Chapter 46
"Then tell me. What had happened at the night?"
By the request of the Emperor, Ian took a breath.
He started his report, which only contained a story that would be of benefit to Ian.
A perfectly manipulated story, so that wouldn’t cause any suspicion about Ian.
"At night, it was right after the sun had set. Suddenly, continuous explosion sounds were heard. Since one of the sound had come from the ballroom, I rushed to the room and protected the Crown Prince, princess and my mother with my s.h.i.+eld. Soon, I and sir Oliver found something suspicious. Firstly, the scale of explosions were too small to damage the royal palace directly. Secondly…….."
Ian continued his story.
Most of his story was based on facts.
Except that he already knew the existence of the Coldwalkers.
Without that critical fact, he summarized the situation.
"…… Although we had suspected the situation, we couldn’t decide any further action. When I said it to the Crown Prince, he ordered me to chase the suspicious clues……"
It wasn’t on the previous report.
Suddenly, everyone looked at the Crown Prince.
‘D, did I?’
The Crown Prince also looked embarra.s.sed.
He never did it.
‘Did…….. I order him to?’
The night was full of confusion.
Maybe he forgot that fact due to the confusion?
"Prince."
"Did I really d…….?"
"Prince!"
"Y, yes! Father!"
"Is it true?"
"Yes?"
"I am asking you, did you order Ian to do so?"
It had to be confirmed by the Crown Prince.
Every talk in this council was recorded as doc.u.ment.
Numberless liege men were listening.
Naturally, they would say what they heard here outside.
Which meant, it was chance.
‘An easy chance which was given to the Emperor.’
A good chance to solidify the relations.h.i.+p between the Crown Prince and Ian.
With a s.h.i.+ny eye, the Emperor looked at the Crown Prince.
With a short hesitation, the Crown Prince opened his mouth.
"I, I thin…….. Y, yes, that’s right!"
With the Crown Prince’s reply, the council room was swayed for a moment.
It wasn’t a negative reaction though.
They were just surprised.
That Crown Prince really did?
"Stop."
The Emperor had let them talk each other for a moment.
Then with his order, everyone became quiet again.
"Although the Crown Prince had ordered Ian to do so, obviously It was Ian Page who distinguished himself to the empire the most. Without him, we would let our unknown enemies steal our precious information, and we would be laughed by the whole world."
When the liege men were listening the word ‘laugh’, they turned down their head for shame.
"Since Ian Page has prevented such tragedy at an early stage, I will never forgot what he did for us. For this time, I would like to reward him by my very hand."
It meant the Emperor wouldn’t ask Ian for his reward.
"The reward I will give is."
Quickly, maids and servants started to move quickly.
Ian already had been rewarded gold and a mansion before.
Since what he distinguished himself with last night was quite the huge one, he would be rewarded by something better.
With that Ian was excited.
"This."
It was a robe.
New, the robe with cobalt blue color had no wrinkles on it.
It wasn’t decorated luxuriously, but it had some precious aura.
"The robe is my ancestor’s, who was the only mage of royal blood, Mich.e.l.l Greenriver’s only inheritance. Originally, It is not supposed to be given to non royal blood. Actually, I better say I lend it to you, rather than give it to you."
As he explained. Even Ian wouldn’t have that much chance to see it in former life.
The first and last mage of royalty.
The one who was talented in magic, so became the Tower Lord.
‘ The robe of Mich.e.l.l Greenriver.’
In former life, Ian had received various treasure of royalty.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t have ever had a chance to see it directly.
It was a testament that they didn’t reward it to non royal blood.
"Duration of lending will be, until Ian Page is deceased. Or, until you don’t want to possess it anymore."
But the Emperor broke the testament, by excusing he was ‘lending’ it to Ian.
It was an unusual reward.
"Try it on. You wouldn’t need to take off your clothes since its robe."
With the Emperor’s order, maids helped Ian put it on.
The problem was its size was way too big for Ian.
The size of robe was designed for adult, but Ian
Nevertheless, the Emperor still wanted him to put it on.
"It’s okay, please just put it on to me."
It was hilarious to watch Ian with an unfitted robe.
It looked like a kid who tried his father’s clothes.
Liege men turned their face away to stop laughing.
"It’s quite big for you. How long will it take to fit on your body?"
The Emperor joked to Ian.
Soon Ian realized the true meaning of his joke.
After he wore it, he could felt it.
One of the spells that was casted on Mich.e.l.l Greenriver’s robe.
"I will fit it straightly."
Ian injected his mana to the robe slowly.
Soon, a surprising thing happened.
The robe, filled with mana, started to stick on Ian’s body.
In addition, it started to worm around by itself.
As if it measuring scale of its new owner’s body.
Whirr –!
With a small noise of extracting mana.
Mich.e.l.l Greenriver’s robe started to change.
Its length, width and size, and everything else was changed for the young owner.
"Wow….."
"How could it happen…….?"
Without dignity, the liege men started to admire it.
The Crown Prince stood up straight and watched Ian as well.
It was such a rare scene.
"It suits you better than I had thought. Especially its blue color."
A light impression from the Emperor.
Ian now could feel something clearly.
Every power of the robe of Mich.e.l.l Greenriver.
It was much more than Ian had ever imagined.
‘So this might be the reason why he left a testament to not reward it to a stranger.’
Satisfied, Ian fixed his sleeves and collar.
While bowing to the Emperor, Ian said.
"I appreciate your grace, your majesty."
Ian’s second meeting with the Emperor.
The council meeting ended well.
‘It is an amazing robe indeed.’
The robe kept whispering to Ian.
Ian wanted to check its power quickly.
‘I can feel a few formulas.’
Clearly, it was some specific ‘formulas’.
It tempted Ian greatly.
He couldn’t help himself but to test its power.
‘It has been long since I feel excitement.’
It was an unexpected luck.
For a while, he would focus on investigating this robe.
A mysterious robe that he hadn’t seen in his former life.
There must be many things to investigate.
"Hmm?"
At the moment, there was someone who was caught in Ian’s eyes.
A lady who was watching Ian from far distance.
It was the princess, Hyree Greenriver.
‘It seems she still feels uncomfortable.’
Yet, n.o.body knew she was a mage.
When the mages of the Ivory Tower had arrived, she had already spent her whole mana, so the s.h.i.+eld was gone. It was a too high cla.s.s spell for her to maintain it for long.
‘And injecting mana isn’t that much of a sight taking action.’
The room was full of confusion.
n.o.body found out what exactly the princess had done.
Even the Crown Prince and Vanessa who was very next to her.
‘It is not my business.’
The reason she was watching Ian was obvious.
The princess hid her magical talent on purpose.
She was learning magic, while hiding it to the Ivory Tower.
If it revealed, it was one of the most heavy crimes.
And ‘Ian’ knew the fact.
The boy who was one of the Ivory Tower members.
The 12th arch mage.
‘She chose to be.’
Ian had no idea why she had hidden it.
Of course, he wasn’t interested in it.
It was time wasting for Ian to care about what happened to the princess.
‘But,’
Ian gathered mana on his right finger.
With index finger, Ian drew something on the air.
Since it was quite small gesture, no one realized it.
‘I can do this for her, at least.’
By his gesture, the mana was s.h.i.+mmering.
And Ian sent it to the princess.
By riding the wind, a chunk of mana had been sent to the princess.
Soon, it had been released on the princess’ face.
It was blue letters, formed by mana.
[You don’t need to worry about last night.]
The biggest relief that Ian could do for her.
The princess looked more comfortable.
It seemed to be enough for her.
‘Now I had to do..’
Of course, testing the robe of Mich.e.l.l Greenriver.
With excitement, Ian left the royal palace.
Suddenly, a few people blocked Ian’s path.
Ian expected the Crown Prince and his knights.
"You did very well."
Ian’s expectation was wrong this time.
It wasn’t the Crown Prince.