Hysteria's sudden appearance was like a tadpole struggling all the way up to the surface—only to smack straight into a parasol. Traor's anger, which had just crested into its perfect climax, was instantly snuffed out.
As the Empress's confidant, he could posture as aloof before the nobles of the empire, and be treated with courtesy at Eden Academy. But before a princess of the other strongest empire on the continent—what was he, a man without even a title, worth?
If he really offended her, Traor couldn't be sure if his own head might not become a "token of goodwill" gifted by Her Majesty to this little princess.
After all, for that Empress, if it was for the good of the country, there was nothing she wouldn't discard.
And wasn't the boy in front of him—the best example?
Even her own son could be abandoned at any moment. What then was a mere tool of a confidant like him worth?
At that thought, his impression of Linen sank even lower.
To deliberately maneuver him into offending the princess… what a vicious and sinister heart. He hardened his resolve not to deliver the Empress's reward to Linen.
But just then, Linen spoke:
"By the way, Uncle Traor—please deliver a message to my mother."
"What message?"
Traor held on to the last of his pride, voice cold.
Even if he disliked Linen, he was the Empress's envoy—duty was duty.
"Naturally, about her reward."
Linen's lips curled into a disdainful smile:
"Tell her—not everyone enjoys that perverse need of hers to control everything. If she wants to reward me, then reward me properly. What's with all this testing, all this 'assessment'? Who is she trying to disgust?"
"You—what exactly are you saying?"
Traor's face turned chalk white.
Was Linen trying to drag him down? If he dared deliver such words to Her Majesty, whether or not Linen survived, he would be the first to die.
"Fine, I'll make it simpler."
Linen drew in a breath, speaking each word like iron:
"It isn't that I failed her little assessment and had my gift revoked. It's that I refused her so-called reward."
"Your Highness Linen, as Her Majesty's subject, I cannot ignore what you just said!"
Traor's beard quivered with rage. Invisible pressure radiated from him again. Even in old age, as a fourth-rank knight, he felt confident enough to "teach" a disrespectful low-ring mage.
But in the next instant, from Linen's body surged a far more terrifying aura, full of destruction. Traor's eyes went wide, face blanching as he saw what Linen held.
"[Fusion Arcana]…!"
"Wrong. [Instant-Cast Fusion Arcana]. And [Second-Ring]."
Linen pinched between two fingers a card streaked with red and green light, eyes cold as he stared at him.
He only wanted this old retainer who'd always looked down on him to understand—the times had changed. He was no longer that useless prince in the palace, lying in his black-stockinged maid's lap, apologizing while the old men lectured.
But Traor looked at the card… then at Hysteria. And he thought of more.
Even as a knight, an outsider, he knew how rare and difficult [Fusion Arcana] was. Unless one wasted time as a high-ring practicing low-level fusion spells, the only way was to train two different Arcana attributes from childhood.
And he was sure—Linen had never awakened two elements. At most, after entering the academy, he could train one. There was no way he should be able to wield Fusion.
Which reminded him of something he had once read—the second path to mastering Fusion.
[Arcana Intercourse].
Two Arcana Mages of comparable strength, opening their magic circuits completely, pouring mana into each other, quickly sharing experience of both elements.
It sounded simple. In truth, harder than the first path.
Because the first required only talent and effort. But this required a partner. And Arcana Mages, who usually stayed single until they died lobbing fireballs, rarely had such things.
To bare one's most precious circuits to another—ordinary spouses couldn't even manage that. Only partners of extreme trust.
And this card was unmistakably dual-attribute. The green glow was clearly Linen's wind. The red?
Fire.
Fire of Flame Rose.
No wonder he dared speak such words about the Empress. Could it be—the Flame Rose princess had already given herself to him?
With that thought, Traor dared not linger another moment. He left in haste.
Behind him, Hysteria made a fierce face at his back, full of contempt.
"What's he acting all high and mighty for? The scary one is that trash's mother, not him!"
Elena only sighed silently.
What left Hysteria indignant was, to a girl from the bottom like her, all too familiar.
No one understood better than she how troublesome little men became once they had power. Because they knew better than the lofty nobles how to make life miserable for those beneath them.
Especially after they'd once tasted humiliation.
Her gaze slid to Linen, and she spoke apologetically:
"Sorry, Linen-kun. We acted on impulse. I hope we didn't cause you trouble."
At that, Linen almost choked.
These two women—his nemeses.
By his perfect plan, he should have already thwarted the Tower's scheme, proven his worth to the Empress—and earned their enmity.
Why the hell had they just jumped in to shield him?
What, to make him owe them? To stop him from tormenting them in the future? Impossible.
And then Hysteria declared:
"Apologize? No—it should be you saying something else to us."
She crossed her arms proudly.
"If it weren't for us, facing that guy's nitpicking, you'd have been in for a world of pain."
She was smug now.
Up until now, it had always been Linen helping them. She never admitted it, but constantly being in his debt left her deeply annoyed, and made her quarrels with him feel hollow.
But this time—this time she had undoubtedly saved him.
For once, she could stand tall.
She knew herself well. A princess, yes, but with a grasshopper's brain. She knew her worth in Tivira's eyes. She knew that "favor" was a finite resource—spend it once, and there'd be less left.
And yet, she hadn't hesitated to use her very first on him.
As for what she was thinking now—well, that couldn't be simpler.
Hysteria crossed her arms with a tsundere huff… but kept sneaking glances at Linen's face.
Her eyes were practically sparkling with hunger.
All of it summed up in one line:
Praise me!
Come on, praise me already!
Perhaps only the girl herself thought she was being subtle—to everyone else, Hysteria's emotions were written all over her face.
Just as she had already begun imagining a bullied, pitiful, weak little "trash Norton" crying and thanking her gratefully, Linen, after a moment of silence, let his face sink darker and darker:
"Princess Hysteria, I know you've always been dissatisfied with me. But adding trouble for me in matters like this—does it do you any good?"
"Hmph, since you put it that way, then I—eh?!"
Halfway through, Hysteria froze, her arrogant expression collapsing into panic, full of bewilderment.
Wait—wasn't he supposed to praise her?
Even if he didn't outright praise, just something like last time—"you're useful too"—that would have been fine. But a scolding straight to the face? This was a road she'd never even conceived of, and it left her completely stunned.
"Linen-kun, did we do something wrong? We only meant well…"
"And yet your kindness still brought me trouble."
Linen cut her off:
"Traor is nothing more than a petty man who gained favor. To handle such people, you simply give pressure first, then show measured recognition. Very easy to use. But your interference forced me not only to abandon the reward, but to stand in outright opposition to my mother. Otherwise…"
He deliberately sighed.
"Otherwise, your so-called good intentions would have gone entirely to waste."
The rupture was caused by our meddling?
Now, without Elena needing to explain, Hysteria understood just how severe her impulsiveness had been.
Yes—even if he had to swallow some useless pride, this had been Linen's chance to mend ties with his mother.
And it was her… no, their actions—especially hers—that had personally shattered it. Hysteria's lips trembled, wanting to speak but stopping again and again.
A genius mage-girl, a princess of the empire—her life until now had only ever been about doing the right thing, or turning wrong things into right.
But this time—for the first time—Hysteria felt as if she had truly done something wrong.
"Sorry" stuck in her throat, never quite making it out.
Linen, meanwhile, lifted a brow coldly, pressing the attack:
"And do you know what's most infuriating about you two? Do you?"
"One of you—though full of potential—hasn't grown yet, and already flaunts it. The other knows the value of her own name, and yet spends it on something so trivial!"
"Why so fierce? Fine, fine, sorry already!"
Hysteria shoved the door open and ran out. Linen could only apologize silently in his heart, already thinking he'd compensate her later. When he lowered his head again, Elena had stepped closer.
"Something else, Elena?"
He was surprised she hadn't broken down or gotten angry. But given her nature, he could understand.
"Linen-kun, I know the damage we caused may be hard to repair. But… I think there may still be room to salvage it."
She fiddled with the hem of her uniform, speaking softly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…"
Elena seemed to make up her mind—bit her lip—
"I have some friends. With a little cost… it might be possible to make sure that Traor never returns to the palace."
For the first time that day, Linen was genuinely shocked.
Elena-san, watch your character setting!
Is that something a timid, bullied countryside freshman is supposed to say?!
Forcing himself to answer, Linen said:
"That won't be necessary. I already have a way to handle Uncle Traor. Don't concern yourself with him—and it's better not to say things like that. Just go check on Hysteria."
"Mm, okay!"
Elena nodded firmly, eyes shining.
As expected of Linen-kun—always with a solution!
Then she went out—and sure enough, found Hysteria crouched at the door, hugging her knees.
"Hysia, it's alright, don't cry. Linen-kun has a way."
Elena hugged her, patting her back.
Seeing her friend, Hysteria finally pursed her lips and spoke:
"Elena… do you think I messed up again, made trouble for him? Will that trash—no, will Linen start to really hate me?"
"So that's why you're upset?"
Elena felt both fond and amused.
"But I think your worry is unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?"
Hysteria blinked. Only then did she notice—Elena wasn't upset at all. She was… faintly pleased.
"Yes. Think carefully—what was Linen-kun most angry about?"
Elena smiled, guiding her.
Hysteria recalled his words. He'd said his anger was at Elena being too careless about hiding herself, and her own reckless use of her name…
Wait.
It wasn't even about the incident itself. It was about them.
For anyone else, it might sound like he simply hated them. But Hysteria, beginning to think in his way, saw another layer.
From a tsundere idiot's angle, those scoldings—weren't they actually… concern?
"He was… worried about us?!"
Her eyes widened.
Suddenly, joy replaced her bitterness. It all clicked.
His harshness wasn't because he hated them—
but because he cared.
"Hmph… what a hopeless tsundere trash you are…"
She still cursed him. But her pale face and neck had flushed crimson.
...
"Achoo!"
Inside the room, Linen sneezed. Out of nowhere, he had a bad premonition.
At last, Milian spoke after long silence:
"Linen-kun, do you need a teacher's help?"
Linen nodded.
"Please bring me some water. Not too hot, not too cold."
"That's not what I meant."
She returned with water, sighing.
"I meant—do you need help… from Diamond?"
Linen glanced sidelong at her, emotions flickering.
Diamond—the succubus guild, one of the few on the continent, and the empire's greatest name in the pleasure trade. And just now, its alluring, mysterious door seemed to crack open before him.
"So, teacher—you're not just here at the academy to teach, but to scout too, huh."
"H-hey! Don't say it like that, it sounds so wrong!"
Milian flushed red. Linen let out a breath of relief—still the same innocent succubus teacher, after all.
"I don't want to be part of the guild's trade. But if I get a chance to help my sisters, I won't pass it up."
"That's a pity, Teacher."
Linen shook his head.
"I know succubi's place in Zijinghua is awkward. But rather than ally with a powerless prince like me, better to go to my brother. Or at least, package up ten strong men, swap one for a boy-toy, and send them to Quinn's manor. That'd be a better bet."
"No—it's different."
Milian's voice was rare and serious.
"Because my student is you. And the only royal I can trust—is you."
"…Understood."
Linen nodded. He felt the weight in her tone and set aside his usual smirk.
For his brother or Quinn, support from the guild would be a convenient garnish. For him, it was survival. This was the first time Milian had ever offered her hand since he'd unmasked her secret—she must have thought carefully.
"So? Will you reconsider? We could bribe Traor for you, and he'd speak well of you to Her Majesty. In return, you'd only owe the guild friendship. What do you think?"
"Then allow me to refuse, Teacher Milian."
He shook his head.
"I see…"
She looked disappointed. Until he added:
"I don't know the guild well enough. But you—I can give my friendship to you. As for bribing Uncle Traor… that won't be necessary."
"Eh?"
Her eyes lit with both doubt and hope.
"Because it's unlikely we'll ever see him again. And as for today's break with him and rejecting the reward—if I said I'd planned that the moment I saw him, would you believe me?"
Even as he spoke, a prompt appeared in Linen's vision:
[Congratulations—Successfully Rejected the Empress!]
[Hidden Reward Acquired: Dragonification Skill Tree Unlocked!]
…
Meanwhile, in the grandest palace of the Zijinghua Empire.
"Your Majesty… what did you just say…?"
Traor, drenched in sweat, stood below the steps, hardly believing his ears.
From above the throne, in the shadows, a tall, majestic figure opened her eyes.
"I said—I will not permit him to reject his mother's grace. Is there a problem?"
Golden slitted pupils gleamed like fire in the dark.