Guiding Only, Your Highness! - Chapter 8

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‘I’m this scared, and I’m afraid of the Crown Prince, and yet I’m saying things like this.’

There is no one in the world without pride. It is only that they lack power or are in a difficult situation, so they cannot assert that pride. For now, this Guide was still naive about the ways of the world and watching the Empress’s mood, but there was no reason for her to be so carefully walking on eggshells around Yekaterina.

The Crown Prince’s life was in Ephinia’s grasp.

In the worst case, she could run away to another country together with another Transcendent.

She was a precious A-Class Guide, after all. Originally, there had been two S-Class Guides on the continent, but one had been lured away by an emperor across the sea, and now only one remained. In contrast, there were five A-Class Guides including Ephinia.

Not five in their twenties or thirties, but simply five A-Class Guides. There was no reason for Kasselard to cling to her ankles desperately.

Yekaterina regretted whether she had raised the Crown Prince too dearly. Because he didn’t know how the world worked, he did foolish things. She had been warned that children raised with excessive indulgence caused trouble, and that they needed to be pressed down appropriately.

‘I thought he was smart, so I believed he wouldn’t commit such foolish acts.’

This was why imperial men were no good. Just because they were born with high status, they mistook the world as revolving around them.

‘Shout at her and scare her once, and it will only hasten the day she runs away.’

Transcendents flew through the sky and moved through space according to their abilities. Guides were beings who could command such Transcendents with guiding alone.

So one must not be mistaken. If someone thought it was acceptable to treat Guides carelessly just because they were physically weak, they would pay dearly for it.

“Very well. Since the Crown Prince showed such behavior… it is understandable that you were startled. I understand. Let us take some time to think it over.”

So it really isn’t being accepted. Ephinia swallowed a sigh in quiet despair. Just thinking about being forced to guide the Crown Prince made her vision feel dark already.

“Are they treating you well at the Lanas ducal household?”

At the question about her daily life, Ephinia couldn’t even recall with what state of mind she answered. Her heart was filled only with the desire to run away.

* * *

Starting the day with suppressants and ending it with suppressants was Kasselard’s routine. Today as well, he casually drank the potion, but unlike usual, he felt no significant change.

Irritated by the deepening headache, he immediately summoned the mage Bart.

Bart was affiliated with the Mage Tower and also served as a liaison with the imperial family, often bringing wave suppressants to Crown Prince Kasselard.

“Bring a new suppressant. The previous one seems to have lost its effect.”

“Your Highness, didn’t I tell you that new potions don’t just appear overnight?”

At Bart’s reply, Kasselard looked at him as if he were talking nonsense. He frowned his handsome brow and spoke.

“Did Her Majesty the Empress say something?”

“Why would someone as exalted as Her Majesty the Empress summon me for anything?”

“Did she perhaps tell you not to bring me the Mage Tower’s new meds…”

Now that a Guide that matched him existed, the Empress kept saying he should receive guiding instead of relying on suppressants. Lately, she said this every time he saw her, so it was only natural to be suspicious.

“Even if you ask another mage of the tower, you’ll hear the same thing. Your Highness has taken all the suppressants currently available, so there are no new ones.”

“Does that include those still under testing?”

“Why would someone as exalted as you say you’ll take something still under testing? Those are things only C-Class or lower mercenaries drink.”

Guides were exceedingly rare and Transcendents kept increasing, so C-Class Transcendents whose abilities were declining mostly became mercenaries. Such people abused suppressants until the potions stopped working, then relied on the Mage Tower’s experimental medicines, so hearing the Crown Prince say this was absurd.

“Fine, then. There must be a new potion being prepared for release. Bring that one.”

“There isn’t one. The one you just took is that. Didn’t I tell you that if even that stops working, you’ll truly be in danger?”

At Bart’s frustrated words, Kasselard finally grasped the seriousness of the situation.

“There really isn’t one?”

“Yes. The suppressants currently under preparation are only products that haven’t shown proper effects yet. Even clinical trials won’t begin until one year and eight months from now.”