Chapter 60

#060 Enjoy It (1)

A week later, I received my first 'birthday gift.'

To be precise, it was Cardinal Butti who readily granted my request. It was a huge harvest!

"This way, Prince Yeseo."

The imperial palace attendant opened the door respectfully.

The silver-armored knights guarding the entrance bowed deeply.

The imperial palace is a maze except for the main gate and lobby, and the place I visited today was a completely new space.

"As you may have heard from His Eminence the Cardinal, I will guide you again. At the far left, the most inner area of the royal library has an ancient ether barrier. Only direct members of the royal family can enter. You can browse all the other bookshelves, but it's difficult to take books out. The library is open year-round, so you can visit anytime."

"Yes, thank you."

"Then, I hope you have a productive time. If you need any help, please call me."

The attendant bowed gracefully and left. I couldn't help but smile.

When I first possessed this body, I couldn't even enter the imperial palace, let alone the library, but now I can come anytime.

It was worth making connections with the cardinal and helping Prince Cedric. This is the 'royal library.'

"Prince, we'll wait outside."

"Good luck, Prince."

Benzamen and Ganael said kindly.

I asked the attendant to arrange a place for the two of them to sit, waved goodbye, and turned around.

Then I looked at the vast room in front of me.

An enormous amount of information awaited me.

I was worried if I could make good use of it.

"I have to make good use of it if I want to go home."

I muttered and took a step forward.

Tall, ornate glass windows filled the wall opposite the entrance.

In the late spring sunlight, the smell of old books filled my lungs, and dust spread like paint in all directions.

The right wall was packed with books up to three stories high. The first two floors had ladders, and the third floor had a loft-like seating area.

On the left, dense ebony bookshelves stretched like a university library.

It looked like a movie set.

I swallowed hard and took out my notebook.

"The first thing to find... is the divine artifact."

I started searching the left bookshelf.

The books Ganael brought were all commercially available, so they were generally easy and useful but often lacked crucial information.

This was because what I wanted to know was too sensitive or secret.

For example, information about the divine artifact in the 'Temple of the Border.'

The Temple of the Border is in the Pope's territory, so ordinary people have no way of knowing about it.

There's no reason for them to know, but the imperial family would be different.

I was curious about the power that possessed me.

"There it is."

After a while, I found an old, thin book.

It had a charming cover that didn't match the grand name of the royal library.

Looking closely...

"It's a fairy tale."

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

There's no better medium for skimming difficult concepts than fairy tales or comics.

Flipping through the pages, the book was about a girl's adventure that covered not only the empire but also the divine artifacts in the Temple of the Border and the Divine Kingdom.

Each page was rich with hand-drawn illustrations and text.

I felt a deep interest and checked the back cover. There was a beautiful script.

'Written by Duke Evelyn for his beloved child.'

Duke Evelyn. I don't know who he is, but he must have been a good father.

I tucked the book under my arm, found a desk, and sat down.

I decided this would be my research book for today.

*

Receiving 'private' lessons from Cardinal Butti in the morning, having lunch with her, visiting the royal library 'alone,' and then returning to the Juliette Palace to spend a leisurely afternoon.

It was like heaven. This was the direction of my possession.

I smiled at my good fortune and flipped through my notebook.

It was a page summarizing Duke Evelyn's masterpiece, *Bang! Eve's Great Adventure*.

"Ah! The prince is losing!"

"Shh, Pierre! Everyone will hear!"

"It's humid today. Princess Sarnez will definitely win."

Of course, this is just my story. The two main characters' situations would be different.

*Boom!*

"Wow, I couldn't see the sword just now!"

"Did the princess dodge? Really?"

As it had been all week, the balcony of the reception room was noisy today.

The attendants of the Juliette Palace gathered, their hands sweating as they watched the outdoor training ground.

I would occasionally look up from my notebook to watch the attendants.

Their reactions were so amusing that it was perfect for keeping me awake.

"His Highness is so handsome. He doesn't look human."

"But the princess will win today. I'll bet 500 francs."

"Why are you so angry?"

Laughter erupted. Is this what it feels like to watch 'reaction videos' on YouTube?

So, Kristel and the prince started their 'group tutoring' with the Holy See's paladins last Monday.

By the emperor's suggestion, the lessons were held at the palace, but coincidentally, the indoor training ground was under renovation.

Thus, the outdoor training ground behind the Juliette Palace was hastily converted into a classroom.

The royal family, having no reason to hide that the two were paladins, allowed all spectators to approach.

That evening, the rumor spread throughout the palace that my reception room balcony was the 'best spot.'

"Prince, if you allow us...?"

The attendants of the Juliette Palace, who desperately wanted to see the prince and princess's sparring, finished their work early and came to me, twisting their bodies.

Since I, their lord, was sitting in the reception room studying, they thought they needed my permission to watch the sparring.

I chuckled at the cuteness of the grown-ups.

"Feel free to watch. I don't mind."

"Wow!"

"Your Highness, we are deeply grateful!"

As days passed, the balcony would be packed with attendants during the two's lesson time, leaving no room to stand.

I enjoyed a peaceful afternoon amidst the white noise.

Demi was napping on my lap, the sweet and sour fennel tea warmed my insides, and the olive oil cake was a perfect match.

I wish my brother and sister could enjoy such luxury.

"Prince, I've brought more snacks."

"Thank you."

Ganael smiled brightly and placed the second olive oil cake.

I smiled back and turned my eyes to the notebook.

*Whoosh!*

"Wow, fire is coming from his right hand!"

"The princess seems to be using her fists..."

Today's lesson was about the 'Chalice of Wishes.' It was the name of the divine artifact in the Temple of the Border.

According to Duke Evelyn's explanation, the chalice is a large silver platter filled with holy water.

However, this is not the 'water' that Kristel controls, but a divine substance that has been in the chalice since ancient times.

"Eve, you shouldn't drink it. It's not water."

"Then what is it?"

"The purest form of ether. The supreme power of the chief deity."

"Blah."

The protagonist 'Eve' in the fairy tale had a strong personality.

Despite her friend 'Niki' explaining the divine artifact, Eve often dismissed it as nonsense.

Of course, I had no intention of arguing with Niki's interpretation.

• Stolen divine artifact from the Temple of the Border: Chalice of Wishes

Possibility that someone used it instead of it being stolen: O

- Who made a wish?: Unknown

- Do other divine artifacts have the ability to grant wishes?: No, confirmed with the holy sword

- Impact on me: Possession, regression, ether-rich

- Characteristics: Grants wishes when wished for with blood, can only be used by the Pope

This was the problem. I poked the last line of my notes with a fountain pen.

*Bang! Eve's Great Adventure* states that only the Pope can make a 'blood wish' to the chalice.

But...

"Ganael, when did the papal seat become vacant?"

"Hmm, I don't know the exact year. Since His Holiness Irene passed away during Emperor Romero's reign... it must have been less than 100 years, right?"

It was mind-boggling. The Pope was absent, yet someone used the divine artifact to possess me. How...

Or, did a future Pope use it?

Did I go too far? Did Duke Evelyn really write 'blah'?

"But, Prince, shouldn't we intervene?"

"Huh?"

"Prince and Princess Sarnez,"

*Boom!*

A loud sound of air being split penetrated the room.

The attendants on the balcony were startled, covering their ears or mouths.

I glanced at them and then looked back at Ganael.

The boy had a very worried expression.

"If they get hurt..."

"It's just sparring. And there's a teacher from the Holy See. They'll handle it."

"I thought so at first, but I don't think the teacher can handle it."

"Think of it as growing through fighting. They'll become friends, and friends become partners."

"Prince... really..."

Ganael looked at me, clearly disagreeing. I felt a bit wronged.

They are destined to be together, and they look like a perfect couple. Why does he react as if I'm saying something absurd?

"Anyway, I don't need to go out. There's a priest here to replenish ether."

"But still..."

"There's nothing to worry about. You should take a break too."

I smiled and tapped the empty