༺ Freedom in Prison (6) ༻
The Crown Prince’s behavior was so eccentric that it even left an elder who had lived for over a century at a loss for words. And that sight somehow comforted me. I had been seriously wondering if people like the Crown Prince were the norm in the empire.
If that were the case, I would become a deranged civil servant who couldn’t accept his punishment and shook with rage. I wouldn’t be a subject of pity, but of contempt.
‘It’s not that bad, after all.’
While the empire might be a tough place, it luckily wasn’t the worst of the worst. The Crown Prince was just an outlier with a volatile temperament far below the average, and I was merely his unfortunate victim. Since this was confirmed by the Mage Duchess herself, this fact was undeniable. The only person allowed to refute it should be someone who has lived for at least 200 years.
“What a unique approach.”
A calm voice emerged, breaking the silence. Perhaps it was due to her extensive experience that the Mage Duchess quickly composed herself—
Or maybe not. Her trembling ears suggested that she still felt quite disturbed.
“This won’t happen again.”
I hastily added to the disconcerted Mage Duchess.
It was crucial not to instill faulty beliefs in a long-lived civil servant. Just like the mishandled deployment during the Twilight Cult incident, presenting a one-time anomaly as a current trend could burden future generations.
The reassignment to a duty post wasn’t a trend; it was just the product of the Crown Prince’s madness. The evil deeds of a monster who became as abyssal as the second prince he fought shouldn’t be allowed to continue.
“Considering the tasks I’ve been given, it seems His Highness had no choice but to make this decision.”
Thinking positively, it was an unavoidable decision. With a case such as a royalty assault incident, showing some form of discipline was necessary. And yet, enacting it could mean losing someone to monitor and control the royals.
Of course, that was just nonsense. If it weren’t for the royals, the Crown Prince would have turned the Prosecutors’ Office into my probation site while saying, ‘This is your house now.’
However, I couldn’t just cry out in front of the Mage Duchess, ‘That bastard is a real piece of work!’ No matter how motherly the Mage Duchess treated me, she might look upon me coldly.
“If that’s the case, then it would indeed be fortunate…”
The Mage Duchess glanced down hesitantly, which was unusual. She did it as if to say, ‘If you think so, then that’s enough for me.’
‘No, it’s not.’
I really don’t think so. Mother, I really hate that guy.
I felt a strong desire to curse the Crown Prince out, but I managed to restrain it with my logic.
When I hinted about leaving, the Mage Duchess handed me a box of potions.
Both of us knew that I still had a lot of potions left, but the official reason for my visit was to collect them.
‘I should come visit next time.’
Dawdling just caused my baggage to pile up.
“Baby, wait a moment.”
“Ah, yes.”
I was about to leave with the box in my arms, but I got stopped. What was it now? Was she going to give me something more? Or was it finally time for a bloodletting after so long?
As I contemplated rolling up my sleeves, the Mage Duchess donned a black cape.
Ah. So she was going out.
“It’s been a while since I’ve gone to the academy.”
“Sorry?”
I doubted my ears for a moment. Why would the Mage Duchess go to the academy? Had the stress affected my hearing, too?
“There are no available mages at the moment. You can’t exactly ride back in a carriage, can you?”
So she intended to teleport me to the academy herself.
The mage tower was unusually quiet today. It was typically bustling with mages, but even those I did see were hurriedly moving about.
Come to think of it, even the magicians who were sent to the Academy were summoned. Of course, the same went without saying for the mages of the Mage Tower.
‘This damned situation.’
It all circled back to the issue with the North.
“I hope I’m not bothering Your Grace…”
“Don’t worry about it. It won’t take long.”
I started to speak hesitantly, but the Mage Duchess swiftly cut off my words. Well, she was right. It wouldn’t take long. It might not even take 5 minutes for the round trip.
But the thought of being alone with the Mage Duchess in an elevator felt suffocating, with every 50 seconds stretching into 5 minutes. It felt more like hitching a ride in a car driven by the boss himself rather than taking an elevator.
In short, it was a dilemma between feeling burdened and being rude. What an extreme choice.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
I chose the burden, of course. The discomfort I felt was just a small price to pay compared to upsetting my superior.
…Maybe I should learn teleportation. Being a magic swordsman doesn’t seem too bad, either.
***
In reality, there were magicians available to take my baby back. No matter how busy we were, there were always staff on standby in case of emergencies. It would be an unparalleled disgrace if the Mage Tower, the pinnacle of the empire’s magic, couldn’t manage a simple teleportation.
But I told him that there were none. Telling a lie weighed on my conscience, but the thought of spending even a little more time with my baby made it bearable.
Unlike Lady Marghetta, I’ve been separated from my baby. That was why I had to do this much. This wouldn’t have been necessary last year. But now that I’ve come once, returning wouldn’t be difficult.
‘It remains unchanged.’
As I looked up, the main building of the academy came into view.
I’ve visited the academy a few times since my graduation, either to offer advice to the magic department teachers or to attend the principal’s inauguration. Despite the visits being spaced apart, the academy always looked the same.
That was comforting. In my life, I remained always alone and unchanged while everything around me changed. My parents could’ve been my support, but I had no choice but to be alone after they left.
‘The mage tower has changed, though.’
The academy, which was a legacy from the Apels era, was left untouched by the empire. However, the mage tower was the empire’s pride and was the essence of imperial magic. The mage tower evolved as magic did. It could be said that yesterday’s mage tower was different from today’s.
It was regrettable, but unavoidable. I understood it, but it also made me feel lonely. Sometimes, that feeling would drive me to visit the academy.
“Baby.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
But not anymore. I’ve found someone who wouldn’t change with me.
Now, I don’t have to remain alone and unchanged, and I also don’t have to just watch everything else change.
Carl, my baby, would become like me.
“How beautiful.”
When I think about it that way, my already adorable baby seemed even lovelier.
“It does seem well-made. But I see it every day, so I can’t be sure.”
I smiled at my baby’s response. He probably thought that I was talking about the main building. Though I meant for it to be understood that way, it still made me smile.
And I believe I would enjoy seeing my baby every day, whether it was 100 years or 200 years later.
“You’ll know someday.”
How happy the presence of an unchanging companion could be.
When the time comes, I hope I will become such a presence for my baby.
“That’d be after 100 years…”
My baby quickly shut his mouth as he looked at the main building. How he suddenly closed it suggested that it wasn’t intentional.
Still, I felt a twinge of disappointment. Even though I was over 100, I didn’t want to hear that from my baby’s mouth.
Even considering my elven heritage, which meant that my age differed from humans, my baby was only twenty-one. It hurt to think about my baby’s age no matter how much I told myself that it was okay and that I shouldn’t worry.
‘It will always be that way.’
Even if the potions did their job, my baby would always be younger than me. That would be something that not even the heavens could change.
Then maybe at least outwardly… should I make him appear older?
I imagined my baby as a dignified, middle-aged figure.
‘Not bad.’
It was worth considering seriously.
***
The Mage Duchess’s gaze was quite chilling as she headed back for the Mage Tower. She looked like a predator eyeing its prey.
I’m such a crazy bastard. Why did I bring up the 100-year talk at that timing? I could’ve just said, ‘Your long life has certainly refined your taste, Your Grace!’
‘At least I’m back now.’
It had been a long and tense time since I confirmed that Rutis had red blood and not blue.
I spent a day anxiously waiting for a call. The Crown Prince made a crazy decision to confine me to my duty post. The 1st Manager served half-and-half wine, and I even dropped an age joke in front of the Mage Duchess…
Did all this really happen in just two days? It felt more like two weeks had passed.
‘Damn it.’
I’ve been trying my best not to complain, but I couldn’t help it. If someone could be positive in this situation, then they were probably a Buddha.
I sighed and pulled out my communication crystal. After all, there were plenty of people to tell about how things ended.
The Principal, Sir Villar, and Marghetta.
Haaah.
— Carl? Are you back?
“Yes, I just got back.”
I chose to contact Marghetta first. It seemed too cruel to make her worry by contacting someone else before her.
— Thank goodness. I was worried you wouldn’t make it back.
I found myself smiling as she spoke with a sigh of relief. I definitely made the right choice in contacting her first.
— His Highness the Crown Prince must have known that Carl couldn’t help it. If you didn’t get probation, then it’s probably just a show of discipline.
“Ah.”
Five seconds later, Marghetta was also rendered speechless.
The Crown Prince’s streak continued on. That bastard.
***
My academy probation turned out to be a more heart-wrenching event in my life than I had anticipated.
Was it the frustration of being stuck in my quarters? Being confined was nothing new to me, thanks to my experiences at the Prosecutors’ Office. Was it the anxiety that something might happen while I was on probation? That was always a risk I carried with me.
“I heard you have to stay in your room. I brought as much variety as I can, so just choose whatever you’d like to eat.”
“…Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Seeing Marghetta smile despite tearing up made my heart ache.
She had been visiting my room since the first morning of my probation to bring me all sorts of food. It was a truly diverse assortment.
“I’ll come again tomorrow. Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Really? If you need anything, just let me know.”
I could only nod blankly at her words.
‘These are like prison rations.’
All these were food given to someone who was locked up… No matter how you looked at it, these were definitely prison rations.
I was just under probation and not imprisonment.
But in Marghetta’s heart, it seemed as if I was already in a cold, dark cell.
‘What should I do?’
Just one more report would land me in prison.
I’m worried that Marghetta might really faint if that happens.
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