Chapter 84: The Olive Branch
Her fingertips unconsciously traced a circle along the rim of her teacup.
“I am, nominally, the second princess,” Cecilia said, her voice low and calm. “But my mother was rely a maid whom the Emperor took a fancy to after drinking, and she died in childbirth when she gave birth to . Do you think my treatnt in the palace is good?” The self-mocking curve of her lips deepened. “No, I’m just a well-kept, rather refined little canary. If I hadn’t co up with so thods and actively asked to leave the palace for further studies, I’d probably have been paraded around at various social balls, waiting to be auctioned off, becoming a political pawn in so noble salon's marriage arrangent.”
There was no lie in her words. Based on what Ryan could gather from the limited palace gossip, this second princess’s background was indeed as she described.
The old emperor’s favorite son was the eldest prince, who had perished on the battlefield. Now, the second and third princes were vying for the throne, while their younger sister seed more like a pawn with royal blood that could be used to enhance the power of whichever prince won.
Cecilia lifted her eyes and looked at Ryan.
“So, Ryan, so things I can’t do myself, at least not openly. A princess with no political standing in the palace, if I rashly took action to bring down two noble families, even with irrefutable evidence, the rewards that followed would not be worth it,” she said, her lips pulling into a faint smile. “But a knife that unexpectedly proves sharp enough to burst a boil is different. The attack falls on the person holding the knife, while the one who hands it over can remain hidden in the shadows.”
She picked up her teacup again, and the tea had cooled enough that no more steam rose.
“You are that perfectly tid knife, Ryan Velt. Smart enough to read the clues; decisive enough to strike; and also—” Her gaze swept over Ryan’s impassive face, her tone shifting suddenly, “—I know you’re poor.”
Ryan’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
This hit close to the heart. Although, compared to most noble students, his pockets weren’t exactly full, and he didn’t have much. However, he made do by selling so magical tools, and with his little maid Cosette managing things, he was living relatively comfortably.
“Your father, Viscount William Velt, is from the lowest tier of nobility in the Northern Territories. His territory is the smallest, the land is barren, and the output is sparse. He doesn’t even have any barons under him,” Cecilia said, her tone calm. “Maintaining your family’s dignity is difficult enough, let alone supporting a young mage who requires vast resources. Your father offended the powerful Marquis Wilier of the North early on, and since then, he’s been ostracized from the Northern aristocracy, left isolated. Coming to Saint Roland, the family resources you can rely on are nearly nonexistent. Your choice to pursue the magic tool application specialization was wise, it’s a path that requires fewer resources upfront and depends more on personal insight and hands-on ability. But, Ryan—”
She leaned slightly forward, her sapphire eyes locking with his.
“—The in-depth study of magical tools, the deciphering of ancient runes, the acquisition and processing of rare materials, the verification of high-level magical theories... which of these doesn’t require a vast amount of gold and connections? With just the basic subsidies from the academy and Professor Ferguson’s favor, how far can you go? Are you really content to let the word ‘resource scarcity’ lock you into a limit on your potential? Whether it’s becoming a renowned archmage, the court’s chief alchemist, or just escaping your family’s predicant and gaining true autonomy... you need a lever.”
Her words cut through the crux of Ryan’s current predicant.
Many enemies, a declining family, a road that seed wide open, but each step might beco difficult due to a lack of resources.
“So, Ryan, cooperate with .” Cecilia extended a delicate hand, “I happen to need soone to help, and you need a partner who can provide a stage and resources.”
Cecilia had clearly done her research on Ryan, just as he had gathered enough information to understand her position.
She extended the invitation, and Ryan knew that accepting or refusing this offer likely ant stepping into the intricate and shadowy world of the second princess and the undercurrents of the Empire’s succession struggle—territory he had never fully explored, only heard rumors about.
Ryan remained silent for a mont, his gaze drifting from Cecilia’s face to Ilis, who stood silently beside her, and then back to Cecilia.
“Your Highness wants to be your... guard? Or subordinate?” he asked, “I see you already have capable people by your side.”
He was referring to Ilis.
“And with your ability to easily command the Royal Knights the other day, I assu you’re not lacking in people you can use. So why ?”
This question was a bit feigned, and Cecilia looked at him, her faint smile fading. She seed ready to stop circling around the topic.
“That’s right, I have people who can carry out orders,” she admitted. “But what I lack is soone who can read the chessboard and have the courage to make the moves with . They can’t fulfill my vision.”
She emphasized the word “vision.”
“Ryan, what I need is a partner—a partner who can help reach a higher position and share the results, not just a sword or a tool to carry out orders. In the past few terms, you’ve left with the impression of being arrogant, overbearing, and dismissive of others.”
“But this term, you’ve changed. You’ve clearly seen your own shortcoming—resources—and you decisively chose the path that can make the most use of your strengths while relying less on resources at the beginning. That shows you have sharp insight and pragmatic planning skills, not just reckless ambition. Many people enter the academy aimlessly, only realizing they’ve hit a wall before turning back, but you’ve already moved ahead.”
“You have talent, and you have the ambition not to be bound by the current situation, I can see that. But due to your background and lack of resources, there are many paths you can’t take and opportunities you can’t seize. And I, Ryan Velt, though I may seem like a powerless little canary of a princess, I actually have so resources, so channels, and so... intelligence from both the palace and the academy.”
“These things might not be enough to directly confront my brothers, but they can be used to invest in a partner I believe in, to help him overco so obstacles in his studies and research, and in return, I gain his future support and loyalty. I think it’s worth it.”
Her gaze was clear, placing the exchange of benefits right out in the open.
“You have many enemies, your family is in decline, and your father is struggling in the North. Trying to stand out in the academy on your own, gaining recognition and resources, is a road that is sure to be full of thorns and incredibly long. If you accept my offer, you can focus more on improving yourself, without exhausting yourself over the basic magical materials, rare book permissions, or even so essential intelligence. We can each take what we need.”
The pavilion fell quiet again, only the breeze brushing through. Ilis still stood, as silent and unresponsive as a perfect sculpture, not reacting at all to the conversation that would decide their future paths.
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