Chapter 25

“Now, Dean. You remember my command, don't you?”

“Yes……”

Cornelius quietly nodded his head.

There was no life in his eyes and instead, a fine dust-like golden light was sprinkled in them.

It was the trace of the ‘Prince’s Eye’.

“Then be on your way.”

“…As you command.”

Ferbias waved his hand, and the Dean kicked off the air.

As commanded, he was heading for the administrative center of the Succession War.

After confirming his departure, the First Prince wiped away his sweat.

“Phew. I pretended to be calm, but it was quite difficult. As expected of a mage of the four stars.”

He had poisoned the tea and hidden a curse in the ground.

He had called Dean Kentil and even had Amethus step forward.

If his preparations had been even slightly lacking, or if he had dragged it on for longer, he might have failed to dominate him.

But what mattered was the result.

Dean Cornelius was now under his control.

“You all may leave as well.”

“As you command.”

The men, including Dean Kentil, disappeared.

They had already received a hefty price.

Soon, only Amethus and Ferbias remained.

The prince spoke to his old friend.

“There's no turning back now. What do you think will happen, Amethus?”

“It would be a lie to say I'm not anxious.”

The jade-eyed man opened his mouth.

“It seems everything depends on how Dean Hermai will react.”

Amethus hesitated for a moment.

It was because he was careful not to displease his master.

Fortunately, Ferbias smiled leisurely and nodded his head.

His tone was as if telling him to say more.

“…From the Dean's perspective, wouldn't it be easier to kill Cornelius and make it as if nothing happened, rather than letting things go our way?”

“Someone who doesn't know Hermai would say that.”

It would be a rational choice.

This was the Succession War that would decide the next emperor.

If a confusion arose in such a war, it would be connected to the honor of the administrator, no, the entire Empire.

The Succession War from 400 years ago also remained in dishonor.

“In that case……”

“But don't worry. Old man Hermai can't kill Cornelius. Even if it means he's being played by our hands.”

Ferbias snickered.

Even though the ‘Prince’s Eye’ was turned off, his pupils were a bright gold.

“I told you. He's a doting fool, that old man.”

***

“That Cornelius brat, I warned him so, and yet he meddled again……”

Hermai Merhes fumed, seething with anger.

An alarm had sounded from the Succession War's administrative center.

Someone was rummaging through the administrative center, and it was obvious who it was.

“I told him his head would fly this time!”

He didn't really intend to chop off his head, but it seemed he wouldn't feel better until he had given him a good scolding.

He lightly crossed through space.

With each stomp of his foot, the scenery changed once.

All sorts of no-fly and no-teleportation barriers were spread throughout the capital, Lutilium, but what did it matter?

He was Hermai Merhes.

Whoosh, and it was a watchtower.

Whoosh, and it was a warehouse, and whoosh, and soon it was the administrative center of the Succession War.

Ten crystals, a complex control panel, and so on.

Hermai Merhes let out a roar before he even set foot inside.

“What are you doing, you brat!”

“……”

“I told you I'd really chop off your head this time!”

He shouted at the familiar back.

It was loud enough to drown out the red light and the blaring sound of the administrative center.

But Cornelius did not answer.

Instead, he continued to move his hands.

A thick vein popped on Hermai's forehead.

He was not a very patient man.

“Your master is asking you, and you won't even turn around?”

Crackle and a purple lightning bolt flew through the air.

It had a power that would make even a mage of the four stars faint.

In the presence of the lightning, Cornelius's head whipped around.

Several verdigris spheres rose up.

A few blocked the lightning and a few headed towards Dean Hermai.

Hermai, dodging them, was surprised and his eyes shot open.

“…This brat! How dare you defy me……?”

Hermai's brow furrowed.

“You, those eyes……”

“……”

The white-bearded old magician saw.

That Cornelius's eyes, as he shot the magic, were blankly unfocused.

He hadn't lived for over a century for nothing.

Hermai, who had grasped the whole situation in an instant, ground his teeth.

“…How dare, who was it!”

The old magician's shout was deafening.

The atmosphere trembled.

The mana froze.

Even the brainwashed Cornelius couldn't help but flinch.

Hermai, filled with rage, raised his hand.

That hand formed a complex seal.

“Stay still, Cornelius.”

The old man's face was set coldly.

The great magician's anger shook the space.

“-Great Binding, ALTUM VINCTIO.”

---It stopped without a sound.

Cornelius's hands, his limbs, the magic being shot, and even the alarm of the administrative center all froze.

Hermai, approaching his bound adopted son, chanted another spell.

“Purification, PIO.”

A clear light shone down.

“Ugh……”

Hermai pushed the light further, breaking the chains of domination.

Only then did Cornelius's eyes regain their vitality.

Hermai let out a sigh of relief.

“It's done, Cornelius, it's done now.”

“…Master? Ah……”

Cornelius looked around.

He soon realized the situation and had no choice but to hang his head.

“…I am sorry.”

He was just ashamed.

The Dean of the Imperial Academy of Magic, a mage of the four stars, what was the use.

To be controlled by another and cause such trouble.

A deep self-loathing could not help but raise its head.

He felt he didn't even have the right to cry.

“……”

Dean Hermai looked down at his adopted son with sad eyes.

He wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but that would only crush his pride further.

The old magician slowly opened his mouth.

“Was it the First Prince?”

“…Yes.”

“What did he say his scheme was?”

Cornelius hesitated and then opened his mouth.

“He wanted the Grand Convergence……”

“Huh? Ha!”

Hermai Merhes's white eyebrows shot up.

He spat out as if chewing on the words.

“Insolent brat! Doesn't know his place……”

“……!!”

Cornelius's eyes widened in surprise.

No matter what, those were not words to be said to the First Prince.

But Hermai was nonchalant.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there a curse I can't say to the one who touched my child?”

What did it matter if he was the First Prince?

He was Hermai Merhes.

In his youth, he had exchanged curses even with the Great Emperor Continua.

“To think he dared to touch my, Hermai's, disciple……. He has greatly underestimated me……”

The old magician turned his head in anger.

“But this is……”

His face hardened even more.

“…It's worse than I thought. We can't just cover this up……”

The administrative center was in a catastrophic state.

Though he had stopped it in a hurry, it was now even smoking.

It must have had an effect on the undiscovered Treasures and trials as well.

It was clear that the situation could not be resolved without someone taking responsibility.

Even Hermai couldn't help but let out a groan.

“Someone will have to take responsibility. I don't want to play into that Ferbias brat's hands……”

“…Hold me responsible, Master. Isn't that the natural thing to do.”

Cornelius said, suppressing his shame.

“I am the Dean of the Imperial Academy of Magic, after all. If it's this head……”

“……”

Dean Hermai considered.

With Cornelius's head, the situation could be somehow covered up.

New Treasures and trials could be created.

The honor of the Empire, or the life of his adopted son.

It was a question not even worth considering.

Hermai had had the answer for a long time.

“No, I will report to the Great Emperor. I will tell him exactly what happened.”

“Master……!”

“Quiet. Do not say any more, Cornelius.”

The old magician wiped his face.

Worry was deep on his wrinkled face.

“This decision is not ours to make.”

“Is that so?”

***

Even after hearing the whole story, the Great Emperor Continua did not frown once.

As if he had known everything from the beginning.

He had always been that kind of man, even in his youth.

Hermai bowed his head deeply.

“What did you do with your disciple, Hermai?”

“…I have locked him in a cell. It is the natural course of action, as his crime is grave. I am only sorry for having such a foolish disciple, Your Majesty.”

“At this rate, his head will fall.”

“…Yes.”

The Great Emperor Continua raised his hand.

An artificial spirit approached and poured wine.

He smelled the purple liquid and then took a sip.

Not bad.

The Great Emperor muttered so.

He seemed to have no interest in the fact that Hermai was bowing his head.

“Hmm.”

The old man who stood above all was leisurely.

As if it didn't matter at all that the Succession War to decide the next ruler had been thrown into disarray, he just rolled the wine in his mouth and savored it.

“The aroma is quite to my liking. Volmark wine is indeed the best for my palate.”

Another glass of wine, he took a sip and then swallowed.

He smiled, perhaps because the aroma was good.

Only then did the master of the Empire turn his head.

“How about it? Come and have some with me.”

“…Your Majesty.”

“Dean, come now.”

The Great Emperor's eyes glinted with a golden light.

Even if they were similar, they were worlds apart from Ferbias's.

Hermai could not refuse and slowly rose to sit down.

The Great Emperor personally poured him a glass of wine.

Only after Hermai had taken a sip of wine did a smile appear on the Great Emperor Continua's wrinkled face.

“The aroma is very deep.”

“It is, Your Majesty.”

“It's a taste that the young find hard to understand.”

The Great Emperor swirled his glass.

“Come to think of it, I like that too. I thought I could solve all the problems with blood and iron.”

The golden pupils, even deeper.

It was impossible to know how much power they held.

An oppressive aura that even the Dean could not exude filled the room.

“It seems my children want to shed blood. If so, let them be.”

The Great Emperor Continua, the master of the Empire, poured all the wine onto the floor.

The spilled liquid was no different from blood.

At this rate, the deep aroma and taste had no meaning.

By now, the smile on the Great Emperor's face was gone without a trace.

“You want to save your adopted son, don't you, Hermai?”

“…How could I not.”

“Then go out and proclaim it.”

The emperor commanded, and the subject accepted.

“To prepare for the Grand Convergence.”

***

The emperor's proclamation spread quickly.

The Grand Convergence, an impossible stretch, had become a reality.

Everyone in the Imperial Palace was shocked and flustered, running around.

Only the man who had come from 19 years in the past was calm.

‘Just like before the regression, Ferbias.’

Everyone was so out of their minds that they didn't see me.

They couldn't see me quietly snickering to myself.

‘He brainwashed Dean Cornelius and made the stretch of holding a Grand Convergence a reality.’

I smiled and looked out the window.

The sky spread out there.

It was pitch black.

So black and dark that I couldn't help but laugh.

‘It's the same as that time. Everything is flowing the same as that time.’

I had come from 19 years in the past, yet how could the sky be so exactly the same.

And how could these siblings be so exactly the same, bickering with each other, so greedy… and so foolish.

‘I should prepare the second secret.’

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