“Is that all you have to say?”
“Yes it is, your Royal Highness.”

Christelle responded brightly to the Imperial Prince’s brusque question.

They seemed like two Ebay users who completed a deal for a used item. (TL: Raws had a Korean Ebay but changed so that it is easier for people to understand.)

‘This isn’t as romantic as I was thinking…… Oh well, the two main characters of a romfan probably know better than a #foreveralone like me.’

“Then I shall interrupt you no longer and make my leave, your Royal Highness.”

The Imperial Prince lightly motioned with his chin.

Christelle quickly bowed and walked away from the carriage.

I debated on going back with her before realizing that I needed to see the Imperial Prince too.

I confirmed that Christelle was moving away before walking closer to the carriage.

“I also have something to tell you, your Royal Highness.”

He silently raised one eyebrow. This punk really was skilled in body language.

I calmly continued speaking.

“I presume her Eminence, Cardinal Boutier, has told you about it, but I thought that I should still inform you myself.”

The Imperial Prince should know that I agreed to cooperate with him.

I didn’t know whether I would be able to provide any meaningful assistance, but I had said that I would help him win the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts and earn the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star.

However, I had never said anything to him.

I thought it would be good to use this chance to make my motivations and intentions clear.

I peeked toward the Imperial Prince’s attendant, David, who was sitting across from him.

“Will it be okay for David to be here? It is related to Sadie.”
“Cough, cough! Cough! Ugh!”

David started coughing vehemently.

He looked extremely anxious and took a handkerchief out of his pocket before covering his mouth and continuing to cough.

“David, are you okay? Should I call the Imperial doctor?”

I was concerned after hearing the middle-aged man gasping for breath.

He shook his head and barely managed to get some words out.

“I, cough! Am choking on spit, cough cough! Please don’t wo-, cough!”
“You don’t need to worry about David since he knows.”

The Imperial Prince spoke in a low voice.

It made sense that someone who has attended to the Imperial Prince for so long would know that he had an illegitimate child.

I nodded my head and looked left and right.

Everybody was busy getting ready to depart so there happened to be nobody near the Imperial Prince’s carriage right now.

My voice became even quieter.

“I am officially attending the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts as a Confessional Priest but I hope that you will get the Sword of Wisdom, your Royal Highness. That divine item…… I know you will use it for Sadie.”

He immediately frowned.

The Imperial Prince seemed as if he wanted to say something but he couldn’t easily get any words out as if he was debating where to start.

I felt uncomfortable and asked a question.

“Am I wrong, your Royal Highness?”
“Theoretically, you are correct.”

He answered in a low voice after what felt like an eternity. ‘It’s either right or wrong. What the heck does he mean by theoretically correct?’

I clicked my tongue at his insincere response and said the most important thing.

“Then I will do whatever I can to help. I hope that your son is not in pain any longer, your Royal Highness.”

“What did you just…?”
“Prince Jesse?”

I heard a coachman looking for me in the distance.

It really seemed to be time to go now.

I didn’t want the Imperial Prince to say that we were delayed because of me again so I bowed and started walking away.

I saw that David had his face in his handkerchief so I was a bit concerned that he wasn’t as okay as he said he was.

*

“Your highness, I see the Lord’s Castle over there!”

– Squeeeee.

Ganael shouted in a bright voice.

Demy was trying to crawl up the window, so I grabbed him by his black belly to give him enough support to look outside.

Benjamin turned his head following Ganael’s finger as well.

“Wow……”
“Isn’t it very different from the Imperial Palace, your highness? Marquis Duhem’s castle is respected for its extremely long history.”

Benjamin was nice and explained it to me.

This view made me gasp in admiration.

Marquis François Duhem’s Lord’s Castle boasted a noble and dignified appearance as the subtle fog wrapped around it like a cape.

I could see a large mountain peak that looked as sharp as an animal’s fang behind the brownish gray castle.

The way the peak was surrounded by clouds made it look like a majestic folding screen.

We finally arrived at the Duhem March after traveling for three days after leaving Lucas Village.

“The Imperial Capital is flat, but there are a lot of mountains to the East.”
“Yes, your highness. There is a large mountain range in the direction of the border. Other than the southeastern tip with the river, most of the eastern part of the Empire has similar terrain.”

Benjamin sounded like an experienced travel guide while explaining it to me like that.

He looked happy whenever he taught me something, so I always asked him whenever I was curious about things.

“The Sword of Wisdom should be stabbed right around there. I guess we can’t see it from here because it is too far away.”

He pointed toward the plains in front of the Lord’s Castle.

Plants resembling reeds were fluttering in beat to the wind.

I nodded my head and enjoyed the view of the Lord’s Castle as we got closer.

I couldn’t help but think that it would have been better if Eunse and my brother were here to see it as well.

“You can rest in the Lord’s Castle until tomorrow, your highness. Marquis Duhem is hosting a welcome dinner tonight, but it shouldn’t be too big because his Royal Highness does not like things like that. The Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts will start in the morning the day after tomorrow.”

Ganael filled me in on the schedule.

“Since his Royal Highness was brought up…”

I frowned slightly as I continued speaking.

“Hasn’t he been a bit weird the last few days?”

The two of them tilted their heads after hearing my question.

‘Wait, there’s no way that I was the only one to feel it.’

“He’s normally like this as well but he seemed overly cold since about three days ago. He nagged at the owners of every inn we stayed at and he is swinging his sword in the yard every night.”
“Mm.”
“I’m not sure……”

Their reactions weren’t very confident.

“I can understand why His Royal Highness would look over the records of other village inns or threaten the owners after what he experienced in Lucas Village.”

Benjamin calmly responded. I agreed with that aspect.

The Claudine Green incident would be something unacceptable for a future Emperor. He was probably worried that similar crimes would be happening elsewhere.

However, the Imperial Prince’s words and actions did seem much colder.

‘Is the food not to his liking?’

“In addition……”

Ganael cautiously answered.

“His Royal Highness has always been that way, your highness.”
“Hmm?”
“Now that you mention it, I believe he has been much more relaxed since around the time you entered the Imperial Palace, your highness.”

‘This is him being more relaxed?’

Benjamin added on after seeing my expression.

“There were not many people who could even make simple conversation with His Royal Highness. Her Majesty, Her Eminence, Vice Captain Élisabeth and Mister David were probably the only ones. Even Marquis Duhem would calm down in front of His Royal Highness.”
“The < Biweekly Riester > even gave His Royal Highness a nickname. I think it was the Ice Prince or something……”

It made me cringe.

I presumed it was the work of Lady Belliard since she liked to come up with weird nicknames.

“Oh, what perfect timing. I see Marquis Duhem over there.”

Benjamin was pointing somewhere. I looked out the window again.

There was a man whose light pink eyes were sparkling like cherry blossoms as he elegantly waved his arm to greet us.

‘This guy never changes.’

*

“I would like to welcome His Royal Highness and all of you once again for coming to my castle! Thank you very much!”
“Three cheers for his Royal Highness!”
“Cheers!”

Marquis François Duhem shouted refreshingly. He picked up his wine glass as thunderous clapping and cheering burst out.

The Marquis, who was a master of recreation, was able to keep everyone happy and rowdy even with the silent Imperial Prince at the center.

‘I’ve never seen someone like this before.’

There were not many people at the welcome dinner, as Ganael had mentioned.

There seemed to be about 50 people including all of us in the Imperial Prince’s envoy, the people from the House of Duhem, and their confidants.

I was sitting at the end of the long VIP table in front of the banquet hall, utilizing my corner seat to overeat.

Vice Captain Élisabeth was sitting to my left.

Marquis Duhem and Christelle were seated at the far right side of the VIP table and were already mixing drinks.

‘They’re mixing wine into beer……’

“Basically, it is similar to searching for treasure on the mountain.”
“Vice Captain Élisabeth, demonic beasts are not treasure.”
“However, your score goes up every time you catch one, and you win if you have the highest score. They are pretty much treasures.”

The Vice Captain of the Imperial Guard smiled brightly and sipped on her sherry.

Vice Captain Élisabeth, who was finally able to get off work once we arrived at the March, was drinking while looking as refreshed as she had looked the day after the Spring Ball.

She said that she had not attended the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts ever since she enlisted into the Imperial Guard, but she knew about the rules and methods, as is fitting of a noble of the Empire.

“You should have seen the large mountain range on your way here. There is a large cave at the lowest peak that we call the Duhem Dungeon.”

‘Dungeon…… This world really has everything.’

I chewed on a soft piece of roast duck as I waited for her to continue.

The duck was juicy and the bigarade sauce was so good.

“The demonic beasts in the dungeon come out to attack the Lord’s Castle and the nearby city every year around this time. Barriers are useless because different kinds of demonic beasts come out every year. Some of those bastards definitely manage to escape the castle. That is the reason the competition starts at the mountain but ends on the plains of the Lord’s Castle.”

I knew about that as well.

There were demonic beasts that managed to escape to get to the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star even with numerous nobles and the Imperial family attacking them.

Their instincts were making them feel repulsed by the divine item and guide them to attack it.

“The person who defeats the most demonic beasts is at an advantage, but they generally give extra points to the person who catches the largest and fiercest demonic beast. It is quality over quantity.”
“I see.”

I responded to her and peeked to the Imperial Prince who was seated to Vice Captain Élisabeth’s left.

There were no signs whatsoever of a smile on that pretty face.

The punk who was usually only generally moody seemed super moody after having come to the south.

“Do you think that His Royal Highness can win?”
“Of course.”

Vice Captain Élisabeth responded immediately.

“It pains me to admit this but Her Majesty is probably the only person who could defeat His Royal Highness in physical strength.”
“His condition doesn’t seem good lately.”
“His Royal Highness’s condition?”

Her grey eyes opened wide and she turned to her left.

The Imperial Prince felt our gaze and looked back at us.

His still sharp gaze made me think that he was nervous from the pressure to win.

I couldn’t come up with any other reason as to why he had been so sensitive the last few days.

I easily ignored the orange gaze and took a sip of orange juice.

‘Look at the little punk acting his age.’

*

“……He thinks that I am my son.”
“Ack! You finally found out?! Hahahaha!”

Élisabeth screamed and laughed at the same time.

She laughed so loud that her voice echoed in the noble reception room before stuffing her face in the couch cushion that David urgently handed her.

Marquis Duhem might come over wanting to know what was so funny if she was too loud.

Élisabeth looked almost as if she was going to cry as she smacked David’s arm.

The attendant was able to endure her smacks thanks to the toughness he had developed over the years.

“Mister David, how did you manage to keep that to yourself? How could you not share such entertaining news?”
“I can honestly say that it was the hardest hurdle of my life, young Countess-nim.”
“Ah! What should I do?! Prince Jesse!”
“Georges.”

Cédric called her by her middle name with his voice boiling with rage.

It was his way of telling her to control herself, but Élisabeth could not do so and buried her face in the cushion again.

She had almost fainted from laughing when Prince Jesse had told her about the misunderstanding, but finding out that the person in question finally heard about it made her want to burst and die from laughter.

This… this was truly too much. Tears finally started dripping out.

“I, sob, I told you before. I would rather confess the truth than get this kind of misunderstanding.”
“……Why does he not think that we are the same person?”
“What the heck are you saying?! Are you saying you want him to find out the truth?!”

Élisabeth was now pointing as she laughed.

The Imperial Prince looked down at his close friend with a complicated gaze.

His mind had been quite chaotic for the past three days.

He didn’t know whether he should be angry at Élisabeth who had hidden such a misunderstanding from him or be heartless to the prince who dared to believe that he had an illegitimate child.

However, he was the one who had not paid any attention to Élisabeth’s hint. He was also the one who had taken advantage of the prince’s goodwill.

How could it end up being such an unfortunate and dishonest situation?

This was no different from when he turned into a child.

“Ahem, ahem. But isn’t it understandable? There are many symptoms of ether depletion but what you have is unique. It’s not even mentioned in books.”

Élisabeth let out some fake coughs before continuing to speak.

“Furthermore, it’s a secret that you use ether. It’s understandable why he would think you are different people.”
“In the end, you are saying it is my fault.”
“Ehehe, hehe. Sob.”

The young Countess started crying in laughter into the cushion again. The Imperial Prince let out a quiet sigh.

—

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>

“Do you like this Lord’s Castle, your highness? Of course, it is difficult to not like this place!”

‘Why are you asking me if you’ve already made a conclusion?’

“It’s amazing. It looks like it came right out of a painting.”
“Hahaha! I hear that a lot. You have excellent aesthetic senses, your highness.”

I was currently walking in front of the Lord’s Castle with the already extremely excited Marquis François Duhem looking for the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star.

The silvergrass-like plants that filled my view were swaying nonstop.

The Marquis was chatting away at full speed as well.

There wasn’t much behind how I ended up in such a situation.

After the welcome banquet last night, I slept in until 10:30 a.m. and was leisurely eating and enjoying my rest when……

– Cruuuuuuuuu!

‘Ah right, Demy. We need to go see your friends.’

I finally remembered after seeing Demy begging me to hold him.

One of the reasons I came here was to see Demy’s red panda family, the other two divine beasts.

I wanted to set up some time for Demy to say hi to them and make sure that they are doing well because it has been a long time.

Benjamin and Ganael were planning to go with me, as expected, but I happened to run into Marquis Duhem in the hallway……

After that, well… It’s pretty obvious as to what happened.

‘Would you please give me the honor?’

The Marquis said that he was the person who had the most contact with the divine beasts and that he would personally escort me, so I let the two tired-looking attendants rest in their rooms.

That was how this awkward combination was created.

Of course, I was the only one feeling awkward while the Marquis seemed quite excited.

– Screeeech!

“Demy, you shouldn’t fool around on top of a horse. Your horse friend is working.”

– Clack, clack……

I quickly grabbed Demy, who was trying to crawl onto the horse’s head, and held him in my arms.

It was my first time riding a horse, but miraculously, Prince Jesse’s body remembered horsemanship.

I avoided being a prince who couldn’t even get on a horse at the age of twenty-eight.

‘How come he can do things like this but can’t throw a dagger……’

“They are putting up the tents so it would be better to go around this way, your highness.”
“Ah, I understand.”

The Marquis pointed to the side with dramatic hand gestures.

I didn’t think that there were many people on the plains when we left the Lord’s Castle, but I could now see that it was packed with people preparing for the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts tomorrow.

I followed the Marquis’ guide and moved past the tents.

Then, I saw something that made my jaws drop.

“……Are these all seats for spectators?”
“That’s right! Are you shocked, your highness? I’m sure you are! This competition will be the largest one ever!”

The Marquis’ light pink eyes curled like crescent moons.

I couldn’t close my jaws while looking at the 10 level bleachers cutting through the plains on both sides.

The two sets of seats were facing each other about 100m apart and they each seemed at least 300m long.

Anybody would think that this looked like a large outdoor stadium.

The white tents that should block the heat of the May sun seemed to cover not just the top of the seats but also the sides and the back.

The area was full of people pulling the cloths taut, hammering stakes into the ground, shouting, and creating circles with their arms.

A portion of them bowed after noticing the Marquis and me.

I greeted them back and took a look at the mountain range and the stadium.

“You are herding the demonic beasts that come out of the mountain into the center of the two sides.”
“To be more specific, it is the demonic beasts that pull in the participants. The Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star is stabbed over there.”

Marquis Duhem pointed toward the middle of the stadium.

I could see something black in the distance, sparkling from the warm rays of the sun.

My mind blanked out a bit and I moved my horse toward it.

– Squeeeee.

“Yes, we’re here.”

Demy must not have been able to hold himself back anymore as he climbed up my chest and sat on top of my shoulders.

I held the little punk with one arm and got off the horse after seeing the Marquis get off.

I focused my gaze on the grass and walked forward until the divine item appeared.

I felt as if I had stopped breathing for a moment.

The sword that was nonchalantly stabbed into the dirt was pitch black. It was as if no light could get through it.

About half of it was buried in the ground, but the parts I could see were completely clean without even a speck of dust.

The hilt and the area under the blade were all black as well, except for the blood-red jewel at the bottom of the hilt.

It looked extremely vibrant, as if it had been stabbed in there just yesterday, but it also looked extremely old, as if it was here before anything else.

This was the divine sword that had been here for over 1,000 years and never took a master despite countless people trying to pull it out.

This was the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star.

“……That’s a ton of ether.”

I finally shared my thoughts after a long while.

The reason Demy had been chatty since morning and the reason I felt as if I was in front of a large bonfire right now were probably all because of this sword.

It wasn’t hot or actually making the area warmer, but I could feel the presence of the overwhelming fire attribute ether.

It made me think that this was what a divine item was supposed to be like.

Even their reason for existence was different from the items humans created and used for convenience.

This was the manifestation of the Almighty God’s will and ability.

“All priests say the same thing whenever they see the sword.”

The Marquis continued speaking almost as if he was humming.

“Isn’t it beautiful? The demonic beasts pass through here at least once to attack the divine item and the participants come down chasing after them. The Sword of Wisdom could be called the flower of the competition.”

He then looked to one side of the grass. Demy reacted quicker than I did.

– Squeal!

– Kyuuu!

– Pruu!

Two red pandas jumped out.

The Marquis must have been telling the truth when he said that the divine beasts always stay close to the divine item.

Thankfully, both of them looked healthy.

Demy was dangling on my right arm so I gently put him down on the ground.

I couldn’t help but smile after seeing these little guys meet again in this distant March.

– Cruuuuuuuuu……

– Squeeeee?

– Pruu!

The three of them were in a ball, rolling on the ground the same way they had been on the day they said goodbye.

I was looking at them with concern because I was worried that they would be cut by the Sword of Wisdom when the Marquis resumed speaking.

“I heard that you were competing as a team, your highness. You are teaming with his Royal Majesty, Vice Captain Élisabeth, and young lady Christelle.”

I turned toward him.

‘This is the first time I’m hearing about it……’

It was an established fact that I was helping the Imperial Prince and that Vice Captain Élisabeth was probably doing the same, but I guess Christelle is in our team too because she is as likable as a side dish that goes well with anything.

Of course, it was just a temporary alliance that will end once we return to the Imperial Palace.

“You’re not wrong.”

I gave an indirect response when he smiled and asked a different question.

“Do you think that I should trust you, Prince Jesse?”
“…What did you just say, Marquis Duhem?”

I asked back.

I realized that only his lips were smiling since some point earlier.

His light eyes seem to hold faint traces of suspicion.

‘I didn’t know he was capable of such a look.’

“My apologies, your highness. I know that his Royal Highness and her Eminence chose you to be here. However… I have sworn my loyalty to her Majesty, Empress Frédérique. I cannot lower my guard around you until you have her Majesty’s complete trust.”

The Marquis smiled elegantly with his eyes before lowering his head. It was a gesture to show his apology.

I took a long look at him as I organized my thoughts.

He was saying that unlike Cardinal Boutier and Imperial Prince Cédric, the Empress did not trust me yet.

It was hard enough to accept that the damn Imperial Prince bastard trusted me but it felt a bit burdensome bringing the Empress into the discussion as well.

I had not done anything for the Empress to see me in a good light.

It was best for her to not see me in any light.

“Marquis Duhem, you are her Majesty’s close confidant so I’m sure you know about his Royal Highness’s secret.”

However, I still had no intentions of leaving any suspicion in the Marquis’ mind.

I was someone who could not make any enemies here.

“When you say secret……”
“I couldn’t ignore a hurting child.”
“My goodness.”

The adult’s relaxed face instantly stiffened.

The Marquis raised a hand to cover his mouth while looking at me with his pupils shaking.

‘So this guy does know about it.’

“I am not doing this because I want something from Her Majesty or His Royal Highness. I am simply helping because I wouldn’t be at peace. You do not need to think about it with such complication.”
“……I didn’t expect that you would know about that, your highness! My goodness!”
“I somehow ended up finding out. Please do not worry as I have not shared it with anybody else.”

The Marquis quickly knelt down on one knee in front of me.

I gasped and took a step back.

“What are you doing, Marquis Duhem? People are watching.”
“I understand now. There was a reason his Royal Highness relies on you, Prince Jesse.”
“Who relies on whom? Are we talking about the same Imperial Prince right now?”
“I had no idea that you were helping his Royal Highness with completely pure intentions that don’t even have a speck of dust on it…… Please forgive me for being such a benighted fool!”

‘Wait, wasn’t the mood extremely cold like three minutes ago? I already knew about this, but why is this guy so extreme?’

“You were saying that you suspected me…”
“I will go to make a confession today. If I am asked about my sin, I will say that when I met with Prince Jesse……”
“I am going to go touch the Sword of Wisdom while you reflect.”

‘Ah, whatever.’

I left the man who swayed from one extreme to the other and quickly grabbed the Sword of Wisdom from the Flaming Star.

I was planning on checking it leisurely but I could not do so because of that guy’s silliness.

‘Damn it.’

*

“But the sword wouldn’t come out so I kicked it. I’m sorry.”

[I see. That was wrong for you to do, Sophie.]

I answered as gently as possible.

I could hear the child on the other side of the wooden window tapping her feet.

I barely managed to hold my laughter back as I thought about what to say next.

I had heard many confessions until now but I had never had such a cute little penitent.

I was currently fulfilling my ‘duty’ for coming to the Duhem March.

My job as the priest was to hear the confessions of the participants for the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts but my schedule was pushed up half a day with the Marquis opening the Lord’s Castle’s Confessional earlier today.

It worked out for me since I was going to be busy tomorrow.

But the Marquis, he really…… He looked normal but his brain was not normal at all.

Thanks to him, the front of the small Confessional was packed since early in the evening.

Pretty much every noble who came to the Lord’s Castle as a guest were gathered in a line.

The person who was currently in the penitent’s seat was the soon-to-be-five-years-old Sophie.

The girl who would be almost six in Korean age said that she came here with her mom, who was participating in the competition.

‘I remember when Eunse was this little.’

“Will I be punished now?”

[It won’t be a big punishment. Sophie is still young, so you should get a small punishment.]

“But I don’t want even a little punishment……”

[To be honest with you, this uncle tried to grab the Sword of Wisdom earlier too and it didn’t budge.]

“Did you kick it too, your highness?”

[No, I couldn’t do so because some mister was watching me.]

The child laughed at my comment. I smiled bitterly.

To be more specific, I was not trying to pull the sword out but to make a wish.

I prayed to the Almighty God first in case the divine item didn’t understand me and even channeled my ether into it with high hopes.

I then tightly held the sword and prayed desperately. I prayed for it to let me go back home.

And the results? Well, I’m still here in this body.

Yes. There was no way I would be able to go home that easily.

[Sophie must eat all of her veggies for the whole week. You must also only kick balls outside and make sure that nobody is in the direction you are kicking. That is your penance.]

“Oo…… But bell peppers don’t taste good……”

The child sounded depressed at my stern demeanor.

Sophie rustled around for a while and then left the Confessional before…

– Clunk!

“Goodbye, your highness!”

She urgently opened the door back and respectfully said goodbye.

Her mother must have asked if she said goodbye to me.

I was half laughing as I responded to the child. The outside sounded quite chaotic right after that.

A new guest must have arrived.

I thought that I would rest after one more person.

– Clunk!

The door to the other side was slammed open again. I could hear someone’s clothes rustling.

“Sophie?”
“Who is that?”

A familiar low voice pierced my ears. I anxiously turned toward the window.

“Your Royal Highness?”
“Did you tell that Sophie person too?”

‘What the heck is he talking about?’

I quickly leaned my body and looked through the wooden window.

I could see his orange eyes burning intensely through the tightly woven pattern on the window.

His large body was torturing the small chair.

I could not understand why this bastard was here right now. Was it for the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts tomorrow?

“Did you come to make a confession, your Royal Highness? By the way, did you just cut in line?”
“Even the Marquis knows about it now.”
“Know what, your Royal Highness?”
“……”

Imperial Prince Cédric kept his mouth shut. Even that four years old Sophie was better at talking.

He should confess if he came to confess, and he should speak if he had a complaint but the Imperial Prince was acting exactly like his son.

This was clearly an obstruction of business.

—

<< Previous Chapter | Index | Next Chapter >>

“What is it, your highness?”

I heard Christelle’s clear voice in my ear. I quickly looked away and checked on her.

Her blue-gray eyes, which were as clear as usual, were looking right at me.

“Are you okay, young lady Sarnez?”
“Excuse me? Of course I’m o……”

She could not finish her sentence.

The brightness was slowly disappearing from her eyes.

I got chills from my back all the way down to my heels.

She turned away from me and looked forward, as if she was a puppet on strings.

It was as if there was somebody past the two apple trees.

However, I couldn’t even see a small bird, let alone a person, no matter how wide I opened my eyes and searched.

“Young lady Sarnez?”
“……”

There was no response. I gulped.

There were two people in this foggy valley whose eyes were no longer focused while the screams and shouts of people echoed from the other side of the mountain.

And…

– Crunch!

That damn noise. I clenched my teeth. There were only four apples left on the tree now.

I was certain that this invisible apple thief was responsible for turning the two of them like this despite not having any evidence.

The medium was probably this fog.

“Father. It was all my fault.”

Imperial Prince Cédric started walking while saying that.

I quickly took one step in front of him.

I didn’t have any hands left because I was covering Demy and my faces, but I had to prevent him from leaving the Holy Domain even if I had to kick him to do so.

“Can you hear me, your Royal Highness?”
“You should not have sacrificed yourself for me. It should have been me-”
“Please stop saying weird things.”

I cut him off. His pale face and sunken eyes made me frown.

I felt uncomfortable thinking about why this punk was having such a radical thought since he should have been very young when the Prince Consort left this world.

‘He hasn’t spent all this time thinking like this, has he?’

“Sis, why are you here?”

I heard a shaking voice at that moment.

I had an extremely ominous feeling as I turned toward Christelle.

“Sis, why are you here? You should be living happily after getting married like that. What are you doing here?!”

Her voice was full of sadness and affection. I felt as if I could not breathe.

Both of them seemed to be seeing family members who have departed this world.

I could not leave them like this since I didn’t know how much stronger the illusions and their emotions might get.

I needed to at least temporarily wake them up-

“Go. Go to brother-in-law because it is dangerous here! Hurry!”
“You can’t leave, young lady Sarnez!”

‘Damn it!’

I quickly extended my leg to stop her.

My leg was shaking because the two main characters were standing pretty far from each other.

[Both of you snap out of it!]

I immediately released a Divine Oracle.

Bright lights shot out from the Holy Domain that had been subtly releasing golden light to cover the two of their bodies.

Divine Oracle is only effective against living creatures inside the circle, which was why I had no reason to shout when we were fighting the demonic beasts.

I could not allow demonic beasts to get within 15m of me when I had no physical talents whatsoever.

– Shaaaaaaa-

The holy light soon let the two of them go.

I could see Christelle’s large eyes blinking as the rays of light slowly disappeared.

‘It worked.’

I sighed in relief.

“Huh? Just now, just now, my older sister……”
“Are you back to your senses? Please quickly cover your mouth and nose. What about you, your Royal Highness?”

Christelle quickly pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.

Her eyes were red, but she must have realized what was going on as she did not say anything. As for the Imperial Prince…

“……”

His orange eyes were burning up when our eyes met.

He looked as if he would burn anything he set his eyes on.

I couldn’t help but feel an instinctual fear crawl down my spine despite knowing that his wrath was not directed at me.

His conscience seemed to have returned but I wasn’t sure whether or not he was in a completely rational state.

The ether in my body fluctuated anxiously.

‘Wait, is this really mine?’

“……How dare you.”
“Please calm down, your Royal Highness. You need to get a cloth before you see another illu-”
“A damn demonic beast dares to bring my father.”

The young man’s voice sank low. It was as if it would pierce through the ground.

The tips of his black hair were shaking like a bad omen. He was taking the black glove off his left hand.

My fingertips were numb with an unexplainable sense of anxiousness.

“You cannot attack it right now, your Royal Highness. The monster is still hiding so it will be dangerous if you leave the Holy Domain. You will quickly see another illusion because of the fog. The young lady has some magic tools that can cause explosions, so we should-”
“I will not forgive it.”

He closed his left hand into the shape of a flower bud.

‘I saw something like this before.’

– Snap!

I heard him snap his fingers. Christelle retched and plopped down on the ground.

The Imperial Prince and I made eye contact for a while.

– Craaaaaaaaaackle!

Then there was a fire.

The red flame that burst out of the man’s hand was furiously engulfing everything outside my Holy Domain.

The fog, valley, trees, moss, grass, forest, and ground… everything was quickly becoming dyed red like blood.

He seemed to be doing as he pleased, it was as if he was a child while being as ruthless as a tyrant.

My head felt hot just watching him do this. I was sort of blanking out because of the intense heat.

– Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech!

The demonic beast that had been hiding itself screeched in pain.

– Boom, booooom!

I could hear something large falling down.

Someone’s ether was pulsating violently. But that was not the end.

– Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

– Grrrrrrrrrrrr! Grrrrrr!

– Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!

I jerked my head up. From the top, side, and foot of the mountain……

There were demonic beasts writhing in the throes of death.

Some of them seemed to be coming from quite far away, while others sounded quite close.

The mountain peak, which was somewhat visible in the distance, was burning up as if a signal fire had been lit.

The Imperial Prince’s wrath seemed to have completely dominated the Marquis’ mountain range.

The dry air was burning my throat. I was full of both shock and confusion.

‘Why did he hide this kind of power until now……’

– Scrreech, screech, screeeech……

‘Oops.’

“Demy, are you okay?”

I calmed the red panda that was burrowing into my chest and shoved the handkerchief into my pocket.

My heart sank looking at the shaking Demy while I was unable to figure out what to do.

‘He shouldn’t be seeing an illusion since the fog was burned away.

Is he maybe scared of the fire…… Wait a minute.

A red warning light flashed in my mind a little bit late. I immediately turned my head.

“Your Royal Highness, please stop. It is dangerous if you use so much ether like this-”

I heard a plop as a small body fell toward me. I grabbed the young boy out of reflex.

At the same time…

– Craaaaaaaaaaaaackle……

The fires of his wrath that had been brutally gobbling up the mountain range scattered as if it had just been a mirage.

I couldn’t believe it even after having seen it with my own eyes.

Billions of sparks rode the spring breeze and slowly disappeared in the sunlight.

The small sparks filled my view. It seemed as if nothing big happened and it was all just a moment of capriciousness.

All that was left in front of me was……

“It really makes no sense, even after seeing it again.”

The lush mountain. Christelle seemed a bit out of it as she mumbled to herself.

I didn’t let go of the heated body that was leaning against my leg as I looked around.

The fire ether that had only delivered its judgment onto the demonic beasts on this vast mountain disappeared after only roasting the gravel and rocks.

I could not understand what I just saw.

The power was tremendous, but the control he had over it was even more shocking.

I could not close my open jaw.

– Screeeeech!

Demy quickly jumped out of my arms and stuck to Christelle’s leg.

I finally looked down at the child who was burning up.

“Ah……”

I couldn’t breathe. My tongue felt so stiff that I could not say anything.

The fainted kid should not open his eyes but I knew the color of this punk’s eyes.

His black hair and his stubbornly closed lips were familiar.

I carefully lowered him down. The large clothes wrapped around the young boy fluttered.

His forehead was completely wet with dry sweat like I had seen before.

“……Sadie.”

I quietly called out the Imperial Prince’s name.

*

“My lord, the fire is disappearing!”
“My goodness, oh Almighty God…….”
“The Almighty God is protecting the Empire!”
“My goodness, it is a miracle! My goodness!”

The thousand of people in the stands were crying and shouting loudly.

Both nobles and commoners were cheering and throwing things into the air.

Applause, whistles, praise and prayers, along with hugs and comfort filled the plains.

François Duhem was looking toward the dungeon with a look of devastation.

The unbelievable event that had just happened was clearly the Imperial Prince’s power.

He was certain about it because nobody else in the Empire had ever used fire attribute ether before.

No, the Imperial Prince was the only person in the entire Empire who was born with the qualifications to be a Holy Knight.

The fact that he publicly displayed his abilities was a joyous occasion and an emotional event.

However…

“Huuuuuu.”

His chest felt suffocated. The Marquis raised a fist and patted above his ribs.

The precious young man should have turned into a child now.

And the only person he could rely on right now was a royal priest from the Holy Kingdom, who was here as a Diplomatic hostage.

Even if the Imperial Prince and Cardinal trust him… even if he too, had chosen to accept the prince……

The Marquis couldn’t help but be anxious as a vassal now that the situation had turned like this.

“Maybe I should go back up-”
“Hey mister. Don’t meddle with it and just sit down. You’re making my head hurt.”

He heard a distinct voice. He quickly turned around.

Élisabeth, who was leaning against an outdoor bed, was looking up at him with a splint on her arm.

“……How is your arm?’
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“Can’t you speak with some sincerity since young master Callamard is listening as well?”

Élisabeth’s spirit finally seemed to be subdued as she looked to the side.

Ganael, who had not left her side from the moment she descended the mountain, still had tear marks on his face.

She did not feel good thinking that she made him worry for no reason.

‘It’s not even a big injury.’

“……The healing priest put the bones back in their proper places and said that I should heal quickly since I am healthy. The painkiller Prince Jesse gave me was quite effective too. You packed that for him, right?”
“Excuse me? Yes, yes I did.”

Ganael’s honey-colored eyes curled up. She was relieved that he was the type who could easily smile even when he had been crying.

The young Countess continued speaking without any hesitation.

“Whatever is happening up there right now, all of it was done because his Royal Highness trusts Prince Jesse. That is why you should just calm down and watch, old man. This is the best seat, isn’t it?’
“Seat?”
“We need to watch him pull out the Sword of Wisdom. I’m going to grab Benjamin-nim to take your seat if you leave.”
“Y, you wouldn’t dare!”

The Marquis quickly sat his butt down on the chair. Élisabeth let out a quiet sigh.

‘Is it really okay for someone like this to hold a Marquis position?’

“There’s a signal up there in the sky. Please go rescue them.”

*

I felt completely embarrassed.

That was the conclusion I came to after careful deliberation.

I wanted to die from embarrassment.

“Wow, I guess some people’s bodies shrink from ether depletion.”
“It does seem that way……”
“He’s a total angel when he’s asleep. He’s so pretty.”

Christelle saw the sleeping Sad…… Imperial P…… Anyway, she poked the little kid’s cheeks.

I had laid the child down on top of the Holy Domain and was holding one of his elbows.

The punk had used so much ether that even physical contact was not filling his ether quickly.

‘Damn it, I need this punk to return to his normal size. I need to do that whether he continues with the competition or descends the mountain.’

I did my best to think as rationally as possible despite the situation making me want to go crazy.

“Did you know about this, your highness? Did you know that his Royal Highness uses ether?”
“……I think this is my first time seeing it.”

It wasn’t a lie. I had only seen him use it in his young body before.

Holy shit, is this < Detective Conan > or something……

“Then I guess I was really the only outsider who knew about this. I was wondering why he had so many conditions for using ether, but it must be because he turns into a child like this.”

‘Why didn’t you let me in on the secret too?’

I kept that nonsensical grudge in my heart and maintained a calm look on my face.

The Imperial Prince’s secret that Christelle was talking about was ether.

The situation would have been a million times better if I knew that and Christelle knew the secret that I knew.

I was so sad that my throat felt stuffy.

“I guess he had no choice but to hide it. This child looks almost identical to his adult self. Anybody would be able to tell that this is his Royal Highness. It would have been a big weakness given his position.”
“……”

I felt my ears getting hot from shame.

‘Isn’t it normal to think that two similarly looking people are family? Am I in the wrong?’

“People who don’t know the situation…… Might analyze it differently, don’t you think?”
“Mm. Maybe if their personality or their words and actions were different, but I don’t think that his Royal Highness would put on an act like that.”

‘Please stop stabbing the dagger deeper. I’m going to die.’

– Kiiiiiiiiiii, kiiiiiiiiii.

Demy was roaming around us, trying to talk to the sleeping child.

‘Now that I think about it, Demy should have known about it as well.’

“Haaa…………..”

‘How can I look him in the face when he wakes up? Should I just bite my tongue and kill myself? Would I be able to return home if I did that?’

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