Capítulo 77: Chapter 077
Jazlyn shuffled the deck and handed two cards to Zeon.
Just as she was about to pick up her own cards, Zeon revealed his and grinned.
"An Ace and a King. That's 21. I win."
For reference, a King is worth 10 points.
Jazlyn paused, her hand hovering over her cards. Then she smiled sweetly and shook her head.
"Zeon, I'll give it to you. Your luck is impressive."
"Thank you for your confidence!"
I've shown them time and time again, and now everyone in this room believes in my extraordinary luck. The others start chiming in.
"Wow, you really are lucky! I'm so jealous!"
"I guess it's thanks to your luck that you're working with Jazlyn!"
"Will I get lucky too if I stick close to you?"
Everyone, except for one person: Paris.
I didn't miss the uneasy look on Paris' face.
'Why does he look like that?'
All the silver badges in the room were praising me, Jazlyn and Calere seemed pleased too. But Paris? His expression was different. It wasn't trust or envy—it was confusion. He was trying to hide it, but I could tell. I've seen that look plenty of times during my days as a counselor.
There are many kinds of people in the world, and some are afraid of things they don't understand. Paris seems to be one of those people who are nervous about my good fortune. He might be worried it'll backfire on me—or worse, on Jazlyn.
'Paris could become a problem. If it gets serious, I might have to consider removing him. Jazlyn's convinced all of her SS are loyal, but she's smart enough to think ahead about what my luck could mean.'
She's already noticed something, so there's no point hiding it. I just need to move forward, using luck as my weapon.
Jazlyn tapped her fingers on the table, thinking out loud.
"Hmm… How should I use Zeon's luck?"
After a moment, she pointed her fan at me, her eyes lighting up with a decision.
"I've got it. You'll be both a mortar soldier and a random mage. Any questions?"
"Jazlyn, this is all new to me. Could you explain it in more detail?"
"Of course, I might've jumped ahead a bit. A mortar soldier uses mana mortars to fire spells from a distance. Your job will be to aim and fire where I tell you. The accuracy of the mortar isn't great, but with your luck, I trust it'll land where it needs to."
In combat competitions, any weapon is allowed. Each student has their own fighting style and level of weaponry, and some come from rich families with magic weapons forged by master dwarves. So, using a mana mortar in a match is perfectly acceptable.
"Got it. But won't I need some practice?"
"Of course. We'll do some training before the actual event."
"And what's a random mage?"
"Random magic is a new field being researched at the Magic Tower. The idea is that the more randomness you add to magic, the higher its potential power. For example, let's say the Meteor spell normally drops three meteors. By adding randomness, the number of meteors can vary from zero to nine. The size, shape, and landing spots of the meteors will also change. The magic could be much stronger, or, if you're unlucky, it could hit your allies."
Hearing that made my head spin. Random magic was perfect for someone with my kind of luck.
"Jazlyn! That's the kind of magic I need! I'd be unstoppable!"
"Calm down, Zeon. It's still a new field, and it's only taught at the Magic Tower's graduate school. The tools needed for it are rare. But since I'm the imperial princess, I can pull some strings and help you out."
Jazlyn called over Calere.
"Calere."
"Yes, Master!"
"Take Zeon to the Magic Tower to buy random magic items. Also, hire a professor or a grad student majoring in random magic to tutor him. I'll cover all the costs, so don't worry about the price."
"I understand!"
"I want things moving quickly. Calere, take Zeon right now. I'll be contacting the palace to arrange for military mana mortars. Gopi, submit our group's application to the school under 'Jazlyn SS.' Everyone, practice on your own."
"Understood!"
Everyone stood and got to work. Calere approached me.
"Zeon, you're coming with me."
"Got it, Senior Calere!"
I followed Calere out of the main guard room. She gave instructions to a nearby maid, who ran off. Soon, a luxurious carriage pulled up in front of us.
Calere climbed in first. "This is Jazlyn's personal carriage. She gave me permission to use it, but you don't have that privilege yet, so consider this an honor."
"Yes! Thank you!"
I sat down on the plush seat inside the carriage, which was as soft as the finest train seat I'd ever experienced on Earth. For a medieval carriage, it was incredibly comfortable. When we started moving, I didn't even feel the road—it must've had springs on the wheels.
A few minutes later, Calere was fast asleep, snoring softly on the backrest.
Even back on Earth, some people would fall asleep the moment they got into a car or a train. I guess Calere is one of those people.
'This is my chance to learn more about Calere!'
"The more the carriage moves, the more comfortable you get. You'll fall into a deeper and deeper sleep… Forget everything and drift off…"
.
.
.
Calere soon fell into a deep trance.
'Let's hope the driver doesn't stop suddenly.'
There was a small door at the front of the carriage, which opened to the driver's seat. I quietly opened it, and the coachman was hard at work, guiding the horses.
I spoke in a low voice. "Excuse me, sir. This is a message from Calere."
"What is it?"
"She says the ride is perfect and that she'd like to nap for about an hour. Could you drive a bit slower?"
"Ah, she's said that before. No problem. Enjoy your nap."
Lucky me—Calere had done this before.
As the coachman slowed down, the carriage became quieter. First, I decided to use the 'balloon method' to figure out Calere's feelings.
'Heh, heh. Let's see who Calele is really in love with.'
"You can see balloons around you… Each balloon represents your feelings of love for someone… Do you see the balloons?"
"Yes…"
"Who has the biggest balloon?"
"Paris…"
'Huh? Paris? Really?'
"Why is Paris' balloon the biggest?"
"Because I love Paris…"
'No way! I've never heard any rumors about Calere and Paris. Is it one-sided?'
"Does Paris love you back?"
"I don't know…"
"Why haven't you confessed?"
"Because I'm blunt and unladylike…"
So it's a one-sided love. Paris has no idea. In that case, I'll help Calere find true love—one that'll make her happy.
I clapped my hands sharply.
Clap!
"Paris' balloon just burst."
"Ah… No…"
Calere looked sad, but I needed to push forward.
"It's already gone… You don't love Paris anymore… But a new, bigger balloon is growing in its place… It's Zeon's balloon…"
"Ah…"
"Zeon's balloon is much bigger than Paris' ever was. You love Zeon now, much more than you loved Paris. How does that feel?"
"It… feels like my heart is healing…"
"Let Zeon's balloon keep growing, filling your heart with love for him. As it grows, all your sadness disappears, replaced with happiness. When you think of Zeon, you feel comfort, warmth, and joy…"
"Ah… yes…"
Calere's expression relaxed, her face calm and content.
"Who do you love the most now?"
"Zeon…"
"Are you happy?"
"Yes…"
Using the same method, I planted trust and affection in her mind, erasing Paris bit by bit. Every time Paris' balloon burst, she looked sad for a moment, but her feelings for me grew stronger, and she soon smiled again.
"The reason you're upset with Paris is because he never cared about you. It's all Paris' fault. He pushed you away. You feel anger and resentment toward him. Do you hate Paris?"
"Yes…"
"But now, you have Zeon—a much better man. You want to be with him and take revenge on Paris."
The suggestion to love me was now planted.
When I tried to push her loyalty further, Calele resisted, saying she only served Jazlyn. I decided to hold off and instead suggested that when Jazlyn ordered her to serve me, her loyalty would naturally shift toward me.
One last concern remained.
'Is Calere really important enough to make her mine? Could getting close to her be the key to reaching Jazlyn?'
In the novel, Jazlyn was always with Calere. If I want to win over Jazlyn, I might need to secure Calere first.
"Calere. In front of you, there's a big box containing the things you value most in life… Do you see the box?"
"Yes…"
"Open it and take out what's inside."
"Did you take it out?"
"Yes…"
"What is it?"
"Jazlyn's doll…"
"What is the meaning of that doll?"
"Serving Jazlyn…"
'Oh, oh. Calere values Jazlyn the most.'
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