Chapter 120: [Chapter 120] Grand Sorcerer
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Just because we crossed the border of Elacon, it didn't mean we could immediately reach the capital, Veloster.
While it hadn't taken long to reach the border from the capital of Ronta, it took several days of constant riding to reach Veloster.
After a few days of traveling, Roaldness, Epero, Victor, and I found ourselves in the same carriage.
"It's not far. The Grand Sorcerer's trail."
"They said he was heading south from near the capital, so if the King chases him south, we'll meet him if we go north."
"It's not like we're hunting, it's a hassle."
Elacon was famous for its rugged mountains and maze-like forests, but fortunately, we were in the south where we didn't have to climb mountains, and everyone was relieved.
"Didn't they say the King was holding him?"
"If he was someone who would just sit still, there would be no need to look for him in the first place."
Epero shrugged and replied. I looked at Roaldness with a slightly downcast face.
He was staring intently at the map placed on the carriage's side table.
"He's coming out. Do you see it?"
"Since you're a genius, you're better than me at everything."
"Smart. Me too."
"Yeah, right. Even if you read as much as you build muscle, you wouldn't have made it past the middle of the academy."
"Don't do that. Ignore it."
"I do it because I can."
I glanced at Epero and Victor who were arguing whenever they had the chance, and wished Victor would hit that red-headed guy one day.
"Stop the carriage."
"Seriously, if you'd read more... Yes, sir?"
"Stop the carriage."
At Roaldness's command, Epero opened the window without a word and shouted to stop the carriage.
Roaldness held up the map and alternated between looking at it and out the window.
"We'll search from here."
At Roaldness's firm voice, Epero, like a loyal knight, opened the carriage door and stepped out.
Beyond the wide-open door, there was a forest of baobab trees.
Overwhelmed by the trees with their extraordinary height and thickness, I hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward.
"Oh. The princess should stay here."
"What?"
"You should stay here, princess. The servants will take care of everything."
Roaldness pointed to a place where knights were moving in an orderly manner, led by Epero and Victor.
The heavy carriage door slammed shut in front of me.
I shivered belatedly and opened the window, and Roaldness's upper body popped in as if he had been waiting.
"If you kiss your page here, I can find him right away."
The world's most arrogant page grinned.
"Don't worry, princess. It's a secret that we're in a master-servant relationship. But you have to pay a price to keep the secret."
"I'll find him myself. Come on, let's go."
"How can I let this small, precious, and cute princess go into such a rough forest?"
Ah.
It was such a natural answer that it wasn't awkward.
His usual casual face was half-playful, and his rippling eyes were full of honey that would tingle your tongue if you licked them.
"Save your energy, princess. I've been told that the prince can't wait tonight."
It had only been a few nights.
As they say, a thief who learns late is scary.
Every time we were alone, he would kiss me relentlessly, whether it was on my head, forehead, or even my mouth while eating, and it was so annoying.
"...Really? Then tell the prince that if he can't find that damn Grand Sorcerer tonight, don't touch a hair on my head for the rest of the trip."
His gaze, which had been lingering on my lips for a long time, finally turned to the task at hand.
After that, the people who were supposed to wait for the advance party started to unpack their belongings, and Yona, who had been outside the carriage, looked at me with a shocked expression.
She must have heard our conversation.
"Oh, damn it. Did I just say 'damn'?"
"Yes."
"Damn it, I just said 'damn' again!"
"Ma'am, do you know?"
Yona whispered softly to me as I tore my hair out in self-loathing.
"It seems like you've been influenced by His Second Highness a lot."
Damn it!
****
It didn't take long for the advance party to find traces of people in the forest.
Before nightfall, they found signs of someone hunting, and towards sunset, they discovered a hut with smoke coming from a chimney in the middle of a huge baobab tree forest.
As the advance party sent up red flares, I and the remaining guards who were waiting headed towards them.
Since we had to rush to arrive before nightfall on the unpaved, bumpy road, I couldn't avoid feeling carsick, no matter how luxurious the carriage was.
I got out of the carriage, tightly gripping Roaldness's hand.
The red-roofed hut stood out all alone.
A small wooden fence was surrounded by glass lamps filled with fireflies, which flickered and provided light, creating a beautiful yet somewhat eerie and bizarre atmosphere.
When we opened the low wooden gate outside the fence, the fireflies trapped in the glass lamps flew up into the air with a creaking sound.
Everyone stood there with their mouths agape, and as the light flew towards the entrance of the hut and illuminated it, the door opened.
"Who are you, coming here at this time of night?"
A neutral voice, neither male nor female.
A young woman appeared, short and plump.
Her silver hair, braided thickly into two braids, had faded slightly, and was decorated with an ivory skull ornament, giving her an odd appearance.
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At first glance, she seemed to be dressed like a temple priest, but the purple jewels that sparkled whenever light touched them made her look flamboyant even at night.
Her yellow petticoat, which seemed to have no regard for color coordination, also shimmered like gold.
Her outfit was out of place in this grassy area, but perhaps because of her strange appearance, it seemed to strangely fit the night.
The woman stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw me, who had barely straightened up from letting go of Roaldness's hand.
"Oh, my God..."
That was her first impression.
****
The backyard, which was much larger than the small hut, became the campsite for the procession.
Except for Epero and Victor who went to command them, Roaldness and I were allowed to enter the hut.
The woman waved her plump hand a few times, and teacups and snacks were automatically set up on a small table.
I stared at the teaspoon that was spinning around by itself, my eyes popping out.
"Your reaction is quite cute."
The neutral voice expressed a bored opinion.
"So you're the people the King wanted me to meet. There are several people with royal blood here. I remember playing a little trick on the pink-haired one outside when he was young."
"This is a matter of great importance, so I've come here without hesitation, even though it's rude."
"Honestly, it's a bit of an interruption to my journey, but it's not too bothersome. It's been a long time since I've seen such a handsome man. It's nice. Keep going."
"I'm not here for you to look at."
I pinched Roaldness's thigh hard, answering him sarcastically. Of course, it was too hard and only my hand hurt.
"What a prickly beauty. I don't usually like flowers with thorns."
"Get out, Roan. I'm fine."
The grand sorcerer, who had been watching us argue with folded arms, chuckled.
"Then what do I have to trust you with?"
The grand sorcerer finished sipping the tea she had stirred and wiped her mouth.
"If you want help, you have to show proper manners."
"I'm sorry. I'll introduce myself formally. I'm... Blie. I used to work as an aide to the late Crown Prince of Ronta."
While I was speaking, the grand sorcerer kept giggling as if something was funny.
"I'm Rossi. Some call me the grand sorcerer, others call me the great witch. What do you want?"
I quickly showed her the list of medicines I had prepared, afraid that Rossi would change her mind.
Rossi was silent for a long time after seeing it.
"Do you know what kind of medicine these herbs are used for? Many doctors and sorcerers in Elacon said that only you, Rossi, would know about this medicine."
"This is not a medicine that anyone can make. And it's not a medicine that anyone should take. I've only made it once, and I don't have it with me now."
A sense of foreboding crept up my spine. Roaldness, who had been sitting quietly with his thigh pinched, grabbed my hand tightly.
"The medicine of living death."
Her lips, devoid of laughter, began to speak about the medicine.
"The medicine of living death, that's what I call it."
"What happens if you take that medicine?"
"It makes a living person look like a dead person. It temporarily changes the body's system completely, so instead of breathing through the mouth or nose, you breathe through your whole body for several hours."
The secret was being revealed.
"In the process, all the poison and bad energy in the body will fly away. But it's very dangerous, and to survive taking that medicine, you need to be someone who has been constantly poisoned rather than having a healthy body. You also need the stamina to endure while your body recovers."
Roaldness's grip tightened.
"I can smell that medicine on you."
"!"
"You've been poisoned for a very long time. The medicine of living death manifests as much as the person who took it was poisoned."
Sweat started to form on my palms. I felt even more so when my gaze met her crimson eyes that seemed to see through everything.
"I can see it, unlike others. You have traces of a face that has rotted and recovered. Someone didn't make you drink poison, but put it in flowers or scents to constrict your breath continuously. Do you have any idea?"
I nodded, my hand trembling in Roaldness's grip.
A scene flashed through my mind. And a scent.
The pungent scent of herbs that I was always told was good for my health.
I would start my day by smelling the scent and go to sleep smelling it before bed.
"You don't look like it, but you must have made a lot of enemies."
"...."
"Well, now that I've given you the answer you wanted, let me tell you what I want."
"What?"
Roaldness answered, but Rossi's gaze was fixed on me, who was frozen.
"For one thing, there must be another. That's how the world works."
That was when it happened.
The wooden chair I was sitting on creaked and then slid across the ice, taking me towards Rossi who was sitting on the opposite side.
Roaldness jumped up and pointed his sword at Rossi.
"So let's introduce yourself again."
But Rossi's plump hand had already grabbed my collar and pulled me towards her.
"That girl named Blie, used to be my disciple. Miss."
Her swirling crimson eyes pierced my trembling eyes like arrows.
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