They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 50

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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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Silence settled over the room.
Within the Black Rift lay a dimension entirely separate from this world, one that did not share the axis of time with our reality.
Even Kailyb, a Grand Mage, could not arbitrarily adjust the return timing of the expedition team.
Then there was only one answer.
Elhart spoke.
“There was a way to predict when the expedition team would return.”
“Presumably.”
Iserna said.
“It’s too precise to be coincidence. From establishing his position as Crown Prince at the Cradian Palace beforehand to bringing Elhart as a hostage.”
Kei paused to consider.
“Do you believe that man knew even that the commander’s return coordinates, originally set to Mikhail, would shift toward the prince?”
“That’s my assessment.”
Iserna spoke with composure.
“You know his nature. He wouldn’t have left any variables unaccounted for.”
Kei laughed quietly.
“Indeed, that seems right.”
Yet that laughter felt hollow, mismatched with the gravity of their situation.
Elhart asked.
“So, what do you intend to do now? The opponent is both a Grand Mage and possesses the body of the Founding King.”
Seizing Mikhail’s body was no trivial matter.
A body that had reached Master-class cultivation ceased aging and developed resistance to most threats, including poison.
Even without manifesting aura, the body itself became a weapon.
Mikhail, already Master-class at the time of the founding, had likely ascended to unimaginable heights in the fifteen years since.
Iserna said nothing for a moment, her fingers tapping lightly against the table.
Then, slowly, the corners of her mouth lifted.
“I’ve thought of something good.”
Seeing her expression, Kei sighed.
“…It will be dangerous again, won’t it.”
“It might be.”
She added, her eyes gleaming.
“But it will certainly be entertaining.”
Kei rubbed his face.
“Commander.”
“What?”
“That expression right now—I really don’t like it. Please stop being so reckless.”
Iserna laughed, resting her chin in her hand.
“But thanks to it, things aren’t boring, are they? I’m counting on your support, Kei.”
Kei sighed deeply, yet nodded in agreement.
“What can I do? It’s not as though you’d listen even if I tried to stop you.”
“Exactly. Kei truly understands me well.”
Iserna smiled with the corners of his mouth raised and nodded.
“But… why did it have to be the Crown Prince?”
Kei, who had been frowning and contemplating something for a moment, posed the question.
“It’s not as though Kailyb could have tampered with the return scroll’s coordinates.”
“I’m curious about that too.”
Elhart looked flustered by the piercing gazes of Iserna and Kei fixed upon him.
The two began discussing various possibilities while keeping their eyes on him.
“The Crown Prince isn’t even Mikhail’s descendant.”
“Mikhail was an orphan like me and never married, so no bloodline of his remains at all.”
“That’s right. The current Bardia dynasty descends from Max, after all.”
Elhart nodded in agreement with Kei’s words.
“Yes. After Kailyb disappeared, he became Bardia’s third king.”
After Iserna, who had been the first Knight Commander, led the Expedition Team into the Black Rift, Max succeeded him as Knight Commander.
He performed the crucial duty of protecting the Royal Palace admirably alongside Kailyb, the chief mage at the time, and earned Mikhail’s trust.
Moreover, when Kailyb became a tyrant and executed the founding contributors, he managed to save and protect those he could—the wives and children of the fallen.
Those who barely survived this way took the lead in elevating him to king.
“Since Mikhail taught Max swordsmanship, their mana cultivation methods would be the same. But beyond that, there’s hardly any commonality to speak of.”
‘Their appearances and personalities are completely different too,’ Kei added.
If the Crown Prince was currently acting out the Founding King’s personality, then Kei’s words weren’t wrong, Elhart thought.
The Crown Prince possessed the brilliant, storybook-like appearance of a fairy tale prince.
Moreover, he always wore a smile and showed kindness to everyone, making him the object of admiration among countless noble ladies.
In contrast, Elhart had no talent whatsoever for such social activities.
In other words, just as Kei said, there was almost no commonality between the two.
“If there’s a commonality… it would be unrequited love for the Commander?”
“…!”
It was when Elhart was startled by the Founding King’s secret that Kei had suddenly revealed.
“What? What nonsense!”
Iserna denied it strongly, as if in disbelief.
“Mikhail and I were just friends who’ve seen each other at our worst.”
Elhart was startled once more.
The fact that Iserna had no idea of Mikhail’s true feelings, which his Expedition Team companion spoke of so readily.
“Only you didn’t know, Commander. We all understood.”
“You’re all mistaken.”
“Not at all. That’s why we all sent you off with encouragement to get along well with Mikhail upon your return.”
“Do you know anything about our friendship?”
“At the very least, we understand what love is better than you do, Commander.”
Elhart gazed blankly at Kei and Iserna bickering back and forth.
“….”
If the Founding King were to hear this conversation between Iserna and Kei in the Goddess’s Garden, he might very well weep.
His feelings had been revealed to the world through others’ mouths before he could even confess.
I must have been so careful not to let Iserna catch on to anything.
“Why do you think he never married at that age!”
At Kei’s words, Iserna let out a derisive snort.
“Sounds like he got rejected constantly.”
Apparently frustrated enough, Kei—who had been tapping his chest—turned his head toward Elhart.
“What do you think, Your Highness?”
…The arrow had suddenly been redirected at Elhart.
“Are you asking me to acknowledge the Founding King as a rival?”
“Ah…? That’s… well, yes. I misspoke.”
Elhart swallowed a sigh and spoke.
“Whatever feelings the Founding King harbored for Ser, it doesn’t matter. An unrequited love that goes unreciprocated is meaningless. All the more so if he lacked even the courage to confess.”
“….”
After hearing his words, Iserna seemed lost in thought.
Kei, for some reason, fell silent with a solemn expression.
Elhart deliberated whether he should show Iserna the message contained in the pendant—Mikhail’s message—right now.
Because Mikhail’s true feelings, unable to leave any final words, remained there.
But even considering it as the heart of a man harboring unrequited love for someone, not as a rival, the answer was still ‘no’.
It was certainly a message left for Iserna’s sake, but conveying it now would not be the way Mikhail would have wanted.
“Anyway.”
Kei spoke again.
“Let’s drop the story about Mikhail’s unrequited love and return to the main point.”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
“The Crown Prince probably couldn’t change those coordinates arbitrarily. If he could have, he wouldn’t have chosen someone like you.”
“That’s true. It’s far easier to work through subordinates who are easy to control.”
“When the set coordinates disappear, does the spell fail? Or does it arbitrarily select the most similar target?”
“Well… I’m not entirely sure either. We should probably ask Raern about that part. Raern also had a hand in creating the return magic scroll.”
For those who weren’t mages, there were limits to what they could deduce.
“Understood. Let’s do that.”
After that, they continued discussing matters related to the previous night’s events.
The subjects ranged from what happened inside the Tower of Repentance, which mimicked the judgment of a goddess, to the Crown Princess’s position in the imperial family and the next search location.
After the discussion ended, Kei left the room to prepare breakfast.
When they were alone again, Elhart carefully asked Iserna.
“Ser, perhaps….”
“Hm?”
“Did you ever develop feelings for the Founding King?”

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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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