Chapter 254

‘Well, I still grew up just fine thanks to him.’

She might not have learned tenderness, but she had never resented her grandfather even once.

If even her grandfather hadn’t been there, her life would have been far more difficult and exhausting.

Whatever else could be said, it was undoubtedly her grandfather who had served as a steadfast shield for her until she became an adult.

Ceres, who had briefly fallen into memories of the past, gave a faint chuckle and examined Teacher Daniel’s wounds.

‘Most of them were caused by a blade.’

Under the Duke of Schweiz’s sharp watch, Ceres examined the wounds on Teacher Daniel’s body up close and repeatedly clicked her tongue inwardly.

Even from a cursory glance, she could tell that most of them were stab wounds from something like a dagger.

‘It doesn’t look like he was fighting properly. More like he was attacked while running away.’

The wound that had dealt the critical injury was a deep slash across his back, deep enough that the flesh underneath was plainly visible.

It had probably been the final major attack he received... but she would have to hear it directly from him to know for sure.

Ceres placed her hand over Teacher Daniel’s wound. In an instant, his wounds began to close.

“.......”

The Duke of Schweiz’s eyes widened slightly as he watched from beside her.

He had already heard about it. When Emperor Debrica had been attacked and collapsed, Ceres had saved His Majesty using the power of her Tamer Relic.

‘A Tamer Relic.’

Well, was it really that power? She was using it right now even though she hadn’t summoned her Tamer Relic.

The Duke of Schweiz had many questions, but as always, he said nothing.

When he had finally seen the child in person again after several years, the Duke of Schweiz had already suspected that Ceres was hiding something.

The mere fact that the child could wield a sword so skillfully was extremely strange.

No matter how long it had been since he had last seen her, Ceres had never been a child who would pick up a sword.

She had been shy and incapable of attacking others... the sort of child who trembled in fear at the mere sight of a sword.

‘Though she was young back then.’

And yet that same child could now wield a sword skillfully enough to deal with and kill a monster all by herself, an A-rank monster at that? How could that possibly make sense?

‘What changed this child so much?’

She had supposedly lost her memories, but could that alone change someone this drastically?

The Duke of Schweiz silently watched Ceres as she took a step back from Teacher Daniel, apparently finished with the treatment.

Pat.

“......?”

At the sudden touch of a hand patting her shoulder, Ceres turned toward the Duke of Schweiz with a puzzled expression.

“If you’re ever going through something difficult, tell me anytime.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll wait.”

Ceres’s eyes rounded at the unexpected words.

‘Something difficult?’

There’s nothing in particular, though? And what is he waiting for? Ceres was somewhat bewildered, but simply nodded.

She had no idea what was going on, but she could see the concern and sympathy in the Duke of Schweiz’s eyes.

“Ugh.......”

At that moment, a groan escaped Teacher Daniel, who had been lying unconscious. Ceres stepped closer to him.

“Teacher Daniel.”

“......!”

Daniel flinched at Ceres’s voice, then slowly turned his gaze toward her.

His eyes wavered for a moment, as though he were trying to understand why she was standing in front of him, before he finally let out a long sigh.

Only then did the memories from just before he had collapsed return to him.

The memory of barely managing to shake off Veilks’s pursuer and escape, then climbing over the wall of House Drow.

“...Miss Ceres.”

“What happened?”

Why were you lying near our house looking like that? There were so many things she wanted to ask.

‘Did he get involved in some dangerous crime?’

Was that why he had suddenly quit the Academy too? If so, shouldn’t she cut ties with him immediately? If this caused any harm to her kids......

“...Please save him.”

But a moment later, Teacher Daniel’s slowly spoken answer completely defied her expectations.

“...Save him? Who?”

“Lord Alex.......”

“......!”

“Please help him.”

* * *

“Hand it over.”

“Wow, anyone who saw you would think you’d left it in my care! What kind of robber acts this shameless every single time?!”

Cheion, Master of the Magic Tower, stared incredulously at Kainel, who had shown up first thing in the morning.

“You said you distributed them to all the other regions.”

“We did.”

“Then why did you leave out the Grand Duchy?”

“We didn’t leave it out. It was pushed down the list. The dead haven’t risen there.”

“Discrimination.”

“How is that discrimination? We’re just doing things in the proper order.”

“Exactly. So why were we pushed down the list?”

“Well, that’s because.......”

“You said they’re useful against monsters too.”

The reason Kainel had personally come to the Magic Tower was because of the defensive magic circles that had recently begun being distributed throughout the Empire.

Magic circles that kept the dead at bay by unleashing fire magic. Even now, the Magic Tower was working hard to install those circles in various places.

Except for one region.

“This is blatant discrimination.”

“Of course we’re installing them in the urgent places first.”

“We’re in urgent need too. This is the time of year when monsters run wild the most.”

“Ah, I don’t care. Do you have any idea how busy we’ve been lately?!”

Between installing the magic circles and dealing with the dead that appeared every night, the fire-element mages hadn’t had a chance to rest.

More than a °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° few mages had been grumbling and complaining that they didn’t even have time for research these days.

“What do you expect me to do about it?!”

As if refusing to hear another word, Cheion covered his ears and vigorously shook his head.

“I clearly told them to install them one by one, starting with the most urgent areas, so they’ll get to the north eventually.”

So sue me!

“.......”

“...Gasp!”

But his bravado lasted only a moment. When Kainel’s murderous gaze shot toward him as though he really might split his belly open, Cheion hastily sucked back in the stomach he had defiantly thrust forward.

“Fine. I’ll tell them to install them in the north as quickly as possible too, so just wait a little. No, seriously, I’m telling you, we’re short on manpower!”

You think I’m discriminating because I want to?!

“We didn’t deliberately leave you out.”

“Discriminate against us one more time, and I might cut off your mana stone supply.”

Apparently having no intention of listening to Cheion’s excuses in the first place, Kainel merely delivered what he had come to say.

“Wow, that’s dirty. You always threaten me with mana stones!”

“So, should I cut them off?”

“...No.”

The moment Kainel brought up ice-attribute mana stones as leverage, Cheion hurriedly shook his head.

‘Tch.’

Still, apparently annoyed, he didn’t stop glaring at Kainel.

Petty bastard... Petty bastard......!

Of course, Kainel was absolutely not the sort of person who would so much as blink at that. If anything, he merely snorted as though Cheion were being ridiculous.

“Haah, this is why I can’t quit sweets.”

Nothing beat sweets when you were stressed. Cheion pulled something from his pocket. It was a fairly large bar of chocolate.

“...You’re going to eat all of that?”

“Of course.”

What was so big about this? Cheion actually looked disappointed that it wasn’t even larger as he tore open the chocolate wrapper.

“You’re not a child.”

Watching him, Kainel frowned with a slightly disgusted expression. His mouth felt sweet just from looking at it.

“Do you know who gave me this?”

“.......”

Kainel’s brow twitched when he saw the broad smile suddenly spreading across Cheion’s lips.

Don’t tell me.......

“Ceres bought it for me to eat. I guess she was worried about me while I was waiting for news about my younger brother, so she gave it to me as a consolation gift.”

“...Ceres did?”

“Yes.”

Flick.

“Aagh!”

At the hand that suddenly shot out, Cheion dropped the chocolate he had been holding onto the floor.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

Cheion shouted and hurriedly picked the chocolate back up. A satisfied smile appeared on Kainel’s lips at the sight.

“You should’ve taken better care of.......”

Munch, munch.

“...You’re eating it after it fell on the floor?”

But when Cheion picked up the fallen chocolate and began stuffing it into his mouth, Kainel had no choice but to frown again.

“She said it’s fine if you pick it up and eat it within three seconds.”

“Who did?”

“Ceres.”

“.......”

...You were still born an imperial prince. Do you really want to live like this?

“Ah, delicious.”

Despite Kainel’s pathetic-you look, Cheion smacked his lips even more exaggeratedly, as though deliberately trying to provoke him.

“It tastes even better because our Ceres bought it for me.”

“Fuck.......”

In the end, a quiet curse escaped Kainel’s lips.

Why the hell did she buy that bastard something like that? Did she have money to burn?