Chapter 24

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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Deep in the basement of the Imperial Palace.

Because there were not many people entering and leaving, and it was already dinner time, it was a place where not a single person was coming and going.

However, the attitude of the guards guarding the large iron gate deep inside did not falter in the least.

One could tell just by looking at their attitude.

The fact that something very precious was contained beyond this door.

What they were guarding were mana stones.

Mana stones, as the name implies, are stones that contain mana.

If there are mana stones, mages can use larger and stronger magic.

Also, depending on the type, they allowed one to use magic they had not learned.

Therefore, mana stones possessing strong power were mostly recovered after the war ended and stored deep in the Imperial Palace.

Naturally, no one could enter or leave this place without the Emperor’s permission.

Furthermore, because of the mana stones buried deep underground by an Imperial mage a long time ago, ordinary mages could not even use magic here.

Thus, it was virtually impossible to steal the mana stones from here.

Even so, the security could not be made lax.

Among the mana stones contained inside, there was also a mana stone with great power that took thousands of lives at once during the war.

Therefore, the guards guarded this place as if there were a monster inside that could wake up and move at any moment.

They thought the day would end quietly today as well, but then.

The entrance became noisy, and soon a group of people appeared.

“Who… Your Majesty!”

The captain of the underground guards tried to take a cautious stance, but recognized Clois standing at the front and hurriedly saluted.

The guards standing behind were also surprised and quickly saluted.

They were bewildered. Although mana stones were very precious, the Emperor had never come here in person before.

“What reason brought you here in person…”

The captain’s expression hardened even more at the thought that some problem might have occurred.

It has been more than seven years since the war ended.

Although the empire regained stability in the meantime, remnants of the enemy forces are still active in far-off places.

Did they cause some problem? Perhaps an attack on the Imperial Palace…

The captain’s expression was becoming more and more fearsome.

“Please open the door. Quickly. *pant, pant*.”

The woman who revealed herself from behind the Emperor urged the captain.

“Um… this person is…”

“It’s the Director of the Gifted Center, Seraphina Reedum. I have permitted access to the mana stone storage, so hurry and open the door.”

“If it’s Seraphina Reedum…”

The captain’s body hardened even more with tension.

Although she was a young woman, she was a genius who was said to have never missed the top spot from the Gifted Center to graduation from the Capital Academy.

Furthermore, she was the strongest mage currently in existence and the closest confidant of the Emperor.

After the Succession War ended, it was said that she did not stay anywhere in particular but wandered throughout the empire.

People had many words, saying she was tracking the remnants of the enemy under the Emperor’s command, or that the Emperor, who feared her power, had kicked her out.

But for her to suddenly appear with the Emperor and come to the mana stone storage together with him.

“Has something happened, by any chance?”

The captain asked in a determined voice, looking up.

Although he thought it wouldn’t happen, if a rebellion had occurred inside the Imperial Palace, he had to protect the Emperor no matter what.

At his question, Clois answered in a serious voice.

“A child has disappeared.”

“…Pardon?”

The captain doubted his ears for a moment.

A child has disappeared?

“So we must urgently use tracking magic. Since the range is wide and it has to surpass the nullification magic cast on the Imperial Palace itself, we inevitably need a mana stone. So, open it quickly.”

“Y-Yes! Understood!”

It was bewildering, but he had to carry out the order first.

The captain and the guards approached the iron gate, grabbed the handle, and began to pull with all their might.

Creeeeeak.

The heavy iron gate slowly opened, and soon the inside of the storage was revealed.

Watching them, Seraphina could not hide the corners of her mouth that were twitching with a grin.

Normally, one would have to go through a very complicated and time-consuming procedure.

No, her request for a loan would have had a higher probability of being rejected.

But today, thanks to the Emperor being with her, she was able to enter the mana stone storage immediately.

When the door opened completely, numerous mana stones stored inside revealed their appearance.

“As expected of the Imperial mana stones… they’re incredible…”

At her expression, which looked like she might drool, the captain and the guards felt repulsed and subtly stepped back.

“Quickly find the mana stone you want.”

“Yes!”

Worried that Clois’s mind might change, Seraphina moved busily between the mana stones.

‘I thought he would just mobilize the guards.’

If so, it would take a bit more time, but the matter could be handled quietly.

Furthermore, even if it’s a matter of a child disappearing, normally the security of the Imperial Palace is prioritized.

However, Clois, who heard the name of the missing child, was flustered to the point that Seraphina was bewildered, and immediately permitted the use of the mana stone.

‘Anyway, let’s find the child first.’

As an outstanding mage, she began to place her hand on each mana stone to find one that resonated with her wavelength while also possessing strong power.

While Seraphina was searching for a mana stone, Clois was also looking around the storage.

Just because it’s the Imperial Palace storage doesn’t mean it only stores strong mana stones.

Mana stones that used to be used for decoration are also here now.

Most of them were those that had lost their power or possessed only very faint power.

Then Clois’s gaze stopped at a mana stone processed smoothly like a glass ball.

“This…”

It wasn’t a mana stone with great power. A mana stone that only emitted a faint light, that was all.

‘This was still remaining.’

He picked up that mana stone with a nostalgic face.

It was a round mana stone about the size of two adult fists.

It wasn’t a mana stone with great power. A mana stone that only emitted a faint light, that was all.

There was only one reason he remembered this.

“Doesn’t this look cute?”

Long ago, it was a mana stone that Lilian had shown him, saying she had obtained a useful one.

It wasn’t exactly a memento-like item.

Actually, Lilian didn’t use it often either.

“Still, since it’s a mana stone, it’s precious, so it’s hard for me to just use it recklessly. I’ll just use a lamp. I think it would be better for younger children to use this.”

“Alright, then I should give this to our child when they are born.”

At his answer, Lilian shook her head with a smile as if she couldn’t help it.

After saying that, she asked him to keep it, saying she would surely leave it and forget about it.

‘It was here.’

Clois touched it with his hand.

As if recognizing a person’s touch, a soft light flowed from inside the mana stone.

But that was all.

A mana stone that emitted light according to a person’s touch and then disappeared again.

While he was quietly looking at the glowing mana stone, Seraphina shouted.

“I found it! It resonates well with me, and this much will be enough to cast a palace-wide tracking magic!”

At those words, Clois withdrew his gaze from the mana stone he was looking at.

Seraphina came out from the inside, struggling as she carried a mana stone.

“Give it here.”

Unable to watch, Clois reached out and took the mana stone from her.

He lightly lifted with one hand what Seraphina had carried with two hands while struggling.

At that sight, Seraphina remembered that although he was now staying only in the Imperial Palace, he was once a knight stronger than anyone else on the battlefield.

When Clois came out carrying the mana stone, the guards standing outside hurriedly said they would carry it, but he waved his other hand as if to say it was fine.

“Let’s hurry.”

Then he immediately went upstairs.

Seraphina followed him hurriedly.

After going upstairs, Clois ordered the guards to prevent others from approaching, then headed toward the back garden with Seraphina.

The back garden of the main palace at this late hour was deserted.

He placed the mana stone on the ground and looked at Seraphina.

“This much should be no problem. Start quickly.”

Seraphina nodded.

She didn’t know why on earth Clois was actively stepping forward in the matter of finding one child, but it wasn’t a bad thing.

‘Above all, it’s difficult to get an opportunity to use such a large-scale magic openly inside the Imperial Palace.’

Seraphina approached the mana stone. Then she said to Clois:

“I hope it can succeed in one go.”

“What do you mean?”

“As you know, there are many interference factors inside the Imperial Palace, so the flow of magic is often cut off.”

Then Seraphina muttered unconsciously.

“If Lilian had helped me like in the past, it would have been easy to find.”