Chapter 17

In the Vichern imperial palace, four towers stood at each corner of a great square, and at its center was the main palace where the emperor resided.

On the vast red dome of the main palace’s ceiling was painted the history of Emperor Sirilka’s struggle for the throne half a millennium ago.

The barrier began at the main palace, and from there it spread out to encase the imperial palace without a single gap. The barrier climbed the walls of the palace, forming a great dome that protected it.

The barrier ritual took place in the central courtyard, the very center of the main palace. The courtyard was the only place in the main palace where the sky was visible. Thanks to that, one could see both the barrier on the walls and the barrier in the air.

When the barrier ritual began, the barrier that was normally invisible slowly revealed itself. Those attending the ritual for the first time, like me, could not hold back their admiration at the sight of the barrier they had never seen before.

‘It’s like a giant soap bubble.’

That was the entirety of my impression.

There had been several barrier rituals in the past, but Nolmen Erdona had never bothered to bring me to one. It was the same after he fell into his coma.

Gizelle had always attended the barrier ritual alone, as always, and I had no complaints about that. If Pavel had not specifically sent me an invitation, I would not have attended this year either.

The number of mages registered with the imperial court was currently just over fifty. Fifty across the entire empire. That made it clear just how few mages there were.

‘I wonder how many mages there are in Cersi.’

Not all mages were needed for the barrier ritual. Only a few mages especially gifted at handling mana could attend.

‘Like Gizelle, for instance.’

I had not known before, but attending the barrier ritual today made me realize something anew.

This barrier ritual, too, seemed to be yet another device to make Gizelle—the heroine of this world—stand out.

At the barrier ritual, Gizelle would display her innate talent to the fullest, more than anyone, and imprint upon the people that she was the next imperial mage.

‘How boring.’

So to me, this was nothing more than a well-staged play.

Among the five mages attending today’s barrier ritual, including Gizelle, was Dahlia. While they examined the barrier, I stood faithfully by Pavel’s side, as he had commanded.

The nobles standing in a circle cast sharp glances at me, who stood across from the mages in the center.

‘This is why I didn’t want to stand by his side.’

Just as people firmly believed Gizelle was all but certain to become the next imperial mage, they firmly believed Pavel would become her fiancé.

After this moment, people would think that I, unable to bear my envy of Gizelle, had even set my sights on the seat beside Pavel.

“You don’t look well.”

“…I’m feeling a little unwell.”

It was not a complete lie. It was true that I could not bear the people’s whispering and sharp glances, but in fact, I had been feeling nauseous for a while now.

Had there been something wrong with the fruit wine I drank with Dahlia earlier? But Dahlia, examining the barrier in the center, looked perfectly fine. So it did not seem to be the wine.

I took a deep breath to soothe my stomach.

“Oh dear. Are you very ill?”

At Pavel’s whispered words, I swallowed hard. Something about his voice made it seem as though he might actually let me go if I asked nicely.

“Yes. I apologize, but may I be excused, Your Highness?”

He turned his head to look down at me as though weighing the truth of my words. I showed him all the earnestness I could.

“No.”

Despite my earnestness, Pavel answered briefly and firmly. I did not dare ask again, so I quietly turned my head forward.

I could feel Pavel’s gaze from beside me, but I did not commit the folly of meeting his eyes again.

The mages examining the barrier were now creating barriers on their palms.

The barrier, which had looked as though it would pop at a touch like a soap bubble, was slowly but surely being strengthened.

From the mages’ mouths flowed incantations handed down from ancient times. They were words I could not understand at all.

Watching them, Chadwick’s words kept coming to mind.

‘That I’m a mage. That’s absurd.’

Perhaps there had been something wrong with that judgment stone. The more my thoughts drifted in that direction, the more nauseous I felt.

At last, when the incantation flowed from Gizelle’s lips, the barrier began to strengthen even faster. Small gasps of admiration burst from the people.

My stomach churned, and now even standing was difficult.

“I thought you were feigning illness.”

“…You dislike lies, Your Highness.”

“For someone who knows that, you do not listen to me.”

Pavel spoke to me as though he had been watching me the entire time.

“You may go in now.”

Contrary to my belief that he would keep me by his side to the end, permission to leave fell from his lips. I could not delay any longer.

“Then I will take my leave first, Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

It was clear that Pavel had placed me by his side for no particular reason. He had returned to his usual indifferent face and was watching the barrier ritual.

I moved my steps slowly. I wanted to run out at once, but there were others’ eyes on me, and above all, I felt too unwell to move quickly.

The barrier climbed the pillars of the courtyard and rose higher. As I approached the arched exit, I saw the barrier on that side’s pillars filling in slowly.

Just as I was about to leave the courtyard, my vision wavered. I grabbed a pillar to keep from falling and barely avoided humiliation.

At that moment, a surging sensation and a feeling like the blood in my body was freezing swept over me.

“Oh, how can this be!”

At the same time, gasps came from behind me, but it was no time to pay attention to such things. If I stayed here even a little longer, I might vomit in front of everyone. I covered my mouth with my palm and hurriedly fled the place.

A long corridor stretched out before my eyes. The more I walked, the longer the corridor seemed to grow. My body, too, gradually slowed.

In the end, my body collapsed in an instant. Before I closed my eyes, the hard, cold floor of the corridor pressed fully against my cheek.

My eyelids fell against my will. I regretted belatedly that I should have feigned illness and left that place earlier.

Before my consciousness completely faded, I heard someone’s footsteps. Then someone lifted my body. The next moment, I lost consciousness completely.

* * *

The barrier ritual was, in many ways, a taxing affair. Gizelle knew all too well what people expected of her.

She was destined to become the next imperial mage. That was not arrogance but conviction. She possessed an ability that no one else could approach.

But the barrier ritual was no easy task. It drained a great deal of stamina as well.

Gizelle uttered the incantation she had never once forgotten. The speed at which the barrier strengthened accelerated the moment her lips parted.

The corner of Gizelle’s mouth rose slightly. But she quickly smoothed her expression. She heard small gasps of admiration from all around.

The barrier ritual required sustaining a powerful spell for a long time. From now on, it was a matter of concentration.

As the barrier spread, it could be seen layering over itself more and more. The more it did, the more pride Gizelle felt in her own ability.

“Oh, how can this be!”

Suddenly, the barrier shot up into the air in an instant. The power gathered in the center spread outward, completing the dome-shaped barrier.

‘What is this…?’

It was a sudden event, as though something had lent its power. Gizelle was somewhat taken aback, but she calmed herself before anyone could notice.

People gasped in admiration toward Gizelle. She heard their praises, but this time it did not please her much. Something had gone wrong.

‘That wasn’t me.’

Gizelle was not such a fool as to fail to tell that much. She subtly looked around, but there were only the four other mages nearby, struggling more than she was.

‘Who was it?’

Apart from her confused mind, the incantation continued to spill from her lips.

When the barrier was finally completed, people applauded them with reverence. Gizelle responded to their applause with the most beautiful and dignified smile of anyone.

She turned her head to look around, but the face that should have been visible among the nobles standing in a circle was nowhere to be seen.

‘Pavel is gone.’

It felt as though something she had been sure was in her grasp was slipping through her fingers. Gizelle bit the inside of her cheek at the helplessness she was feeling for the first time in her life.

* * *

My eyelids were heavy as lead. Even blinking required tremendous effort.

‘Where am I?’

Even with my blurry focus, I could tell that the place I was lying was not the Erdona estate.

Even after I could move my body freely again, I still could not tell where I was.

“…Excuse me.”

My voice sounded pathetic even to my own ears. It was so hoarse it could barely send a nearby gnat flying. In the end, I gave up on calling for someone and raised my body.

Just sitting up made the world spin.

‘Come to think of it, why did I collapse?’

Even while the barrier ritual was in full swing, I had only felt nauseous—my condition had not been bad enough to collapse.

It had not been a lie when I told Pavel I should leave. But that did not mean my condition had been that bad.

Suddenly, I remembered the sensation of something surging and draining out from within me. My condition had definitely worsened after that.

After that, I had gone out into the corridor, taken only a few steps, and collapsed.

It took effort, as though someone kept pulling me down to the floor, just to lower one foot at a time from the bed and then raise my body.

‘Is this the imperial palace?’

Come to think of it, someone had lifted my body at the last moment.

“…Pavel?”

The only person who had been beside me was him, but surely he had not been the one to find me…

“Seems I was called by name quite often.”

“Ack!”