness.”
“You’ve already taught me magic, Master. What do you need that for?”
Priest Hansis hesitated for a moment, then said,
“I want to separate Mage Ran from Count Furst.”
“Why?”
He hesitated several times, then blurted out,
“I… don’t want the Count to be led down a dark path.”
