CHAPTER 114: THE ANGEL’S VISIT

"But how did you get in here just now? I didn’t hear a sound. I didn’t feel anything at all," Jircniv asked.

"It’s a special method. Sort of like teleportation magic, I guess?" Shiao Yi explained with a light shrug.

"You didn’t even use a magic circle. That’s amazing."

"Well, I think you’ve figured out by now that I can get you out of here whenever I want," Shiao Yi said. "But that’s for tomorrow. Tonight, I came to talk about your role—what’s going to be expected of you—and to make sure you’re ready for it."

His expression turned serious.

Jircniv picked up the chair he had knocked over and gestured for Shiao Yi to sit.

He then dragged another wooden chair over from the small table to sit beside him by the fire.

The glow of the flames lit up Shiao Yi’s smooth white cheeks, casting them in a soft, warm light.

In his twenty years of life, Jircniv had never seen anything so beautiful or so charming.

Just having Shiao Yi in the room transformed the cold, gray space—which was little more than a prison—into a bright and warm world full of color.

Jircniv gazed into Shiao Yi’s eyes, completely enchanted.

Then, Shiao Yi said something completely unexpected.

"Jircniv... You’re going to become king."

With a soft swoosh, the boy disappeared into the air as if melting into it.

Jircniv stared at the space where he had been just moments ago, still unable to believe what he had seen.

It wasn’t teleportation magic. It was too smooth, too perfect. Just for an instant—then gone. It almost felt like the boy had never been there at all. And not once had Jircniv felt any movement of magical energy.

That could only mean one thing: it wasn’t magic.

The candle had long since burned out, and the fire in the fireplace was beginning to die as well.

Jircniv reached for the firewood stacked nearby and added more to the hearth.

With a crackling sound, the flames came alive again, throwing flickering light and deep shadows across the cold, dark stone room.

He must be an angel, Jircniv thought. That would explain it. That’s how he could appear so mysteriously, with such strange power. Staring into the rising red flames, Jircniv came to that conclusion.

And besides, teleportation magic couldn’t even be used here. Jircniv remembered something his teacher had once explained to him.

To keep the children of noble families imprisoned as political hostages, a powerful magical barrier had been placed around this wing of the castle.

In fact, the entire castle was surrounded by protective enchantments.

Basic everyday spells were allowed, but any major magic—like teleportation circles—was completely blocked.

It was a natural and necessary measure to protect the castle. Soundproofing a room with a small spell was fine. But destructive magic—like spells to blow open a door or shatter walls—also wouldn’t work within this place.

Argyll had taught Jircniv how to control his magical power and how to properly use spells.

At the same time, he had also taught him about the different systems and structures within the castle.

The teacher went on to explain the responsibilities of officials—starting from the Chancellor—as well as the composition of the knights and military forces.

Jircniv had learned about politics, the state of neighboring countries, diplomacy, and even the basics of governing a nation.

Back then, Jircniv had wondered why he needed to study all these things. But he had plenty of time, and he studied partly to fight off boredom.

Now, at last, he understood why.

That angel-like boy had told him the truth.

Jircniv was the only remaining royal in the kingdom of Dalmasca.

Many allies were already moving behind the scenes to make him king.

Even his grandfather and his uncle had been preparing for this in secret.

The heavy weight of that responsibility—the destiny that had been placed on his shoulders without his knowledge—made Jircniv tremble. He couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through his body.

Wasn’t Jircniv just a hostage, trapped and unsure whether he might die tomorrow?

Hadn’t he simply been a useless child, living out his days in a small room with no purpose?

Hadn’t he only existed as a burden, a weight on the noble House of Dunrossil?

And now, suddenly, they were telling him to become king? That was impossible!

Just as panic rose in him, Shiao Yi leaned closer and looked into Jircniv’s face and speaking gently, "You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to," Shiao Yi said. "It’s your choice, no matter what people expect or want from you. You decide. You don’t have to throw away your will just to do what others say."

"But... Shiao Yi," Jircniv said. "Didn’t you come here as one of their allies?"

"I’m not from Dalmasca," Shiao Yi replied calmly. "I only came to deliver their message and share their intentions. They asked me to help, so I did. But becoming a king isn’t something that should ever be forced on someone. It’s a huge responsibility—too heavy to accept if it goes against your own will. If you don’t want to be king, then we’ll find another way. My only job is to get you out of here and give you your freedom."

Jircniv fell silent, not knowing how to respond.

Shiao Yi smiled at him—an innocent, friendly smile with no trace of malice.

"Think about it," he said. "Be honest with yourself. Just choose what’s true for you. But I do think... if you choose to become king, a lot of people will stand by your side and support you. I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow. Take your time and decide by then."

And just like that, Jircniv’s angel disappeared into the air.

...

The next day, Shiao Yi appeared before Jircniv once more—this time, Jircniv’s mind was clear and his decision made.

As usual, Shiao Yi wore the maid outfit. Jircniv would later learn that, just before coming, Shiao Yi had used his strange powers to take care of some important task.