Chapter 103

TWSB 103

{Target (4)}

“Thank you for saving me, sir.”

I mented. Percy, or Nikky, nodded his head.

I know such a thought is inappropriate right now, but the Prince Consort truly was extremely handsome.

It made me think that Empress Frédérique was truly skilled.

– You are a good human. I wanted to repay you for working so hard to protect the child of the Almighty God.

Giving everything I had to protect Percy must have been seen favorably by the Ark.

I was thankful for that but felt a bit awkward because anybody would have acted that way if they were in my place.

That was why I changed topics to resolve my curiosity first.

“How are you here, sir? I remember seeing that the divine item was in the Bell Tower in Yvelines when we left.”

– That is my afterimage.

“Excuse me?”

My eyes opened wide because I was not sure if he was being serious or not.

Nikky covered his mouth with the baggy sleeve of his formal attire and laughed.

– I am an existence that is like a free bird. It is easy to create a clone.

“Then you followed us since Yvelines…… Why did you take the appearance of a chimney bird? Couldn’t you have turned into a human?”

– You will understand if you think about my name.

“Ah.”

That was true. The Wind Deity usually took on the form of a bird that caused the wind.

I didn’t know why the names of all divine items were in Chinese characters when this was a middle-age western fantasy novel, but I guess as long as it is consistent?

I thought that it was being consistent with the setting since I saw the wing-shaped divine item.

– I am only allowed to take human form inside the ark. This is where my authority is maximized.

“I see.”

– But I cannot borrow any human’s appearance. The humans I attempted to transform into moments ago were only possible because they have the proviso of the Almighty God.

“Excuse me?”

I asked. I got chills on my arms.

I thought that Percy was pretending to be people it got close to when it transformed into Christelle, the Imperial Prince, and then Benjamin.

But that was not a simple choice?

– The other proviso do not know yet.

“I do not know what you are saying, sir. What is the proviso of the Almighty God?”

Nikki silently reached his hand toward the air at my question.

There was a light purple ball of light again before a chair appeared behind me.

I turned stiff after seeing the chair. It felt as if all of the blood was draining out of my head.

My chin started to shake.

“……This.”

– Please sit down, my dear prince.

“Why is this here?”

I quickly looked toward Nikky, desperate for an answer.

Numerous emotions were visible in his eyes that were as deep as the deep sea.

Affection, sympathy, curiosity, worship, and admiration……

“How do you know about this? Why is this here?”

My fingertip was shaking as I pointed at the chair. This was Eunseo’s table chair.

To be more specific, it was the chair she always sat in when we ate together.

There was a pink pig-shaped cushion on it and the back of the chair had a thin checkered patterned blanket. This was my younger sister’s seat.

– This too is a proviso of the Almighty God.

“Please explain clearly. This is my younger sister’s belonging. I have a right to know.”

I walked away from the chair and approached him. Nikky had an awkward look on his face.

– I’m sorry. I am a holy divine item but I am not omniscient. It is because the Almighty God always reveals his will in ambiguous and difficult to understand methods. The ‘proviso’ is also like that.

I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. He explained as if to console me.

– A proviso is a fragment with the principles of the world. It is a piece that has the secrets of creation and circulation.

I tried my best to calm my breathing. Ithen tried to stuff as much of what I just heard into my mind.

Principles of the world. Creation. Circulation. { I quit my job and ended up as a noble young lady in another world }.

– Maybe it is because a few drops of the Almighty God’s capricious sincerity splattered on me like paint? I don’t know the reason or origin but I am cognizant of the existence of the proviso. That chair is the same thing.

I looked at Eunseo’s chair. Nikky continued to speak.

– That item is a proviso that is deeply tied with the mystery of this place. However, I do not know anything else.

“So…”

I clenched my eyes shut before opening them back. I needed to be calm.

It was rare to get a major hint like this so I couldn’t get baffled and miss everything.

I took a deep breath in and then out.

I lifted my damp hand and slapped myself. ‘Stay focused.’

“There are these provisos that hold the secrets and principles of the world and you are saying that Christelle, his Royal Highness, and Benjamin are involved. My sister’s chair as well. You don’t know if there are other provisos but your natural instincts allow you to sense them?”

– That’s right. Very well analyzed, young prince.

Nikky leaned forward and plimented me. His long black hair gently fell on top of his shoulders.

I gulped and asked the most important question.

“It’s not that Eunseo is here?”

– You are the only foreigner here.

My stiff back relaxed after hearing his confirmation.

I felt pletely weak but I did not sit down on Eunseo’s chair.

I felt like my mind would bee weak and I would be unable to do anything if I sat there.

It was enough to know that my sister was not suffering here.

I energetically shook my head and started to speak. ‘I need to dig up as much info as possible.’

“Was the Prince Consort a proviso as well?”

– Excuse me?

“You are borrowing his Royal Highness’s appearance right now. Did he have the principles of the world as well?”

Nikky smiled bitterly.

– No, my friend was an exception. For his son, he……

– Rumble!

The domain started to shake at that moment. I looked around in shock.

I was already feeling weak so the whole area shaking made it difficult to keep standing.

Nikky grabbed both of my arms to keep me steady.

“What is going on?”

– It looks like you need to head out soon, Prince Jesse.

He looked truly apologetic.

– You are not my master. Opening the ark was impulsive and a temporary thing, so…… Your current level of Divine Power is not enough to handle me.

“Does it mean that we cannot meet again?”

There was ringing all around that made his voice seem close and then far over and over.

I raised my voice as well. The man warmly responded.

– I will be by your side. I am curious about the story of your friends and you.

“You mean……”

– What will you do when you go out?

I made eye contact with the dark blue eyes. Boooooom! The ground shook even stronger.

The white domain started to crack in multiple locations before rays of light that resembled the sun started to enter.

I answered without any hesitation.

“I need to protect the people here first. They are all unconscious right now. And…… I want to help Sir Geens.”

He then smiled so brightly that my eyes hurt. The whole world turned bright at the same time.

It resembled when I first came into the ark.

*

– Ooooooong!

It was the sound of a spell starting.

Tens, no, hundreds of light pink mana pebbles were gathering into the air.

A group of five appeared in the pletely silent forest path.

Christelle was the first to move.

“Prince Jesse!”

She shouted loudly and looked around.

She could see unconscious Imperial Guard members scattered on the ground.

The horses were fine and there were no traces of blood but the coachman was also unconscious.

Élisabeth ran over with a pale face and checked in the carriage to find the two attendants.

She was relieved to see that they were breathing. She groaned before putting her face against Ganael’s shoulder.

“It looks like they are all alive. They were just put to sleep.”

Sir Michel Moutet used his expertise as a doctor to check on the unconscious people before he mented.

Cédric gave an order to François Duhem.

“To the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, your Royal Highness.”

François immediately obliged.

The memorative polo match was stopped and he was unable to reveal the crystal board.

Someone had grabbed him by the collar and he had to use his specialty, teleportation, without knowing what was going on.

He had teleported to the area with the strong ether storm.

Of course, he did not resist. He was a loyal vassal of the Empress and obeyed the orders of her heir.

The Marquis soon turned into small pebbles.

Christelle continued to investigate the area.

The trees nearby had all fallen from the aftershock of a terrible power.

There was a large ditch in the path toward the Imperial Palace.

It must not have been very long since the attack since the dirt was still in the air.

However, there were no traces of the prince anywhere.

She could not feel his pure ether anymore. It was so silent without even birds chirping.

“What the hell did you do?”

Christelle mumbled in a low voice.

Honestly speaking, she knew what had happened. However, she did not want to accept it.

She barely managed to raise her head and look forward. Her chin then stiffened.

That motherfucking person was on the other side of the road. The man’s mint-colored eyes were red.

“What the hell did you do?”

“……”

“Tell me, what the hell did you do?!”

– Baaaaang!

The area she was standing sunk down. The MC charged toward Johann at a fast pace.

– CLANG!

An ice sword and a wind shield released an intense light as they clashed. Christelle clenched her teeth.

She was full of disappointment and anger toward the person she had considered her teacher.

On one hand, her heart felt empty and scared. Her eyes started to tear up.

“How could you do this? Huh? How……”

“……”

“Fuck, say something!”

– Claaaaang!

Her voice cracked and her sword also broke into pieces.

Johann quickly retreated as if he was trying to leave the area.

However, Christelle did not miss that opening. She quickly spun and appeared behind him.

– Claaaaang!

An ice dagger that she pulled out of her fingertips stabbed at his neck.

An opaque air current blocked her attack. Christelle’s arm was shaking.

This was a skill she had learned from Johann.

Block the escaping enemy’s retreat and instantly kill them.

“What gave you the right to cry?!”

– Baaaaang!

She kicked Johann in the stomach. The man helplessly got flung back. His body was sent flying and then…

– Plop!

He looked unsightly as he rolled until he arrived in front of Cédric’s feet.

The white-haired man was silent as if he wasn’t even allowed to groan.

The Imperial Prince looked down at him with an indifferent gaze.

Christelle was huffing as she walked over.

“You terrible bastard……”

She harped on. However, she was angriest with herself.

Christelle’s mind was full of regret and slander toward herself.

She should have e with him. She should not have put her guard down.

She should not have trusted this guy so easily. She shouldn’t have stopped the Imperial Prince at that time.

She should not have been so stupid to only think about playing.She should have been on guard at least a bit.

The fact that she was living a relaxed life did not mean the same for the prince.

‘Ham Ga-in, you stupid dumbass.’

– Swoooosh!

She wiped her cheek before pulling out her whip and swinging it around.

Johann immediately moved out of her attack range.

– Baaaaang!

The ground split open and water shot up.

Craaaaaaack! Sharp icicles shot out of the water that quickly froze.

Christelle was fiercely chasing after Johann. Élisabeth soon joined in.

– Boobooboooom!

“……”

The Imperial Prince silently observed the three of them.

He was trying very hard to calm the endlessly rumbling ether inside his body.

He knew that getting overly emotional; getting so angry that his brain shatters would kill him.

Making the wrong move right now would mean that he would burn his own body and turn into ashes.

The heat was making things blurry for him. The man slowly raised his left hand.

– Siiiizzle……

His black glove, the magic tool that was supposed to withstand fire, was slowly burning.

It was already difficult for him to control himself. His orange eyes became as dark as sun spots.

Maybe just like this……

– Paaaaat!

Ether that made his heart thump blasted out from behind him at that moment.

The Imperial Prince turned his head in disbelief.

The large pure white light made him unable to see anything but he didn’t know how to look away.

“Ow, my hips.”

He then heard a familiar voice. The Imperial Prince let out a small breath.

A pair of large light purple wings appeared once the light settled down.

The divine item of metal attribute sparkled under the July sunlight.

The things on Prince Jesse’s back as he plopped down on the ground were surrounding him.

“Ah, you’re here, your Royal Highness. That’s a relief.”

He smiled after noticing Cédric.

His blonde hair was covered in dirt and the areas underneath his ripped shirt and pants were full of small injuries but he didn’t seem to care.

The Imperial Prince tightly grabbed the scabbard of his Sword of Wisdom.

“What do you want?”

That was the question he asked. The Prince seemed a bit shocked as he looked around.

He saw Sir Michel examining the people who were slowly starting to wake up and then the two shadows chasing after Johann and seemed to understand the situation.

The purple eyes then looked at the Imperial Prince with a determined gaze.

“I hope you can capture Sir Geens alive. He is someone who needs help. He will be tortured by Prince Consort Werner again if we allow him to escape. But he is a Cardinal……”

There was an awkward look on his face.

“Will you be okay, your Royal Highness?”

Cédric Riester then responded to him.

His ether had calmed down at some point. Almost as if it was a lie or a dream…

“It will happen as you wished.”

Baaaaang! There was a vicious burst of air as his figure shot forward.