Chapter 53

A Royal Invitation
I have come to the royal castle with my father.

Why? Me? I told him it should be fine for him to go alone, but he said we couldn't refuse since it was an invitation from His Majesty the King.

We were led to a room that looked like a reception room and told to wait there. As the door opened, I turned around to see Princess Rinaluna. Father stood up, so I hurriedly followed suit.

"Apologies for interrupting before your audience with His Majesty. I wanted to have a brief conversation. Please, have a seat." The princess said as she sat on the sofa facing us.

"The discovery of the spell that allows one to see individual magic capacity and magic level is truly remarkable. I tried it myself, and it worked. According to the report, these words came to Young master Reinhardt’s mind just before he collapsed at the Royal Capital Library?"

"Yes, that's correct. I believe it is likely thanks to the blessing of the Sage God." Father answered in my place.

The princess also asked in detail about the blessing that allows access to the books of the Royal Capital Library from anywhere, and my father explained that as well.

"Young master Reinhardt has always loved books, so this must be wonderful for you." She said.

"Yes." I replied. Though I barely spoke, conversations with the princess always felt like she could see right through me, which was exhausting.

She also spoke about Diane.

When the Garuda family was subjected to a forced investigation, various problems surfaced—tax evasion, imposing a tax rate higher than what was set by the kingdom on the citizens, and even unlawfully transferring Diane’s assets under her father’s name. Furthermore, there were suspicions regarding the murder of the previous head of the family—Diane’s mother. Apparently, poison was discovered in their vault.

Her father and stepmother were currently under interrogation. That was why Diane was still staying at the royal palace.

A new administrator was to be appointed immediately, and efforts to reform the situation were underway. I was thanked, as this was all uncovered before any joint business agreements were finalized. It seemed like things had been quite dangerous...

Then, someone came to call us.

"His Majesty will see you now. Please proceed."

Princess Rinaluna left the room.

As we walked through the corridors, paintings and sculptures were tastefully arranged, creating a solemn and majestic atmosphere. We stopped in front of a large door. Royal guards stood on either side and opened it for us.

Inside the room, a large round table was placed, with a luxurious chair at its center. That must be the king's seat. Seated to the left and right were six people.

Who were they? This was supposed to be an audience with the king, wasn’t it?

"The Commander and Vice-Commander of the Royal Magic Corps, His Excellency the Chancellor, the Director of the Royal Magic Tool Workshop, and the elders of the Magic Tower—why are such esteemed figures participating in this audience?" My father questioned.

The Magic Tower was the kingdom’s highest academic and research institution, bringing together the foremost experts in various fields.

"Of course, it’s because we wanted to meet the person who made the incredible discovery of a spell that allows one to see magic levels and mana capacity, and who is also the master of Fenrir. Since you refused to arrange a meeting, we all gathered here instead.” Said the eldest-looking man.

"Elder Rufus... I have already submitted the reports. Reinhardt is still a minor."

"We won’t ask for anything unreasonable. He is simply to attend the audience with His Majesty."

"His Majesty has arrived.” An attendant announced as a side door opened, and the king entered.

Everyone immediately stood.

"Relax. This is not a formal setting.” His Majesty said as he took his seat, and everyone else followed suit.

"Everyone here has read the report, but we gathered to hear more details. We have confirmed that we, too, can see magic levels and mana capacity. Please explain how you discovered this spell."

At my father’s nod, I recounted my experience—how I had been reading books in the Royal Capital Library when I noticed my reading speed increasing. Since I didn’t understand why, I suspected it might be due to the blessing of the Sage God. However, I thought that it would be meaningless if it only worked within the library. When I muttered that, a voice responded, “Understood,” and just before I lost consciousness, the words "Status Open" appeared before me.

After regaining consciousness, I was curious about those words, so I said them aloud. That’s when a stone tablet appeared, displaying a "Royal Capital Library" button and a "Help" button. I explained how I discovered that I could copy books onto blank books, but only I could read them, and once I finished reading, they would revert to blank pages. To others, it would just appear as if I were reading a blank book.

When I told my family about this, they wanted to test whether it was true, and it turned out to be real.

However, my second brother noticed that the stone tablet itself could be seen by everyone and wondered if there was more to it. When he tried saying "Status Open," a stone tablet appeared for him as well. That’s when we realized that everyone could use it.

I added that until my second brother pointed it out, I had no idea that magic levels and mana capacity could be seen.

"So, it was Gerald Westland who first discovered that magic capacity and magic levels could be viewed. Initially, your stone tablet did not display this information, correct? How did you eventually see your own magic status?" Asked the man seated to the right of the king.

Father told me he was the head of the Royal Magic Corps.

I explained that after hearing what my family had said, I opened the stone tablet and found a "Profile" button in the upper right corner. When I pressed it, I was able to see my mana capacity and magic level. Pressing the "Exit" button returned me to the Royal Capital Library screen.

A blank book was brought before me, and I was asked to copy a book onto it. Then, I was instructed to read the copied book while the others checked whether they could see its contents.

For a while, I kept answering the six people’s questions.

Just as I was starting to feel exhausted, my father stepped in to help.

"My son is beginning to show signs of fatigue. May we conclude now?"

At that moment, His Majesty, who had been silently listening, spoke.

"I believe that is enough. Now then, Reinhardt Westland, your discovery of the spell that reveals mana capacity and levels is truly commendable. Additionally, your contributions regarding the Garuda family case and your contract with Fenrir have greatly benefited our kingdom. Is there anything you desire? I will grant it within reason."

That was sudden.

I looked at my father, but this time, he didn’t help me.

"If there’s something you want, say it.” He told me.

Hmm... since this all started because of the blessing of the Sage God, maybe I should ask for something related to that.

"Are there books in the Royal Capital Library beyond the first and second floors? If so, I would like to read them while I am in the capital."

His Majesty seemed surprised and glanced at the six people around him.

One of them responded, "Yes, there are. Some books are stored in the archives and are not available to the general public. Only those with permission may view them."

His Majesty then asked, "Is that all you want?"

"I would be happy to read books that are normally inaccessible." I answered.

It was decided that a permission slip would be delivered to me soon.

Yes!

I expressed my gratitude once more, and Father and I left the room.

Phew... I’m exhausted.

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