My Childhood Friend Is An Archmage Chapter 144
Translated by d6y (ko-fi)
Chapter 144
"...What?"
Lancer can't cast teleportation on people?
"That's impossible. Lord Lancer, you're an archmage!" the Crown Prince argues.
Lancer shrugs. "I'm an archmage, not a god."
He then explains the principles of teleportation magic in a way that the Crown Prince and I can understand. Teleportation magic is not, as the name implies, a magic that makes you disappear from one place and pops up in another.
Teleportation magic is about travelling at the speed of an arrow. Travelling at such high speeds would have the body suffer damages, so mages protect themselves by shielding their own bodies with magic.
However, ordinary people like the Crown Prince and myself, who have no aptitude for magic at all, can't protect themselves when travelling at such high speeds.
In the first place, magic power is like a constitution. For those of us without magic power, Lancer can't force it into us.
"...So, in conclusion, you can't take us back to Grand Duke Sybeta with you." The Crown Prince summarises.
"That is correct." Lancer nods.
"Then how are we to return to the mansion?"
"It's snowing too hard outside for us to move at the moment. Tomorrow, at daylight, Grand Duke Sybeta will be here with a search party familiar with the terrain, and you can follow them back."
At Lancer's words, the Crown Prince sighs from relief. "Does that mean we'll have to spend the night here, then? But the magic of the magic stones is coming to an end…."
"Ah, I can recharge them." Lancer holds out his hand to us, asking for the magic stones. We hand them to him and he squeezes them. Then, the magic stones glow in his hand. "This should keep you warm all day."
"All day?" The Crown Prince's eyes widen. Even for him, it's astonishing. The magic stone given to us by Grand Duke Sybeta originally contained only enough magic to last two or three hours. However, Lancer had managed to infuse more than twice that amount of magic into all three stones at once. Moreover, he didn't look tired.
"Thank you, Lancer." I thank him, the Crown Prince stunned.
"You're welcome. It's the least I could do for you, Skyla. But… aren't you hungry?"
"Ah." At his reply, I realise that it's now well past dinner time. My stomach grumbles at the thought. "Yeah, I'm hungry."
"Wait a minute. I'll go back to the mansion and get you something to eat." After holding my hands for a moment, Lancer takes a step back. He's gone without a trace.
"Where— where did Lord Lancer go?" The Crown Prince stutters in surprise.
"I think he used teleportation magic." Crossing my arms, I turn to face him.
"Why?"
"Because I said I was hungry."
"I don't quite understand, what's the connection between you being hungry and his sudden disappearance...?"
"Dinner." Lancer reappears with a basket of food and a thick carpet in each hand.
"You're early." I blurt out, used to Lancer disappearing and reappearing randomly. But the Crown Prince's face is one of astonishment.
"Where have you been...?"
"...At the mansion?" Lancer replies, laying the carpet on the ground.
"So… you teleported to the Grand Duke's mansion?"
"Yes." Lancer sits down on the carpet and begins to take food out of the basket. I casually sit down next to him and take the bottle he offers. Inside was milk, warm and insulated.
"Come and take a sip, Your Highness. You will need to be as strong as possible if you are to follow the search party back to the Grand Duchy tomorrow."
The Crown Prince hesitates at his words, but then sits onto the carpet. He remains silent as he eats the food Lancer offers.
What is the Crown Prince thinking right now? After arguing with Lancer this morning, he must think of Lancer’s actions as salt on wound. But he can't insult him when he's being helped by him.
He may be… ashamed? Or distressed from the situation. His usual radiant smile has already faded.
Us having dinner together makes me feel uncomfortable as f*ck. At least the soup is good.
I slurp the hot chicken soup down my throat. With that, the meal is over and Lancer stands up again.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get sleeping bags." Grabbing the basket of empty bowls and cups, he disappears again.
Within minutes, he reappears with three sleeping bags.
"What are those?" The Crown Prince blinks as he receives a sleeping bag from Lancer. He holds it up and examines it as if he's looking at a foreign newspaper.
"It's a sleeping bag, Your Highness."
"How is it to be used? It looks like a coffin."
So you, a royal of noble blood… have never used a sleeping bag before. Well, who needs a sleeping bag when you've been fed and cared for in the palace all your life.
Lancer gives him a cursory explanation of how to use a sleeping bag.
"Sleeping in one of these…? It's like sleeping in a coffin."
"It's full of fluffy stuffings, so it won't feel like that at all," I say. I'm hoping to reassure him, but it doesn't sound like it as his jaw tightens and he says nothing.
Sullen, I decide not to speak to him any further.
Lancer offers me a sleeping bag as well. "I know it's hard to sleep in the open, but I've brought you the best sleeping bag I could find."
"I'm already in distress, what more could I ask for? Thank you."
I take it from him and lay it on the ground. I'd seen sleeping bags before, as a child, when I watched the knights train. They looked like a caterpillar's chrysalis, and I stared at them for a long time, until the Knights Order’s leader, Louis, noticed my curiosity, showed me how to use it. After that, I remember sleeping in one myself a few times when I was playing with Lancer.
"This reminds me of when we used to play with sleeping bags." I say, as I crawl straight into my sleeping bag, figuring there's nothing else to do in the cave anyway.
"I know. I used to think that if you slept in a sleeping bag, you'd wake up and have wings like a butterfly."
"Now that I think about it, that would be awful if that happened."
"Why not? Butterfly wings are pretty."
"Oh, no. It would be hard to clean after transformation."
I can't help but chuckle at the dumb joke. Now, as a grown-up, this memory is cute to think back on.
"And then there was that time Brother Hubert told your mother that he wanted a sleeping bag too, didn't he?"
"Oh, that's right. I remember him asking me to let him play with my sleeping bag too."
In an instant, childhood memories that have been forgotten in the hustle and bustle of everyday life come flooding back to us.
"My brother borrowed your sleeping bag and I only had mine. I remember the two of us squeezing into one sleeping bag together...."
The Crown Prince clears his throat loudly from across the room. I glance at him, who's in his sleeping bag with his legs tucked under him, arms crossed, looking at us.
"Do you, Lancer, intend to sleep by the side of a young lady who is not yet married?" The Crown Prince says in a low, sunken voice.
In other words, a warning to stay away from my side.
"...I'm sleepy now. I need to sleep. You sleep next to the Crown Prince." Not wanting to offend the Crown Prince, I wave a hand at Lancer. If the wrong person sees him, Lancer might be banished to the North forever. Though I'm sure he'd fit in quite well here.
Lancer nods in understanding. "Right. Good night, Skyla."
With that, he plants a quick kiss on my forehead.
Sh*t.
My breath hitches. The Crown Prince is clearly watching us both right now. Yet he's kissing my forehead so tenderly.
Uncharacteristically, my heart races and I glance at the Crown Prince sitting across from me. Sure enough, his complexion darkens. I should get out of here as soon as possible.
"I'm going to bed. I wish you all a good night." Choosing to end the situation, I slip back into my sleeping bag. I don't want to get caught in the middle of an argument between Lancer and the Crown Prince. It would be a pointless conflict.
I close my eyes and drift to sleep. Of course, sleep doesn't come easily. Not when you're in the middle of nowhere.
D*mn it. I want to go to sleep! I want to get out of this uncomfortable situation fast!
In my mind, it feels like half an hour has passed. I want to sleep! I want to sleep! The more I can't sleep, the more anxious I become.
"Kayla." The Crown Prince calls from across the room. I flinch, startled by the suddenness of the call. No, Skyla, don't make it so obvious!
Regaining my composure, I keep my eyes closed and don't move. For some reason, I don't want to talk to him right now.
"Kayla, are you asleep?" He asks again. I pretend to be completely passed out, putting on as calm a face as I can, concentrating on breathing evenly.
"You must be sleeping." He mutters, convinced by my act.
Then I hear the rustling of sleeping bags. The Crown Prince turns to his side.
"Lord Lancer, while Kayla is asleep, I have a question for you," he says. "Why do you like her?”