A Fortune-telling Princess - Chapter 307

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“The beasts of Armis Mountain have quieted down?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Imperial Council Chamber of the Gracia Empire.
Today’s meeting centered on Armis Mountain, which had been exhibiting increasingly peculiar phenomena of late.
“The high-ranking beasts that were appearing even at the mountain’s entrance have all vanished, it seems.”
“Vanished, you say.”
“It appears they may have simply retreated to their original territories.”
“Hmm.”
Until recently, the entire region surrounding Armis Mountain had been declared a danger zone due to the high-ranking beasts flooding into the entrance area.
Civilian access had been strictly prohibited, and surveillance had been intensified.
Yet this morning, an urgent message had arrived from the administrative bureau overseeing the area.
The high-ranking beasts that had been spotted during routine patrols had not been seen since yesterday.
“Why did the situation suddenly change?”
Duke Escra, who had been listening to the report alongside the Emperor, found the abrupt shift equally perplexing.
Uncertainty about the cause invariably bred anxiety.
Could the beasts be plotting something sinister? Such suspicions were unavoidable.
“We are still investigating. Orders have been issued to monitor the beasts’ movements more closely.”
Both Duke Escra and Emperor Gracia nodded simultaneously. It seemed necessary to gain a clearer understanding of the situation first.
“Still, it’s a relief.”
Everyone had been on edge, fearing the high-ranking beasts might emerge and attack the surrounding villages at any moment.
“We should continue to observe the situation.”
Of course, it was not yet time to be completely reassured. The high-ranking beasts could descend into the entrance area again.
“Let us move on to the next matter.”
“Yes.”
Thus, beginning with Armis Mountain, the day’s agenda items were resolved one by one.
When the final matter had been settled, Emperor Gracia fixed his gaze intently upon Duke Escra.
As Duke Escra rose from his seat, watching the others file out of the council chamber, he could not ignore that stare and found himself sitting back down.
“You did not respond to my invitation.”
“What invitation might you be referring to?”
Duke Escra busied himself shuffling through the concluded meeting documents, doing his utmost to avoid the Emperor’s gaze.
“The invitation I sent you before.”
“Did you send such a thing?”
“….”
Faced with Duke Escra’s tilted head, as if hearing of it for the first time, Emperor Gracia fell silent for a moment, merely fixing him with an unwavering stare.
He knew well enough how shameless the man could be….
“The Imperial Chamberlain delivered it personally.”
“I see. Perhaps my household attendant made an error. I shall go and reprimand him properly. How dare he discard an invitation from the Imperial Palace.”
“…So he discarded it.”
Emperor Gracia now understood what had become of the invitation he had sent.
He had suspected as much, but to think it was actually thrown away.
“What a dreadful thing to say. How could you possibly discard an invitation from His Imperial Majesty? It seems there’s been some misunderstanding.”
“Then I shall write you a new invitation right now.”
“…Is that necessary?”
“Absolutely necessary.”
“….”
Duke Escra made no attempt to hide his displeasure.
He had gone through the trouble of disposing of the invitation Emperor Gracia had sent to Camilla before, and now the Emperor was offering to write a new one.
“Why do you wish to see my daughter in such a manner?”
“Because I wish to grow closer to her?”
“Is that necessary?”
“Absolutely necessary.”
Duke Escra’s expression grew even more displeased. It seemed he would have to accept the invitation directly, for discarding it would prove futile.
“My daughter is not at home at the moment.”
“It matters not when. Simply deliver it to her whenever you can.”
“Absolutely—”
“Absolutely necessary.”
“….”
His face was full of smiles, yet his tone was utterly resolute.
Faced with Emperor Gracia’s demeanor, Duke Escra found himself unable to utter another word of refusal.
“And your daughter? Has she traveled far?”
“She is on a journey.”
“A journey?”
“She will return soon.”
She had said she would return within a week at the latest. But what if she didn’t return even by then?
‘I shall issue a warrant for her arrest.’
Of course, not for Camilla herself, but for the scoundrel who had departed with her—his face would be plastered across the entire Empire.
As Duke Escra recalled Arsian’s carefree smile as he departed with Camilla, the furrow between his brows deepened more than ever before.
Chapter 10. The Emperor’s Gift
“So the beasts truly no longer descend to the lower regions of Armis Mountain?”
“That’s right.”
As I emerged completely from the lower reaches of Armis Mountain, I posed the question to Armis once more to confirm.
When we had just exited the Lair and descended the mountain, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Armis had chosen a path different from the safe route we had taken on our way to the Lair—a path where the beasts did not venture.
I was bewildered, knowing full well that the slightest deviation from the path would leave us surrounded by beasts.
‘Yet….’
At his mere appearance, the beasts cowered and fled in terror, not because he wielded any particular power or performed any special action.
-Krr, krrr…!
-Kiii… kiiiiek!
Watching the beasts shriek in fear and scatter the moment they laid eyes on him, I couldn’t help but be astonished once more.
‘How many beasts must he have hunted down to inspire such terror.’
I understand he’s a dragon and naturally frightening, but why does merely looking at him make me feel such revulsion?
He wandered about Armis Mountain, leaving behind strange, incomprehensible magical markings wherever he went.
‘What is that?’
‘Boundary lines.’
They were magical circles designed to prevent demonic beasts from straying beyond designated territories.
‘Originally, an ice wall was generated here. That’s why the demonic beasts remained confined to their respective regions, but once the ice melted, the entire system collapsed.’
‘….’
Camilla, who bore partial responsibility for melting that ice, fell silent.
So the demonic beasts had escaped their territories and wreaked havoc because the boundary lines—constructed from ice—had crumbled.
‘What if the Imperial Court finds out? Will they demand compensation from me?’
After all, the reason this entire region had been declared a danger zone with heightened security was because the ice had melted.
Camilla scratched her cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.
“I never installed special defensive magic at my home either, since the ice was already protecting against external intrusions.”
There had been no need to worry about outside threats. The ice that had thoroughly enveloped the mountain for so long had performed that protective function admirably.
“Well… in any case, now that the demonic beasts won’t descend to the village, the Imperial Court must be absolutely delighted, haha.”
Watching Armis explain the reason for the Lair’s inadequate defenses, Camilla felt a pang of guilt and hastily changed the subject.
Armis had left magical markings at the mountain’s entrance to prevent demonic beasts from approaching.
Immediately, the high-ranking demonic beasts that had been lurking nearby all fled from that area.
“By the way.”
“What?”
“Can you actually see that?”
Camilla gazed curiously at Armis, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the tablet even as he walked.
He’d been like this ever since leaving the Lair. He only looked away from the tablet when casting spells, but otherwise kept it in hand the entire descent, continuously playing the video.
‘On a path that’s already difficult just to walk.’
As if he had an extra eye mounted elsewhere, he strode effortlessly down the mountain path while viewing the tablet without any apparent difficulty.
‘Can he actually see the video while walking?’
That was quite a skill if nothing else.
“Isn’t it heavy?”
“Not at all.”
Armis, holding that large tablet in his hand while walking and watching videos—not even a regular phone—suddenly seemed even more impressive.
‘If I held a phone like that, wouldn’t my wrist break?’
Perhaps dragons had stronger bones?
“Arsian, Arsian.”
“Yeah?”
“Take this out for me.”
“What is it this time?”
Camilla approached Arsian and had him retrieve something from his subspace.
If he was going to watch videos while walking like this, this would surely be more convenient.
“Armis.”
“What?”
“How about this?”
“…?”
Armis, who had been staring at the tablet without even lifting his head at Camilla’s call, froze as an object was suddenly thrust into his field of vision.
“It’s smaller than the tablet, so it will be much more convenient to carry around and look at.”
A rectangular object smaller than the tablet—a smartphone.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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