Log inEpisode 23 - Second Prince Griphellos 2
Koch gritted his teeth.
He could no longer hide it.
But revealing everything meant risking the Second Prince being branded a traitor—a serious situation.
“...I will tell you everything. Only...”
“Is there still something holding you back?”
“...That magical artifact Wingester created... it was something his grandfather researched long ago.”
“Huh. So he continued his grandfather's research. That's a commendable story.”
Koch revealed a truth he had never wanted to tell the prince, who seemed to be enjoying himself.
“…That magic tool was an object His Majesty the current King deemed sacrilegious and had ‘disposed of’ along with his grandfather.”
“…….”
Only then did Griphellos’s expression turn grave.
He never imagined the magic tool he’d been about to touch was a forbidden item that had fallen out of favor with His Majesty and been disposed of.
“Wait a moment. Then how did Wingester inherit that research?”
“...I don't know that either.”
He had a vague idea, but unless he was certain, there was no need to bring it up.
“It is strange indeed. If true, it means I've stepped on a massive landmine...”
Griphellos fell into deep thought.
He had no intention of abandoning that magic tool.
It was far too useful to give up.
That magical artifact that allowed Wingester, with his low magical aptitude, to fight on equal footing with the descendants of the Seiz family, combat mages of the highest caliber.
With just that in hand, he could make his plans a reality.
“...I must consult the records of the Arcane Veil after all.”
“Your Highness?!”
“If I suddenly bring up that magical artifact, I'll surely be suspected.”
“What do you mean...?”
“By consulting the records of the Arcane Veil, I will create a ‘precedent’.”
“......!”
Koh immediately grasped the meaning behind Prince Griphellos's words.
By accessing the records of the Arcane Veil, he would create the ‘cause’ of having learned about that magical artifact, thereby establishing the conditions to speak to the king.
“Are you sure this is wise?! If anything goes wrong…!”
“I know. But I believe it's worth the risk to obtain it. That magic tool….”
“Why are you so fixated on it….”
Before Koch's pleading, Griphellos flashed a triumphant smile.
“The creator, how is Wingester’s aptitude for magic?”
“……!”
“Right. Mass-producing and distributing that magic tool… would turn everyone in the kingdom with low magical aptitude into warriors.”
“Th-that’s…”
Above all, the troops trained that way would naturally become his own forces, Griphellos’s own army.
It would be the ultimate trump card to instantly overturn the feeling of always being overshadowed by his brother due to his lower magical aptitude.
“Anyway, thank you for the information, Professor Koch.”
“Ah, not at all...”
“Then you may leave. I must immediately attend to His Majesty.”
“……!”
Several hours later.
Griphellos knelt on one knee at the center of the audience chamber before His Majesty.
“I wondered what could be so urgent that you requested an audience so suddenly... What is your purpose in bringing up such a story?
The current king was one of the world’s few 8th Circle Masters, a formidable figure who had strengthened his royal authority through an iron-fisted rule that valued tradition.
Though his prestige had been tarnished by the recent defeat in the local conflict with the Maritime Kingdom, his presence as monarch remained formidable.
“Recently, while reviewing the Academy's annual graduation thesis collection to discover young talent, I learned of individuals whose whereabouts are unknown or who vanished along with their research.”
“......”
" While investigating them, I thought perhaps records might remain within the Arcane Veil...“
Thud.
A middle-aged mage among the ministers seated to the left struck the floor with his staff, voicing objection.
”Your Majesty! This cannot be! The Arcane Veil is an organization directly under the King's command alone! Even His Royal Highness the Prince violates the principle!"
Griphellos gritted his teeth inwardly.
He was one of the high-ranking officials who strongly supported Henkepallos, the First Prince and his elder brother.
“Enough. The Prince is speaking.”
“Hah! My apologies.”
Fortunately, the King's intervention forced him to back down, but he could feel the King's piercing gaze fixed on Griphellos, clearly displeased.
Griphellos, however, paid no heed and continued his speech.
“Therefore, by examining the records of the Arcane Veil, if there are any researchers whose crimes were not severe and who could contribute to the kingdom, I wish to give them an opportunity to redeem their disgrace.”
“……!”
The expressions of the high officials from the First Prince's faction listening nearby instantly twisted.
Griphellos's current statement was an act directly contradicting the king's decision—attempting to bring back and utilize those whom the king had branded as disrespectful and punished.
“How dare such disrespectful words!”
The representative of the First Prince faction, that dignitary, could not contain himself and raised his voice.
But the King, with a cold, steely demeanor, slammed his fist down on the armrest of the throne.
“Enough!”
“……!”
The dignitaries, unable to press further under the King's thunderous rebuke, bowed their heads and crouched low.
“Griphellos.”
The king's voice carried a cold, settled fury.
This was the critical moment.
The slightest slip of the tongue could make Griphellos a traitor.
Griphellos swallowed hard, desperately selecting his words.
“...Yes. Father.”
“Do you understand the full meaning of what you just said?”
“...Yes. I understand perfectly, Father.”
The slightly furrowed expression on the king's face eased just a little.
Unlike the First Prince, who excelled solely as a mage, the Second Prince, while perhaps lacking somewhat as a mage, surpassed his elder brother in nearly every other aspect.
Therefore, when he declared his intention to compete with his elder brother for the position of Crown Prince, the King readily accepted it.
Though he valued tradition, he had come to believe that determining the Crown Prince solely based on magical aptitude might not be ideal for the kingdom's future.
“...Then you are confident you can persuade me?”
“...Yes.”
“...Go ahead.”
The expressions of the First Prince's faction grew anxious.
Here we go again.
Time and again, the treacherous Second Prince had persuaded the king, silencing the First Prince's faction's opinions.
It would have been better if he had failed, but infuriatingly, the Second Prince's policies were all sailing smoothly.
It was obvious this would happen again.
“I believe these matters were indeed disposed of after rigorous examination based on tradition... but I also believe they too devoted themselves to such research for the sake of the kingdom.”
“......”
“...Just as people need tolerance, tradition too requires such generosity.”
The king began to ponder, stroking his chin at the prince's plausible words.
The ministers listened, inwardly gnashing their teeth, searching desperately for any flaw to seize upon.
“Then, even if they hold values contrasting with tradition, if we can rid them of the stigma of heresy and guide them to loyalty to the kingdom, they could surely become a future strength for the kingdom.”
“...Is that what you wish to do?”
“Yes. I intend to incorporate their research into the Royal Magitech Research Institute, which His Majesty has just granted permission for.”
The king slowly began to grasp why this bold second prince had suddenly proposed building a Magitech research institute.
Clearly, since he couldn't match his elder brother as a mage, he intended to gather those with low magical aptitude and use the new field of Magitech to boost his own standing.
It was puzzling that he, who rarely entertained such bold and risky ideas, had made such a significant move this time.
Was he aiming for something?
A deep, amused smile spread across the king's lips.
“...Very well. I grant permission.”
“......! Your Majesty! I am deeply honored!”
“But!”
“......?!”
Griphellos hurriedly bowed low at the king's firm voice, which added a condition.
“…The Magitech Research Institute must undergo regular inspections by the Arcane Veil.”
“……!”
“Under that condition, I can grant permission. What do you say?”
It meant monitoring through the Arcane Veil to ensure the research wasn't misused.
As a prince, there was nothing wrong with that.
“I am deeply honored!”
“…Very well. I will issue a separate order to the Arcane Veil.”
Griphellos' fist, clenched as he exited the audience chamber, was drenched in a clammy, cold sweat.
This crisis had passed.
From now on, he could steer matters as he wished.
“…Your Highness.”
Senior officials of the First Prince’s faction, who had just exited the audience chamber, called out to him.
When he turned, they wore blatantly displeased expressions.
“This is blatant tyranny. You must know that.”
“That is precisely why I sought His Majesty's permission.”
“…….”
They stared at each other with dry eyes, then promptly turned away.
“...I wonder what Henkepallos would say if he heard of this.”
“......”
He paid no heed to the officials' words.
Even if it wasn't them, his brother would find out eventually.
His brother's support base was that solid, as his ascension to the 8th Circle after their father was all but certain.
He knew full well there were supporters for his brother within the Arcane Veil as well.
The prince, who had gone directly to the Arcane Veil, was guided by an officer to the archives.
“Is this the place?”
Towering bookshelves lined the room, densely packed with moldy-smelling books.
“This way.”
Following the officer's lead, he arrived before a bookshelf in the left corner.
“You need to check the items on this shelf.”
“What's on the other shelves?”
The official stepped in front of the prince, who had absentmindedly glanced at the adjacent bookshelves.
“What's this?”
“...His Majesty ordered that you may only view materials related to Magitech.”
So that's how it is.
His father truly was no pushover of a king.
Meaning he mustn't touch anything unrelated to Magitech.
“If His Majesty said so...”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Thus, under the officer's suspicious glare, he began flipping through the books.
Surprisingly, many were fascinating. As the prince briefly skimmed each one, the officer watched him suspiciously.
“...Have you seen these records before?”
“Of course. That is my job.”
“Then have you ever thought the contents within were a waste?”
“......”
The official slowly shook his head at the prince's question.
“That is not our concern.”
“...I see.”
The Arcane Veil. A professional answer.
He simply wasn't granted the authority to think about it.
His sole duty was to record and manage the gathered intelligence.
The prince began poring over the records once more.
Certainly, definitely, somewhere within these pages lay the name he sought.
-To be continued-
