"Is it you... Radagon...?" Rennala's voice trembled slightly as she looked at the tall and valiant red-haired figure. Memories of past happiness kept surfacing. "You've finally returned... but our youngest child could never be born... I..."
Messmer, who was usually decisive and swift in action, found himself frozen at this moment. He had originally thought that as a general of the Golden Order, his presence in the Academy might displease the Queen. However, he had never anticipated that the Full Moon Queen would mistake him for the red-haired hero, Radagon!
Messmer immediately turned to Rellana with a pleading look, but her mind was just as muddled at the moment.
She had guessed that her elder sister's mind might be in turmoil, but she never expected something like this!
Aoko stood to the side with an amused expression, suddenly having a bright idea. She leaned over and whispered something into Touko's ear.
Touko shot her a look as if to say, "I can't believe you came up with such an idea!"
"Princess Rellana, Lord Messmer, regarding Queen Rennala's condition, I have a suggestion. I'm not sure if I should say it," Touko hesitated before addressing the two.
"Speak!" Messmer responded immediately as if grasping at a lifeline. If not, he felt that the Full Moon Queen might just throw herself at him.
"Well... based on my preliminary assessment, Queen Rennala's psychological trauma stems mainly from Lord Radagon's departure and the fact that her child was never born," Touko explained seriously. "In that case, we need to address these two points. For example... Lord Messmer could temporarily impersonate Lord Radagon to soothe her emotions."
"No way!" Before Messmer could say anything, Rellana immediately rejected the idea. "H-How can we deceive my sister?! That—That Radagon has absolutely no connection to Lord Messmer! They don't look alike at all—aside from the red hair!"
Aoko, however, thought differently. In fact, in a certain sense, Messmer could be considered Radagon's son. After all, Radagon was Marika. Their resemblance must be significant, or else Rennala wouldn't have mistaken him, even in her current delirious state.
"But Queen Rennala now sees Lord Messmer as Lord Radagon," Touko pointed out, glancing at the Full Moon Queen, who was staring intensely at Messmer. "Perhaps they do look somewhat alike? Otherwise, how could she have mistaken him?"
Aoko had never expected to witness such an absurd drama unfolding in the Lands Between—the elder sister mistaking her ex-husband's son for her ex-husband, and that son just so happened to be the person the little sister adored the most! This trip was worth it!
The scene became chaotic as Touko, Messmer, and Rellana engaged in a heated debate, while Queen Rennala sat nearby, clutching her Amber egg with a pitiful look, like a beautiful woman abandoned by a heartless man.
After much argument, Rellana finally agreed to Touko's suggestion—but only on the condition that she must be present every time, Messmer impersonated Radagon to interact with her sister!
Messmer himself was already mortified beyond words. He had long been aware of Rellana's feelings for him, but because of his mission and the pain of being abandoned by his mother, he had never responded to her affections. Now, agreeing to Touko's plan to help treat Rennala could, in a way, be considered a form of compensation for her.
Of course, Touko wasn't relying solely on Messmer's acting to heal Rennala. During his interactions with the Full Moon Queen, she would carefully use Third Magic to influence and gradually repair Rennala's powerful yet damaged soul, ultimately restoring her sanity.
Aoko, standing nearby, keenly noticed a powerful enchantment on the ceiling of the Grand Library. Someone was watching them through this magic, but she detected no malice from it. She had a good idea who might be monitoring them.
...
Meanwhile, in the Royal Carian Magic Academy
Far to the north, in the magic tower behind Caria Manor, the Princess of the Dark Moon, Ranni, summoned her subordinate for questioning.
"Iji, where is Blaidd right now?" Ranni inquired of her loyal retainer, the troll blacksmith and strategist Iji.
"Your Highness, Blaidd... appears to still be in some ruins in eastern Limgrave," Iji replied, setting down the book in his hands, his tone slightly awkward.
"What's going on?" Ranni frowned slightly. "He's been there for two months already. Has he still not found the underground entrance?"
"Uh, well..." Iji hesitated, trying to find an excuse for his longtime colleague. "How should I put it... Blaidd is, um... a bit directionally challenged. And that particular forest in Limgrave is vast. Finding the entrance to Nokron, the Eternal City, is no easy task."
"...Forget it," Ranni sighed, shaking her head. "I should personally go and meet with my brother and Aunt Rellana."
"You... You mean, Lady Rellana has returned to Caria?" Iji's voice suddenly became excited. "Then does this mean we can reclaim control of the Academy?"
"It's not that simple," Ranni sighed again. "Aunt Rellana and that brother of mine have already purged the Academy of traitors. Now, they're focused on treating my mother."
"Hmm... In that case, Your Highness's position and Lady Rellana's might differ," Iji quickly deduced. "After all, Your Highness's goal is... Perhaps we should send Seluvis to make contact with Lady Rellana instead?"
"No," Ranni rejected the suggestion immediately. "Seluvis is useful in some matters, but his true nature would be obvious to Aunt Rellana in an instant. If that happens, things could get ugly. I still have many tasks for that man to complete. Even if he's destined to die, it won't be this soon."
"Ah... Then we'll have to proceed according to Your Highness's plan," Iji sighed. "I just hope I can live to see Caria restored to its former glory..."
...
Back in the Grand Library, Aoko's arcane weave and the magic system of the Lands Between operated on entirely different principles. Using several illusion spells, she adjusted Messmer's appearance and voice, making the son of Radagon look nearly identical to the Golden Order's Radagon—almost an exact match.
Now, Messmer sat stiffly before Rennala, his hands held by the Full Moon Queen as she tearfully confided in him.
Meanwhile, Rellana stood to the side, her expression dark as coal, her gaze darting between Messmer and her sister, ready to intervene at the first sign of anything inappropriate. Touko, on the other hand, closed her eyes and carefully employed Third Magic to examine and repair the Queen's damaged soul.
Aoko smiled as she observed the scene but suddenly sensed something. She moved unhurriedly behind one of the many bookshelves in the Grand Library. A cloud of black mist descended from above, eventually condensing into a humanoid figure.
"Greetings, Princess Ranni of the Moon," Aoko addressed the newcomer with impeccable etiquette, her tone neither servile nor overbearing. "How may I assist you?"