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Chapter 101: Winds of Change (3)
The ti was in a past life.
It was when the Ushif Empire was on the verge of a full-scale war with the Garam Kingdom.
Boris visited Cyan, who was sharpening his sword in a secluded place as usual.
“Ah, there you are. I’ve been looking for you. Lord Cyan.”
“What brings you here, Boris?”
It was a sowhat unexpected visit.
Boris Ruchelheim, the head of the Ushif Empire’s Magic Society.
Cyan thought there was no reason for him to visit since he was supposed to be busy preparing for the war.
“It’s not that I have sothing urgent. I just wanted to have a chat with Lord Cyan before embarking on sothing big, shall I say?”
He approached Cyan slowly with an innocent smile, devoid of any malice.
Cyan’s gaze was indifferent, but it wasn’t friendly either.
In the first place, Cyan had no intention of having a friendly conversation with him, as he was thinking of assassinating him at any ti, if only not for the fact that this man was Aschel’s close associate.
“If you have sothing to say, please do.”
Despite Cyan’s stern deanor, Boris maintained his smile.
“If it’s not too much to ask, could you show your mana sphere, Lord Cyan?”
“…My mana sphere?”
At that mont, a hint of suspicion, which had been sowhat suppressed, surfaced a bit more.
“No need to misunderstand. Your magic level is around 6th rank, isn’t it? I understand there hasn’t been much advancent in your rank for a while, but I wanted to see if there might be any issues with your mana.”
Cyan’s feelings beca quite complicated.
To think that a man, who had reached the 9th rank in his early thirties and was considered a genius mage of the era, would ask to see his mana.
Whether it was pure-hearted intention or so sort of impudence, Cyan didn’t feel like showing him.
– Wheee
However, contrary to his feelings, Cyan created his mana sphere and handed it to Boris.
Of course, it wasn’t a complete sphere of mana.
Boris, upon receiving the sphere, showed a very interesting reaction.
“Indeed, it must be an extraordinary attribute value. As expected, you’re quite remarkable!”
“…Do you really see that just from my mana sphere?”
“I’m just analyzing the mana emitted from the sphere in my own way. It’s just a trivial skill.”
Cyan’s officially recorded magic level was 6th rank.
But that was just a record.
In reality, Cyan could freely manipulate magic up to the 7th and 8th ranks, and even master 9th rank magic related to dark attributes, which could be considered the highest rank of magic.
Of course, most of the people who witnessed this were no longer in this world.
“Let’s see… Even though the mana is scarce, the potential contained within it is trendous. I see infinite possibilities!”
It sounded like sothing a newly admitted genius freshman to the academy might hear.
Rather than sounding like a complint, it sounded more like mockery to Cyan, who felt sowhat uncomfortable.
“I apologize for this intrusion. To think that I, would speak of infinite possibilities for you, the greatest knight of the empire… If my words were bitter, I apologize.”
“It’s fine. It’s a sign that I shouldn’t settle and should strive for further developnt. Besides, if it could be of more help to brother Aschel, wouldn’t that be great? Please don’t worry about it, Boris.”
Unexpectedly, when Aschel was ntioned unintentionally by Cyan, Boris’s lips twitched ever so slightly.
“Every ti I see you, Lord Cyan, I can’t help but find it very intriguing.”
“What do you an by that?”
“Although I have sworn allegiance to Lord Aschel and received his grace, frankly speaking, I don’t think I can match your loyalty to him. Isn’t Lord Cyan’s heart towards Lord Aschel more than just friendship and loyalty?”
Cyan responded indifferently.
“There’s nothing special. I simply believe it’s where I ought to be, and therefore, I should rightfully be there. Isn’t that the case for you too, Boris? Whether it’s or you, our worth truly shines when we’re by Lord Aschel’s side, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You speak truly. However, I must say, Lord Cyan seems to be sowhat distant from the light…”
For a mont, Cyan’s gaze beca sharp and piercing.
Internally, he felt extrely uncomfortable, but he didn’t express it outwardly.
He knew that eventually, he would et his end at Cyan’s hands, and that fact wouldn’t change.
All he could do was hope that mont would co sooner rather than later.
“…”
At the ti, it passed like that, but as ti went on, Cyan ca to realize sothing.
That man, from the mont Cyan handed over his mana sphere, or perhaps even long before that, knew everything about him.
* * *
There was a sll.
Certainly not a pleasant one.
It felt like the sudden appearance of garbage that had been left unattended and was now making itself known.
So, I went out.
And there it was.
That face that I wouldn’t mind tearing limb from limb and feeding to the beasts.
Boris Ruchelheim.
The head of the Imperial Magic Society of Ushif, and the right hand of the Emperor.
The very sa man who shook hands with the devil and stabbed in the back.
Still, it wasn’t as intense as facing Aschel, so I managed to montarily suppress the surging anger.
But that suppression didn’t last long.
The mont I saw so foolish princess trying to hand over her mana to him,
the anger I had restrained now erupted, accompanied by a will to act.
-Grraaah
The grip of my right hand, which held the princess’s arm, grew tighter.
Touching none other than the princess herself so recklessly,
If this were not the academy but the palace, I would have been dragged away as a criminal.
Indeed, even if they were to truly draw their swords and hold them to my neck, it wouldn’t matter.
Compared to the dozens or hundreds of blades aid at my throat, this one human in front of was more threatening.
“C-Cyan! It hurts! Let go!”
The mont she cried out in pain, the strength in my wrist naturally loosened.
Turning my gaze away, I saw red marks left on her delicate white skin by my hand.
“Are you, are you okay, Your Highness?!”
Ressimus rushed over anxiously.
“Y-yeah, I’m fine…”
Although not heavily injured, she seed quite startled.
Ressimus’s gaze imdiately turned to .
“What is the aning of this, Cyan? How dare you lay hands on Her Highness…!”
The stern gaze of the knight, not quite sixteen, pierced deeply.
“No, it’s okay, Ressimus!”
The princess quickly interjected.
“I think there was a misunderstanding, Cyan! Was it because I reached out to a stranger? This person is Boris, the new instructor at the academy!”
“Instructor?”
I frowned, feeling like I might have misheard.
“I-I think this is all my fault! I simply wanted to examine the mana of the esteed Princess, no, esteed student Arin, but it seems I unintentionally caused a misunderstanding with Cyan!”
What a joke.
A hollow laughter erupted from within .
“Why would an instructor need to confirm a student’s mana?”
“Pardon?”
“After all, wouldn’t it all be recorded in the academic records? What’s the need to personally co and check?”
“W-Well, you see…”
An awkward smile mixed with confusion.
But I know.
That such childish and inadequate behavior was thoroughly staged.
“Enough, Cyan! The teacher can verify a student’s mana, right? No need to get worked up like this!”
The princess now held my hand, urging to stop.
No need to get worked up?
Does she know what kind of situation she could have been in?
I couldn’t even find words to retort to such absurdity.
“Did you say Cyan, the student?”
He called out to .
“I wanted to make so ti to talk with Cyan and get to know him better, but it seems today might not be the best day. When Cyan has cald down, would it be alright for to visit him officially?”
There’s a significant point to note here.
Boris Ruchelheim.
The man who would later beco the head of the Imperial Magic Society and Aschel’s right-hand man.
However, during my ti as a student at the academy, he had never been appointed as an instructor.
A new instructor?
That’s not important.
Changes in instructors were common, happening every sester.
The faces of those who ca and went several tis were not morable to .
But this man is different.
I firmly believe that Boris did not co here by re coincidence.
If I know that, then I must also know everything about him.
“Please do so.”
Boris disappeared from my sight like that.
Even after he left, I couldn’t seem to move from my spot.
Once the excitent subsided, I finally looked around at the others.
“…”
Why is everyone still here?
“As expected, he was quite a forceful man, senior.”
Luna, who had been thought to remain confined to the society for a while, said with a strange look in her eyes.
Well, she seems sharper than before, and there don’t seem to be any side effects from detaching the Heart Curve.
“Uh, it’s been a while, Cyan?”
In the midst of it all, Arin, the princess standing next to , greeted cheerfully.
Instead of responding, I simply bowed my head to her.
“I apologize for the rudeness just now. I think I misunderstood the situation.”
The princess waved her hand in dismissal.
“No, it’s okay! If the misunderstanding is cleared up, then that’s all that matters! Y-You were just worried about , that’s why you did that!”
For a mont, my mind went blank.
It wasn’t like I acted based on that thought, but…
Or should I say it was?
If I had witnessed the sight of soone other than the princess trying to hand over her Mana Sphere to Boris, would I have stepped in and stopped it like I did just now?
At least judging by the circumstances, it seed plausible.
“Wasn’t that a bit unexpected? It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve seen Cyan so worked up.”
Well, I can’t recall ever being worked up in front of this woman, but it’s true that she smoothly defused a potentially awkward situation.
But.
“Please refrain from doing so next ti.”
“Huh?”
“I an, showing or giving away your mana sphere to others, Princess.”
She tilted her head in apparent confusion.
“I-I don’t see anything wrong with it? I an, it’s just showing my mana sphere to soone. What’s the problem with that?”
“It’s not about the mana sphere itself, but rather the fact that the Princess seed willing to give sothing away so easily. Shouldn’t the Imperial Princess hesitate to freely display her possessions to just anyone? Regardless of how trivial it may seem, she should receive sothing in return.”
The princess looked bewildered and even seed to feel unfairly treated.
Of course she would feel that way.
I know it’s forced.
Still, I wanted to convey this one thing.
If you don’t want your life to get ssed up, don’t get too close to that guy.
I an, she probably won’t fully accept it either.
She’ll probably just dismiss it as nonsense…
“Okay, I understand…”
Her voice sounded resigned, devoid of energy.
“I should have rembered that I am a princess before I am a student. I was too naive…”
What?
She’s admitting it that easily?
No, she should at least deny it once, so that I can…
“…!”
It feels like sothing inside my head just went out like a candle.
What’s with that face?
Even though she’s desperately suppressing her emotions, it’s blatantly obvious to .
I’m sure if I say another word here,
she’ll definitely burst into tears.
———
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