"Ministers," Sequoria began in a solemn voice, "I would like to propose that we give Her Majesty more time to improve her combat skills—especially her magic. As you are all aware, in two years, our queen will embark on a journey in search of magic strong enough to help us defeat Artema once and for all.
However, considering the threat posed by the Silent Gate, who has proven capable of bypassing every magical barrier we can erect, it would be wise to ensure our queen is always ready to defend herself. This preparation will also aid her when the time comes to face Artema again. Naturally, her training will always be under the protection of Aislyra and Katerina. What are your thoughts?"
All six ministers, along with Lucas, Katerina, and Aislyra, nodded in agreement.
"Good. Then it is decided," said Sequoria with authority. "From this day forward, until the threat of the Silent Gate is eliminated, the queen will conduct her royal duties in the morning. The remainder of her day will be dedicated to training."
Then, softening her tone, she turned toward the throne. "Does Her Majesty have anything to say to her ministers before we release them back to their duties?"
"Yes, Mother," Lucas replied respectfully. He turned his gaze to the ministers and said, "Scuro, Lucrio, Heve—thank you deeply for your help yesterday. If it hadn't been for you two, Scuro and Lucrio, I wouldn't be here right now. And Heve, I am truly grateful for the care you gave my sister. I'm lucky to have a minister of health as skilled as you."
Lucas gave a small, elegant bow from his throne. He would have bowed deeper to show greater sincerity, but Katerina had already advised him against it earlier that morning.
The three ministers responded in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty/Alberia. We were simply doing our duty."
Lucas was a bit surprised that even Lucrio replied in the same formal tone as Scuro and Heve. Based on what he'd seen so far, he hadn't expected that—but perhaps this was Lucrio's way of showing his loyalty.
A warm, sincere smile appeared on Lucas's face as he raised his head.
'Alberia really had exceptional people supporting her. With them by my side, even someone like me—with barely any experience—might actually be able to lead this kingdom she entrusted to me.'
"Well then, you may go," Lucas said to conclude the meeting.
With that, all six ministers bowed and exited the throne room to resume their responsibilities.
Once the morning's business had ended, Lucas, accompanied by Katerina, Aislyra, and Sequoria, made their way to the former queen's chambers for Sequoria's second lesson.
From Lucas's perspective, the lesson was rather dull. Not because of the topics themselves—although he had never been particularly interested in politics or history—but because he couldn't stop thinking about the spells he'd read in the book Katerina had given him. He was itching to test them out in Katerina's lesson, which was scheduled right after this one. Still, he made sure to do his best to memorize everything Sequoria taught.
Now, after lunch, Lucas, Katerina, and Aislyra were gathered in the underground training ground, ready for the next lesson.
"Well, Mr. Lucas," said Katerina, "if you've learned any of the spells from the book I gave you yesterday, go ahead and cast a few of them so we can work on refining them."
Lucas nodded. He concentrated mana into his right hand and shouted, "Light Javelin!"
A glowing javelin of pure light, over two and a half meters long, materialized in his hand.
"A Light Javelin, huh? I suppose the book explained it well enough for you to understand how it works."
Lucas gave another nod in response.
"Good. Then, like last time, I'll create a target for you. But keep in mind, this spell is significantly more powerful than a Light Arrow, so the wall will be reinforced to match. Show me you can pierce through it."
"Yes!" Lucas responded with enthusiasm, excited to finally test the spell.
"Trunks Wall," Katerina chanted. Four thick tree trunks burst from the ground and merged, forming a wooden wall three meters high, four meters wide, and two meters thick.
Once it was ready, Lucas raised the weightless javelin and threw it with all his strength.
The moment it left his hand, the javelin accelerated to a speed just shy of light itself. It pierced the thick wall effortlessly and vanished before hitting the training room's actual walls.
The spell was so fast that only Aislyra had managed to perceive its movement—and even she had barely caught it.
"Excellent work, Mr. Lucas," Katerina praised, slipping her hand through the hole left in the wall. "L ast evening you've clearly been busy studying the spells from the book."
"Yes, I really liked that book, but I only managed to read half of it," Lucas replied, scratching the back of his head modestly.
"Don't worry, half the book is more than enough for today's lesson. So, how about you show me a few more of the spells you've learned?" Katerina asked with her usual composed smile.
"SURE!" Lucas exclaimed, his eyes practically sparkling with excitement.
The magic lesson continued for several more hours. During that time, Lucas demonstrated most of the spells he had learned from the book and practiced them repeatedly to perfect their casting and get used to using them in quick succession.
Among the basic light spells he showcased were:
Light Sword – a razor-sharp blade made of concentrated light, more difficult to throw than Light Daggers, but capable of exploding on command.
Flying Lamps – a spell that, depending on the amount of mana used, creates a variable number of floating spheres of light that can be controlled by thought, mainly used for illumination, but which could also be detonated like flashbangs.
And many other spells of varying utility and power, such as one whose sole purpose was to make the user's skin glow.
"Well, I think that's enough for today, Mr. Lucas," Katerina finally said. "You've used quite a bit of mana, and since your combat training with Lady Aislyra has been postponed, your responsibilities for the day are complete. Would you like to return to your room and rest?"
"To tell you the truth... I'd like to keep the promise I made to Macro yesterday and visit his laboratory," Lucas replied, slightly embarrassed. "I'm really interested in seeing what kind of technology exists in this world. And since things like that don't really exist where I come from, I'm also super curious about potions."
The moment these words reached the ears of both girls, their faces went pale. Katerina, however, maintained her graceful composure and responded in her usual calm tone, "Oh right, you made such a promise to Minister Macro. Well, I'll gladly accompany you."
But if Lucas had been paying extremely close attention, he might have noticed a subtle tremor in her voice.
Unfortunately, he was far too excited to pick up on it.
"Perfect! Would you show me the way, Katerina?" he asked eagerly.
"C-certainly, Your Majesty," she replied.
As the two prepared to leave the training hall, Katerina noticed Aislyra trying to sneak away in the opposite direction.
"Lady Aislyra," Katerina called out, her voice gentle—but with a smile that could freeze blood. "Where are you going?"
Caught red-handed, the elf turned around abruptly, her face betraying clear panic. "Ah, well... I was told to rest today, so I was just heading to my room for that. Resting!"
"But Lady Aislyra," Katerina said, her smile becoming even more unnerving, "that was merely a suggestion from Heve. You're still capable of fighting if needed, aren't you?"
"Y-yes…" Aislyra stammered, visibly trembling.
"Then it's better if you come with us. We never know what that assassin might be planning," Katerina continued, her tone calm but as cold as ice.
"Y-you're right, Katerina. I'll come with you," Aislyra said, sweat dripping down her forehead.
Meanwhile, Lucas—already outside and waiting—wondered, 'What are those two doing?'
As Katerina walked past Aislyra on her way to the door, she leaned in close and whispered, "I won't let you leave me and the queen alone in that place…"
Aislyra sighed in defeat and followed the two others.
As they made their way toward Macro's laboratory, Katerina decided it was time to issue a warning.
"Your Majesty," she began, "I feel the need to warn you. If Minister Macro asks you to volunteer for any of his potion experiments… it would be best not to refuse. Normally, I would advise against it, but since Queen Alberia never declined his requests, saying no might raise suspicion. So if he does ask, please accept. Don't worry—we won't leave you alone. Aislyra and I will participate as well."
Her tone was calm, but a sliver of concern slipped through her practiced composure.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. The warning made him slightly wary, but his curiosity about the potions—and the magical technology of this world—overpowered any hesitations he had.
"Yes, don't worry, Katerina. That was my intention from the beginning," he said, quickening his pace.
If anything, her warning had only made him more curious.
A couple of minutes later, Lucas spotted a massive steampunk-style door at the end of the hallway.
"Is Macro's laboratory behind that door?" he asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Katerina replied calmly.
As Lucas took a few more steps toward it, he examined the door with fascination. Compared to the rest of the palace—which was shaped by natural wood and had a tree-like elegance—this mechanical, gear-filled entrance stood out even more than the extremely elegant bathroom. But to Lucas, it looked undeniably cool.
Suddenly, the exposed gears on the door began to turn with a rhythmic clicking. With a low hum, the heavy door slowly opened.
Out stepped Luvrio and his ever-present butler.
"Good morning, Uncle Luvrio! Were you here talking to Macro about the results of the research you mentioned during lunch yesterday?" Lucas asked as he approached the pair.
"Ah, good morning, Your Majesty," Luvrio replied with a polite bow. "Yes, you guessed correctly. I presented the results of my research to Minister Macro. After a quick review, he said that while he's not yet able to prevent the appearance of those mutated Over Beasts, he should soon be able to create a prototype perfume that will help repel them. That way, merchants traveling through the forest can move more safely."
"That's wonderful news, Mr. Luvrio. Your brother, Mr. Lucrio, was quite worried that the increasing frequency of those mutated Over Beasts—being harder to deal with than normal ones—might begin to impact our nation's trade," said Katerina, her voice calm and composed as always.
"Excellent work, Uncle Luvrio. This will certainly help our country," Lucas said with a bright smile.
"You don't need to thank me, Your Majesty," Luvrio replied humbly. "It is Minister Macro you should thank. I merely collected the data—he is the one developing the perfume."
"Still, if it weren't for your research, the perfumewouldn't even be possible, right? So I think you deserve some thanks too, Uncle Luvrio. You should have more confidence in yourself. I'm sure that you—and all the ministers—are key pillars supporting this kingdom," Lucas said sincerely, placing a reassuring hand on Luvrio's shoulder.
"You're right, Your Majesty. Thank you." Luvrio gave a respectful nod. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to visit the Rangers to request permission to examine the carcass of the chimera that attacked yesterday."
"Of course. Goodbye, Uncle Luvrio," Lucas said, waving as the elf turned to leave.
At long last, the moment Lucas had been eagerly waiting for had arrived. With the great steampunk door now wide open, he stood at the threshold of Macro's laboratory, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Meanwhile, the maid and the bodyguard—now noticeably paler than they had been just moments ago—resigned themselves to their fate and followed close behind.