"More capable than I expected."
"Right? I was surprised too."
Shamanaz spoke while clutching a handful of her thin dress. She stood beside Rodolphe at the edge of the training field, where Mia was diligently practicing her magic.
In the wide open training yard, Mia was immersed in attack magic drills. She summoned flames and wind, learned defensive techniques to counter magical attacks, and sparred with magical monsters conjured by Rodolphe. Sweat poured down her face as she battled the phantom beasts.
"She's only been training for a week?"
A flicker of unease appeared in Shamanaz's eyes. Rodolphe smiled.
"Worried, are you?"
Her gaze snapped back to its usual sharpness, her posture straightening.
"Worried? As if I'd be concerned about losing to that lowborn girl."
Rodolphe burst out laughing.
"Now that sounds more like you."
"She supposedly inherited Mithys's power. If she couldn't even manage this much, it'd be downright embarrassing."
"Exactly. So don't worry too much."
"I told you I'm not worried! Stop spewing nonsense!"
Shamanaz slapped away Rodolphe's hand from her shoulder and turned on her heel, walking off. Rodolphe chuckled, then turned to Mia, who had just driven a magical blade into the heart of a phantom beast.
Clap, clap, clap.
At the sound of applause, Mia turned around, wiping her sweat. Rodolphe was smiling at her.
"Well done. You're improving day by day."
"I still have a long way to go."
Mia lifted her shirt slightly to reveal a large gash across her abdomen—left by the claws of the beast. The wound was fake, of course, since the creature was magical, but Mia's expression was somber.
"Oh dear."
Rodolphe placed a hand over the wound and brushed across it. A soft green light shimmered, and the gash vanished without a trace.
"If that had been real, it would've been a fatal wound, wouldn't it?"
Mia asked, and Rodolphe nodded.
"Highly likely."
"They move so fast… It's hard to dodge, and even harder to find a chance to strike."
"You're doing quite well already. Your skills will grow steadily in time."
Rodolphe replied cheerfully, but Mia still looked uneasy.
"When do you think the rite of passage will be?"
"The coronation is scheduled for three months from now. So it'll likely be well before then."
Three months?! Mia's head spun. If the coronation was three months away, then the rite of passage would be… no more than one month away. Possibly even in two weeks.
If that's the case...
Wouldn't it be better to just fail the test and be done with it? It wasn't like she wanted to be queen anyway. If she could just sneak out with a few valuables and go home, that would be enough.
Yeah. That'd be for the best. Mithys was gone anyway—why should she keep suffering here?
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
Rodolphe's emerald eyes sparkled with amusement. Mia quickly brushed it off.
"O-oh, nothing."
"Shall I escort you to the physical training hall?"
"Actually… may I take the rest of the day off? I've been pushing myself too hard lately, and I'm a bit tired…"
"Oh dear, then I'll have a restorative tonic sent to your room. Please, take it easy."
Rodolphe seemed genuinely concerned for her. Mia felt a twinge of guilt, but put on a brave face and walked off to her room. She collapsed on the bed without even changing clothes, lost in thought.
Trying to keep going like this is just stupid. Failing the rite would actually be a win for me.
If she asked Leca, maybe he'd give her a few gemstones before she left. He probably felt responsible for dragging her into all this. A farewell gift wouldn't be too much to ask, right?
Leca…
Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him in quite a while. Between constant training and studies from morning till night, she hadn't even had a moment to go looking. Was he doing okay?
Suddenly, she missed him terribly.
Knock knock.
A soft tapping at the door.
"Lady Mia, it's Lily."
"Come in."
Lily entered, pushing a cart full of items like a hotel room service tray. There was brown soup, a bouquet of herbs, and various strange, toy-like tools.
"What's all this?"
"Please take this first. It will restore your energy."
Lily stirred the unappealing brown liquid and tried to feed it to Mia with a spoon. Startled, Mia waved her hand.
"I'll drink it myself. I'm not that sick."
It tasted bitter, but the effect was immediate. Even after just a few sips, the exhaustion drained from her body and she felt drowsy. As Mia yawned and lay back, Lily began massaging her with the strange tools.
Just as she was drifting off—
"Lady Mia."
"…Mm… yes…?"
"Have you already finished today's training?"
"I came back early. I was tired…"
"You stopped?"
"Yeah… I think I'll take it a bit easier from now on… I'm exhausted…"
Lily's hands stopped mid-motion. Mia noticed but was too sleepy to think much of it. Then—
"Would you take a look at this?"
"…Huh?"
"Please sit up."
Mia blinked and sat up groggily. What's with her all of a sudden? Lily handed her the bouquet of herbs. As Mia took it and looked closely, she noticed a small folded piece of white paper tucked inside.
Suddenly, her drowsiness vanished. She unfolded the paper.
Written in Sibareth's script—but thanks to Mithys's power, she could read it without issue—were the words:
"Please do not neglect your magical training. This is my request."
Chills ran down her spine. Had someone discovered what she was thinking? She crushed the paper and looked at Lily.
"Who gave you this?"
"It's a message from Lord Leca."
"Leca…?"
Without a word, Lily took the note from Mia's hand and tore it into tiny, unrecognizable shreds. Then she said quietly,
"One must always be careful of ears and eyes in the palace."
Her words were mysterious. Mia stared at her, confused. Was Lily actually on her side all this time?
"I am an old friend of Lord Leca's."
As if reading Mia's thoughts, Lily spoke. Her brown eyes showed no hint of hesitation.
"Why would Leca… suddenly send something like this?"
"Who knows? But Lord Leca has lived in the palace since he was seven. If he couldn't see what's hidden and hear what's unspoken, he wouldn't have remained High Commander for long."
Mia made up her mind. She had to see Leca.
"Where is he now?"
Lily looked at her calmly.
"He's been in Naizman for the past few days. But he'll return the day after tomorrow. I'll let him know you wish to see him."
Mia nodded.
After Lily left, Mia sat in deep thought. So Leca didn't come in person because he was in Naizman. But if he'd be back soon, why send a letter now?
It must've been urgent. He wouldn't send a message unless it truly mattered.
Don't slack off—not even for a day. If that's what he meant, then the rite of passage must be close. Dangerously close.
But maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe it was just a teacher-like reminder. Or just a polite check-in. A kind greeting.
Either way, I'll talk to him. Once he's back, I'll find him. Then I'll know for sure.
With that thought, Mia drifted off to sleep.
It itches. It itches…
It's unbearable. I'm going insane.
Mia bolted upright. Night had fallen, and a large round moon hung outside her window. Her body was burning with unbearable itching. It quickly turned into pain, intense and overwhelming.
"Ugh… ah…"
She writhed in her enormous bed, gasping. The pain had concentrated in her back, like something was scorching her from within. Clutching her blanket, she broke out in a cold sweat.
There was a cord beside the bed—pulling it would summon a maid. She reached out—
—but the next wave of pain exploded through her back, and Mia passed out.
How much time had passed?
The moon was still high in the sky. It wasn't yet dawn. Her throat was parched—no, not just her throat. Her whole body screamed for water.
Water… I need water…
Stumbling, she dragged herself to the door. She remembered there was a small pond in the garden outside her room. That was all she could think about.
Barely able to move, she staggered through the moonlit garden. Finally, she reached the pond and dipped her feet in.
Cool. Refreshing. I can breathe again.
And in that moment—
RIPPPP—
Something massive tore forth from her back.
Under the moonlight, it shimmered in brilliant emerald green.