Chapter 94

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 94

Chapter Title: The Tower Lord's Intrusion

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Mage Tower Lord Gaspal had the misfortune of missing the Dragon Eclipse with his own eyes.

But the moment he sensed the shift in mana, he scrapped years' worth of exploration and research plans, abandoning them entirely to hurry back to his tower.

He went straight to see the Empress afterward.

The Dragon Eclipse.

And the Crown Princess, who was said to have received the Dragon's Blessing.

Either way, Gaspal couldn't help but take an interest.

He was obsessed with dragons, after all.

To recreate the great and magnificent existence known as a dragon with his own hands—that was the lifelong goal he'd staked everything on.

There was scarcely anyone on the entire continent who knew more about dragons than he did.

Even Gaspal had never heard of anything like the rare events that had unfolded over the past month.

Heading to the imperial palace for information was only natural.

'But the Empress doesn't seem to know if that woman truly received the Dragon's Blessing.'

He accepted the confident deal she offered.

There was no downside for him anyway.

Still, he wanted to confirm it himself. That woman who had supposedly received the Dragon's Blessing.

So he slipped into the Ivory Bedroom undetected.

He had no intention of getting caught, so he carefully scouted the Crown Prince's Palace.

There was no place a mage of Gaspal's caliber couldn't infiltrate in secret. Not even the imperial palace.

He was stronger than the court mage, Durin, after all.

But there were a few spots in the palace even he couldn't enter lightly.

'The residences of the imperial family, who carry the dragon's bloodline.'

They dominated the mana around them, detecting any mage's presence faster than anyone else.

Slipping past their notice wasn't easy.

Among the current imperial family, the most dangerous were just two: the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince's Palace was naturally off-limits for casual intrusion.

But his curiosity and thirst for knowledge as a mage overpowered any fear of risk.

'The Dragon's Blessing? Did she actually see one with her own eyes?'

His curiosity surged uncontrollably.

If she really had received the blessing, surely the dragon had left some kind of proof on her.

His heart pounded.

It felt just like that boyhood thrill when he'd first laid eyes on a fragment of Artanus and set foot on the path of magic.

He felt like he might die if he didn't see for himself.

After a moment's hesitation, Gaspal erected dozens of barriers and infiltrated the Ivory Bedroom in the Crown Prince's Palace.

Even if the Crown Prince caught him, he was confident he could escape with his life.

You couldn't become Mage Tower Lord without that level of skill.

Hiding in the shadows, he finally laid eyes on the Crown Princess—and she looked utterly ordinary.

He'd hoped to spot something extraordinary at a glance, but no such luck.

His interest waned.

He was about to withdraw when suddenly, the Crown Princess sensed his presence.

"Who's there!"

"...Ho? How did you know I was here? Does that mean there is something special about you after all?"

His fading interest reignited in an instant.

There was no point hiding now that he'd been spotted.

As he revealed himself, the woman froze in terror.

'And yet, there's still nothing special about this ordinary girl.'

Gaspal unleashed a barrage of questions he'd harbored, lacing them with threats.

If he could wring information from the terrified woman, great. If not, no big loss.

'Worst case, I can kill her quietly and demand separate compensation from the Empress.'

But to his astonishment, she shook off her fear with incredible speed.

This made no sense.

The moment Hilia spotted him, Gaspal had unleashed his full, concealed mana.

Even a mana-blind commoner would instinctively feel terror before such overwhelming, hostile power.

What she'd done was like a mouse overcoming its fear and fighting back against a snake.

No—even more impressive.

'What is this woman?'

As Gaspal faltered in surprise, Hilia flashed a confident smile and tossed out bait that left him aghast.

"Neither Evangeline nor the Empress can give you what you really want."

"Don't you crave the body of an imperial family member who carries the dragon's bloodline—fresh and alive?"

It was as if she'd rifled through his mind and pulled out his deepest desire.

How?

Gaspal opened his mouth to speak, then froze.

He sensed enormous mana approaching rapidly from afar.

Only imperial family members wielded such commanding control over mana.

'The Crown Prince is coming.'

Did she know that too? She smiled boldly and made her demand.

"Next time, bring proper payment and visit politely."

Gaspal couldn't help but marvel in shock.

It was the epitome of grace and dignity—befitting a Crown Princess.

"You talk as if you could actually provide it."

Her response drew an involuntary chuckle from him.

"If you want my husband, you need his wife's permission first."

It was brazenly confident.

He'd only just met her today. He'd never revealed his intentions.

Yet she knew exactly what he wanted.

His bewilderment swiftly turned to intrigue and curiosity.

Until now, only dragons had captured his interest.

But in that moment, another being joined the list.

'Now I'm interested in this woman.'

"Very well. Next time, I'll bring payment and call on you most politely, Your Highness the Crown Princess."

Gaspal bowed with an elegance that didn't suit him.

Hilia's startled reaction was plain to see—she clearly hadn't expected that.

With a smirk, Gaspal tore the teleportation scroll he'd prepared for emergencies.

The instant-transfer spell activated.

He vanished as abruptly as he'd appeared, leaving a faint smile in his wake.

Bang!

The door to the Ivory Bedroom flew open with brutal force. No—it shattered to pieces.

Crunch!

"Hilia!"

Arpad burst into the bedroom alongside the chaos.

Hilia turned slowly.

Residual mana swirled chaotically through the room.

Her long hair and thin white nightgown whipped wildly in the disturbance.

For a split second, Arpad was gripped by the fear that she might be swept away.

He reached out desperately, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist. Only after confirming she wasn't going anywhere did he finally exhale in relief.

Now he could take stock of the room.

It was a total wreck.

Small furniture and furnishings lay toppled and broken, scattered by the wind.

The aftermath of the teleportation spell that had just been cast.

Thankfully, Hilia was unharmed.

Not a single hair out of place. That was all that mattered.

"What the hell happened here?"

"Well... I'm sorry, Arpad."

"Sorry for what?"

He couldn't fathom why she kept apologizing like this.

This wasn't the time to seek forgiveness.

She'd apologized for her own pain before, and now for being attacked in her own bedroom.

Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Arpad forgot his own thoughts at his wife's next words.

"I... kinda sold you out."

"...Yeah, that's definitely something worth apologizing for."