Chapter 69 - There are no evil divine items in the world (3)

“No!”

– Screeeeech!

Empress Frédérique shouted. Demy screeched in despair.

– Swooooooosh!

“Ugh……”

I was falling fast and could hear the wind in my ears.

I could see Demy creating vines with my half closed eyes.

I feared for the Bell Tower before I finally felt fear for myself.

I wanted to look behind me, but at the same time I was too scared to do so.. The Bell Tower quickly became distant.

I clenched my eyes shut.

‘Please let it be the ocean behind me. Water, please let it be water.’

– Splash!

I felt cool water on my back. And…

– Boooom!

“Ugh!”

“Ow, my hips!”

“Ugh.”

I frantically rolled around the ground.

‘Wait, this shouldn’t be ground……’

“Ow, aigoo.”

The impact was so strong that I couldn’t help but groan. I didn’t land in water but I also didn’t land on a boulder.

My mind was not working properly because this situation did not make any sense.

Something hard yet soft and black filled my sight.

‘Is this a vision of my present and future? Or is it a sign that I am already dead?”

“Move.”

“Are you okay, your highness?”

My eyes opened wide after hearing some familiar, no, some extremely familiar voices.

I sat up out of reflex.

Two extremely angry yet beautiful orange eyes were looking up at me.

“Holy shit, why here……”

I couldn’t speak properly. My forehead was throbbing and my mind was a mess.

I must have slammed my head into the damn Imperial Prince bastard’s iron-like Adam’s apple.

I rubbed my forehead and did my best to turn the rush of thoughts in my mind into words.

“I fell off a cliff?”

“I caught you.”

“I actually caught him first, your Royal Highness. I used water to slow his descent.”

The Imperial Prince responded to me with annoyance, but the lively voice explained what happened.

I quickly turned my head.

“……Young lady Sarnez?”

“Yes, your highness! But could you please move for a moment? My legs are stuck between the two of your legs.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

I quickly got off of the human mattress. Christelle quickly pulled herself out as if she was a squirrel.

She groaned a bit about how her back hurt before creating an ice sculpture in the shape of a pain relief patch and putting it on her back.

‘She must be a genius. No, that’s not what is important right now.’

“Thank you very much to both of you. You saved me.”

I said what I needed to say before anything else happened. My breathing was still heavy from the extremely shocking ordeal I just experienced.

My body was aching and my forehead felt as if it would soon start to swell. However, right now, the most important thing was figuring out what happened.

The Imperial Prince got up with elegant movements. I slowly looked around.

People. A mast and a sail. A deck made of wood. The sky, visible past it all.

“……It’s a ship.”

It was a ship floating in the air.

“It’s a pirate ship.”

“Excuse me?”

“I remembered how you told me to be careful of pirates, your highness. I was careful as you said and it ended up like this.”

“You were careful and ended up hijacking a pirate ship?”

I was worried that she would be captured, but she ended up being the captor. Who knew she would change things like this?

“I’m sure things like this happen all the time in life. How is your body feeling, your highness?”

I heard another familiar person’s voice. I blanked out a bit and turned my gaze.

Vice Captain Élisabeth came over with her short dark green hair fluttering in the wind before picking up a pirate hat on the ground, brushing off some dirt, and placing it on Christelle’s head.

‘Is this the Pirate Queen and her right hand woman?’

“I’m fine. But did you perhaps come all the way here from the Moutet County on this pirate ship?”

I had to ask. My mind was slowly regaining its rationality.

Christelle and Vice Captain Élisabeth had definitely left for summer vacation separately from me.

Furthermore, this was Yvelines, a territory where outsiders could not enter.

They must not have been able to approach from the land even though Moutet County was right next to Yvelines.

“That, your highness. It’s quite a lot to explain. There was a reason we ended up drifting……”

‘Drifting?’

“What the hell happened at the Bell Tower?”

Imperial Prince Cédric cut Christelle off and asked his question.

He was glaring at me as if he wanted to pierce a hole through me. My mind suddenly became alert!

“The divine item. The Ark of the Wind Deity woke up, your Royal Highness. However, it is extremely scared of strangers. I was struck by the Ark’s wing and fell out.”

“……It must have woken up because of your ether.”

“Yes, your Royal Highness. It is not using its abilities, but it is showing enough aggression for the pillars of the tower to be in danger of destruction at any point. The Bell Tower may be in danger if we do not calm it down.”

I quickly turned my body and looked up at the Bell Tower.

The Empress was looking down at us and laughing in disbelief while the three red pandas were down by her feet.

I felt as if I had fallen at least 100 meters but it was actually only about 20m.

I gently waved my hand to show that I was ok-

“Ugh.”

Subconsciously, I clutched my stomach. The sudden movement made the area underneath the pit of my stomach ache.

“Did you get hurt from the fall, your highness?”

“No, I am okay, young lady Sarnez. This was from his Royal Highness hitting me.”

‘Shit, I said the wrong thing.’

I immediately closed my mouth.

I had a bruise from the spot Sadie kicked me a few days ago and the divine item’s attack just now happened to strike the same spot.

But the Ark seemed to have controlled its strength as nothing was broken or fractured.

‘……Or maybe it had no intentions of hurting me. Was that not an attack?’

“My goodness.”

Christelle mumbled in a low voice.

She was looking at the Imperial Prince as if she was looking at trash that could not be recycled.

The Imperial Prince frowned.

“I never did-”

“A knight hit an unarmed priest?”

Vice Captain Élisabeth didn’t even speak respectfully to him. Her grey eyes were full of scorn.

“Did you forget all about honor?”

“Élisabeth.”

“I deserved it, Vice Captain Élisabeth. It is more important to earn the divine item’s trust right now.”

I mediated the situation between the three of them.

Vice Captain Élisabeth gasped while Christelle brushed the back of my hand with an extremely disappointed look on her face.

“You deserved to get hit? Please don’t say something like that. You’re not the punk who did something wrong.”

I opened and closed my mouth without being able to say anything.

I couldn’t say anything about being kicked because I put my hand on Sadie’s body without his permission.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time nor the method to clearly explain the whole situation.

“Yes, his Royal Highness was in the wrong. Either way, the divine item is the more pressing issue. Both of you have read < Kaboom! Yves’ Great Adventure >, right?”

– Baaaaang!

A loud explosion burst above my head. We all looked at the Bell Tower.

The Empress waved her arm to say that it was okay.

I then saw some pieces of rocks fall down.

“How do you know about that book?”

The Imperial Prince lowered his head as he asked. I exchanged glances with Christelle.

“I found it in the Imperial Family Library, your Royal Highness. You should remember the contents since it was a fairy tale written for you. The Ark is like a free bird so you have to pet it and sing it a lullaby to win it over.”

“……Yes.”

“Was that perhaps just figurative? I took it literally, but is the lullaby referring to a special incantation or poem?”

“No, it is exactly as it says.”

His eyes glazed over as if he was thinking about the past.

Vice Captain Élisabeth, who had been quietly listening, quickly made a decision.

“It looks like we need to raise the ship higher. Sir Geens!”

‘Sir Geens?’

“This is already so difficult……”

I heard a voice I had never heard before.

I turned around to see an unfamiliar young man appearing between randomly piled wooden barrels.

His long white hair, tied not very well around his neck, was a mess. The hair on the top of his head stuck out while there were stubbles on his chin from not shaving properly.

His mint-colored eyes were full of fatigue and annoyance.

The sour look on his face seemed to bury his handsome facial features.

“Oh, sir, you must be Prince Jesse Venetiaan.”

He looked at me and then bowed deeply. It was not the way people from the Empire greeted others.

His eyes seemed to have clouded over but his gaze was relaxed again when he stood up straight.

“My name is Johann Geens, and I am the Holy Knight from the Vatican.”

“Ah, of course. I’ve heard many things about you sir. I’m sure they’re making you work very hard.”

I responded to him.

This was the guy who was in charge of Christelle and the Imperial Prince’s education since the Great Clearance of Demonic Beasts.

He was still young, but his fate seemed quite… turbulent.

“Excuse me for asking this during our first meeting, but… Sir Geens, are you the one keeping this ship afloat?”

“Yes, your highness. I am an air attribute Holy Knight.”

“Then will you be able to raise it higher if I provide you with ether, Sir Geens?”

His eyes opened wide before quickly returning to normal after hearing my comment.

“As you wish, your highness.”

“Thank you very much.”

I immediately released my Holy Domain.

Christelle mumbled to herself about how it was rare to see her instructor so enthusiastic.

Sir Geens looked at the golden circle as if he was trying to melt it away.

He then received my ether extremely slowly. He looked as if he was making sure to chew his meal properly.

The pirate ship then floated up.

– Swooooooosh!

A peculiar flow of air, different from the ocean breeze, rose up against the ship.

The ship soon gently lifted up like an elevator. The white cliff passed by in front of my eyes.

“This is amazing no matter how many times I see it.”

Christelle smiled brightly while enjoying what was happening.

This was only my second time meeting an air attribute Holy Knight since transmigrating into QNW, but I didn’t know they had such amazing abilities.

The opaque breeze looked tangible as it brushed past my hair.

The front of the ship almost instantly arrived at the end of the Bell Tower.

“We’re here.”

Sir Geens calmly commented. The Empress, who was now at the same level as us, laughed in disbelief.

“I was wondering who the hell dared to bring a ship into Yvelines. It’s Duke Yvelines, who has become a hostage, and a pirate brigade of nobles.”

“We greet the sun that has descended to the ground.”

Vice Captain Élisabeth went first. Everybody on the ship followed her lead and bowed respectfully as well.

I was with her until just a few moments ago, but I still bowed with the others.

A floating pirate ship, a white Bell Tower at the end of a cliff, the encounter between the people standing on both… It felt like some kind of surrealistic painting.

“We’ve committed a terrible sin, your Majesty.”

“I will hear you punks’ excuse back at the Summer Palace. So, what is the next plan, Royal Priest?”

The Empress leisurely sat down on the edge of the Bell Tower.

My face started boiling at the fact that I ended up like this after acting up without any fear despite only being a supporting character.

I first reached my hand out.

Demy, Rhea, and Perry ran over one by one before grabbing onto my leg like cicadas.

I peeked to see that the divine item’s wing was slightly shaking. It even seemed a bit afraid.

“Another attempt, your Majesty. His Royal Highness informed me that the lullaby has no other meaning. I failed so it might be better for someone else to try.”

I calmly responded. Christelle slowly raised her hand.

“I… am a decent singer.”

Everybody turned to look at her.

The Empress, Vice Captain Élisabeth, and Sir Geens all gasped.

Something Jung Eunseo told me flashed through my mind.

Most of my memories only popped up whenever similar situations arose.

‘Our Chris is perfect…… She’s beautiful, tall, a total fashionista, and sings well.’

‘The novel has a singing scene too?’

‘There was just a short phrase about her singing. but it said that Crapdric smiled after hearing her sing. Totally kills that Ice Prince vibe, doesn’t it?’

“Then why don’t you be the first to challenge it, young lady Sarnez?”

“Challenge!”

Christelle cheerfully shouted before walking onto the Bell Tower.

She must be quite skilled if even the cold Imperial Prince smiled after hearing her sing.

I didn’t know how this problematic divine item issue turned into an audition program, but Christelle was the main character of QNW.

She was the person who has the best chance of resolving such an incident and the person whom the author invested the most into as well.

“Impossible.”

The Imperial Prince spoke from my left. I didn’t know why he was so full of distrust, but he had his left hand on the Sword of Wisdom.

I widened my Holy Domain so that it could surround Christelle and the divine item and then responded to him while letting ether flow through it.

“I’m sure the young lady will do a great job.”

“You don’t understand.”

Christelle was slowly reaching her hand toward the Ark. The light brown wing was shaking.

The Imperial Prince’s low voice sounded quiet and serious.

Christelle started singing at the same time.

“The Grand Duke was tone deaf-”

“Okay! Gooooo to sleeeeep! Liiiiittle baaaaaaaaby? Goooooo to sleep! Sleep! Liiiiiiitle baaaa! By!”

‘Huh?’

“Rooooockabye? Baby! Don’t cryyyyy!”

“Dear lord, what do we do……”

Vice Captain Élisabeth, who was behind us, plopped down on the deck.

I could see that her neck was red from holding back her laughter.

I blinked a few times as I was at a loss for words. The red pandas were whimpering to one another.

The Empress, who was leaning on a pillar, was biting her fist.

“Our! Babyyyyy! Sleeeeeeeeep? Don’t wake? Up!”

‘Is this some kind of system error?

How can someone have no sense of rhythm at all and be so tone-deaf?’

“…I guess it was an unnecessary fear.”

The Imperial Prince quietly mumbled.

‘Why are you saying something completely useless in such a cool way that it is making me feel like I can relax?’

– Flap, flap……

The divine item started moving carefully after hearing Christelle’s ‘lullaby.’

I was tense thinking that the furious Ark might cut her hand with its sharp feathers or attack her with its air abilities.

It was at that moment.

“Aww, what a good boy.”

The divine item wrapped its wings around Christelle and hugged her. My jaw dropped so much I thought it might touch the ground.

—