Chapter 455. Unexpected Events (2)
Translator: Aura / Editor: Tiny Zebra
Heinley sent a reply to Sovieshu for . The next day, he left to retrieve another mana stone, and Kapn and Dolshi ca unexpectedly to visit .
“Dolshi wants to test you before teaching you how to master your magic.”
However, it seed that this was just a pretext. I knew it the mont I saw Dolshi co in with so drawings.
“Here you go.”
Each drawing was a depiction of a splendid shiny wall, so it was clear that it was not Dolshi’s work. When I accepted the drawings, Dolshi winked at as if he was handing a bribe.
Except that bribes must be carefully selected. It must be sothing desired by the person from whom one wants to obtain a favor, rather than sothing wished for by the one offering the bribe…
It was absurd, but given my suspicions of who Dolshi really was I didn’t dare to reject the drawings, so I put them away.
As if he at least had so self-awareness, Dolshi smirked.
“I’ll take a look at your magic. Isn’t there a more spacious place?”
“Outside…”
“Not outside. Sowhere private.”
I led them to an empty room on the first floor. It was set aside for etings, and although it was spacious, there was almost no furniture other than a small table and chairs.
“How about here?”
“Yes, this room is fine.”
Dolshi sat down, then turned to with a serious expression, as if he had decided to evaluate properly.
“First of all, let’s see what you’re capable of. I want you to use your magic to the best of your ability.”
I nodded and took the small bell. As I was about to call my butler to order a bucket of water, Dolshi stopped .
“Hang on, funny-nad lady.”
Dolshi pointed his hand at the small bell.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to ask for a bucket of water.”
“Do you intend to freeze only water all your life? If you want to master your ice magic to drink cold water, I suppose it is useful, but if you don’t want to stop there, you must forget that thod.”
In my practice sessions, I had always focused on freezing things.
How was I supposed to do it then?
When I looked at him in bewildernt, he raised his chin.
“Just release your magic.”
At first, I felt anxious because I didn’t understand what I was supposed to do… but, co to think of it, I had indeed used ice magic out of thin air before, hadn’t I? Like when I instinctively deflected Duke Zensia’s fall…
I nodded and awkwardly raised my hands. I wasn’t used to it, so I felt like an eccentric mage with my hands in the air like this.
Still, as I focused my attention, a thin ice-like substance appeared around my hands and fell to the ground.
‘It worked!’
However, when I glanced sideways towards Dolshi, he was unimpressed.
“You’re too weak.”
I felt a little defeated and lowered my hands. Grand Duke Kapn quickly took my side.
“Why? Isn’t it impressive that she accomplished this in such a short ti?”
“Don’t you know you are no good at lying?”
This made upset. Deep down, Grand Duke Kapn also thought that my skill as a mage was poor. He avoided my eyes when I shot him a sharp look.
Well, he had been one of the academy’s top graduates after all… I felt even more sullen.
“Funny-nad lady. You know who wants you to use magic like that?”
“The enemy?”
“Correct.”
Dolshi pointed upwards and said,
“Try it again.”
If I knew how to do it, I wouldn’t have asked for his help…
***
Dolshi nagged for about two hours. Frankly, he didn’t help at all.
At least he helped realize that magic is self-taught. I had to perfect my magic on my own.
Dolshi did nothing but criticize from the comfort of his chair during these two hours, but he rubbed his neck and groaned.
“This is tiring, really tiring.”
He stretched out in the chair and said,
“I want coffee.”
When I glared at him, he even went so far as to mock .
“Ah, I forgot. You can’t drink coffee.”
‘He’s so cocky that he must be the dragon. He’s a rather irkso dragon.’
I only complained inwardly while I kept a serene expression. I called a servant and instructed him to bring coffee and refreshnts.
Dolshi seed to be truly hungry. When the food arrived, Dolshi was excited and ate relentlessly.
At the sa ti, he talked to Kapn about subjects that I didn’t know anything about. Kapn had sothing to say about all of them.
‘They seem to be good friends.’
It was curious to see Kapn, whom I considered a prim and rigid noble like myself, respond to Dolshi’s unscrupulous remarks without a mont’s hesitation.
Slowly I also beca interested in their conversation. Dolshi talked about endless deserts, mountain peaks that pierce clouds, and huge many-legged monsters that erge from the ocean.
The world he described was a far cry from my life in the imperial palace, surrounded by elegance, soft perfus, exquisite silk, and fine music.
Still, his life seed to have its own charm.
As I listened to the two of them in silence, Dolshi suddenly changed the subject with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Kapn.”
“What?”
Dolshi leaned forward and spoke quietly.
“You ntioned sothing about a love potion in one of your last letters. You wanted to find a way to reverse its effects.”
Kapn shuddered, and so did I, but Dolshi didn’t notice.
“Did you get rid of the effects?”
Apparently, Grand Duke Kapn had also asked Dolshi for help with the love potion.
“… I did.”
“How?”
“I don’t know how to explain it.”
I didn’t feel much interest in that subject, so I awkwardly picked up a cookie and munched on it.
Dolshi, on the other hand, found the subject of the love potion fascinating and spent the next half hour questioning Grand Duke Kapn about the potion, its side effects, and forming conjectures about possible antidotes and how the Grand Duke was finally freed of the effects.
In the end, he asked,
“Kapn, do you have any of that potion left?”
When Kapn stared at him with a frown, Dolshi grinned.
“Give one.”
“What for?”
“Just give it to .”
A confident smile spread across Dolshi’s face. With apprehension, Kapn asked,
“What are you going to do?”
Dolshi responded as if it were obvious.
“I’ll drink it.”
Kapn was incredulous.
“What are you talking about? Didn’t I just tell you how much it made suffer?”
However, Dolshi was stubborn.
“It won’t happen to , I’m not that weak. Still, it’s fascinating that it had such a powerful effect on you.”
Kapn’s eyebrow was twitching, but Dolshi continued to pester with the sa stubborn insistence of a child.
“I’m curious to know what it feels like. Give it to . I’m a great mage, so I can counter it quickly.”
I didn’t know dragons were such obstinate creatures. Just as Dolshi continued to bring drawings and designs ever since he found out about the Jewel Dam… now he seed determined to obtain Kapn’s potion by any ans necessary.
With a startle, I saw sothing flash red inside of Dolshi’s eyes. The energy around him suddenly beca nacing. His eyes sparkled with malevolence.
Eventually, Kapn reluctantly stood up and left the room. I assud he would fetch the potion.
Once the door closed, Dolshi turned to .
“If you’re well rested, funny-nad lady, get back to practice.”
When I made ice powder out of thin air for the umpteenth ti, the Grand Duke returned with the potion.
Grand Duke Kapn handed Dolshi the small bottle in his hand.
Giggling, Dolshi seized the bottle from him like a rascal.
“Dolshi, I am warning you…”
Despite Kapn’s efforts to dissuade him once more, Dolshi removed the cork and drank directly from the bottle before Kapn finished his warning.
“!”
Kapn and I hid under the table at the sa ti. It was a reflex provoked by our devastating experiences with the potion.
“It doesn’t taste like anything… What? Why did you two hide? I need to see soone’s face for the potion to take effect.”
Kapn shook his head, to stop from leaving my hiding spot. Since I agreed, I nodded.
Dolshi had claid that he could counteract the potion imdiately, but I didn’t want to take any risks. It could also have side effects for Dolshi.
“Which of you will volunteer?”
Annoyed by the situation, Dolshi began to tap on the table behind which we were hiding.
Still, Kapn and I crouched still as dead, so he laughed and said.
“If neither of you will volunteer, I will choose instead.”
He stood up, and his chair fell to the floor. At the sa ti, I heard the door open.
“Your Majesty!”
It was McKenna’s voice.
I looked up, perplexed and my eyes t Kapn’s. We both knew what was about to happen and hurriedly stood up at the sa ti.
Dolshi’s gaze was already on the door.
I swallowed dryly. Will it take effect?
Co to think of it, he’s a dragon, so hopefully…it’s unlikely… Right?
Just then, Dolshi pointed towards McKenna and asked ,
“Who is that lovely little blue bird, so blue like it’s made out of the blue sky itself?”
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