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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: The Emperor's Secret
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“!”
“Baba.”
Seeing the look in Ekiel's eyes, Tantitus was surprised, yet certain.
“You’re comforting me.”
He was the greatest mage in this magic empire.
He could guess how quickly Ekiel, who had been gifted with immense magical power since birth, would develop.
His grandson was no ordinary baby.
He shouldn't be the kind of baby to empathize with human emotions like this.
And yet, he was offering comfort.
He gripped Ekiel’s tiny hand.
“Thank you.”
“Goo.”
Proud of the baby Ekiel's composure, who didn't even cry at his own parents' death, and just as saddened by it, Tantitus finally wiped away his tears and managed a smile.
From then on, he never showed a weak side in front of Ekiel again.
Instead, he made a promise.
That while he could never be a parent to Ekiel, he would be the greatest grandfather and teacher in the world.
Ekiel believed in him and relied on him.
Emperor Tantitus taught Ekiel more preciously, yet more strictly, than he had his own deceased son.
Ekiel was no ordinary child, so great care had to be taken.
For when he died, the powerful Archmage who would become the next emperor would be Ekiel.
Therefore, he explained the situation to Luke Jetar—one of the ten Stars and his former disciple—and asked him in advance to serve as regent.
Tantitus’s appearance had aged with the years, but he was healthy.
An exceptional Archmage's lifespan was far longer than an ordinary person's, so as long as he didn't overexert himself, he could live for another eighty years or so.
But that was not the problem.
The dreams of a mage with powerful magic become prophetic. He had been having unsettling dreams, the likes of which he had never had before.
A series of sorrowful situations in which he could not be by Ekiel’s side unfolded in his dreams.
Judging them to be more than simple dreams, he had entrusted the regency and Ekiel to Jetar.
Jetar had thrown a fit, asking Emperor Tantitus why he was speaking of such ominous things.
With his outstanding abilities, he was sure to remain on the throne for a long time, unless he was assassinated.
Yet he kept insisting on the premise of ‘if I die,’ which was why Jetar had gotten angry.
But Emperor Tantitus could not ignore his prophetic dreams.
As he raised Ekiel, who was now turning five, the emperor had more and more of those ominous nightmares.
It was a dream of being stabbed to death by sharp, black fragments.
And in the not-too-distant future, at that.
Furthermore, the black crystal orb kept in the sealing chamber deep within the emperor’s laboratory was growing more unstable by the day.
The Dark Divine Beast, sealed at the cost of five Archmages' lives.
The black crystal orb, first created when the beast was sealed at the Rosart River, was to be monitored and guarded by the emperor, the most powerful mage in the Western Continent's imperial palace.
It would be disastrous if the seal were to suddenly break again at the Rosart River, causing harm to the surrounding area as it had before.
Emperor Tantitus, along with the other Archmages, had tried to completely destroy the black crystal orb, and they had also tried to reinforce its seal.
But it was impossible.
He once again scoured the history books containing ancient records from the very beginning.
Human mages had played no part in the ancient battle. But now, magic had become highly advanced along with civilization.
They believed their abilities were comparable to the divine beasts’ supernatural powers, and with their civilization so advanced, they thought they could succeed.
‘That was a miscalculation.’
Emperor Tantitus thought of the Penterin Empire, with which they had no formal relations, only the occasional exchange of magical artifacts.
The land of divine beasts. The land where Beastmen lived.
The divine beasts that had clashed with the Dark Divine Beast in the distant past.
And the divine beast, the White Tiger Anash, who had sacrificed herself by embracing the Dark Divine Beast, shattering into pieces.
‘Anash is essential for this fight.’
From that point on, Emperor Tantitus sent agents to monitor the Penterin Empire and the rest of the Eastern Continent, watching for the birth of a White Tiger Beastman, the symbol of Anash.
And he also explained to Ekiel beforehand about the fight against the Dark Divine Beast, upon which the fate of the entire continent rested.
That the Dark Divine Beast contained in that black crystal orb had to be annihilated with the help of the Beastmen from the Eastern Continent, from the Penterin Empire.
And that the ‘White Tiger Anash’ would be absolutely necessary.
Though still a young child, the five-year-old Ekiel, who had grown into a calm and bright boy, etched his grandfather’s every teaching into his mind.
‘The White Tiger Anash.’
One day, the young Ekiel went with his grandfather to the sealing chamber the emperor was tasked with monitoring and came face to face with the black crystal orb.
The creature constantly struggled to escape, so its condition had to be checked every three hours, and it had to be suppressed with magic at least once a day.
Today, Ekiel was to try it himself.
After suppressing the Dark Divine Beast with his unique golden magic, Ekiel turned to his grandfather and spoke.
“The black snake is targeting the White Tiger. It wants to devour the power that was taken from it a thousand years ago.”
Tantitus’s face filled with horror.
While suppressing the Dark Divine Beast, the magically powerful Ekiel had read its thoughts.
Terrified by the thought that his grandson could be in danger, Tantitus snatched Ekiel up and rushed out of the sealing chamber.
“It’s all right, Grandfather.”
“No, it is not.”
“Why? I was helpful. For the future of this world.”
Ekiel’s confusion pained Tantitus.
The very thing he had worried about had become reality.
His grandson was far too intelligent, his intellectual curiosity was immense, and his innate talent was boundless.
As a result, while Ekiel’s inner world grew more vast each day, he had no time to experience ‘emotions’ in detail.
Sadness, loneliness, anger, joy—he rarely even saw the boy smile.
He knew it couldn't be helped, but still.
If he left him like this, he would surely go mad one day.
“Ekiel, your grandfather will cast a spell on you.”
“What kind of spell?”
“Love.”
As the child’s eyes widened, Tantitus smiled benevolently and stroked his head.
“So that you may always remain ‘Ekiel.’ Remember that your grandfather loves you.”
Ekiel’s ears turned a little red as he nodded. The ticklish feeling on the back of his neck was strange, but not unpleasant.
Everything was good.
He was so all right that he didn't even feel the insecurity of not having parents.
As long as he had his grandfather.
And Archmage Jetar, who, despite appearing grumpy and curt, visited often to look after him.
This was enough to be happy.
And he truly loved the magical talent he had been blessed with.
Every magic formula that unfolded from the boy’s hands was crafted with care; there was nothing about them that wasn't beautiful.
So, magic itself could not help but love the boy in return.
At some point, Ekiel’s skills took flight, soaring to new heights.
He had grown into a formidable Archmage, surpassing the level of the ten Archmages of the Rilberg Empire.
His growth was faster than expected.
At this rate, he was skilled enough to take a seat among the ‘Stars’ immediately.
No, it was more than that.
It was an unprecedented situation; Ekiel’s magical prowess was nearly on par with the current emperor’s.
An emergency meeting of the Stars was called.
Because Ekiel was young, far too young.
But more weight was given to the Magic Tower’s ‘tradition’—a custom and a ‘law’—that the greatest mage must become its leader.
It was decided that rather than being designated as an Archmage, one of the ‘Stars,’ he would be placed in waiting as the ‘heir apparent.’
The decision was unanimous.
Thus, Ekiel was designated as the mage who would ascend to the throne as the next emperor.
Emperor Tantitus and Jetar were immensely proud of Ekiel and rejoiced.
That day remained a special memory for Ekiel.
His grandfather’s booming voice, shouting about how amazing his grandson was.
And the memory of that night, of his grandfather’s white hair swaying as he laughed heartily, giving him a piggyback ride.
It was a night full of stars.
A memory from three years ago.
***
“I truly never would have imagined.”
Ekiel opened his closed eyes.
“To think you had that thing captured in Rilberg before Penterin even knew. Hah.”
His eyes met those of Emperor Ritain, who let out a sigh, his pride seemingly wounded.
Ritain ran a hand through his hair and asked irritably.
“So. When, and how, did that thing escape from Rilberg?”
