The Rose Of The South
Chapter 30: The Disciple du Sorcier

"Make this thing invisible." Eleanor's orders as soon as she entered Leon's room were accompanied by her ladies and the servants who brought her breakfast. She took out a piece of paper from the pocket of her dress, and placed it on the nightstand beside her bed.

Leon just woke up from his sleep. Sleep two hours. Hair disheveled. His eyes were not fully open. His consciousness is between there and nothing. Head's dizzy.

"Take something." The Queen's orders when she realized her guest was bare-chested. Behind the Queen, the young female servants whispered and held a smile from looking at her. Their faces were embarrassed. But one deadly glance from Eleanor made all of them return to submissive gaze.

"Aren't you supposed to knock first?" Leon ignored Eleanor's orders and the waiter's gaze. His voice was still hoarse and heavy. His eyes were looking for water to drink.

"For what? This is my house." Eleanor answered without caring. But with a wave of his hand, a glass of warm water appeared on the nightstand. Leon drank it immediately.

Leon was going to argue again, but then Eleanor used her magic and a thick coat of fur covered her body.

"Make it invisible. Now." Now." Eleanor repeated her orders.

Leon opened his eyes, trying to concentrate on the piece of paper on the table. His head was a bit dizzy spinning because he had just slept for a while and was awakened very suddenly.

"Isn't rest important for this kind of training?" Ask Leon last night. Later they continue to practice Leon's magic until late at night, then wake up before the sun really rises to re-train his magic. Eleanor threw the Cruel Queen's distinctive gaze at him. She was reminded that the witch before her was a queen and she was one year older than him—she really only found out from Aletha because Eleanor looked much younger than her age. The people of the north really uphold decency on things like rank and age. So Leon hurriedly added respectfully, "Report Queen."

Eleanor's gaze softened, "I've heard from Elias about it. Rest is very important for physical exercise in the sword. Magic is different from sword. The less time you spend sleeping, the more time you spend practicing magic. In other words, the less you sleep, the faster you master that loan magic, General Leon."

Afterwards, Leon could not argue with her anymore. First, because he believed that Eleanor was speaking the truth. Second, because he also wanted to quickly finish this exercise. I want to quickly master magic. Want to quickly break Selena's magic on Queen Irene. And want to quickly return to Princess Anastasia.

Although he had just opened his eyes, Leon had no trouble concentrating. He looked at the piece of paper on the table so that the servants who were there would expect to be a piece of paper right then and there. Within seconds, the paper disappeared. Or at least, that's how it looks. The paper was still there, but no one could see it. It was only yesterday morning that Leon began to study invisible magic. Eleanor told him that it took her six months to master the magic. Leon has now mastered it.

After Aletha made them know all the secrets of each, Eleanor decided to immediately give some of her magic power to Leon. Half of his magic power. Yesterday, all day long they practiced a few simple magic tricks, and now Leon has mastered almost everything as if he had studied magic for years.

Eleanor seemed to be trying to hide a proud smile for her student when she saw Leon mastering invisible magic.

Leon watched the Queen. This morning, she was wearing another black dress. The model was a little different, but it was still a black dress. Grieving dress. But there were no signs of exhaustion on the Queen's face. It still remained thin and pale-skinned, but it was not visible on that flawless face that last night the woman did not sleep at all. He didn't look like he had been crying all night. Magic, thought Leon. Or maybe last night he was just dreaming. Or maybe the one who cried last night was really a ghost. Leon wouldn't think about it.

Eleanor then gave the order again, breaking her daydream, "Now make it visible again." The paper is back in sight. "Destroy." The paper was crushed into paper powder. "Return it back to the way it was." The paper is back in one piece. "Open the fold of paper without touching it." The paper opens on its own. "Place the paper in front of you." The paper was now open in the air in front of Leon.

Even though Leon had just used magic that normally could only be done by ordinary magicians after learning magic in the Tower for at least two years in just two days, there was not the slightest expression of pleasure painted on Eleanor's face. Or maybe the Queen is good at hiding her emotions.

Then, in a quieter voice, unlike the previous absolute commandments, Eleanor again said, "Read."

Leon turned his head towards Eleanor, frowning, "What?"

Eleanor gave small gestures to the servants and ladies-in-waiting to leave Leon's breakfast on the table and leave the room. In an instant, only the two of them remained in that room.

"That's a letter." Eleanor said, she nodded. "From Princess Anastasia."

Leon forgot his magic and immediately took the paper with his hand. Read it quickly, then, "This is not a letter to me."

"I never said it was a letter to you, General Leon. It's a letter from Princess Anastasia. To my. But I want you to read it." Upon seeing that question mark-filled gaze from Leon, Eleanor immediately added. "I haven't read it yet. Just arrived about an hour ago. The magic eagle I gave to Xavier delivered it. At first I thought it was a letter from Xavier. But Xavier never began a letter addressed to me with words like 'To Her Majesty Queen Eleanor'. Right, I just read up to that sentence. And from that opening line I know that the one who wrote must be Princess Anastasia."

"But this letter is really for you. Why would you want me to read a letter to you?"

"First, because I want you to believe in me. Second, I know you'll want to read it because it's a letter from the person you miss. Thirdly..." Eleanor was silent for a moment. Leon waited quietly for the Queen to continue. "Because I'm afraid to read it." His voice was much slower than before, half whispering.

"Fearful?" Leon asked, as if he could not believe a letter from Princess Anastasia could make the Queen and the witch who was in front of him afraid.

Eleanor nodded. He lowered his head, staring at the floor. "The last time Princess Anastasia sent me a letter, the letter told me that Xavier was seriously injured. Several shadow killers—magic from Selena—trying to kill him. I still can't deal with such conditions anymore. I'm afraid something really happened to Xavier."

Leon frowned, looking puzzled, "I don't think you really love Son of Mahko—I mean, Xavier."

Eleanor looked up, her brows furrowed, "It doesn't mean I don't care about her at all." His eyes looked bright as he said the next thing. "We've been together since childhood. The day he was born, was the day I was set to be his future wife. And although he was a lot of troublesome, annoying, often kept a secret from me, he treated me and my family well like he treated his own family. He's like Elias. Like a little brother to me. So, of course, I care about him. And if she gets hurt, or something bad happens to her, I..." Eleanor hung up her sentence. Seems like trouble continuing. "I can't... Justjust please. Help me read the letter." The queen looked pleading.

Leon nodded, understanding that more than anyone. Just like her who already considered Princess Anastasia as part of her life. If something bad happens to Princess Anastasia... Leon was also unable to continue that sentence. Because Leon doesn't want that to happen. "alright. I'll read it." Said.

To Her Majesty Her Majesty Queen Eleanor of Nordhalbinsel,

Hope you and the people around you are always in good health.

Xavier's dying. He was exposed to Morta's poison which my informant said was a poison created and developed by the tower witches. The poison is more deadly than Siarine. I'm sure you already know quite a lot about Xavier so I assume you should know that his injuries usually recover quickly and he's immune to various poisons. But his wound was still not recovered as well and it was already the second day he was still unconscious.

It's all my fault. We were on a mission, and he was hit by a poisoned arrow on that mission. And I'm afraid you don't know yet what we're trying to do on this mission, so I'll tell you everything.

Nordhalbinsel founded the Magic Tower in Schere, the capital of Schiereiland. The tower witches took children from our land to be made slaves. Xavier and I had originally planned to go to the Tower to free the children's slaves from the tower. But because his condition is not improving, I want to ask for help from you.

I look forward to immediate reply.

And please send my regards to General Leon. I trust him and I will support him from afar. And I believe you won't hurt him. I will wait patiently for him.

Greetings, greetings,

Anastasia Roselia-Isabelle de Gratina, Princess of Schiereiland

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The scenery of the Sky Palace always seemed familiar to him no matter how long he did not visit the Creator. How many hundred years had passed since he had last come to this holy place, he himself could not remember. When the verdict of his sentence was read, he was reluctant to come to the Sky Palace, until the Goddess herself who had to come to him.

High white pillars made of prayers support the golden sky. Silver tendrils propagate on each pillar, prayers heard and answered. The floor can never be stepped on because it is made of the light of dawn, but he can. His swift steps echoed throughout the world. Every human who heard it must have felt an approaching disaster.

He doesn't care. Now for him it doesn't matter anymore. The only thing that matters is the woman. His wife.

His wife was dead, but he took her there. It was because her partner was mortal, whereas she was immortal.

"Goddess of Heaven! Out you!" His voice shook the earth and brought down the mountain. Ocean rippling, giant waves rolling. He was unaware of the effects of his anger at the time, but the world was almost destroyed.

Yet the Summoned One, the Celestial Goddess immediately appeared before him. The light was blinding but he stared at the Goddess until blood flowed out from her two red eyes.

"Did coming down to earth make you lose your manners, Great Fire Dragon?" The Goddess immediately saw what— who was brought by her. The Goddess of wrath. Sky vibrates. "Why did you bring a human body to this holy place! Buried him right now! Man must be buried after death for his spirit to calm down. He's going to Heaven."

She shook her head. Dissenting the order of the Goddess for the first time in thousands of years.

The Goddess immediately created an altar of marble and placed the body there.

He kneels. For the first time in thousands of years, the Great One knelt to the Goddess, before the dead woman. The woman. Her love.

"Return him... Give her life back."

"I don't think you care about human life. Didn't you yourself say, humans are worthless and insignificant. Humans are arrogant and ungrateful little creatures who can only destroy the world you have guarded for hundreds of years and are better exterminated from this world. You remember saying that, right? You certainly remember slaughtering those humans, right?"

"He's... He's different. He's very valuable. He's important. Please, Etherna... Make him come back to life..."

"Look at you now. Where did the heartless, haughty creatures that scorched a continent, burned the land and killed so many people?" The Goddess turned, now stroking the pale face of the beautiful red-haired body. The red hair was passed down from her father, while her radiant beauty belonged to her mother. Belongs to the Goddess. But ill-fated, the daughter of the Goddess was born mortal. Born with the curse of bad luck and a short life. And happiness is very short compared to his suffering. "My beautiful daughter... My poor daughter..." The Goddess' tears fell on him. The tears of a mother who lost her daughter. The Goddess turned to face him again. "For him, you are the answer to all his prayers for me. His helper. Her hope. Light in the darkness. But for you, he is your karma. Your punishment. Torture to you." Other tears streamed down the glorious face of the Goddess. "You finally understand what I feel when you kill all those humans. That's what it's like to be sad."

He looked up, flames blazing in his eyes as he stared at the Goddess. When he finally realized the meaning of those words. "So this is the punishment you're referring to? My punishment is not to come down to earth to help him? My punishment is to feel sorrow? My punishment is his death? You've already succeeded in punishing me, Etherna. I have suffered enough... If you want to punish me, you should just take my life! Not life... Don't dia—“

"How dare you say that to me! She's my daughter! He died because of you! Because you chose it!" The Goddess's tears became the rain that drowned the islands. The sky seemed to split and spill all over.

"So then... When you gave me the punishment to come down to earth and help one man with the holiest heart and the most sincere prayer, to take away my sins and all my faults... Anyone I chose at that time would die? Because my real punishment is the death of the man I helped and loved?"

The Goddess nodded.

"Then make him come back to life. Give her a second life, O Goddess of Heaven. There's gotta be a way. I'd do anything for you. I'll give you anything. My heart, my life, my immortality, everything I'll give you as long as he comes back to life."

"alright. I'll take all that from you. Your heart, your life, your immortality. You will no longer live forever. My daughter will be reborn. So do you. You will be reborn as mortal beings. You will meet again. You'll see him come back to life. But he probably won't remember you. He probably won't recognize you at all."

"It's okay. As long as I can see her coming back to life is enough for me."

"And because he doesn't remember you, he probably won't love you like he did before. You might remember him, but he won't remember you. Unless you approach him. Then your destiny will be the same as it is today. He'll be back to die because of you. And you won't have anything in exchange to save her."

"I understand. Then I can't get close to him. Make me feel sick every time I get close to him so I can no longer get close to him. Create the perfect partner for her, who can protect her and always be there for her, so that I can calm down even if I can't be with her. So that I would no longer expect his love. Do whatever it takes to prevent me from repeating that cruel fate."

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