Youngest 163
by CristaeChapter 163
“So. What sneaky plans were you up to this time?”
I blinked my eyes.
Violet gaze was fixed on the parchment in my hand.
“Ah…!”
Right, Dad was here!
‘If Dad helps, I won’t have to be separated from Khalid!’
These days, Dad was happiest when I clung to him, asking for help!
I quickly grabbed his hem and opened my mouth.
“Dad, I, I nee—”
See?
That smooth smile curling upward in satisfaction.
“Give me money!”
“…”
“…?”
Huh?
“You’re taking over a mercenary company?”
Dad echoed back incredulously.
“Yeah! No matter how I think about it, the most efficient way to have a network across the continent is to make use of human resources—”
“What on earth…”
“Why?”
“Is this the effect of the academy?”
“Hem-hem.”
Dad ruffled my hair, making it puff up.
But since he nodded, I decided to forgive him.
“I know what you’re saying. Leave it to me. I think I know the owner there…”
As expected, with a wealthy and powerful father, everything went smoothly!
“Oh, really? Then be sure to sign the contract properly! Read the fine print carefully… And if there’s a seal required, be sure to tell me…”
“You nag me about everything now.”
But just then, Dad was summoned by His Majesty the Emperor, who was visiting the academy, and he went to the drawing room.
And hearing all this, Khalid…
“I… just… have a sudden… urgent matter…”
Mumbled like a broken wind-up doll and disappeared. He must have had to run to the bathroom.
Before leaving the old library, I placed my hand on the tree.
One last thing left to do.
“Sniff. Thank you, Magic Tree. It was fun.”
I’m leaving. Back to the North.
Until we have a grasp on the kingdom’s situation, I won’t be coming to the capital.
So even if we meet again, it’ll be a long time from now.
“Hyap.”
For the last time, I channeled my mana.
I slightly lifted my school uniform’s top and guided my magic, causing a round spell circle to appear over the crest.
A spell to stop time.
“That should… keep it from growing.”
With a blue flash, the hands of my wristwatch spun once, then stopped—click.
Now, this was just a watch to channel mana into the spell sealing the crest.
‘How many years can this magic hold?’
The power of the Mage King imbued in this crest is a living, moving force.
It’s fundamentally different from stopping the time of an old book.
So.
Until the Mage King is resurrected—
I’ll travel the continent and complete the Oath Sigil for breaking the seal.
I’m not alone anymore.
I no longer have to tackle the crest, or the Mage King, by myself.
‘…But if I can’t finish in time, and this crest grows according to the Mage King’s will…’
I…
I was deep in calm thought about the future when—
“Ruby…an?”
A trembling voice called from behind.
“Licht?!”
I hurriedly covered my lower back, and Licht’s eyes widened before he quickly turned away.
“Gasp, sorry! I didn’t see anything!”
He hadn’t made a single sound…!
Licht, who always wore a smile no matter the situation, was now clearly flustered, babbling with his back entirely turned.
“Th-the Duke of Zevert was looking for the Emperor, and since you were here, I, I just…”
“Did… did you see?”
“Wh-what?”
Licht faltered a bit, then spoke.
“…That pretty tree pattern, like a worm wrapped around it?”
Seriously—!
“…It’s a dragon.”
I’ve been found out…
Licht awkwardly turned back, glancing at me with his gently drooped eyes.
I could have used the magic in this place to erase Licht’s memory…
But I let it go.
As long as I plan to keep a connection with him, no secret in the world is perfect.
“You know, at the Ipson New Leaf Festival… Your guess was right.”
“…”
“I can… do things like this.”
Shoo. With my power, a book from the shelves floated into the air.
“Things like this… and that…”
Swoosh, swoosh. Writing tools, a teacup, and candies for a palate cleanser floated about.
Licht lifted a hand to calm me.
“O-okay, Rubian. I get it now…”
“Are you going to tell His Majesty the Emperor?”
I withdrew all my magic and asked.
“Well…”
What’s this? My magical intimidation didn’t work. Were the things I floated too light? Should I have floated a rock?
Now that the Mage Kingdom is an enemy, I have no idea how the Emperor would treat a mage who ran away like me. Dad hadn’t said it had to be revealed, either.
‘Of course, I don’t think His Majesty would just throw me back to the Mage Kingdom…’
My secret had loosened somewhat.
I’d been found out by Dad, and by the Mage King too.
Not that I was going to broadcast it everywhere, but at least I didn’t have to keep it so desperately guarded as before.
“…Who knows.”
Licht mumbled, then smiled slightly.
Only then did I realize he was teasing me a bit.
“You, that ambiguous way of speaking—!”
“Haha, sorry.”
His handsome face came closer.
“So, if I keep this secret, does that mean we can keep exchanging letters?”
“Letters?”
“Yeah. You won’t be in the capital for a while, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Then I won’t say anything.”
His eyes folded gently.
“I really like your letters.”
“Oh…”
Why? What could possibly appeal to him in that stiff, awkward correspondence…?
Hmm, I guess his sensibility is just a little…
“You’d better spend a lot of time in the library, then…”
“I’m not sure what you mean, but… I will.”
Licht beamed, then glanced at the parchment in my hand.
“So what’s that?”
“Oh, this? It’s in Ancient—I mean, it’s full of old place names, so they’re hard to recognize. I’m about to look them up…”
Licht paused for a moment.
After seeming to consider something, he spoke again.
“If it’s old place names, the Imperial Palace archives should have most of the records…”
What!
My eyes grew wider than ever.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean, I’ll have to check to be sure, but probably.”
“Gasp, Licht! What are you? My savior? An angel?”
No, that’s not it! Truly, His Highness the Crown Prince!
Swallowing the words I couldn’t say, I clung to Licht’s arm. He flinched a little, then patted me gently to calm me down.
“You’re really shameless… Anyway, I guess we’ll be exchanging letters quite often, right?”
“I’m going to buy so much pretty stationery!”
And with a radiant smile, the boy added,
“Even if you send it on a scrap of tissue paper, I won’t mind.”
“Goodbye, Licht—Your Hiiighness!”
Rubian rode away in a carriage with a large window.
Right beside her sat Duke Zevert, and next to him, still wearing that insufferable expression, was Khalid.
“…You can just call me Licht.”
Maybe because of the knights watching nearby.
The prince hid his disappointment and waved until the carriage was out of sight.
‘I hope she doesn’t forget me…’
Looking around at the now-empty surroundings, the worry suddenly crossed his mind.
Come to think of it, this was the only day they’d actually faced each other properly at the academy.
‘Royal portraits aren’t supposed to be circulated recklessly, but…’
He clenched his fingertips slightly.
‘I should ask if I can enclose one in the next letter.’
He was only sending it to Rubian, after all.
“Oh. Come to think of it…”
“Your Highness? Is something wrong?”
“I forgot to ask Duke Zevert about that.”
Realizing belatedly, he scratched his pale cheeks.
‘That day… where did they dispose of the body of the mage who attacked the academy…?’
Duke Zevert said he took care of it himself, so it was surely fine.
“Well, I’m sure Father asked about it.”
Licht spun on his heel.
“More importantly…”
Rubian… was really a mage…
It was a shocking revelation, but somehow, it oddly made sense.
He had thought he’d worked through everything from the Ipson event, but a discomfort he hadn’t been aware of remained like a residue.
‘That must have been hard… all this time.’
He clenched his fist tightly.
Recalling her smiling face with those gentle eyes, he felt a strange stirring in his chest.
Maybe, from the very moment they’d first met, it had been this way.
Was it because their first meeting at the shelter was so intense?
Now, he simply wanted to protect that smiling face.
But as time passes… will these feelings change, too?
In any case.
Licht spun around. What he had to do never changed.
‘Even if your secret is revealed, I’ll make sure nothing happens.’
I’ll do my best here.
You do your best there, Rubian.
“All right, let’s go back.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The boy’s time started now.
