I'm a court magician. Recently, I’ve been worrying about the princess staring at me. - Chapter 15
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- I'm a court magician. Recently, I’ve been worrying about the princess staring at me.
- Chapter 15 - Premonition.
Early morning, the next day.
Unlike most days, when I would be racing back to my office from the annex to squeeze in a nap before the work day officially began, I was in no such hurry today. My back rested on the wall and I was lost in thought. As always, my rapier hung from my waist, and I was wearing a black robe: proof of my position as a court magician.
I wore this same uniform every day, but on this particular occasion there was a small difference.
“Isn’t this too much responsibility for me…?”
I sighed and hung my head. My fingers went to a brooch, decorated with gold roses, on my chest.
“It’s weird that they’re leaving this to a newcomer. Even if my role is a bit more hands-off, there are loads of knights more suitable for the task…”
One by one, the thoughts running through my head spilled from my mouth, relieving some of the pressure I had been feeling. But it was nowhere near gone.
“Haah… Why am I like this?”
All this sighing and mumbling might have been rude, but I didn’t care. Right now, I was the only person here, and only the clouds looked down upon me.
As the sky brightened, I thought back to yesterday.
***
“On the day of the Founding Festival, you are to be the shadow guard of Her Royal Highness the princess.”
“The shadow guard?”
I repeated the phrase curiously. Shadow guard… What is that? Surely my job wasn’t to watch the princess’s shadow. Just kidding. I had a rough idea of what it meant, but I couldn’t be too sure.
“Why do they need me to guard the princess? Aren’t there already court magicians assigned to escort her?”
“Of course there are. Five, in fact.”
“Then—”
“But not all of them are cut out for fighting if it comes to it.”
“Huh?”
Anyone who can become a court magician should be skilled enough, I thought. Seeing my confusion, Milena-san explained politely.
“It’s true that court magicians are among the strongest people in the kingdom. That won’t change. But not everyone is trained specifically to fight. Most people who pass the court magician’s exam, even after years of training, are sent to departments where they lose practice. They want someone who has a good track record in terms of battle.”
“And that’s why someone from our department has to hide from the shadows.”
Elt-san sat on the sofa and slouched lazily.
Her Highness is a very important figure, so I guess it makes sense… By the way, I still have a bone to pick with you, Elt-san. You’re acting awfully comfortable for someone who left me on my own, aren’t you? I admit, I would have been in an even worse situation without you, but this and that are two different matters, right?
I decided now wasn’t the time to bring it up.
“Aren’t Elt-san or Arina-san more suitable, then? They’re unmatched when it comes to anything close-range.”
The only short-range magic I’m comfortable with is either elementary, or a utility or support spell. My swordsmanship and physicality were no better than that of an average knight. I didn’t see why there was any reason to pick me.
“They’re stronger in close combat, but you have to remember that we’ll be in the busiest areas of the royal capital. I can’t have them acting as they normally do elsewhere and collapsing the buildings around them. Some Founding Festival that would be.”
“Hey, Chief, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?”
“We know how to control ourselves.”
“Yes, yes, just a little.”
Milena-san turned to me again, ignoring the other two.
“So it turns out that your long-range sniper magic is excellent for this situation. Your precision and tactics far outweigh their firepower. Not to mention, you’ve been getting really good at the invisibility spell recently, haven’t you? You’re the most qualified person in this department!”
She grabbed my hand with enthusiasm. It was hard to say no after her spiel. Not that I could have anyways, as a junior.
“Well, I’ll do my best, but what’s with this shadow guard situation? It would be easier for me to just stick with the main guard.”
“The higher-ups are nosy when it comes to escorts, especially the aristocrats who believe in tradition.”
“I see.”
Some aristocrats were really stubborn. What’s the point of tradition if the royal family is injured due to an insufficient guard?
“So don’t screw up and make them hate you even more, okay? You might find your head cleanly detached from your neck.”
“Don’t end with that!”
***
“…………Hah…”
I sighed again.
It was another sign of my unconfidence. Maybe a perfect shadow guard shouldn’t sigh at his job, but I was only bracing myself for what was to come.
I played with the brooch pinned to my chest.
Made of pure gold, it was a symbol representing the royal guard that all members had to wear. I didn’t see a point in having it, considering I would be spending most of my time invisible, but I was told to wear it anyways.
…This kind of gaudy stuff doesn’t suit me.
“I should be getting going.”
Exiting the roof, I went down the stairs and through the palace hallway. The festival was in four days, but my stomach hurt already. The responsibility… the consequences… A plethora of nasty images ran through my head. I won’t be able to sleep well for a while. This might be grounds for overtime pay.
“Did you hear?”
“Huh?”
I froze. At the end of the hallway, I saw two magicians who seemed to have just arrived at work. They looked like they were in their twenties, and their faces were filled with anxiety.
I quietly cast a spell to raise my hearing and eavesdropped on their conversation. This was by no means a bad thing. It was just information gathering. I should be praised, in fact.
“It seems true. Several court magicians from the royal guard disappeared. The room they were last seen in was covered in bloodstains.”
“How many disappeared?”
“They don’t know yet. But that’s not the worst part. Among the missing wizards was Arsenas, the deputy commander.”
“What!? That’s a big problem!”
They kept talking, but I had heard enough. The pressure from earlier was gone, replaced with a more apprehensive feeling.
I rubbed my chin as I walked to my office.
“…Seems like the Founding Festival won’t end peacefully.”
With a sense of foreboding, I thought about how to best sort things out.