Chapter 94

Uninvited Guest

I couldn’t quite grasp what she had heard—even after I sat alone in the personal room that had been assigned to me.

Lying on the bed, Morrigan raised her arm and stared at it.

A moment ago, Aiden Kellermain had wrapped it with a black bandage infused with mana.

Quietly sitting up, she moved.

She had barely owned anything in her life, but there were a few items she kept—things that lingered in her memory.

When she opened the drawer, something familiar was inside.

It was a set of medicine bottles—ones Aiden had forcibly acquired for her back when she pretended to be a "sick girl" infected with a plague.

Next to it, Morrigan quietly placed the black bandage that had just been wrapped around her arm.

Both were signs of Aiden Kellermain’s kindness toward her.

For someone who had lived her entire life as someone else's tool, being treated this way twice was something she could never grow used to.

One of those times had even been from a complete stranger.

‘…So that’s the kind of person he is.’

Someone who could, at any time, anywhere, speak up if they believed it was necessary.

Someone who could stand up to anyone if they thought something was wrong.

…Someone who couldn’t bear to see others suffer.

Hadn’t Ganesha asked her once?

–What kind of person do you think he is?

What had she answered back then?

‘…A good person.’

Yeah.

He was a good person.

Good enough to stir emotions even in someone like her, who barely felt anything at all.

“……”

That’s why.

For that reason alone.

Someone like her had no right to get close to someone like him.

She killed her emotions. Buried them.

–Remember this, failure.

A voice came to her.

Words that had been drilled into her since she was young, like a cruel form of brainwashing.

–You’re a tool. Never think you're worth more than that.

“……”

Morrigan slowly closed her eyes.

‘The self.’

Emotions.

She must not have them.

Telling herself that again, she stood there for a long time—like she had been nailed to the spot.

▣

“Hey, now that I think about it.”

“Yes?”

“You told that Dragonkin girl to take care of herself, didn’t you?”

“I did?”

“Was that advice really yours to give, you lunatic?”

“……”

I didn’t understand why the feedback was so harsh, but it wasn’t exactly bad advice either.

-System Message

▶ You handled the Sub Quest wisely.

▶ Affection level with ‘Drakan’ has increased.

▶ Bond level has risen from Stage 1 to Stage 2.

▶ One additional Skill Copy attempt granted!

Why, wasn’t this very window proof enough?

‘…An extra Skill Copy Ticket, huh.’

Honestly, there were quite a few I hadn’t used yet.

I was the type who prioritized improvisation by nature.

That’s why I never used a Skill Copy Ticket the moment I got one—instead, I hoarded them and waited to assess the situation. That habit stemmed from that mindset.

You could call them extra lives. Copying skills as needed had consistently proven to be the most effective way to survive scenarios riddled with every kind of variable.

So, it was only natural to feel satisfied every time I looked at my skill window.

-Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

【 Noel Astrea Simus 】

Extreme Love: Stage 3

Can copy 3 skills.

◆ Heart of Pure White

◆ Qi Enhancement: Consecration

...

...

【 Katya Heinkel Craven 】

Obsession: Stage 2

Can copy 1 skill.

◆ The First Vow

◆ Sanctified Body

...

...

⎨ Lionel XIII ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Unique Trait: Imperial Bloodline

⎨ Dunadan Uzal ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Universal Ability: Mana Arts → The Savior’s Vow

⎨ Rania A‘Shan ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Spiritual Resonance

⎨ Meyer Belford ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Analysis

⎨ Abigail III ⎬

Bond: Stage 2

Can copy 1 skill.

◆ Holy Power Operation: Detonation

⎨ Duke Aslan ⎬

Bond: Stage 3

◆ Trait: Beast Hunter

◆ Skill: Tracking

◆ Skill: Iron Will’s Instinct

⎨ Princess Liza ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Skill: Beastification

⎨ Soul Reaver ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

◆ Skill: Primal Power

⎨ Teresa Adelaide ⎬

Bond: Stage 2

Can copy 2 skills.

⎨ Ganesha Aldebaran ⎬

Bond: Stage 2

Can copy 1 skill.

◆ Appraisal

⎨ Drakan ⎬

Bond: Stage 2

Can copy 1 skill.

◆

⎨ Sia Maxwell ⎬

Bond: Stage 1

May freely use the facility ‘Workshop’ once.

⧾ Arden Brimstone Lionel

Malice: Stage 1

◇ Spiral: Hollow Point

⧾ “Puppeteer”, Rad Varfon [ Exorcism Mark ]

Malice: Stage 2

◇ Dark Energy: Divine Order

◇ Dark Energy: Hydraulics

! ‘Repel’ function is available !

⧾ “Magician”, Azula

Malice: Stage 1

Can mimic 1 skill.

◈ “Goddess of War” Karva

Can borrow 1 Divine Authority.

Currently unavailable for viewing.

‘…Wow, damn.’

This was reassuring.

Just looking at it filled me up.

Among all the skills, one of the more recently acquired ones really stood out.

-Skill Info

◆ Special Ability: Mana

This is the basic component used to activate ancient, forgotten magic. It also forms the foundational unit of mana-based lifeforms and is an essential resource for such beings.

Magic can be used through mana. Although it’s an inherently unsafe and special ability, it allows access to techniques completely outside the bounds of modern supernatural systems.

‘…Hmph.’

As Aiden read through the description, he let out a quiet snort.

The supernatural powers granted by the gods of each nation were their divine authorities. Once learned and mastered, they could cause phenomena that defied physical laws without demanding much in return.

The more you honed them, the stronger you became. That’s why they were referred to as blessings.

By contrast, magic built on mana…

‘…is the kind of supernatural ability where you pay the price yourself.’

Dragons were practically extinct, and their patron deity—the Dragon God—didn’t even exist in the Pantheon. Using powers granted by such beings carried more risk than one might expect.

Supernatural abilities were like currency paid to twist the laws of the world, and abilities from a god not acknowledged by the Pantheon felt like unregulated counterfeit money.

There was no telling what long-term effects continued use of such power would have on the user. It could rot their body or drive them insane.

If that were the only outcome, it wouldn’t be worth the cost.

‘…But there seemed to be a ton of useful stuff.’

There was a reason dragons had ruled the ancient continent. High-tier magic often wielded strengths that even supernatural powers struggled to match.

‘…Looks like I’ll be sticking with Morrigan for a while.’

I could research it slowly while staying close.

In any case, having this many Skill Copy Tickets left was a huge advantage.

Thinking of them as extra lives—it was enough to make me chuckle in my sleep...

[…You’re actually laughing?]

Reaver, who had become practically jelly beside me, asked in disbelief.

Today, our combined death count had hit around 200—which meant...

‘…Not like there’s anything to not laugh about.’

That number put things in perspective.

Hmm.

What was the problem again?

“…By the way, where’s that talkative one?”

“……”

…Seeing someone who could rightfully be called one of the knights of the era casually reduced to “that talkative one,” Aiden let out a sigh as he replied.

“Dame Teresa is on a short break.”

“Break?”

“She said she had something to research and locked herself away. Said she had a good spark of inspiration and would let us know once she made progress.”

Ever since using that Remnant Technique, it felt like she had sensed something. Instead of coming out, she seemed to have entered a truly deep layer of consciousness.

I had no idea what she was researching so intensely.

“Senior. More importantly, I’ve got a question.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Do you know much about the Holy Crown Kingdom?”

The reason for asking was obvious.

-Quest Info

◈ Act II, Blasphemy

-Chapter 1, Proof of Worthiness

▶ Related events will be updated soon!

That old friend, always tightening its leash around his neck, had started acting up again this time too.

Aiden swept his forehead and glared at the window.

‘…So this is the storyline.’

Digging through some memories, he recalled that this one was the full-blown royal brawl in the Holy Capital over the succession rights of the Holy Crown Kingdom.

To be fair, there were few countries where a succession dispute didn’t turn into a total mess, but in a place like the Holy Crown Kingdom—where anyone who could wield the divine power known as Holy Flame had a legitimate claim to the throne—it was especially outrageous.

“…That place is a cesspool too.”

No surprise, then, that the Knight of Dawn said that the moment he heard the question.

Meyer responded with a bitter smile, tossing out a line loaded with emotion.

“Ever heard of a Solitary Jar?”

“Isn’t that a Far Eastern curse?”

It was that brutal ritual where creatures were forced to kill one another until only the strongest remained—designed to produce something powerful.

Traditionally, it was done with insects for ritual magic.

“That’s exactly how they used to handle succession disputes there. Just did it with people instead.”

“……”

“The reason every Pontiff in history turned out to be the strongest divine user of their time… was because most of them were chosen through that method. When a Pontiff passed away suddenly, they’d sometimes gather royal children and make them do it at a young age.”

“……”

“You ever seen it? The sight of kids barely in their teens being handed weapons and told to kill each other. Back in my day, no succession in that place ever ended without a stench of blood.”

“…They don’t use such gruesome methods anymore, Senior.”

“The essence of a thing doesn’t change that easily, kid.”

At Aiden’s remark, Meyer replied indifferently.

“Essence is shaped by culture—and culture is the sum of what a group of people desires. Holy Flame is the foundation of that kingdom, and the one who embodies it must, by their logic, represent the pinnacle of that power. I bet everyone there still believes that.”

“……”

“The form may have changed, but the essence remains. Once succession begins, a storm is bound to hit that place, no matter what form it takes. It’s only natural.”

Aiden frowned and looked at Meyer, who gave a short laugh and continued.

“If you're heading over there to get involved, you'd better brace yourself. You’ll get a good look at the bottom of hell.”

“…I’ve always been prepared.”

With those words, Aiden raised his body, which had just begun to regenerate.

“So I’d like to ask you a favor.”

“Huh? What kind of favor?”

“I think I need to learn how to deal with high-grade divine power users. Starting today, it’s special training time.”

There was no doubt that meddling in the Holy Crown Kingdom’s succession crisis would mean running into more divine power users than he could count.

Thankfully, Aiden had a sparring partner who could be counted among the greatest even by historical standards. Might as well take full advantage.

“Let’s unlock at least one of your divine powers and fight for real. I’ll learn better by taking some hits.”

“…Doesn’t bother me, really.”

Meyer gave Aiden a tired look.

“You died like a hundred times just today, didn’t you?”

“It’s fine. I feel great.”

The world wasn’t going to wait just because he was tired. Either way, tomorrow’s sun would rise. It was smarter to prepare for the dawn than to wish it wouldn’t come.

[I don’t feel great—!]

…Whether Reaver screamed or not, tomorrow’s sun was still going to rise.

▣

And perhaps—

Meyer’s words that the start of succession would bring a storm weren’t just empty talk.

Judging by how fast things were moving, it wasn’t just a storm—calling it a typhoon might be more accurate.

The next day, the Imperial Capital Government Office, already a hub of chaos on normal days, was in complete disarray—like it had been hit by a bomb.

That didn’t happen often. The face of the nation, the Lionhearted, stayed there, Katya from the Holy Crown Kingdom was present, and imperial dignitaries came and went frequently.

So there were very few people on the continent who could throw that kind of place into immediate chaos with their mere presence.

Unfortunately, today’s guest fit that description perfectly.

“Hey, pretty boy.”

Abigail III.

The current Pontiff of the Holy Crown Kingdom greeted him, flashing gleaming white teeth that contrasted starkly with her black ceremonial robes.

“Remember that promise you made?”

“……”

“You said you’d help if something troublesome happened in our country, right?”

“…I did say that.”

“Pack your bags.”

“……”

“We’re leaving tomorrow, okay?”

…Please.

Dear Main Scenario, could you slow down a bit?

Couldn’t I get just a little time to prepare?