Special Story 5

“Hayden, why don’t you think this over?”

 

Rahar said, quickly following behind Hayden.

 

Heading toward his office, Hayden gave no reply to Rahar’s words, his long legs simply moving in brisk, steady strides.

 

“As you well know, the relationship between the former Tower Master and the Imperial Palace wasn’t exactly good, so…”

 

“I’m aware, so please stop lecturing me, Uncle.”

 

Hayden stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at Rahar.

 

Rahar let out a long sigh as he looked up at Hayden, who had already grown much taller than him.

 

Ever since Hayden saved his life, Rahar had sworn his loyalty to him. As soon as Hayden decided to become the Magic Tower Master, Rahar volunteered to be his aide and entered the Tower alongside him.

 

Because he had provided advice and assistance on every little detail by his side, Hayden was able to adapt to the affairs of the Magic Tower much faster than expected thanks to Rahar.

 

However, the problem was that Hayden’s personality was so stiff and upright that no matter how much someone advised him, he wouldn’t listen if he felt something wasn’t right.

 

“If you know, then why are you being so stubborn?”

 

“I didn’t take charge of this Magic Tower just to send magicians to things like Imperial banquets.”

 

“‘Things like Imperial banquets’? What if someone hears you…”

 

“You too, Uncle. Why should we—the magicians of the Tower—be summoned to the Emperor’s banquet?”

 

Hayden asked Rahar to explain the reason in a way he could understand.

 

He added his frustration over the request to send twenty magicians just because the Palace asked for them, questioning if they were naturally obligated to comply. He asked if the Tower really worked so hard to research and hone magic just to be used for something like an Imperial banquet.

 

Seeing Hayden’s face, which looked utterly unable to comprehend the situation, another deep sigh escaped Rahar’s lips.

 

“The Emperor is the Sun of the Empire, Hayden. It is only natural for the citizens of the Empire to do what the Sun desires as their duty…”

 

“Ha.”

 

Hayden let out a small, mocking laugh, cutting Rahar off.

 

“Then the Emperor should do what I want as his duty as an Emperor. For I am a part of God.”

 

“Hayden!”

 

A startled Rahar quickly scanned the surroundings.

 

He looked extremely flustered, terrified that someone might have overheard.

 

Since only a very few people knew the fact that he was a part of God, if this truth reached the ears of the new Emperor, the Emperor would undoubtedly become excessively wary of Hayden.

 

Even now, simply because Hayden was the ‘Master of the Oracle,’ the Emperor was secretly wary of him, and Caldeon was putting in a great deal of effort behind the scenes to mediate.

 

Hayden, completely unaware of this, was being stubborn, rendering Caldeon’s efforts to maintain a good relationship with the Palace meaningless.

 

“The new Emperor already sees you as a thorn in his side just because you’re the Child of the Oracle, so it’s best not to do anything that might offend him.”

 

The Emperor, who had maintained a friendship with Caldeon and called him ‘Brother’ during his time as the Crown Prince, had gradually begun to view Hayden as a nuisance as the boy excelled in everything and monopolized the love of the Imperial citizens.

 

“That’s exactly what I don’t like. Why do I have to strive not to offend the Emperor’s feelings?”

 

“For now, we are citizens of the Empire, and the Emperor is the Emperor.”

 

“Regardless, I cannot send them.”

 

“Hayden.”

 

As Hayden began walking again, Rahar called out his name and started following after him.

 

 

***

 

 

“Tell him to establish a clear justification to persuade Hayden.”

 

Caldeon spoke without looking at Rahar, his eyes fixed on his documents.

 

“Telling the Emperor to persuade Hayden… what on earth are you…”

 

“Yes, it’s your son’s business, so why don’t you show a bit more sincerity?”

 

Just as Rahar was about to get angry at Caldeon’s words, Tearen, who had been sitting leaning back against the sofa, shrugged and chimed in.

 

Rahar’s eyebrows twitched upward as if he had only just noticed Tearen’s presence.

 

“When did you get here?”

 

“I heard your wife was coming to the Grand Duchy, and my wife wanted to come too, so I escorted her.”

 

“You’re still whipped, I see.”

 

“Look who’s talking.”

 

Tearen snorted at Rahar’s remark, looking appalled.

 

“You guys are all the same.”

 

In that moment, Caldeon put down his documents and let out a snort, causing both Rahar and Tearen to take offense simultaneously.

 

“You’re the worst of us all!”

 

“You’re the worst.”

 

At that, Caldeon shrugged his shoulders once and stood up.

 

“So, what exactly do you want? Do you want Hayden to listen to that damn Emperor?”

 

“D—! Ha, Caldeon. Please, you watch your language too. It’s because Hayden watches and learns from you that he doesn’t find His Majesty difficult.”

 

“My son isn’t the type to find anyone difficult.”

 

“I’m not joking. Sigh… Honestly, you’re also making efforts in various ways to keep Hayden and the Imperial Family on good terms.”

 

Caldeon let out a hollow laugh as he sat on the sofa at Rahar’s words.

 

“On good terms? You’re wrong. Since His Majesty keeps sharpening his blade against my son, I was simply trying to divert his attention elsewhere.”

 

Caldeon clicked his tongue, saying he was contemplating how to ‘handle’ the Emperor, who had grown several times more displeased with Hayden since he became the Magic Tower Master.

 

Rahar looked toward the door in horror at the word ‘handle,’ while Arsen, who was busy working, and Tearen, leaning lazily on the sofa, remained expressionless as if they were used to it.

 

“There is a sufficient justification and reason for His Majesty to ask for twenty magicians for the Imperial banquet.”

 

“And what is that?”

 

“Envoys are coming from other countries. It’s to show them how strong the magicians of our Empire are…”

 

“To put it another way, it sounds like he wants to show those foreign fellows that the Imperial Family has enough power to summon this many magicians for a mere banquet provided for them.”

 

“Regardless, it’s not a bad thing for the Magic Tower either.”

 

Rahar argued that regardless of whether it was good or bad for the Tower, if Hayden, who had just become the Tower Master, disobeyed the Emperor’s command, the Imperial Family and the Tower would have no choice but to face each other in tension and confrontation once again.

 

Caldeon and the former Emperor had been on good terms to begin with, so there wouldn’t have been much of an issue, but the current Emperor did not trust Hayden much. Furthermore, because of the citizens who idolized Hayden as a being who received an oracle, the Emperor was on edge, so a confrontation was definitely not a good sign.

 

“Since Hayden has become the Tower Master, it would be best to avoid friction with the Imperial Family as much as possible from now on.”

 

At Rahar’s words, Tearen and Arsen nodded almost imperceptibly.

 

Recalling how only the innocent nobles suffered when the Magic Tower and the Imperial Family were at odds in the past, they hoped there wouldn’t be any noise between the two.

 

However, Caldeon seemed to think differently.

 

“True, since my son has become the Tower Master, the Imperial Family shouldn’t be giving excessive orders to the Magic Tower.”

 

At those words, Rahar shook his head with his hand over his face, while Arsen and Tearen let out short, barely audible sighs.

 

 

***

 

 

After a brief bout with a cold, Enria met with Roseanne and Belona for the first time in a while, losing track of time as they chatted.

 

“Heiji is having that kind of worry?”

 

“Goodness, a child born strong really is different somehow.”

 

Both Roseanne and Belona looked quite surprised by the fact that Heiji was worried about not possessing the black mana that Hayden had.

 

They knew that Heiji felt a slight sense of inferiority regarding Hayden’s strength, including his black mana, but they hadn’t imagined she would be worrying about it so seriously.

 

“Teiro will be so worried when he hears this.”

 

Roseanne said that Teiro would jump out of bed in the middle of the night if it concerned Heiji, and she mentioned it was a concern of hers that he had been constantly singing “Heiji, Heiji” lately.

 

At that, Belona also let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

 

“Don’t even get me started. Lyven is pestering Rahar to see if he can remove Teiro from Heiji’s sight.”

 

“Pfft, remove him?”

 

When laughter burst from Roseanne at Belona’s words, Belona took on a serious expression, saying it wasn’t just a laughing matter.

 

“He went into Rahar’s office saying he had something to discuss seriously, and the two of them talked for nearly an hour. Honestly, I’m his mother, so I felt a bit hurt that they were only talking amongst themselves, right? So, before asking Rahar, I asked Lyven first.”

 

Belona said she asked him first because it was Lyven’s own problem, and she feared he might feel betrayed by both his father and mother if she just went behind his back. She let out a long sigh and looked at Roseanne.

 

“Do you know what Lyven said?”

 

“What did he say?”

 

“He said Mom is on Auntie’s side, so I can’t help him.”

 

At that, small laughs escaped from Roseanne and Enria simultaneously.

 

Belona said she went straight to Rahar and asked what on earth Lyven’s concern was, and the answer that came from Rahar was that Lyven wanted to remove Teiro from Heiji’s sight.

 

“It seems Lyven thinks of Teiro as a rival in love.”

 

“Oh dear.”

 

As a mutter close to a groan escaped Enria’s lips, Roseanne shrugged and said,

 

“Well, it’s the same for Teiro, so I have nothing to say.”

 

“Teiro too?”

 

“Teiro?”

 

When Enria and Belona asked with expressions of total ignorance, Roseanne nodded with a smile.

 

“Enri, I think our son has come down with lovesickness because of your daughter.”

 

“Oh my god.”

 

“If it’s lovesickness, Lyven is no less. He even suggested we move to the North…”

 

“Oh, really? Teiro also said he wants to live in the Grand Duchy.”

 

When Roseanne spoke, clapping her hands in surprise at Belona’s words, Enria’s mouth, having been listening to the two, began to slowly hang open.

 

“No, those kids are only eleven years old…”

 

Enria let out a hollow laugh before she could even finish her murmur.

 

They couldn’t be more precocious than this.

 

And they were only eleven-year-old children.