I Quit Being a Court Magician Apprentice to Become a Magical Item Craftsman
Note: This story takes place immediately after Episode 124.
“Hey, Heilto Bayens. Is this your inn? Mind if I have a word?”
I called out casually, and Heilto Bayens turned around with a puzzled look in his eyes.
He’s a noble too, so it’s not exactly suspicion—more like he finds my familiarity a bit too much.
“…You’re Lord Arens’ bodyguard, aren’t you? Do you need something from me?”
“The one who was poisoned is the first prince of the Rufontos Empire, whom you serve, correct? And you’re here to make sure that this information doesn’t reach the enemy… or to see whether Sebirino Osa Arens—or rather, Egdualum—intends to intervene in the imperial succession struggle. Am I wrong?”
His eyes widened, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. That means I hit the mark.
He came all the way here because he learned that the person he bought the powerful antidote from at the Spinon market was a court mage of Egdualum. Given the current assassination attempts, there’s no way he came just to say thank you.
If Egdualum happened to be on the enemy’s side, that would mean he had just revealed a dangerous situation. It makes sense that he’d rush to confirm the situation, considering the possibility that information might be leaked.
Hearing that we’re considering trade with Sanpanil must have made him nervous.
Our Egdualum Kingdom is looking into purchasing Gawkelena from Sanpanil, a forest nation. Sanpanil is practically a vassal state of the Rufontos Empire, and since the second prince is engaged to a Sanpanil marquis’ daughter, it’s natural to worry that Egdualum might support the second prince.
Even if we can’t intervene directly due to distance, we could still send mages, provide items, or influence surrounding nations.
That’s exactly why he’s trying to frame the war as a reckless act by the second prince and portray the first prince as a victim, in an attempt to tarnish the second prince’s image.
Honestly, I don’t care about reputations. I just base my judgments on facts.
“……”
“I’ll take your silence as confirmation. Wouldn’t this be a conversation better suited for indoors rather than out here?”
“…Alright. Come to my room. We’ll talk there.”
The inn room was spacious enough for multiple occupants. There were two bedrooms, though he was staying alone. A large window led to a balcony, and there was even a shower. In this city of Lenanto, this was considered a high-end accommodation.
Rooms with balcony access tend to be favored by mages who use flight magic.
I casually sat on the sofa and waited while he took off his robe and hung it in the cloakroom.
“Now then,” I said as he approached, ready to begin our conversation.
“I am Ekvar Kroas Karlsroa, a member of the royal guard serving the crown prince of Egdualum. I can answer your questions better than Sebirino can.”
“The royal guard? And yet you’re guarding Lord Arens?”
He sat on the sofa across from me, staring at my face.
“Strictly speaking, I guard his mentor. She is an external court advisor to Egdualum. Please don’t try to recruit her.”
“…! That explains that magic… Now that you mention it, I heard the antidote was purchased from a woman. At first, I thought she was just an attendant, but to think she’s Lord Arens’ mentor… I see now.”
Heilto nodded repeatedly, seemingly impressed. As a mage, he was likely well-versed in magic and magical items. When he saw Ciel Judgment in action, he must have realized that I barely understood what Sebirino ’s mentor had done.
“So, how is your prince’s condition? You don’t have to worry—I won’t tell anyone.”
“I suppose I have no choice but to trust you. The antidote worked instantly. He’s already walking again, though his strength hasn’t fully returned. His appetite is also returning to normal.”
When others were around, they made sure he didn’t leave the inn. That was likely a way of signaling that the crisis had passed and there was no longer any issue. At that stage, we weren’t trusted enough to take their word for it. But this time, he was telling me the actual situation.
“…Is there a traitor among his closest attendants?”
“I want to believe otherwise, but if not, there’s no way that poison could have been administered. We’ve narrowed it down to three suspects. Each one has been given a different story about the prince’s condition. We plan to see which version spreads within the empire to identify the culprit.”
It seems they’ve taken effective measures. That means they have trustworthy allies within the empire as well.
“His Highness would never support someone who wages war without reason. Besides, we’ve had our fair share of trouble from the former chief mage… We wouldn’t cooperate with someone who schemes for personal gain.”
“That’s reassuring… That second prince is nothing more than a puppet, dancing to the tune of sycophantic ministers. If he becomes emperor, it will be a disaster. Yet, at this point, it’s impossible to stop his ascension after his marriage to the Sanpanil noblewoman. The current emperor’s health is failing.”
So the emperor of Rufontos is bedridden… No wonder the succession struggle is heating up. The conclusion to this conflict may not be far off.
“…Is he considering abdicating?”
“It’s information from his close attendants. There’s no mistake.”
“I wish our useless king would have the guts to do something like that!”
It’s enviable to step down when you feel lacking. Though the succession issue has escalated into a war.
As for our king, he’s still clinging to the throne. But with the death of the former chief mage, who supported the largest faction backing him, the crown prince’s authority has been rising considerably.
“…I can’t say anything about others, but you sure know how to talk.”
“I’m looking forward to the reign of His Highness.”
He smiles while saying this. I can tell we can have a good conversation; we seem to get along.
“Do you think there’s still a risk of more poison being administered?”
“I can’t say there’s no risk…”
“Then, here’s a little something from her: Snake Magic Core.”
I offer him a small bag containing powdered magic core, and he takes it with a smile.
“This is a big help! I can make antidotes, but I didn’t have the right type of snake magic core. Alruna alone wasn’t enough. The Sea Serpent was very effective!”
Oh? He seems to have misunderstood this as a Sea Serpent magic core. But it’s actually something else entirely.
I’ll let him keep that misunderstanding—it hasn’t been asked, so it’s fine.
“As for the repayment… you understand, right?”
“The Gawkelena import issue, right? I’ll make sure to talk to Sanpanil.”
“For that to happen, you’ll have to firmly take control of the government.”
“Heh heh, it’s reassuring to know Egdualum will support us.”
“Ha ha, it’s a relief to have someone like you around who understands.”
“Hehehehe.”
Our laughter harmonized. I feel a sense of camaraderie!
I’ll make sure to advise His Highness properly. The Gawkelena matter is Sebirino ’s responsibility, but since it involves diplomacy, I think I can push it forward.
“I was thinking of summoning a unicorn to take its horn, but then I realized that once it’s found out, it would be like openly admitting that the poison was dangerous…”
“The unicorn’s horn being a powerful antidote is well-known, yes. But wasn’t taking its horn forbidden?”
“Whoever condemns it, it’s all about saving the master. I’ll take the blame if needed.”
“That’s true. I agree.”
He said, offering to have a drink, and took out some wine from the shelf.
I accepted a glass.
“I do plan to visit Sanpanil someday. I hope by then I’ll have secured the throne.”
“Of course, I’ll go with that kind of determination!! Even if I’m a bit of a fool, I have to show I can take the opportunity when it counts!”
He poured a deep garnet-red liquid into my glass, and a sweet fragrance filled the air. I poured into his glass.
The wine, swirling in the glass, was beautiful with its dark color. It tasted smooth, rich, and matured, with an aromatic depth. Very nice.
“If you came from Egdualum, you must be used to stronger alcohol.”
“That’s right, it’s common over there.”
After we each took a sip, he refilled my glass. Whether it was the alcohol or not, our conversation really picked up.
“Having no concubines in the royal court is nice… No issues with succession.”
Given that his life is currently at risk, I can sense how much it hits home for him.
“Our king may be weak, but the queen is quite the competitive type. I hear that when she made it clear that if the king wanted a concubine, he’d have to kill her first, she’s had the upper hand ever since.”
“Wow. What a cool woman! I’d love to meet her, I really admire her~”
He’s rubbing his cheek against the wine glass. He’s definitely a bit drunk. He’s leaving tomorrow, though… I hope he’ll be okay.
“She’s kind to the maids, but they’re all scared of her…”
“That’s the thrill of a woman who shows no mercy to enemies!”
“No, Your Majesty isn’t the enemy.”
“Listen up, everyone! The foolish king is the enemy! A great sin!”
“Everyone? It’s just me here.”
And just like that, the conversation drifted into something completely nonsensical, and we ended up talking and laughing until late into the night.
I get the feeling that we both had some pent-up frustrations.
