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The New Year Ceremony in the Ridill Kingdom is always held on the day after the winter solstice which will be celebrated in the castle for a whole week.
The ceremony begins with the royal family inviting nobles to the castle which will be followed by the banquet over the next week. During this time, the nobles across the country would come to visit the banquet and greet the king in turn… and that is how the ceremony goes every year.
However, since the king has been on a sickbed for the recent year, both the ceremony and the banquet will be held on a reduced scale.
Given the king was unable to appear on the throne, each prince was assigned to a different role: the first prince was in charge of the New Year's Ceremony and the second prince was in charge of the banquet, but the nobles of their respective factions were still glowering at each other on the decision. As a result, the atmosphere in the royal palace felt more tense than usual.
As the Seven Sages, Monica had an obligation to participate in everything from the ceremony on the first day of the New Year to the banquet that followed for the rest of the week.
Last year, she had inadvertently become so engrossed in developing a magic formula and nearly missed the ceremony, but this year she had arrived at the castle with plenty of time to spare.
On the night of the winter solstice when the longest night occurs, the Spirit King of Darkness Eldiora goes to its slumber, while at the sunrise after the winter solstice was when the Spirit King of Light Serendine awakens.
Monica woke up at sunrise in one of the castle's guest rooms on the morning of the first day of the New Year—which also is known as Serendine's Awakening—to prepare herself in her long spare time.
The guest room the royal had provided for the Seven Sages was so luxurious even she who has stayed in this room on many occasions still felt nervous when occupying it. Perhaps, except for the bedside where she used to place her luggage, the only furniture she mostly used in the room was the bed.
She took out her formal robe from the luggage on the bedside.
The robe of the Seven Sages itself had two types, one for daily use and the other for formal wear. While both were navy blue in color and embroidered with gold and silver threads, the formal one had more ornaments and more elaborate embroideries.
Monica, who does not often appear in public, only wore this robe once a year at the New Year's ceremony.
After struggling with the unaccustomed ornaments and managing to get dressed, Monica turned her attention to Nero, who was still curled up on the bed.
Even now, Nero remained curled up and sleeping peacefully. Just like during their stay at Hilda's house, he showed no sign of waking up.
Monica put the blanket back on Nero, pulled the hood back over her eyes, grabbed her scepter firmly, and left the room.
Monica's main concern during her stay at the castle was whether she would run into Felix.
However, Felix seems to be busy preparing for the New Year's Ceremony banquet, and so far she hardly saw him at all.
Still, it was best not to let one's guard down, so Monica moved cautiously, taking care not to let her hood come off as she moved.
The place where Monica headed was a room called ‘Jade Room' located at the western end of the castle of the Ridill Kingdom.
The room was protected by multiple barriers, and only the Seven Sages and the king were permitted to enter.
Normally, this room was only used for meetings of the Seven Sages, but during the New Year Ceremony, the royal had made them stay in this Jade Room until the ceremony begins.
I wonder if the other Seven Sages have already arrived…
After verifying that she was one of the Seven Sages by touching the crest above the door with the tip of her scepter, the door was automatically unlocked.
Feeling slightly nervous, Monica opened the door…
A fireball suddenly appeared before her eyes, so she reflexively used her chantless spell to set up a defensive barrier. Google seaʀᴄh novel⟡fire.net
While Monica was sprawled on the floor, unable to speak, a huge, dark-haired man with a full-face beard walked up to her.
"Oh, sorry about that, Miss Silent. Some stray bullet went your way."
The man who was laughing ‘Gahaha!' was Bradford Firestone the Artillery Magician.
Among the Seven Sages, he possesses the highest firepower in offensive magic.
"Boys, please~ Could you do that kind of thing outside~ Look, you're scaring Monica~"
Mary Harvey, the Star Oracle Witch, complained with pouting lips, and Bradford scratched his head and made an excuse.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that. To start my New Year, I'm planning to fight a strong enemy and gave Barrier Guy a challenge but he dodged my attack without even putting up his barrier."
"Why should I waste my mana in the New Year?"
Louis Miller the Barrier Magician said languidly as he sat while grooming his hair.
This exchange gave Monica a general idea of what was going on.
A hot-blooded Bradford challenged Louis whose in the mood of the New Year to a fight, then fired an offensive spell at him despite still inside the room. Louis evaded it, but the stray bullet lead to Monica, who just opened the door.
Since Jade Room was protected by strong defensive barriers, even if he used such an offensive spell, it would not leave any damage to the walls and doors.
Even so, the only person who was crazy enough to unleash an offensive spell inside the room was perhaps only Bradford alone.
As Monica slumped in a daze, a high-pitched voice interrupted her.
"Oh, for crying out loud, what were you thinking unleashing offensive magic inside the room, Sir Artillery Magician? Fortunately, the one who opened the door was a person who mastered the chantless spell, Miss Silent Witch here, but have you considered what would happen if it had been His Majesty?!"
The aquiline-nosed man in his fifties who spoke in a somewhat exaggerated manner was Emanuel Darwin the Jewel Magician.
His entire body was adorned with precious stones as if to symbolize his epithet, but Bradford only brushed it off with a laugh.
"You don't have to be so upset, Mr. Jewel. If the person who opened the door was really His Majesty, I'm sure the barrier would have done something to block it."
"It might be strong, but don't put your trust too much in it."
In response to Bradford's words, Louis muttered without turning his attention, and now he began to polish his nails.
Seeing Louis seemed didn't care afterward, Monica was certain the words he said didn't come from his heart. When Louis evaded Bradford's attack, he must be aware Monica was behind the door, and knowing Monica would be able to do something about it with her chantless spell, he let the attack pass by.
H-He's so horribleeee…
Monica really wanted to cry as she tried to stand up staggeringly, while Emanuel turned his attention to Monica, rattling the ornaments all over his body.
"Are you alright, Miss Silent Witch?"
Emanuel pulled Monica's hand to help her stand up before turning his gaze to Bradford and Louis simultaneously in resentment.
"You really have some nerve to engage in a private fight in this sacred Jade Room, Sir Artillery Magician, Sir Barrier Magician!"
Still, his words seemed far-fetched. Apparently, he wanted to use Bradford's bad habits as an excuse to criticize Louis as well. Emanuel seemed to have some kind of grudge to pick against Louis.
Louise blew his polished nails, without paying any attention to Emanuel.
"If you want to lecture, do it with that shameless old man alone. Don't involve me in this matter, I'm the victim here."
"Well, I think most of the people here have more nerve than you. You'll go bald if you get so hung up on the trifle matters, Mr. Jewel."
Hearing Bradford's words, Emanuel's cheeks twitched while Louis showed his refreshing grin.
"Hahaha! Sir Artillery Magician sure has a youth spirit, I always envy you to be able to do anything without burden."
"Of course. In my book, I do what I want."
"…that's what he says, Sir Jewel Magician."
Hearing Louis said this with a smirk, Emanuel, whose hairline had recently thinned out, had a blue streak at his temple.
Monica was familiar with this scene.
This scene was similar to two elementary school brats fighting in front of the nagging teacher. It was a sight far different from what should have been a gathering of the Seven Sages.
As Monica felt anxious, wondering if Emanuel was going to explode, Emanuel coughed and looked at Monica.
"Now I'm certain, most people here are really barbaric, don't you think so too, Miss Silent Witch?"
"Oh, I just remembered, I heard you and His Highness Felix had slayed a cursed dragon the other day. What you two did was really a heroic deed! I also heard you have risked your life to protect His Highness. I feel really proud to have you as a member of the Seven Sages!"
"Not long ago you defeated the Black Dragon Wogan, now you slayed a cursed dragon in Reinberg! It would not exaggerate if people would call you a hero who has defeated the two greatest evil dragons and etched in history! I'm sure His Highness Felix would be pleased to be able to fight side by side with you!"
Monica could feel his true intentions to rope her into his faction behind the blatant praise that was directed at her.
Emanuel Darwin the Jewel Magician was a member of the second prince's faction and had a close relationship with Duke Crockford. As the man who chose Felix as the next king, he probably planned to bring Monica, who fought together with Felix against the Cursed Dragon, to their faction.
If one divides the Seven Sages into factions, Louis will be in the first prince's faction, Emanuel in the second prince's faction, while the rest of them were neutral.
That's why, even if he was only able to rope one neutral member of the Seven Sages into the second prince's faction, the power balance would change drastically.
While Monica was struggling to give him a reply, Mary who noticed this gave Monica a helping hand.
"Heeeey~ Monica~ Have you seen Raul on the way here?"
"N-No… I haven't seen Lord Thorn Witch at all…"
"Oh my, what a pitiful boy~ Oh right, Monica. Can I ask you to get Raul here? Knowing him, perhaps he is still strolling in the garden."
She nodded to Mary's request without a second thought since she can't bear this awkward atmosphere anymore.
Mary smiled knowingly and shook the shoulder of Ray Albright the Abyss Shaman, who until now had been lying prone on the desk.
"Hey, Ray, go accompany her. Take a little walk and soak up some sunlight to wake up yourself from the sleepiness."
After being forced to wake up, Ray raised his face slowly as he stared into the air with empty eyes and an eerie smile on his face.
"A walk… a walk together… a walk together alone with a girl… can it be called a walk date? Hmm, I like how it sounds, a walk date. A wholesome walk date. It sounds like I, a shaman, am being loved wholesomely. Oh, it sounds great!"
Seems like the urge of the Abyss Shaman wanting to be loved was at its peak yet again.
Although seeing the way his laugh was not without discomfort, she found it convenient to be able to talk to Ray alone. It was a chance to ask him about Peter Sams and his magic tool.
So Monica asked Ray in a bow.
"U-Um… Lord Abyss Shaman, may I ask you to accompany me in bringing Lord Raul here…?"
Ray stared at Monica with glistening pink eyes and closed the distance with one step and then another. She felt the way he closed the distance was scary.
"Then, do you genuinely love me?"
"I-I… I… I genuinely… genuinely… What is genuine love?!"
Monica cried out in tears while the rest of the Seven Sages looked at her with sympathy.
At this moment, the Seven Sages who were seldom working together have reached the same thought. They were giving Monica sympathy.