Eustar asked.

“Laila, what’s wrong? Did you see something strange?”

Can it be said that she ‘saw’ it? Laila thought. It wasn’t something that could be seen with eyes or heard with ears. It was…

‘Like an earthquake.’

That’s right. It was something that could be felt on the skin, with the whole body, like an earthquake or tsunami. Regardless of Laila’s own intentions.

It was like a gaze that stabbed like a knife. Laila thought.

But there was no one in the room. It was just Eustar and herself. The moment Laila stopped dancing, that gaze disappeared somewhere and was no longer felt.

After moving her lips slightly, Laila said.

“It’s nothing. I think I was just imagining things due to lack of sleep.”

Though her voice was as calm as usual, Eustar wasn’t going to let it go. A pair of light green eyes, looking down at her face as if closely observing while holding her closer, shone clearly with suspicion.

“Are you really okay? Was there really nothing?”

Laila nodded.

“I’m really fine. Have you finished teaching me the dance now?”

Eustar, who had been wearing a seemingly thoughtful expression, glanced at the large grandfather clock and said.

“We should have enough time to check once more if you’ve learned it well.”

The bell in the huge bell tower south of the palace rang eight times. Then, two more bell sounds rang out, deeper and farther-reaching than those that rang first.

The first was to announce the time, and the latter was the first sound to announce the start of the banquet hosted by the royal palace.

The approach to the palace, the main gate, and the banquet hall had already been crowded with nobles who had traveled by carriage all night since dawn.

It would be no exaggeration to say that almost all employees working in the palace were busy bustling around the banquet hall and halls, with as many people serving as there were nobles.

Not only that. Today, all the members of the Sercita branch, the headquarters of Tentinella, were busy and distracted. The situation was especially serious for those in charge of portals.

Their eyes were spinning from repeatedly organizing incoming transfer requests from various places, sending messages asking to wait a moment, checking coordinates, and then activating portals.

“Why is it taking so long? Hurry up.”

Felix, who passed through the portal second among the branch heads, playfully scolded the members of Sercita. Then Byron, the head of Branch 1 Romul who had arrived first and was waiting for others to arrive, snorted.

“You’re second. How long have you been waiting to have so much to say?”

“Chief, it’s been a while.”

Although his expression was still playful, Felix’s attitude towards Byron was polite and disciplined as he saluted.

It was such a perfect posture that members of the Kieron branch, who had mostly seen him looking loose and relaxed, would have been surprised if they had seen it.

Byron stroked his chin, which was neatly trimmed for once, and looked down at Felix with disdainful eyes.

“Am I going to be Chief until I die and enter my coffin? How long has it been since I retired?”

“It’s not retirement. Isn’t it just a temporary career change? How can someone who led the Royal Guard of the Hyanmorik royal family retire?”

“After a year or two like this, I naturally retire because I don’t have the strength to wield a sword or draw a bow.”

This time, Felix looked up at Byron sideways with disdainful eyes.

“If you say such things at your still flourishing age, those who really should retire will say, ‘This guy.'”

Byron burst into laughter.

“What about you then? Are you also just temporarily changing careers instead of retiring?”

Felix shrugged as if to say, “Is that even a question?”

“Of course. Once I’ve swept away all the annoying monsters and ghosts, and there’s not even a hole left to plant sweet potatoes let alone a sink, I’ll return to the Royal Guard.”

Byron looked at Felix’s triumphant answer with a strange expression, then wiped his mouth and nodded.

“Right. Well, that’s how it should be. You’re still far from retirement. It would be a waste to let that skill rot while receiving a pension. It wouldn’t make sense for your last position to be deputy of the Royal Guard.”

Among the few members who were eavesdropping on their conversation, some looked at Felix with eyes that were both new and curious.

Mainly, it was the newcomers who hadn’t been in Tentinella for long and didn’t know much about the heads of each branch.

To them, Felix looked like he had just turned eighteen or nineteen, barely becoming a young adult. No matter how skilled he was, deputy of the Royal Guard?

Pretending not to notice while enjoying the attention, Felix said.

“Is Chief Kon not coming this year either?”

Byron slightly raised his eyebrow as if he didn’t know.

“Well. I didn’t ask, but wouldn’t the chances be high that he won’t come? With that personality.”

“Living so rigidly must be tiring for the Chief’s life. Even though…”

Felix, who was about to say something, looked at Byron’s expression with an ‘oops’ face and closed his mouth.

Even as the two were chatting, the portal continued to open and close repeatedly.

Deputy-level members from each headquarters, branch heads… People who were close but hadn’t met in a long time stood in front of the portal exchanging greetings, sometimes bumping into those who came later.

Amidst the bustling noise, a sharp voice full of irritation burst out.

“Damn it, move out of the way! What are you all doing standing here? Is the king giving out gold coins for his birthday if you stand in line?”

Except for the naive new members, everyone knew who the owner of this insolent remark was. As Felix prepared to pick a fight immediately, Byron grabbed him by the scruff of his neck from behind.

“Ack, Chief!”

“Don’t fight with Olga, Felix. It’ll be troublesome for Lord Eustar if you make a commotion in the royal palace.”

“But she’s picking a fight with me.”

Byron glared at him as if scolding. That’s when it happened.

“What’s this? Byron. Where on earth did you catch such a red-haired fox cub?”

Muge Olga sneeringly laughed at Felix, who was held by Byron like a troublemaking child. Felix, bristling at being called a fox cub, struggled to break free from Byron, but the more he struggled, the stronger the grip became.

“Ah, Chief! Let me go! What’s with that half-ripe chestnut? Fox cub?”

Felix fumed. However, Muge snorted loudly enough to be heard and added one more thing.

“It would be perfect to skin you and make a scarf.”

After making this vicious remark, Muge was the first to leave the headquarters. Felix said.

“What is she saying now! Hey, you’re not getting away with this! You’re dead today. Let’s settle this once and for all. Ah, Chief!”

Byron made a gesture of hitting Felix on the head.

“What do you mean settle it? You’re going to have to stick right by my side today. Otherwise, it looks like we’ll end up showing a fistfight at His Majesty’s birthday celebration.”

“Couldn’t it be seen as a bit of entertainment? Ouch! What are you doing hitting me for real!”

Just as the commotion was growing louder and reaching its peak. A member standing by the entrance opened the door and shouted.

“His Royal Highness the Prince and Her Highness have arrived!”

At the same time, Eustar and Laila, dressed in formal attire, appeared side by side. Byron finally let go of Felix’s neck, and those who had been filling the interior all greeted Eustar and Laila at once.

Eustar, who had slowly looked around, smiled and said.

“You have all come. I thank you on behalf of His Majesty.”

Eustar bowed his head slightly. There was a brief applause, and Felix said in a mischievous boy-like tone.

“Well, our Chief Director always greets too lightly. Compared to the Chief Director, we’re all just low-ranking members.”

Byron grabbed Felix’s head with his large hand once more, giving him another warning look. As Felix exaggeratedly whined, Eustar grinned at the two of them.

“It’s fortunate that Branch Head Byron is here today. Isn’t that right, Felix? You have a father figure to discipline you if you cause trouble.”

Laughter spread widely. Even Laila was smiling as she looked at Felix and Byron.

“What on earth are you all doing crowded together in this narrow place? The third bell has already rung.”

Once again, a curt and irritable voice scattered the cheerful laughter.

“Olga, you came.”

Muge’s thin eyebrows wrinkled as she glanced at Eustar.

“There’s no one to go in my place, so what could I do? It’s obvious everyone would be in trouble if I didn’t come.”

It was a thorny remark. However, Eustar was relaxed.

“You’re no longer a palace magician, so what trouble could there be?”

“Don’t play dumb, you sly fox. At times like this, I see how alike you two are.”

Muge, who had snapped back, was the first to turn away. Following that, Eustar and Laila also began walking towards the banquet hall. As they passed through the corridor, the sound of the orchestra’s performance began to be heard through the noisy chatter from behind.

Muge, walking far apart from the others, seemed to be very angry for some reason. Although she was never in a good mood at any time… Laila tapped Eustar’s hand lightly as if finding it a bit strange.

“Why is Olga in such a bad mood?”

Eustar glanced at Muge’s back and lowered his voice to say.

“She doesn’t get along well with my elder brother.”

If that was the reason. Laila understood immediately. With that personality, the fact that she was participating in the birthday party of a king she didn’t get along with was actually a result of great patience.

“You mentioned palace magician earlier, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Are there such people? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.”

Eustar nodded.

“Olga was the last official palace magician. The position became vacant when she became a branch head of Tentinella. A very long time ago, there were two or three palace magicians… Come to think of it, does Laila not know much about this story?”

“What story?”

“The story about the magicians. They…”

Eustar, who was about to say something, suddenly trailed off and changed his expression. It was a smile as if treating all the conversation up to now as if it never happened.

“It’s better to talk about it later.”

Doubt grew in Laila’s heart.

Magicians…

Her mother had said this only once about those mysterious beings:

—The magicians of this country are all those who want to become gods. If you ever meet a magician, be wary, Laila. Because none of them can be trusted.