READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 140.2
Chapter 140.2. Talent
Before chasing after Liliana, Jurgen had said something to Hermes:
[I didn’t tell you much about each other on purpose. I thought it would be better for you to meet in person and get to know one another. So—give it your all.]
There was one additional request, but Hermes decided to deal with that later.
For now, as he sprinted through the palace gardens, he started to understand what Jurgen had meant.
“…Haha.”
With magic surging through his body, Hermes grinned in exhilaration.
Because he was now certain—
There was no doubt.
This princess—she was a genius.
“Wh-what is this!?”
Liliana shouted, her voice filled with shock and a hint of fear as she dashed before him.
Her movements were astonishingly swift—so fast that even Hermes had trouble keeping up.
What stood out most, though, was that he was already pushing himself ‘almost to his limit.’
Hermes had met people with greater abilities in certain fields throughout his life.
His mentor, Rose, had superior knowledge and magic output. His friend Nina excelled in magical perception.
This princess was likely one of them.
Considering her age, she might even surpass Hermes in the field of magical control.
The fact that he still hadn’t caught her, despite giving it his all, was proof enough.
…But even so.
Hermes had more than just talent on his side—he had experience. Years of training and discipline. In fact, this ‘game of tag’ had been part of his training with Rose for magical control.
There was too much of a gap in skill and tactics. Physical ability alone wouldn’t be enough to outsmart him.
“…………”
“This makes five times. Do I have your recognition now…?”
After cornering Liliana in a dead-end for the fifth time, Hermes asked calmly.
She had stopped speaking altogether after being caught three times.
…Had he gone too far?
Even though she had challenged him, he was starting to feel a bit guilty about being so harsh with a child.
Just as Hermes began to sweat nervously, Liliana muttered softly.
“…Let me ask you one thing.”
“Y-Yes?”
“During all this… Did you use any Bloodline Magic?”
A reasonable question. Hermes answered honestly.
“No. I matched your level by relying solely on basic magic abilities.”
With her sharp magical intuition, Liliana would know if he were lying.
And, just as Hermes expected, she nodded in acceptance.
“…So the rumors were true. Then—those stories about you wielding multiple Bloodline Magics…”
“Also true. I can demonstrate—”
Thinking this might be the moment to gain her trust, Hermes summoned the Emerald Tablet and performed a few simple bloodline spells.
Upon seeing them, Liliana smiled.
“…I see. Just as Jurgen said—utterly extraordinary. …How enviable.”
“──”
Her response was unexpected, contrasting sharply with her earlier arrogance.
“There’s no need to envy me. You have incredible talent too—I saw that clearly during this test. So surely, you—”
“Enough!!”
Her reply was sharp, teeth clenched in frustration.
Sensing the tension in her emotions, Hermes cautiously pressed forward.
“Liliana…”
“…What?”
“Forgive me if this is just my impression, but… You say you don’t need a tutor, yet it doesn’t seem like you’ve truly rejected the idea. It feels like… somewhere inside, you’re hoping for something. If I may ask—what is it that you’re hoping to find?”
“What would be the point of telling you…!?”
Hermes could feel something welling up within her.
As if confirming his instincts, Liliana’s words burst forth.
“Yes, that’s right…! I wanted power like yours! Not just speed—but real, undeniable strength!”
“Wha—”
“If I had that, I could’ve done something! I wouldn’t have had to watch helplessly as Brother Aster lost his way, as my kind brother and sister fought each other. I wouldn’t have been stuck… just watching, unable to do anything! But—!”
Her voice trailed off as she stared at Hermes, emotions swirling in her gaze.
“It’s impossible. Useless. No matter how much I hope… nothing changes. Fine. I’ll tell you. Because the truth is—”
And then, she declared:
“──I have nothing.”
Her origin—what she defined as ‘hopeless.’
“I… I don’t have any Bloodline Magic!!”
“────”
Everything suddenly made sense.
“So-called ‘incompetence.’ You understand, don’t you? I was never supposed to be nobility, let alone royalty!”
Why had Hermes never heard of Princess Liliana before?
──Because she had never been treated as royalty.
“No matter how skilled I am with magic, it doesn’t mean a thing! It’s all pointless!!”
The reason no one noticed her talent, why no one supported her…
Even if she had been lazy, nobles would usually gather around someone with powerful magic.
But not in her case—because she was ‘incompetent.’
She was merely waiting to be disinherited at the age of 15, following tradition.
“Even so, I kept hoping—believing there had to be something! But every time, I was betrayed, scorned, and looked down upon… So enough is enough!”
She looked down on others—because it was the only way to protect herself.
And the reason Jurgen thought Hermes was the right person to guide her…
Maybe it was arrogance, but he wanted to believe it now.
──That it was true.
“…What is it?”
Noticing Hermes’s strange demeanor, Liliana glared at him with teary eyes.
“Fine! Look down on me if you want! You, with your superior magic and that absurd bloodline ability! A true hero! So tell me—what could you possibly teach someone like me?!”
A girl betrayed by Bloodline Magic, scorned by her kingdom’s traditions, and on the verge of giving up.
──The very same path Hermes had once walked.
So, he spoke the words.
“──You’re amazing, Lily-sama.”
The same words that had once been said to him, without a trace of falsehood.
“…Huh?”
“I’ll be honest… I’m really happy right now. To know that someone like me exists. I wasn’t the only one with this kind of talent. And more than anything—being given the chance to guide you.”
And so, he began.
He shared the truth of magic he had once been told—the nature of Bloodline Magic, and the flawed perception of magic in their kingdom.
When Liliana heard it all, she trembled and whispered.
“I… I can’t believe it.”
She wanted to believe it, but it sounded too good to be true—and worse, she was scared to believe it.
Her eyes, filled with conflicting emotions, met his.
“A story that’s just too convenient for me…! Stop it, don’t make me hope for things that won’t come true! Because…!”
At that moment, Hermes understood Jurgen’s earlier request:
‘Don’t reveal your name until you’ve learned everything about her.’
Now he grasped the meaning behind it, and he spoke.
“Have you heard the name Hermes von Frembleed?”
Reading the intention behind Jurgen’s words perfectly, he asked.
“Judging from what the Duke said… I assume you know it.”
“…Y-Yes. I do. He was someone like me—recognized for his talent but deemed incompetent. He was cast down to commoner status by my brother Aster when he was just ten, a silver-haired…”
Liliana’s eyes widened.
“…No way.”
“Forgive my belated introduction. My name is Hermes.”
Hermes gave a polite bow.
“My former surname was Frenbleed. As you said, I was exiled from the Marquis family… But I inherited this creation magic and returned. Just like you, I hold the same qualifications.”
Liliana’s beautiful emerald eyes sparkled with an uncontainable hope.
Seeing that, Hermes smiled warmly once again.
“Lily-sama, you possess remarkable magic talent.”
He spoke the words he had once longed to hear.
“You have innate magic, exceptional control, and above all… you love magic.”
Hermes was certain of this.
After all, the power she had developed wasn’t something one was simply born with.
It was the result of relentless effort—pursuing magic just as he once had.
“That’s why you, Lily-sama, are more qualified than anyone to wield this creation magic. You have the right to shape beautiful magic freely and fully.”
And so, he made his request.
“You’ll surely become a wonderful magician. I want to witness that. And if you’d allow me… I want to help you make that happen.
So—please, let me teach you.”
He met her gaze, asking gently.
It must have reached her. For a moment, Liliana stared in disbelief, but gradually, the meaning of his words sank in. Her face contorted, and then—
“Wahhhh!”
She cried, shedding the arrogance and harshness she had worn like armor.
Her tears were warm—filled with unguarded emotion, befitting her age.
She murmured apologies between sobs, and he accepted them with a gentle smile.
Taking her hand, he began to walk—just like someone had once done for him.
On the way back to her room, Liliana whispered through her tears:
“…Please… take care of me, Master.”
Hermes murmured under his breath.
“…The Duke really knows how to play dirty.”
If Jurgen had told him everything from the start, it would’ve been easier.
But no—he probably knew words alone wouldn’t convince Liliana, so he had let things play out naturally.
Hermes couldn’t argue with that kind of insight.
And in the end, things had worked out well, so he let it be.
Perhaps Jurgen had planned this all along. Sending Hermes to the academy could have been part of the setup—both to reform the academy and to help Hermes, who had struggled to connect with others.
Well, that was a question for another time.
Even so…
Though Hermes didn’t believe in fate, he couldn’t deny—
“This… really is something like destiny.”
Hand in hand with the still-sobbing Liliana, Hermes thought to himself.
What an adorable girl she was—not just because of her features, but because she reminded him so much of someone he deeply admired.
He, who had been taken in by the former Third Princess and inherited creation magic…
Now met the current Third Princess and would guide her in mastering the same magic.
“Master, huh… That feels a little weird.”
Hermes chuckled at the odd sensation. But it wasn’t unpleasant.
As he walked, he dreamt of her future, and together, the new master and apprentice took their first steps forward.