Since When Did You Have The Illusion That You Don’t Have Magical Powers?! - CH 28

“This is the sceptre of Caeres Ais, which the Great Saintess Urla used to release her true power. This sceptre is a magical tool that can only be used by true holy magicians. It has caused such a big commotion. We have no choice but to clarify who is the holy magician here and now.”

Hearing the words of His Highness the Crown Prince, the Second Prince had a triumphant expression as I wondered what he had misunderstood. He seemed to think that his imperial brother had given him the opportunity to prove that the woman he had fallen in love with was a saintess.

“In the name of Melchior Astra Solmontana, I grant you the use of the sceptre. The two saintess candidates, show your power here.”

Saintess candidates? It’s an outrageous thing to say, but the Crown Prince has declared that the one who is proficient with the sceptre of Caeres Ais here will become a saintess, no questions asked. Is that why he ostentatiously invited the priests?

The soirée, to which many nobles and guests are invited, is the perfect place for the unveiling of a saintess. The topic of the saintess’ recognition will likely overshadow the declaration of the Second Prince’s engagement annulment.

A priest with a sceptre steps solemnly up to the young ladies.

“Now, Herrera, you are the holy magician! Let that woman over there know it loud and clear!”

“Yes, Alexis-sama.”

With a confident nod, the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson, reached for the sceptre. She should have done it with a little more humility. I can imagine what will happen next, and I’m struggling to keep my mouth from twisting into a smile.

“Prayer, spread the light far and wide!”

The daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson thrusts the sceptre into the floor and sends out her magic. The Second Prince’s eyes sparkle with anticipation, but it was not long before his expression turns quizzical.

No matter how much she prays, nothing happens except for a slight glow on the floor where the sceptre touches.

“Prayer, spread the light far and wide!”

The daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson prays again. Everyone watches with bated breath, but still, the sceptre remains silent and nothing happens.

“Oh, that’s not right! This sceptre is a fake! This is not the sceptre of Caeres Ais!”

“That’s right! It’s impossible for nothing to happen when Herrera, the holy magician, is praying! And this is not the sceptre of Caeres Ais!”

Even the Second Prince is shouting. You call Aurora a fake holy magician, but when it comes to the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson, you treat the sceptre as a fake.

All the priests turn pale as the daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson, who is throwing a tantrum and making a fuss, raises sceptre to throw it away. I quickly took the sceptre from the lady. It’s a sacred magical tool. I wouldn’t want it to be handled roughly.

“The daughter of the Duke of Bloomfield has not yet performed the prayer.”

I hand the sceptre to Aurora. The sceptre that Urla used to pray for us against Insania Metus. The true value of this sceptre is only demonstrated when it is used by a powerful holy magician.

“Prayer, let the light spread far and wide.”

As soon as Aurora quietly uttered the words of prayer, a magic circle of light spread throughout the hall, transforming the plain, unadorned sceptre in the blink of an eye. It glowed with a golden light and grew branches and vines and green leaves.

Everyone gazed at it in astonishment.

Yes, this is the true form of the sceptre of Caeres Ais. We don’t know when it was made and by whom. But the magician who made this sceptre must have thought of the holy magician as something special.

The mystical sight left a strong impression on the minds of all present, and soon quietly subsided.

“……Then, Head Priest. Which of the two ladies is the saintess?”

The Crown Prince’s voice broke the silence in the hall.

“Lady Aurora Steinfeld of the Duke of Bloomfield, you are the holy magician. You are to be the saintess.”

Wow! Cheers and applause erupted. After that spectacle, it was impossible not to acknowledge her. The daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson has completely lost her colour.

“Now it is clear, Alexis.”

The Crown Prince addresses the Second Prince. The Second Prince, who had been watching the miraculous spectacle with a blank stare, finally comes to his senses.

“This is a trick! What have you done? Do you want to cling to the throne of the princess consort to such an extent!”

The enraged Second Prince closed in on Aurora and raised his fist. Sensing the presence of Percival and Rivera moving behind me, I quickly pulled out my wand and touched the Second Prince’s arm with the tip of it.

“Wha!”

With his fist raised, the Second Prince stopped moving. To be honest, it looks a little goofy. Would it be considered a crime of disrespect to be stuck in such a position? I thought, but what kind of consideration should be given to a man who would use violence against a weak young lady?

“You, you! What the hell did you do!”

The Second Prince, who was still unable to move, was restrained by the imperial guards, who had moved on the Crown Prince’s instructions.

“You! Why are you restraining me, the prince! He used magic in the royal castle, where magic is forbidden! If anyone should be captured, it’s him!”

“Oyah? I didn’t use any magic at all.”

Yes, I didn’t use magic.

In the days since I got the wand. I wasn’t just waving the wand around aimlessly. I was looking at the magical power overflowing from the tip of the wand and wondering if I could use it for something. I thought. As I was waving the wand around while thinking about it, the tip of the wand happened to hit a student who was passing by. I hurriedly apologised and asked him if he was hurt anywhere, but he said that he had stopped moving the moment the wand touched him. I was very worried and took him to the treatment room to see a doctor, but there was nothing wrong with him and he had no injuries. Relieved, I gave the student who I had hit with my wand a few of my favourite candies as an apology and apologised profusely, but then I realised.

I wondered if the magic leaking from the wand might affect the other person’s body. With a little help from Percival, I confirmed that I was generally correct. It seems that when magic flows into someone else’s body, the body reacts to the magic and becomes rigid.

I found out that by using a wand, I could channel my magical power into someone else’s body, so I asked him to try the same thing on my body, but nothing special happened. This is probably a difference in the nature of magical power.

So, I didn’t use any magic at all. I just hit him with the tip of my wand.

“Duke of Bloomfield, my brother has been very rude to your daughter. I’ll arrange a separate room so that we can discuss the future.”

I don’t know when he arrived, but His Excellency the Duke was standing behind the Crown Prince.

“Everyone, there has been quite the commotion, but tonight is also a good day for the saintess to appear. Please enjoy the soirée.”

His Highness the Crown Prince and His Excellency the Duke left the hall. Behind them, the Second Prince was dragged away by the guards. As I saw his figure off, I wondered if he could save some face if he had offered his arm up. As a prince who offered his arm for the sake of love, it would have been a beautiful story. The daughter of the Marquess of Fargerson, left alone, was escorted out by a maid of the royal castle. Everyone looked at her with curiosity. If she had been a little more humble, there would have been room for some sympathy.

“Thank you, Clawis-sama and Rivera-sama.”

“No, it’s our pleasure to be shown such a miraculous sight. This is exactly what makes one’s heart tremble.”

“Thank you very much, Sapphiras-sama and Percival-sama. I have sent a small thank you gift to the people in the dormitory room, so please have a good night’s sleep tonight.”.

Aurora smiled as she said this and was escorted by the escort knights to a separate room where the Crown Prince and His Excellency the Duke had headed. They will probably discuss the matter of the annulment of the engagement and the recognition of the saintess from now on.

“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince Clawis, thank you for earlier.”

Now that I knew he was the Crown Prince, I couldn’t do it like I did during the exercise, so I thanked him respectfully, but Clawis frowned at me and told me to stop.

“I told you during the exercise. Do what you always do.”

“Yes?”

If I look into Clawis’s face as if to peek at him, all I see on his face is just a boyish smile. Clawis and I raised our dominant hand and clapped our hands together.

“I’m a commoner, so there was nothing I could do even if I took out my identity.”

“We’re schoolmates in the same academy, we’ve partied1 together, albeit only once, haven’t we?”

“Yeah.”

If Clawis ever gets in trouble, I’ll be there to help him. We’re friends now. Adventurers takes care of their friends.

Clawis and his friends were supposed to stay at the royal castle, so Percival and I went back to the dormitory. The dorm supervisor told me that the Duke’s household had sent a messenger and he was brought to my room, so I wondered what it was, but it turned out that the Duke’s servants were preparing a sumptuous dinner in my small room.

“The Master has asked you to enjoy it.”

“……Uwah, it’s meat!”

The juicy, tender meat is served with elaborate side dishes. There are even desserts available.

Is this the thank you gift Aurora mentioned? It’s ridiculous to be modest2. Isn’t this great?

That night, Percival and I enjoyed a sumptuous dinner together.

It was a tough night, but all’s well, ends well. I’m glad Aurora got rid of that nasty man. I don’t know what will happen to the Second Prince, but he won’t be able to do whatever he likes as before. Even if he was a mediocre prince with no good qualities other than his status, if he had been a faithful and serious man to his fiancée, he would have been supported by a brilliant and beautiful wife and could have hoped for a position above his abilities.