Chapter 7
Obtaining the Void Attribute (3)
“Exile!”
Overjoyed was an understatement—he was outright bewildered.
Knowing that showing his true delight might cause them to change the punishment, he immediately dropped to his knees.
“Your Highness. I have sinned. I will never act so recklessly again.” “Shut your mouth. You have lost the right to reside in the Imperial Capital. It is only fitting that you suffer the humiliation of being banished from this sacred land. Though a coward like you probably lacks even the courage to draw a sword to end it.”
For now, he was acting remorseful… but inside, he was utterly dumbfounded.
Drawing a sword just because I got banished? What nonsense.
In Litania, there was a tradition of preserving one’s honor through suicide. Banishment from the Imperial Capital was indeed a severe punishment that would drive most other divine beings to take their own lives.
Though I have zero intention of dying.
For Zeon Riobelt, it might be a tragedy, but for Zeon Bleeze, exile to Dever was a reward, not a punishment.
“Third Prince… please, have mercy…”
Don’t you dare soften your heart. Just send me straight to Dever. Got it?
The primary objective of the Litanian Empire was national prosperity and military power. Accordingly, the First Prince managed colony administration while the Third Prince handled colonial expansion, locked in a fierce battle for succession. Thus, going to Dever meant escaping the Third Prince’s sphere of influence.
This Third Prince guy gives off a pretty shady vibe anyway. Once I get to Dever, I should try getting close to the First Prince, who’s known to be a bit more lenient.
Wait a second.
Zeon Riobelt was technically part of the Third Prince’s faction. Sending him in exile to Dever, of all places, meant…
“Prepare for your exile with that in mind. Ah, do not forget that you remain under my management. I will send dispatches from time to time. You will reply immediately upon receiving them.”
He intended to use him as a local spy to monitor the movements in Dever—the enemy’s territory.
Something like this? Even better.
If a second-in-command powerbroker of the Empire offers me letters, I’ll gladly take them.
Because there was so much he could accomplish with that kind of leverage.
“Now get out of my sight. I hope I never see your face again.” “…May you live a long and healthy life.”
Zeon played the part of a defeated man until the very end.
The Third Prince quietly watched Zeon’s drooping back as he slouched away.
He will inevitably plunge Dever into chaos. After a suitable amount of time passes, I’ll use him to induce a civil war.
It would be easy. The man was a natural at making enemies. The only downside was that he wouldn’t have a single ally, but the Prince could simply step in and provide them himself. He would turn Dever into a battlefield.
Dever would suffer immense damage in the process, but that didn’t matter.
What does it matter if a mere colony breaks a little?
So long as the First Prince was brought down, the Emperor’s throne would be placed right in his hands.
The moment he returned to his quarters, Zeon locked the bedroom door and sat down.
“I’m coming back, Dever. Hehehe.”
The mere thought of what he could accomplish in Dever with the body of an Imperial Prince made his heart leap. However, it would take about a week for the administrative procedures to be finalized. Since it was an official punishment, altering the schedule wouldn’t be an option.
I should practice magic during the remaining time.
He had acquired a miraculous power: the Void Attribute. It was a change brought about when the Guide’s Ring reacted to him inside the Imperial Vault.
This means I can now use magic as an asymmetric weapon.
The problem was that Zeon’s magic system was rooted in the secret arts of the Dever Royal Family. Secret magic was characterized by strong power, but required several strict entry conditions. Since he no longer possessed royal blood, his learning speed for the secret arts was bound to be excruciatingly slow.
…Or so it should have been.
I have a good feeling about this, though. Considering how the Guide’s Ring reacted to this body, surely…!
He recalled the voice of the Covenant echoing from the heavens. The Covenant that had granted him two miracles. It undoubtedly had something to do with the Dever Royal Family.
Wuuuung…!
Four days. The time it took for the sun to rise and set four times.
After holing up in his bedroom the entire time focusing solely on magic, he managed to reach a higher realm. Mana trickled and drew a magic circle in the empty air. It was a speed even faster than when he was in Bleeze’s original body.
“As expected.”
Even in Riobelt’s body, there was no penalty to learning the Royal Family’s secret arts. Just like with the Guide’s Ring, the functions of the secret arts were being granted as if royal blood ran through his current physical form.
This is definitive proof that the Covenant is tied to the Royal Family.
He stroked the ring on his middle finger. The Guide’s Ring, which granted its powers only to those of royal lineage. Tracing his mana circuit, he felt out the intangible pathway connecting him to the stem of the Polaris.
Even with his body changed, the powers were granted to him. Could it be that it recognized not just the physical bloodline of the Royal Family, but the soul itself?
“Ah, right.”
A thought suddenly struck him.
“It’s already time for the magic to trigger, isn’t it? Hehehe.”
The corners of Zeon’s mouth twisted upward. When he set the magic in the Imperial Vault, he had given it a time limit of one week. From this moment, the time remaining was three…
“Two. One.”
Switch, on!
On days when no authorized visitors were present, the Imperial Vault lay submerged in darkness and silence, entirely devoid of guards. Thousands of detection sensors—each worth at least 1,000 Ruons—were installed inside, eliminating the need to put people at risk of temptation.
Thus, today should have passed in darkness and quiet, just like any other day.
Tick, tidick.
A faint light flickered in the dark. It was tiny, but against the jet-black, lightless space, it stood out brilliantly. Soon, the light stretched long, drawing a magic circle over the stem of the Polaris.
[Quere Stellam Orbita. Second function, manifest.]
The three magical capabilities possessed by the stem of the Polaris.
The first was Amplification: a function that enhanced the power of any magic cast by its owner.
And the name of the second capability was Homing. Simply put, it was recall magic.
The light moved, etching words into the air.
[You foolish bastards. You didn’t even take separate measures for an artifact enchanted with spatial magic?] [Well, I suppose you assumed that since I was the only surviving royalty, a recall magic that could only be activated by royal blood wasn’t even worth preparing against.]
It was the same as the Guide’s Ring. Since it was something that could never be activated, they had simply neglected it, thinking it didn’t matter whether recall magic existed on it or not.
However, carelessness often leads to severe losses.
[Open, pathway of space. Shift, light of the stars.]
FLASH! The moment the magic circle burst into bright light, the pitch-black space was instantly filled with radiance.
And immediately after—
BEEEEE-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!!!!!!
As the detection sensors inside the vault screamed madly at the magic, mana distorted the surrounding space, opening a path leading to where the artifact rightfully belonged.
Zzzzzzt!
The Empire had not been completely defenseless. This was the Imperial Vault, after all. The Emperor’s personal treasure trove was prepared for even a one-in-a-million possibility.
[Sure, you blocked spatial movement itself quite well.]
Spatial magic could not be activated within the vault due to a barrier sustained by vast amounts of magic stones. However… however…
[As if the Empire’s magic could ever stop the magic of Zeon Bleeze.]
CRASH!
A shattering sound echoed like breaking glass, accompanied by fragments of distorted light.
With the staff gone, the vault plunged back into darkness. Yet, unlike before, the heavy silence that once pressed down on the surroundings was nowhere to be found.
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!
Because the sensors were still shrieking insanely, signaling that the entire Imperial Palace was about to be flipped upside down.
“Chief Guard! Among the artifacts of Dever, the stem of the Polaris has vanished!” “What?! My goodness, how is that possible?! That staff is the most precious item among Dever’s relics!”
The stem of the Polaris was not only the staff used by the King of Dever, but also a sacred artifact representing the Royal Family.
It wasn’t just a figure of speech—it officially symbolized Dever. In official diplomacy, the circuit-engraved magic inside the staff was used like a royal seal to authorize documents. In short, the stem of the Polaris was the state seal of the Kingdom of Dever.
“We must find it! If we don’t, everyone on duty tonight will be executed! Including me!”
The guards from the control room scattered in all directions. Everyone staying within the Imperial Palace who was still awake became a subject of investigation.
“Third Prince. First Prince. Please forgive our rudeness.”
Even the first and second in line to the throne complied with the investigation, meaning the Emperor was virtually the only exception.
“For tonight, refrain from using the word ‘rudeness.’ Find the culprit at all costs. His Majesty may not spare a glance for such a minor matter, but as representatives of the Imperial Family, we cannot sit idly by.”
It was an order from the First Prince. The Third Prince went a step further—an intentional response to the First Prince’s phrase, ‘representatives of the Imperial Family.’
“If anyone is even slightly suspicious, do not hesitate to use torture. I permit it in the name of Garion Riobelt. Place all responsibility on my name, and prioritize the investigation and capture above all else.”
With the backing of both princes, there was nothing to hold back the search. Screams echoed from all over, and even the smallest clue was thoroughly investigated.
“Chief Guard! The last person to visit the Imperial Vault was the Ninth Prince, Zeon Riobelt. Should we summon him?” “What?!”
The Chief Guard flinched. Even with the authorization of the First and Third Princes, the Ninth Prince was a sensitive target in a different sense.
Considering that trash of a Ninth Prince’s temperament…
Even if it wasn’t the two princes but an order from the Emperor himself, if he felt offended, he was bound to hold a grudge and retaliate.
…Besides, there was no way the Ninth Prince was the culprit. Even if he had the motive, he lacked the capability. Still, just to be sure, a minimal check had to be performed.
“If the Ninth Prince visited the Imperial Palace today, summon him immediately for questioning.” “His last visit was a week ago.”
The Chief Guard’s face crumpled in anger. Frustration clawed at his mind, causing him to strike out impulsively.
SLAP!
“You utter idiot! Common sense tells you that His Highness the Ninth Prince couldn’t possibly be the culprit when he hasn’t even stepped foot in the palace today! Instead of wasting time, go find a suspect with actual evidence, damn it!” “I-I’m sorry…!”
Clutching his slapped cheek, the guard scrambled away, cursing under his breath.
Damn it, I shouldn’t have mentioned it after all. There’s no way that good-for-nothing Ninth Prince has the means to rob the Imperial Vault in the first place.
Watching the guard run off, the Chief Guard was thinking the exact same thing.
If the Ninth Prince had done something when entering the vault, the sensors would have caught it right then and there.
The Ninth Prince as the culprit? Setting motive aside, it was impossible in terms of both intelligence and skill.
Logically, he was technically a suspicious figure due to his recent visit, but not a single person suspected Zeon Riobelt.
Not a single soul.
Inside a dim room, a single small oil lamp illuminated documents scattered across a narrow desk. It was a humble space where they had to skimp on lamp oil, let alone magic lighting tools.
This was the headquarters of the Society—one of the two main factions of the Dever Liberation Army.
“Phew…”
Duke Arist pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a deep sigh.
No matter how much he adjusted the numbers or combed through the documents, the deficit couldn’t be filled. Classified as rebels by the Empire, the Dever Liberation Army was in a state where securing a proper source of income was impossible. Calling themselves an army was a stretch when they couldn’t even properly operate a single armored vehicle. That was the reality of the Dever Liberation Army.
“If only we could secure a loan from one of the foreign powers…”
However, no country was willing to lend money to a rebel force. A loan was fundamentally a financial transaction between sovereign nations. Until the Dever Liberation Army fulfilled the conditions of a “nation,” requesting a loan was impossible.
“Lord Arist. Please send me to Gizkal. I will lead our comrades there myself.” “I cannot allow that.”
Arist firmly rejected Reianna’s proposal. She was suggesting that they work as mercenaries for the Federal Republic of Gizkal to earn money. As desperate as their financial situation was, he couldn’t let Reianna and the fighters of the Liberation Army throw away their lives for nothing.
“But Lord Arist! If we don’t pay off the debt on time, the grounds of the Republican Assembly will be foreclosed!”
That was the problem.
After their nation fell, the Republican Assembly was established abroad to serve as the official face of their movement. Officially, it had no ties to the rebel Liberation Army; it was a group dedicated to achieving Dever’s peaceful independence through democratic means.
And now, the land and building where that Assembly resided were on the verge of being seized by others.
“You know as well as I do. If we lose ownership, the Empire will undoubtedly buy it up. Then they’ll mock and humiliate us in every way imaginable.”
For instance, tearing down the Assembly building and constructing an Imperial Commemorative Hall in its place. Just imagining it was horrifying. They had to get the money somehow.
“Is there no way… Ugh. They say every cloud has a silver lining, but how can there be no way to raise money like this…? Wait, what?”
Arist’s words trailed off. He stared blankly at the transformation unfolding before his eyes.
A single beam of light fell onto the desk, tracing a magic circle as if written by an invisible hand.
In that moment, the lamp light flickered off and turned back on.
Space split open, and something rose from the light. Even by its shadow alone, its identity was unmistakable. Setting aside its familiar, iconic appearance, it was an item he had dreamed of reclaiming dozens of times over.
“…The stem of the Polaris…!”
The sacred artifact symbolizing the Royal Family. The King’s magic staff, which served as the royal seal using its built-in engraving magic.
That very object was right before his eyes.
Floating gently in the air, the stem of the Polaris settled softly into his outstretched hand.
Mm, I can feel its weight. Mm, it feels so real.
For holding the sacred artifact he would have traded his life to reclaim, his emotions were… his heart was…
“GAAAH!”
As Arist bolted upright and let out a shocked scream, Reianna jumped, instantly dropping into a combat stance.
“Vice Commander, what’s—EEEEK! The stem of the Polaris!”
She screamed right along with him.
It was the moment the sacred relic, once sealed deep within the Empire’s Imperial Vault, returned to where it truly belonged.
“How on earth?!” “Why is it here?!” “The stem of the Polaris… our Dever’s sacred artifact, in my hands… Gasp!”
With eyes gleaming with the light of hope, Arist shouted:
“A loan! Reianna, prepare a messenger to send to other nations immediately!”
The Dever Liberation Army could not receive loans from foreign countries because it was not a recognized state. However, with the stem of the Polaris, the story changed completely.
One of the conditions for an ethnic faction to be recognized as a sovereign state was: possessing symbolic artifacts representing sovereignty, such as a state seal used to sign diplomatic documents.
Arist’s wrinkled hand tightly gripped the staff.
“Now that we’ve reclaimed the stem of the Polaris, we can request a loan! A way out has finally appeared! Hahaha!”
Fifty-five years ago, when the sacred relic was stolen, Dever became unable to establish diplomatic relations with other countries. Just five years after losing the stem of the Polaris, they had been reduced to an Imperial colony.
That was how crucial sovereignty and its symbols were to a nation. Conversely, starting from this very moment, Dever could kindle the sparks of life once again.
“I will prepare them right away—no, I will go myself!”
Reianna dashed out in high spirits, and soon, a wave of vigor washed over the entire Liberation Army.
I do not know which benefactor returned our sacred artifact, but I offer my heartfelt gratitude.
At the exact moment Arist bowed toward the empty air in deep gratitude, the benefactor responsible for bringing immense joy to the Dever Liberation Army—the Crown Prince of Dever and the trash prince of Litania, Zeon—was…
“Ah, my miserable fate. What a disgrace to my prince status, seriously.”
Carrying his own luggage with his delicate hands, he was wandering through a filthy back alley.
“I mean, I’m still a prince! Isn’t this way too harsh?”
All assets confiscated. Accompanied by no servants. Those were the two conditions attached to his exile.
It was the reason he was walking through the alleyways of the oldest slum in Seiel, the Royal Capital of Dever.
“Sigh, well… At least I arrived in Dever safely.”
Losing the wealth of an Imperial Prince—which must have been enormous—was a bit depressing, but…
Money can always be earned.
To the vanished Zeon Riobelt, this situation would have felt like hell. But to Zeon Bleeze, it was just business as usual.
“Shall I go make some money, then?”
Grinning brightly, Zeon shifted his gaze toward the depths of the alley shrouded in darkness.
