The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 7 Part 11
Although she thought she shouldn’t sleep, her eyes closed, and a vague landscape began to form in her foggy mind.
“Huh?”
Startled, Anais woke up. She jerked upright and then closed her eyes again. As she slowly recalled the sensation and the scene from earlier, she felt as if she could sense something far away.
―Radiel….
“Ah!”
Feeling a scream rising in her throat, Anais quickly covered her mouth in shock. She opened her eyes wide and sat up, looking around. The bedroom was empty except for her, and the voice she had just heard was one she had never heard before.
‘What was that?’
With a calm face, Anais tried to remember the place that had appeared in her mind. Since it was a recent vision, it was easy to recall. This time, she kept her eyes open.
But this time, a clearer change occurred instead of a voice.
About three meters in front of the bed where she was sitting, the space distorted and spread out in all directions, revealing a certain scene. It was the interior of a cave-like structure, just what she had pictured in her mind.
“Aaah!”
Anais screamed in surprise.
****
“This thing is causing trouble again.”
Arken remarked, examining the ring on the Empress’s hand. While he didn’t possess the ability to break down and interpret the magical formulas within the artifact like Emilio, he could recognize the magical artifact that served as the medium.
“As Her Majesty feared, it doesn’t seem to have the function to teleport a person, so you can rest assured. However, until we understand how this operates, it would be prudent to have one of my apprentices stay by your side.”
Anais’s scream had drawn the guards, who had also seen the spatial distortion. Although it disappeared quickly, it prompted the summoning of the mages.
Rahil, interrupted from his duties, returned to the Empress’s quarters. He was alarmed to hear what had transpired in his absence.
“Do that.”
Three of Arken’s eight female apprentices stepped forward, recommended for the task of constantly being by the Empress’s side. Anais sighed and selected one of them.
“A place came to my mind. I’ve never been there, and it seems to be because of this magical artifact. Is there any way to understand what’s happening?”
“It is likely a type of directive magic. I know of ancient spells that work similarly, but my analysis of the artifact’s magic didn’t reveal much.”
“…So could the ring’s magic forcibly transport the Empress to that place?” Rahil asked.
Arken shook his head. “Known ancient spells can only indicate a location; they don’t have a compulsion effect. However, since this ring’s magic belongs to a dragon, it’s beyond the scope of current magic analysis.”
“……”
Although the Mage Tower had been contacted, Emilio had not yet arrived at the imperial palace. Anais looked at Rahil, hoping for some clarity.
“Your Majesty didn’t see any visions?”
“Not at all… What kind of place did you say it was?”
“It was like a palace built in a space carved out of a cave.”
The ceiling was high and ornately decorated. It could have been dismissed as gaudy with its gold borders and embedded jewels, but it oddly suited the place.
Those listening to Anais’s description all had one place in mind.
‘Isn’t this like the dragon’s palace from children’s fairy tales?’
The ruins of the dragon, which the tower lord was exploring, were also said to be located in a plateau at the top of a mountain. Although the structure was not as lavish as described, it was known as a half-ruined summer palace.
Dismissing Anais’s vision as a mere illusion wasn’t an option, as the guards who had rushed into the room also saw the same thing. Therefore, it was reasonable to believe that the place Anais described actually existed.
“Her Majesty, Her Majesty, the Mage Tower Lord has arrived,” an attendant announced, entering the meeting room.
The Mage Tower Lord was waiting in the Empress’s reception room, ready to be summoned. The Emperor glanced at Anais and then instructed for him to be brought in.
It was time to interrogate Emilio for the second time.
****
After a brief scuffle lasting two or three minutes, Emilio, rubbing his neck where his collar had been grabbed, looked at Anais.
“Her Majesty, can you recreate what happened earlier?”
“I can, but…”
Anais wasn’t sure if it was safe to allow the magic to unfold again. However, Emilio smiled confidently at Arken, Rahil, and the other knights.
“It’s better to do it now than risk it happening while Her Majesty is alone. I’ve been analyzing the magic formulas since I returned to the tower, but I couldn’t find any directive magic. So…”
“Are you saying that magic acted externally, independent of the artifact’s enchantment?”
“Exactly, old man!”
Emilio responded with a grin. Arken, who had dealt with Emilio more than once, showed no sign of displeasure and just looked at Anais.
“As the Tower Lord mentioned, His Majesty, myself, and the Tower Lord are all here. The quickest way to stop this is to identify the source of the magic. You need not worry, Her Majesty.”
“I understand.”
Holding Rahil’s hand, who standing right beside her, Anais recalled the scene when the magic occurred. She feared it wouldn’t activate this time, but suddenly, the space not far away distorted, revealing the interior of a magnificent palace.
“Oh, my! Is that…?”
“Is it really a dragon’s palace?”
The one most excited by the appearance of the spatial portal was Emilio. Although he hadn’t mentioned it to Anais or Rahil, his ultimate goal in researching the ruins was that very palace.
He hoped it contained all of the dragon’s treasures, magical artifacts, and historical records.
Eagerly, Emilio approached the portal to cross into the space, but a purple energy surged from within, pushing him back.
“What?!”
Though he wasn’t hurt thanks to his protective magic barrier, the collision of energies caused the portal to vanish. Emilio stared at the space where the portal had been, looking bewildered.
“It seems like that space is being selective of energy…”
Emilio turned to look at Anais and Rahil. Because they possessed the dragon’s artifact, he could sense some of the dragon’s magic from them.
‘As if that’s the only dragon artifact!’
Just one of those could buy a castle or an island, but there were nearly thirty dragon artifacts in total. Naturally, Emilio had close to a dozen himself. They just couldn’t be detected because he carried them in a magic pouch.
He wore one himself and lent the others to those who were going to enter the dragon’s palace with him. While Arken had his own as well.
“Her Majesty, please try again!”
Emilio’s enthusiastic shout prompted Anais to think of the place once more. As before, the space opened, clearly revealing the palace, and Emilio stepped forward.
“Ugh!”
The portal closed again.
“Aagh!”
And again.
“Eek!”
And again.
Every time Emilio took the lead, he was blocked, so while others didn’t have to suffer, he was left panting and slumped his shoulders. Even though he possessed the dragon’s artifact, it didn’t grant him passage. He kept using magic to attack the gaps and tried to stabilize it.
“Her Majesty, one more time!”
“…Stop bothering my wife. It seems like we can’t get through, so stop trying.”
Rahil, unable to watch any longer, tried to dissuade him, but Emilio’s eyes were already wide with what might have been scholarly zeal.
“But! The place we just saw is every mage’s dream!”
“Not ‘every’ mage’s dream,” Arken interjected, causing Emilio to turn his head around and glare at him. The old mage pretended not to notice, avoiding his gaze. Emilio felt like he was going crazy.
‘What’s going wrong?’
Even that ring was a flawless item. When he had tried it on himself, no magic was activated.
Thinking about gifting the dragon’s artifact, of course he had tried it on. When he wore it, it functioned exactly as analyzed, providing resistance to poison, fire, and ice.
But when Rahil and his wife used it, not only did unexpected magic appear, but a portal to the dragon’s palace also opened.
‘It seems the issue isn’t with Rahil…’
It was that woman, Anais, who seemed to be the key. Emilio could bet his entire life as a mage on it. He was certain that with the dragon’s ring they wore, they could enter that palace.
“His Majesty, there’s something I didn’t mention… I may not be able to remove Her Highness’s ring, but I can take off yours.”
“What?”
“So let me wear that ring for a moment.”
With a serious face, Emilio said this, and that day, he almost got killed by Rahil.
