Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don’t Have Magical Powers?! - CH 27

“Are you saying that the national treasure sceptre is as such?”

The Second Prince glares at me in anger.

“Well, no one can be sure. There aren’t many books that correctly describe matters that are dishonourable to the kingdom and to the temple.

Oops, I guess that was a dishonourable statement to the temple too. Well, it doesn’t matter.

“Ha, that’s rubbish. Such an uncertain story does not prove that the woman is a true holy magician.”

“Yes, so let’s see the power of the holy magician right here, so that we can be sure which one of you is the real holy magician, or if you are both holy magicians.”

“What?”

I raise my right arm high.

“I shall entrust this arm to the hands of the daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield. When she has successfully healed my severed arm, I would like her to be recognised as a holy magician.”

My declaration caused a stir around me. Some of the madams and young ladies are looking pale. If I cut off my arm, the soirée will be a bloody disaster, and it may indeed be a little too stimulating for the ladies.

“The Great Saintess Urla is said to have even restored the bodies of those who had lost their limbs to their full former state. Even if you can’t wield the same power as the Great Saintess, I’m sure a holy magician could easily heal a single arm.”

“In that case, I will take care of that arm.”

Percival, dressed in a knight apprentice’s uniform and carrying a sword, parted the crowd and came before us. That appearance is of the Knight of the Sun himself. Even in this situation, there are people who look at Percival passionately, and it shows just how bright he is.

When I made this plan, I asked Percival to sever my arm.

Even if a severed arm can be restored, if it’s done by someone incompetent, it’ll be terrible to look at. If the skill is not good, the bone can’t be severed and it will hurt more than it should. If that’s the case, it’s human nature to want to leave it in the hands of someone you trust.

Even Aurora turned pale at this plan, but Percival accepted without hesitation. He understood what I wanted to do and often lent a hand without asking much. That’s the kind of thing about him that makes me trust him.

Aurora said I didn’t have to go that far for herself, but as someone who knows the true holy magician Urla, I feel like telling people not to make a fool of her.

Well, I don’t think I’m really going to cut off my arm, but in making things happen, it’s fundamental to assume the worst of every foreseeable outcome. As an adventurer, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and that’s a lesson I’ve learned.

Even if I’m only half-serious, I have to enter the royal castle with a sword in order to sever my arm, but Percival, who is only an academy student, cannot enter the royal castle with a sword, even if he is a knight guarding the royal castle. But the Duke’s connections and Percival’s family name played a big part. As one of the knight apprentices guarding the great hall, he was quietly waiting in a corner of the hall for the moment to go on stage.

Now the actors are all here.

“Now, Your Highness the Second Prince. Who will present their arm to the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson, whom you truly believe in?”

When I asked this, the Second Prince flinched. If he loved her and believed her to be a true holy magician, he would offer his arm, but this man would not have the stomach for it. Sure enough, he turned his gaze to the two potential aides lined up behind him. But they only have pallid faces and quivering lips. The Second Prince glanced around to see if there were any other candidates, but none of them were willing to offer their arms to the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson.

“The value of an arm from you, who have no family name, is different from that of my aides! Why should I, the Prince, go along with you in order to prove the identity of an arrogant, lowly woman! Ridiculous!”

The Second Prince, upset that no one had turned up to offer their arm, said something plausible. I’m a commoner, I can’t compete with him if he puts my identity into the equation. But still, the value of an arm is weighed with your aide’s arm, not your own arm. The daughter of the  Marquess of Fargerson beside him has a look of dissatisfaction on her face, but the Second Prince is unaware of this.

“Then I, Clawiss Omnibus Worstitters, offer my arm to the daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield.”

It was Clawis, dressed in fine formal attire, who raised his voice. Rivera was beside him, dressed in a foreign knight’s outfit, firmly protecting Clawis.

It’s no surprise that Clawis, a state guest-class international student, has been invited to this soirée, but no matter how you look at that formal attire, he’s no mere nobleman.

Besides, Clawis did indeed call himself Worstitters. Unless my ears are mishearing.

“As the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Wordstitters, my arm would be balanced by the arm of your aide.

Sure, sure enough?! When I unconsciously looked at Aurora, she gave a small nod. If Clawis was the Crown Prince, I can understand Rivera’s caution, and Aurora would have been unable to forgive Casey and Martin’s attitude during the field exercise. They’d shown the royalty of another country the poor quality of the nobility in this country. And this time they’re showing off the poor quality of the royal family. Maybe it’s natural that when you have a large number of subjects, you get a mixture of bad quality. If you leave such bad things unattended, their influence will spread to the surroundings.

“Th-that’s…….”

The Second Prince’s complexion turned pale at the appearance of royalty, which could no longer be settled with the arm of a mere potential aide. If the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson is a holy magician, there should be no problem. Sure, he might be resistant to losing his arm, but I don’t think it would hurt too much if he asked a skilled swordsman to do it. Once the healing process begins, you won’t feel any pain because of the magic.

“What’s all this fuss about?”

A sonorous voice echoes, and like a wave spreading out, the people in the great hall bow their heads. The Crown Prince’s appearance made me bow my head too. I too, pay my respects to the people I should pay my respects to.

“Ah, brother!”

“What are you doing at the soirée I hosted?”

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s eyes on the Second Prince are cold. It’s such a big party. If someone caused a commotion at a soirée that they hosted, they would make that kind of face. So much for a soirée. It takes a lot of time and manpower to prepare, so it’s natural to be angry if it’s destroyed.

“Th-that’s……th-this woman falsely claimed to be a holy magician.”

“This woman? Isn’t the daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield your fiancée?”

“No, that woman is unsuitable to be my consort, and I just announced the annulment of our engagement earlier! And I would like to re-engage with the true holy magician, Lady Herrera.”

The Second Prince announces triumphantly. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince finally looked down at the Second Prince as if he were looking at a piece of filth. I feel the same way as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

“……Hoh? But is that something to make a fuss about here and now? And at a time when His Majesty is not here?

“No, no, b-but……”

Second Prince. It’s not ‘but’ right?

In the first place, His Majesty decided the engagement with the daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield in consideration of the national interest. It takes a certain amount of resolution to shout loudly that it will be annulled without permission.

Moreover, in the midst of public scrutiny, he severely damaged the honour of the daughter of a ducal family who supports the country. This is like showing the nobility and guests that the royal family of Solmontana will humiliate anyone they don’t like without respecting the occasion.

“I didn’t think you were that stupid, but……well, more on that later. Bring that item here.”

As the Crown Prince said this, several high-ranking priests in ceremonial dressing gowns entered the hall ostentatiously. One of them reverently held up a long object wrapped in a white cloth.

It appears that the trump card has been safely delivered in time. The priest holding the cloth bag steps in front of the Crown Prince and removes the cloth. What appears from within is a single, truly simple sceptre. That is the sceptre of Caeres Ais, a magical tool reserved for holy magicians.

Didn’t the sceptre go missing? They found it surprisingly easily.

At best, two academy students spent a few hours researching in the academy’s library just to find out the whereabouts of the sceptre of Caeres Ais. Moreover, this sceptre’s recorded appearance and actual appearance are completely different. Using my memories from my previous life and the information-gathering skills of the Duke’s house, they managed to find out where the sceptre was over the course of several days.

As expected of the Duke of Bloomfield. If His Excellency the Duke were so inclined, everything in this country would be exposed to the light of day.

Anyway, it turns out that the sceptre was secretly stored in the place where we, the Weathervane party, defeated Insania Metus. After the village where Urla grew up had lost all its inhabitants and the priestess had left the temple, the sceptre had been moved to the place where the saintess became a hero.

The sceptre was found safely, but the problem was that there was no time to move the sceptre to the royal capital. It’s a place I’ve certainly been to in my previous life, but it’s a place that Sapphiras has never known. His Excellency the Duke assured me that this would not be a problem if I tried to plan in the direction of using my arm, as originally planned.

“There are magicians in this country who can use transfer, even if they are not as good as you. I’ll make sure it’ll be there in time, and you can enjoy your evening with my daughter until then.”

And true to the Duke’s word, the sceptre of Caeres Ais arrived on the scene. Moreover, unbeknownst to me, even the Crown Prince is involved in this commotion.

Could it be that this is not my moment?