Chapter 35: Aftermath
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The Eternal Heart turned. Koen withdrew the communication stone and looked at Silver Badge 207, whose face was utterly dejected. He took away his mask as well, then said to Prince Haug:
“Leave him to you. As a Silver Badge assassin, he ought to have at least some intelligence in his head.”
Prince Haug nodded.
“After you finish the final day of the competition tomorrow, stop going out so casually. Someone has already commissioned the Black Tomb to deal with you. You must be more careful.”
Koen agreed.
After settling matters there, Koen turned to Nefertis.
“Are you planning to continue living in this manor? You have already fallen out with Bogus, and I’m worried they may make trouble for this place. After all, the manor technically still belongs to the Dupont family.”
Nefertis hesitated. This was precisely what concerned her.
If the Dupont family truly decided to come after her at any cost, there was not much a mere first-order mage like her could do.
Seeing her expression, Koen knew she was tempted but embarrassed to say so. He took the initiative.
“I own a small townhouse in Rose Lane, on Central Avenue in Firenze. If you don’t mind, you can stay there for the time being. It’s absolutely safe.”
A flush spread across Nefertis’s fair face.
“That doesn’t seem quite appropriate.”
Prince Haug gave Koen a contemptuous glance. As far as he knew, Rose Lane was home to quite a few mistresses kept by high-ranking officials and nobles.
There were plenty of places the boy could have arranged for her to stay, yet he had chosen that suggestive location.
Koen ignored Prince Haug’s gaze. He muttered inwardly, What would you know? I’m cultivating her goodwill in advance.
A mage from a prestigious lineage—and an exceedingly rare Mind Mage at that. How could a five-year contract possibly be enough? He intended to bind Nefertis firmly to his side.
Koen gave Nefertis no chance to refuse. He pulled out a sheet of stationery, wrote down an address, and handed her a key.
“I’ll send someone over to tidy the place tonight. You can move in tomorrow.”
Seeing the unquestionable look on Koen’s face, Nefertis did not refuse. Under Prince Haug’s strange gaze, she accepted the key.
Koen thought to himself, Does this count as keeping a mistress outside the home?
He only wondered whether Her Majesty the Queen would freeze him into an ice sculpture if she found out.
The queen naturally had no idea that her man had secretly taken the first step toward keeping a mistress.
At that moment, she was reading through the astonishing intelligence that had recently arrived from the Transcendent Arena:
A public confrontation with a legendary transcendent!
A divine chant!
“Summoning a god” had succeeded!
A suspected bargain with the God of War!
One man had defeated ten second-order transcendents while fighting above his level!
Unbelievable. Inconceivable. Utterly absurd.
Beside her, the prime minister felt a faint trace of regret. If only he had gone in person yesterday.
He wondered whether Prince Haug had met with Koen and conveyed the royal family’s intentions.
The queen remained silent for a long while, then waved her hand and wrote a letter. She summoned a palace maid and said:
“Deliver this to Prince Haug.”
The prime minister paced slowly and said softly:
“I hear he intends to continue challenging opponents above his level tomorrow... That would be a first-order mage against a third-order transcendent. If he succeeds again... I’m wondering whether I should go there myself tomorrow.”
The queen fell into thought. After a moment, she said:
“Let’s wait until the prince arrives and ask him about the situation first.”
...
After watching Nefertis leave, Prince Haug glanced at Koen.
“Her identity is far from simple. There is something ancient in the aura of sorcery surrounding her.”
Koen nodded slightly.
“She is a survivor of the Night Rose family.”
A flicker of emotion crossed Prince Haug’s face. He sighed.
“You certainly have courage. That family was destroyed through the combined efforts of the five great empires, and you still dare shelter her.”
Koen stretched lazily and said with complete indifference:
“That was so long ago. The emperors of the five great empires have changed several times since then. Who would still care about a minor female mage?”
As he spoke, the communication stone at Prince Haug’s waist began to vibrate.
He glanced at it.
“The queen has sent a letter. There may be something important.”
The two exchanged a glance. Koen said:
“She’s probably asking about the Dark Lord.”
Prince Haug nodded.
“After all, I’m here in name to recruit you. You performed so brilliantly today that the queen and the prime minister may well have developed ideas of their own.”
“Then let’s go back first.”
Koen returned to the residence with Prince Haug. After reading the letter, they found that it indeed concerned the Dark Lord. Without hesitation, they immediately set out for the palace.
On the way, Prince Haug asked:
“If they ask about the recruitment later, what should I say?”
Koen thought briefly before answering:
“Tell them the conversation went very well and that he was pleased with our sincerity. Otherwise, the queen and the others will certainly send someone else to approach me—or come themselves.”
When they entered the palace, the prime minister spoke first.
“Did you meet that Dark Lord?”
Prince Haug nodded.
“I did. The discussion progressed smoothly, and he was very satisfied with our sincerity.”
A genial expression appeared on the prime minister’s face. The queen asked from beside him:
“Could you determine his identity?”
Prince Haug shook his head.
“Not for the moment. However, we can be certain that he is probably a noble of Aifein.”
The answer put both of them considerably at ease.
The prime minister’s eyes flickered.
“I’m wondering whether I should meet this Dark Lord personally tomorrow.”
Prince Haug said gravely:
“Would it really be wise to approach him openly in front of so many factions?”
The prime minister’s expression stiffened slightly. He sighed.
“You’re right. We cannot create further complications at a time like this. Then I’ll simply go as a spectator and observe him. I’ll have those old fellows in the cabinet come along as well.”
The queen suddenly said:
“What if we secretly bring him into the palace?”
Prince Haug looked at her in surprise.
“If Your Majesty truly wishes to meet him, that is indeed an option. But I’ll have to discuss it with him first.”
The queen waved her hand.
“It isn’t me he would meet. It’s His Majesty. I want to appoint him as the emperor’s tutor.”
Koen was drinking tea. At those words, he suddenly choked, his face turning crimson as he began coughing uncontrollably.
The queen frowned slightly. With a gentle movement of her slender hand, a snowflake drifted into Koen’s body. At once, he felt a cool sensation rise within him, bringing extraordinary relief.
“What is wrong with His Majesty?”
Koen shook his head.
“Nothing. I... I already have one teacher in my sister. That’s enough.”
The furrow between the queen’s brows relaxed, and she said softly:
“I cannot remain at His Majesty’s side at all times. Having him serve as your teacher is only one purpose. More importantly, I hope you can sincerely befriend him. Having someone like that beside you will be of great benefit to your future.”
Koen wore an embarrassed expression and looked toward Prince Haug.
Prince Haug was stunned as well. He had not expected the queen to make such a proposal out of nowhere.
If the Dark Lord truly entered the palace, wouldn’t everything be exposed immediately?
He quickly said:
“Your Majesty, His Majesty has been placed under a spell. His state of mind... well, there are certain problems. If His Majesty were to meet him rashly, the man might look down on him instead, which would do nothing to benefit his future.”
The queen was momentarily taken aback. She had forgotten about that matter.
She turned to the prime minister.
“Father, when will that student of the Sacred Domain mage Victor arrive?”
The prime minister’s eyes flickered.
“You still refuse to give up?”
The queen’s gaze remained calm, but her determination was unmistakable.
The prime minister sighed.
“Probably in about half a month.”
“Very well. Then, Uncle, please maintain contact with him for the time being. Once the spell on His Majesty has been lifted, summon him to the palace.”
Koen and Prince Haug both breathed a sigh of relief. The latter immediately agreed.
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