Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Beginning of the Miracle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“No.”
“Mom...”
“Theo, no means no.”
Her mother crossed her arms, her voice firm.
“It's dangerous outside.”
“Are the sick people... dangerous?”
“That's not what I mean. They're all under the empire's protection and deserve our love.”
She doesn't sound like a tyrant when she says things like that.
“But you're the prince.”
Her mother looked at me.
“There might be people out there gunning for you.”
“...Me?”
Who would target me?
My sisters aren't even fighting over the throne with me yet.
“...There are.”
Her mother muttered, averting her gaze.
What is it?
“Anyway, dangerous is dangerous.”
Her mother raised a finger, mumbling.
“So, no.”
“...Mother.”
I cleared my throat with a cough.
Right. I hadn't expected it to work right away.
She's incredibly stubborn about things like this.
But I have my ways too.
“I'll go with Isfil. And Clue too.”
“...A homunculus might be enough to protect you, but...”
Her mother muttered, then shook her head.
“No.”
She shook her head again.
“What if you come with me?”
“...”
Her mother stared at me silently.
“Theo, I know you're kind and good-hearted. I know you care about others.”
That's not it.
I just want to increase my holy power.
But no need to say that.
“I know you heal the knights too.”
Her mother's gaze pierced right through me.
“But Theo, the world isn't full of good people. Just because you have good intentions doesn't mean they'll return them.”
“...”
“It's a hard lesson, but you're smart enough to understand what I mean.”
“...Yes.”
I know it all too well.
I've dealt with plenty of people who stab you in the back while pretending to be nice.
The guy who acted all sweet, passing out drinks during group projects, then ghosted when it was time for his research.
Team lead Kim who promised to help, then put only his name on the report submission.
I don't trust people either.
But that's not the answer I should give.
“Mother.”
“Call me Mom.”
“...Mother.”
I looked at her, eyes brimming with resolve.
“I believe power comes with responsibility.”
“...”
“Since I have this power, I want to take responsibility for it and contribute to the empire, even if just a little.”
Her mother watched me without a word.
Of course, this logic won't work.
Parents respond more to emotion than reason.
In other words,
“If you don't let me go, I'll call you Mother from now on.”
“...!”
Her mother's face crumpled like the world had ended.
Got her.
“To think you'd grace such a humble place...”
An elderly man in neat clothes bowed slightly to me.
“And...”
“...”
Her mother stood there with her eyes closed.
In the end, she gave permission.
On the conditions that she come along, and that I never call her Mother again.
Conditions I can easily accept.
Sisters Lily and Ravire didn't come.
To be precise, they couldn't.
They both begged her mother, but she wouldn't budge.
“...This isn't bad at all.”
Clue looked around, and Isfil did the same.
“The facilities are way better than in the Holy Kingdom...”
Both wore expressions that seemed all too familiar.
Isfil makes sense, but has Clue been to places like this before?
Am I the only one?
“Your Majesty.”
The old man bowed to her mother in greeting.
The imperial relief center, one of the places with the most patients.
The interior was surprisingly clean.
You could tell someone was maintaining it diligently.
Her mother turned her gaze away, murmuring.
“Well managed.”
“All thanks to Your Majesty's grace.”
“Good.”
Her mother glanced at me.
“Do as you like, Theo.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
“...”
“...Mom.”
No, do I really have to say Mom with other people around?
I was just being polite.
Look, even that old man is giving me a weird look now.
I averted the old man's gaze and spoke.
“The patients are...”
“This way.”
The old man gestured and led me along slowly.
We passed down a hallway, through one room, and soon a strange smell hit my nose.
Is this it? I thought, but the old man walked right past that room, leading us further.
“Here.”
I looked up at his words.
A few people sat inside the room.
“These are the patients.”
The old man smiled gently.
“...”
I checked their conditions.
Arms wrapped in bandages, or various other bandages anyway.
But no blood seeping through, just light wrappings...
“...”
No. This isn't the time for those thoughts.
I approached the injured.
The others bowed their heads toward me.
“It's fine.”
I raised my hand, drawing up holy power.
Like shooting a beam from my hand.
With a flash, holy power poured from my palm, and soon their bodies began to heal.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Thank you!”
They thanked me one by one.
“...”
I watched them, then
“Your Highness?”
“Theodor?”
Stepped out into the hall.
The relief center manager, Hills, had been incredibly busy since morning.
The imperial family had suddenly announced an inspection.
He sighed inwardly.
An inspection was still an inspection.
He couldn't show things as they truly were.
And that's when he met Prince Theodor.
The greenhouse flower who had never stepped foot outside the palace.
So Hills knew nothing of the rumors about him.
He had awakened holy power, sure, but he was just a boy on the cusp of ten.
A show visit to the relief center, perhaps.
Of course, Hills had no complaints about that.
He had his job, and the imperial family had theirs.
The center ran so smoothly thanks to the steady, substantial support from the palace anyway.
So, following his predecessors' advice, he gathered the lightly injured in one room, left the severe cases untouched in theirs, and received the visitors.
That had been the plan.
“Your Highness?”
His gaze turned to Theodor.
First Prince Theodor Castina.
He walked quietly into the hallway, followed hurriedly by three others.
The saintess, the empress, and a suspiciously beautiful mystery girl.
Hills followed them too, bewildered.
Soon, the room Prince Theodor entered was
“Your Highness, that's...!”
The room with the severe patients.
“I smelled it.”
Prince Theodor glanced at the door, murmuring.
“Pus, I guess.”
“...Pus?”
The saintess sniffed, mumbling, and the two beside her tilted their heads.
“I don't smell any pus...”
“No smell, Theodor...”
But everyone else who heard him just tilted their heads.
“...”
“Your Highness! You can't!”
The prince stepped into the room, and Hills cursed inwardly as he followed.
He hadn't planned to show them this.
For imperial blood—especially a young child—it was too gruesome.
Sure enough, the prince froze upon entering.
“...This is...”
The saintess, used to injuries, covered her mouth and stepped back.
“...”
The empress, having seen worse, simply watched impassively,
“...Hmm...”
And the ethereal beauty viewed it calmly, as if accustomed to such scenes.
Dozens of people lay there.
Some with arms rotted to the bone, others missing limbs.
And Prince Theodor, first in,
“Hold on.”
Approached a patient without hesitation, grasping his festering arm.
“Ugh, ugh...”
“Stay still. It'll get better bit by bit.”
Theodor murmured, gripping both arms.
As if the rot didn't faze him, he closed his eyes in focus,
And soon, white light flooded the room.
“...!”
Hills's jaw dropped as he stared blankly at the scene.
The patient's arm was healing.
Fresh flesh grew over the rot, color returning to his face.
“Wh-what is...?”
Hills stammered in shock, but soon
“...”
After treating the patient, sweating profusely, Prince Theodor released his hand.
Blood and flesh smeared his small hand, but he wiped it on his clothes without care and spoke.
“Next patient.”
Afterward, word spread across the empire that the prince had performed miracles at the relief center.
It was the moment when the name of the reclusive first prince, Theodor, first echoed nationwide.