* * *
“It really feels like every kind of alcohol is here.”
As we stepped inside, the wall that had disappeared reappeared behind us, trapping us in.
It was as if no one could know what I was doing in here, not even the sharpest of shadows.
How fascinating. I never expected there to be such a perfectly sealed space in the royal palace.
“Yeah, it looks like everything’s here… but there’s one thing missing from this perfect space.”
Reggie’s voice dropped, sounding eerie. His unfamiliar expression caught my attention for the first time.
He looked both melancholic and dejected.
“What is it?”
“The wine His Majesty the Crown Prince received as a gift on the day of his coronation—the 1107 vintage of the Empire’s wine. Without that, this place isn’t complete.”
Reggie looked longingly at a specific spot.
Following his gaze, I saw an empty space in the middle of the storage room.
The fact that everything else was filled except for that one space made its absence stand out even more.
“Well, that’s that. For the Third Prince, apple wine will be perfect.”
Just as quickly, Reggie wiped away his gloomy expression and returned to his usual upbeat self.
He grabbed a black wine bottle from the top shelf of the storage.
“Not grape wine?”
“Apple wine is a niche drink, loved and hated equally. Have you ever tried it?”
“Uh, no.”
“Want to?”
Before I could even respond, Reggie was already pouring apple wine into an empty glass he seemingly pulled out of nowhere.
Does he carry empty glasses in his jacket? Where did that even come from?
The fragrance wafting from the liquid filling the glass teased my nose, sharp and sweet.
It was like tasting lemon juice on my tongue.
Maybe just one sip wouldn’t hurt…
“Here, try it. I swear it’s not a joke.”
Just as I was about to take the glass from him, Anna’s warning flashed in my mind: “Never drink anything Reggie offers. ‘Sealed space’, ‘Reggie’, and ‘his alcohol’ together always spell disaster.”
That sobering thought brought me back to my senses.
“Not right now, I’m busy.”
I quickly retracted my outstretched hand and firmly declined the drink.
Reggie, surprisingly, didn’t push and withdrew the glass, looking a little disappointed.
I almost said, “Sure!” and took a sip. I need to stay on my guard…
The apple wine Reggie had offered had a label marked “999,” and its gold-embellished packaging looked incredibly valuable, even to someone like me who didn’t know much about alcohol in this world.
“I’ll pay for it.”
“No, it’s fine. What are friends for?”
“Because we’re friends, I insist on paying.”
As I pulled out a pouch of gold coins, Reggie quickly raised his hands in surrender, grumbling in defeat.
“Man, you’re harsh. But that’s what I like about you! Anyway, take it. Apple wine’s pretty common.”
Grinning slyly, Reggie handed me another bottle of wine, this time for Baek Yigang.
“Thank you.”
“And remember… your real gift is me! If you ever want more drinks, just call me anytime!”
“Wow, really? I’ll politely decline.”
“Che.”
That was the end of my business here.
Once I leave, I’ll give the wine to Asel, deliver the apple wine to Ian, and then extract some divine power from contact with him to wrap up the day’s work.
But first… I need to figure out how to get out of here.
“Hey, Senior. How do I get out?”
“Hm? Do you have to leave? You could just stay here with me.”
“I’ll give you one last chance to open the door.”
Though I was smiling politely, my eyes were filled with irritation.
Reggie was the type whose tone, no matter what he said, always grated on the nerves.
No matter how hard he tried to stay calm, it was never easy.
It was frustrating that, as much of a slacker as he was, Reggie sometimes did something helpful, like today, making it necessary to maintain a decent relationship with him.
Life’s bitter, bitter.
“Ha ha, so scary, so scary. But I have something serious to say. Just hear me out for a moment.”
When Dowoon gave him a disinterested look as if to ask what he was on about, Reggie stopped laughing and began to speak slowly.
“Dowoon, this is just a shot in the dark, but…”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever thought about learning barrier magic?”
The words that came were unexpected.
Dowoon’s thoughts froze for a moment at the unforeseen suggestion.
He had thought Reggie would be up to his usual mischief, but judging by his expression, Reggie seemed serious this time.
“Barrier magic?”
“Yeah, there used to be a head of the Imperial Magic Department who specialized in barrier magic. But one day, poof! He quit just like that.”
…Poof?
Quit?
Could those two words even be used together?
“Because of that, I’m the only barrier magician left in the royal palace. I’m used to the shortage of manpower, but it’s starting to get annoying, being summoned all over the place. You’d probably learn it quickly. What do you think?”
“Hmm…”
It was a dilemma.
After all, barrier magic was the one area where Dowoon was weakest.
It was something Baek Yigang had pointed out during the statue incident as well.
“It wouldn’t hurt to learn it. I don’t know if you’re aware, but barrier magic is a rather refined field that not just anyone can pick up.”
“I’m just about as ‘anyone’ as you get.”
“Haha, come on. You’re not just anyone.”
Reggie was laughing, but his words were firm.
He genuinely believed Dowoon was capable of learning barrier magic.
He seemed to think more highly of Dowoon than expected…
Was it because of the abilities he had shown during the forest restoration?
But that was just a small part of his skills, not enough to make a judgment.
Regardless of everything else, what Reggie said made sense.
There was no downside to learning barrier magic.
Even if one could set up a magical shield, like Dowoon had once considered, the durability of a real barrier was fundamentally different.
“Who knows? One day, a little trick like this might save your life.”
Dowoon didn’t know much about barrier magic, but he knew one thing for sure: it was no “little trick.”
It was a complete, high-level magic in its own right.
The magic used to protect someone had to be stronger than the attack it was defending against, so it naturally became more difficult to learn and use.
Though it was strange that Reggie, who wasn’t one to show off, would call it a “little trick”…
“If you’re willing to teach me, I’ll learn.”
“You’ve made the right decision!”
Reggie giggled in delight, almost like he had emojis floating around him.
Something like… >_<?
Something along those lines.
Reggie said he would be in touch soon and then disappeared.
When Dowoon asked how he’d teach him, Reggie just said he’d show him next time.
As Dowoon stepped out from the barrier, Asel, who had been anxiously waiting, finally relaxed his posture, his calm eyes watching closely.
He had looked worried, as if Dowoon might have been up to no good in there.
Judging by how much older Asel looked in just a short time…
“I’ll be on my way then.”
“I’ll be in touch♡.”
“…Okay.”
Seeing Reggie acting cute made Dowoon want to tell him to stop, but he swallowed the words with great effort.
With the head of the barrier magic department gone, Reggie was the only one who could teach him. He had no choice but to endure.
“Asel, this is some wine. Take it to Baek Yigang. Since it’s from him, there shouldn’t be anything poisonous in it.”
“Do you trust him?”
“Pardon? Trust that guy? I’d sooner trust a beast. No, I don’t trust him at all. I just trust his excessive love for alcohol.”
Apparently satisfied with Dowoon’s cold response, Asel nodded and carefully accepted the wine.
“Are you heading straight to the third prince?”
“Yes. But since there will be plenty of shadows around him… you can deliver this to Baek Yigang first.”
“Then I’ll accompany you only part of the way.”
There was quite a distance from the Imperial Magic Department to the third prince’s quarters.
It was the room at the far end of the top floor of the main palace, so it took a while to get there.
Thankfully, Reggie had used a cooling spell on the bottle, so even though quite some time had passed, the apple wine was still cold.
“Cheong Dowoon, His Highness is expecting you.”
As Dowoon approached the third prince’s room, a waiting attendant stepped forward and bowed politely.
Seeing this, Asel quickly turned and left.
From here, even Asel couldn’t follow him into the room.
This wasn’t one of their previous chance encounters; this was a meeting officially arranged by the crown prince’s position, meaning the formal rules of the palace had to be followed.
When the door opened, Ian greeted him with the same neutral expression as before.
Seeing him smile gently made Dowoon feel at ease.
After being around unpleasant people, looking at Ian’s face made Dowoon realize just how much first impressions matter.
“Welcome, Wizard. I’ve been expecting you.”
“It’s good to see you again, Your Highness the Third Prince.”
Facing Ian’s smooth smile, Dowoon responded with a warm smile of his own.
Now, how should he handle Ian today…?
…Wait, that sounds a bit weird.
Maybe… how should he approach him… or engage him?
Ugh, whatever.
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