CH 243

Both Estian and Ruin were stunned by what had just occurred. They stared at each other, dumbfounded, before slowly turning their heads to stare at the glob of water floating above where the crown prince had been standing.

“What’s… this?” Ruin stammered in disbelief.

Estian didn’t have an answer to the crown prince’s question either. This was the first time he was witnessing such a thing. While they both continued to stare, the glob floated towards Ruin, who was still sitting on the ground, and…

Slap! Slap! As if to prove what just happened hadn’t been a dream, the glob of water took on the shape of a hand and consecutively slapped the dazed crown prince across both cheeks.

“Wha-what is this! Why is it hitting me?” Ruin shouted. He covered his cheeks while gazing incredulously at the water assaulting him. Deciding he couldn’t cower before this one-sided beating any longer, he shot up and made to escape.

Unfortunately, before Ruin could make a break for it, the water changed form once more. Reforming into the shape of a small ball, it swiftly launched itself through the air and shot the fleeing prince in the back, sending him tumbling to the ground again.

Meanwhile, Estian observed the happenings with interest. There was a familiar feeling about it. To be exact, there was something familiar with the movement of the glob of water. But where exactly had he seen it? Combing through his memories, he soon recalled an event from long ago—jewelry that was sent flying in the air, scoring a neat goal, followed by clapping officials. And there was one person behind it all. With the name on his lips, Estian murmured, “Cecile?”

* * *

“It hurts…” Richard muttered, pressing the back of his hands against his red, swollen cheeks. He had reverted back to the form of a young boy again, with the reason being…

“Can’t you focus properly? The image of the two of them is blurry!” Cecile yelled.

Cecile was subjecting the archmage to her burning fury.

“You must be spewing rubbish because Estian didn’t beat you enough! Don’t speak to me in that creepy voice! And change out of that appearance this instant!” Cecile yelled. She expressed her discontent while thrashing him… with globs of water, of course.

‘My magic was that ineffective?’ For Richard’s part, rather than the physical pain, the fact that she found his behavior nauseating was the harder pill to swallow.

Cecile had no way of knowing this, but Richard had cast a spell of enchantment—a powerful one at that—when he was speaking earlier. Yet, Cecile was utterly unaffected. Not only was she not the least bit affected, she seemed even angrier and repulsed by him than usual. She exclaimed that he sounded gross. It was bewildering, yet somehow understandable. Richard somehow had the feeling that it was possible for Cecile.

“Focus, I said!” Cecile bellowed.

Cecile’s cry brought his focus back to the spell he was channeling for her. It was a telescopic spell used to view events occurring far off in the distance. He had originally cast it to watch the fight between Estian and Ruin in greater detail. Ordinary mages were capable of casting such a spell, but they were limited to a single, fixed point and only a slightly closer view at that. A spell cast by the master of the Mage Tower was naturally on a different scale—it offered dynamic views that could switch perspectives and zoom in at will as they tracked the fight.

‘Even so, how could she use such a spell in this manner?’ Even as he inwardly grumbled, he focused his mind as ordered and the blurry images regained focus.