Ch. 72

The closer I got to the Emperor, the more eyes were drawn to me.

The spectators, the Royal Knights, the other award recipients behind me, and all the participants beyond them.

“I shall ask you.”

Finally!

“What is a Spirit Mage? Explain it yourself.”

“…You mean, about Spirit Mages?”

“Specifically, how do they differ from Magic?”

“I humbly ask if it would be permissible for someone as inexperienced as myself to explain…”

“Watching your match naturally piqued my interest.”

While I was grateful that he was interested in spirits, honestly, I just wanted to make my wish already.

I could feel that my patience was wearing thin.

But hold it in. It’s the Emperor. The Emperor!

If I acted rudely, I could literally lose my head!

Remembering that, patience suddenly surged back inside me.

When it came to my life, I was surprisingly well-mannered.

“To explain with water as an example, Magic impose rules upon water, while Spirit Mages breathe life into it.”

“Oh?”

“Spirits are the source of water, and we manipulate spirits through strong willpower, which ultimately means we control water itself.”

I paused for a moment.

I wasn’t sure how far I should go with the explanation.

‘I’m a student, not a teacher.’

But when I snuck a glance at him, it seemed I had to keep talking. Until the Emperor was satisfied.

“A Spirit Mage grows stronger as they become one with the spirit, allowing them to manipulate water in far more diverse ways than a Mage.

We can of course use familiar water magic, but it is more fundamental and powerful than the magic of a Mage.”

“Hm. It sounds as if you are saying Spirit Mages are greater than Mages.”

“We are simply different. Mages have their own strengths. While Spirit Mages usually delve deeply into a single attribute, Mages handle all elements.”

“Hmm?”

“I only command the water spirit, but Mages can impose rules upon fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and even light—everything visible to the eye. We are deep and narrow; they are broad and shallow.”

Of course, handling both Rai and Ador made me a bit of an exception. I was something of a prodigy in this field, after all.

“How fascinating. And you are very clever.”

“Thank you.”

“In truth, seeing you stirred my interest, so I summoned the palace’s Spirit Mages.”

Well, being the Empire, of course they would have Spirit Mages. But why call them?

“The palace’s Spirit Mages were unanimously impressed. They said it was astonishing how someone so young could control spirits so freely. They said you have already surpassed the level of a full-fledged adult. Comparable to Lord Rovenin’s prowess with the sword.”

“You honor me too greatly.”

“Did you know? You are the first Spirit Mage ever to participate in this tournament.”

“…I didn’t.”

I had only vaguely thought that maybe I was the only Spirit Mage here.

I really didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings.

“And to top it off, you even won. What an unprecedented event. And so effortlessly, too…”

What exactly was this Emperor trying to say?

I started feeling uneasy.

Very, very uneasy.

“The palace’s Spirit Mages have requested you stay within the Empire, saying a talent like yours must not leave.”

W-Wait a second… Is this… a public scouting attempt?

I felt like the air was choking me, and cold sweat trickled down my back.

Are all these Empire folks drunk on their own Empire pride? Is that why they’re acting so obnoxiously?

Did they think I’d just go, “Oh, what an honor!” and willingly abandon my homeland for Elan?

Sure, past tournament winners had often wished for titles and ranks within the Empire, but I had zero interest in any of that.

Besides, I was only ten years old.

“What say you?”

“…I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

I pretended not to get it.

I couldn’t fathom what the Emperor’s true intentions were.

“You may wish to become one of the Empire’s own.”

There it is. Point-blank.

I was sure there had been an enormous crowd gathered before I knelt, but now it felt like the world had gone silent.

It was like everyone was holding their breath, waiting solely for my answer.

“…I…”

My lips had gone dry before I realized it.

“I… I do not wish for such an undeserved honor.”

“You do not wish for it?”

“I am grateful for your words, but I have no dissatisfaction with the land where I was born.”

* * *

Did I refuse properly? Or am I dead?

I had turned him down because I genuinely didn’t want to, but now I was terrified that I might have offended the Emperor.

The Emperor’s shadow crept closer to me, and my heart started pounding wildly.

“Moreover, Your Majesty, I am still a young girl, and I do not wish to be separated from my parents.”

I shamelessly invoked my parents—who wouldn’t even open my letters and just stuffed them into drawers—because it made for the most plausible excuse.

“Hmm, Dmitri does excel at indoctrination.”

Thankfully, the Emperor seemed satisfied with that answer.

Sure, maybe I was a talent he wanted, but I wasn’t so valuable that he would rage because he couldn’t have me.

Feeling my life sway at the whim of one man’s words made me resolve even more firmly:

‘I have to live without standing out.’

I wanted no part in getting chewed up in the political arena like minced pork.

“Come closer to me.”

He was angry after all?! Was he going to kill me?!

I had heard that the Emperor’s temperament could be quite cruel, and now my fear only grew stronger.

This wasn’t something we had practiced at all, and when the Emperor came so close that our shoes were almost touching, I started to feel a deep, raw fear.

It was the terror of not knowing why things were unfolding this way.

“The knights reported that there was a young girl who saved my son.”

“…Pardon?”

“A golden-haired girl. A Spirit Mage, they said.”

His voice was soft, just barely loud enough for me to hear.

Yet it was heavy, powerful, and firm.

Despite myself, I looked up at the Emperor with a dumbfounded face.

I had not been told to raise my head, but I looked up on my own—and captured in my eyes the Emperor’s distinct golden gaze.

Would Ash grow up to have such a dignified face too?

“I also heard that you are part of the Academy’s delegation.”

“…….”

“A rare combination, indeed. It would be impossible not to notice.”

Seeing the Emperor’s eyes curve in a lazy smile, I finally let out a huge sigh of relief, thinking, ‘At least I’m not going to die.’

“To be honest, I feel like granting you anything you wish. I want to give you the very best, but you refuse.”

Uh, excuse me, Your Majesty? Assuming that a noble title in the Empire is the best thing ever is a little arrogant, don’t you think?

…Not that I was dumb enough to say that out loud and lose my head.

“Then, as the tournament winner, what is your wish?”

Just as I finally began to relax, the long-awaited question was asked.

Since the Emperor already seemed to know quite a lot about me and Ash, I held onto the hopeful thought that he might grant my wish without much difficulty.

For a very brief moment, anyway.

“What I wish for is an audience with His Highness, the second prince, Aron de Von Epiros.”

At last, I let out the words I had been holding in all this time.

After saying it, I felt so relieved—as if a weight had been lifted from my chest.

But the Emperor showed no reaction.

And I immediately realized that was a sign of refusal.

“Denied.”

Honestly, it felt like I had been struck in the back of the head.

Why?!

I couldn’t scream it out loud, so I just stared at him with eyes full of injustice.

“The Second Prince is currently in the Palace of Silence.”

“…What is the Palace of Silence?”

Right—asking the Emperor a question without permission was technically a crime too.

How ridiculously strict. Seriously.