Chapter 252

Chapter 252

Max walked around the room, praying fervently, hoping that her narration of what really happened would miraculously settle the mediation. However, it seems unlikely that her hopes will be fulfilled as she heard the occasional shouts of angry voices from the meeting room.

She bit her lip anxiously. Just imagining her father telling conspiratorial lies against Riftan to frame him made her nerves boil.

She opened the door of the room where she is at to look down the dark hallway—towards the door that leads to the meeting room. The second meeting was tripartite, so there was no way of knowing what was happening since everyone else was barred from entering the meeting room. Max restlessly paced back and forth. Uslin, who was leaning silently against the wall, suddenly opened his mouth.

“I don’t think they’re going to ask the lady to testify anymore. Why don’t you head back to your room first and rest?”

Ruth, who was nodding off as he sat in front of the fireplace, raised his head in alert.

“I agree. The lady should head back to her room first. Even if we all stay here, it wouldn’t make a difference on the outcome.”

“I wish you would care about the situation for even a bit, but...” Uslin frowned displeasingly at Ruth and sighed deeply.

“The wizard’s words have a point. I’m afraid they won’t finish talking until dawn, so you may go back to your room and rest. They might take all night discussing.”

“They’re going to stay up a-all night?”

When her eyes widened in surprise, the knight smiled bitterly.

“This is the method His Majesty often uses to defeat his disobedient subjects. He is as vigorous as most knights, he can hold out until his opponent is exhausted, and when that moment comes, he takes advantage of that. “

“Don’t worry too much. His Majesty can argue for two nights in that state! The same goes for the commander. The Duke of Croix will soon raise a white flag of defeat.”

Even Elliot chimed in and expressed optimism. Max sighed at their naivety. They knew nothing of the Duke of Croix.

As long as he’s persistent, her father won’t lose to anyone. Two nights would be an easy endurance. He could continue to endure, even if he vomited blood. What’s more, it could even get frantic. He would be very riled up by now, spitting out all kinds of slander and insults.

Max rubbed her forehead. Seeing this, Uslin took the cloak hanging from the wall and walked over to her.

“I’ll escort you to your room.”

Then, he opened the door with a determined expression, as if to make her take a break no matter how much she protested.

Although it seemed that she would not be able to sleep after returning to her room, the truth is that she was also feeling very tired from being on her toes all day. She thought it would be better to lie on the bed and get some rest, so she reluctantly agreed.

As she was leaving the waiting room, she saw a dim light from the end of the dark hallway. Max stopped in front of the door. Princess Agnes walked silently with Simon, the royal wizard.

After seeing their faces, Ruth crept into a corner of the room as if he was avoiding a plague. Uslin looked at him like he was a pitiful man and then walked over to the princess.

“What brings you here at this late hour?”

“I came here because I have something to say. Can you give us a moment?”

The deep eyes of the princess flew over Max. Max hesitated and stepped aside the door’s entrance, gesturing a welcome. At the silent invitation, the princess breathed a sigh of relief and led Simon to the room.

Max took a step back and looked at her rigid face with a tensed eye. The fireplace was burning in the waiting room, and on one side of the room were Ruth, Elliott, Uslin, and two other members of the Remdragon Knights.

The princess looked around, seeing their faces one by one and finally fixed her gaze on Max. The princess looked more exhausted than ever, and there was a hint of concern in her blue eyes. Max asked impatiently as Princess Agnes gave no signs of opening her mouth, even after a long time.

“Wa-was there any...problem that came up?”

“I think this conversation will be very long. May we take a seat?”

Hearing that made her hair stand on its ends, but Max managed to control herself and guided her to the table. Then, the knights who were waiting, quickly brought her a chair.

“Thank you.” The princess smiled stiffly and sat down.

Max sat across from her and tightened her grip to the hem of her dress. ‘But why did she bring Simon with her?‘, she was staring doubtfully at the wizard who was silent behind her, when the princess began to speak.

“There is only one case where the World Tower interferes with internal affairs to the point that they will go out of their way to bring justice.”

“What could that be...?”

Ruth, who was smirking at the princess’ suggestion, suddenly realized it and opened his mouth.

“Don’t tell me... are you thinking of registering the lady as a World Tower wizard?”

Not only Max, but even the knights widened their eyes at his words. She wanted to reprimand him, ask what kind of nonsense he was saying, but unexpectedly, the princess nodded.

“Nornui will only intervene in a conflict if it involves the protection of a wizard belonging to the World Tower. If Maximillian becomes a wizard in the World Tower, the duke of Croix wouldn’t only be interrogated for inflicting corporal punishment on his daughter but also for the persecution of Maximillian as a wizard. When that happens, the World Tower will immediately dispatch wizards to investigate the matter. And as soon as it is revealed that he has been inflicting harm on Maximillian, all wizards will turn their backs on the duke.”

“B-but... but...”

Unable to keep up with the sudden twist of the story, Max stuttered heavily.

“I do not u-understand. Even if I-I...put my name on the World Tower right now... all of this... happened before I became a wizard. C-can the duke be held accountable...even if it all happened in the past?”

The princess shook her head.

“Of course, they cannot question what happened in the past. I’m going to manipulate the time when Maximillian registered as a wizard in the World Tower and list it as last spring. I’ll make it so that when I visited Anatol, I invited you to register at the World Tower and you agreed.”

“B-but...”

Max couldn’t speak easily and looked at Ruth with a downcast look. She remembered perfectly what he had said to her.

“T-to become a World Tower wizard...I was told that I had to t-train in Nornui...for four years. But my father knows that I have never been to Nornui. It’s only been a year since I’ve been in Anatol... before that, I was never anywhere but Castle Croix.”

“There are many people who register their name on the World Tower first and then go to Nornui to study.”

Simon, who was silent, opened his mouth. Without asking permission to take a seat, he pulled a chair next to the princess and calmly continued speaking.

“The situation may be plausible. The lady listed her name to the World Tower last spring on Agnes’s recommendation, and she was soon going to Nornui. However, to help the precarious situation in which the war against the monsters broke out, the time when she was to enter the World Tower was delayed for a while.”

“Is it possible for someone to be under the protection of the World Tower despite not undergoing their formal training?” Uslin asked him.

The princess nodded.

“Since the moment anyone’s name was registered, they are already protected by the World Tower. And to add to that story, I will argue that Maximillian was sent to Livadon through formal procedures. The knights and the wizards who witnessed your contributions will be held witness. There are more than enough grounds that will help claim that Maximillian is a wizard of the World Tower. Nornui also promised to close their eyes to the point of letting the manipulation of time when the registration was made.”

The story was unfolding so fast until she’s about to feel dizzy. Confused, Max looked in confusion at the resolute face of the princess, the calm face of Simon, and Ruth’s stiff face.

“T-then... I...”

Her throat went dry as if she’d swallowed sand. She squirmed and began to speak as if it hurt.

“I...must go to No-nornui?”

The princess’s face darkened. As she touched her mouth with her fingertips, she nodded strongly.

“At least, for three to four years... once your name is written, you must enter the World Tower as quickly as possible and train to become a wizard.”

Max stiffened. She couldn’t speak, instead, Elliott was quick to reply.

“Is it not possible to just register your name? If she will be away from Anatol for such a long time... there is no way that the commander will allow it.”

“The World Tower has its own rules. Once the registration is made, everyone must obey its rules. There are no exceptions.”

Ruth backed away, his expression grim. Agnes, who was glaring at him with narrowed eyes, rubbed her forehead and said weakly.

“Besides, there is no other way to battle the Duke of Croix. If he discovers that he has been deceived, he will immediately refile his charges. When that happens, he can even accuse us of making false testimonies against the nobility.”

Note –LF: *foreboding music plays* ☹