Genius 7

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Chapter 7. The Escape Of The Duke's Daughter

Katia von Trakia, aged 15.

She's the daughter of the Duke's family, the Trakia family, and became engaged to the second prince, Aster, at 10.

Five years have passed since then. Through Katia's education at the royal palace and her constant efforts, she has perfected etiquette, politics, and culture to an impeccable level.

Growing even more beautiful, with her indigo hair and amethyst eyes, she has become a delicate and elegant beauty often referred to as the "fairy of the night."

With a serious and proud demeanor, she was considered the perfect fiancée for the prince, except for one thing.

That one thing, which was not some fatal accusation or catastrophe, hence...

"Miss Katia von Trakia! Please come to your senses, for there are suspicions that you are plotting to overthrow the state!"

Accused of suspicions she had no memory of.

Chased by Chris von Frembleed—said to be the right-hand man of the second prince, someone who should have been an ally.

She's cornered in an alley with soldiers under his command. She never imagined such a situation.

"I wanted you to come to your senses."

Katia glared at Chris and countered him just as she did when he abruptly appeared.

"There is no basis for such suspicions—more importantly, even if there were, what are the charges? Mobilizing troops without charges and unilaterally capturing a duke's daughter is clearly an abuse of power and is not permissible."

"Haha, truly the words of a cornered villain!"

However, Chris dismissed her legitimate argument with a unilateral judgment.

"Indeed, there are no charges at the moment. But as I mentioned earlier. This order came directly from His Highness, Prince Aster!"

Katia gritted her teeth.

"You're well aware of His Highness's greatness, aren't you? Handsome and talented in military and academic pursuits, at the age of 15, he's already defeated numerous monsters as a heroic prince! It was he who ordered, 'Capture Katia'!"

"...And what of it?"

"A hero is sometimes not bound by reason. If His Highness Aster said it, there is profound significance in capturing you, and it is undoubtedly correct. What significance does the presence or absence of charges have before his words?"

Nonsense.

Even if he is of royal blood, there is no justification for disregarding the laws of this country without any reason.

If such laws were recklessly broken, the necessary order for many people's lives would be disrupted. It's only natural.

But at the same time, there was also a conviction.

That absurd story would pass.

That's how absolute Prince Aster's authority is, without anyone questioning it.

If she were to obediently be captured by Chris.

If she followed, acknowledging her own guilt, it would be the same as admitting her nonexistent charges and allowing Prince Aster to have his way.

In the aristocratic society of today, Katia had painfully learned this over the past five years.

Therefore, the only thing she absolutely had to avoid here was getting captured.

With that in mind, Katia crouched down and prepared herself for battle.

"Oh, are you still intending to resist? Very well, even criminals have the right to struggle a bit."

Seeing this, Chris, with composure, slightly smirked with a hint of pleasure.

"You there, don't lay a hand on her. Despite being a high-ranking magic user, let me focus on not letting her escape."

He told the surrounding soldiers, already having completed the incantation for magic—a spell that deployed multiple light spheres behind him.

Bloodline Magic, [Mistle Teinn].

It's a powerful Bloodline Magic that guarantees Chris's position as the right-hand man of Prince Aster, the second prince.

After showcasing it, he addressed Katia with a mocking tone.

"Now, please resist if you will... However, the resistance of a villain is quite futile. You mentioned the presence or absence of charges, but didn't you ask your father, the Minister of Justice, to have them swept under the rug?"

"Cancel it."

"What?"

"It's fine if you talk about me however you like, but—I won't forgive insults to my father in front of me!"

Partly provoking, but with no other option based on a definite judgment, Katia also began chanting.

"'At the eve of the apocalypse, sing of peace, for dawn shall never come here again. The world of salvation shall appear behind the current reality'. Bloodline Magic—Steria Tryvia!"

In response, spirits of the dead emerged from the underworld.

Though they had no substance, they soon gathered, condensed, and transformed into a high-density mass of magical power, manifesting behind Katia just like Chris.

Bloodline Magic, Steria Tryvia. Its effect is the manipulation of spirits.

It is said to connect the underworld and the mortal realm through the lingering regrets of the dead, obtaining immense energy from departed souls.

It was a Bloodline Magic that was just as powerful as Chris's Mistral Tina.

Both wielding their magic, Chris sneered while Katia sent a sharp glare, and the two Bloodline Magics clashed head-on in the center.

The result was obvious.

"Ugh."

"Hahaha!"

Chris laughed triumphantly, while Katia struggled to hold back the sandstorm and her consciousness.

It was clear which magic prevailed just by observing their attitudes.

"How grotesque—and how fragile your magic is!"

"Tch, this...!"

Katia gritted her teeth and fired another shot, but it was easily nullified by a magic casually cast by Chris.

It wasn't a difference in skill. There was simply a despairing difference in magical output.

"As rumored, Miss Katia! Inheriting superior magic yet unable to fully control it—what a 'defective young lady' you are!"

Indeed.

That was the only flaw Katia had mentioned earlier.

When she was six years old, Katia awakened to her Bloodline Magic, [Steria Tryvia].

It was one of the Trakia Duke's family's Bloodline Magics, and it was supposed to be a magic with high performance suitable for Bloodline Magic.

However, for some reason, the magic Katia wielded had an extremely reduced output, and its power dropped to the lowest level among Bloodline Magics.

"It's evident just by looking at your magic! The despicable effect of controlling the dead, and that flaw! Just with this, you must have done something shameful! Something that defies God!"

"That's right! Surely divine punishment has come!"

"Master Chris, please proceed! Deliver justice to this foolish lady!"

Chris's unilateral condemnation was echoed by the surrounding soldiers.

As if to silence them, Katia deployed her magic again, but just like before, or even worse, her magic was no match for Chris's.

(More than I imagined.)

She knew her magic had flaws, but being a Bloodline Magic of the Duke's family, she thought she could create enough gap to scatter the surrounding soldiers and escape.

But it far exceeded her imagination, and the disparity was too great.

"Now, Miss Katia, is your resistance over?"

Chris asked, not bothering to hide his delight in overpowering a significantly inferior opponent.

His expression infuriated her, but she tried to cast her magic again, only to realize.

Her magic wouldn't come.

(My.)

"It seems you're out of magical power."

She had used up too much magical power in the escape thus far.

With a wry smile, Chris pointed it out and deployed an enormous light sphere behind him.

"His Highness has allowed for some rough handling if necessary. It's troublesome when you're thrashing about, so shall we put you to sleep?"

Without hesitation, he fired it at Katia.

(No.)

That single blow would have enough power to take away her consciousness.

And then she would be taken away by them, and her future would either be imprisonment or loss of status.

(How much have I... until today...)

Since that day, she had desperately worked to fulfill her duties as a noble.

She had never slacked off in her daily training or studying. She could proudly declare that she had never done anything shameful.

Yet, this...

Bloodline Magic. A gift bestowed by God. If just by its existence, any injustice could be justified, and any effort could be trampled upon.

Then what exactly were they living for in this country?

(There's no point in thinking about that anymore.)

The light sphere was approaching. There was no way for her to do anything about this magic.

In that moment. In her fading thoughts, like a fleeting memory, she recalled a boy she had once parted ways with.

"It's a beautiful magic, Katia."

When she awakened to her Bloodline Magic [Steria Tryvia], people other than her family hated her.

It was a despicable, filthy magic. It wasn't something befitting Bloodline Magic.

But there was a boy who, without any hidden agenda, praised her like that.

He was more talented in magic than anyone else.

So even when she was told he didn't have Bloodline Magic, Katia never believed it.

"I believe in you. You're not someone who belongs here. I'm sure, you'll become an amazing mage and stand before me again."

"It's an absolute promise!"

Did he say something like that? She remembered with a bitter smile.

(I was such a fool back then.)

Such a thing was impossible now, she knew.

In fact, since then, she hadn't known anything about his whereabouts. His life or death was unknown, and it was more likely that he was dead.

But....

In this situation where she was completely helpless and alone.

Amidst the injustice where she could complain a hundred times.

If she could hope for just a little miracle—

With a mixture of resignation, almost on the verge of tears, she uttered words from the bottom of her heart.

"...Help me, Herm."

"Yes."

There was a response.

Katia's eyes widened. And then, right in front of her, there was.

"...I honestly don't understand the situation, but you seem to be in trouble. Ah, and..."

It was unmistakable.

He had grown taller, his features had matured, his voice sounded a bit different, and for some reason, his tone was a little different too.

But she had never forgotten him since that day.

"As promised, I've returned as a 'great mage.'... Long time no see, Lady Katia."

That boy, Hermes von Frembleed.

He had fulfilled their promise and stood before her once again.