“One side already knows, but…”
I had already figured out the true identity of the magic cast over the castle long ago. After all, I heard it directly from Minerva, the original NPC.
A magic that harms no humans and, in fact, helps them. The lord himself believed he was under a curse and had been praising himself for it, but I knew very well that the reality was quite different.
However, I was curious about why the Empress allowed that guy to run rampant.
In the game, the Empress was simply depicted as having left the previous lord’s whim unchecked regarding the dismantling of the Silver Dawn Knights, with no explanation provided for why.
Players had to groan and gather information, utilizing every resource possible on Brightest Darkness, and even that wasn’t 100% certain. If I could hear the truth from Minerva’s own lips, I would welcome it with open arms.
“Alright, Minerva. What do I need to do?”
“Right now, just listen to me. The child will assist after that.”
Minerva picked up a snack from the table, biting into it with a crunch as she opened her mouth.
“What do you know about the magic of the castle?”
I quietly swallowed the urge to say I knew everything up to my throat. I thought there might be some changes compared to the game.
The knight commanders’ lodging, once a plain building with a training ground, had transformed into a large castle, hadn’t it? Other things might have changed as well.
“I just know that the man discovered an ancient curse somewhere and, to harass or even kill the Silver Dawn Knights, he asked for that curse to be placed over the castle, offering an immense fortune.”
“That’s how it is portrayed on the surface.”
“….On the surface, you say?”
“The one who used that magic is me. So, the only one who knows the truth is me, and since I’ve kept my mouth shut, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
So far, that part was the same.
Minerva’s scarlet tongue peeked out between her lips, seductively licking the snack crumbs from her fingers before she reached for another piece.
“The curse that your father… um, I wonder if I shouldn’t call him that anymore? The curse that came from Aurora’s father was, in fact, not a curse but magic. Very powerful magic that only a select few can use, indeed, very advanced magic.”
Crunch, the snack crumbled between her front teeth.
“You’ve lived in that castle and experienced it firsthand, so you must have realized how convenient it is, right? As long as you are careful not to let things disappear at random, you can defy the laws of the world and infinitely increase everything.”
Certainly, it would be convenient.
With the magic cast over the entire castle, if it had only been limited to a certain area, it would be an incredible magic that could provide unlimited supplies of food or weapons, for instance.
To put it extremely, if you put gold in a chest and used magic, you could create gold infinitely. Wouldn’t the same magic that could restore bread or even soup be able to recreate gold?
Since Minerva didn’t seem to use the magic for such purposes, it wasn’t omnipotent; it seems there were some restrictions, but the details were unclear.
“This is why I didn’t correct the misunderstanding. If it’s revealed that the magic is not a curse, the world will definitely fall into great confusion. I don’t want that. You don’t think similarly, do you?”
I nodded. That was something I could guess just by thinking about it a little.
“Another thing. If the request to place the curse was refused, that guy would undoubtedly have plotted something else, so I thought it better to let him think his plan succeeded.”
After munching on a few more snacks and licking her fingers, Minerva continued.
“And one more thing. This is a deeply personal reason, but… I just didn’t like that guy.”
So there were indeed changes.
The reason why Arcania, the original NPC of Minerva, didn’t bother to correct the previous lord’s misunderstanding was simply because she had no interest in anything besides magic research.
Whether the previous lord mistook magic for a curse or what results occurred as a result of the magic had no relevance to Arcania’s interests as long as it didn’t pertain to her research.
But here, it was because she disliked the lord, and there was a bit more consideration for the Silver Dawn Knights.
More human than in the game.
Arcania had an incredible knack for annoying people.
“I understand perfectly. So the next thing you said you’d tell me is….”
“About why Kaiquilia spared that guy? Of course, I will tell you.”
The knowledge I already had about the magic over the castle didn’t seem drastically different, so I felt I didn’t need to hear more.
I carefully changed the subject. Now it was time to ask what I was truly curious about.
“Officially, it’s known that Kaiquilia killed anyone who could pose even a slight threat to her position due to her obsession with power. The person deemed too fallen and unsuitable for the Empress’s position was spared because it wasn’t a threat.”
“That’s correct.”
“As you can guess from my statement of truth, the reality is a bit different. However, you must keep the information I’m about to share a secret.”
“What happens if I can’t?”
“I just won’t tell you and end it there. Don’t worry; I’m not planning to kill you. What will you do?”
Minerva stared at me intently. Of course, the answer was already decided.
“I will, of course, keep it to myself.”
After coming this far, would I withdraw? Of course not. Swearing not to tell anyone else wouldn’t be difficult.
Upon hearing my agreement, Minerva slowly spoke with a very serious expression.
“The real reason is because of a demon.”
“Did you wait long?”
After sufficient conversation, Minerva sent Delta back to Aurora’s Mansion and teleported elsewhere, filled with excitement. She found herself at the foot of the throne where Kaiquilia sat.
Kaiquilia, resting her chin on her right arm while the other leaned on the throne’s armrest, gazed down with crossed legs.
It naturally created a posture where it seemed Kaiquilia looked down on Minerva, but Minerva didn’t mind at all. She had been watching Kaiquilia since she was a baby.
Such a cute action could easily be overlooked.
“You took less time than expected. Tell me what the outcome was.”
What Delta had remained unaware of until the end was that this meeting was not an action Minerva undertook unilaterally, but rather an instruction from Kaiquilia.
Of course, ordinarily, she wouldn’t have accepted such an order, and Kaiquilia wouldn’t have issued such one, but this time was different.
Due to the previous incident, Minerva had developed a significant curiosity about Delta, and in response to one knight, the Inquisitor of the Holy Kingdom had appeared in person.
Minerva would never let go of such an interesting situation. That was why she accepted the request disguised as an order from Kaiquilia.
If Delta had chosen the option to ask for all the reasons for coming here, he would have known the facts, but unfortunately, he did not.
Minerva smiled softly.
“That child proposed a deal with me?”
“A deal?”
Kaiquilia’s eyebrows raised slightly.
“He asked various questions about teleportation magic and later requested my help a few times. He assured me that I would never regret it.”
“Did you accept?”
“Of course.”
“Since he spoke of a deal, he must have offered something in return. You’re not the type to do anything that ends in loss, so… what did he propose that you accepted so easily?”
“The Crystal Scroll, which has been said to have vanished a long time ago. He promised to tell me where it is.”
“……”
This time, even the expressionless Kaiquilia could hardly hide her astonishment.
The Crystal Scroll was one of the ancient scrolls believed to have been realized in a very distant past. Even Minerva recognized it as something extremely old.
Kaiquilia had heard of that scroll. It was from a time long before she became the Empress when Minerva, who taught her, had mentioned it.
The problem was that while records of its existence remained, no one knew the essential content of the magic itself.
Countless wizards had put in enormous effort to find ancient scrolls, yet none had been discovered to date, as if mocking their efforts.
To propose such an item as the condition for a deal was absurd.
“What did he ask for your help with?”
If she could obtain the Crystal Scroll, Minerva would accept without hesitation even if it meant declaring war against the Holy Kingdom. So surely what he asked for was something outrageous—
“He asked me to help him find a weapon.”
“……Did you just say weapon?”
“I heard correctly. Later, he mentioned needing to procure a weapon, asking for my help.”
Kaiquilia felt her energy drain. It was such a ridiculous statement.
To help find the Crystal Scroll in exchange for assistance in procuring a weapon? Was the weapon lodged in the midst of a boiling volcano or deep in the ocean?
“……Fine. Continue.”
Kaiquilia let out a very faint sigh, waving her hand dismissively. It had been a while since she felt such foolish emotions.
“Where do you want to start? From the first meeting? Or just the conclusion?”
“Of course, from the beginning.”
“Then we should start with the fact that the popes personally transported that child to the Empire. It was probably the Pope of the Moon.”
Upon hearing that the pope was involved, Kaiquilia opened her eyes wide.
“Are you saying that something that hasn’t shown its face for the past few years did this?”
—I had explicitly warned not to take interest.
Instinctively tightening her grip on the throne’s armrest, Kaiquilia felt a crack as it broke under the pressure, only to relax her grip afterward.
However, the armrest had already been dented into the shape of her grip. Upon seeing this, Minerva flicked her finger, and the damaged area returned to its original state.
“Weren’t you told there is absolutely no reason to take interest in anything of mine? And yet, you’ve gone and caused a ruckus, huh? Truly unreliable women.”
Remembering the incident with the Inquisitor made her anger flare again, and she tightened her grip once more. With a snap, the armrest shattered into pieces.
Every shard was as sharp as a needle, but the hand that crushed it remained unscathed, without a scratch.
As Kaiquilia stared down at her perfectly clean palm, she suddenly mumbled to herself.
“Minerva. What are the chances that those who haven’t shown their faces for the past few years would personally use a Sacred Spell to transport an insignificant human to the Empire?”
“I don’t think I need to provide an answer. That child already knows the answer, don’t you think?”
Minerva’s hands glowed with a blue light. The shattered throne’s armrest sprouted anew, the broken shards melded together, and then disappeared somewhere. Minerva also vanished from sight.
She would likely lock herself away in the Mage Tower again for a while, conducting all sorts of experiments. Kaiquilia completely lost interest. Right now, she was too busy with other thoughts.
“Call Aurora and the Silver Dawn Knights to the Imperial Palace.”
Giving the order while staring at the empty air, Kaiquilia quietly stood up. At that moment, the presence that had been faint in her line of sight seemed to vanish like mist.
A chilling uniqueness flickered in her golden pupils.
“I shall personally welcome them.”
