Birthday Trap 4
The monster attack meant that the birthday celebration could no longer continue. It was abruptly canceled, but the nobles at the venue did not voice their desire to return to their own estates. It was only natural for them to want to stay in the royal palace, where the knights and magicians who could handle the monster attack were stationed. However, it was impossible to immediately prepare enough guest rooms for everyone. The available rooms were meant for local and lower-ranked nobles who could not afford estates in the capital. Nonetheless, some high-ranking nobles were demanding preferential accommodation from the attendants. However, since the royal palace was originally the residence of the royal family, rooms were provided out of the royal family’s goodwill and could not be easily allocated just because a noble requested them.
Liliana glanced sideways at Clyde, who was pursing his lips. In her peripheral vision, she saw Riley and Duke Franklin Slibegrad leaving the venue, guided by their guards. Duke Franklin's face was twisted in displeasure as he said something, while Riley's eyes scanned the room with concern. Upon spotting Liliana, Riley’s face relaxed with a relieved smile and he gave Clyde a small nod.
The knights and magicians around the venue were in a state of uproar. They needed to set up a barrier around the capital to prevent the monsters from entering, while also heading to the site of the attack. The problem was that the site was not far from where the monster stampede had occurred the previous day. In other words, the personnel and resources needed to respond were also near that location.
Furthermore, Liliana had another concern—near the site, there might be:
—Petra.
It was likely that some nobles who had been delayed by the previous monster attack were still in the vicinity. Petra’s lack of communication meant she was either far from the scene or unable to contact anyone due to the chaos. Liliana hoped it was the former, but the chances were about fifty-fifty. Anxiety burned in Liliana’s chest.
While the Magic Division focused on protecting the capital, they should have prioritized sending knights and magicians to quickly address the monster stampede.
“Lily, let’s go,” Clyde said urgently, pulling Liliana away from the venue. Liliana was unsure of Clyde's destination, but it was easy to infer that he intended to protect her. However, being protected was not Liliana’s sole intention.
With everyone distracted by the monster attack, the likelihood of being noticed using magic within the royal palace was very low. Therefore, Liliana did not hesitate.
The targets were multiple—Riley, Duke Clark, Magic Division Director Nicholas Bergson, and Knight Commander Thomas Hegarty. Since Liliana had never met the Knight Commander, she was unsure if the spell would reach him, but it seemed to have succeeded as she heard urgent voices.
The color of Liliana’s light green eyes deepened. Her brain was able to distinguish multiple confusing sounds that would overwhelm an ordinary person. Although it was her first attempt and she lacked confidence, she was relieved to accurately grasp the information. However, the exertion was taxing on both her body and mind. Liliana stumbled and was supported by Clyde.
“Are you alright? Lily, you look pale,” Clyde said with a worried expression.
Liliana hesitated for a moment but then weakly shook her head.
She wanted to be alone in a calm place to focus on gathering information. Depending on the actions of the knights and the Magic Division, she hoped to teleport to the scene herself. If she went, she could resolve the monster attack quickly. To do so, she needed to avoid being seen, including by Clyde. Time was running out. A slow response would mean greater damage and an irreparable situation.
Although she wasn’t truly unwell, Clyde was convinced that Liliana was terrified by the corruption. Liliana decided to use this perception to her advantage. As expected, Clyde, with his lips pressed tightly, began negotiating with a nearby attendant to secure a rest room. While Liliana concentrated on the sounds she was hearing, her status as the Crown Prince’s fiancée or her family’s prestige likely helped Clyde quickly secure a room for them.
*****
Clyde, with a worried expression, turned towards Liliana.
“I’ll call Marianne. Is that alright?”
Though Liliana wanted to refuse, it was impractical to borrow guards or knights from the royal palace given the current chaos. Reluctantly, Liliana nodded. Clyde hesitated for a moment and then lightly kissed Liliana’s forehead. Even though she knew it was an act of sibling affection, Liliana was momentarily so surprised that the “voices” she had been hearing seemed to vanish.
“Your Highness has called for me. I would stay by your side if I could, but—there’s a chance I might not be able to return until things settle down. I’ve arranged for this room to be available until tomorrow afternoon, so please rest comfortably.”
Liliana shook her head in response to Clyde’s words, signaling that she did not want him to worry. Clyde’s expression grew slightly sad, but without saying anything more, he said, “Well then,” and left the room. As he closed the door, he instructed a knight to guard the door until Marianne arrived. Marianne, who was likely waiting at the estate in the capital, would probably come rushing over. Liliana sighed softly and focused on the “voices” she was hearing.
The noise was overwhelming, almost as if her head were splitting open. Lying on the bed with vacant eyes, Liliana strained her senses to pick up the various “voices.”
[Knights must be dispatched immediately; the damage is worsening by the moment—if we don’t act soon, it will be irreparable.]
—A knight pressed the Knight Commander.
[Is the barrier around the capital still not completed?]
—The Magic Division Director’s frantic roar.
[The knights can’t teleport. Once the barrier is set, they can’t move unless there’s a teleportation array at the destination. However, the people who could bring the arrays are currently on other missions.]
—A subordinate reported to the Knight Commander.
[If the barrier isn’t established soon, the nobles will become fearful and lose trust in the royal family.]
—The Chancellor advised the Crown Prince.
[But we can’t abandon the citizens.]
—Among them, a still youthful voice firmly argued.
[The teleportation array isn’t functioning!]
—Confusion breeding more confusion.
Then, a cold voice echoed.
[Your Highness, if you try to save everyone, you will end up losing everything. To save a hundred, you must be prepared to sacrifice one.]
How much time had passed? It felt like an eternity to Liliana, but it was likely less than a moment. There was a knock on the door, and Marianne, who should have been waiting at the estate in the capital, appeared. She had rushed over, her hair disheveled and her breath labored. Her face was pale with anxiety as she cast a worried glance at Liliana.
“Are you alright, Young Lady?”
<I'm fine, but I’d like to rest now. Could you help me change?>
The dress was uncomfortable for the current situation. Marianne brought a simple dress, which, while not suitable for a duchess, was decent enough for walking outside.
After changing, Liliana asked Marianne to leave her alone. Marianne, reluctant to leave her side, eventually gave in to Liliana’s insistence and retreated to a small adjoining room for attendants.
Liliana assessed the situation. The command structure was in disarray. The council of advisors, led by the Chancellor, was focused on self-preservation and prioritizing the capital’s barrier. However, this was contrary to the knights' desire to rush to the scene immediately. The knights could not move because they did not have permission from the Chancellor, who acted as the King’s proxy. Moreover, there were no magicians in the palace with the ability to set up teleportation arrays at the destination. The delay was causing frustration among the knights.
The Knight Commander, having lost patience, seemed to be considering mobilizing the second unit under his authority without upper-level approval.
Thinking that Ben Draco was likely busy, Liliana decided to contact him. She took out a magic stone, set up a soundproof barrier, and whispered.
[Can you hear me?]
There was a commotion behind Liliana. However, Ben quickly responded.
[Yes, I can hear you. What’s the matter?]
[It seems neither the knights nor the magicians can go to the scene.]
[It’s impossible. It appears someone tampered with the teleportation array.]
Ben’s words were filled with frustration. Liliana furrowed her brow, recalling her previous lessons from Petra.
(There were teleportation arrays that don’t require a fixed destination, weren’t there?)
While teleportation arrays generally need a destination array to function, there are advanced versions that don’t. These can be used by magicians who can’t teleport by themselves but can control the destination through magic. Although the number of such magicians is limited, there are more of them than those who can teleport independently like Liliana or Petra.
From the conversation Liliana had overheard, it seemed that the Magic Division had intended to use a destination-independent array to teleport directly to the capital, even with the barrier in place. However, the fact that the array had been tampered with meant it could no longer be used. While she was relieved it wasn’t tampered with in a way that forced them to a distant location, she was still concerned about who did it. But there was no time to address that now.
With the initial array compromised, the knights would have to rush to the scene on horseback. However, the problem was that they would need to abandon their horses partway and continue on foot. Even if magicians could create a barrier against the miasma, horses are more sensitive to it than humans and would become immobile after a while.
[It seems we won’t make it in time if we go now.]
[It won’t be in time. I was going to go, but I’ve been held up.]
[Held up?]
The notion seemed unusual coming from Ben. Could his position as Vice Secretary be the reason?
As Liliana frowned in suspicion, she heard Ben’s hurried voice saying, [Sorry, I have to cut off,] before the connection was abruptly terminated.
(This is strange.)
A troubling feeling stirred in her chest. She disconnected from the Far Sight spell and cast a new spell to contact Ben Draco. Immediately, she heard the furious voice of the Magic Division Director, Nicholas Bergson.
[We have received reports that you tampered with the teleportation array. Although we need to verify, we cannot allow someone suspected of treason to teleport.]
Ben, who could use teleportation magic, was now deemed a flight risk and was being subjected to magical restraints. Liliana’s face hardened. She bolted upright from the bed.
This was clearly problematic. Though she had no means to stop it or time to uncover the conspiracy, she had to prioritize.
(For now, I need to set my priorities.)
Even though she was concerned about Ben’s apparent detainment, the most crucial task was to get to the scene of the monster stampede, where neither knights nor magicians could immediately reach, and resolve the crisis as quickly as possible.
She attempted to contact Petra using a magic stone, but there was no response. The likelihood of Petra being caught up in the stampede increased. Liliana jumped out of bed and opened the closet. She was grateful for the simple accommodations. As expected, the closet contained spare blankets and pillows. Liliana quickly rolled up a blanket and stuffed it under the sheets to create a bulge that would appear as if someone was lying there. With the illusion spell, anyone who entered would see her as resting.
Fortunately, her current attire was suitable for going outside. Given the scale of the stampede, her outfit was rather elaborate. After a moment’s thought, Liliana put on a cloak.
She decided not to use the invisibility spell. Given the massive amount of magical power needed to suppress such a large-scale monster stampede, she wanted to conserve as much magic as possible. Furthermore, she needed to retain enough power for a final teleportation.
(Well then, let’s go.)
With a confident smile, Liliana vanished from the palace in an instant.
—