Chapter 24
He thought it was over. He thought he’d finally found peace.
Michael was lying in bed, immersed in a new novel. He had read about half of it in a daze when, just as he was stretching his stiff shoulders and neck, a knock came at his door.
Knock knock.
It was a neat, precise knock. His instincts told him not to open that door. And his instincts were right.
Click. The door opened. Only a magic department student could open a door without any tools, or…
“…Senior.”
It was Damian, the once-in-a-millennium genius mage.
Michael’s expression was understandably displeased. But unlike him, Damian wore a bright smile.
“Hello, Michael. Having a good rest?”
Well, I was until you showed up. But unable to say that, Michael deflected.
“Why are you in my room…?”
The recent scene flashed through his mind. Today was the weekend. Senior Ayla had been in Senior Damian’s room. Had they become that close, so suddenly? Unless…
“…No way.”
He had clearly expressed his wish not to be involved in any of this.
“What can I do? I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this either.”
Damian opened his palm in front of Michael, who looked at his hand with despair. On the handkerchief lay a yellow candy. It looked ordinary at first glance, but Michael would bet 10 gold that it was anything but normal.
“It’s made with Soledina.”
“…”
“Would you analyze it for me?”
This wasn’t a request. It was practically an order.
* * *
Though she didn’t want to smoke on academy grounds for the sake of educational propriety, unfortunately, the academy’s chancellor had driven her to it. It had been an absolutely firm rejection. Despite his status as Crown Prince, without proper procedures, she couldn’t meet him as he was still an academy student. She thought this was nonsense. Academy students met the Crown Prince without any procedures all the time, so why couldn’t she?
Seeing her bewildered expression, Violet had said:
[Though Gilrota’s case is tragic, Camilla.]
[The investigation is already closed. They won’t accept requests for reinvestigation, right? That’s because there’s no evidence. I can’t let you meet the Crown Prince over such a matter.]
She couldn’t decide whether to praise Violet as the academy’s first female chancellor or criticize her for being too rigid. Violet was cold and rational. Camilla could clearly read her intention to avoid unnecessary controversy during this crucial time. Though she hadn’t heard anything directly, she could guarantee that numerous rumors were still circulating. Such was the world she had experienced, and Violet’s world was no different.
Thinking purely rationally, both the security force and Violet were right. There was no clear evidence of Gilrota’s murder. Ant’s statement about being unable to drink alcohol and his letter couldn’t serve as evidence of murder.
Yet despite this, her instincts honed over years screamed that this wasn’t a simple accident. Though there was no evidence of murder, that very fact felt oddly suspicious.
“Haah.”
Camilla sighed deeply as she ground out her cigarette in the ashtray. She put another cigarette to her lips but didn’t feel like smoking it. Putting it away, she shoved both hands in her pockets and looked around like a delinquent. She couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she’d first come to the academy. She had thought she’d never return after graduating, yet she’d visited quite a few times since then. Though that was ages ago.
“Maybe I should have done my master’s…”
While she didn’t regret her current life, looking back, there might have been better choices. But remembering the seniors who had pursued their master’s degrees quickly erased that thought. No, not the master’s program. There had been a saying at the academy: only those who committed serious mistakes during their bachelor’s were dragged into graduate studies…
Camilla nodded to herself, muttering.
“This is better. I make good money after all. Yes, that’s right.”
She wasn’t that passionate about academics anyway. She walked leisurely. Past the main building housing the chancellor’s office lay a small plaza. Usually crowded with students, it was quite empty today being the weekend.
The History and Pharmacy buildings flanked the plaza. Camilla passed the building of her former department without much sentiment. As she approached the building of Caelum, the academy’s pride, a dazzling silver gleam caught her eye even from afar.
A smile spread across her face involuntarily. She had rarely considered herself lucky in life, but at this moment, she felt incredibly fortunate. If they wouldn’t arrange a meeting, she just had to find the Crown Prince herself.
Muttering a joyful curse, she walked forward.
That distinctive silver hair of the royal family.
It was the Crown Prince she had been seeking.
* * *
After leaving the drug with Michael, Damian headed to Caelum. Michael had said Soledina could only be harvested from the king’s tomb. There must be a reason for this. He wanted to investigate the king’s tomb, or more precisely, the ruins of the Radia Empire. It was said that all the world’s books could be found in Caelum. Surely searching through its books would yield some clues.
Damian recalled the Radian ruins he’d read about in documents. There were three discovered royal tombs, two underground cities, one submerged temple, and ten noble and royal family tombs. Among these, the king’s tomb was located in ‘Langas’, the presumed capital of Radia. Langas was in a desert region, and the king’s tomb there took the form of a pyramid.
[Do you know exactly where in the king’s tomb Soledina is harvested?]
[That’s classified as an official secret. Only those involved know.]
That had been Michael’s answer, with a very unpleasant expression. But Damian didn’t particularly care about Michael’s face—his words were more important. An official secret. Only those involved knew. Didn’t this suggest that not much was actually known about Soledina?
Damian walked lost in thought. That’s when he heard a voice stopping him.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
The academy was nominally egalitarian. People generally used names or titles. “Your Highness” was rarely used within the academy. This meant the speaker was likely an outsider. Perhaps an outsider who knew him.
Damian stopped and turned with a cold expression he would never show Ayla. A woman he’d never seen before stood watching him. With a bright smile, she greeted him with impeccable manners.
“May glory be with the Lesser Sun.”
It was the formal greeting used mainly in the imperial palace. A noble perhaps? But she didn’t look like one. Nor was she someone he knew. A mage then? No, unlikely. Such a person wouldn’t reveal themselves so quickly.
After a moment’s thought, Damian acknowledged her greeting.
“Raise your head.”
“It is an honor, Your Highness.”
As she raised her head to meet his eyes, she showed no trace of the tension typically present when meeting the Crown Prince. Either she was that bold, or she was not unfamiliar with encountering royalty.
“It seems customary to state one’s name along with such a greeting.”
The woman made an “ah” face as if just realizing, then continued smiling as before.
“Forgive my rudeness. Your Highness, I am Camilla. Unfortunately, being a commoner, I have no family name.”
A commoner, not a noble. Yet she knew palace etiquette. One possibility came to mind, but Damian had no intention of pursuing it.
He asked in a low voice:
“Why did you call for me?”
“Gilrota.”
Damian’s eyes sharpened as he looked at Camilla. But she remained unfazed.
“I believe you are aware.”
Indeed he was. Hadn’t everything started with Gilrota? But how did this woman assume he knew about Gilrota? Of course, she might have asked meaninglessly since he was a student at the same academy. But her next words were far from meaningless.
“I dare to request Your Highness to reopen the investigation of Gilrota’s case.”
Though the spring breeze was surely warm, Camilla felt a chill run down her spine. Probably due to the Crown Prince’s cold gaze upon her.
Despite her years of experience in rough situations, maintaining composure under the Crown Prince’s gaze was no easy task.
Crunch. The sound of stepping on leaves pierced her ears. One step. That single step brought their toes nearly touching. Camilla’s gaze was suddenly captured. It felt like facing a frozen lake.
“Camilla.”
A voice devoid of any mercy. Camilla froze like the lake’s ice. No other sounds around them could be heard.
She had only heard rumors. That the Crown Prince was a genius mage, and that the Magic Tower kept watching him covetously. She had met many mages, but had never encountered one like this. No mage could stop space and time without any preparation. Camilla couldn’t even be sure they were still at the academy.
“Do you understand the meaning of your words?”
The Crown Prince’s cold face revealed no emotions. Camilla clenched her fists below, trying to maintain a calm facade. Sweat was gathering in her palms.
A mage? Thinking of the Magic Tower that supposedly coveted the Crown Prince, Camilla found it absurd. Such a person didn’t suit being a mage. He was more suited to being a ruler who touched the heavens.
