THVS 18

Chapter 18

I cut through the cumbersome hem of the dress with my sword.
The fine silk, mercilessly sliced so it wouldn’t get in the way of my movement, was trampled underfoot.
One might expect their gaze to be drawn to the cut dress, but the mages’ eyes were fixed entirely on my sword.
They were probably thinking about which direction I would swing next.
I smiled faintly at their frantically rolling pupils. Without a moment’s hesitation, I changed the sword’s trajectory.
KWA-KWANG!
The laboratory, protected by a magical barrier, was obliterated.
The mages’ faces, staring at the ruins of the lab as if it had always been a wreck, were utterly bewildered.
“Ughhhh!”
One foolish mage, dazed and slack-jawed, let out a scream.
If at least they had the strength to scream, that would have been fortunate.
Most just stared blankly at the void, as if they had lost the will to live.
“W-Why are you doing this, Princess Elopez?!”
Some spread their arms to block the other laboratories.
“If the Lord of the Mage Tower finds out, you won’t survive!”
I sneered at him calmly.
“That’s something I’ll think about myself.”
Only a few senior members of the Mage Tower knew that its lord was the emperor.
In other words, the mages here had never even met the emperor—aka the Lord of the Mage Tower.
Unless one knew they were dealing with the emperor, this threat meant little to me.
Well, it wouldn’t matter much to me who the lord was anyway.
“This research has made no progress for years. Wouldn’t it be better to just quit?”
“…Princess!”
“Stop calling me that. I know I’m a princess. It’s annoying.”
“No matter how much of a princess you are, this is excessive…!”
What nonsense. He babbled on with his mouth wide open.
“Move.”
“…We can’t.”
It was a ridiculous sight—arms linked, blocking my way.
Anyone seeing this would think I was the villain.
“…Aren’t you the villain?”
‘Shut up, Bael.’
I silenced Bael’s remark by slowly turning my wrist.
As I swung the sword diagonally upward, the laboratory they were blocking collapsed.
“Tch, missed my aim. Too high. Looks like everyone survived.”
A warning: if anyone else blocked my path again, they’d be cut down.
“Contractor, watch your back.”
As soon as Bael finished speaking, a tremendous magical force surged toward me from behind.
I released an aura behind me, and the incoming magic was deflected with a deafening crash.
When I looked back, the caster’s eyes trembled rapidly, clearly not expecting me to defend myself.
“W-What…!”
“You handle magic clumsily. It shows.”
As I closed the distance, he recoiled as if he had seen something he shouldn’t.
Lowering myself, I handed my sword into his trembling hands.
“Here. I won’t do anything, so try killing me.”
“W-What…”
“Do you think that weak magic of yours can stop me? I’ll give you a chance—try killing me.”
His hands shook, and he dropped the sword to the floor.
I picked it up and placed it back on his palm.
“I said, try it.”
The mage glared at me as if I had just said the most absurd thing.
A laugh escaped me at the look of utter disillusionment in his eyes.
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
“N-No, that’s impossible…”
“I have. Since I was very young.”
I hadn’t often cut flesh or torn skin, but in war, I used mostly wide-area magic.
Hundreds, maybe thousands, froze to death under my magic. Perhaps even over ten thousand.
Technically, I was covered under the excuse of war, but it was still killing.
Do I feel guilt? Not really.
“You kill or get killed. That’s the choice.”
If it were me dying, that would be bearable.
The worst-case scenario would be the death of my people.
When I reincarnated here, I denied this truth—but after twenty years, I grew attached enough.
I could tell by how furious I got when Leila nearly died.
“Is Lady Arvid unharmed?!”
“Then you’re not dead either. Crying over a collapsed lab is hardly necessary.”
“…”
“If you want to protect your lab, try killing me.”
I grabbed his hand, pressing the sword’s tip to my neck. He desperately tried to pull my hand away.
“L-Let go!”
The skin stung as the blade lightly grazed it.
When I touched the wound, red blood spread across my palm.
I casually wiped it on my dress and asked him,
“Wouldn’t it be better to kill me now? Who knows when I’ll regain my magic. If that happens, I’ll be the Lord of the Mage Tower—and I won’t just leave you guys alone.”
“That’s impossible! Without magic, the magic core can’t possibly survive…”
He realized too late and hastily covered his mouth with his hand.
Ah, he can’t read my expression.
He couldn’t tell what I was thinking.
I guessed my expression looked cold, hardened, and threatening.
“I promised Leila I’d help her regain her magic.”
“…”
“If I can’t do it, how could you?”
Magic generally recovers within a few days after being depleted.
But if too much time passes without recovery, the core holding the magic slowly breaks down.
Once that happens, there’s no way to regain it.
It’s been over a week since the world believed I lost my magic.
By now, the cores should be damaged, and there’s no way to recover them without knowing the cause.
They knew all this yet still deceived Leila.
“How dare you, acting without knowing your place.”

It didn’t take long for the site of the Mage Tower to become a flat plain.
After mercilessly destroying every place the mages tried to block, I glanced back.
“Come out now.”
From some point, I no longer sensed any presence there.
The magic concealing them was high-level.
Among the Mage Tower’s mages, no one could wield magic that skillfully.
And among the people I know, only one could.
“I know you’re there, Your Highness the Prince.”
The Second Prince, Sier Percen, slowly revealed himself.
His awkward steps made him look like a child who had done something wrong and was nervous.
“Why are you here? I understand Your Highness doesn’t visit the Mage Tower often.”
“…Well.”
He couldn’t answer immediately, which meant he definitely knew I was here.
Leila hadn’t informed him this time.
‘How did he even know to come?’
Well, that didn’t matter.
To me, Sier Percen would only ever be an ally to help Leila—nothing more.
If the person he had a crush on in the original story was really me, he wouldn’t be of help for now.
People only change when pushed to extremes.
‘I suppose he’ll listen if I ask.’
But I wasn’t inclined to ask. Asking would mean giving something in return, and it would likely drag the Elopez family into the throne struggle.
If emotions override reason, the outcome is only disadvantageous—
“I was worried…”
“…”
“I went to the Duke’s house. Then I faintly sensed the Princess’s magic and followed you here…”
Unlike me, his answer was patient and thorough.
I brushed my dry face with my hand to hide my eyes, which had been coldly set.
As I asked my question again, he looked almost like a villain caught in the act.
“That’s enough. I understand, so—”
I was about to tell him not to explain further since I wouldn’t misunderstand.