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Chapter: 20
What Should I Do?
Linet lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
She still hadn’t found the lost relic. Even if she had found a clue, it wasn’t enough to talk about it.
If she returned like this, her mother would never welcome her.
And yet, she couldn’t defy the emperor’s command.
‘I guess I have no choice but to go.’
She wished she had some accomplishment to show instead of the relic.
Linet raised her head and looked toward Derbel.
He was staring at her with an expression she couldn’t quite read.
“So, what’s the second task?”
At Linet’s question, he answered casually, as if nothing had happened.
“The mage wishes to meet you.”
“A mage?”
Why? And for what reason?
Just as sacred energy comes from the gods, magical power originates from the demon realm. It was the power possessed by the beasts born in that realm.
Because of this, tracking magical energy was a common method when hunting these demonic beasts.
The people primarily responsible for this work were the mages.
Since mages possessed magical power despite not being demons themselves, they could trace the beasts.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness. I am Soreas of the Aster Knights.”
A man with curly red hair bowed respectfully. When he looked up, his eyes were a gentle green—a striking combination of colors.
If not for his mage robes, one might easily believe he was a knight.
“And the reason you wanted to see me?”
“For your sacred energy.”
The mage answered without hesitation.
“Sacred energy? Mages work with magic, don’t they?”
“Yes, but I am also very interested in sacred energy and have been researching it alongside magic.”
Soreas had trained at the Mage Tower. He had been quite favored by the elders there.
Unlike other mages who focused solely on research and developing their abilities, he was extremely outgoing.
It was only natural that he eventually broke away from the secluded Mage Tower.
After wandering for some time, he found a place to settle: the Duchy of Crissian—a perfect fit for his goals.
He could study the beasts extensively while accompanying hunts, and the duke provided ample support as long as results were produced.
‘Even though he complains about finances, he lets me do whatever I ask.’
Aside from the Crissian duke’s difficult temperament, it was a near-perfect position. There was no other place where he could see so many beasts firsthand.
If only he could research sacred energy as well, it would be perfect.
Then he noticed something: a princess of the Holy Kingdom caught in the magical explosion left by a demonic beast.
That was the first time Soreas had seen Linet up close—and the first time he had seen the color of her sacred energy.
Even now, he was mesmerized by her sacred energy.
‘Such a beautiful color.’
Soreas stared blankly at Linet.
Around the princess, coral-colored light sparkled and floated, echoing her very presence.
Was sacred energy always this beautiful?
Just like the magical lights his mentor had shown him at the Mage Tower in his youth, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“She is indeed beautiful enough to captivate my fiancée.”
“…!”
Had he been staring for that long?
A sharp aura suddenly enveloped Soreas.
“D-Duke.”
“Soreas.”
Derbel was suddenly standing behind him.
“Since the princess has taken the time to meet, we must conduct this properly.”
Derbel tapped the mage’s shoulder, then pressed down firmly.
“Ugh!”
Whether it was the pressure or Derbel’s presence, Soreas felt his heart pounding violently.
Only when the duke stepped aside and sat next to the princess could he finally breathe.
But then…
The moment the duke sat beside the princess, Soreas’ eyes widened. He blinked rapidly, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing, looking back and forth between the two.
Derbel clicked his tongue.
“Soreas.”
“….”
But no answer came.
Finally, when Derbel stood up as if to intervene, the mage suddenly snapped to attention, startled, and shouted as if being chased by something.
“Please let me study sacred energy!”
“….”
It was exactly what they had expected.
Linet leaned back in her chair and glanced at Derbel. He too seemed to anticipate what the mage would say.
“You’re a mage, yet you study sacred energy instead of magic?”
“Isn’t that what mages are like? We can’t resist curiosity.”
Judging by the way he grinned, he had probably heard people call him eccentric many times.
Studying sacred energy… yes, if it was just curiosity, it wasn’t a bad thing. Many researchers in the Holy Kingdom studied it anyway.
Helping this mage might also help her in return.
Perhaps her mother would see her differently then.
After a long pause, Linet raised her head.
Her sunset-colored eyes met the mage’s gaze.
“…Very well.”
She tilted her head slightly, a few strands of hair falling to catch the mage’s attention.
“I’ll help you, as long as my time allows it and it doesn’t endanger me.”
“Your Highness…!”
“However.”
The moment the excited mage tried to spring to his feet, Linet stopped him.
“You must also heed my request.”
“My… request?”
“At that moment, it’s not a request—it’s an order, Linet.”
Derbel, who had been silent until now, spoke.
Leaning on the arm of his chair and smiling, an oddly chilling aura emanated from him.
“…Do not threaten the mage.”
“Threaten? Linet, I am merely helping him make a choice.”
“…Right.”
Linet let out a small sigh.
She looked at the mage, whose hands were trembling—probably without him even realizing it.
“Soreas, was it? First, fulfill my request. Then I will help you in return.”
Linet whispered softly.
Her sunset-colored eyes were filled with warmth.
In the end, the mage Soreas agreed to help the princess control her sacred energy before she traveled to the Holy Kingdom.
Surprised that she couldn’t handle her power, he boldly promised to produce results before her subordinates departed for the Holy Kingdom.
It was two months before the National Founding Festival.
“Magic flows through the body like blood. Think of it as circulation.”
Soreas’ calm voice filled the air.
“Sacred energy likely follows the same principle. Although it hasn’t been studied as extensively, fundamentally it’s similar. I believe the mechanisms of the two powers are alike.”
Linet listened seriously.
“If we apply the principles of magic to sacred energy, the largest flows are found in priests and the royal family of the Holy Kingdom.”
Linet also possessed sacred energy, though it was weaker than her younger sister Seria’s.
If it weren’t for the principle of firstborn inheritance, or if her father hadn’t been the head of the holy knights, her position might have shifted long ago.
‘I don’t crave the throne.’
She only wished to be recognized for her abilities and her very existence.
A bitter smile crept across her face.
“What should I do, mage?”
“First, Your Highness, you must feel the flow of sacred energy within your body. Then, you must envision what you desire.”
Soreas opened his hands. A small flame appeared in his palm.
“You must create it like this. Simple, isn’t it?”
“….”
Simple, indeed.
Linet shot him a dissatisfied look, prompting him to clear his throat.
“Then, shall we try it?”
“Now?”
“Yes. Theory is good, but practice is more important. Close your eyes and feel the flow…”
Linet obediently closed her eyes.
In the darkness, many lights moved chaotically.
“Can you see the flow?”
“…I think so.”
“If you see the red, follow it and imagine the flame.”
That red must be it.
Linet traced the faint light before her.
“Now, try to grasp it. Then a flame will appear in your hand…”
At that moment—
Bang!
With a pleasant sound, a flame erupted from Linet’s hand.
No, it didn’t just appear—it exploded, forming a pink, mushroom-shaped cloud.
