It takes a lot of guts to go against a fact that you are fully aware.

***

When I opened my eyes, I found myself looking at the ceiling of my room. But for some reason, I can feel my arms and legs restrained. When I looked around and found myself surrounded by the girls.

“What happened?”

For some reason, I can’t recall anything. Rather, what happened after I drank that weird liquid?

“You went berserk.”

“What?”

Cherry said while writing some stuff on a book. I think that’s her research book she uses for her potions research.

“You drank a potion that enhances both mental and physical power to a degree that would’ve destroyed you if we didn’t get there on time.”

I see… I should’ve have hesitated drinking that mysterious potion. I guess I got too desperate to go back to being normal.

“I see, thank you, girls. But why am I naked?”

When I asked them that, the three of them turned red and looked away. Wait a minute… Did I do what I think I did?

“W-worry not, we got there on time. You didn’t do anything to Miss Philillia… at the least.”

“I-I’m going to get us some water!”

After Jane said so, she stood up, but all of a sudden, she staggered which made the rest of them redder than before. After that, she rushes out the room with while covering her red face.

Just how crazy did I get when I went berserk?

Cherry lets out a fake cough to change the mood. She then sits on the side of the bed while untying the restraints. But I can still see that her ears are still red.

“S-so, what do you feel right now?”

When she asked, I tried to move my fingers and then every movable limb available.

“So far, I can move them to an extent, though some joints ache, it’s still better than being unable to move.”

“I guess that potion did something good at the least.”

Cherry lets out a sigh of relief.

“How long was I out though?”

“Almost five hours.”

Matt replied as she hands me a fresh set of clothing.

When I look outside, I could see the sky going dark. It seems that I really was out for a long time.

***

With the help of the girls, I went to the dining room to eat a late lunch and early dinner. Since I still haven’t gotten used to the strength that returned to me, I had to rely on the girls to properly stand.

Though Cherry said she has something that can help me, she still has to get it from her father’s mansion. Luckily, the mansion she’s talking about is within the Royal Capital so she’d probably get it tomorrow.

While eating dinner, I noticed that there are people here that I wasn’t told that would be here.

“So, why are you here?”

“Is it wrong to visit my future brother-in-law?”

With a mocking tone, the prince answers my question while shoving a huge steak into his mouth. Talk about etiquette…

“Did you forget what we did today?”

“Why would I?”

“So you still want to kill me?”

“Right now, I can kill you. But I don’t think your wives would allow me to. So I’m just here to visit.”

Visit, he says. Isn’t this guy supposed to be behind bars?

“I know what you’re thinking. I made a non-aggression deal with father. If I raise my sword against you one more time, I’ll lose my right as the next heir.”

“That’s quite an unexpected decisiveness, and guts to come here after I nearly choked you to death.”

“I can’t call myself as the next King if I wasn’t.”

“…That is fair.”

Though I can feel his intent to kill me, I can also tell he isn’t hostile as well.

“You know, I hate you enough to want to kill you. But since you defeated me, only the title as the next heir is what’s left of me. I’d rather not lose that.”

“What do you mean?”

When I asked him that, I noticed his hands paused for a second.

“I lost the Sacred Relic as well as the Elemental Fragments. I doubt the Temples liked that and had probably lost their faith in me. I mean, I am replaceable. There are still other people stronger than me.”

I see… He might be my enemy, but it doesn’t seem he’s willing to lose everything over killing me. Rather, that last part got me quite curious.

But just when I was about to ask him, he continues eating looking like he’s really savoring the flavor. Come to think of it, this recipe tastes like Louisa’s steak.

“Hey Heretic, can I have your chef?”

“Why?”

“I like this steak’s flavor. It’s very different from what the castle chefs make. It’s very good and unique.”

He said while waving a piece of the steak with his fork.

“I’m flattered, Prince Frelisk, but no. I won’t serve the man who nearly killed my brother.”

From the kitchen, Louisa walks out while still in her apron. Apparently, she heard all of that and wasn’t amused.

“Brother?”

When Louisa said I’m her brother, Prince Frelisk looks at her with surprise.

Standing on the kitchen door, Louisa crosses her arms with a really sassy face. Moreover, she doesn’t look like she likes the prince even a bit.

“Heretic, I didn’t know you had a beautiful sister.”

“Even with those compliments, prince, you won’t get me to say yes to be your chef.”

“B-but, there are a lot of benefits in becoming a Royal Chef you know!”

“Still, no.”

“I’ll even give you your own peerage, property, and when I’ll be king, I can even give you more!”

“I’m not something you can buy. So it’s still a no.”

Just as when she was about to return to the kitchen, Frelisk stands and rushes to Louisa and grabs her hand.

“Then, be my woman!”

Out of nowhere, he suddenly proposes to Louisa which surprised everyone in the dining room. Luckily, mom and dad aren’t here to get a heart attack. And Princess Thema would probably die of secondhand embarrassment from this.

Though he tried to look charming and appealing and all, what he got from Louisa was just a pure and honest form of disgust.

“Ew…”

After saying that, she flicks away his hands and then goes back to the kitchen to attend to her cooking. Man, she’s merciless.

Though there wasn’t a glass that broke, something sounded like they shattered. And that thing was Frelisk’s spirit.

“Nice try prince charming, but my little sister isn’t the kind of fish you’d quickly reel in with cheap bait.”

When I said that, the room gets filled with giggles, rubbing salt to his wounds.

***

A few hours after dinner, I decided to hang around the garden with Jane, Marie, and Lapis. Though I am able to move, I still can’t carry Marie since I’m still too weak. Just standing puts a toll on my body.

I also tried to perform spells too, but sadly, the flow of mana in my body is still unstable and disappears.

I’m basically a broken steamer. I can make steam but can’t really make use of that leaking steam.

According to Cherry’s father, it will take time before I recover. The only thing I can do for now is use magic tools since it can make use of that leaking mana.

The problem is; I don’t have a magic tool that is strong enough to withstand the amount of leaking mana from me.

According to Matt’s grandpa; there are tools that are capable of harnessing leaking mana from my body. But due to the overflowing abundance, creating one would be difficult as such thing doesn’t exist.

Even the Sacred Relics are useless since these things didn’t even choose me as their users.

The ring however, is a different story.

Due to me dropping out of school, I didn’t learn the fundamentals of actually using magic.

There are two types of magicians; the first are the ones who needed to use External Catalysts to pull out the mana out of their body. These External Catalysts are wands, staff, mana-based tools, and magic swords.

The second are people like me who are living catalysts. We can control the release of mana from our body and harness it without the use of External Catalysts.

However, to turn these into elemental magic, it needs to follow the laws of the world which is in the form of prayer or and chanting. According to Matt’s grandpa, I don’t have any affinity with any element because the laws don’t allow me due to the Gods’ interference.

And that is where the [Rune Grabber] steps in.

It was never explained, but I somehow understood that because of this ring, I am able to use any sort of Magic. When I did some research, runes existed eons before the Current Gods existed, which makes the ring not a weapon-based magic tool, but merely just a converter.

I haven’t fully understood how this ring works, or even unlocked all of its abilities so I need to do more research on this.

“Key, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Currently, I’m lying on my back while resting my head on Jane’s lap. Since there’s barely illumination, I can see the stars on the sky.

Though, it seems that my silence worried Jane a bit.

“Sorry, I was just doing some thinking.”

“About what were they?”

“… I think that even if I explain it, you wouldn’t understand.”

When I said that, Jane puffs her cheek and pokes mine. It seems like she didn’t like that answer.

“I may not know anything about magic, but just so you know, I also managed to use it.”

“Well, that was only because I made you use my magic.”

After that, the poking turns into pinching on both cheeks.

“That kind of hurts…”

“It’s supposed to!”

I let her pull my cheeks for a while. Then all of a sudden, she stops and lets out a sigh. Next, she caresses my hair while looking at me straight into the eyes.

“I’m a commoner. I don’t know anything about magic or even have the luxury to learn it. But it makes me feel lonely from time to time when the talk is all about magic.”

“Jane…”

“And after that time you were at death’s door, I hated it! I hated the fact that I was powerless!”

Tears started to form at the end of her eyes. It was clear that these were her honest feelings.

“I wanted to help, even for a bit, but…”

Before she could finish, I grit my teeth and endured the pain from straining my weak muscles just to sit up to look at her properly.

“Now that I’m not your maid anymore, I suddenly feel useless. I’m not allowed to serve you. I don’t know how to protect you.”

“Jane…”

“And now, I hate myself for feeling a sort of happiness because you’re powerless and I can now serve you! I’m too shameless.”

I’m so stupid. How could I not notice this sooner?

Jane isn’t like Matt and Cherry. Jane grew up as a commoner. She doesn’t know anything else aside from serving a noble like me. She’s probably still thinking that she needs to contribute something to the table like how Cherry manages my relations among the nobles and how Matt helps me with my research.

Now that she’s become my mistress, I took away her only reason to stay with me, or so she thinks. But if I say something like “you don’t need to” or the sort, I might end up hurting her unnecessarily.

Come on Key, think!

Then, while I was thinking of things that might comfort Jane, all of a sudden, I felt a pulse reverberating. When I look at my surroundings, it seems to be something only I could feel.

It feels like it’s inside me, yet it feels foreign.

“Jane…”

And out of nowhere, a voice echoes inside my head. Though it said Jane’s name, the voice sounds like Jane’s which is weird in more ways than one.

Wait, I think I know what this is. But, I don’t think it’s the right time to tell her about this.

Since it’s inside me, I have the right to decide when I will give it to her.

For now, let’s think of a way to make Jane happy.

-End of Chapter-