Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 602

“What’s so fascinating that you’re looking around like that?”

The Headmaster walked in front. He was very thin, like bones. He turned to Ethan and asked.

Of course, the capital was the most beautiful and splendid place in the Empire. The Emperor’s palace, at its heart, was the most grand and impressive place.

An ordinary person from the Empire would tell the story for their whole life just from entering the capital and seeing the Emperor’s palace from far away.

But Ethan was not very interested in such fancy things.

He would rather ask, “I wonder how many gold coins we could get if we melted down those decorations?”

“Ah, it’s the Emperor’s palace, but it seems like the officials are using it more.”

They had just passed through the capital’s gates and arrived at the central Imperial Palace using the shortest route.

Alsicl, who had passed through the main gate with them, had already left for the offices where the Imperial treasurers worked, which were also inside the palace.

At first, Ethan thought the officials used the buildings next to the palace, but that wasn’t the case.

As he walked along the palace corridor following the Headmaster, Imperial officials in every room were busy working. They looked very tired.

Aren’t palaces usually where the Imperial family lives?

“So, that’s what you found strange. Well, it’s understandable.”

The Headmaster understood Ethan’s curiosity.

Ethan was smart and quickly noticed something strange.

Why were there only officials wandering around this palace, which was as large as a small city, and no members of the Imperial family?

In the days of the old Three Kingdoms, the palace would have been only for the Imperial family.

The Imperial Guard would have protected the palace from the outside, and only the Emperor’s relatives and servants who ran messages would have lived inside.

Even during the Seven Kingdoms era, officials would not have been able to spread piles of documents on the floor.

Back then, the palace would probably have been a place where nobles from all over the kingdom visited to meet the king, and parties were held every day.

But the current Imperial Palace was the strangest the Headmaster had ever seen.

The places used by the Emperor were very small, and the rest were used as offices by the Imperial officials.

People in the capital were used to it, but Ethan, who knew a lot about history, couldn’t help but find it strange.

“Has your father ever told you about the Emperor?”

“Uh… no, he hasn’t.”

Ethan answered, thinking hard.

Ethan’s father never talked about the Empire’s politics, even though he was a great noble himself.

He usually talked about magic.

Or he cursed divine magic…

“I thought so. That terrible fellow. He only cares about magic and leaves the troublesome things to me.”

“……”

“I’m sorry. I truly apologize.”

The Headmaster apologized like a proper noble.

No matter how angry he was, it wasn’t right to say that to the son of that family.

Of course, every time he was in charge of managing the Imperial Magic Defense Barrier, he wanted to go to the Wodanaz family, but still…

“I didn’t hear anything. More importantly, why did you ask about the Emperor?”

“I thought you’d be surprised if you just met the Emperor.”

The Headmaster seemed to hesitate.

He seemed to be wondering how much he should tell Ethan before they met.

Ethan didn’t understand.

“No, I spent a year in Einroguard, how could I be surprised just by meeting him?”

“…I apologized, didn’t I? Does being sarcastic make you happy?”

“I’m not being sarcastic…”

The Headmaster was even more annoyed when he realized that Ethan was being serious.

“Very few officials have actually met the Emperor in person.”

“Wait, really? Me? But what will the important officials think?”

Ethan was more worried than pleased.

“It’s not a great honor, it’s just that the Emperor is lazy.”

“…?”

“Anyway, that means there aren’t many officials who know about the Emperor. What do you know about the Emperor?”

“I only know that he has ruled for a long time.”

The current Emperor had truly lived for a long time.

So long that no one knew exactly when he started ruling.

The Empire’s newspapers and books didn’t dare to mention the Emperor carelessly.

Unlike other histories, people who were not members of the Imperial family could not make calculations or guesses.

But even so, it was possible to guess that the Emperor had ruled for one or two hundred years. If the Emperor had changed, there would have been mentions, no matter how hard they tried to hide it.

“And he seems to be an excellent magician?”

“Why is that?”

“Because he’s lived for a long time?”

Even ordinary people could live longer with potions and artifacts, but there was a limit. The longer they lived, the more unstable they became.

Sometimes, you could guess the other person’s skill just by their lifespan.

Besides, the fact that the Headmaster grumbled but followed the Emperor’s words meant that he must be an outstanding magician.

“Interesting. Both are correct. I didn’t expect you to guess like this.”

‘What on earth is he?’

Is he a Demon Archduke or something?

But if he were a Demon Archduke, Ethan wouldn’t be surprised.

Ethan was starting to wonder what the Emperor’s true identity was that made the Headmaster act like this.

“Perhaps… something like a chimera that the Headmaster created?”

“…You’re crazier than your father…!”

The Headmaster was shocked that Ethan suggested the ‘Emperor Chimera Theory’ in the Imperial Palace corridor, even though no one was listening.

Ethan became sad.

“I was guessing because you said I would be surprised.”

“Y-yes, that’s right. It’s surprising. I’m surprised, but…”

Ethan realized that the surroundings had become very quiet.

He couldn’t feel anyone, but the palace looked the same.

Countless paintings and sculptures. Ceilings and walls decorated with gold and silver.

Stained glass made of amethyst, malachite, beryl, and other materials instead of windows.

If he thought about it normally, he could assume that he had come deep inside and there were no people, but Ethan’s instincts made him realize another possibility.

“Could this be a place hidden by magic?”

“!”

The Headmaster was startled.

He hadn’t expected Ethan to notice.

“That’s right. Amazing!”

“Haha. I got lost so many times in the Einroguard punishment room.”

“…It’s not something you can compare to that. Don’t talk nonsense.”

The outer maze that protected the Emperor’s inner sanctum was a masterpiece created by the Empire’s best magicians.

The Emperor, who didn’t want to waste an expensive palace, made the officials work here, but he didn’t want them to get lost and enter his residence.

It would have been easier to use force, but the Emperor didn’t want to hurt people that way…

The magicians had to work even harder.

This outer maze was a beautiful magical masterpiece that would make past archmages happy.

It reacted as if the space itself was alive, allowing only those whom the Emperor wanted to meet to enter.

There was no strangeness in the process. Even if two people walked down the corridor together, one person would arrive at the inner sanctum while the other was still walking around the palace corridor.

“It felt like there was some kind of magic.”

“You…”

The Headmaster looked very pleased.

The greatest reward a student could give to a master was to exceed the master’s expectations.

What Ethan was showing now was exactly what made the Headmaster happy.

It made running Einroguard a little bit worthwhile!

“We’ve arrived. It would be good for you to meet the Emperor and see for yourself. But before we go in, I have a few things to ask of you. Usually, when people meet the Emperor, they are put under a magic spell. This spell stops them from talking about the Emperor to anyone else.”

“Like Einroguard?”

The Headmaster hit Ethan on the head with his staff.

“Yes. Got it?”

“Yes…”

“But you won’t be put under a spell. We can’t spend half of the Empire’s budget just to put a spell on you.”

“You’re exaggerating too much.”

“I’m not exaggerating?”

“……”

“Anyway, be careful what you say. If you talk about the Emperor…”

“What happens?”

Ethan was a little nervous.

Would he be punished for insulting the Emperor?

“The Emperor will sulk.”

“Uh, are you kidding me?”

“I’m not kidding. And keep in mind that if the Emperor sulks, it will be much more annoying than you think. Now, are you ready?”

“Yes!”

Ethan took a deep breath and nodded.

Even if the person in front of him was a chimera created by the Headmaster, he was prepared not to be surprised and to kiss his feet, saying, ‘Your Majesty! Your humble servant has arrived!’

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

The Headmaster opened the door.

The Emperor’s residence was truly empty.

No paintings, no sculptures, no decorations, no jewels.

The inside looked more like a giant cave than a palace. If Ethan were thrown into this place and the giant cave in Einroguard and asked to find the difference, he probably wouldn’t be able to find it right away.

But Ethan couldn’t pay any attention to the empty appearance of this residence.

Because of the Emperor’s amazing majesty, which was in the middle of the residence.

The Emperor was enormous. His body was like a mountain of gold, filling the room. Each scale shone like a polished coin, and his claws were as big as swords.

Dignified wings that were more beautiful than any gold.

Even the wise and kind eyes that were slowly blinking and looking at Ethan and the Headmaster.

The Emperor was a Gold Dragon.

“……”

Ethan was so surprised that he couldn’t speak.

The Headmaster patted Ethan on the shoulder and greeted the Emperor instead.

“Your Majesty. I have brought Ethan of the Wodanaz family as you asked.”

The Emperor looked at the Headmaster and said something.

It seems that the stories I shared with the Dragon half a year ago were not very important to you…

Ethan saw the Headmaster looking nervous for the first time.

There is a misunderstanding, Your Majesty.

Is your name Osu, or Misunderstanding?

“Haha! Your Majesty’s sense of humor makes even a long-lived magician like me laugh.”

“……”

Ethan was dumbfounded.

What do you mean, long-lived magician… You’re still young. You’re as green as can be. Look at the Dragon compared to you. He’s lived longer than the mountains and rivers. The other Dragons have ascended, but he can’t leave. Because of a vile oath.

The Dragon swore an oath out of kindness. He trusted people… But people are deceiving and using the Dragon. Such vile people are the first since the birth of the mountains and rivers.

The Headmaster frowned.

Ethan felt a familiar emotion in that expression.

It was like the expression that students made when a professor got drunk and talked about his difficult life.

It was the expression of ‘Here we go again’.

“Your Majesty. A very young magician is listening.”

Ah… right. I’m sorry. I have to be careful what I say in front of a really young magician. Are you enjoying your life in Einroguard?

“Yes.”

Don’t lie.

“……”

“……”