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‘Who could it be?’
That was the first question that crossed my mind.
Though train robberies were quite frequent, it didn’t make sense that the arrow was aimed precisely at my heart.
Starting with Miloa, countless faces flashed before my eyes.
I quickly came to a conclusion.
I don’t know.
There were too many people, whether from the First Prince’s side or the Second Prince’s, who would be happy to see me dead.
Even among the neutrals, there were surely those who weren’t too pleased with my sudden appearance shaking things up. There are those who reject change everywhere.
Lastly, there was the possibility of a simple train robber. In fact, the only way for me to find the mastermind was to capture the one who fired the quarrel at me and interrogate them.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?!”
Reina, who had rushed out from the bathroom, along with Vernon from the next car and Aidol, surrounded Aira.
Looking past the bodyguards’ backs toward the window. Masked figures on horseback were galloping alongside the train.
A mage with flames flickering above his head was particularly noticeable.
‘So that’s what the explosive sound was?’
Shwaaah-
Flames shot toward the train again.
Kwaaang!
– Fire! Put out the fire!
Fortunately, it didn’t have enough force to derail the train. Defensive magic was installed on trains since robberies happened every now and then. It seemed to be doing its job solidly.
Trains in this life aren’t as fast as those from my previous life.
About 60km/h?
For short distances, a horse can easily outrun a train.
“What do we do with those things?”
“Hmm… Jump off?”
“Even if you jump off and take care of one, what about the rest? And how are we going to chase the train?”
“Run?”
“Are you a 6-star knight? Do you have mana to spare?”
As the knights frowned and thought of ways to deal with the monsters.
“It’s already slow. Now we have these filthy things sticking to us.”
Fran, her face half-green from motion sickness, approached the window.
“It’s dangerous.”
Vernon the Brawler, who thought of Fran as something like his private tutor, approached her in alarm to stop her.
─!
Then he stopped, feeling a powerful wave of magic centered on Fran.
“Get lost, you brats!”
Bang! Bang! Bang-aaang!
Crackle- Crackle─!
Lightning bolts from a clear sky rained down, striking the monsters.
– eeek!
– Gwaaagh!
The horses and monsters that had been following the train disappeared from view, charred black.
The situation ended in an instant.
Fran wiped them all out without leaving a single one to ask about who was behind this.
“That was refreshing.”
That’s a 7-star magician.
A walking strategic weapon capable of single-handedly unleashing the power of a legion.
“Uh…”
Fran returned to her seat with an indifferent expression. The escort knights were speechless as they watched her pull her hood down and recline in her chair.
They recalled the process of taking Fran as their ‘teacher’.
***
“You’re going to the Merten Territory in two days? Why there?”
“On the surface, it is to give my weary mind and body a rest from the royal trials and hearings.”
The king granted permission more easily than I had expected.
Our relationship remains ‘normal’…… Is it not so much goodwill as a mild curiosity about me, struggling to survive in the palace?
Well, since he promptly processes most of my requests, I thought that would do.
“What do you mean by ‘on the surface’? Why are you telling me this?”
“I wish for Lady Fran to accompany me.”
“Me? Why would I go there?”
There is an off-chance.
The faceless dragon might react differently than I had imagined. If the 7th-rank mage Fran accompanies me, subjugation may be impossible, but at least retreat would be viable.
That was the biggest reason I wanted to take her along.
Now, it’s time for persuasion.
I picked up a crumpled piece of paper lying around in her study.
“Don’t you need a lot of magic stones?”
“Do you even understand what I’m researching?”
“I have a vague concept of it. **You’re trying to artificially create the output of a higher-grade magic stone using multiple lower-grade magic stones, right?**
“You were studying that scrap of paper intently last time, so you did some studying? I thought you were busy?”
“Since you might become my teacher, I got interested in Lady Fran’s research.”
“Heh.”
The spell formula written on the paper, I had memorized it. To grasp the concept of her research, I had practiced spells that I couldn’t use due to mana deficiency through the skill window.
After learning a few 3rd-rank spells, I finally grasped what Fran was researching.
‘Thanks to that, my RP was halved.’
But since I would have had to learn them eventually, it wasn’t too much of a waste.
To be honest, if it was just about finding a magic tutor, I wouldn’t have needed to cling to Fran.
From the magic books of the Red Tower, Fran’s alma mater, and the Blue Tower, which has a close relationship with it, I had discovered messages left behind by some mages.
It’s a bit pretentious for me to say this myself, but it’s a talent that even a 7th-rank mage would covet. **Moreover, I’m the prince of the kingdom. Wouldn’t at least one of them be quite interested in becoming my teacher?**
However, I quickly dismissed the thought of seeking out a mage other than Fran.
‘I don’t just need a simple magic tutor.’
I was always told to conceal 30% of my strength.
Unless it’s a life-or-death crisis, I want to hide the fact that I’m learning magic.
The 1st Prince and 2nd Prince, who are watching me with subtle gazes. If they find out that I have a talent for magic beyond swordsmanship……
‘They might even get rid of me first while holding hands.’
Since Pran was a close friend of my great-grandfather, it would not be strange for her to stay at the Emerald Palace under the pretext of looking after my well-being.
She would not easily think that I was learning magic from her.
And the biggest thing is,
‘It’s an opportunity to have a Seven-Star Mage by your side. Money is not a problem.’
When I was thinking like that, Pran narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth.
“By the way, did you know? Mages really hate it when someone secretly peeks at their research.”
From noble mtl dot com
Even the owner of the neighborhood bakery would dislike it if someone looked at the recipe he was researching without permission. I apologized obediently.
“That’s… I’m sorry. I thought it was unimportant since it was just carelessly thrown on the floor.”
“Now you know. It’s also my fault for not thinking you were learning magic. Be careful next time.”
“Is Pran’s goal still to become a Matop?”
“Of course. That’s the lifelong wish of every mage.”
“And what you’re researching now is for that purpose, right?”
“That’s right. You can’t just build a Matop with a snap of your fingers. Well, sometimes when I look at you, I wonder if it’s possible. If this research succeeds, I’ll have the funds to build a Matop in an instant.”
Pran licked her lips as she looked at the papers scattered in the laboratory.
“Pran. I don’t have enough money yet to hire you as my teacher. But I do know some investment information that would make the tuition fee you mentioned last time feel like pocket change. I don’t share this with just anyone.”
“That’s what con artists often say……”
“How could I possibly con you, Pran, who was a close friend of my great-grandfather and an advisor to the Northern Liberation Army? Once you hear it, you’ll pack your bags right away to take a train with me.”
“…… Tell me.”
At her words, I smiled faintly.
From an undeveloped mine to Miloa and now Pran. I was a little worried about how I would deal with the consequences if things didn’t go as planned.
“If you don’t want to join me, please don’t tell anyone else about this. I’m telling you this because it’s you, Pran. So this is……”
The die is cast.
I had already crossed the point of no return the moment I swapped [Barisada] with a counterfeit.
A man should go all-in at least once in his life…….
Come to think of it, I had already done something similar during the royal trial and the hearing? Doesn’t the saying go, “Third time’s the charm”? This is the last time.
“…Your Highness. Prince Evan.”
I opened my eyes at the sound of Alfonso’s voice.
“Did you sleep well? You were so soundly asleep that you missed the meal.”
Thump, thump.
Still not accustomed to the vibrations of the train. Feeling a dull ache, I stretched my limbs. After turning my head around and loosening my neck, I looked out the window.
A city could be seen in the distance.
It was Merton, the westernmost city in the west.
Screech─ screeech!
The train came to a stop, and I disembarked from the carriage under the escort of the knights.
“Miss!”
“We heard there was a big incident in the capital!”
Members of the Merton Count’s household were there to greet us. One who appeared to be the captain of the knights glared at the knight who had been guarding Aira, as if to devour him.
“You committed a crime punishable by death!”
“Captain. Please mind your manners, the Fifth Prince is here.”
“Oh! I have been discourteous. My apologies, Fifth Prince. Thank you for rescuing the young lady.”
“Not at all. It is rather embarrassing that such an incident occurred in the heart of the capital.”
The brief commotion soon settled down.
Perhaps because I had prevented the fat man from harassing Aira, everyone seemed well-disposed towards me. The relationship status displayed through the status window showed all as friendly.
It felt different from the palace, where caution and hostility were the norm once outside the Emerald Palace.
It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling.
“Shall we proceed?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
We moved to the lord’s castle and unpacked our belongings first.
A dinner gathering with the Count’s family was arranged for the evening, so I rested comfortably until then.
And the time for the banquet arrived.
The Count, the Countess, the young master, and Aira were present. The eldest son was said to be away on a business trip to the southern region.
“Prince Evan, we were truly shocked when we heard the news. Once again, thank you for helping our Aira.”
“Thank you so much, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.”
They expressed their gratitude to me repeatedly. I lost count of how many times I had heard those words today.
“No. I merely did what had to be done.”
He responded politely and surveyed his companions.
The bodyguards, who ate several times more than ordinary people, were drooling over the served food.
“But who is that person?”
A young prince of seven years old pointed at Pran, who wore a deeply pulled-down hood. He could easily conceal his ears with magic if he wanted, yet he chose to go around like that.
From what I’ve heard, covering the ears causes a tremendous sense of stuffiness. Well, it’s not a sensation I as a human can understand, so there’s that.
“P-Pran?”
“Long time no see, Albert, Merilda.”
Upon seeing Pran lower his hood, the Earl of Merton’s pupils shook. Then he furtively glanced at his wife’s reaction.
The Countess chuckled and spoke up, “Oh my. It’s our dear Pran, Albert’s first love! **Hohoho**, you should have sent word ahead.”
“Stop teasing my husband, Merilda. You were the one who encouraged Albert to confess to me back then.”
“Hohoho.”
It seemed there was an amusing past between them. The already lively atmosphere became even more so, thanks to Pran.
It was a hundred times more enjoyable than the New Year’s banquet.
After the meal, I had a private conversation with the Earl.
The role of the Merton earldom is crucial in my plan. They will be responsible for the primary distribution of **Mana Stones** produced from the mines. If I explained my plan, they would surely participate actively.
Or so I thought…
Upon hearing my explanation, the Earl let out a derisive laugh and said, “You mean to develop the mines with those **Dwarf** rabble? It would be more realistic to pursue a logging business with the noble **Elves**.”