Chapter 8: Dream (2)
Being a maid was a busy job.
“If the master stays ho all the ti, they’re a bad master.”
Hiren’s senior always told her that.
“Listen well, Hiren. You’re very lucky.”
According to her senior, Grand Heir Elaine Serzila was a good master.
The people of the Inner Fortress thought the Grand Heir rarely left her quarters, but the maids serving in the mansion knew otherwise.
The Grand Heir took breakfast in the mansion.
Then she went out and returned late at night to sleep.
So the maids’ most tense ti was every morning.
When the Grand Heir coughed and prepared to go out.
“Hiren, don’t make mistakes.”
Her senior reminded her every morning, but Hiren thought it was excessive.
The Grand Heir was broad-minded.
Maybe not kind, but she never pointed out a maid’s mistakes.
“It’s because we live in different worlds.”
When the Grand Heir overlooked Hiren’s mistake, her senior had said that.
The Grand Heir was too busy watching enemies beyond the wall and the people within to care about a re plate.
Thus, the Grand Heir was a noble worthy of respect.
Even Hiren, who knew little of the world, respected her.
But today, the Grand Heir was acting strange.
“What’s this?”
I watched Hiren stare blankly at what Elaine pointed to.
It was the tea prepared for her waking hour.
“Snowflower tea.”
Water steeped with dried snowflowers.
Snowflowers were called weeds in the North, but they grew through snow with intense heat.
Every Northerner had tasted them.
Elaine enjoyed snowflower tea every morning.
“Was the color always this dark?”
Elaine glared at the tea she drank daily.
Then she turned her gaze to Hiren. Her eyes were sohow sharp.
“Uh, Hiren, right? Did you always avoid my eyes?”
“Y-Yes? Yes!”
Hiren, confused, bowed her head deeply.
She rarely t Elaine’s eyes, but now it felt like she really shouldn’t.
Elaine didn’t drink the snowflower tea in the end.
“Why does today’s al taste especially good? Who prepared it?”
Today’s Grand Heir seed sensitive.
The cook who prepared breakfast ca out and bowed like Hiren.
“Laurent. Were you always this diligent?”
Laurent, moving supplies, bowed too.
“The windows are so clean. Like magic. How’d you clean them?”
Hiren’s senior, cleaning the windows, paled.
It sounded like praise, but Elaine’s gaze was ferocious.
It was scarier because she wasn’t usually like this.
“I’m going crazy.”
Elaine muttered.
Hiren felt like she was going crazier.
***
It felt awkward to say myself, but Elaine was popular.
The people believed without doubt she’d be the future Grand Duke, soldiers admired her, and knights pledged to follow.
Proof she was on the right path as Serzila’s heir.
It wasn’t always free of burden, but I never thought it was an ill-fitting role.
Elaine had the will to live up to everything directed at her.
She believed her talent was given for that purpose.
So, if given trust, she’d return it with trust; if given love, she’d care deeply; if followed, she’d grant victory.
Was that trust, love, and loyalty truly genuine?
Until yesterday, I could’ve confidently said yes.
“Suspect everything.”
Liquor and cigarettes, once tasted, kept coming to mind.
Of course, I was confident I could quit them anyti.
I enjoyed them because they didn’t harm my body.
Because they erased the occasional burden and stress.
“How’s that? Starting to suspect soone who seed fine before?”
Suspicion?
‘I’m really going crazy.’
I couldn’t quit it.
Everyone I saw seed suspicious. People precious until yesterday looked like mages.
No way, right?
I’d never suspected the owner of my favorite tavern might be a mage.
I’d never thought there’d be a tunnel under Serzila leading to the border.
But the food I’d enjoyed as Ellen was magic, and there was a tunnel under this land to the border.
I couldn’t deny I’d been swayed by magic.
A mistake the Grand Heir of Serzila shouldn’t make.
I couldn’t let go of the suspicion I’d learned from that mistake.
‘The Church is impressive.’
How did they not go insane living like this?
I realized anew how crazy the Church was. Looking through their lens, there wasn’t a single non-mage.
‘Mages are even more impressive.’
The continental mages who hadn’t been caught seed greater than the Church.
How did they survive in such suspicion?
I was impressed that I, at twenty, hadn’t been caught.
Iagar had a Church of the Sun and Moon. My family’s influence helped, but I’d fooled the Church’s eyes.
‘They said he was frail.’
The Intelligence Bureau advised not to expect much from Harad Iagar.
They said he was so weak-hearted after killing a servant, he barely left his room, fearing his magic would be exposed.
‘Frail, my foot.’
They said he might not even control his magic, but he wielded it well.
Magic wasn’t all. He had guts. Who’d dare insult Serzila’s upbringing?
‘And cunning.’
Maybe it was his special sun Origin that let him spot the mage owner, but finding the tunnel was his keen observation.
‘Saying he can identify mages must be true. No reason to lie when it’d be exposed quickly.’
Skilled, bold, and clever.
‘Iagar was unlucky.’
If I weren’t a mage, Iagar’s future might’ve been bright.
I could’ve been a fine count ruling the domain.
‘The Intelligence Bureau might really be slacking.’
How could they call him incompetent?
You could undervalue him for being a mage in casual talk, but intelligence shouldn’t be tainted by sentint…
“Grand Heir.”
A noise broke the rhythmic sound of the wind.
Elaine stopped swinging her sword and turned. A young man stood there.
Young only in appearance. He was one of only five Swordmasters in Serzila.
“I see distraction.”
Mores Palaz.
Ten years ago, he retired as the 1st Knights’ commander and took up teaching swordsmanship.
“Sorry. I’m not focused today.”
“You’re always like that.”
“But you only point it out.”
“It’s all I can do.”
Not flattery, but sincerity.
My swordplay was flawless despite the distraction.
“Teach sothing.”
“There’s nothing left to teach.”
Also true.
Mores had nothing left to teach .
There was much, but my talent greedily took it all.
“How to beco a Swordmaster.”
“Didn’t I say it can’t be taught? You’ll realize it in battle when the ti cos.”
It wasn’t a realm reached by effort.
Nor by talent alone. You had to cross countless life-or-death monts.
My talent would shorten those monts, but I still had to face them.
“Then send to those monts.”
“Soon it’s hunting day, isn’t it?”
“You know that’s hunting, not life-or-death.”
“It’s still too dangerous for you.”
“You say I need those monts but won’t send into battle.”
I gave a bitter smile.
“Forget it. Just complaints.”
It wasn’t Mores’ fault.
A peerless genius, yet I’d never seen real combat.
I’d faced only low-grade Magical Beasts, never an Otherworld mage.
Grand Duke Aratus’ orders.
Very un-Northern, but… he didn’t want in battle.
“…There must be a reason.”
“Not a deep one.”
The knights didn’t know why, but I did.
Because I was a daughter, not a son.
Not that he disrespected .
The Grand Duke acknowledged as his heir.
He acknowledged my talent surpassed his.
…He just cherished terribly.
He was the one who first suggested my escapades, wasn’t he?
Before that, I’d never thought to rely on a Magical Item or live as a woman.
‘…It’s liberating.’
The thrill of those escapades was beyond imagination.
So addictive, I sotis wondered what it’d be like to live like that forever.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Mores changed the subject.
“I wondered if you might be a mage.”
Mores imbued his sword with Aura and pointed to it.
Mages couldn’t have Aura.
“I know, not you. But I’m starting to think what’s obvious might not be. Not you, but those without Aura.”
Mores’ eyebrow twitched.
To the experienced knight, it wasn’t an unfamiliar idea.
“Did you et a Church mber?”
“No. I just heard the Church suspects everything.”
“A tiring mindset. Best not to dwell on it.”
Mores stated firmly.
He’d survived long as a knight and even killed a 5th Rank mage.
So I could trust him.
Normally, I would’ve.
“Then what if soone you brushed off was actually a mage?”
“The Church’s paranoia is because their influence isn’t absolute.”
The Church of Sun and Moon was at its peak, thanks to the Saintess.
But their influence didn’t cover the entire continent. It was too vast.
“But you, Grand Heir, Serzila is the North’s absolute. Even the Otherworld can’t cross that wall.”
Mores pointed to the towering wall, touching the clouds.
As long as Serzila existed, the Otherworld wouldn’t breach it.
“Even if a mage crossed, even if there were heaps of them, their nature is Serzila.”
And yet…
“The price of arrogance isn’t paid by Serzila. It’s the North.”
Why did Harad’s words co to mind?
“All I know is the Intelligence Bureau is careless.”
If they were truly careless…
It wasn’t just the Bureau.
I looked at Mores. I looked up at the Grand Duke’s mansion. My gaze stopped at one spot. The smallest annex.
“I rembered so business.”
“Training isn’t over.”
“I’ve already finished today’s assignnt.”
I swung my sword casually.
The Aura shot from it split into ten.
“…”
Mores was speechless.
I was told to split it into five, but I did twice that.
“…Impressive. Even His Grace only managed four at your age…”
Mores, regaining his composure, offered praise.
But no one was listening. I was already running off.
***
It was midnight, yet Elaine slled of sweat.
‘She ditched Mores’ sword training.’
Still, sweating was praiseworthy.
‘Less lazy back then, huh? Probably hasn’t tasted her talent fully yet.’
When I got close to Elaine in my previous life, she didn’t even sweat in personal training.
It was an excuse to escape.
“I want to get caught.”
When I asked why she lived like that, that’s what she said.
“It’s not fun. I understand everything after one look. Ever solved a problem with the answer key? You wouldn’t know. It’s boring.”
“I know you’re crazy.”
“I just want to fill what my talent can’t.”
“You’re too full.”
“You can’t understand this loneliness, can you?”
It was so infuriating.
“Harad!”
“I hear you.”
I answered dully.
But my eyes shone brighter than ever.
Ellen could make mistakes, but Elaine couldn’t.
Yet Elaine changed her address in a single day.
“Did you dream?”
Elaine’s eyes widened.
I realized my mistake from her expression.
‘Oops.’
A mistake, if you could call it that.
For the question to feel natural, I should’ve asked yesterday too.
But yesterday, I asked Ellen, not Elaine.
“I did dream.”
Luckily, Elaine didn’t think that far.
‘When she doesn’t use her head at all.’
I asked, relieved.
“What dream?”
“You. Trembling when you saw .”
My eyes glinted.
Our first eting in my previous life. Elaine dread that mory.
“Are you the hostage from Iagar? Frail as they said.”
“…”
“Your magic’s fire, right? Light this. It’s a cigarette from the Otherworld. Do it well, and I’ll give you one. What, you can’t use magic? Worse idiot than I heard.”
“Ugh…”
Back then, I just wanted to die.
But I didn’t have the courage to kill myself. Nor to be killed.
“You pissed yourself too.”
“I didn’t piss myself.”
“How would you know?”
“I’m not that kind of person.”
“You’re right. You didn’t actually.”
I hid a laugh.
‘Not a physical provocation, then.’
I got a rough sense of what provocation was needed.
“So why are you here?”
“…”
Her expression suggested she had a lot to say, but Elaine didn’t speak.
Because it was Elaine here, not Ellen.
Unlike Ellen, all Elaine had shared with was a few words.
“…I rembered you insulted Serzila yesterday.”
“You insulted first.”
“I apologize for that. I was rude. Even if you’re a mage, I shouldn’t have. You’re Serzila’s hostage.”
Elaine admitted it plainly.
That’s why, even as a rival in my previous life, I couldn’t hate her.
She’d go wild enough to make you want to kill her, but she owned her mistakes.
“That’s why you ca?”
“No… Yes.”
Elaine denied, then affird.
“I accept.”
“Thanks.”
“Then go.”
“What?”
“I’m busy.”
I didn’t look busy at all.
Until Elaine opened the door, I’d been lying in bed.
“You don’t look busy.”
“Mages can train lying down.”
I sparked a fla in front of my chest.
The flow of magic was smooth, proving it wasn’t a lie.
“Not leaving?”
Elaine bit her lip.
Despite the blunt dismissal, she didn’t leave.
No, she couldn’t. mories of last night kept burning like flas in her mind.
They gave her a suspicion complex, but that ti was aningful.
The tunnel. Beyond its shaful existence.
‘It was useful.’
Valuable enough to be considered a lesson.
Where else could you hear a mage’s knowledge and perspective?
‘…Serzila doesn’t need it.’
Know your enemy to kill them?
Before overwhelming power, everything was futile. That was Serzila’s na.
But I felt a thirst.
For sothing my talent couldn’t fill.
I’d always craved such things.
“…Do you like to drink?”
“I enjoy it as much as anyone.”
“Then we’ll go drinking tonight?”
“I was going to, but I’ve got no money. I’m a hostage.”
“I’ll pay.”
Elaine pulled all the money from her pocket. Two gold coins and five silver ones were placed in my hand.
“Too much.”
“Consider it compensation. I ssed up yesterday.”
“I did too, so we’re even.”
“Take it. And go out. Where to?”
“You’ll follow?”
“No way. Just being polite.”
“The Snow Leopard’s Footprint.”
The Snow Leopard’s Footprint was a tavern across from the Flower District’s underbelly.
“Got it. Have fun.”
***
The Snow Leopard’s Footprint.
Entering the tavern, I saw a woman at the bar.
“A coincidence?”
It was Ellen.
‘Knights are fast. I left first.’
I replied without showing it.
“Quite a coincidence.”
“Got money today?”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“Pour a drink. You’re buying.”
“…”
Ellen’s fine brow furrowed.
Seeing that, I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘Returning brings this kind of fun.’
Not a bad feeling at all.
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