Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 463: The Sealed Blessing
On the morning of the [Blessing] Ceremony in Duke Barriera’s territorial capital, a problem arose.
When Matilda attempted a light rehearsal, her magic was immediately nullified. No matter how much mana she supplied, the spell wouldn’t take form.
“Why? Something is interfering with my magic. My mana is being canceled out!”
Matilda frowned in frustration, while the attendants from the Kingdom of Luwan stared at her in alarm.
The ceremony was only a few hours away. Failure would humiliate Duke Barriera and disgrace Luwan, which had proudly presented Matilda as its Saint. Her reputation had risen sharply after the previous day’s events, making the timing especially disastrous.
Marquis Donaissun, the head of the Luwan delegation, ordered the attendants to test their own magic.
“Mine works normally.”
“I have no difficulty either.”
“Nor do I.”
Once everyone else had confirmed that their magic worked, several attendants began wondering whether Matilda was merely being difficult again.
“What’s happening? Saint Matilda, try once more.”
At Donaissun’s urging, Matilda extended her hand.
“[Purification]!… No. It still won’t activate. Something is definitely obstructing my magic!”
Her irritation quickly gave way to anxiety.
“Could someone be targeting the Saint alone?”
“Perhaps a barrier or curse is producing a sealing effect.”
“Then we must find the caster and capture them! But can that be done in only a few hours?”
Donaissun looked from one attendant to another.
“We may need Viscount Musai, who administers the territorial capital, and the Crown Prince to help search for the cause.”
“Considering the relationship between the Crown Prince and House Barriera, that could be difficult.”
Donaissun had already sensed the tension between the two sides during their brief stay.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s widely rumored that Marquis Halagoura supports the Crown Prince. You know that the marquis and Prime Minister Duke Barriera are political enemies.”
“Then could an agent connected to the Crown Prince be trying to disgrace Duke Barriera by ruining the ceremony in his own territory…?”
The attendant trailed off, realizing how dangerous the accusation sounded.
“If the Saint is disgraced, Luwan will be disgraced with her. Even if the failure is caused by outside interference, it could still damage our relationship with the Prime Minister.”
“Then we have no choice but to confide in Viscount Musai and investigate before the ceremony.”
“Agreed. Keep this from the Crown Prince for now. If his faction is involved, warning them would only give them time to erase the evidence. Still, we mustn’t assume they’re responsible; a foreign power could also be behind it.”
After reaching that conclusion, Donaissun immediately sent a messenger to Viscount Musai.
Meanwhile, in the special room assigned to Tauro’s party, Aeris suddenly looked up at the empty air.
“I’ve been wondering about something for a while now…”
“What is it, Aeris?”
Ragune turned toward her friend.
“A new barrier and a form of curse magic have been placed over this residence. Neither was here last night.”
“A barrier?”
Tauro looked up as well, though he sensed nothing.
“The residence already had several defensive barriers, but someone has layered a new spell over them. It appears harmless at first glance, which is probably why no one noticed. I only caught it because it’s clinging to me and causing a slight obstruction.”
“Can you break it?”
“Not without severing it from its source. I can’t tell whether the source is a caster or a magic tool. The effect is unpleasant, but it’s weak enough that it won’t stop me from using magic.”
“Then perhaps there’s no immediate danger,” Ankh said.
“I’ve felt something strange too,” Zion added.
“You too? Could it interfere specifically with healing or light-attribute magic? I don’t feel anything myself.”
Tauro tilted his head. Aeris stared into space for another moment, then suddenly turned to him.
“The effect is extremely narrow. If I can feel it, the Saint may be affected even more strongly… Tauro, could this be aimed at [Blessing]?”
The two exchanged a look and nodded.
“What is it, Leader?”
“The barrier and curse Aeris detected may be targeting the Saint,” Tauro explained.
“Ah!”
Ragune, Ankh, and Zion understood at once.
“Then there may already be a commotion around Matilda,” Ragune said.
“This feels more like a limited magical seal than an attack,” Aeris replied. “Someone probably wants to disrupt the ceremony. I could force my [Blessing] through a seal of this level, but Matilda is still a novice. She may not be able to.”
“Then we need to warn Viscount Musai immediately. It’ll be a serious problem if he knows nothing about it.”
Tauro summoned a maid and asked her to deliver an urgent message to the viscount.