“True. She won’t even need us anymore.” Henri smiles cynically.
They’re right. Alicia wasn’t always perfect. I know that because I’ve been watching her up close for years. Of course, one could argue she always had the potential, but she’s worked incredibly hard to bring it out.
……Though her twisted motive still makes no sense to me.
The “villainess” she aspires to be always seems like a hero, as far as I’m concerned.
“If Ali were a boy, she would seriously have a chance at the throne,” Henri says.
“Well, I’m glad she’s a woman,” Duke replies.
“I won’t hand over my sweet sister so easily.”
“Sooo as much as I’d love to gush about Ali-Ali all day—rather, as much as I’d love to have Ali-Ali all to myseeelf, can we talk about issue number two?”
There are many ways of obtaining intel…but just how much intel did Duke task Mel with gathering in such a short period of time? And how could Mel accomplish the task with such finesse? Because she’s Mel, I suppose.
“Issue two! Sooo Liz is basically, like, unconsciously using bad magic! According to an ancient text, charm spells do exist, and that’s a power only the saint possesses! That’s why whenever a saint shows up, there’s all these stupid…records? Legends? I dunno—anyhoo, there’s always stories about how the saint made everyone live happily ever after! Incredible, right? I mean, with all these people on Earth, who gets to decide they all live happily ever after? Then again, I’m no expert in Durkis’s ancient tongue, so I couldn’t exactly read aaall of it, though.”
……Charm spells?
What kind of stupid magic is that? How exactly does Durkis even define saint?
Come to think of it, though, Liz’s devotees are abnormal. They’re unhealthily obsessed with her. They have no critical-thinking skills—they’re convinced she can do no wrong.
“That magic clearly sounds suspicious…” Henri furrows his brow.
“It’s like the world is a story somebody wrote for Liz to star in,” Mel says. Then, in a gruff whisper, “And that’s bullshit…”
Mel doesn’t have a rotten personality, but her words can sometimes kill. Still, I don’t dislike her. I like her bluntness.
“Mel, let me borrow that book later, okay?” Duke asks.
Mel blinks dumbly. “Sure, but can you read the ancient tongue?”
“Yeah, more or less.”
“Alicia can read it, too,” I inform them.
“What?! Ali-Ali can read the ancient tongue?! That’s my girl!”
Mel eagerly latches on to me. Meanwhile, Henri winces and says, “You all are so abnormal, I’m starting to wonder if I even belong in this group… Isn’t my sister too overpowered?”
Not sure what you want me to say, buddy.
I’ve always known Alicia is extraordinary. She and her ridiculous antics surpass my imagination.
“Charm magic aside, if what that book says is true, it relieves a lot of my worries…,” Henri says. “Though it’s pretty annoying Liz is unaware of it.”
I promptly agree. “Yeah, a saint who unconsciously casts gross spells? I don’t want to go near them.”
What will happen when her magic wears off? Will everyone realize Alicia was right all along?
“Oh, one more thing,” Mel says. “His Majesty is probably gonna rally the troops soon.”
“The troops? Who’s that?”
“The sons of the Great Five noble houses, Curtis, and Her Saintliness.”
I sense a great deal of disdain in the way Mel calls Liz “Her Saintliness.”
“What the hell are they going to discuss?” Henri demands.
Mel just shrugs. I glance at Duke. I can never tell what’s on his mind, but he probably has a vague sense of what the king is going to say. He doesn’t seem surprised by Mel’s announcement.
“A lot is piling up at once… It’s going to get hectic around here very soon,” I remark.
Everyone seems excited.
As we walk down the palace hall, I look up at Duke and ask, “Hey, is it really okay for me to come along?”
“Of course it is,” Duke answers promptly.
Everyone the king invited is of the nobility, so why is it acceptable for an outsider like me to join? In the past, I attended such events as Alicia’s aide, but Alicia is in exile at the moment…
Duke says that princes don’t enjoy much freedom, but it seems to me like he can mostly do as he pleases.
“We’re here,” he says as we stop in front of a very grand door. It’s opened by two guards on either side.
It feels like I’m about to have an audience with the king… Probably because that’s exactly what’s about to happen.
I assumed this would be a more casual gathering. My close association with Duke makes me forget he’s next in line to be king and he carries this kingdom on his shoulders.
“Good, you’re here. And you must be Gill.”
This is my first time meeting the king. I’ve secretly always thought of him as incompetent, but meeting him in person, I think his presence is far more powerful than I could ever have imagined.
I bow instinctively. I’m in the presence of the king……but Gramps is still better than him.
“Eyes up, son. Everyone is already here.” The king’s voice reverberates through the tense air.
I raise my head and see the children of the Great Five noble houses, Liz Cather, and Curtis. What in the world does the king intend to do with these people?
We wait in silence for the king to speak.
“I have a question for all of you—what do you think of Alicia?”
No one knows what to say. What are we supposed to say about a person in exile?
Curtis finally breaks the silence. “Ali is…a very diligent, intelligent girl. I’ve watched her grow since she was a little girl. I think she’s a genius.”
“There’s nobody I don’t like, so I like Alicia,” Finn answers, grinning angelically. To be frank, it’s obvious there’s something else lurking behind his words.
“She uses her talents the wrong way,” Gale spits out, displeased by all the praise. The three suspected victims of Liz Cather’s charm spell—Eric, Albert, and Alan—all nod in agreement.
“Who exactly is using their talents the wrong way?”
Everyone reacts sensitively to my question.
Eric glares at me. “What are you trying to say?”
“It’s easy to have talent. Using it is hard. Whether a talent is utilized for right or wrong is contingent on a person’s work ethic and feelings. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that somebody has an incredible talent for music but hates singing and never tries to learn an instrument. A person’s talents and desires don’t always align—that’s all I’m saying.”
“What exactly is it about Liz that you don’t like?”
“Everything,” I answer without hesitation. I never said Liz’s name, but I suppose, based on their past experiences, it’s the logical conclusion.
Most people in my place would probably be terrified, but I’m not. If anything, I’m pleased the most powerful people in Durkis are hearing me out.
“I’d love to ask God why he made Liz Cather the saint to save this kingdom. She talks pretty, but has she ever put those words into action? Ever carried out a plan, failed, learned from it, then drawn up a new plan in hopes of future success?”
“You don’t even know Liz. How can you say that?” Alan is furious.
“I may not know her, but I do know she hasn’t done anything of substance.”
“How dare you. What exactly have you done?”
Brainwashing sure is scary business. In a way, I suppose Alicia is brainwashing me, but I trust her.
The king doesn’t seem to mind that I’ve taken control of the discussion. Duke’s eyes tell me to get it all off my chest. Is that why he brought me in the first place?
“Why does Liz Cather have her powers anyway? Just for show? Power is to be used, not admired.” I turn to Liz Cather, my voice raising. “Sure, your idealism is commendable, but if you really believe in your perfect world, you should learn how to use your powers to make it happen. What did you even learn from Alicia all these years? We don’t choose our talents, and talents don’t guarantee success. Why is someone like you, with the strongest powers in the world, content to float along in mediocrity?!”
Liz Cather is staring blankly at me. It’s been ages since I yelled like that—I always have to force myself to speak calmly. She opens her mouth, then closes it, perhaps unable to find the words she was looking for.
“……Tell me, then. What exactly has Alicia done?” Gale demands.
“She guided Liz,” the king answers.
The room’s atmosphere instantly shifts. Everyone looks at the king.
“I asked her to play the villainess.”
Yeah, and Alicia was ecstatic about that. Alicia is probably the only person in the world who would rejoice over such an assignment.