Yulia stared at Lloyd with a bewildered expression.
Magic involves a certain context.
Context refers to the process leading up to the casting of a spell.
You form the framework of the spell in your mind, gather mana, crystallize it within the mana circuits, and then release it.
Because magic has context, skilled magicians or experienced awakened beings can respond to it.
A prime example is the visible mental effort in creating the framework of a spell.
This is a common mistake among novice magicians—where their pupils become unnaturally dilated, and their movements subtly stiffen. To those with some experience, it’s as clear as saying, “I’m preparing a spell.”
At this point, it’s almost certain the spell won’t succeed. The process of casting magic itself takes considerable time, giving the opponent a chance to either flee or prepare a countermeasure.
‘Even I used to struggle to hide this.’
Yulia shuddered as she recalled her childhood experiences being outsmarted by court magicians.
That sly old man would always see through her attempts at casting a spell.
‘How does he always know!’
When she asked if he had some mysterious method, his response was.
– Your Highness, when you cast a spell, you furrow your brows and twitch your nose.
How utterly disappointing.
Of course, after that, Yulia learned how to better conceal the process of preparing her spells.
Anyway.
‘But most people still get stuck at the second stage.’
The second stage of preparing a spell: Gathering mana.
Mana doesn’t exist within a magician’s body.
To be precise, while a small amount exists internally, it’s not enough to cast large-scale spells.
Therefore, magicians inevitably use both the refined mana within them and the external mana simultaneously.
They form the framework with refined mana and then fill it with external mana.
During this process, magicians inevitably draw upon external mana.
In other words, the opponent can feel the flow of mana.
If someone is standing still, but the flow of mana suddenly intensifies?
‘Who is casting a spell?’
Anyone who has reached a certain level, a level where they can sense the flow of mana, will definitively discern the opponent’s magic at this stage.
In other words, it’s an area where anyone can reveal their magic.
It’s also where a magician’s skill becomes evident.
How quickly can they absorb external mana and unleash it as an attack?
And how quickly can the opponent read the flow of mana and prepare a countermeasure?
The speed of mana absorption, the ability to absorb without detection, the response to that, and the process of predicting and defending against the opponent’s magic based on the type of absorbed mana.
This is an area of experience and agility, where skill and level are distinguished.
There are various other ways to detect magic, but this is the most widely used method.
Therefore, Yulia was shocked.
‘What… Without any indication?’
Lloyd’s magic showed no signs.
The process of forming the spell in his mind, the process of absorbing mana—
Yulia couldn’t be sure of anything.
No—more than certainty, her perception was blurry.
She had a fleeting feeling of ‘Huh?’ and before she could even process it, the opponent—in this case, Hector, the ruffian—had already twisted his wrist.
‘This is absurd…’
She couldn’t believe it.
The fact that such a method of casting magic existed.
And so she focused intently.
On Lloyd’s next spell.
Determined to uncover what was happening.
Then, when Lloyd cast his second spell.
“…”
Yulia’s mind went blank.
The moment Lloyd cast his spell was like a single “point”.
In other words, it took no time at all.
An instant—so brief that it was hard to tell whether it was the calculation of the magic circuit or the gathering of external mana.
It flashed by as if nothing had happened.
What was even more astonishing was that Lloyd hadn’t cast a simple spell. It was a medium-level spell, one that restrained the opponent’s body, and it was executed with precision, targeting only specific body parts.
This meant less mana was used, but it required an even more intricate level of calculation…
‘Monster.’
Yulia couldn’t find another word to describe Lloyd.
He was a monster, something beyond the realm of humans.
If Lloyd had simply been Lloyd, Yulia would have been purely amazed.
She would have marveled at observing the spell of an unbelievably intelligent genius.
But…
‘Ortega.’
As long as that man’s soul resided within Lloyd…
“…”
Yulia couldn’t just be impressed.
◆
After the members of the organization left,
“Hah.”
Lloyd rolled his shoulders.
As expected, sudden use of magic still took a toll on him.
It must be due to his incomplete mana circuits.
“Oh, right.”
He should have asked those guys earlier.
They were probably dealing with drugs, but the line between drugs and medicine is thin.
If abused, medicine becomes a drug, and if used correctly, drugs can be like medicine.
Most of what they had were likely stimulants, but there could have been some sedatives too.
“I should find a pharmacy first.”
Maybe he was talking to himself too loudly?
Yulia turned to him with a suspicious look.
“Just to be clear…”
“If I ever get caught using drugs, you’ll protect me, right? After all, I’m your advisor, Your Highness.”
“… Hah.”
Yulia looked at Lloyd as if he were a troublesome case.
Well, she had just seen him practically tear a man’s arm off, even if he was just an underling.
It must have been a shocking sight.
As a princess, she probably only saw good things in the palace.
In other words, like a flower in a greenhouse…
“Well, we didn’t see any blood, so that’s good enough. It’s the first time I’ve seen bloodless t*rture. I’ll give you that.”
Yulia, who Lloyd had thought was like a sheltered flower, turned on her heel.
Without saying anything, she started walking up to the second floor.
Only then did Lloyd remember.
‘She’s the Princess of Rebellion.’
Perhaps what really surprised her was the skill of the t*rture.
After all, as the third princess, Yulia couldn’t have been a mere flower in a greenhouse. More likely, she was a weed constantly at risk of being uprooted. And weeds have a harder time surviving in the greenhouse than outside.
“…”
She really is hard to figure out.
How should he define Yulia?
Lloyd, who was scratching his head, followed her up.
The room they entered seemed to have once been a study, with a desk, bookshelves, and basic office furniture and tools.
It was the room they had decided to use as an office.
And there sat Yulia.
Her posture was sharp and intellectual, as if she had already made this room her office.
The Estrid bloodline must be noble after all.
… He was thinking this when—
‘Cough!”
Julia coughed.
Yulia suddenly coughed, causing the dust on the desk in front of her to scatter.
Her face, tinged gray with dust.
“Pfft.”
Lloyd couldn’t help but let out a laugh, despite himself.
Yulia’s face turned bright red in an instant.
“Si… Since you’re my attendant, stop laughing and help me!”
“Understood.”
He’s an advisor, not an attendant.
Lloyd, who found himself wanting to tease a bit, chuckled as he began tidying up the room.
He wiped down the desk and cleared the dust from the floor.
These were tasks he had become somewhat accustomed to by now.
Yulia, who had washed her face, returned and quietly said, “Thank you,” before sitting back at the desk.
Even her breathing had become quiet.
As Lloyd smiled to himself, he suddenly realized something.
Since his near-death experience, this was the first time he had smiled like this.
And it didn’t feel bad at all.
◆
Claire’s Harold Trading Company, Easton Branch.
“Welcome, my lady!”
The branch manager of Easton, sweating nervously, greeted the vice-president, whose visits had become more frequent recently.
Unlike most trading companies, the Harold Trading Company had a distinctly aristocratic character.
After all, Richmond Harold, the president of the company, was a count, and the trading company was essentially a family business.
Unlike typical trading companies, where the staff held significant power, the Harold Trading Company was firmly controlled by the power of the “Harold” name.
A red-haired young woman stepped out of the carriage.
Everyone bowed deeply in her direction.
She wasn’t just the vice-president of the Harold Trading Company; she was also one of the three heroes who had defeated the Demon King and the traitor from another world.
Claire Harold.
The branch manager of Easton couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of tension at her arrival.
‘Why has she been visiting so often lately?’
In the past few weeks, the vice-president’s visits had become more frequent.
Although there were plausible reasons each time, it was clearly an unusual situation given her previous infrequent visits.
Moreover, the fact that most of these visits were carried out in secrecy added to the strangeness.
But this was all based on the branch manager’s seasoned instincts, honed through years of experience in society.
His sharp intuition also warned him not to concern himself with whatever Claire, the vice-president, was up to.
Thus, the branch manager cautiously escorted Claire to the office.
“…”
The young woman sat silently in the chair, surveying the room.
The branch manager hurriedly presented a fine tea, rubbing his hands together nervously as he asked.
“What brings you here today, my lady?”
Depending on her answer, the branch manager’s day could become either incredibly busy or sleepless with an all-nighter.
Gulp.
He swallowed nervously.
Claire opened her mouth.
“I’m looking for someone.”
