DRD2

Chapter 2

Three months before the subjugation of the nightmare demon.

“Enya, you’re going, right? You are, right? You’re going, right? Yes? Yes?”

Lila, the chief mage of the Morgenda Magic Tower, clung to Enya while her cherry blossom–colored hair swayed. Enya staggered along with the small Lila’s enthusiastic shaking. As a result, the research journal she’d been reading had long since slipped from her grasp.

“You go. I’m not going.”

“What do you mean? If the Tower Master doesn’t go, how could I, just a mage under you, attend?!”

Standing tall in the middle of a dense forest, far from the capital’s outskirts and belonging to no territory, was the Morgenda Magic Tower. There was a reason Lila, a mage of this tower, was being so persistent.

A victory banquet celebrating Helios Deferet—the holy knight who had defeated the Demon King—was about to be held at the imperial palace.

The empire’s borders had long been protected by divine guardians, but the western guardian had been absent for centuries, leaving the land without a rightful master.

Because of that, the West—despite its massive triple walls—had no official name and was instead called things like “the Abandoned Land” or “the Broken Wasteland.”

Then, a Demon King appeared in the West. With it, monsters surged across the continent, and as the unclaimed West fell into chaos, the holy knight Helios Deferet set out to subjugate it.

Even prophets, nobles, and priests alike predicted his death.

But Helios returned alive—with the Demon King’s head.

Naturally, the imperial family would host a grand victory banquet in his honor.

Though he had abandoned his royal surname to become a holy knight, Helios still carried imperial blood. This meant the banquet would be magnificent. Nobles, priests, and mages from all over would gather at the palace.

However, the emperor—who was practically at odds with the temple—would never allow his son to remain a mere holy knight. In other words, the banquet hall would be a battlefield in everything but name.

Given the situation, Enya—who had lived in seclusion in the tower for a long time—found the entire affair nothing but bothersome.

“I’ll approve it. I’ll even give you proxy authority. Just go in my place.”

“Come on! Proxy attendance isn’t allowed. To enter the palace, the Tower Master has to be present!”

“Then do you want to be the Tower Master?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! The tower chooses its master—how could I decide that?!”

Enya Valencia, the master of Morgenda Magic Tower, squinted one eye as if she had a headache.

“Lila, even if you go, it’ll just be full of brainless noble brats snapping at each other like wolves. It’ll be boring, not fun.”

“That’s exactly why you need to come too! Our tower doesn’t have any connections at all. How long are we going to keep making potions for nobles?”

They called them potions, but in truth, they were erectile dysfunction remedies.

Among noblemen, quite a few suffered from psychological issues due to strict family rules, making such medicine surprisingly profitable. Still, saying “erection” outright felt awkward in front of Lila, whose eyes sparkled so innocently as she called them “potions.”

But speaking of connections…

“I do have connections. I’m close with the Crown Prince.”

“That’s not ‘close.’ You’re just his cash cow.”

…She had no rebuttal. The Crown Prince funded her research into those very potions, so in exchange, she had to bow her head. “Cash cow” wasn’t entirely wrong.

As Enya groaned, Lila pressed even harder.

“Enya, what if you work yourself to death selling these potions forever? What happens to us then? Do we become orphans?”

“What kind of orphan is twenty years old?”

“Enyaaa! Please! Who said anything about making contracts with nobles? Just win over a few and use them like dogs to make potions—or expand our clientele. The social hall is the perfect fishing ground for catching both dogs and customers!”

Enya scratched her head. Attending one banquet wouldn’t suddenly raise her terrible reputation, nor did she particularly want to treat nobles like dogs even if she could.

“Ogotai, the Crown Prince, personally invited you. You’re still not going?”

Lila finally played her last card.

The Crown Prince, Ogotai—his name alone was distinctive. It wasn’t unusual for him to invite Enya, and when she refused, he sometimes came in person. But refusing him every time had its limits.

Even if he’s crazy, he’s still the Crown Prince.

Truthfully, Enya had little interest in Helios, the “Radiance” and half-brother of Ogotai—the very man the banquet was celebrating.

Well, he must be as impressive as his reputation suggested.

He had slain the Demon King, revitalized the barren West, and despite giving up his royal surname, his political ability must be exceptional. They said he and Ogotai were close, too. From what she’d heard, he was the kind of hero straight out of a play.

But Enya wasn’t the type to gush about how honored she was to live in the same era as him.

What a hassle.

Even with Ogotai’s backing, the established nobles would never welcome a rising power like Helios. Enya had no intention of getting involved in the inevitable political conflicts.

Still, it was rare for Lila to be this stubborn, so Enya hesitated.

“…Taking just you feels a bit off.”

“Hasan won’t go anyway. He’s locked himself up writing again today.”

Hasan, another mage under Enya, barely practiced magic and instead stayed shut in his room doing research. Apparently, the novels he wrote on the side sold well, but Enya, who had no interest in literature, didn’t care.

Unlike Hasan, who was fine on his own, Lila often felt lonely. It was only natural—she was just twenty and had spent most of her life in the tower.

After groaning with her eyes closed, Enya finally raised both hands in surrender.

“Prepare the carriage—”

“Yes! Enya, you’re the best!”

“—it’ll take days to get there if we leave now.”

“What’s a little delay? It lasts four days anyway!”

Letting out a small sigh, Enya patted Lila’s head and picked up her journal. As she turned her back, Lila’s sparkling red eyes instantly turned sly.

Enya is too soft, honestly.

In truth, Lila didn’t dislike life in the tower. She went out often enough for work, and as long as she was with Enya, she didn’t mind where they were.

She just wanted Enya to use her as an excuse to attend the banquet and meet people. Enya’s pale skin, having barely seen sunlight for five years, and the dark circles under her eyes from sleepless research always worried her.

It’d be nice if she even fell in love while she’s at it.

Hiding her scheming thoughts with ease, Lila smiled brightly and clung to the doorway.

“Then I’ll start preparing right away! Enya, you have to wear your nicest clothes. And Hasan can handle your hair!”

“Are you that excited?”

Leaning back into a large chair, Enya replied casually.

She might be called a Tower Master, but she was just the ruler of a secluded room with no real power. Who would care about her?

I’ll just greet the Crown Prince and leave.

Life wasn’t short, nor particularly long—but she had no desire to face unnecessary turmoil.

Not anymore.

Enya Valencia let out a deep sigh as she looked over the garden under the night sky.

She had deliberately entered the banquet late, but a visibly exhausted attendant still shouted at the top of his lungs, “The Master of Morgenda Magic Tower—Lady Valencia has arrived!”

Her plan to quietly stay in a corner was completely ruined.

Unable to endure the chaotic atmosphere, she fled outside to the garden.

Undoing her carefully styled hair, she looked around for somewhere to sit.

At least she had grabbed a drink on her way out. Without it, she might’ve died of frustration.

I want to sit. No—I want to lie down.

Just being the target of so many gazes had already drained her.

Wandering aimlessly, she spotted a long bench behind a fountain and hurried over, collapsing onto it.

Taking a deep breath, the noise of the banquet faded into a distant murmur, replaced by the soft chirping of insects. The full white moon hung in the sky, its light blending beautifully with the glow of the garden lamps. The trimmed grass rustled gently in the breeze.

The imperial palace truly was something— even the night was beautiful.

If only peace could last.

Taking a sip of whiskey as if it were her drinking companion, a sharp lemon scent filled her nose, followed by an intense bitterness that burned down her throat. She immediately coughed.

“Ugh—blegh, this is cheap.”

Despite being a former mercenary king, it was absurd that the emperor would serve such low-quality alcohol. And she was the fool who had chosen it among all the options.

As she muttered complaints, she sensed someone approaching from behind the fountain.

Quietly raising her eyes, Enya watched the unfamiliar shadow.

As the figure stepped forward, the artificial light of the fountain illuminated him.

His bright golden hair gleamed like bold brushstrokes in a masterpiece, and beneath it, his green eyes were deep and sharp, like lush summer foliage. His tall frame was perfectly proportioned, and the uniform he wore—adorned with a single shoulder guard—suited him flawlessly.

In a word, he was perfect.

It felt as though another light had appeared. Not a star—but the sun itself had fallen into the night.

Even Enya, who usually felt nothing about appearances, was momentarily taken aback.

Lila would like him.

When their eyes met, the man showed a flicker of surprise—and he looked utterly exhausted. Enya immediately recognized that he, too, had escaped the banquet.

Kindred spirit.

To avoid drawing attention, she deliberately turned her head away and spoke.

“If you head east from here, there’s a maze-like garden. If you want to rest, you should go there. I was here first.”

She didn’t even turn back, worried that meeting his gaze might be mistaken for interest.

After some time, she forgot about his presence and sank into her own thoughts. Hasan had mentioned writing about an affair between a noblewoman and a knight—she suddenly wondered if he might get arrested for it.

As her thoughts grew more serious, a soft chuckle came from right beside her.

“May I have a drink as well?”

His voice was smooth enough to catch in her throat, yet deep enough to resonate through the body. The emperor also had a low voice, but this man’s was far more refined—so much so that comparison felt almost embarrassing.