While Evan was struggling with a headache and his mind wandered elsewhere, the topic of conversation shifted.
“…All those involved with the Bunny Burrow have been captured, and the list of nobles who participated in the auction was recovered without issue.”
“Now, only the punishment remains.”
“Actually, there is one more problem. Contrary to expectations, the cause of the collapse wasn’t simple physical impact, but the destruction of the Reinforcement Spell Formula supporting the burrow.”
“The magic circle? Was there some internal strife?”
“That still needs further investigation. Some mages claimed to have destroyed the magic circle to lessen their punishment, but none of them knew how the circle was actually broken. However, the method of destruction was…”
Abel bit his lip tightly, a habit that surfaced whenever he got stuck explaining something.
“…extremely ignorant.”
“…?”
“When tampering with a magic circle, mana can backflow, so for safety, it’s common to reverse-engineer the circle when trying to break it. But this method was different. It was simply… like poking a weak spot and snapping it off.”
“What difference does that make?”
At Sedess’ ignorant response that showed no understanding, Abel narrowed his eyes and glared at him.
…If the princes hadn’t been here, you—who aren’t even a mage—would have gotten a scolding lecture.
Struggling to calm his furrowed brow, Abel continued.
“…His Majesty isn’t a mage, so it’s natural he wouldn’t know much, but magic circles require more mana as they grow larger, so if mana backflows, it can cause fatal damage. Moreover, the Bunny Burrow’s Great Magic Circle had the Reinforcement Spell Formula doubled, and also Concealment, Illusion, Protection, and Counterattack formulas—five types layered atop each other.”
“Sounds like it was crafted by a formidable expert.”
“N-no, Your Majesty! This is not something to be taken lightly!”
Abel’s frustration grew at Sedess’ still carefree attitude. If the princes hadn’t been watching, Abel might have stormed over and grabbed his friend by the collar.
“Your Majesty, please listen carefully. We don’t know how the concealed magic circle was discovered in the first place, but setting that aside… Even if a magic circle appears fixed on the surface, mana continuously circulates and swirls inside according to the inscribed formulas. If even one layer is mishandled, it could result not only in internal injuries but also loss of a Mana Heart or even death.”
“…I see.”
Though Sedess didn’t quite grasp it, he wore a serious expression to avoid another scolding in front of the princes.
Abel, shooting a disrespectful glare at the king, went on.
“Breaking the circulation of mana in a simple magic circle without causing any fluctuation is not an easy task. The way this magic circle was destroyed was like…”
Biting his lower lip hard, Abel considered how best to explain so Sedess could understand.
To make a swordsman understand, analogies involving swords were inevitable.
“…breaking a sword wrapped in aura with a plain iron rod without any aura.”
At that, Sedess’ eyes finally widened. Abel quietly clenched his fist, realizing how little Sedess had understood until now.
Suppressing a forced smile and making no sound, Abel mouthed silently,
‘Sedess, let’s talk after the meal.’
Sedess now had to prepare for not only a verbal bombardment but also a scolding one.
***
Inside the carriage returning to the Second Prince’s Palace.
Lianus’ expression was a little off. Throughout the meal at the main palace, he was distracted by his brother’s gaze, forcing himself to eat and focus, which made his stomach uneasy.
“Has Nil… not eaten yet?”
“Sir Evan?”
“…….”
“Sir Evan!”
“…Yes? Y-yes?”
Lost in thought over the wildcat’s true identity, Evan hadn’t responded to Lianus’ question in time. He jumped at the sudden call and then reconsidered Lianus’ query.
“Ah, don’t worry so much about that wildcat. The servants surely took care of him.”
“I hope so, but… what if he hasn’t eaten yet because he was waiting for me? I should have sent a letter.”
“What’s there to worry about? If he hasn’t eaten, just get him to eat.”
“Is that so?”
But eating alone felt a little lonely.
Thinking this, as soon as they arrived at the palace, Lianus caught a maid to ask if his close friend had eaten.
“Master Nil? He probably hasn’t eaten yet. He was a bit late today, but maybe he already ate?”
“Hm? No, no. He hasn’t eaten. Prepare a meal for him.”
“Eh? But, Prince…”
Evan wanted to say Nil had just eaten, but Lianus tugged on his sleeve to silence him.
Evan sighed deeply.
Why was the wildcat so dear to him to be treated like this…?
“Where is Nil now?”
“Um, in his bedroom… Ah, here he comes. How does he know the prince has arrived to come out immediately? He must have been waiting for you. Master Nil is hard to catch sight of since he runs away whenever the servants get close…”
“…I see.”
Lianus felt a pang of guilt, as if he had wronged Nihil.
“Nil, sorry I’m late. You must be hungry. Let’s go!”
Lianus hurriedly took Nihil’s hand and headed to the dining hall.
Nihil sensed Lianus was hiding something but pretended not to notice and followed quietly.
The voice that snapped Evan back to reality was low and calm.
“Lian.”
Startled by being called, Lianus paused mid-cut of his second steak piece and looked at his friend.
“Hmm?”
“I’m going to stop eating.”
Surprised by Nihil’s sudden declaration, Lianus’ eyes went wide.
He had just started eating—was he feeling unwell?
“Nil, are you feeling sick?”
Nihil hesitated a moment before answering cautiously.
“…Actually, I felt you were late, so I had a little snack and now I’m full.”
“Oh… I see.”
“Sorry for eating the snack alone.”
“Huh? No, no! You don’t have to apologize. I’m fine too.”
Lianus’ expression brightened. His own discomfort from overeating eased, so it was actually good.
Evan wondered where the wildcat had gotten the snack since he usually ran from the servants, but he felt relieved the prince didn’t have to force himself to eat.
Nihil spoke.
“Lian, the weather’s nice. How about we have some tea outside?”
“…Huh? Yes, yes! Sounds great!”
Lianus, momentarily dazed, smiled brightly and jumped up from his chair.
Now that he had a friend, he could enjoy teatime whenever he wanted! He didn’t have to wait for his brother’s invitation anymore!
“Really, really, I’m so glad I made a friend!”
Lianus grabbed Nihil’s wrist and pulled him along.
“There’s a greenhouse. Let’s go there!”
“Okay.”
As the two kids hurried out of the dining hall, Evan told them to wait a moment because he had something to fetch, but Lianus was too excited to hear him. Nihil heard but ignored Evan anyway.
Nihil gently stroked the fluttering seaweed-like plant. As they stepped out of the palace, a barking dog appeared, but Nihil boldly closed the door.
From beyond the door came a curse: “Damn wildcat,” but he ignored that too.
Just a few steps away from the palace, the door suddenly swung open again as Evan caught up.
“I told you to wait a moment. How can you leave your only Guard Dog behind?”
Realizing he had abandoned his protector, Lianus’ eyes widened before he chuckled and replied,
“He’ll be back soon anyway.”
“But still.”
“Sir Evan, you should take it easy. It must be hard guarding alone.”
“It’s not that difficult.”
Normally, Evan wouldn’t have run so urgently, but the thought that the wildcat might be demonkind gave him an uneasy feeling. Even knowing that the creature wouldn’t harm the prince.
Evan fiddled nervously with a bottle of Sanctified Water in his arms and carefully followed.
“Because tampering with a magic circle causes mana backflow, the common method for breaking it safely is to reverse-engineer the circle. But this method was different. It was simply… like poking a weak spot and snapping it off.”
“What difference does that make?”
At Sedess’ clueless comment, Abel narrowed his eyes and glared at him.
…If the princes hadn’t been here, you—who aren’t even a mage—would have gotten a scolding lecture.
Abel forced himself to calm his furrowed brow and continued.
“…His Majesty isn’t a mage, so it’s natural he wouldn’t know much, but magic circles require more mana as they grow larger, so if mana backflows, it can cause fatal damage. Moreover, the Bunny Burrow’s Great Magic Circle had the Reinforcement Spell Formula doubled, and also Concealment, Illusion, Protection, and Counterattack formulas—five types layered atop each other.”
Lianus’ eyes widened as he repeated the question. Nihil had never asked him for anything before, so he was a little surprised.
“Is that not possible?”
Lianus hesitated before answering, and Nihil smiled slyly, tilting his head slightly.
Looking like a hundred-year-old fox, Evan took a step back in shock, but Lianus’ eyes sparkled with innocent joy at being able to do something for Nihil.
He was truly lucky to be a prince. A greenhouse was nothing at all.
“I can give you as much as you want! But since this greenhouse is small and worn out, I’ll build you a new, bigger one.”
“No, Lian. This modest size, so it doesn’t attract attention, is just right.”
Lianus rolled his eyes, wondering if there was anything more he could do.
“Then should I get some rare flower seeds? Do you like flowers?”
“I don’t dislike flowers, but there are plants I want to grow. So it’s fine. Can you make sure the servants can’t enter without my permission to manage it myself?”
Evan realized Nihil was planning to secretly grow herbs in the greenhouse.
But Lianus, unaware, thought Nihil just wanted his own private space.
“Of course! I’ll make it a space just for you! And you don’t have to tell me everything—you can directly order the palace staff. Oh, and when it’s ready, can I visit sometimes?”
“There’s no place in my space you can’t come, Lian. You don’t have to ask for permission.”
Evan clicked his tongue at Nihil’s casual statement. Whether he said it knowingly or not, when this kid grows up, he’ll surely make many girls cry.
Is this guy really demonkind? Some types lure humans to steal their souls…
Just as Evan’s thoughts veered toward Nihil’s true nature, a maid brought out tea.
Now understanding that Nihil was uncomfortable around the servants, Lianus quickly asked the maid about the tea and dismissed her to serve Evan.
Thanks to that, Evan ended up pouring the tea.
“Anyway, that wildcat isn’t much help.”
Muttering, Evan poured the tea, and a sweet and sour fragrance filled the greenhouse.
“Plum?”
Evan was puzzled by the choice of tea. The prince didn’t dislike plum tea but rarely chose to drink it, preferring it cold with ice rather than warm.
“Nil said he wanted to drink it!”
Lianus smiled brightly and sipped the warm plum tea.
Evan glanced at Nihil, who was fiddling with one of the prince’s hands.
“You… sigh…”
Realizing something, Evan let out a deep sigh.