[Trantor - Kiteretsu]


    [Proofreader - Kyros]


    Chapter 82


    The Kingdom of Bormia is one of the few nations still operating stably despite the constant summoning of dungeon portals.


    The capital, Alzass, is home to several renowned mage towers, making it a sanctuary for Meisters. Furthermore, with the active subjugation campaigns led by the Civil Squad, it is considered one of the safest among human kingdoms.


    Because of this, the citizens firmly believed that if the kingdom continued to grow its strength, it would one day be the most prominent name on the continent for generations toe.


    ‘However, the royal family, which has led the kingdom to this point, has rarely been viewed favorably.’


    The Bormian royal family could be described in one phrase: colorless and odorless.


    From a certain point onward, sessive kings stopped standing out, and the activities of the royal family remained mostly obscure.


    Even so, the kingdom continued to function well, leading schrs to attribute this to the extraordinary luck of the Bormian royal family.


    They spected that if this weren’t a world gued by dungeon portals, it wouldn’t have been surprising for the nobles to stage a rebellion at some point.


    But ever since the world was thrown into chaos, the kingdom’s power has been concentrated in the capital. Neighboring nations were preupied with holding themselves together, and the nobles struggled just to defend their own territories.


    There was no force left that could threaten the royal family.


    It was a situation that could only be described as incredibly fortunate.


    However, Kaylen thought differently.


    ‘Running a kingdom to this extent is not something that can be achieved through mere luck.’


    His experience as an emperor made him certain of that.


    Was it because the forces that could oppose the royal family were eliminated due to the dungeon portals?


    ‘Why would there be no opposing forces? The rising mage towers are a prime example.’


    The idea that mages are uninterested in power because they focus solely on magic is nothing more than a misconception.


    Mages are human too. When they gain power, it’s only natural for them to seek influence.


    And yet, no one had ever heard of the mage towers challenging the royal authority.


    ‘The Bormian royal family must have something that goes beyond their seemingly ipetent exterior.’


    With that thought, Kaylen entered the royal pce.


    The atmosphere inside was buzzing with murmurs.


    As Kaylen walked through the pce alongside Jane, all eyes immediately turned to him.


    “Who is that...?”


    “Who could he be?”


    “If Jane, Her Highness’s maid, is apanying him…”


    Even the pce maids, who had seen countless individualse and go, found Kaylen unfamiliar.


    Jane nced at Kaylen, who seemed entirely unaffected by the attention. He walked with a calm andposed demeanor.


    ‘His appearance wasn’t like this before, yet he doesn’t seem to mind at all.’


    Kaylen’s wless visage was beyond human, surpassing even that of an elf.


    Jane had stolen countless nces at him on their way to the pce, but no matter how much she looked, she never grew tired of his face.


    For someone whose appearance had changed so drastically overnight, it would have been natural to struggle with the sudden attention.


    Yet, Kaylen behaved as if he had always looked this way, exuding nothing butposure.


    “What kind of person is Prince Diether Hart?” Kaylen asked.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    “Ah, His Highness is…”


    Despite entering the pce for the first time, Kaylen seemed at ease, even asking questions without hesitation.


    Jane nearly answered honestly out of reflex, only to catch herself at thest moment.


    ‘Oh no, I can’t casually answer questions like this.’


    She almost gave her personal impression of the prince rather than the official response meant for outsiders.


    “...He is a kind person.”


    “Is that so?”


    “Yes, a kind and admirable person.”


    Jane’s response was safe, vague, and deliberately non-specific.


    Kaylen nodded in acknowledgment.


    ‘I’ll need to see for myself.’


    With that thought, he followed Jane deeper into the pce.


    “Wee, prodigy of the Sixth Circle.”


    “It’s an honor to be invited, Prince Diether Hart.”


    Kaylen bowed politely and observed the first prince, Diether Hart.


    The prince had a frail frame and a pale face, but his eyes sparkled with sharp intelligence.


    ‘Not a fool, after all.’


    Perhaps the information spread by Lioness and the faction of the second prince was false.


    “Take a seat,” Diether Hart gestured.


    Once Kaylen was seated, the prince turned to Jane.


    “I take it Violet isn’ting?”


    “Yes, Your Highness. She mentioned having urgent matters to attend to.”


    “Hmm... Did she, by any chance, meet with Lioness?”


    “Yes, at the Superior Mage gathering.”


    The prince sipped his tea with a faint smile.


    “And what did the princess say?”


    “She said she wouldn’t leave for Duke Obline’s territory and would remain in the capital to protect it.”


    “Hmm. A good response. That will do. I have important matters to discuss with our guest, so you may leave.”


    “Understood, Your Highness.”


    Thud.


    Once Jane closed the door behind her, Diether Hart let out a quiet chuckle.


    “Violet doesn’t have any urgent matters to handle.”


    “She insists that even though the duke’snds fall under the kingdom’s jurisdiction, it’s her duty to help defend them. So, as the head of the first prince’s faction, I had no choice but to order her to remain in the capital.”


    “Is that so?”


    It became clear to Kaylen that the princess’s presence in the capital was orchestrated by the prince’s intentions.


    Diether Hart observed Kaylen’s nod of understanding with a faint smile before lifting his teacup.


    “Ah,” he pointed toward Kaylen’s cup.


    “Have some. This is Pekain tea from the Tower of the Elves. It’s of exceptional quality.”


    “Thank you.”


    “Heh. Since you’re from the Tower of the Elves, you’ve probably had plenty of it already.”


    Kaylen picked up the teacup and took a sip.


    Warmth and a rich fragrance filled his senses. But the moment the tea slid down his throat, he noticed something unusual.


    ‘...?’


    The tea contained a faint trace of dark mana.


    It quickly absorbed into his body and began rising toward his head.


    The blessing of life within his body detected the intrusion and prepared to activate in response.


    ‘Not yet. Let’s see what happens.’


    Kaylen suppressed the blessing’s activation and instead observed the movement of the dark mana carefully.


    The dark mana lingering in his head gently stimted his brain.


    ‘Refreshing.’


    It gave a pleasant, invigorating sensation.


    That was the extent of its effect—no difort or unpleasant feelings apanied it. It was such a subtle maniption of power that an ordinary mage would never have noticed it.


    “How is the tea?”


    “It’s quite refreshing.”


    “Good. It seems to suit you well.”


    Kaylen kept a bright smile on his face but carefully observed Prince Diether Hart.


    Was the prince unaware of this power? Or…


    ‘Is he the master of this dark mana?’


    Diether Hart, at first nce, seemed incredibly fragile. His paleplexion and delicate appearance gave him the impression of a sickly patient rather than a prince of a kingdom.


    “What do you think about what I mentioned earlier?” Diether Hart asked.


    “What do you mean, Your Highness?”


    “The order to keep Princess Violet in the capital.”


    “That is…”


    As Diether Hart spoke, the dormant dark mana faintly stimted Kaylen’s brain.


    ‘His words sound reasonable.’


    The decision to keep Princess Violet in the capital had significant implications. By doing so, the first prince effectively left the second prince’s faction to face the monster wave alone, a clear tactic to weaken his political opponents through mutual destruction.


    Such methods, prioritizing internal power struggles over the kingdom’s survival, were among those Kaylen despised the most.


    And yet, even with this dark mana’s influence, he found himself agreeing with it.


    “It seems like the only reasonable choice. The justification for defending the capital is quitepelling.”


    Kaylen spoke, echoing the agreeable feelings the dark mana induced.


    Diether Hart responded with a deep smile.


    “Indeed, it was an unavoidable decision. Losing the capital would be a devastating blow to our kingdom.”


    “You’re absolutely right.”


    “And truthfully, the Obline Dukedom has considerable hidden strength. They could easily fend off a monster horde on their own. Yet they insist on specifically requesting Violet. Doesn’t that strike you as suspicious?”


    The prince’s voice grew louder.


    “Why would they ask for my dear sister to be sent there, especially when their forces are more than sufficient? Violet is someone I trust deeply with important matters, and yet they insist on this request. If something were to happen to her while she’s there, how would we deal with it?”


    As he spoke, the dark mana once again surged, stimting Kaylen’s emotions—this time inducing anger.


    Just as the prince seemed upset, Kaylen found himself following that anger.


    “That’s true. Your Highness makes a valid point. Their request for the princess’s support does seem suspicious. It’s hard not to question their intentions.”


    Saying exactly what Diether Hart wanted to hear, Kaylen became certain of one thing:


    The dark mana was undoubtedly under the prince’s control.


    Kaylen couldn’t help but admire it.


    ‘To manipte emotions so precisely with such a small amount of mana... His skill is truly exceptional.’


    The maniption of emotions in real-time required masterful control from the one orchestrating it.


    Sip.


    As Diether Hart took another sip of his tea, Kaylen instinctively reached for his own cup. The dark mana nestled in his mind subtly stimted the desire to drink, intending to reintroduce more of its essence into Kaylen’s body.


    ‘Let’s see how far he takes this,’ Kaylen thought, ready to y along as he raised his cup.


    But just then—


    Knock, knock.


    “What is it now?” Diether Hart asked in a tone tinged with irritation.


    The door cautiously opened, and a maid stepped in hesitantly.


    “Pardon me, Your Highness… but His Majesty the King requests your presence.”


    “The King?” Diether Hart’s expression betrayed a flicker of disappointment.


    ‘So close. I’ll have to save this for another time.’


    He turned his gaze toward Kaylen. From the moment they met, Diether Hart could sense an unusual aura of authority from the six-circle mage. Yet, after their brief encounter, he concluded that Kaylen was no more than a paper tiger—impressive in appearance but surprisingly pliable.


    Kaylen had sumbed to the dark mana in the tea without any visible resistance, allowing his emotions to be easily swayed.


    ‘He’s easier to manipte than I thought,’ Diether Hart decided, rising from his seat.


    “I apologize, but it seems my father has summoned me urgently.”


    “Not at all, Your Highness. The King’smand takes precedence, of course.”


    Diether Hart smiled faintly.


    “Next time, we’ll dine together with Violet as well. It feels like a shame to end our conversation after just one cup of tea.”


    Once again, the dark mana stirred within Kaylen’s mind, nudging him toward amiablepliance. Kaylen met the prince’s gaze, smiling back as he gave a slight nod.


    “I look forward to our next meeting, Your Highness.”


    Pleased with the response, Diether Hart called for the maid to escort Kaylen out.


    “I’ll be off now. Until next time.”


    Diether Hart left the room alone, while the visibly flustered maid approached Kaylen.


    “I-I will escort you out of the castle, sir.”


    “Lead the way.”


    As Kaylen followed her, he nced toward the direction Diether Hart had disappeared. Beyond the drawing roomy deeper paths into the castle.


    Watching that pathway, Kaylen mused to himself.


    ‘Diether Hart. He’s quick.’


    Barely a moment had passed since the prince left, yet there was no trace of him to be seen.


    ‘Time to track him with dark mana.’


    While walking behind the maid, Kaylen summoned a sliver of his Shadow de. It was norger than a fingernail but carried the precision needed to follow the prince’s trail.


    He released the de, sending it toward the path Diether Hart had taken. Though it didn’t provide shared senses like a spirit, its aura could still detect faint energy signatures.


    Whoosh.


    The de glided smoothly into the castle’s inner sanctum, encountering no immediate obstacles. At first, there was nothing unusual.


    Then—


    Swish.


    ‘Hmm?’


    As the de crossed a certain point, Kaylen’s awareness briefly registered an overwhelming presence of mana, so potent it almost defied measurement.


    At the same time, the signal from the shadow de vanished.


    Kaylen''s expression hardened.


    Even though only a minimal amount of mana had been infused, for a perfected de formed with four circles to disappear in an instant?


    ‘The royal pce… is a den of schemes.’


    [Trantor - Kiteretsu]


    [Proofreader - Kyros]