CH 41.1

I was taken aback when Cedric sat down next to me.

“What’s your name?” Cedric asked, looking at me.

“I’m Leticia, the daughter of Duke Lewellton.”

“Ah, the one that’s been talked about.”

Cedric’s eyes lit up.

What’s this expression? Does he know me?

“How old are you? I’m thirteen.”

“I’m ten years old.”

“Nice to meet you, miss Leticia.”

Although it wasn’t a conversation where we sat side by side at our classroom desk, it was the first time a boy had been polite to me.

“Yes, nice to meet you too.”

Just then, the tutor came in.

“Hello. Oh, there are two of you now.”

The tutor was someone I recognized from the morning class. He was a brown-haired scholar.

“We met earlier, didn’t we? I’m Albert.”

“Hello Mr. Albert.”

“Yes. Have you two say hello to each other?”

“Yes.”

“I see. He insists on seeing the painting in person and taking the art class.”

I guess this person is of a higher status based on how Albert speaks so politely.

The knights brought another painting, a huge one. It was the important subject of today’s class.

“How was your art history lesson today?”

“I’m not really interested in art techniques, so…”

“And then?”

Albert was so kind that I couldn’t help but answer honestly.

“It was boring. I don’t understand why this expensive and famous painting is so valuable. It just seems big. And it was funny how the knights were swarming around it to protect it.”

I felt Cedric laughing next to me.

‘What are you laughing at?’

I looked at Cedric.

“I feel the same way.”

Huh, can he read my mind?

Albert also smiled and opened his book.

“So today, let’s give a lesson why such paintings are expensive. Why are they expensive?”

Hmm, I tilted my head to the side.

“Because there’s only one.”

“Correct. That’s what we call ‘rarity.’ And rarity means it’s special. This painting’s specialty is that it reproduced what happened in the contemporary history better than anyone else and was released quickly. In other words, it’s like being the first in line. Of course, the painter’s skill is a given.”

“Really?”

I opened my eyes wide at the unexpected explanation. Albert continued.

“It really is. And there are so many detailed historical facts hidden in it.”

It’s just ignorantly picture that I saw in class today.

It was a painting depicting a battle. Albert also pointed to two wizards fighting in the front row.

“Let’s take a closer look at the first row of people in this picture. What color was the wizard’s hair?”

“Black.”

I gasped.

“The good wizard. The good wizard from the legend?”

“You’re smart. Yes, this is that wizard who was the head of the Duke of Lewellton at the time. If you look closely, you can see his red eyes. And look at the wizard whose chest is pierced with a sword. This is a bad magician, the white magician Kondan.”

“Does this man have blue eyes and silvery hair?”

“Yes. It is said that the people of the Kondan family are beautiful silver-haired men with boyish looks… At that time, Duke Kondan was an official of our country, but he got into wizard supremacy and did bad things. And the person standing behind him is the royal family…”

If it’s a bad thing, is it usually to enslave people as wizards’ slaves and torment them?

Albert began to explain the historical facts hidden in the picture, one by one.

‘It’s interesting.’

It was amazing. As soon as I thought there was a Duke involved in this story, I was able to concentrate well.

“Did Duke received his title after this fight?”

“Oh, it’s not like that. Even before that, Duke Kondan, the leader of the white wizards, and Duke Lewellton, the leader of the black wizards, were the two biggest forces in this country. But at this time the family of White Wizards fell, and the strength of the Black Wizards became stronger.”

“Oh….”

I see. It’s a story I’ve never heard before.

“But Duke Lewellton’s family was originally a very powerful family. They owned a great magic stone mine, so their territory was wide.”

“I see.”

I nodded my head. Magic stone was very important. I knew that much.

“Unlike other fuels, magic stone moves infinitely close to infinity, so each country is devoted to diplomacy with the Duke’s family to obtain the highest quality magic stone. So, how do I say this?”

Albert hesitated and looked at Cedric’s eyes.

‘Why are you looking at that kid?’

I wanted to raise my head.