Chapter 128 - 2-10
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Um... Prince Ricardo, what is this place?"
Prince Ricardo's attendant led me to a room deep within the church located at the edge of the royal palace. We reached this secret location through a hidden door with a complex mechanism. Inside, Prince Ricardo sat composed on a sofa, reading a book. Upon noticing me, he rose gracefully and bowed with his hand over his chest. The gesture was so elegant it felt as though we were at a ball.
He wore a calm smile to put me at ease as he looked around the room.
"This is a magic practice room reserved for the royal family."
"There are so many books here."
"Yes. They are all under a special spell so they cannot be removed from this room. You are free to read as much as you like while you are here."
The first thing I noticed upon entering was the walls lined with bookshelves filled to the brim. From the way Prince Ricardo spoke, I assumed they were all related to magic.
"So, are you the Saint's guard today, Viscount Frion?"
Theodore-sama, standing slightly behind me, gave a bow as he answered. The reason he was accompanying me today was that Louis-sama had been called for a sudden audience with the King. Theodore-sama, who usually found such things tedious, had agreed quite easily—no doubt out of curiosity regarding dark magic.
"I have wanted to meet the man rumored to be a once-in-a-generation mage, but you truly are surprising. You seem to be everything the rumors say... and more."
"Thank you. I hope this opportunity allows us to form a connection for the future."
"Likewise. Now, normally I wouldn't want anyone else to see what happens here, so I would ask the Viscount to wait in the next room."
"If necessary, I shall do so. I am confident I can prevent even a single scratch from touching Lady Rachel from the next room over."
At Theodore-sama's words, Prince Ricardo raised an eyebrow and laughed. "I see."
In response, Theodore-sama hid his usual lethargy and playfulness. He pointed his right index finger at me as if as a warning. In that instant, a faint, shimmering light enveloped me.
"Whoa!"
"...I see. Quite interesting. Does it notify you if someone approaches with ill intent? Or is there some kind of guard built into the spell itself?"
"Now, I wonder."
"Well, it doesn't matter. It's fine. I have no intention of doing anything as foolish as harming the Dark Saint."
Ignoring my surprise, Prince Ricardo shrugged at Theodore-sama. The light still floating around me seemed to be a type of defensive magic. Seeing magic I had never encountered before, I tentatively reached out to the light. It popped and dissolved into my body.
I looked at Theodore-sama, silently asking what had happened, but he showed no sign of explaining. He simply turned on his heel, waved his hand dismissively, and disappeared into the adjacent room.
"Now, we don't have much time. Let's begin."
Prince Ricardo waited until the door to the next room clicked shut before speaking.
"Um, regarding the 'study' you mentioned yesterday... do you mean you will personally teach me about dark magic?"
"Yes, exactly. First, I must earn your trust. I want us to be collaborators, not enemies. This is the best way to achieve that, isn't it?"
"I cannot learn dark magic in my own country. So, regardless of your motives, it is a very grateful offer. However, that doesn't necessarily mean I can lend you my strength..."
"Yes, I'll look forward to that in the future. Besides, dark magic can be quite dangerous if handled incorrectly. It's too risky to learn on your own. More than anything, you are the Dark Saint. The thought of you being in another country without the means to control such powerful force is terrifying."
"Are you saying not learning it leads to danger?"
"I'll explain that later. We don't have time for lectures. You need to learn through practice immediately."
Urged by Prince Ricardo, I walked to a large table in the center of the room. About ten magic tools, unlike anything in Dutoit, were lined up neatly. The smallest was the size of a pebble, and they gradually increased in size.
"These are magic tools used for learning dark magic. The smaller ones are easier to handle, while the largest is for masters."
He continued his explanation. Apparently, these tools were for learning how to control the power of darkness—specifically, the power to return time to the past. They were currently glowing red, but if one sent power into them successfully, they would turn blue.
"If one succeeds with the largest one, what kind of magic can they use?"
"Well, since these tools were created, no one has succeeded with one this size. But... with this much power, it might even be possible to restore a person on the brink of death."
"No way... such a thing..."
Restore someone on the brink of death...?
The thought immediately brought to mind the scene where Prince Isaac had healed a wound. Furthermore, there was the fact that I, who had died once, was now alive in the past because of the Spirit King. I gripped my trembling hand with the other to steady myself.
"Of course, using that much magic would place a massive burden on oneself. Also... no, let's try it first."
Prince Ricardo hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and smiling. "I'll show you an example first. Imagine it. The flow of time and the state you want to return it to, precisely."
He held his hand over the smallest tool, and in an instant, the red light turned blue.
"This didn't require much power. It's like returning a withered flower to a healthy state. It's the easiest thing to do."
I could already return a withered flower to health. In other words, I was only at the very first stage. But if this was the beginning, practicing with these tools would allow me to learn even more.
As I nodded to myself, Prince Ricardo said, "And next, an example of failure," with a smile. He held his hand over the tool he had just turned blue.<
Crack!
The moment I saw cracks appear in the magic tool, it shattered with a loud noise. It didn't even retain its original shape, turning into a pile of sand. My shoulders jumped at the sound.
"If you fail to control it and make a mistake, you distort time and lead it to destruction."
"Destruction... that's..."
The ominous weight of the word "destruction" sent a chill down my spine. Still, I couldn't take my eyes off the remains of the tool.
"It requires delicate control. Even the slightest deviation will turn flowers, fields... even people into this state."
"People...?"
At his words, I imagined a mannequin shattering like the magic tool, and a surge of terror rose within me.
What a terrifying power... If that's true...
"Yes. The power of darkness is two sides of the same coin. Used correctly, it can help plants, animals, and people. But one wrong step, and it becomes a power that can kill. This is the power of the god... the dark spirit, the symbol of 'Purity and Innocence.'"
I could only stand there in a daze, unable to even respond to Prince Ricardo's calm explanation.
Thank you for the bookmarks, comments, and typo reports.
The second volume of the light novel will be released this weekend, so I plan to update again on Friday or Saturday. By the way, if you swipe or scroll down, you can see the cover art for Volume 2. If you're interested, please take a look. Rachel and Anna are beautifully illustrated.
I hope you continue to enjoy the story.