Surely There's One to the Princess' Taste (9 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 4

A status window for Irtis appeared before Prodia.

Pop!

[Name: Irtis (?).

Class: Archmage.

Dream: None.

Stats: Magic (SSS), Anti-Demonic Power (SSS)… Stamina (SS), Strength (SS)…]

Overwhelmed by the endless cascade of S-rank stats, Prodia momentarily lost herself.

No matter how many pages she flipped through, this guy’s absurdly high stats showed no sign of ending.

‘He’s a complete monster.’

Anyway, in terms of magic, he’s clearly the strongest in the entire setting—something like that.

But there was one peculiar detail.

‘What’s this?’

[…Memorization (S), Singing Voice (S).]

Singing voice?

‘Why the heck are you showing up here all of a sudden?’

A mage who can sing well out of nowhere?

Hmm, it’s oddly paired right next to memorization. Maybe chanting spells requires good vocal ability too.

Indeed, the world of magic is profound and deep.

Wait—no, this isn’t the time to be marveling at such things.

Blinded by his wildly abnormal stats compared to ordinary people, she’d momentarily forgotten something crucial.

What truly mattered was this:

‘Karmic debt that can be erased. Status window, next page.’

Prodia tried to open Irtis’s karmic debt-related status window.

Just then—

Ding~!

Suddenly, accompanied by a notification chime, a quest window popped up.

[Partial Quest Completion!

Suitable candidate (1/?) found!]

‘…!’

A suitable candidate?

Could that possibly mean…

Prodia hurriedly checked Irtis’s next status window.

And she doubted her own eyes.

[Karmic debt erasable if Irtis is produced: ?,???,???.]

Prodia clapped a hand over her mouth.

What on earth is happening?

Of course, the exact figure wasn’t yet known.

But… had she ever seen anyone whose erasable karmic debt reached seven digits?

No—she hadn’t even seen four digits before!

Prodia’s face lit up with elation.

She’d found him. This man right here.

The jackpot of karmic debt she’d been desperately searching for.

‘It was you all along!’

Only then did Prodia’s gaze toward Irtis completely change.

It was as if honey were about to drip from her eyes.

At that look, Irtis recoiled in disgust.

“What the hell? Why are you staring at me so creepily?”

But now, nothing could stop Prodia.

She stepped forward and grabbed Irtis’s hand firmly.

“Master Mage!”

“Yikes! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden!”

Regardless, Prodia was dead serious.

“Let’s form a contract!”

[This is the timeline separator]

With a capitalist smile, Prodia handed Irtis a contract.

The terms were simple.

[Prodia Duser shall exert her utmost effort to ensure Irtis wins the tournament.

Irtis shall likewise exert his utmost effort to win the tournament.

Upon victory, Irtis shall pay half of his prize money to the House of Count Duser.]

‘Half the prize money? That’s outright robbery.’

Irtis clicked his tongue as he read through the contract.

Well, money wasn’t really an issue for him anyway.

He’d accumulated a decent fortune during his time living at the Magic Tower.

Then, something suddenly occurred to him.

He looked up at Prodia.

“Hey.”

Prodia straightened her expression.

“I do have a perfectly good name: Prodia Duser.”

A robber who’s also picky.

“…Prodia.”

“Yes?”

“You won’t be making contracts with anyone else besides me, right?”

At those words, Prodia involuntarily flinched.

Of course, Irtis’s erasable karmic debt was higher than anyone she’d ever seen.

But since the exact number remained unknown, nothing could be guaranteed.

Moreover, just earlier, when the quest window appeared, it clearly stated:

[Suitable candidate (1/?) found.]

The meaning of that question mark was obvious.

‘It means there are other candidates besides Irtis.’

Finding additional candidates might be a bit annoying, but in a way, it actually worked out better for her.

After all, there was no guarantee Irtis would win the tournament.

‘If there are multiple candidates, my chances of someone winning increase. As long as the karmic debt gets erased, who wins is none of my concern.’

And considering life after karmic debt erasure, receiving half the prize money was also very important.

Absolutely, without a doubt.

Who wouldn’t be devilishly calculating after nearly going to hell?

She gave Irtis a shameless look and said,

“Of course, you’re my one and only contracted mage.”

“Yeah, nice lie. I heard it clearly.”

“!”

How did he know?

Normally, everyone fell for her poker face.

Just then, Irtis suddenly leaned in close to her face.

“!”

“So you’re planning to bring in someone else even after making a contract with me, huh?”

Truly, a face capable of enchanting anyone.

‘Another natural-born center here.’

Yet Prodia didn’t even blink as she met Irtis’s gaze head-on.

Having seen countless celebrities in her past life, she’d already built immunity to handsome faces.

Besides, to her, looks were merely a matter of “marketability.”

Prodia replied,

“Of course, I have no intention of contracting with anyone else for now. But… the future is uncertain.”

Since she’d already been caught, there was no point in lying further.

Irtis coldly retorted,

“I won’t say it twice. Teach only me.”

“No.”

“Fine. So that’s how you want to play it.”

With those words, violet flames once again bloomed from Irtis’s palm.

Oh no, what’s he planning to do now?

Before Prodia could stop him, Irtis pointed his fingertips toward the window.

“…!”

Flash!

A blinding flash of light engulfed the Count’s garden.

Prodia turned pale and shouted,

“What are you doing…?! Are you trying to kill everyone?!”

Irtis gave a faint smirk.

“Why would I waste my magic like that?”

“Huh?”

It wasn’t an attack?

She quickly checked outside the window.

The applicants gathered in the garden had all simultaneously turned around.

They were swiftly leaving the Count’s estate.

Like soulless zombies.

“Oh no, no!”

There were still so many people whose status windows she hadn’t checked yet!

Prodia dashed toward the reception room door.

But Irtis’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“See? You were scheming behind my back after all.”

Ugh.

“It’s useless to go out there.”

“What?”

“They won’t even remember why they came here in the first place.”

“…!”

With a smile playing on his lips, he slowly walked toward Prodia.

“I just used magic to completely rewrite the rumor you spread.”

Her expression hardened.

“What do you mean?”

“That the illustrious Lady Prodia Duser of the Duser household has absolutely no interest in grooming anyone for the imperial consort selection tournament.”

“What did you say?!”

This was disastrous! Now she’d never find another candidate!

Prodia glared at Irtis.

But she instantly realized it was futile.

A faint hint of madness flickered in Irtis’s eyes as he looked at her.

With his red, pretty lips, he uttered terrifying words.

“So you’ll teach only me. If you make a contract with anyone else, I’ll kill them all.”

What a lunatic.

The rumors circulating about him were clearly true.

[This is the timeline separator]

“But why would someone like you—an Archmage—want to become an imperial consort?”

Prodia asked.

Irtis replied emptily,

“Because I want to become an imperial consort.”

“Yeah, nice lie. Heard it loud and clear.”

“Seems you’re holding a grudge now.”

“I’ll just say I’m perceptive.”

Irtis plopped down onto the reception room sofa and said,

“Anyway, it’s the truth. There’s no other reason.”

“So you’re telling me you’re entering the tournament purely and simply because you want to become an imperial consort.”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

Prodia sat across from him.

“Then let me rephrase my question.”

“What now?”

“Why did you specifically come looking for me?”

At that question, Irtis’s eyes wavered for a split second.

He feigned composure and answered,

“You’re famously the empire’s top-tier private tutor. It’s only natural.”

Prodia smiled.

“Oh my, who on earth told you so much about me in such detail?”

“Who told me…?”

“You’re famously indifferent to others, right? So how did you hear about me? You weren’t preparing for the imperial civil service exam or anything.”

Irtis flinched but pretended to stay calm.

“Do I need someone to tell me? You’re just that famous…”

Prodia widened her eyes and asked,

“Don’t tell me—you got kicked out of the Magic Tower?”

“I wasn’t kicked out, okay?!”

Irtis snapped, slamming the table without thinking.

Then he realized his mistake too late.

But judging by Prodia’s expression, it was already too late.

Her eyes widened.

“Was it the Master of the Magic Tower’s order? To enter the consort tournament?”

“Guh…”

“Ah-ha…”

Prodia gave him a pitying look.

“You got kicked out for causing trouble.”

“I told you, no!”

“If you become an imperial consort, you can’t hold a profession, right? Which means you won’t inherit the position of Master of the Magic Tower.”

She drove the point home firmly.

“In other words, they’re telling you to leave the Magic Tower.”

“It’s not like that…! Ugh.”

Irtis ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

Finally, he confessed the truth to Prodia.

“I made a deal—with that damn old man, the Master of the Magic Tower.”

What?

Prodia asked seriously,

“What kind of deal?”

“…He said if I enter and win the imperial consort selection tournament, he’ll tell me who my parents are.”

“…!”

Irtis’s expression looked more serious than ever before.

He stared straight into Prodia’s eyes.

“So I absolutely must win.”

[This is the timeline separator]

Several years ago, Irtis had collapsed in front of the Magic Tower.

‘Where am I?’

He remembered nothing of what happened before that—as if his memories had been completely carved out.

If not for the name tag hanging around his neck, Irtis wouldn’t even have known his own name.

It was the current Master of the Magic Tower who had taken in Irtis, abandoned there in front of the tower.

“Irtis, come with me. I shall teach you magic.”

Unlike ordinary people, Irtis’s body contained infinite magical potential.

The Master of the Magic Tower was the first to recognize this talent. From him, Irtis learned every form of magic in the world.

Thanks to that, surviving in the Magic Tower wasn’t difficult.

Though rivals envious of him often picked fights.

One of his peers at the Magic Tower once said,

“I thought Irtis was the Master’s grandson, but turns out he’s just an orphan. They found him dumped in front of the tower with a dog collar around his neck.”

“…Want to get bitten by a dog once?”

Though barely a teenager at the time, Irtis summoned a rabid hound that day using a 7th-circle illusion spell.

After his classmate was half-crushed, no one dared mess with Irtis again.

Yet the Master of the Magic Tower never scolded him. So Irtis thought he was loved.

But that wasn’t the case.

Sometimes, Irtis saw fear reflected in the Master’s eyes.

Not just him—everyone feared Irtis.

So he acted even more recklessly, hoping someone would finally try to stop him.

Then, the Master of the Magic Tower dropped a thunderbolt.

“Irtis, enter the imperial consort selection tournament.”

It was absurd.

“What are you talking about, old man? Why would I go there? I’m supposed to succeed you as Master of the Magic Tower!”

“…If you win the tournament and return, I’ll tell you about your parents.”

“…!”

Irtis’s mind went blank.

What did the old man just say?

He knew who my parents were?

Betrayal surged through him. All this time, I thought I’d been abandoned—but my parents were alive all along?

And you knew this whole time and said nothing?

The Master of the Magic Tower continued,

“Go to the capital and meet Lady Prodia Duser. They say she’s the empire’s most capable private tutor—she’ll shape you into a worthy imperial consort.”

That was all.

The Master of the Magic Tower told Irtis nothing more beyond that.