A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 138.1. The Princess

“……Alright, let’s go over it again.”

Kingdom of Eustia, central district.

There stood the grandest, most intricate, oldest, and most significant structure in the kingdom.

Yes— the royal palace.

Inside one part of that palace, footsteps echoed through a wide corridor.

Those footsteps belonged to Jurgen and Hermes.

The two were on their way to a certain location within the palace, and as they walked through the spacious halls, Jurgen took the opportunity to review the current situation.

Jurgen spoke again.

“The struggle for the throne is in full swing. Since that incident, and after Prince Aster’s disinheritance became more likely, various factions began to rally around those with succession rights, and the palace has been in great upheaval.”

“Yes.”

This power struggle in the palace had been ongoing while Hermes was attending the academy.

He had heard about it before, so he simply nodded and waited for Jurgen to continue.

Trusting Hermes’ understanding, Jurgen nodded back and went on.

“And just recently, Prince Aster was officially disinherited. Around the same time, the fighting within the palace settled down. In the end, two major factions remain.”

“Two…?”

In other words, only two factions supporting different successors still stood. The other factions had either been reduced to insignificance or absorbed.

What mattered now were the two successors themselves. Hermes listened even more carefully to Jurgen’s words.

Understanding his seriousness, Jurgen spoke in a calm, deliberate tone.

“──The first is His Highness, the First Prince.”

“……I see.”

“As expected, in such cases, the eldest son holds an advantage. Many of the old, powerful nobles who value bloodlines have backed him. I’ve also heard he has a strong group of advisors. And it’s not as though he’s magically unfit for royalty— he was just overshadowed by Prince Aster.”

That made sense.

Even in a country where magical ability was prioritized, there was still a tendency to favor the eldest, who normally held the strongest claim to the throne. The First Prince was a reasonable candidate.

But what intrigued Hermes was the other faction— the one able to rival the First Prince. Jurgen soon revealed its identity.

“The second is Her Highness, the Second Princess. With the First Princess already married off to another country, she is effectively the most powerful female candidate for succession. And what’s more── she has the backing of an extremely influential force in this kingdom.”

Jurgen paused for a moment, then, with a slight hesitation, firmly continued.

“──The Church.”

“────”

Hermes narrowed his eyes.

That organization held significant ties to him.

The Church.

As its name implied, it was the largest religious organization in the Kingdom of Eustia, worshiping the “Star God”, the one true god recognized even by the royal family.

But more importantly…

It was the organization that first proposed and spread the idea that “bloodline magic is a gift from God.”

Yes.

This was a belief that stood in direct opposition to the truth of magic as Hermes knew it. The Church had also branded Hermes as someone “unloved by God,” contributing to his exile. For those reasons, both personal and magical, it was clear that Hermes could not align himself with them.

Seeing Hermes’ expression darken slightly, Jurgen continued with a wry smile.

“With these two forces, the current power struggle has been reduced to two sides. On one side, the First Prince, was supported by many of the most powerful nobles. On the other side, the Second Princess, is backed by the largest religious organization. Both are formidable.”

“……”

“And── both are our enemies.”

With that statement, Jurgen confirmed it. The Trakia family was not aligned with either of these powerful factions.

Nor were they neutral.

They had declared their intent to support a third faction— a third successor.

Hermes had already heard this and understood it well. It was clear that what they were about to attempt would inevitably clash with the two major forces.

Thus── Jurgen opened his mouth to deliver his conclusion, naming a person.

“The one we will support is the Third Princess. Eleven years old, Princess Liliana.”

“……Pardon me, but may I speak frankly?”

“Of course. Though I think I already know what you’re going to say.”

With a slightly reserved tone, Hermes asked for permission, and Jurgen nodded with a smile, knowing full well what was coming.

As expected, Hermes voiced his honest thoughts.

“……I didn’t even know there was a Third Princess. I thought I had a pretty good idea of who was in the royal family, but…”

“No, it’s not your fault. She’s someone who has never been in the public eye. Honestly, most nobles probably don’t even know she exists.”

That seemed problematic in its own way.

Why would they choose to back such a hidden figure?

Though, knowing Jurgen, he probably had a well-thought-out reason.

“Of course, there’s a reason for it. I’ll explain soon— or rather, you’ll come to understand shortly. After all──”

With that, Jurgen’s smile deepened as he glanced at Hermes.

“──We’re on our way to meet her right now, aren’t we?”