My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 1
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Translated by d6y
Edited by Emmi
Chapter 1
“How does it feel to be childhood friends with Lancer, the archmage?”
Someone once asked me this question.
I looked at them as if they had just asked me a stupid question, wondering if they were really asking me because they didn’t know.
“What do you think?”
“Huh?”
“Think of it as if you're the one who's been close to Lancer since childhood, instead of me; what do you think?”
“Well… wouldn't it be really reassuring to have the most powerful archmage in the world as a friend? I think I would brag to everyone in the kingdom about it.”
You think it's like that?
I let out a muffled chuckle.
Yeah. People always think like that.
But as the archmage’s childhood friend, I can tell you one thing for sure.
It's annoying that my childhood friend is an archmage.
Seriously.
* * *
For example, let's consider what happened today.
It was two o'clock in the afternoon and I was heading towards my study to attend to my duties.
As I climbed up the stairs, I heard someone call my name from behind.
“Skyla!”
As I turned around, I caught sight of Lancer Soli, my childhood friend, with his shimmering golden hair and sapphire-blue eyes that hung with a gentle, puppy-like droop.
I frowned inwardly.
‘Why is he here?’
“Skyla, would you like to have tea with me later?”
Lancer, who had come sprinting towards me, asked with a bright smile.
And I poured cold water on that smile.
“I don't want to.”
“...Do you find it unpleasant?”
“Yes.”
I rejected his offer and began walking forward.
Lancer, who paused for a while, quickly ran to follow me.
“But it's a very delicious tea. It's jasmine tea, which was purchased directly from the foreign merchants who came to the Soli Duchy yesterday......."
"I don't like jasmine tea."
I responded as I received official documents that needed to be processed from Austin, the butler, who was waiting for me in front of the study.
Austin's inner thoughts reached my ears.
‘You're a tough one, lady. Lord Lancer invited you to pay a visit to the Soli Duchy, even if it's just for a few hours...’
I glared at Austin.
He immediately noticed my gaze and raised his head.
“What's wrong, my lady?”
"I want to make it clear that I have no intention of going to the Soli Duchy."
“Huh, what?”
“Also, go tell the coachman to prepare a carriage. I'll be heading out soon."
“Ah... Got it.”
At that moment, Austin's inner thoughts were heard once again.
‘What? Was I too obvious? It's as if the lady had read my mind...’
It's not "as if" I read it, I really did read it.
I snorted inwardly.
It's been almost 20 years since he's been a butler in my family, yet he still doesn't know about my ability.
'Well, my parents are the only ones who know about it.'
Shrugging off the puzzled Austin, I made my way into the study.
"Well, how about hibiscus tea instead of jasmine tea?"
Lancer, who had been following me persistently, asked once more with a glimmer of hope.
“Not my cup of tea.”
Sitting down at my desk, I set one hand on my chin as the other flipped through the papers.
Most of the papers were official documents from the Imperial Palace.
As I sifted through the piles of paperwork, I heard his voice again.
"How about a nice cup of Lady Earl Grey tea?"
“No thanks.”
“Oh, I see. I only brought it up because I remember you enjoying it before. Well, then, instead of tea, how about juice-”
“I don't like sweet things.”
"How about cucumber juice?"
"You drink it."
"Then come and have a drink of water.”
Suddenly, he started to cry.
“I'll go to the north right now and get some natural water. If that's not enough, I'll go to the neighbouring kingdom and get some water from the miracle spring. Plus, I'll scoop up ice cubes over the Tais Mountains and drop them into the water. So please, will you come to the Soli Duchy and spend time with me?"
“....”
I put down my fountain pen just as I was signing over the paperwork that needed to be approved.
Raising my head slowly, I saw Lancer kneeling beside my desk, sitting quietly.
A sigh as thick as smoke escaped my lips before I even knew it.
“Lancer.”
“Yes, Skyla!”
His eyes began to twinkle with anticipation when his name was called.
The moment I locked eyes with him, I felt an inexplicable weight bearing down on me. His eyes were reminiscent of exquisite blue sapphires, drawing me into their enchanting glow.
"I have to go somewhere later.”
"Where are you going?"
"In two hours, a tea party will be held at Marquess of Garnett, and I was invited there."
"Oh, really? Then I can come with you!"
A small smile with a candle-like glow began to creep up Lancer's face.
And I blew it out with a bang.
"Unfortunately, it's a place where only women can gather. So you can't come."
"Really? Even though I'm your childhood friend...?”
"Yeah, you can't."
If someone were to hear this, they would think that being a childhood friend was a formal title. I snorted lightly.
"Now that you know, you can go back to your place. Can't you see that I'm trying to work?"
I tried to scare Lancer away, but he just couldn't see that I was working at all.
"Then I'll be a woman!”
"Eh?"
"Look carefully!"
Lancer, who got up from his seat, swung his body.
The wave of mana that occurred in an instant wrapped around his body.
And before I knew it, a girl with an innocent impression appeared in front of me.
"What do you think? I'm perfect, right?”
Lancer, who had transformed into a woman, smiled and reached out to touch my cheek. It felt like he was silently imploring me to compliment them, their expression urging me with a look that seemed to say, 'Hurry up and compliment me!'
“....”
I was at a loss for words.
'Did he turn into a woman just to go to a tea party that only women can enter..?'
My mind was a mess.
Lancer, so it was you who poured oil on the candle that I had blown out, reigniting a flame of hope.
"...Aside from being turned into a woman, how are you going to get into the Marquess of Garnett? Only those with an invitation from the marchioness are allowed to attend the tea party."
I waved the invitation at Lancer. 'You don't have one of these, do you?' I thought.
But it was a very big mistake.
"I can make it right now."
"...what?"
Instead of answering my question, Lancer smiled brightly and snapped his fingers lightly.
Then a letter fell on his other hand.
"It looks like this, right?"
Lancer gave me a glimpse of the letter with a bright smile.
The letter that showed the writing of Marchioness Garnett was an invitation to the tea party I received.
"Lancer, you...!”
Panicked, I turned to my hand in a hurry.
But contrary to my expectations, the invitation was still in my hands.
"What? Why are there two invitations?"
"I made it.”
"What?"
"I made a new one after seeing the invitation you were holding, Skyla.”
Lancer, who still did not lose his bright smile, said proudly.
"I read the contents of the invitation with a throw-in and speed-reading magic, then I brought the paper into my room using summoning magic, and then wrote the contents of the invitation on the paper with transcription magic. Then finally-”
“Enough.”
I interrupted Lancer's rambling.
I didn't need to listen anymore to know what happened.
Lancer forged the invitation in the blink of an eye, using a series of high-level spells that even a master wizard would have a hard time with.
I didn't think he'd waste his talent like this.
This is the guy who could make a wooden table out of toothpicks. I didn't expect him to be this persistent…
I managed to control my blood pressure that was threatening to rise at any moment and spoke again.
"Listen, Lancer. This tea party is not one where you can do what you want just because you have an invitation."
"Why? Are you hiding in the closet?"
"That's a cute idea, but it's not in a closet, and only four people are coming, including me."
"Then there can be five people, including me. Five people means no refreshments will be left behind."
"You don't have to be so kind."
I frowned a little unknowingly.
"Think about it, Lancer. It's a tea party with only four people. How suspicious would it be if a random woman suddenly came to visit there?”
"Aha, that's right."
Lancer, who finally understood my logic, nodded.
"Then, I'll just need to make sure to not be suspicious."
"What?"
It happened in a flash. The Lancer standing before me vanished like a speck of dust.
The forged invitation to the tea party fell to the place where he stood.
‘Oi, where'd he go?’
I jumped out of my seat in panic.
Just when I was about to worry about Lancer's sudden disappearance.
"I'm back!"
he reappeared.
"Argh!"
"Oh, be careful."
I was so surprised that I nearly fell backwards, but fortunately, Lancer held me up with his magic.
I fell into his arms and quickly pulled myself together.
"Where have you been?!"
"I persuaded her."
“What?"
"I persuaded everyone attending the tea party to think that it was originally a five-person tea party by using a brainwashing spell. "
A grin spread across Lancer's face as he uttered those words.
I was on the verge of going crazy.
"You've already used a brainwashing spell, but you're not convincing me! Go back and undo the spell!"
Lancer Soli, the third son of the Duke of Soli is a man with remarkable abilities. He could change his appearance at will and wielded advanced magic, including clairvoyance, with ease. In just an instant, he could brainwash three innocent people without any difficulty
That’s right.
My childhood friend, Lancer, is a once-in-a-thousand-years archmage.
And every day feels like it’s a thousand years because of him.
So, how does it feel to have an archmage as my childhood friend?
I don't know what else to say besides that it's annoying.
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