The moment I saw the elixir, I felt an undeniable temptation.
It was something I would need soon.
‘But still, it’s not the right time.’
Anyway, elixirs exist in the coin shop.
Although it’s priced at an outrageous 50 coins, it’s not impossible to collect.
So passing up this opportunity for something else that might be impossible to obtain seems like a wise choice.
‘But where is it hidden?’
The Emperor has pride, so he surely wouldn’t have taken it out ahead of time.
That means it must be hidden somewhere here.
After searching around for a while…
‘I found it.’
I discovered a small box tucked away in a corner.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a box but a safe.
A safe in a storeroom where no one could enter.
It’s way too obvious.
I decided to try ‘Inquiry.’
[Black Steel Safe]
[Condition: Locked]
[Description: A safe made of metal that cannot be transformed under any circumstances. It has 12 security spells working together to complement each other. Inside is the ‘Ring of Miracles.’]
Bingo!
The Ring of Miracles.
It was the item I had wanted since I entered this novel.
“I’ll take what’s inside.”
The Crown Prince surely didn’t know about the Ring of Miracles.
But perhaps her sharp intuition kicked in, as her expression turned pale.
“Wait a moment…”
*
“Where did you get this?”
“Where else? I took it from the storeroom. Schlus Hainkel chose this.”
“……”
Gustav felt a headache like a crushing weight on his head.
He had hoped it wouldn’t happen, yet here we are!
He deliberately placed it in a small, unremarkable safe after taking it from the gleaming one…
He regretted not having taken it out earlier.
“Hah… I can’t go back on my word now.”
“What exactly is it?”
“See for yourself.”
With a gesture, Gustav instructed the court ladies and guards to leave the room.
He brought the safe in front of him, placed his hand on it, and closed his eyes.
Since all the security spells were designed to protect each other, dismantling them would take centuries.
But as Gustav typed in the code one by one, the spells began to deactivate.
Finally, as the last spell was released—
*Click*
The safe’s door opened with a cheerful sound.
Before long, the Crown Prince had crept behind Gustav, peeking over his shoulder.
Gustav exhaled heavily and slowly opened the safe door.
Inside appeared—
“What the… is this?”
A pair of silver rings.
They weren’t flashy, but had a mundane design, identical in appearance to each other.
But upon picking one up, its feather-light weight indicated it wasn’t silver.
“This is the item known as the Ring of Miracles.”
“I’ve never heard of it…”
“That’s to be expected. Only the Emperors of Freya know of its existence.”
The Crown Prince swallowed nervously.
“What kind of item is it?”
“It’s a ring that brings the dead back to life.”
“……!”
“If you wish deeply for someone’s resurrection with strong longing, the ring grants that wish. The deceased returns in the form of their soul. It can be used once every hundred years, and it has been utilized for seeking the wisdom of the late Emperor.”
“Is it really okay to give this to him?”
“Hey, kid. That’s why I told you to be cautious.”
“Agh!”
The Crown Prince received a sharp flick to the forehead.
Even while rubbing her forehead, she bowed her head solemnly.
“Having promised to give something regardless of the choice, I cannot withhold it. But…”
“But…?”
“I think it’s fair to use a little underhanded trick.”
A smile crept across Gustav’s lips.
It was his signature smile whenever he thought of a sneaky (a.k.a. clever) plan.
“Oh dear. What a problem. I must be losing my mind since I forgot the code.”
“Old man! You can’t be serious…!”
“Yeah. I’m giving it to you as is.”
As Gustav chuckled, the Crown Prince gaped in disbelief.
Goodness. The Emperor of a continental power would resort to such petty tactics?
Or maybe being that petty is necessary to lead a continental power?
The Crown Prince felt a bit confused.
“But why are there two of them?”
“Just take it first.”
“Yes?”
Gustav flicked one of the rings over his shoulder.
The Crown Prince barely managed to catch it with both hands and examined it curiously.
“One is the main ring that creates miracles. The other is a replica. It’s not completely useless, as it alerts you when the main ring activates. If Schlus opens the safe and triggers a miracle… you’ll know who was brought back.”
“Got it.”
The Emperor put the main ring back in the safe, then activated the spells one by one to lock it again.
“Hand it to Schlus.”
“Yes. Understood, Your Highness.”
As the Crown Prince left with the guards and the safe, Gustav relaxed into his chair.
No matter how many tricks are used, the safe cannot be opened or destroyed.
Schlus Hainkel will not forever keep something that he can’t even open.
He can recover it later, either when he sells it or after he dies.
No problem at all.
Yet, for some strange reason, Gustav felt an uneasy sensation.
*
I accepted the safe handed over by the Crown Prince.
Perhaps because it’s made of Black Steel, the world’s toughest material, it was surprisingly heavy for its small size.
“What was inside?”
“Unfortunately, this safe can no longer be opened. The code has been completely lost.”
“……”
What a vile trick.
In Aria’s awkward acting, I nearly cursed out loud.
[Black Steel Safe]
[Condition: Locked]
[Description: A safe made of a material that can never be transformed. It is fortified by 12 security spells that complement each other. Inside is the ‘Ring of Miracles.’]
At least it seemed he hadn’t toyed with the contents.
Fortunately, the Ring of Miracles was still inside.
“Once you choose, you cannot change it. Now take that safe and get lost.”
“Could you wait just a moment?”
“……?”
Ignoring Aria, who tilted her head curiously, I placed my hand on the safe.
Twelve security spells, huh?
Seems like they can be broken?
With that thought, I turned off my sight and hearing to concentrate.
‘No way!’
But after barely breaking two spells, the rest became impossible.
The moment I released my hand, even the spells that had been unlocked clasped shut again. I had to start from the beginning.
The spells weren’t individual; they were structured to encrypt each other, making them especially difficult to break.
“Huh. It won’t be easy to break without a code.”
Aria was now waving her hands while losing her composure completely.
Sweat had begun to flow down her lovely neck.
I couldn’t afford to hold back anymore.
‘Selection and Concentration. Using 5 seconds of Computational Power.’
My Computational Power stat soared past 100 in an instant, reaching 147.
Such a stat could dismantle most spells in a blink, but even after three seconds, I had only broken four spells.
But with the numbers dwindling, perhaps the mutual encryption weakened, making it easier.
On the fourth second, seven spells…
And finally on the last fifth second, just before ‘Selection and Concentration’ expired—
*Click*
All 12 spells dismantled, and the safe’s door swung open.
Emilia was having a lackluster reaction, not knowing how intricate the spells were, but—
“Uh, what?! Why…?”
Aria gave a shockingly blunt and lively reaction.
Yes! This is it! So nice to have an honest person by my side.
If Emilia and Aria’s personalities were the complete opposite, that would have been splendid.
No, wait. If someone like the Crown Prince didn’t show any emotion, that would be quite terrifying.
I retrieved one of the rings from inside the opened safe.
This was the appearance of a MacGuffin that had only been mentioned but never shown in the original work.
[Ring of Miracles]
[Condition: Clean. No Issues.]
[Description: Can summon the soul of the dead once every hundred years.]
There was no doubt when I confirmed it via Inquiry.
The Ring of Miracles.
A ring that allows you to meet the dead… a ring that breaks taboos.
I gripped it tightly in my hand, careful not to let it slip.
“Looks like it was just a ring after all. I could trade for something else if you wanted now.”
“Weren’t you the one who said we couldn’t change?”
“I… I’m suddenly feeling generous. You can switch it for something else.”
“No. Once a man makes a decision, he should stick by it. I’ll go with this.”
“Uh…. Alright then.”
The way she continually fretfully wiped her sweat made it enjoyable to tease her.
She was a character I wanted to play pranks on.
Anyway, this safe was quite a valuable item.
Even without the security spells, a safe made of Black Steel was rare.
Now that I had unlocked it, I could reset the code, essentially making it mine.
Yet perhaps I overused my Computational Power, as my head began to throb painfully, and I had to press my temples for a moment.
“Uh, um…”
“What is it?”
“I’ll carry it, Hainkel.”
“It’s pretty heavy. I should carry it.”
“No. I feel like I’m doing nothing…”
As I handed over the safe, Emilia glanced at me, asking while gauging my reaction.
She had been trailing behind me all day, feeling unproductive.
Taking down that rude knight didn’t count in her eyes, huh?
Even if that’s not the case, having a reliable ally by my side is plenty reassuring.
“Alright then, Emilia. You carry it.”
“Yes, understood.”
I entrusted the safe to Emilia.
If it makes her feel easier, then so be it.
“Then I’ll take my leave as per your instructions. It was an honor to see you again, Aria.”
“Aria? Who’s that?”
“…… It was a slip of the tongue. Please forget that.”
This idiot.
The Crown Prince doesn’t have a name yet.
To make such a big mistake like that is just unreal.
“You’re growing increasingly brazen. I don’t wish to see your face anymore. Get lost.”
“Yes, your Highness.”
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to suspect anything too much.
After getting pat down by the guards to ensure she wasn’t taking anything else, we exited the underground storeroom.
Getting out of the imperial palace felt so far away.
It was genuinely far, but it felt infinitely farther than on the way here.
From time to time, I glanced at the ring on my left ring finger to calm my anticipation.
The moment we stepped out of the palace, we rented a luxurious carriage.
Anyway, the guards escorting us would all be charged to the royal household.
Besides, now thanks to the Black Eagle medal, I could afford such extravagance.
“Emilia, could you wait outside for a moment? I’d like to be alone.”
“Yes, of course.”
I left Emilia outside and entered the carriage alone.
Then I lifted my trembling left hand.
Rubbing the Ring of Miracles on my ring finger, I prayed inwardly.
Please, please let me see him one more time.
Just for a moment. Just a fraction of a second would do. Just his voice would be enough.
Not gentle words, but even if he scolded me, got angry, or blamed me, I’d be happy.
Just once…
“Fuck. Am I stupid?”
Nothing happened.
Of course, it wouldn’t.
He’s not a person of this world.
He’s a person from the real world, not some character in this damned novel.
So that fucking ring couldn’t possibly bring his soul back.
Yet still, I took a chance… and chance turned out to be not much after all.
“Damn this ring.”
Just as I was about to throw it out the window in anger, my hand froze.
After all, this was a treasure that the royal family regarded above all else.
I couldn’t throw it away just because I’m mad.
My rage subsided in an instant, and I gently placed the ring back on my finger.
At first, I tried to put it on my index finger, but it bizarrely didn’t fit, so I put it on my ring finger instead.
But what did wearing a ring on my left ring finger signify again?
I forgot.
“Hah… Life.”
Seriously.
I miss him so much.
I thought I could live without you now.
I thought I had overcome my sorrow.
But it seems I’m just a lost fool.
No matter how much time passes, I can’t forget.
I’m still that idiot chasing after your shadow.
Your last words to meet a good person…
“Too cruel.”
I can’t forget.
*
“This crazy bastard…”
Left alone in the storeroom, the Crown Prince trembled in rage.
The safe, guaranteed to be impossible for a Majin to open, had been breached.
By a mere human. No, a commoner.
It was incomprehensible.
Had he been deceived by a Majin?
By the late Emperor himself?
So many unthinkable things had happened that the Crown Prince could not suppress his emotional outburst.
“Ughhh…! How do I explain this to the old man?!”
Schlus had successfully obtained the Ring of Miracles.
And he had no idea of its value.
This was certainly bad news.
There was a possibility he would sell it off to a roadside jeweler without hesitation.
“I need to recover it quickly!”
The Crown Prince dashed out of the storeroom.
There was no time to waste.
He had to track Schlus’ movements and watch him like a hawk to see if he tried to trade the ring.
Feeling in his pocket, he grabbed the replica of the Ring of Miracles he had just received.
Remember, it alerts you when the Ring of Miracles activates.
The chances that Schlus would activate it were definitely slim, but you never know, so he slipped the replica onto his left ring finger.
“But Aria? Who is that?”
Now that he thought about it, Schlus had accidentally called him Aria.
It was an unfamiliar name.
How dare he confuse the Crown Prince with another woman…
He had brushed it off at the time, but now that he thought about it, it irritated him.
Yet he oddly felt a certain fondness towards the name “Aria.”
There couldn’t possibly be anyone around with such a name.
How strange.
As the Crown Prince distracted himself with these thoughts…
*Zing…*
“Huh?!”
The ring vibrated.
His whole body trembled, and the Crown Prince startled, raising his left hand.
Did the Ring of Miracles activate?
Was the clueless Schlus able to figure out how to use it?
Out of sheer chance or by accident?
The Crown Prince was shocked and touched the ring.
Then before his eyes came the name of the deceased that Schlus had called forth.
[Han Ah-reum]
“Who the hell is this again?”
