‘ss with this, and my body might just blow up.’
Since he trained his aura, he wouldn’t die, but in the worst case, there was a possibility that he would beco paralyzed.
To minimize the odds, he needed a helper who could respond smartly in unforeseen situations, and Philip believed the perfect fit for that role was the dragon, Privia.
“Sit tight now, darling.”
Denying Altaire’s offered kindness wasn’t an option. It was a matter of her pride. Doubting her capabilities as an Aura Master was akin to this.
‘Could this actually fail?’
Philip chose to be optimistic. Witnessing her retrieve the elixir so effortlessly suggested that she still held influence within the royal family.
‘Perhaps she’d even hand over an elixir if things went south.’
In no ti, Philip found himself handed an Angel’s Tear by Altaire. As he twisted open the tightly sealed lid, a pungent aroma wafted up.
“It is not one of the rarest treasures of the royal family. Drinking it doesn’t increase your swordsmanship skills, it just increases the absolute amount of mana. But to you it might an sothing different. Drink it all in one gulp, and relax.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Following her instructions, Philip brought the crystal vial to his lips. Just as the radiant liquid was about to touch his mouth, a portal materialized right in the heart of the reception room.
“Halt! Just what do you think you’re doing?”
It was the dramatic entrance of Dragon Privia. She strode forward and snatched the crystal vial from Philip’s grasp.
“This isn’t the kind of elixir you imagine it to be. Crafted as a relic from a millennium-old magical experint, it wasn’t ant to enhance mana; those who drank it seeking power were declared idiots. Should you wish to use it as an elixir, you must undergo a series of steps.”
Listening to her explanation, Philip nodded in agreent.
“Ah, I understand.”
What he knew about item descriptions paled in comparison to Privia’s accumulated wisdom over the years. If she said so, it had to be true. With no intention of confronting a dragon, Philip sealed the vial once more.
Altaire unsheathed her sword, her face drained of color. The overpowering aura emanating from the woman before her left her paralyzed, unable even to twitch her fingers from the sword-drawing stance.
“Who… who are you?”
Privia seed visibly unsettled. She squinted, her gaze piercing Altaire.
“Who are you to dare challenge ? You’re asking for death.”
Without uttering another word, the dragon conjured black flas in her outstretched hands. Observing this, Philip gulped hard, his nervousness mounting.
Hellfire, flas from the abyss.
The magic burned eternally, relentlessly consuming its target, a spell of unparalleled potency. Even the revered sages, expending every ounce of their arcane might, would struggle to replicate such an advanced enchantnt. Philip extended his hand, his intent clear: he needed to intervene and halt Privia’s course.
Confronting those unyielding flas, he comprehended that he would beco naught but ashes, his existence extinguished in their fiery embrace.
“Just a mont, Lady Privia. This individual seeks to extend goodwill towards . I implore you to withhold your hostility.”
A derisive snort escaped Privia’s lips in response to Philip’s plea.
“In my perception, I witness an old woman striving to forge a fresh life. How are you going to survive in this harsh world if you remain so naive? Do you know the consequences of consuming that elixer. Everyti I blink, I find you in new trouble.”
Philip’s understanding of Privia’s urgency crystallized.
‘She has been vigilantly observing .’
The notion didn’t perturb him; rather, it indicated Privia’s commitnt to safeguarding the Moonlight Sword’s successor. As a millennia-old dragon, she harbored no ill intent in her scrutiny.
“I don’t know who you are, but don’t even think about insulting like that. Are you saying I was trying to molest that child?”
Altaire opened her mouth, as if anger had stifled her instincts a bit.
A vein ford on Privia’s forehead.
‘Nowadays, watching this kid is a pleasure in life, but how did the girl intervene out of nowhere? She doesn’t even have awareness of the topic?’
She didn’t like that there were so many won around Philip. Her discontent also stemd from a history of witnessing prodigious individuals fall to ruin due to love and desire.
‘An successor to the Moonlight Sword erges after so long…’
It was unlikely that Philip would do that, but she needed to eliminate the elents that could threaten the full succession of the Moonlight Sword.
At least, that was her perspective.
“Ah, yes. What can you do about it?”
“… You doubt my capabilities?”
An unforeseen encounter transpired between the Aura Master and the Dragon.
‘Surely, she does not intend to end her life…?’
The thought flickered through Philip’s mind, and he gulped.
———
“Tania, this way, over here!”
“Miyaaong…”
In the backyard, Lua was playing with Tania, their laughter filling the air. Lua playfully waved a feathered cat toy, a creation of Phillip’s, and enticed Tania with its whimsical dance. Tania’s initial annoyance gave way to an instinctual response, her body moving as if of its own accord.
It was a heartwarming and picturesque sight, though the two girls eventually had to make space for what was to co.
“Instructor!”
Phillip’s sudden appearance prompted Lua to instinctively bound towards him, but she ca to a halt as her gaze fell upon two unfamiliar won.
“Co closer, Lua and Tania. We have a brief matter to attend to.”
With her curiosity sparked, Lua questioned, “Who might these ladies be?”
A soft smile played on Privia’s lips as she introduced herself. “I am the teacher of the Magic Departnt and a friend of your Instructor. Ah, yes, you must be Lua?”
“Yes, greetings!”
Observing Privia’s genuine warmth, Phillip offered a slight nod of approval.
Whether considering the establishnt of the eponymous academy or witnessing Privia’s interactions with Tania, it beca evident that she held a gentle disposition, especially towards young ones.
“I…” Altaire began her introduction, only to be cut off by Privia.
“You bitch will be a corpse soon anyway, so why are you introducing yourself? There’s nothing good about getting attached.”
“What’s the matter?” Phillip inquired.
Conceding the absence of his power to subdue either of the enigmatic won, Phillip led Lua and Tania to retreat, maintaining a safe distance.
None of the two won could be subdued by Philip with force. Besides, he didn’t really want to be in between him, so Philip took Lua and Tania with him a long distance away.
“Why do those ladies behave so oddly?” Lua murmured to Phillip, holding a magpie feather in her hand. Phillip’s response was a nonchalant shrug.
“To be quite honest, I’m perplexed as well.”
Lua’s eyes widened. It was the first ti she had seen Philip say he didn’t know sothing. She never imagined that there was sothing unknown to Philip.
Privia and Altaire locked eyes, and an invisible spark flickered in the air.
“Why not showcase your talents? I’m genuinely intrigued to witness your capabilities.”
Stifling her rising dread, Altaire bit back a retort in response to Privia’s provocation. At that mont, Privia’s true identity was irrelevant; Altaire couldn’t allow such a slight to pass unaddressed.
Soon, the ground surrounding Altaire quivered, and a radiant luminescence emanated from her sword—a stunning manifestation of the auras she had harnessed.
She was at least one notch superior than Emil Phanoy, senior professor at the Privia Academy.
“… You’ll co to regret this.”
With those words, Altaire vanished from sight.
More precisely, it was an astonishing sprint towards Privia, a speed that defied human cognitive abilities. Altaire gazed at Privia’s exposed vulnerability, contemplating a way to subdue her without resorting to lethal force, if only for a fleeting mont.
Then, ti seed to freeze. A phenonon that occurred when a sword and wielder lded into one. In that instance, Altaire’s conviction of victory surged.
‘So insignificant, yet audacious?’
Yet, sothing was amiss. Her body refused to respond.
Though several seconds might have lapsed in her perception, ti appeared to stand still.
“Why is this happening?”
Altaire sensed her bodily functions had ceased entirely. Only her heart, lungs, and breath retained functionality; her muscles had stiffened like plaster.
“Miyaaong.”
Tania, perched on Phillip’s shoulder, nimbly resettled herself atop his head—a privilege granted only to a kitten.
Phillip perspired slightly, and discreetly drew nearer.
“… You haven’t taken her life, have you?”
A wry smile tugged at Privia’s lips in response to Phillip’s inquiry.
“Am I so sort of demon? Your concern is excessive.”
Maintaining her charging stance, she advanced toward the immobilized Altaire, and touched her cheek.
“Human girl. Shall I leave you like this for two decades? Will you beco more compliant then?”
Only then did Altaire grasp her error in selecting an enemy. An insurmountable barrier lay between her and Privia.
Noting the softening of Altaire’s gaze—like that of a calf faced with the butcher’s blade—Privia lifted the spell she had cast upon her.
“You’ve brought sothing moderately useful, hence I’ll pardon your transgression for now. Simply vanish.”
With a nod, Altaire obediently fled, tears glistening in her eyes. While Phillip wondered if this was permissible, he acknowledged the inevitability of the situation. That was why he refrained from uttering rash words to Privia.
“There was no necessity to go to such lengths…”
He chose instead to offer his opinion cautiously. Privia’s expression twisted into a vexed grimace.
“It’s obvious what such a wretch is thinking. Just do what I ask quietly. Don’t interfere in various matters just because you think you can control as you please. It’s necessary to break your arrogance beforehand so that you won’t get distracted.”
“… Did you co all the way here for that?”
Philip asked with a slight surprise.
“What are you thinking? Why would I? I ca here to stop you from getting into trouble by picking up strange things and possibly getting sick. If you want to take the elixir, you should co to . Why entrust it to such a clumsy woman?”
From Privia’s reaction, Philip could be sure of one thing. ‘I think she’s bothered by not being able to help this ti.’
He felt that this dishonest dragon had gotten more and more closer. At first, she was just a target to exploit, but as ti went on, her actions showed affection, making it hard not to like her.
“… I’ll write down the ingredients, so if you get them for , I’ll make the right elixir for you. Handing over a completed elixir would carry a burden, but if you get the ingredients yourself, it’s a different story.”
Privia decided to show a little more compassion since she was already involved in the situation.
Her current mindset was almost like a viewer who directly interfered with the content of a drama.
“And while we’re at it, aren’t you the type who can’t do anything without causing trouble? This ti too. Why did you escalate things so much when you could have just manipulated a few nobles for political pressure? And how many tis do I have to tell you that your growth should be the top priority…”
‘I should invite Lord Altair as an academy professor. To do that, I’ll have to get rid of that professor who recently gave trouble.’
Philip listened to Privia’s continued nagging with a serious expression, while he thought hard about other matters.
———
Translator’s note:- I’m back everyone. Thanks for the patience and understanding. The release rate will be normal from henceforth.
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