Chapter 77

While I was forced to participate in the raid on the Varfan group, I left the aftermath to others. It’s an adult’s job, right?

And I, a child, play happily with magic with my younger brothers.

"There’s a place like this, huh?"

This is a corner of the palace. One side of the corridor, which resembles a chessboard with its black and white tiles, is lined with walls, while the other side has a row of columns leading to a courtyard. The corridor is as spacious as a single room.

"I always use magic here. Swordsmanship too, and basically any physical activity. What about you, brother?"

Terry asks innocently. This is a garden attached to Terry’s room, located inside the palace.

I’ve seen a historical book in the imperial library that lists the main facilities of the palace. It was mentioned alongside the artistic value of frescoes after renovations and the descriptions of furniture crafted by master artisans. Among them, the space surrounding this courtyard was referred to as the Crown Prince’s Chamber.

There’s also a room for the queen nearby, and a bit further away is the king’s room, and the twin princes’ room, known as the Princes’ Chamber. Incidentally, there’s also a room for the princess, though it’s currently vacant.

"I only have a room. I don’t have a garden."

"We’re the same. We don’t have a garden either."

"We’re told we’ll practice in the grand hall when we grow up."

The twins pull on my hem and say something cute. But then Her Highness the Empress approaches with a serious look on her face.

"There should be a courtyard in the left wing. No one is using it, so why isn’t it being used?"

"Well, um………"

I tried to dodge the question, but because I seemed suspicious from the start, Her Highness noticed.

"Is it that it’s not usable?"

"No, well, um, the room’s location, poor maintenance, and various other issues………"

I hadn’t really paid attention to it before, but indeed, there are two courtyards in the left wing that no one uses and are not maintained. From the Blue Room, which is nearby, you can look down on one of the courtyards in the left wing. However, I’ve never gone down there because the stairs leading there can only be used when meeting my father. While I’m allowed to go up the stairs, I’m not allowed to go down.

I haven’t mentioned the use of those stairs. If he finds out, my father will probably be disappointed. Before that, the movement to shut down the Criminal Guild has accelerated, and as a result, my father, the emperor, has more political duties. I don’t intend to add a low-priority issue to his plate.

"May I speak, Asha-sama?"

Wearrel, who is also my magic tutor, is with me today.

He’s asking me, but it’s probably for permission to speak with Her Highness. When I see Her Highness nod, I nod at Wearrel as well.

"The courtyards in the left wing are unsuitable for training compared to this one. They are surrounded by walls on all sides, and all the windows are made of glass. Additionally, there is a building in the central part of the left wing that has been over-renovated, raising questions about its durability. Considering Asha-sama’s safety, it is not suitable."

It’s an excuse, no, it’s a fact that the rooms in the left wing have been over-renovated. After all, many residents have made renovations and added artistic decorations since the palace was built.

Basically, rooms that are not used are locked, so I can’t go there, but as a result of Sefira’s wandering, it seems that some places have been renovated by removing the floor.

For a Japanese person who prioritizes earthquake resistance, it’s a scary place to approach.

"I see, poor maintenance. When there’s no one using it, it gets put off……… I understand. Is there any inconvenience for Asha in the current situation?"

Her Highness is asking out of concern for me.

"No, in fact, because we practice indoors, I was able to learn the magic we’re doing today."

Today, I’m teaching Terry the magic I showed during the incident in the cathedral, which makes fireworks rain down on the enemy’s head.

Her Highness, who had free time, is also watching. At the same time, I have the twins sit nearby to ensure they don’t get into danger.

"Let me show you first. Even with beginner-level magic, if you can align the same magic close to each other and increase the number………"

I deployed five magic spells in a horizontal row, one head taller than an adult. It’s a simple spell that just causes sparks, but it requires skill. If the spells are too close, they interfere with each other and change into different spells, and the magic you intended to use won’t even activate due to the discrepancy between the image and the spell. Or it might explode.

"Wow, such precise control of magic………"

"Beautiful!"

"It’s making a crackling sound."

Her Highness, who has learned magic as part of her education, shows surprise. The twins are simply delighted by the sight of the sparks.

I feel proud.

After all, I’m the one doing it today. Since I was supposed to teach Terry, I asked Sefira to help me learn it. So while I can’t do as much as Sefira, I’ve managed to learn enough to teach Terry.

"The difficult part of this magic is to fix the location precisely. By doing so, you can reduce the danger even indoors and improve the precision of the magic through practice."

Wearrel explains to Her Highness in a professional manner. In reality, the magic I learn from Wearrel is mostly theoretical because there’s no place to practice. The rest is basic and low-risk.

There’s also a spell to launch fireballs, but it’s too dangerous to use indoors. So, in fact, I’m not particularly good at magic. I don’t use it much.

In the current era where magic is flourishing, I’m not known for being good at magic or for studying it diligently. Moreover, it’s well-known that I have alchemy, which is considered a degraded form of magic, as a hobby. Therefore, I’ve heard that I’m thought to be bad at magic.

"How does this relate to alchemy, brother?"

"Alchemy is about making the same process yield the same result. If you can reproduce that with magic, you can achieve a stable effect. To do that, you first need to prepare for reproducibility."

Let’s use the tiles at our feet for a good example.

"Let’s name the white tile in front of Terry as 1-10. The black tile to the right of 1-10 is 1-9, and the black tile in front of 1-10 in the direction Terry is facing is 2-10."

In other words, we’re numbering the tiles.

"I’m going to make sparks on 3-9."

After saying that, I make sparks fall at the center of the black tile named 3-9, as I declared.

"Try it, Terry."

"Okay……… Explode!"

It’s a grandiose phrase, but the sparks do occur. However, the location is closer to 3-10.

"Try to make sparks in the same place again."

I do the same as before, making sparks occur, but Terry, trying too hard, makes the magic shift closer to 4-9 this time.

"……… Amazing, brother."

Trying to encourage me, Terry unexpectedly looks up at me with sparkling eyes.

"Using more than one magic spell is already difficult! And the height was the same this time! Is brother a magic genius?"

"No, anyone can do this with practice. Of course, Terry can too."

Somehow, Terry is looking at me with admiration.

(I feel bad for taking credit for Sefira’s work)

(Responsiveness, reducing damage to Ictus, and clear instructions. All of these were achieved by my master)

Is it okay not to mind?

"Thinking of such a method in the first place is a sign of talent. I studied at the Luciusaria Academy, but I’ve never seen such a practice method."

Oh, even Her Highness is praising me.

"Being able to cast high-powered magic is not the only sign of skill. There are plenty of ordinary people who can’t even put in the effort to do what they can, Asha-sama."

Wearrel, who knows what Sefira has done, adds to it, making Terry’s admiration shine even brighter. I can’t afford to show any embarrassing moments as a brother from now on.

Regular update

Next: Tea Party with the Younger Brothers 1