Chapter 17: The princess’ plans

"You are all fools."

Her voice was much different from what he had heard when he was captured in their drug lab.

It was deeper, darker, and from the way her eyes were glowing with that certain light defining her blessed power, she seemed to have just used her powers.

The light in those eyes was fading. The aura that should’ve been visible around her had already vanished, but the residue of that blessed power was strong enough that each of the mages stepped away from her as if instinctively avoiding.

< "What is this?" >

< "She was in the ground floor rooms when we came up. It seems like there’s more than what we have seen down there." >

Why would she use her powers out of the blue like this? There shouldn’t be any reason for her to use it here.

< "According to our records, her aura has a unique trait different from the common powers of her bloodline." >

It is said that the Mayn royal family is blessed by the God of lightning and thunder. They are able to channel the powers that derive from their blessing, and princess Gwyneth before us, the fourth princess and the second youngest one, can use the power of lightning to physically enhance her body.

She is strong enough to be on the same level as an A-rank knight, someone who would have trained their bodies for years and decades.

If she used her power just now, then there must have been some reason for it.

And the two of the uninvited guests here were going to look for that reason next.

"Haaaa... fuck. What the hell. I’m pretty sure none of you have any good information for me, do you?"

Her voice was getting softer with time. It was a strange thing, but Aura had different effects on all who possessed it.

Some changed physically when they used it, some had their non-physical features altered for the time being. The glow around their bodies was a distinct trait of Aura being used, and there was also a time when one needed different catalysts like the mages.

The change in voice seemed pretty normal for this one.

"Umm... princess."

"We found some traces of elemental energy a little further from the garden, but it was only a faint residue."

"It was so faint that by the time we analysed it, it had already faded away."

"We also found out that the first princess had been in contact with the Pantheon even before the incident."

"Maybe she could have-."

"No. She wouldn’t do something like that. She’s a politician, not a fool."

They had found something useful, but not something that was of much value to the princess.

The prince was still lost and there was no actual way to find him. The only thing they could do was to finish what they were doing and stop the outsiders from getting too close to their secrets.

"By now, the Elision should have figured out about you all. They won’t open their mouths but they will believe you are a part of the royal house. They have started approaching the drug distributors so they have their suspicions."

The fact that it has been a while since the prince disappeared, the other two parties should have been in the palace for quite a while now.

They weren’t normal people so investigating things that even these mages weren’t able to find should have been pretty difficult for them.

But since they were experts, they should have had more leads. And so, the princess should have worked with them instead of sabotaging them like what the second princess was trying to do right now... not that they knew anything about it.

The Parliament has figured out a lot more than either of these parties had in the time they have been here.

And since this morning alone, they knew what they should be looking for by now.

< "If they found an elemental trace, the chances are higher that there was a spirit here. But they cannot interfere with the world directly." >

As the mage of the group, Spot knew all there was to know about different kinds of magical powers and beings who command what people understand as the power of the demons.

< "It’s less likely to be a demonic spirit. Maybe something dark?" >

Andrew had his speculations as well, but they cannot know for certain until they look for these traces themselves.

< "How long will it take, Spot?" >

< "About half an hour. If they are saying they lost it completely, then it means I’ll have to do a molecular analysis." >

The traces that any kind of power leaves are obvious to the eyes that know how to look for them. But, even experienced mages don’t develop eyes sharp enough to see those things.

Thankfully, there was a mage in this world who did not see with her eyes alone.

"Ugh. You, come here."

She seemed frustrated when she called one of the mages forward. And there were none who would dare ignore her so, the mage stepped forward.

"Hmmm... you’ll do tonight." She looked at him for a moment, moved her fingers around his face, and, seeing the blush on his face, she pushed him behind her.

"Anyways," she looked at the rest of them after that. "What else do you have for me?"

The question was simple once again, but the mages did not start talking readily. They looked at each other before nodding to themselves.

After a few seconds, one of them stepped forward.

"We have progressed with the analysis of the magic tome thanks to the material you brought us."

Another stepped forward after the first mage paused.

"We will be able to complete the spell in about a month. However..." The two mages looked down, not speaking of what seemed obvious to the princess.

"Alright alright. Finish that up. Don’t worry about the fundings. We will need that spell if we are to go against the others."

"THANK YOU PRINCESS!"

That was the allowance. They were now free to dig deeper into the spells that they know nothing about.

< "..." >

Andrew never liked seeing this, mages who know only what they have learned by cutting others up.

But the common notion of spells was different in today’s time compared to what it used to be in the older times.

People had strayed much too far from what these magical powers were meant to be... but, only those who had seen the runes of the Old World would know of this fact.

"Also, princess..." Another mage stepped up after the other two. "What are we supposed to do about the visitor tomorrow?"

"Ah, right."

They were now talking about someone who was visiting from the outside, someone who wasn’t supposed to be around right now.

They were talking about Lily (Snow).

"Well, we will just have to take care of her if things come down to that. It’s not like they are going to do anything foolish like you lot anyway."

She smirked at the mages disappointingly. They were useless in her eyes. Lower beings, subhumans who weren’t worth her gaze.

Yet, they were needed for what she wanted to achieve.

They needed her for what all of the royal princesses wanted to achieve...