[Lifespan Remaining: 2 days, 17 hours, 32 minutes.]
〔Skill Acquired: Water Magic [★]〕
〔Skill Acquired: Ice Magic [★]〕
〔Skill Acquired: Lightning Magic [★]〕
‘How many types of magic am I even compatible with…?’
After practicing for a few more hours, Noct finally managed to add a couple more spells into his arsenal.
Surprisingly, they weren’t too hard to learn.
To Noelle’s amazement, just a single glance over the grimoire as well as some mental training, and Noct was able to cast a spell that novice mages would take a year or two to learn.
“I always knew it…”
“You said something?”
“Nothing, Young Master,” the maid bowed her head.
“It’s getting late, we should head back before any other troubles come finding us.”
Noct looked past the courtyard walls, where the light spilling over them had already begun to take on an orange tint.
“Right…”
It had only been five hours or so, but Noct could feel the effects of the Greater Healing Potion beginning to wear off.
His legs felt heavier, and each breath required a little more effort than it had hours a go.
‘Maybe my body is slowly getting used to them.
If I don’t find a solution soon, the efficacy will only keep dropping until they become useless to me.’
Noct settled in his wheelchair, taking a moment to gather himself.
“Let’s go.”
***
Someone was waiting outside his room when they returned.
A servant stood beside the door with a silver tray in his hands, and resting on it, was an envelope.
The side palace, or rather, Noct himself rarely got any letters from anybody.
Being bedridden all his life was the main cause of that.
So this letter could only be one thing.
‘It’s here.’
The servant who stood outside seemed nervous, occasionally fixing his shirt or jittering as Noct and Noelle approached him.
“Y—Young Master,” the servant bowed, lowering the tray so that Noct may reach the contents.
“These arrived while you were outside.”
Noct picked up the first envelope, inspecting the dark wax that kept it closed.
It was stamped with a variation of the Arcadia insignia, using a brown wax instead of Arcadia’s red.
Breaking the seal, he unfolded the letter and began to read its contents.
The language was unnecessarily elaborate, filled with sentences to the family’s honor, its proud traditions, and the responsibilities bestowed upon those who carried its name…
But once he got past that, the message was simple.
Rosse de Arcadia, one who was said to be the most talented out of all the heirs of Arcadia’s branch families, finally had enough courage to challenge Noct for an official spot.
‘Same person, and same timing.’
At least Faust hadn’t been lying about the branch families talking.
“Young Master…” Noelle began.
“Is that what I think it is?”
He handed her the letter.
She accepted it, moving her eyes across the page before stopping near the bottom and reading it aloud.
“The Rite of Contention…your prediction was right, Young Master.”
But instead of being saddened, Noct simply smirked.
“See how I was right about that? Starting to believe me now?”
The maid frowned, but otherwise offered no further comments.
With a wave of his hand, Noct simply commanded.
“Turn the wheelchair around Noelle. We need to go somewhere.”
“W—where are we going, Young Master?”
“To dinner, of course.”
***
The closer they got to the main palace, the slower the wheelchair seemed to move.
At first, Noct thought the stone path was making things difficult, but clearly that wasn’t the case.
Noct tilted his head back to look at the maid who was pushing him.
Even from here, he could tell that she was hesitant.
“Young Master, are you certain about this…?”
“About dinner?”
“About having it here.”
“Is the food bad?”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
Noelle lowered her voice as two servants passed along the walkway.
“You’ve never come to the main palace for anything. You don’t even join them for lunch.”
“All the more reason to start.”
“But you weren’t invited.”
Noct looked up at the building.
Wide steps led toward a set of enormous double doors, each bearing the Arcadia Insignia.
It was the centerpiece of Arcadia, the building that dominated everything else around it, whether it be the side palace or otherwise.
“This is technically my house, isn’t it?”
“The main palace belongs to the Duke.”
“And I’m his son.”
“Yes, but arriving in the middle of their dinner without an invitation might be considered rude. What if we…?”
“Who would dare?” Noct questioned her.
“Honestly, I’d applaud anyone who had the balls to complain.”
The maid stared at him for a while longer before sighing.
They took the sloping path beside the stairs and approached the entrance.
One of the knights stepped forward, apparently intending to ask their business.
But once the man recognized who was in the wheelchair…
“Young Master Noct?”
“Something wrong?” Noct said matter-of-factly.
“Please open the door.”
“No, I—my apologies.”
The knight then straightened, taking a glance toward Noelle, who offered him no explanation, but a simple nod instead.
“Should I send someone to—”
Noct cut him off.
“Is the First Lady having dinner?”
“Y—Yes, but…!”
“Then we shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
That wasn’t quite the answer the knight wanted.
But fortunately, the man seemed too flustered to try to stop Noct.
So easily, Noelle pushed his wheelchair inside until they both disappeared behind the doors.
The main palace was considerably warmer than the path outside.
Chandeliers hung above, illuminating the marble floor and tall pillars that made the place feel imposing.
Noct glanced around as they passed.
‘So this is where everyone else lives.’
A servant carrying an empty tray stopped beside one of the pillars to stare at them.
Farther ahead, another nearly walked into him while trying to get a better look.
By the time they reached the dining room, the knight from the entrance had caught up.
“Young Master, please allow me to announce—”
But Noelle had already pushed his chair through the open doorway.
“Good evening.”
The conversation inside stopped suddenly.
Five people sat around a table large enough to accommodate twice that number.
Platters of roasted meat were placed front and center, surrounded by smaller dishes and bottles of wine.
The First Lady sat near the head, with her youngest daughter beside her and Faust a little farther down.
Across from them sat a well-dressed woman and her son—
Rosse de Arcadia.
Unlike Noct, there was nothing sickly about his appearance.
He was roughly Faust’s age, with broad shoulders under his formal coat and a wineglass held between his fingers.
Faust was the first to speak.
“…Noct?”
“Faust.”
Noct nodded, regarding him back.
With a simple nudge, Noelle slowly started pushing him to the table, where he pulled out a chair and slowly climbed on like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Surprisingly, her hesitant expression was nowhere to be seen.
After doing so, Noelle simply stepped back to observe.
The First Lady’s spoon remained suspended above her plate.
But after a while, she carefully set it down, regarding the youngest fully.
“Noct, we weren’t expecting you, dear.”
“I noticed,” he answered absentmindedly, already grabbing things from the table.
“Just continue as you were. I’m only here to eat and nothing more.”
Obviously, no one believed what he was saying, but Noct continued like their stares weren’t bothering him at all.
But in between bites, he slowly categorized everyone.
Vivienne de Arcadia, the Duke’s first wife.
As the heiress of her own rightful territory, she gave it up to marry Duke Arcadia through a political marriage.
She managed the main household whenever the Duke was away, but despite their years of marriage, he had never formally granted her the title of Duchess.
Within the estate, she remained the First Lady.
Next to her was Amelia de Arcadia, Vivienne’s youngest child as well as the fourth-in-line.
If Noct remembered correctly, she decided to become a merchant after seeing that she had no power to contest the seat of Duke with her other siblings.
She facilitates most of the region’s trade, and her base of operations in Altaire, was one of the strongest merchant organizations, not to mention it was controlled by a twenty-year-old.
‘She could be a useful ally…’
Faust tried to take control of the situation quickly.
“The food from the main palace is good, isn’t it? Please eat a lot because you don’t get to every day.”
Clearly, it was meant to provoke Noct, who was rumored to be quite temperamental.
But when Noct continued to eat a lot as he was told, Faust suddenly slammed his hands into the table and shot up.
“Cut the bullshit, Noct! Why the hell are you even here?!”
That was the question he had been waiting for this whole time.
Noct would’ve liked it if they spilled some more information, but alas, nothing ever goes according to plan.
He simply leaned back in his seat and wiped his mouth off with a hand towel, before looking towards the First Lady.
“I’m here to claim something that rightfully belongs to me.”