After going through the Green Hole incident with Gerard yesterday and even receiving a Green Gem...
Eloise had anticipated that this question would come someday.
But she hadn't prepared a proper answer. With no choice, she improvised on the spot.
"Sunlight, temperature, humidity?"
"She read it from the terrain," Gerard said, smoothly packaging Eloise's words to sound plausible.
"Well, well. Yesterday when I asked, she kept her mouth shut the whole time. So you knew from the start, Gerard."
The Crown Prince Noah's cool voice carried a hint of reproach, as if Gerard had withheld important information.
Eloise glanced back and forth between Noah and Gerard before quickly speaking up.
She didn't want Gerard to earn Noah's resentment because of her.
"I didn't tell you! This is the first time I've mentioned it today."
Noah's eyes narrowed.
Eloise boldly met the Crown Prince's gaze.
If Gerard's golden eyes were as soft as afternoon sunlight streaming through a window, Noah's were cold and sharp.
To avoid shrinking under that thin, piercing stare, Eloise lightly clenched her fist over her skirt.
"Then, does that mean reading it from the terrain was a lie?"
"No!"
Eloise briefly lowered her gaze and rapidly turned her thoughts.
A moment later, she met Noah's eyes again.
"I can tell when a Rainbow Hole will appear by looking at the terrain and the sky."
"When exactly did you observe the Windfield?"
"That's..."
"I gave her the scrying orb."
Gerard had saved Eloise once more.
At this point, even Eloise started to grow suspicious.
'Did I talk to Sir Gerard yesterday about what would happen today?'
Not at all.
She hadn't even known they might show up—let alone discussed it!
Yet Gerard effortlessly provided answers every time Eloise struggled to respond.
"I'd like to hear the details."
"There's not much to tell in detail. You've heard the report that I was stationed with the Support Team for a while, right?"
Noah shrugged, but everyone in the know was aware.
Noah, Gerard's older brother, still kept tabs on and monitored Gerard, the emperor's illegitimate son, receiving reports on related matters.
"That's when Miss Eloise told me she thought predicting Rainbow Holes might be possible and wanted to test it."
"And?"
Morgana Raven showed interest.
If Eloise could truly predict Rainbow Holes, it would be a triumph for the Magic Management Bureau.
And if she handled this well and brought it to the forefront, it would shine as a major achievement for her as vice director.
"So I gave her the scrying orb. Isn't that right, Eloise?"
Eloise blinked rapidly.
She couldn't understand why Gerard was going so far as to lie to help her.
One thing was certain: his lies were benefiting her.
'I'll accept the help for now and repay him later.'
It was the best choice for Eloise.
"Yes, that's correct."
"So, if we can observe various parts of the continent, we could predict Rainbow Hole incidents going forward. That's an impressive ability. What do you think, Your Highness?"
Morgana looked to Noah.
"It's good. But it's just one success so far. Whether it's a real ability or mere luck—we'll need to watch more to find out, won't we?"
The skepticism and demand for verification were to be expected.
"Miss Rubelia, what do you say? Can you predict the next one too?"
But for some reason, Eloise felt uneasy, sensing that Noah wanted confirmation not of her ability, but of Gerard's words.
'If I fail, His Highness will come after Sir Gerard.'
And sure enough.
"What about it, Gerard? Will you vouch for her ability? Success or failure, it'll be on you and Miss Rubelia together."
Eloise's heart sank.
She believed she wouldn't fail.
But there was always that one-in-a-million chance in everything.
'I can't let Sir Gerard suffer because of me.'
Just as Eloise was about to voice her opposition, someone beat her to it.
"Your Highness, Miss Rubelia belongs to the Magic Management Bureau."
It was Vice Director Morgana.
"From now on, any support for Miss Rubelia will be officially handled by the Magic Management Bureau, and how we utilize her abilities will be our bureau's concern."
Morgana subtly furrowed her brow as she pushed back against Noah.
Cervan Bandes, who had been silently wearing a faint smile, chimed in.
"I believe Miss Rubelia's predictive ability is a divine arrangement, much like the emergence of healers. Though she says it's not an oracle, to be certain, she should meet the Pope. What do you think, Miss Rubelia? How about treating it like a vacation and visiting the temple?"
A contentious atmosphere formed as Morgana and Cervan vied over Eloise.
Eloise's large eyes darted between the two.
It was an ability worth coveting, yet in this unverified state, their subtle power play over her was intriguing.
"Vice Pope Bandes."
"Yes, Vice Director Raven."
Sparks flew between them.
If Eloise's ability was real, whichever side claimed her could seize control of Disaster Response Headquarters operations.
"Hold on a moment!"
Eloise drawing positive attention irked Natalija Duna.
"Her ability hasn't been confirmed yet, has it? As His Highness said, we need more verification."
Natalija spoke irritably.
"If she's telling the truth, she'd need a ton of scrying orbs. Can you afford the budget?"
Scrying orbs capable of real-time monitoring were neither cheap nor cheap to maintain.
That's why they weren't installed or used except in the most critical locations.
"So, who's footing the bill? You, Vice Director Morgana? Or the temple?"
"I'll do it."
Gerard stepped forward as if he'd been waiting.
"From the Magic Tower?"
Even Natalija, who admired Gerard, couldn't help scoffing this time.
The Magic Tower was perpetually strapped for cash, having blown its ample budget on research.
Some mages even trafficked artifacts illegally to fund their studies.
For such a tower to support something requiring dozens of scrying orbs, estimated roughly?
For something unproven?
No matter how mages poured money into outlandish research, this decision would surely face internal opposition at the tower.
Even for Gerard, the absolute authority of the Magic Tower, unilaterally funding a project needing dozens of scrying orbs would be tough.
The costs weren't trivial.
"Sir Gerard, I'm in no position to tell the Magic Tower what to do, but..."
"Then you'd best not say anything, Miss Natalija."
Natalija's eyes flickered for an instant.
She suppressed her rising emotions while gazing at Gerard's impassive face.
"Sir Gerard, I'm just adding a word because I've always admired you..."
"Admiration stops there. Don't add anything else."
Gerard openly rejected Natalija.
This was already the second time.
In fact, from their morning greeting today, he'd been subtly ignoring her.
'Why is he acting like this?'
She couldn't call Natalija and Gerard close friends, but he was a man fair to all.
He kept no one particularly close and pushed no one away.
Except those who recklessly tried to heal him, of course.
That's why Natalija, as an A-Rank Healer with top-tier abilities, had kept a polite distance without presuming to bring up healing him.
Her hidden backer had advised subtlety over haste.
So she'd been approaching slowly. But what was this?
Gerard had changed.
Natalija instinctively sensed danger.
Like those brimming with narcissism, she sought the cause in others.
'It's because of her.'
That Eloise, blinking innocently with wide eyes!
"Do you know the Support Team's Eloise? She's so cute, it's a shame she's not a healer."
"Watching her makes me feel better. She scurries around like a hamster. I sometimes file complaints with the Support Team just to see her, killing two birds with one stone."
Did Eloise realize she was stealing the attention meant for healers?
That was when it happened.
"Independent of the Magic Tower, I'll fund Miss Eloise's support with my personal funds."
"...!"
Everyone reacted with shock to Gerard's words.
Eloise, in particular, was beyond surprised—she was stunned.
"This way, even if Miss Eloise fails in her prediction, I'll be the only one at a loss. How does that sound, Your Highness?"
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