Chapter 137
“It’s tomorrow already. We need a plausible plan before entering the Imperial Palace…”
The Emperor’s invitation calling for all members of the Count Aper family.
There was quite some time since grandfather had to come from the domain to the capital, and most preparations had been completed during that time.
Yet there was still an unresolved problem.
“Ugh…”
“Bear with it a little longer. It’s almost done.”
It was Froy’s injury.
A little past lunchtime, in the early afternoon.
Rosha, who had told Berri not to enter the room for a while, examined Froy’s injured area.
Well-defined abs and a few scars caught her eye, as if he had been training for a very long time, but the most pressing concern was the black skin that had consumed half of his upper body.
‘What to do about this…’
Injuries caused by abilities can be treated if you try. If only we had the ‘Elixir of Nullification’ that woke grandfather from his coma.
‘But we can’t go to the secret shop right now, can we?’
There is another way, but… it’s not feasible right at this moment.
In the end, the only option is to kill the owner of the ability, but the problem was how to identify that person in the vast Imperial Palace.
“Are you done checking?”
“Ah, yes. The speed of infection is increasing. We need to find a solution quickly…”
“That’s information we already know. And here I thought you were interested in my body.”
“What did you say?”
While her interest wasn’t profound, it wasn’t completely absent either, so it felt like he had hit the nail on the head.
Unconsciously, she slapped his visible back, causing Froy to shake without even being able to scream.
He had been in pain even with just a light touch, so Rosha quickly felt sorry.
“Are, are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
“Keheheng, it’s that fellow’s karma.”
Koko, who had fluttered nearby, openly mocked Froy.
Then he immediately blurted out:
“The princess says she has a message for you. That a great crisis will soon befall you.”
“…So tomorrow will be a tough day after all.”
The only upcoming event in the near future was the Emperor’s invitation.
To say it now, Koko had been diligently playing the role of messenger, going back and forth between Princess Illien living in the Summer Palace and here.
At first, he was sent to check if the princess was alright, but it seems the animal-loving princess quite liked him.
“That’s right. And she also said to treat this one extremely well.”
“That’s probably something you added yourself.”
“N-no, it’s not!”
Ignoring Koko’s blatant lie, Rosha glanced at Froy and thought.
‘Anyway, we need to take Froy to the Imperial Palace…’
There were several reasons. An ability user who handles space would be advantageous in understanding the structure of the repeatedly expanded Imperial Palace, and would play a big role in catching the owner of the ability.
Above all, there was a need to maintain Cedric’s smokescreen of being injured.
‘Even a slight difference in false information can play a decisive role sometimes… But for this to work, Froy needs to move together with Cedric.’
Haah, as she let out a breath, Koko asked:
“What’s the problem?”
“Is there a way for Froy to secretly accompany the Emperor’s invitation without a large consumption of his ability?”
Rosha looked at Froy, who was tightly wrapping bandages inscribed with magic formulas around his injured area.
He said he had applied the magic formula yesterday, and when wrapped with that, almost no blood smell leaks out.
‘Magic… How about the magic side?’
Suddenly, a vague idea came to her mind. Although Froy isn’t a magician, if there’s an accurate magic formula and magical power, there might be a way, right?
What concretized this idea was Koko’s retort.
The bird, grooming his feathers, suddenly opened his mouth as if to say why worry so much:
“Huh? Just transform into this one’s minion!”
* * *
And that’s how it happened.
By this point, you might have guessed, but Koko’s influence was significant in Froy becoming a black owl.
Since Rosha doesn’t know all magic, she had to rely on Koko’s help for transformation magic, but there was a condition the bird set:
-You must transform into something new. That has a higher success rate. And it can’t be bigger than me!
That was the reason Froy became an owl.
“Peep! Peep!”
Rosha quickly picked up the black bird that was running away from Cassis’s hand.
Unlike Koko, who was a divine beast, Froy, borrowing the power of transformation magic, couldn’t speak. Since he also couldn’t use his ability, except for having a human soul inside, he was no different from an ordinary bird.
‘It’s a dangerous magic in many ways.’
Though the appearance is very cute.
“…It really dislikes it.”
Cassis, looking at the black bird sitting quietly on Rosha’s palm, continued:
“From what I saw when it was jumping earlier, it seems it can hardly use its left wing. Why do you keep picking up injured birds? What did you name it?”
“Reo.”
It’s overall black but with a white belly, similar to an Oreo, so the name was derived from that.
“Oh, you named it normally this time.”
“Why? What’s wrong with Koko?”
“That’s right! What’s wrong with my name!”
At Koko’s outburst, grandfather, who had been watching the conversation with interest, widened his eyes.
That’s right, it’s probably your first time seeing a talking bird.
‘At first, it used to have a fit every time I called him Koko, but has he grown attached to the name now?’
While watching them bicker, she felt a gaze staring at her intently.
It was the gaze of the black owl, with an expression that seemed to understand why Koko disliked Cassis.
“Bear with it a little.”
Whispering very softly, Rosha took this opportunity to ask Cedric to take care of ‘Reo’. The excuse was that it was difficult to care for two birds at once, even though she had brought them.
“…”
Cedric, who reluctantly accepted, seemed to have half guessed the bird’s identity but didn’t show it and carefully tucked it into his coat pocket.
* * *
The carriage they were riding in headed towards a path never seen before in the Imperial Palace.
“This is a first. They say I can’t enter.”
Duke Feriel, who had entered the palace together, was blocked early on. Imperial Knights were guarding the entrance.
He asked why, since it wasn’t even a building but just a road, but they said this was a restricted access area from here on. There was nothing he could do against their unyielding attitude, which didn’t bend even to the rank of a Duke of the Empire.
“Well, I’ve been in and out of the Imperial Palace countless times, but this is my first time seeing this road. It feels like a road that didn’t exist has suddenly appeared before my eyes.”
“…”
“Oh, Lady Lysithea asked me to send her regards. A letter came. She says she’ll arrange a place at the Belice’s estate in spring, so let’s all meet then.”
“Spring… is still far away, isn’t it?”
“It means to come safely. Well, nothing will probably happen, but just in case.”
Duke Feriel, winking one eye, soon left to discipline the assembly.
‘…This feels uneasy.’
After everyone exchanged glances silently for a moment.
The carriage started moving again.
As they entered the restricted access area, a bright garden appeared not long after.
The bare branches of trees gradually became greener, and roses, tulips, and unnamed flowers were in full bloom, dividing the area.
It was a bit different from the phenomenon experienced in the sixth trial.
Given that the cold winter wind was still present and a powerful ability could be felt, it was clear that the Emperor had a hand in this place.
“A manipulated garden… how blatant.”
“Huh? What?”
“Be careful. As much as possible, act according to what we discussed beforehand, and don’t do anything to provoke antipathy. Got it?”
Rosha, who had especially emphasized this to Cassis, glanced at grandfather. His face, looking out the window, somehow seemed pale.
Rosha looked in the direction of grandfather’s gaze.
It was a white, magnificent palace at the end of the garden, with a slightly different style as if it had been built long ago.
The strange thing was that there were no windows at all.
“…”
With a tingling sensation at the back of her neck, she had a feeling that something was dangerous.
But they couldn’t not enter.
‘It feels like entering a very ancient dungeon.’
Looking at the guide standing in front of the palace, Rosha quietly muttered.
