For a member of the Royal Family—no, for the King’s own younger brother—to become unable to use magic, it was an inconceivable scandal.
The Kingdom of Trie is a kingdom of magic, and the Royal Family is defined by its magical power.
Should one lose that power, their royal status would surely be revoked.
Moreover, as a disgrace to the Royal Family, they might even be exiled if things went badly.
“Why did it come to this?” asked Rosaria, her voice trembling with fear.
“My magical power has been unusual since birth. Normally, I can’t use magic at all. So my mother devised a plan—she sought out the Smeraldo. By using the Smeraldo, I was able to use magic.”
Smeraldo—a green gemstone.
Gemstones are closely tied to magic.
They can store magical power, or serve as conduits to manifest it.
There are many uses.
Red, blue, green, yellow—if the gem is clear and colored, it’s all the more useful for magic.
“It was thanks to the Smeraldo that I was who I was. But two months ago, that Smeraldo was stolen. The thief was one of my own subordinates—a magician in the Magic Army who served as my aide. His name is Bruno Stecchi, Second Lieutenant of the Magic Army. He discovered that my power came from the Smeraldo, stole it, and vanished—taking with him half my soul, the Smeraldo.”
“Half your soul?” Rosaria, who had no magical power, knew little of magic.
As she tilted her head, Annamaria added an explanation, “Magical power is something born from the soul.”
“Is that so?”
With a hand on her chin, Annamaria spoke as she considered her words.
“I have heard that, rarely, even souls born with strong magical power cannot release that power under certain conditions. The cause can be psychological, physical, or something else entirely, apparently.”
If Jeremiah was such a case, there would be various ways to draw out magical power.
“If you transfer part of your soul into a gemstone like the Smeraldo, you can draw out magical power. Gems are well-suited as vessels for the soul. And colored, clear gems have fewer impurities that interfere with magical manifestation.”
Rosaria’s expression grew tense.
“Then Jeremiah had half his soul stolen?”
“That is the case.”
Bruno Stecchi must have stolen Jeremiah’s Smeraldo because he wanted the powerful magical energy held within Jeremiah’s soul inside the gem.
By merging it with his own magical power, he would gain twice the strength.
Even a mediocre magician could perhaps reach Annamaria’s level with that power.
“Half of my soul… is lost,” Jeremiah whispered painfully.
‘To transfer even half of one’s soul into a gem… As a general, perhaps he wanted to draw out every bit of power he could, but that’s a dangerous thing to do.’
It is said that a third of the soul is the limit for such a transfer.
If a body loses too much of its soul, it becomes fragile and weak, and the heart might stop at the slightest mishap.
To have transferred half of his soul into the Smeraldo was likely to wield magic worthy of a member of the Royal Family.
If half his soul resides in the Smeraldo, Jeremiah’s body is left with only the bare minimum to survive as a human being.
“If I can’t reclaim the Smeraldo, I’m doomed. But I have no magic to pursue Bruno Stecchi or retrieve the Smeraldo. Nor do I possess physical strength beyond that of an ordinary person.”
“To have half your soul stolen—how cruel! Jeremiah, you were a general in the Magic Army, were you not? Then why don’t you use the Magic Army’s power to chase Bruno? Even without your own magic…”
Rosaria leaned forward, agitated, but Annamaria placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Not everyone is as magnanimous as you, Rosaria.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“For one born to the Royal Family, strong magical power is expected. Without it, it’s said you might be quietly erased in the dark. In such an environment, if it were known that someone could only use magic by such an unusual method, what do you think would happen?”
“What would happen?”
“Ruin, of course.”
“That’s absurd. No matter the method, if you can use magic, isn’t that enough?”
“That is why the Royal Family is not as generous as you, Rosaria.”
At that, Jeremiah let slip a slight, wry smile and said, “If it became known that I could only use magic by such a special means, I’d be forbidden from appearing in public for the rest of my life—as a failure and a disgrace to the Royal Family. My parents and I have hidden the truth about the Smeraldo for that reason.”
Rosaria’s face turned pale with shock.
Raised among the broad-minded knights of the frontier, Rosaria could not comprehend how something as simple as a different way of using magic could be deemed a disgrace.
Annamaria herself had once felt the same.
But after studying at the Magic Academy, mingling with its students, she had come to understand.
There are more intolerant people than one might expect, utterly convinced they are right, and society itself is held together by such assumptions.
That is why, after graduating from the Magic Academy, Annamaria chose to further hone her magic in the mountains.
She could have stayed in the Royal Capital, joined a group affiliated with the Magic Association, and trained her skills, but she refused.
“I was careless. I let someone spy on the manor and uncover my secret.”
“No. Anyone can be caught off guard, and secrets are often exposed by circumstances beyond one’s control. Bruno Stecchi is simply a cowardly thief.” Annamaria replied quietly.
“Knowing Jeremiah couldn’t pursue him openly, Bruno stole the Smeraldo. There is nothing more cowardly.”
After a short silence, Jeremiah spoke, “I want to get the Smeraldo back—and take back my life. A month ago, I learned that Bruno had fled into the Padova Mountains.”
Rosaria’s expression sharpened.
“The Padova Mountains? My knights haven’t sensed anything… Annamaria, has the Fullranet Family’s Mage Corps reported anything? If the enemy is a magician, could even the Mage Corps fail to notice?”
“Perhaps he used a powerful masking spell that ordinary magicians couldn’t sense. That only proves how strong his magic is. If I had paid more attention to the Padova Mountains, perhaps I might have detected him.”
Jeremiah shook his head lightly, “No matter how powerful your magic is, it would be impossible for one person to watch over the entire expanse of the Padova Mountains at all times. It can’t be helped. Ironically, the area he escaped to is within my territory. In desperation, I moved to this castle hoping I might do something about it. While preparing to relocate, I heard rumors about the two of you. So I had you both investigated beforehand.”
He raised his head and looked at Annamaria and Rosaria.
“You had us investigated? In advance?”
Rosaria looked startled.
Jeremiah nodded, “It was impolite, but I wanted to know about you.”
Annamaria understood.
That explained why he had known so much about them at the ball.
“You’ve heard that I resigned from my post to search for a bride, haven’t you? In truth, that’s not entirely false. My family is pressing me to marry soon. So I thought—if I could retrieve my Smeraldo and find a bride at the same time…”
A breeze blew in through the window, ruffling Jeremiah’s soft golden bangs.
“Having you two here, meeting you like this—I feel the more I learn about you, the more I realize my luck hasn’t run out yet. You both possess extraordinary magical and physical abilities. So, from the very beginning, I wanted to ask you. After meeting and confirming your character, I intended to make my request. Both your abilities and personalities are beyond reproach.”
Jeremiah looked back and forth between the two women.
“I would like to ask the two of you—please retrieve the Smeraldo. And to the one who brings it back to me, I wish to propose marriage.”
‘So it’s a two-birds-with-one-stone proposal.’ Annamaria was impressed.
Jeremiah intended to have his bride candidate secretly retrieve the Smeraldo for him.
For someone in such a dire situation, unable to use magic, he had come up with quite the plan.
“So in other words… whoever brings the Smeraldo to you first wins?” Rosaria asked directly.
Jeremiah gave a wry smile.
“It’s not about winning or losing, but yes, that’s the idea. Would you find it insulting to have marriage decided in such a way? I don’t mean to insult you. Whoever returns my life to me would be my savior—and a fitting companion, which is why I make this request.”
Jeremiah’s eyes were filled with a prayer-like hope.
‘Getting married by retrieving a stolen gem—far more respectable than using a love potion.’ Annamaria nodded, then stood up briskly.
“Understood, Jeremiah. I will reclaim your Smeraldo—and your life.”
Rosaria stood as well.
“I promise, too. I will return the Smeraldo to your hand.”
With a relieved smile, Jeremiah rose to his feet, turning a gentle yet wistful gaze on them and said, “Thank you, both of you. You are… my hope.”
His heartfelt gratitude struck them deeply.
‘Born into the Royal Family, this man was forced to bear a secret, unable to rely on anyone.’
This noble man, seeking to reclaim his life, had come to the frontier and found hope in the two young women he met there.
To Jeremiah, Annamaria and Rosaria might be his only light.
His gentle, unassuming manner, so uncharacteristic of royalty, was surely born from the hardships he had carried since birth.
For such a man, Annamaria thought, she wouldn’t mind doing everything in her power—even if not for the sake of marriage.
But if marriage was the added bonus, there could be no greater fortune for Annamaria.