Chapter 142

I let out an incredulous sigh.

“That’s not it. I performed CPR the moment he stopped breathing.”

“And you’re saying a dead man came back to life because of it?”

“CPR is an emergency procedure used to revive someone who’s gone into cardiac arrest. It might be unfamiliar to you, Kaiel, but it’s a proven method.”

“From what I’ve researched, CPR must be performed within five minutes of a person stopping breathing… Is that not correct?”

Did he lose sleep researching whether CPR was a form of dark magic?

*Such a thirst for knowledge.*

A mage through and through, I suppose. I chuckled inwardly and continued.

“You’ve looked into it quite a bit. After five minutes, brain damage begins to occur, so the chances of revival drop sharply. Even if you’re lucky and they start breathing again, a full recovery is difficult.”

“The Second Prince had stopped breathing for at least six minutes.”

“…What?”

I could only blink. I didn’t understand what Kaiel was saying.

“…No, that’s not right. I was the one right beside the Second Prince. Wouldn’t I know better than you, Kaiel?”

“I wasn’t the one who confirmed it; the Constellations did. They said at least six minutes had passed.”

I tilted my head.

“Hmm, I suppose the Constellations must have been mistaken. They make mistakes from time to time.”

“I double-checked with them several times, but they said it was impossible. For Constellations, time isn’t something they see with their eyes; it’s something they feel instinctively.”

That was new information to me.

“…Guys, is that true?”

– Anonymous Constellation: Yeah, you think we look at clocks like humans?

– Anonymous Constellation: We have no reason to define time with numbers. The time given to us is infinite.

– Anonymous Constellation: We just put it in human terms so you can understand.

“Then why didn’t you say anything at the time?”

– Anonymous Constellation: You didn’t ask.

– Anonymous Constellation: But why is that important???

– Anonymous Constellation: Whether it was 6 minutes or 10, he’s alive, isn’t that what matters?

– Anonymous Constellation: I was more curious about that constitution of yours that makes wounds disappear so quickly…

The Constellations’ line of thinking was predictable. They didn’t place much weight on human life and death.

Kaiel’s Constellations were likely the same. They probably didn’t tell him because it was fascinating, but simply relayed the information.

*Had it really been six minutes?*

“And yet, the Second Prince is perfectly fine. He suffered no brain damage, nor did he fall into a vegetative state. He’s living as if nothing ever happened.”

“…Sometimes, people just get lucky.”

“Isn’t that only when the CPR is successful?”

“What do you mean?”

Kaiel paused for a moment before asking cautiously.

“Princess, are you certain the CPR was what succeeded?”

The moment I confirmed Dante wasn’t breathing, I started CPR, and his breathing returned shortly after.

Or so I had thought.

*If the Constellations weren’t mistaken, and the CPR didn’t work…*

Then how did Dante come back to life?

“Kaiel, do you think a person can be revived by means other than CPR?”

“Normally, it’s impossible. Dark magic has a spell of immortality, but it doesn’t truly bring someone back to life—it merely animates the dead.”

“That’s my point. The Second Prince isn’t a god; it can’t be possible, right?”

“That’s why I investigated. If I could figure out the reason the Second Prince came back to life, I could make a fortune.”

So it was about money after all.

“But the more I looked into it, the stranger things became. It wasn’t what I expected.”

“…How was it different?”

“The Second Prince’s middle name, Ryuna, means ‘ruin’ or ‘destruction’ in the ancient tongue. Have you ever seen parents give their child such a name?”

“…”

“To me, it felt like a curse. So I looked into it and found a book of prophecy passed down through the Taikan family for generations.”

Why was a book of prophecy suddenly coming up? I tilted my head in confusion.

“Like a founding myth?”

“It’s not a myth, but a fact. It has actually appeared in historical records from time to time. Thanks to that, I was able to confirm parts of it, though not the entire text.”

“What did it say?”

Kaiel moistened his dry throat with his coffee.

“Taikan, which began with a hero from the frontiers, shall be destroyed by an immortal monster.”

“…What?”

“If the Second Prince is the immortal monster from the prophecy, then everything makes sense. The reason he doesn’t die, and the reason His Majesty the Emperor curses him.”

“Haha, what kind of ridiculous…”

The laughter that burst out at the outlandish story died down.

*Wait a minute…*

When I went to find Dante after hearing from Igrid that he was drunk, what did he say?

“Because I’m… a monster.”

And when we fell into the pit in the Gray Forest, he also said this.

“I… don’t die…”

The Emperor’s excessive hatred for Dante, the reason he had to be locked in a hidden room, the reason he was isolated like an island within the imperial palace…

*Is it because Dante is the monster from the prophecy?*

I didn’t know whether to believe it or not.

My mind was a mess. I pressed my temples, which had begun to throb.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“I don’t care if Taikan falls. Even if the empire disappears, the Magic Tower will stand strong.”

“…Are you warning me to be careful because I’m a Taikan noble?”

“More than that… you have a special relationship with him, don’t you? Even if it is a contract.”

Kaiel fiddled with his coffee cup.

“Is there any reason to keep a being who is said to destroy the empire close to you? That’s why I’m telling you this.”

“…”

He clearly meant it with good intentions, so why did it bother me?

I suppose I felt a sense of kinship with Dante. We had so much in common, from being outcasts to hating our birthdays.

“Nothing’s been proven for certain yet. Let’s drop the subject here.”

“He died and came back to life. Is there any more certain proof than that?”

“That’s…”

Just as I opened my mouth, I sensed someone approaching.

I gestured to Kaiel. He immediately caught on, closing his mouth and pulling his hood down low.

“Greetings. Phew, it’s terribly hot today.”

It was an old man with a hood draped over his shoulders. His long white hair, tied back in a single tail, was striking.

I watched him for a moment, then smiled brightly.

“It is summer, after all.”

“It’s a bit awkward for an old man like me to sit alone among you youngsters… Do you mind if I join you?”

“Please do.”

He sat down and ordered a coffee.

“You said you were hot, but you’re having a warm coffee?”

“The cold coffee is more expensive.”

“…Are you a mage?”

“Oh, dear. That was a top secret, but you saw right through me. You have a sharp eye.”

The old man said playfully.

Seventy percent of Akron’s population were mages. Moreover, only mages were stingy enough to order a hot drink in this weather. It would have been stranger not to recognize him as one.

– Anonymous Constellation: It’s Gramps Maga!!!

– Anonymous Constellation: This guy’s hilarious lololol

– Anonymous Constellation: Gramps Maga has to be the only Hunter who lectures us on magic and charges tuition in points, right?

– Anonymous Constellation: That room’s full of die-hards, I swear. The TMI is on par with a sleep spell.

If he was a figure the Constellations called ‘Gramps Maga,’ it was obvious who he was.

Maga Puen Akron. Head of the Puen school and one of the seven elders.

I called a waiter over and ordered another cold coffee.

“It’s hot out, please have a cold one. It’s my treat.”

“Oh, what a generous young lady. Buying a drink for an old man you’ve never met.”

“Your name is familiar, so it doesn’t quite feel like the first time we’ve met.”

Maga’s eyes widened.

“Ehh? You know my name?”

Their chat room was probably buzzing about who I was, yet he was pretending not to know.

Besides, the elders would surely know the characteristics of the Ruthius family. There was no way they wouldn’t know the identity of a young woman with silver hair and green eyes.

*This old man’s acting skills are top-notch.*

I’d better play along for now. It would also be a good chance to find out why he ignored my request for them to come all at once and approached me alone.

“Of course, I do. You’re Elder Maga Puen Akron, third in the Hunter rankings.”

“Oho? Are you a Hunter as well, young lady? Then perhaps this person is too?”

Maga subtly tried to probe Kaiel’s identity. It seemed the names he’d received from Suren weren’t enough to identify my companion.

“Why don’t you ask your Constellations, Elder?”

“Oh dear, my apologies. I’m just not used to this whole ‘chat window’ thing. I suppose this is what happens when you get old.”

He wasn’t used to it, despite being proficient enough to lecture the Constellations on magic and charge them tuition?

*Is it because he’s an elder? He’s quite the sly one.*

I hid my thoughts and played along.

“It’s alright. These things happen.”

Then I took a sip of my coffee to change the mood.

“Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself.”

Maga cleared his throat, a look of embarrassment on his face.

“Ahem! You’re making an old man feel awkward. Guild Master Astell, I apologize for pretending not to know you.”

“Scouting the enemy before a fight is basic. I understand.”

“Enemy…?”

“Was I mistaken? I got the impression I wasn’t exactly welcome by Akron’s council of elders.”

“I heard you were treated poorly at Hwaon. Even I would have been angry.”

“Is that so?”

“That was all the work of one stubborn old ox, acting alone. It was not the opinion of the entire council. I hope you won’t misunderstand.”

*This old man must think I’m an amateur.*