Episode 91
Every time he sat on the throne, he would receive a blessing magic of the high priest level, and when his condition was not good, the Pope of Haryan would come and cast a recovery magic. It was basic to wear an artifact that radiated a large amount of magical power.
Addiction to magic.
It was a theory that was debated even among the so-called great magicians. It was a disease that only a few among the high-ranking nobles and kings, who lived their entire lives exposed to large amounts of magical power, suffered from.
Although it was an incurable disease that could not be cured even by the Pope’s magic, there was no king who feared magical addiction and did not learn the Aura training method or gave up the artifact.
‘If we leave it alone, it will last at most a year. Before that, a generational change will occur, and with branded monsters appearing everywhere, will the Zenon royal family be able to hold out?’
As I approached the king, I smelled a familiar scent. It was a herb called Peri. It was used as a sleeping pill, not a cure, and it was very likely to cause addiction if taken for a long period of time.
‘You’re already addicted because your eyes are yellow. But the pain must be so severe that you can’t help it.’
I couldn’t give up on the priest’s treatment because I was addicted to magic. As the pain grew worse day by day, I had to treat him more frequently with more powerful magic than before. It was more of a temporary hold than a cure.
‘Although the symptoms were slightly different, I also suffered from magic addiction. In fact, my situation was more desperate. If I were to forcefully maintain the king’s life, wouldn’t it be possible for three to five years?’
I glanced at the Aura Lord sitting on the throne. I was afraid that if I stared at his body for too long, I might cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
The King’s Aura Rod had long since lost its function. It was the price paid for easily moving magical power with external stimuli. It was the same reason that the body becomes dull if one does not exercise.
“Virgin Louis de Hebron, report to His Majesty in detail what has happened in your realm!”
Gaius shouted.
I nodded and calmly explained what had happened. I told the story I had prepared in advance, as if I was reciting a short story.
Rather than telling the story in chronological order, it was like telling a little bit about the ending and then telling the story.
The king leaned forward and listened to my words.
I added one thing at the end of the story.
“… … My guess is that it is related to the ancient god called the Trickster.”
Judging by the knights and wizards guarding the king and Gaius’s reaction, it seemed like the royal family had known about the symbol’s true identity for some time.
“What made you make that guess?”
“The shape of the brand matches the symbol of the Trickster. It is recorded in the ancient book called
“Do you have that book?”
“I have a copy, but… … unfortunately, I was only able to confirm some of the contents and was unable to confirm its authenticity.”
Even that copy was mine. It was for an alibi.
“You can read ancient languages?”
“I was interested in ancient languages from a young age, but because Hebron was poor, I did not have access to many books.”
The king continued to ask questions. When he was tired of his questions, he winked at Gaius.
The two had strikingly similar eyes. Perhaps it was the influence of the throne, but Gaius, in his early twenties, and the king, in his mid-fifties, looked like brothers.
The magician next to the king handed Gaius a scroll, and Gaius opened it and read it.
“Listen, Viscount Hebron.”
I straightened my posture and bowed to the king.
It was an old royal etiquette.
“I will serve Zeno.”
“Your service is great. Open the royal library to the Viscount Hebron. You may lend him books on the condition that he appoints a manager. You must examine the old books and determine whether this incident is related to the Trickster.”
“insect!”
It was as I had hoped.
Although the Duke of Breyo’s collection of ancient books was said to be of great value, it was nothing compared to the royal library.
Of course, I couldn’t just search through the royal library as I pleased.
“I have heard that the defenses of the Viscounty of Louis de Hebron are strong. You must inspect the surrounding territory and defend it so that my people are not killed by monsters. Also, you must present the royal family with the secret of the defense of the territory.”
“I will give it my all.”
It was as if they were exchanging library passes for the royal seal. They were planning to disclose the information on the royal seal, but they had no intention of ending the negotiation at this level.
I raised my head slightly and looked up at Gaius.
Before meeting the king, I asked him for one favor.
Gaius winked at me, then bowed deeply to the king and said:
“The merits of the Count of Hebron are great, Your Majesty.”
“That is indeed so. It was a great help to you, wasn’t it?”
The father’s expression as he looked down at his fourth son was strange.
It was also because she wore heavy makeup to hide her illness.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Gaius seemed to have blind faith in the king, but the king did not completely trust his son.
His eyes were full of suspicion.
In that fleeting moment, I observed the King’s complexion. I analyzed the flow of aura pulsating within his body.
‘They say the high priests were summoned to the palace, but how often were they exposed to sacred magic?’
The king beckoned to me.
It meant that he should go now. In just ten minutes or so, the king’s eyes had turned black. He looked visibly exhausted.
On my way out after meeting the king, Gaius patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’ll give you Zeno’s sword on the way back.”
“I am sorry, Your Majesty.”
What I requested from Gaius was the ‘Sword of Zeno’. It was a sword that was granted only to knights recognized by the Zeno royal family, and was granted only to knights who had achieved great feats.
The last person to receive Zeno’s sword was the eldest son of the Breio family.
Not only did I hunt the branded monsters in succession, but I also hunted Medusia alone, so I aimed for Zenon’s Sword. It was a bit ambiguous, but considering the fact that we need a hero who can stir up public sentiment, it was an achievement that could be praised enough.
‘If only we had the Sword of Zeno, wandering knights would flock to Hebron.’
If you have Zeno’s Sword, it will be much easier to recruit not only wandering knights but also knights from other territories. For knights who value their cause, the ‘Sword of Zeno’ was no different from a sword that carried the king’s command.
I thought about it for a moment and then said to Gaius.
“… …Your Majesty’s complexion is not good.”
“Be careful with your words. Zeno has eyes and ears in the palace.”
Gaius lowered his voice and looked around.
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Even Gaius, the royal inspector general, could be beheaded for spouting nonsense in royal court.
“I think I can help you.”
“I know that you are a great doctor, but Pope Haryan himself is checking on His Majesty’s condition. He is saying this out of concern for you, so do not act rashly.”
If I don’t step forward, the king will die within a year. But I hoped he would live a little longer.
In a situation where the monsters were causing headaches, he did not want the king’s absence and succession to the throne to cause more chaos.
“Your Majesty, may I borrow your hand for a moment?”
Gaius stopped walking and stared at me.
He led the way, shaking his head. I followed him, and we went into an empty room and sat down for a private conversation.
“I know you are very stubborn, but you need to know that this is a life-threatening act. You are the only one who can’t stop making mistakes.”
“Haven’t you been feeling any pain in your shoulder lately? Even if you get treatment from a priest, it only lasts for a short time.”
“Isn’t it inevitable when you’re suffering from overwork?”
Gaius held out his right hand with a sigh.
I placed my hands on Gaius’ palms and wrists. I blew my aura into the blocked and relatively weakened areas and vibrated them. I was now quite used to this method and was able to proceed smoothly.
Ouch!
Gaius looked at me with sharp eyes, surprised. It was because he felt a sharp pain the moment my aura penetrated his body.
“Now that you’re done, try moving your arms.”
“Hmm? Oh! The heavy feeling has disappeared. It’s like the Pope has given me some kind of healing magic. What on earth happened?”
The Pope’s healing magic was temporary.
Since it was not a fundamental solution, the same symptoms were repeated.
I treated Gaius’ shoulder. It might come back someday, but it should be fine for at least a few months.
“I have a knight under my command named Ambrod de Zielson.”
“You mean the younger brother of Count Jailson? He lost a leg, huh? He was a promising knight, what a pity.”
“I cured him.”
“Are you saying that you created a bridge where there was none?”
“I did attach a leg to Baryan. It was a prosthetic leg made by a craftsman named Baryan. Aside from that, I also cleared the blocked Aura Road and taught him the swordsmanship that would allow him to use one leg.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
If the Aura Road is blocked, you die.
The same was true for the Archmage. Even if he were to survive, he would end up like a cripple who would never be able to use magic for the rest of his life.
“If you meet Ambrod, you will know the truth.”
“So, is this the way to cure His Majesty?”
I shook my head. It was dangerous to declare that I was curing the king.
It was because the responsibility for failure was so great.
“It’s just an ancient aura massage therapy to relieve your Majesty’s fatigue. If we were to start full-scale treatment, it would be painful, and I wouldn’t want to put that burden on your Majesty, would I?”
Gaius’s eyes wavered.
His face turned red. Before I knew it, his hand was grabbing the hem of my clothes.
To Gaius, the king is a father before he is a king.
And Gaius was a man of unusually affectionate blood for a king.
“I will try to push it forward secretly. For now, you will follow His Majesty’s orders at the royal library.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
* * *
“Hoooooo!”
I trained Aura. Surprisingly, there was a magic circle installed in the royal library that helped with Aura training, and it greatly increased the efficiency of training.
Thanks to that, I was able to perform my magic while my magical power was fully charged. As soon as the aura was focused on my head, my brain became active.
It was a magician’s secret technique of stimulating the brain with magical power.
‘This is not enough. We must use a radical method, even if it is somewhat risky.’
If I hadn’t experienced it, I wouldn’t know, but I lived through the genius of Luis de Breiot.
Now, no matter how hard he tried, even using magic, he could not catch up with Luis de Breiot. It was because their innate talents were different.
Still, there was a way.
He has been continuously improving his magician’s secret arts and has also collected ancient books from the royal library that could be helpful for his work.
A gray-haired old man approached me. He glanced through the six books I had open and coughed.
It was because the aura road that penetrated the lungs had become thinner.
The old man asked me.
“Is
“Because it’s an ancient book. Don’t you know, Librarian, that many samples are needed to interpret ancient languages?”
The former Count of Constant de Nouvel left his lands to his children and became the head of the royal library. He was the tutor of the princes and one of the most renowned scholars in the kingdom of Zeno.
I had met and talked with him in my previous life when I was about seven years old, and at that time the Count of Nouvel treated me like his own son.
