They Say an Age Gap Like This Doesn’t Even Need Matching - Chapter 97

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

They say an age gap of nnn years doesn’t even warrant checking compatibility.
Chapter 97
I felt a pang of embarrassment and turned my gaze away.
Mikhail had always been the type to stop me from doing things.
“Everything had its reasons. And now look—we finally have a use for it, don’t we?”
“I’m sure that’s the case, sir.”
Kei exhaled a sigh and turned to Raern with a question.
“Have you confirmed any coordinates in the Capital?”
“Well… I’m not sure.”
This time, Raern looked at Elhart and asked.
“Is the Chapel East of Central Library still intact?”
The chapel Raern mentioned was the secondary coordinate designated on my return scroll.
Because of the ancient tree rooted in its basement, it was a place that absolutely could not be disturbed.
“Of course. We don’t touch it except for maintenance purposes.”
“Then we can use that coordinate.”
We decided to make the journey at night.
The group consisted of four people: myself, Elhart, Kei, and Raern.
I had originally planned to take only Elhart, but they insisted on coming along, so there was nothing I could do about it.
It seemed everyone was curious about how much the Capital had changed.
***
In the deep of night when everyone had fallen asleep.
Four people gathered at the Western Tower, where a blue pillar of light pulsed.
Raern, whose complexion had improved as if he’d had a good rest, turned to face us.
“Are you ready?”
Elhart, Kei, and I exchanged glances with one another before nodding.
“Good. Let’s go right away.”
After everyone stepped onto the mana portal, Raern channeled mana into the magic circle.
The blue light grew increasingly intense, and the moment my vision turned a brilliant white, I gripped Elhart’s hand tightly.
My vision twisted and space warped as if folding in on itself.
A sensation of being sucked upward persisted for a moment, then—thud.
My feet touched the ground lightly.
The moment I caught sight of the massive stump of the ancient tree, I hurriedly turned to confirm Elhart was still there.
Elhart remained at my side.
“This is… the basement of the chapel? We’ve been transported in an instant like this?”
Experiencing spatial magic for the first time, he gazed around with wide, curious eyes.
‘It doesn’t seem like there are any aftereffects.’
I exhaled a breath of relief and checked my own physical condition.
Unlike immediately after using return magic, I felt no sense of helplessness.
“How are you feeling, Ser Brin? Are you alright?”
Raern approached me and asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“I made some adjustments to the stability, and it seems to have applied well.”
Raern was undoubtedly a genius.
When I gave him a thumbs up, he nodded in acknowledgment.
“There’s nothing this older brother can’t do.”
“Of course not—you’re one of the few Grand Mages left on the entire continent.”
At my unreserved praise, Raern burst into laughter and ruffled my hair.
I deliberately ignored the steady gaze Elhart fixed upon me throughout.
“There don’t appear to be any guards in the vicinity. We should be able to leave as is.”
Kei, having already surveyed the surroundings, gestured for us to follow.
We slipped out of the Chapel East of Central Library under Kei’s guidance.
The panorama of the Capital shrouded in darkness looked little different from three hundred years ago.
Would it have felt different if I’d seen it in bright daylight?
There was a peculiar sensation of finally returning to where I belonged.
If I were to leap atop the Castle Wall and dash forward with abandon, it felt as though Mikhail might appear before me at any moment.
[Even if the moonlight is beautiful, you still need to sleep, Ser Brin.]
He would grip my hand tightly, lest I try to escape, and lead me to the Bedroom.
Then he would stand guard beside the bed until I fell asleep.
As he had done for so many days.
To the point where I wondered if everything up to now—Cradian and all—had been nothing but a nightmare.
But.
“Ser Brin.”
A low, gentle voice calling me back from reality as I gazed up at the Castle Wall.
“Are you alright?”
Elhart looked down at me with concern etched across his face.
My reflection in those beautiful, mysterious golden eyes looked utterly… vacant.
“Ah.”
I smiled and nodded.
“Of course I am.”
Faint traces of worry lingered on the faces of Kei and Raern, who were watching me from ahead.
“You haven’t forgotten the way, have you?”
“No.”
I quickly denied it before being treated like a complete fool, then quickened my pace.
“It’s this way.”
I led the three of them forward.
It seemed odd for someone from three hundred years ago to be taking the lead, but then again, I was the one who had contributed most to this nation’s security system.
I understood the deployment of Soldiers and Knights, as well as the magical defense network.
Whether fortunately or not, it appeared little had changed.
If anything, it seemed even more lax than it had been then.
‘Well, that makes sense.’
Let me reconsider who we assumed might invade at that time.
The Mage Corps under Raern, the Knight Order that I and Mikhail lead, or Kei’s Assassination Unit, among others.
We designed the castle’s security system with the assumption of facing the most formidable forces that could scarcely exist in this era as our enemies.
So now, there’s quite a lot to think about—’Why on earth is it like this?’
Especially, it seems we’ve dismantled nearly all the devices defending the airspace.
Thanks to that, we scaled the Royal Palace walls with surprising ease.
“…This can’t be right.”
Kei seemed overwhelmed by shock at the shoddy Royal Palace defenses.
“At this level, eliminating all key personnel wouldn’t even take ten minutes….”
I quickly jabbed Kei in the ribs to silence him.
I could feel Elhart’s expression growing progressively darker.
“We didn’t even need the secret passage, did we?”
“Ah, be quiet.”
After silencing even Raern, who meant no harm, I headed toward the entrance of the secret passage.
The third of eight towers in total.
I entered the Eastern Tower and descended the stairs, stopping precisely at the ninety-ninth step.
Examining the inner wall’s bricks carefully, I spotted a faint scratch deliberately left behind.
“Here it is. Still intact.”
Feeling as though I’d discovered treasure, I pushed the brick, and a gap just wide enough for one person to slip through appeared.
“Ha….”
I felt Kei behind me laughing in disbelief, his gaze fixed on me.
“There are traps, I’m telling you. Seriously.”
Before a dagger could fly, I nimbly slipped into the gap.
After everyone followed inside, I found the scratched brick again and touched it, and the gap vanished seamlessly.
“Now, we really need to be careful.”
Saying so, I turned around and noticed Raern’s hand pressing against the wall.
Click.
A faint mechanical sound echoed from somewhere.
“…Surely not.”
Kei narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings.
And the next instant, roughly a hundred bolts came rushing toward us.
It was Elhart, standing at the front, who blocked them.
As he swept his hand once, the bolts fell to the ground with a cascade of soft thuds.
Raern picked one up and murmured in admiration.
“They’re even coated with poison?”
“A completely lethal trap, it seems.”
Kei ground his teeth lowly.
“So you arbitrarily constructed something like this in the Royal Palace?”
“It’s not an extreme toxin.”
I hastily made excuses and took the lead.
“Everyone, don’t touch anything. Just follow exactly where I step.”
Kei trailed closely behind me, methodically identifying each trap that had been set.
“Be especially careful with this one. Step wrong and you’ll lose an entire leg.”
“…!”
“The wall! Don’t touch the wall, Raern!”
“Ugh, I got it.”
Raern shook his head and layered several Light spells, illuminating the surroundings as bright as midday.
Thanks to that, everyone who saw the traps laid bare all around us fell silent and stared at me.
“Well….”
I didn’t think it was quite this bad.
Or was it?
I laughed nervously and lowered my head.
“Sorry….”
In any case, aside from that first bolt incident, we managed to traverse the narrow, lengthy corridor without further mishap.
“We’ll need to dismantle all the traps later and seal off the passage.”
Hesitating because I hated to waste the effort I’d invested, Elhart spoke with a smile.
“We can leave it as is.”
“Your Highness.”
“Who else could possibly make it through here besides the Expedition Team?”
Relieved at heart, I stopped walking.
“This is the exit.”
I turned to look at those following behind me.
Beyond lies the Royal Quarters.
“Who’s coming with me?”

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