[IHTTMBW] Chapter 64

On the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, the old man, trembling from illness, clasped Euphil’s hand. He didn’t die, as he later grumbled that he’d shared his secret only because he thought his time was up. But after his grip loosened, Euphil found a small map placed in his palm.

No one believed the "alchemist," but Euphil Raize personally took a torch and ventured to the location marked on the map. It was an abandoned gold mine.

Just as he began to dismiss the old man as a mere charlatan, Euphil noticed something. The mine had a breeze flowing through it. That meant there was another pathway hidden inside. Following the air currents, he discovered countless diamonds, their brilliance reminiscent of Myrthi Raize’s golden hair, glittering like stars.

Purchasing that mine marked a turning point for Euphil.

The black-haired man standing nearby gave a slight bow of acknowledgment, a subtle gesture of affirmation. He thought of the woman his master treasured more than diamonds—a beautiful lady who had graced her coming-of-age ceremony with unmatched elegance.

“She received it,” the man reported.

“And Myrthi? How was she?”

“She seemed pleased.”

“And around her?”

“Her betrothed and the duke were by her side.”

Euphil’s crimson lips twisted faintly. The neighbouring prince surely had an easier time of things. Even with meddlesome relatives, his situation couldn’t compare to Euphil’s, barred from the palace gates entirely. Euphil recalled how his every request to attend Myrthi’s birthday celebrations had been summarily denied over the years.

This time, the dress had reached her only after significant effort—bribes delivered through intermediaries until access was secured.

“Of course,” he murmured.

She was a child promised to another.

Nine years ago, when he was cast out of the palace with no power to his name, Euphil had resolved to gain the strength needed to protect her. In that sense, going to the academy had been a necessary step.

He traced the air with his fingers, as if drawing something unseen. The gesture was tender.

“Was she beautiful?” he asked softly.

“More than anything,” the man replied.

Euphil smiled again, this time with a pronounced tilt of his lips. The smile was so captivating that even the black-haired attendant, who kept his gaze lowered, found himself bowing once more.

“She must have been,” Euphil murmured.

The child he once knew had surely grown into a radiant beauty—a being as angelic as a fairy, retaining the same pure essence she had always possessed.

Some things, like his own innate strength, were immutable even with the passage of time.

“The fairy gave her everything to the girl who asked for her name,” he reflected, his voice distant.

The bright young boy had understood all too well the meaning of his confession to Myrthi. From the moment he realised he loved her, as he left for the academy, Euphil Raize had belonged to her entirely. Like a water sprite offering her golden apple at the feet of a young girl, Euphil had given her his heart.

The proof was his unspoken love—a love that left him aching whenever he thought of her, his childhood companion who felt both painfully distant and achingly close.

As he closed his eyes briefly, Euphil felt the weight of his twenty-four years, the threshold of manhood bringing forth a magnetic charisma that had grown unmistakable.

He moved his lips faintly.

“Long ago, I was a water sprite. Did you know that?”

“I’ve heard,” the man replied.

“And it seems I still am.”

With that, Euphil sank into a chair, letting his body rest deeply. His black-haired attendant, ever efficient, delivered the update Euphil had been waiting for.

“The arrangements for your degree are nearly complete.”

It was an unprecedented feat. A graduate in under ten years, Euphil’s academic achievements had already far surpassed those of students who had studied for over a decade. Professors sought to retain him as faculty, recognizing his brilliance.

For a discarded third prince, staying on as an academy professor wasn’t a bad option. But Euphil Raize had chosen a different path: to return to his homeland, taking with him the power base he had built at the academy.

And he had declared it already: the most precious thing to him awaited in his homeland.

“The headmaster is holding out, I hear.”

“Yes, but he won’t last long. The others are refusing to attend classes.”

It could now be said that Euphil had effectively taken control of the academy. Some had voluntarily knelt before him; others had been forced to their knees by those who had already submitted.

Once, the king had been presented with ten scholars from the academy. Now, ten of Euphil’s most loyal followers hold those same titles.

“Utter foolishness,” Euphil remarked.

“Whose, my lord?”

“My father’s.”

“...”

“He must be waiting eagerly for my return,” Euphil added, his lips curling into a slow, mocking smile.