CH 17

"Well, off I go."

"Wait a minute."

I was about to disembark from the carriage in front of the palace and head for my destination when Fiona, who was behind me, grabbed my clothes and forced me to stop walking.

"What?"

"No, I mean. You still haven't explained to me why you were following me to the palace?"

Fiona looked very displeased as she grabbed the hem of my shirt and looked at me with a scowl.

I don't think you have to be so unhappy about it.

After departing from Duke Bernard's mansion, we boarded the royal carriage that had come to pick us up.

As a matter of course, they seemed to think that I was going to be getting dropped off, so they made a stop in front of the library, but I didn't leave there and instead came to the palace myself.

I had one goal.

"I have a Friend who is a Court Mage, so I came here to ask a few favours from them. A librarian is a court librarian, so I guess they have the authority to enter the palace, right?"

"Yes, but... what are you going to ask them to do?"

"That's a secret."

Fiona's cheeks puffed up with even more frustration as she tried to smile.

It really doesn't seem like you've matured on the inside. I've always been this way. Her cuteness is still there, but I wish she would have grown up to be a little more responsible.

It's not just the body that needs to grow up, but the mind as well.

"Mr Serel. I too am curious as to what you will be asking of me."

"... Lady Sion."

The last person to come down from the carriage was Lady Sion, who was to be under my protection.

She was dressed in a simple dress and looked mature in a way that was unbecoming of her age. She looks like a lady, or perhaps a lady of class, with a demeanor befitting a noblewoman.

I'm sure it's not my imagination that she looks a little different since she signed the contract with the grimoire. I think it's good that she has gained confidence.

"It's all right. It's not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it's something we'll need to deal with in the future."

"... It's not dangerous, is it?"

"No, it's not. Don't you believe me?"

"I believe in you, Mr Serel."

"Sion, no. When it comes to Serel, you have to begin with your doubts, because he's a liar."

"I don't think that's a good thing to say in front of him."

I don't want you to say it, but if you do, please say it when I'm not around...

And then, Lady Sion looked at me. Her cheeks are a little red, blushing with embarrassment.

"I owe him my life and everything that I have. I can't doubt him."

"Thank you. You are so different from Fiona."

"Because I believed in you so much that I was made fun of a long time ago. You should be ashamed of your behavior. Anyway, why are you still here?"

"Oh, that's right. I should get going."

He's a busy man, too.

If I take my time, he'll soon vanish.

"Well, let's go, shall we? It may be your first time going there, but you'd better have a good look at it because it will be useful for the future."

= - =

After walking through the palace, we arrived at the training grounds of the Court Mages.

This training ground, which was built separately from the Knights, was for a specialized group of magicians, and it was extremely spacious and sturdy enough to test a wide variety of magic. The ceiling is hollow and open, allowing training to be conducted in different weather conditions.

Just because it's raining doesn't mean the training is lost. God, you poor thing. I'd never want to train here.

"It's been a while since I've been to this training ground. I'm glad to see that everyone is training hard for the kingdom."

"It's because each of us is highly motivated to improve our skills. As you can see, all of them have above average skills, as they have overcome rigorous trials to become members of the team."

The entrance exam to become a court mage is very difficult, and it is very hard to get the job.

The ratio of candidates to the total number of applicants is quite high, with only one candidate passing out of several hundred. It's like a golden ticket to the kingdom's most important event, so it's not possible for an ordinary person to become one. I'm sure that all of the grimoires are above the fifth rank.

Of course, the rank of the grimoire is not everything, but it is also related to the fact that powerful mages with intermediate and higher grimoires are more likely to handle strong magic.

The stronger, the better.

That's the idea behind it.

"From the inside, I'm saying that talented people should be allowed to join the group even if their rank is low, but the upper management doesn't agree. The traditional way of thinking about rank is widespread. The Captain also said it was a major problem."

"That's right.The mage with the higher rank grimoire may be more powerful, but the mage with the lower rank grimoire may be more capable in actual combat."

"You're absolutely right, Princess.”

The person who approached us, their shoes echoing, agreed with Fiona's idea and paused in front of us, letting out an exasperated sigh.

We didn't inform him beforehand, and he must have sensed our magic. But we're hiding it... Oh, I see Lady Sion is here.

"If you put advantages and disadvantages on the basis of rank, what kind of treatment will be given to Serel here? There are only three people, including me, who have a chance of beating that guy at the moment."

Fiona said to Edsel, the young man who had come to see the mages training.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're the one I've recognized, after all. There's no one who can defeat him."

"That's harsh, Princess. But the truth is, it's hard to believe that Serel is really using Notensho Powers. To be honest, I still have my doubts."

"But I showed you, didn't I? My Ramiel is a lightning bolt. The only thing it has is the ability to create lightning and wind magic."

"That's how good you are with magic, you know. No, it might have something to do with your vast knowledge."

"You're overreacting. More importantly... Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced you properly.”

I introduced Edsel to Lady Sion, who was looking at our friendly conversation with great interest. He is rumored to be the next leader of the Court Mages. There's no harm in knowing him. Or rather, do you already know him?

"He's a Mage in the Court Mage Corps, Edsel Freudian. Perhaps you've met him at a dinner or a party or something?"

"I'm the one who skipped all the parties, meetings, and audiences and dedicated my time to practicing magic. I've never met any other nobleman."

"Don't brag about it, Edsel. I heard your father say once that it was the bane of his existence."

"My brother and sister were there. I didn't have to go."

"No, you need to be sorry!"

"Ow! What are you doing, Princess Violence?"

It may have sounded friendly, but I don't think that's the way to treat a princess... In a way, it was a good decision not to attend the meeting of the nobles. I think the Freudian family will lose their reputation and credibility.

But Fiona is a person who doesn't care about such things, so it's okay.

Since this was not an official meeting, it was customary to keep the introduction simple.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Sion Bernard."

"I've just been introduced, Edsel Freudian. I'm the commander of the first squad of the Court Mages, and my partner's grimoire rank is the Book of Wisdom. Maybe you are one too?"

"Huh?"

I didn't even say anything.

Lady Sion's eyes widened in surprise as I could see it written on her face.

"How come..."

"I can see that you are not hiding your enormous magic power at all, you know? In any case, it is one of the few most important power possessed by the Book of Wisdom in this kingdom. It's not hard for me, who has the same rank, to identify it."

"I don't know what to..."

Lady Sion looks at me in confusion.

It's true at first. You've already never used magic before, so it's no wonder you're like that. You can learn it slowly in the future.

"I'll be teaching you how to detect magic in the near future. You'll feel surprised at first, but you'll get used to it."

"Yes, I understand!"

"So, Edsel. I've come here today to ask you a favor."

"A favor? What the hell... Wait a minute..."

He was about to ask what it was about, but I stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

The smirk on his face suggests that he's thinking about... something evil. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I'm pretty sure I can guess the details.

He is a man who spares no efforts to improve his skills above all else. I'm sure he will tell you anything you want to know.

"I'll do whatever you ask. But I don't want to talk about it right now."

"And when would that be?"

"You know what I'm talking about. This is your chance. If you want me to do you a favor..."

Edsel pointed his finger at me and said to me with a proud look on his face.

"Have a mock battle with me!"