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Chapter 50: The Forbidden Prince (3)
I feel disgusting.
No, it was more than that—it was a deeply unsettling sensation.
Having unfamiliar knowledge forcibly injected into your mind was enough to breed that kind of revulsion.
My fingertips were still trembling.
My vision was blurred, objects splitting into twos and threes, and beyond all that, my head pounded painfully.
Still, amidst that chaos, something became clear.
‘What the hell is this?’
The moment the magic engraved itself, it activated.
As if to say, “This is what kind of magic this is,” it forced itself into manifestation.
What kind of magic was it...?
It was too simple a power to be explained in detail.
‘Presence...?’
I could see it.
Whereas my eyes had previously only read the shape and form of mystical powers, this went a step further—analyzing and dissecting how the opponent’s very existence was structured.
It was like this:
“You’re still acting like that? Oh! Then maybe it’s time for some payback!”
“Dea?”
“Heehee, just wait, Fried. I think I’ll feel a whole lot better if I give that brat a good bop on the head.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”
The Forbidden Library hopped over and stood in front of me.
Even through the haze of my vision, I could see how the Forbidden Library was structured, its otherworldly components laid bare.
I could see how it contained fragments of divinity, how they functioned, and how they melded into it.
And because of that, something strange happened.
Even though it was clearly an opponent I couldn’t harm physically, I felt a powerful certainty.
That annoying little brat who was blowing on her fist like it was cold—
‘Hoh…’
—I could totally punch her.
I slammed my fist into the crown of her head, where the divine fragment was flaring red-hot.
SMACK—!
“Gyaaa!!!”
The Forbidden Library leapt and rolled on the floor, screaming in pain.
“OW! OWWW!!!”
In that moment, the magic fizzled away with a “phweet.”
My vision returned to normal.
The invasive sensation in my head also faded somewhat.
I gasped for breath.
Stared blankly at what had just happened.
And finally understood what the First Ancestor meant.
‘Think carefully before you use it.’
Losing a chunk of mana was one thing.
But this was a power with massive risk.
Even using it once made it feel like my brain would be crushed.
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming.
Overuse could cause permanent brain damage.
And that wasn’t all.
A question bubbled up inside me.
‘Why?’
What the hell was this power for?
It clearly wasn’t meant to deal with humans or other species.
What I saw with it was a higher-order structure of reality—something so complex a human brain couldn’t possibly comprehend it all.
A chill sank into my chest.
* * *
The Forbidden Library now had a bump on her head.
The brat looked genuinely terrified of what had happened and fumed, yelling,
“How the hell did that happen?!”
But I couldn’t explain it either.
All I knew for sure was that the Forbidden Library wouldn’t mess with me anymore.
After everything calmed down, no further information came to light.
Nothing more about the eyes, the sacred tree, or even the succession ritual the Elf Elder had mentioned.
‘I don’t know. He really didn’t say anything.’
So, I left the Forbidden Library.
I was crossing the garden now to meet the Crown Prince.
I didn’t want to think about it anymore.
All my guesses had no real proof behind them.
But one thing was clear—I now had more reason than ever to stabilize the underworld.
‘I need information.’
That place had an intelligence network stretching beyond the Empire, even into allied non-human societies.
Hell, if I asked, some mercenary groups might even bring me intel from the “Abyss.”
‘Even within the family, there’s barely anything about the First Ancestor, Pharos.
But maybe, somewhere, a trace remained.
And if so, the underworld might be my best bet to find it.
I was caught up in these thoughts when—
“You’re really mysterious, you know that, Grand Master? I was totally shocked. I didn’t think a flick to the forehead would actually work on a spirit.”
The Third Prince laughed heartily.
I glanced over at him—still looking like a sickly child.
“…It just happened, that’s all.”
“Still, that’s impressive. Means you have some kind of mystical talent.”
I let out a hollow chuckle.
“You’re one to talk, Your Highness. I never imagined you had such a huge secret. Who would’ve thought the Forbidden Library was an ancient spirit—and that you’d have the talent to contract with her?”
It wasn’t flattery.
This revelation ranked among the most shocking discoveries of this life.
Because I had a huge question:
‘Why did this guy kill himself?’
The Third Prince I remembered was a coward who committed suicide under the pressure of inheriting the throne.
But the one I was seeing now was different.
Still outwardly frail and pathetic, yes—but through my new eyes, I saw the truth:
This kid had terrifying talent, and he wasn’t particularly pessimistic either.
So why, in the last life…?
“It’s not me who’s amazing—it’s Dea. Without her, I’m nothing.”
“…What if you’d contracted with a different spirit?”
“Then I would’ve died.”
My eyes narrowed.
The Third Prince gave a bitter smile.
“My body’s weak. You’ve known that since I was little, right?”
“Yes.”
“I have a soul that can house nature. But I don’t have a body that can endure it. So I break down easily. I almost died that time, too. This is a secret, but…”
Now that was interesting.
“Dea pushed her power beyond the palace and linked our contract because I was on the verge of death that day. They said if she hadn’t, my body would’ve gone pop.”
“…Hmm.”
“Dea absorbs the burden of nature that tries to flood into me. That’s why I stay in the Forbidden Library so long. The longer I’m away from Dea, the more that burden builds up in my body.”
“Indeed, you rarely appear in public.”
“It’s a problem. Even a small exposure to mana floods into my body. During the Founding Festival, when all those elves brought their spirits… ugh…”
So that’s the nature of their relationship.
When the magic activated, I saw an incredibly intense connection between the Third Prince and the Forbidden Library.
I thought it was just the mark of a contract, but it clearly signified something much more.
And thinking about it more—
‘He’s a monster.’
Not quite on par with the Crown Prince, but his talent definitely nipped at those heels.
A loss to the entire Empire.
It made me wonder—
If this Third Prince had been able to use his spiritual abilities normally, and hadn’t been chained to the Forbidden Library…
What would the imperial succession have looked like in my past life?
And also—
‘Was it really suicide?’
I don’t think so.
One particular theory seemed more and more likely:
If the contract had weakened or broken as he ascended the throne, the backlash might have killed him.
They said he hung himself, but that was just a rumor from the prison.
Think about it.
If the newly crowned Emperor had died by spontaneous bodily explosion, would the Empire have announced that publicly?
Especially during wartime chaos?
They probably would’ve said he was assassinated.
But if even the Imperial Palace had been breached, that’d have crushed morale.
Better to craft a scapegoat.
‘A cowardly prince committed suicide.’
That kind of story would fit the Third Prince’s image well enough that even the Crown Prince would buy it.
If they dressed it up properly for the soldiers, it could stoke their rage and resolve.
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Happens all the time, doesn’t it?
Soldiers on the front lines losing faith in their leaders and deciding they’ll save the nation with their own strength.
I just didn’t know any better.
Only a few high-level insiders from that era would’ve known the truth—Erilda and Aria among them.
And the Crown Prince didn’t avoid those two for no reason.
Anyway, the most likely theory for now is that one.
But there was still something that didn’t make sense.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“If you were to die from that external pressure… what would happen to the Forbidden Library?”
That brat seemed like she had a truly rotten personality.
And a serious obsession, too.
If the Third Prince died, she’d definitely have caused a scene.
So why were there no reports of any incidents in the past?
This time, I got a clear answer.
“Dea can’t do anything. She’s locked up in the Forbidden Archive.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t know all the details, but that’s the condition she agreed to. She can’t leave until she fulfills her purpose.”
He gave a bitter smile.
I stopped responding around then.
Partly because we’d arrived at our destination, and partly for another reason.
‘So, she’s a little girl who’s useless even if the empire falls.’
Well, a sad thing, but now we were talking about something that wouldn’t happen anymore.
As long as the crown prince was alive, the third prince would not follow the same path as in the last life.
That was the butterfly effect.
* * *
Fried felt joy in conversation with another person for the first time in a long while.
Understandable, really—there hadn’t been a soul in the world with whom he could share his story.
In name, he had to be like any other of Dea’s contractors.
Forbidden to speak of the Forbidden Archive’s knowledge, forbidden even to speak of Dea’s existence.
So sitting here, speaking of such things with Yuren, brought an unfamiliar feeling.
Somehow, it felt a little like a weight had lifted.
But at the same time, it stirred a sense of bitterness.
Because it forced him to face reality.
‘Dea isn’t human.’
If he had to name his feelings, it would likely be love.
Sometimes like an older sister, sometimes like a younger one—the vibrant girl was bound to live her whole life trapped in the Forbidden Archive.
And worse, she would face an even more tragic future.
He’d put it into words, himself.
—Dea can’t do anything. She’s locked up in the Forbidden Archive.
He would die someday.
Because he was human.
And when that moment came, Dea would be left alone in that silent archive once again.
That was a sorrowful and deeply regretful thought.
It was also why Fried always did his utmost for her.
He had once dreamed of showing her the imperial garden.
He’d wanted to share meals with her, sneak out at night to watch the stars together.
All things they could never do—he had dreamed of them vaguely, and this moment was the crushing reaffirmation that they never would.
His mouth tasted bitter.
Fried erased the feeling quickly and returned to the palace.
He changed into more comfortable clothes, thinking he’d spend a long time with Dea tonight.
And that’s when it happened.
“Ta-da!”
Fried froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
Because of the scene unfolding before his eyes.
“Surprised, huh?! Kyahaha!!!”
In his room, on his bed.
Dea stood up under the blanket, beaming.
Fried felt like he was seeing an illusion.
Before anything else, the question tumbled out.
“…How?”
Dea grinned proudly and replied:
“I told you! I was only stuck there because of the deal!”
She added more in a rush:
“Technically, I never owned myself, right? So I was bound to the Forbidden Archive because of that! That contract lasted only until the deal ended—and it ended today! So the ownership transferred, and now I can come out! Oh, but I still can’t go far… I have to stay connected to the Archive to build my divine name. I can go about as far as the palace……”
But her words drifted around Fried’s ears and away.
Even though he’d asked “how,” in truth, that didn’t matter.
“Don’t worry, Fried! I can protect you even from the outside now! Uh… only when you’re in the palace, though!”
Fried slowly approached the triumphant Dea.
He cupped her cheek.
“Hm?”
Dea tilted her head.
She was real.
That was the moment he realized it.
Suddenly!
Fried pulled her into an embrace.
Dea stumbled.
“Ah! Wait! That’s—my ribs!”
“Haha…”
Fried laughed blankly.
He could finally feel that this wasn’t a dream—and as he held her, their connection felt stronger.
His heart pounded.
He felt like he might cry.
“Dea.”
“What? Aren’t you… happy?”
“No, it’s not that.”
His words came out broken.
Dea was looking up at him, unsure, and that only made it harder.
He thought of all the things he had only imagined.
There were so many things he wanted to say that he didn’t know where to start.
So instead, he simply said:
“This is great. Really. So great.”
“Mm… hehe…….”
“I need to thank the Grand Master. What should I give?”
“Ugh, like he did anything.”
“Dea, don’t say that.”
“Ugh…!”
“Dea.”
“…Fine. I won’t.”
His heart beat hard with excitement and refused to calm.
Fried trembled with that feeling for a long time, then closed his eyes and cleared his mind.
A dream was coming true—in a form he’d never expected, and all too suddenly.
* * *
The day of departure arrived.
I bid my final farewell to my sister.
“I’ll be back.”
“Yes, please take care of your health. Don’t skip meals…”
I gave a sheepish smile.
She always said the same things, like they were burned into memory.
And I felt sorry and grateful that even knowing how dangerous my work was, she never stopped me.
She only ever asked one thing.
“Is this something you can be proud of, Young Lord?”
“Yes, for me, and for Pharos, it’s something to be proud of. A duty I must fulfill.”
“Never lose your pride. I believe in you.”
A very faint smile, with worry and fear just barely hidden beneath.
I was thankful for that.
“His Highness will be with me, so I’ll be fine.”
“……”
Ah, perhaps I misspoke.
Her face darkened.
Come to think of it, I’ve returned from outings with him in tatters so often, she probably doesn’t have the best impression.
“…Anyway, I’ll be back.”
I fled before she could worry more.
My sister agreed to look after Aria in my absence.
She’s helped out before, and Aria likes her, so there won’t be any trouble.
My sister said it reminded her of raising me when I was little, and that she enjoyed it.
Anyway, now that my tiny social circle was wrapped up, I quietly slipped out of the capital with light luggage.
The crown prince was waiting in the forest meeting point.
“You’re here. Been well?”
“We saw each other yesterday. Are we being tailed?”
“My stealth is second only to my swordsmanship.”
“As if that’s something to brag about.”
I had half a mind to snap his thumbs off for that smug look.
Anyway, that wrapped up the meeting.
…No, there was one more.
Someone else joining us on this journey.
I felt a presence approaching.
I turned my head—and saw her.
“Long time no see.”
A woman in a robe was walking toward us.
Her curly water-colored hair reached below her chest, and her right eye was covered with a black eyepatch.
Most striking of all was her right arm—an artificial limb revealed by her sleeveless shirt under the robe.
Pale-blue metal etched with faintly glowing magical circuits.
I looked at her and said:
“You look fine now.”
“……”
Beatrice von Gilfur.
A disaster of a mage who had gone through every kind of hardship.
Now that she was healed up, she was finally usable again.
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