Chapter 29

#029 The Last and Only (1)

After that, it was utter chaos.

“Oh my, François...”

At the news that Marquis François Dume had put the divine artifact ‘Mars’ Favor’ up as the grand prize for the Demon Beast Hunt, Cardinal Boutier wore a rare look of bewilderment.

He then abruptly declared the end of the class and hurriedly left the training ground to meet the emperor.

The prince also left without a word, his expression grave.

I took advantage of the disarray and quickly returned to the Juliette Palace.

I exchanged a brief greeting with Christel, who seemed to be deep in thought.

I found it absurd, even though I had only been here for a month. How much more shocked must the people who were born and raised here be?

In a land where using a divine artifact is considered a grave sin, how could someone put one up as a prize?

“Marquis François Dume... He is indeed such a person.”

Benoît spoke calmly. It was a rare tea time on the balcony.

I stroked Demy’s tail and waited for his explanation.

“Every year, he puts all his efforts into selecting a grand prize that will create a stir, and it is he who has established the Demon Beast Hunt as a national event. He has also turned his territory into a tourist attraction, enriching his people. Knowing that the Blessing of the Sea of Creation had disappeared, he must have thought there was no reason he couldn’t use a divine artifact himself.”

Indeed, Marquis Dume must have heard the detailed circumstances of the disappearance of the Blessing of the Sea of Creation.

The cardinal had personally contacted him to entrust the lesser pandas to his care.

It would have been difficult to explain the reason for sending a divine beast to his territory, especially when the Duchy of Sarnez was so close.

With the decision to raise Christel as a holy knight, there was no reason to hide the truth from the Dume family, who were close to the emperor.

“Even so, using a divine artifact like this is clearly a mortal sin, isn’t it?”

“It is a matter for excommunication.”

“Perhaps he thought it was fine since no one could take Mars’ Favor anyway?”

Kanaël, who had been listening quietly, offered his opinion. I tilted my head, not quite understanding.

Demy tilted his head in sync with me.

“Why can’t anyone take it?”

“Mars’ Favor is embedded in the middle of a plain in front of the castle.”

“No one has succeeded in pulling it out.”

Well, is it Excalibur?

“When the gods bestowed divine artifacts upon the continent, it is said that Mars’ Favor embedded itself there by its own will. There is a prophecy that only the chosen one can pull it out and gain the power of fire.”

Isn’t that a cliché from the legend of King Arthur?

I thought as I popped a small crème brûlée into my mouth.

The thin caramel layer breaking over the sweet and moist custard cream was a delightful sensation.

It’s really delicious.

“Many people have tried to pull out Mars’ Favor. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people of all ages and professions have come and gone from the territory.”

“Perhaps hundreds of thousands. But all have failed.”

Kanaël added.

Seeing that Benoît and Kanaël’s plates were empty, I served them each a crème brûlée.

Benoît nodded in thanks and pointed to a spot on the divine artifact map I had laid out on the table.

A black thread, as if made of ground pearls, was woven into the shape of a black sword in the south of the imperial road.

Around it, luxurious red threads fluttered like flames.

“Since it can’t be taken, perhaps he’s just trying to draw attention by putting it up as a prize?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. Marquis Dume really loves attention...”

The boy’s muttering made Benoît shake his head with a pained expression.

“He is intelligent and popular among the people of his territory, but his reputation in high society is mixed. He will do anything to get attention, using his abilities and wealth. He is loud... Of course, this helps His Majesty, but...”

‘He does have a lightness that doesn’t quite fit his position as a marquis,’ he concluded.

In other words, he’s a show-off.

“His Majesty and His Eminence the Cardinal will try to persuade the marquis.”

“Of course. No matter who Marquis Dume is, it would be problematic to set a precedent of handling divine artifacts carelessly.”

I nodded and sipped my chrysanthemum tea. I was intrigued.

So far, two divine artifacts have successfully enabled two possessions. If I didn’t think ‘what if’ about another divine artifact, I would be lying.

But I came here to save Yese Penetian from the war and death that will happen in the future, so the probability of being able to return home before then is overwhelmingly low.

Hmm, being a hostage, it’s hard to leave the palace. I probably won’t be able to see Mars’ Favor in person.

“It’s a fire attribute, so it’s not compatible with the Princess of Sarnez, who wants to become a holy knight.”

I muttered.

Matching ether attributes is quite simple.

Water is stronger than fire, fire is stronger than earth, and earth is stronger than water.

Air is less affected by other attributes but also has a lower influence.

Also, according to the ‘Ether Self-Introduction - Holy Knight 6-Week Completion,’ holy knights must have weapons that match their attributes to maximize their abilities.

With a fire attribute weapon, it would be difficult to use water attribute abilities, so Christel wouldn’t want Mars’ Favor.

“By the way, the Princess of Sarnez has had several meetings with various bishops recently. She’s also met a couple of archbishops.”

Kanaël suddenly spoke.

The boy had been consistently following through with the task I had given him earlier, to report on the Princess of Sarnez and Prince Sedric.

“Considering her contact with high-ranking priests, she’s probably looking for a partner as a holy knight.”

My guess was met with agreement from both of them.

I sighed quietly while feeding a piece of kiwi to Demy.

While I may not be aware of it, people here all say my ether is extraordinary.

Therefore, it was hard to ignore the possibility that Christel had marked me as a potential partner.

As a novel, I was anxious about when and how I might get entangled, but the wise Christel seemed to be comparing options before deciding on a partner.

If she tests me again, I’ll have to give her a firm refusal, saying I’ve seen enough.

* * *

“Brother isn’t just doing this to get attention.”

Hervé Dume, the brother of Marquis Dume and the captain of the guard, spoke in a serious tone.

Emperor Frédéric, with one hand supporting his forehead, remained silent.

As usual, Aureli Boutier stood beside her.

The cardinal wore a smile, but his eyes behind the monocle revealed nothing.

“Of course, I don’t deny that he has that purpose. But you are well aware of what Brother has been advocating for a long time. Mars’ Favor is a fire attribute divine artifact, and His Highness the Prince was born with a fire attribute ether...”

“He wasn’t born with it.”

The one who interrupted was Sedric Riester himself.

His orange eyes, filled with long-standing despair, glowed brightly.

“I am cursed.”

“Your Highness.”

“Every time I open even a little of that power, I lose my body. Can that be called an ability?”

The captain of the guard fell silent. A suffocating silence swept over them.

The House of Sarnez, the House of Dume, and the House of Mute were among the closest to the royal family, aware of the Prince’s ‘condition.’

Having sworn loyalty to the Prince and watched over him for a long time, they knew the situation well and understood the need to be cautious in their words, yet Hervé Dume could not easily let go of his hope.

The Blessing of the Sea of Creation had merged into the body of the Princess of Sarnez.

The most promising plan had failed.

Thus, the loyal minister had only one choice left.

“If a water attribute divine artifact cannot suppress a fire attribute ether, wouldn’t it be better to fill the ether with another fire attribute divine artifact?”

He finally voiced the family’s belief.

The Prince, his eyes fixed on his gloved hand, remained silent.

The cardinal sighed softly.

Sedric Riester’s soul, his large ‘vessel,’ had a crack.

A crack that would not have been a flaw if he had been born a commoner.

However, he was born with a fire attribute ether.

That was the beginning of all the tragedies.

The Prince fell into a deep sleep due to ether depletion shortly after birth.

The noble magicians of the empire and the aged cardinals of the Holy Kingdom, who secretly came to check on the young prince, declared it a ‘curse from the gods upon the empire.’

No matter how much ether the high priests poured into him, the Prince’s consciousness did not last long.

It was like pouring water into a bottomless barrel.

Until he was twelve, he had to sleep for 18 hours a day.

After the miraculous improvement following the death of Chancellor Alexandre, he could no longer maintain his physical form if he overused his ether even slightly.

The reason he had not yet ascended to the position of Crown Prince, even at the age of twenty-five, was due to this.

The moment the delicate balance of his ether was slightly off, he would instantly revert to a child