The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Chapter 360: The Princess and the Pub

Klaus stood in the dim light of the counter, the scent of ale and roasted meat hanging heavy in the air. It was a strange place for the heir to the Ice Palace to be found, dressed in a simple servant's apron over her usual white dress.

"Good evening, Princess Helene,"

Helene looked up from the tray she was polishing. Her ruby red eyes caught the lantern light, glowing like embers in the dimness. A soft smile played at her lips, genuine and unburdened by the courtly masks she usually wore.

"Klaus," she said, her voice warm. "Good evening."

"Quite the peculiar place you have running," Klaus replied, gesturing to the shelves of bottles behind her. "I did not expect the Ice Palace heir to moonlight as a barmaid."

Helene laughed, a light sound that seemed to chase away the shadows in the corner. It was a rare sound, free of the tension that had plagued the ice palace for the last day. She set the tray down and leaned against the counter.

"Someone has to keep the staff motivated," she said with a wink. "Besides, no one looks twice at a servant. It is the perfect disguise."

She reached for a pitcher of dark ale. "Do you want a beer?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow. Though he did not look exactly his age, the young boy with white hair and eyes that held too much knowledge was still underage. Most people would scold her for even suggesting alcohol to a minor, well, if she were not a princess and he a prince.

"Sure," Klaus said.

Helene paused, the pitcher hovering over a mug. She looked at him, genuinely surprised. "You are serious? You know how old you are, right?"

"I know how to hold my liquor," Klaus said dryly.

She shook her head, amusement dancing in her red eyes, and poured the dark liquid into a mug. She slid it across the wooden counter. Klaus picked it up and drank in silence. He drained half the mug in one go, his expression unchanged.

Helene watched him, her mouth slightly open. She had expected him to cough or make a face at the bitterness. Instead, he looked like he was drinking water. He set the mug down and pushed it forward.

"Another one," Klaus said.

Helene stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Just pour it."

She poured the second glass. Klaus drank this one slower, savoring the taste. The silence between them was comfortable, a stark contrast to the screaming alarms and rushing boots they had left behind in the main palace corridors.

After he finished the second mug, Helene leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. Her expression softened, the amusement fading into something more sympathetic.

"Sorry for seeing you like this," she said quietly. "I know it was not exactly a warm welcome. Being locked in a containment chamber is not how we treat guests."

'containment chamber?' Klaus thought himself.

"I am sure you have your reasons," Klaus said, swirling the last drops of ale in his mug. "But there is something I do not quite understand."

Helene tilted her head, her red eyes questioning. "What is it?"

"Your... friend, Jasmine," Klaus said casually. "She said you told her I was in danger. Why so? Am I not a guest of your mother?"

Helene straightened up. She glanced toward the door to ensure no one was listening, then lowered her voice.

"A few weeks ago, my mother secretly received envoys from different empires ruled by the other monarchs," she explained. "They told her that your family was manufacturing super soldiers to take over the continent... They informed her of the coming war being prepared against the Rikxia Empire."

She paused, letting the weight of the words settle.

"I am sure she did not inform your grandfather about their visit. And since she placed you in that chamber, reserved for high value political prisoners, I assume she will not side with the Rikxia Empire."

Klaus listened without blinking. The political landscape was shifting faster than he had anticipated. Five Monarchs against the Rikxia Empire. And now the Ice Palace was being courted to join the coalition.

"Another one," Klaus said simply, looking at his empty glass.

Helene looked at him, a look saying are you serious? We are talking about a continental war, and you want more ale?

Klaus just stared at the empty mug. Helene sighed, grabbed the pitcher, and refilled it. She crossed her arms, watching him take a sip.

"The entire palace looked very busy," Klaus said after swallowing. "But you are here as if nothing is happening outside. Why so?"

He had seen Erion's reaction when the news broke. He had seen soldiers rushing in and out of the Ice Palace like ants whose hill had been kicked. The Frostfang Peaks had opened. Monsters were pouring out. The world was ending outside, yet here was the heir of this self run city, playing fake waitress in a pub with high level warrior disguises as patrons.

Helene's smile vanished. She looked down at her apron, smoothing a wrinkle that was not there.

"Is that really the only thing that you are curious about after everything I told you?" Helene asked.

Klaus just looked at her. His gaze was steady, waiting.

"AAHAH," Helene sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine."

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Chaos is the perfect time for an assassination," Helene said with a flat tone. "I might be the heiress of the Ice Palace, but I am not my mother's only child. I have siblings that want my place. There are also strange things that want me dead."

Klaus nodded slowly. He could relate to siblings plotting against each other. In his past life as Klaus Zagerfield, he had siblings that tried to kill or poisoned him. In a few other past lives, he killed his own brothers for a throne. Family politics were universal, it seemed.

But what picked his attention was the strange things part.

"What are those strange things?" Klaus asked.

Before she could answer, a man stepped in, clad in simple and basic dark armor, mimicking a rogue mercenary in disguise, but the man was clearly a high-level warrior, probably the strongest inside the small pub. He looked at Klaus, then at Helene, his face hardening.

"Princess this is a state affair secret!" the man said sharply. "I know the kid is quite famous, but do not burden him with things beyond his pedigree."

Klaus turned his head slowly. He looked at the man. He did not speak. He did not move. He simply let a fraction of his presence leak out.

The man felt like he was staring into a bottomless abyss. The air in the room grew heavy, pressing against his chest. His instincts screamed at him to run, to flee from the boy sitting on the stool. He took three steps back, his hand instinctively going to his sword hilt before he realized what he was doing.

"What are you?" the man whispered, his voice trembling.

Klaus ignored him. He turned back to Helene, his expression unchanged.

"What are those things that want you dead?" Klaus asked again.

Helene looked at the guard, then back at Klaus. She saw the fear in the guard's eyes. She saw the absolute calm in Klaus's. She realized then that the boy sitting in her pub was far more dangerous than the war brewing outside.

She took a deep breath. The laughter was gone from her face. The warmth was gone from her eyes. Only a cold resolve remained.

"They called themself Messengers," Helene said.