Things They Didn't Say Out Loud

Chapter 1: A Foreign Kind of Happiness

"Are you a magician, mister?"
Her brilliant jeweled blue eyes were captivating him for a second. It wasn't because that he hadn't seen one; actually, sometime in the past, he's always been surrounded by those blue-eyed imperials.

He's just awakened from his long dormant slumber that day. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized that his mana was depleted too much for his liking. It was normal for his mana to decrease during his sleep, but he didn't expect he would lose that much...

But before he continued worrying about his mana level, he decided that it was best for him to find out how long he's actually been sleeping. That was why he got out of his Black Tower and looked around. It's also surprised him to find a magical beast appeared just like that in front of him. The beast looked small, but from the mana flow, he recognized it should belong to a young royal family member.

And then, he bumped into this little girl.

At least he could be sure that the Obelia empire was still existing and intact, proven by the presence of this sapphire-eyed descendant. She was still out and about, dressed in pretty clothes, and her cheeks were so puffy. Seemed like the country wasn't in the state of war nor in the state of famine.

However, he noticed something peculiar in the girl's eyes. He couldn't see it clearly that moment, but the girl before him felt strange. As if she belonged there, but also did not. He was mildly annoyed by his inability to inspect further due to his limited mana, but he could feel that unique flow radiated from her.

What if I let her live instead? I bet it'll be interesting.

He was famous for favouring talented people, those with exceptional potential to begin with. Even back in the days, he wouldn't waste his time to spend with someone wasn't gifted enough from birth. One look and he could already judge whether it was going to be worthy of his time and effort or not. And something about this little girl gravitated him. He wanted to observe her from a closer distance. He wanted to know how she ended up here and now.

And then, he glanced to the magical beast that cuddled up in her embrace.

Well if it turns out to be boring, I could always gobble down that thing anytime and move on.

---

That was expected, given that the Princess is hanging around her magical beast for too long, it seems.

He heard all the ruckus and the panic that occurred in the palace due to the princess' condition. He also watched how the fellow magicians tried to handle her condition, but failed miserably. He took a mental note to do something about their pathetic knowledge later.

Is it too peaceful these days, that those magicians' ability are degrading from generation to generation? Seemed like his legacy had long forgotten.

He quickly came up with a plan, slightly grinning to himself before decided to appear in the front of the palace's gate as the 'magician in training'.

I can't let her die yet, can I? There are things I still want to find out about her and her unique magic.

---

The palace was as grand as he remembered, not that he really paid any attention before. He glanced at the displayed painting of the previous emperors and finally got the confirmation that he needed, about how long he'd been asleep and how many generations of kings had passed after the last time he awoke.