Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Merit Awards
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It was the first time.
The first time Reinhardt hadn't averted his eyes.
Thus, it felt like the first time their gazes truly met.
'He doesn't avoid my gaze...'
Jet-black eyes like ink, hair of the deepest black.
Features that perfectly mirrored the empress.
In contrast, Reinhardt shared not a single trait with him.
Unlike the other princes, Reinhardt had been slow at everything from a young age.
Speaking, learning—everything about the crown prince was far from ordinary.
—Isn't that kid basically autistic?
—He's not even the emperor's real son.
Whispers spread through the imperial household.
After the empress's death, outright disdain became the norm.
Even Emperor Deus felt no affection for such a Reinhardt.
Especially after bestowing the title of crown prince upon the boy—who burst into tears at merely meeting his gaze—to appease the nobles' demands.
'Were they ever this clear?'
In his memory, Reinhardt's eyes had always been cloudy.
Hazy and lifeless.
But the current Reinhardt exuded an intensity surpassing anyone else's.
He didn't look away.
On the contrary, he carried an air of composure.
He knew that look well.
It belonged to those who had once reached the pinnacle—ruling over all beneath them.
No matter the field, only those who had stood at the absolute top possessed such eyes.
And Reinhardt now had them.
That was why Deus remained silent.
He had tacitly allowed the entire affair for that very reason.
'It must be a fleeting whim.'
Yet people didn't change overnight.
Especially innate traits like those.
They might ease momentarily, but they never fully healed.
Even his ability to quell rampages might stem from that mania.
Of course, it was still better than the powerless crown prince he'd been.
"What a commotion."
The emperor summed up the situation in a single phrase.
Noisy and chaotic.
Then, he turned to the princes and spoke.
"Today's display left a profound impression on me as well. The empire's future shines bright. Especially you, 1st Prince Raunel."
1st Prince Raunel.
The greatest martial talent, leader of the Phoenix Knight Order.
Raunel looked up at Deus with an excited expression.
Deus continued.
"I've heard you devote yourself solely to training, sparing even sleep. I am proud of you."
"...! I will train even harder, Your Majesty!!"
"I shall open the imperial treasury especially for you. Take one item of your choosing."
"Thank you!!"
His exhilarated voice echoed throughout the palace.
Face flushed red, Raunel was beside himself with joy at the emperor's praise.
And the imperial treasury held only the continent's finest treasures, amassed over centuries.
A vault with ironclad security, never breached since its creation!
To take anything he wanted from there—his heart raced uncontrollably.
The emperor shifted his gaze to the 2nd Prince.
"2nd Prince Kazan. You still wear that bored expression, as if everything is a hassle."
"Not at all, Your Majesty. I'm quite eager to see what you'll grant me."
"Your blunt nature remains unchanged. Very well. I shall gift you the 'Wind Jewel.' It will greatly aid your ascent to 7th circle."
"Ah...! Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Kazan's eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected such a treasure.
The Wind Jewel—a gem said to be a gift from the spirit king to the founding emperor.
In this era, severed from spirits, it was undoubtedly humanity's greatest remaining spirit relic.
Next, the emperor addressed Carmen, still under the physician's care.
"3rd Prince Carmen. Your greed was excessive, but your effort was commendable. Wield the staff called the '[Light Seeker]' and pursue your studies diligently, and such mishaps will not recur."
"Your boundless grace—I shall never forget it, Your Majesty."
Empress Josephine bowed her head in reply.
Carmen lay unconscious, unable to respond.
It'seemed meager compared to the others' rewards, but the '[Light Seeker]' was an item whose full secrets eluded even the imperial house.
Unravel those mysteries, and it might surpass their gifts.
Finally.
The 4th Prince, who hadn't even performed, wore a tearful expression.
"I shall evaluate the 4th Prince's achievements personally. Do not feel slighted."
"Yes..."
"Instead, take the 'Ice Bird Egg' from the Northern Sea Palace. Nurture it well."
"Ah! Awesome!"
The young 4th Prince's face lit up, his earlier gloom forgotten.
Ice Birds were among the continent's rare 'mythical beasts.'
Monsters called the last remnants of spirits.
If raised properly, no treasure could compare.
The princes' gift-giving ceremony concluded.
"And."
But one remained.
"Crown Prince Reinhardt."
This gathering included not just the imperial family, but the tower masters as well.
No matter the rumors about the crown prince, the emperor had bestowed the title himself.
Ignoring him outright could shake the empire's foundations.
"The way you halted Carmen's rampage and treated the Ice Tower Master was quite impressive."
But what to give?
Quelling a rampage paled against the other princes' feats.
It might amaze court mages, but an emperor stood above all mysteries, having seen countless.
Such novelties were commonplace to him.
'A reward.'
Gifting the crown prince anything was unprecedented.
That alone was the greatest mystery to Deus.
Hence his dilemma.
Should he give one? Or not?
And if so, what?
'That will do.'
***
The next day.
On the promised third day, Isabella boarded the carriage departing the palace.
"Your Highness. Will we still be friends?"
The word "friends" felt terribly awkward.
He'd never had anyone that close.
Germin was the closest thing, if any.
"You kept your promise, so I'must keep mine."
Meaning, yes, let's remain friends.
She who had once been hailed as a saint by the people.
The Sword Saint. Among sword masters, only two were women, including her.
With proper training, she could have risen to the pinnacle even faster.
And the House of Count Versailles boasted enough power to enter central politics—had it not been for the great famine and the wound inflicted on him.
That ascent would come soon enough.
In this barren imperial court, having even one 'ally' like this was far from a loss.
"Don't let prejudice hold you back, Your Highness. You are greater than anyone."
But what was that look in her eyes?
After watching over him these past three days, her gaze toward him had changed dramatically.
Eyes once icy cold now brimmed with warmth.
Did she see them as comrades fighting the world's biases together?
"You as well."
"...Thank you, Your Highness."
Her eyes burned with resolve.
A steely determination to fight side by side.
As if she'd gleaned something profound from his actions over the three days.
After exchanging farewells to stay well, Isabella fully boarded the carriage.
'We'll meet again soon enough.'
With the worst events of the past erased, Isabella and House Versailles had nothing but upward trajectory ahead.
Once they entered central politics, their paths would inevitably cross.
Even sooner if he entered high society.
In any case.
'More eyes on me now.'
Gazes upon him.
People watching him for various reasons and perspectives were increasing.
And among them were mages.
The mages hadn't yet left the palace.
It wasn't merely to spend time with the princes.
Mages were beings of superhuman calculation.
Would such people linger in this tediously boring palace without reason?
'They want the secret to quelling rampages.'
One by one, they subtly prowled near him.
Were he not the crown prince, he'd have been kidnapped already.
Hell, if this weren't the palace, crown prince or not—they might have snatched him anyway.
He planned to exploit their impatience, set boundaries, and inflate the rumors.
Then, those whose interests aligned would seek him out.
This was the only path to forging 'pure allies' beyond the reach of imperial or noble influence.
To that end, he would feign strolls or visits, establishing routines to give the mages opportunities to approach.
But there were other tasks too.
Like chaining Empress Josephine under the pretext of healing Carmen.
And.
'...What a troublesome gift.'
He shook his head, recalling the emperor's largesse.
—Crown Prince Reinhardt.
He hadn't expected a public reward alongside the others.
Likely due to the tower masters' presence.
—I bestow upon you the key to the Special Prison.
The problem was the gift itself.
A key, but more precisely, authority.
Specifically, administrative control over the Special Prison.
'The empire's most dangerous place.'
A hellish pit even imperial kin dreaded mere association with.
What was the emperor's intent in granting him such a thing?
Every word and action from Deus hid purpose.
For instance, opening the treasury to the 1st Prince tested his discernment.
Gifting the Wind Jewel to the 2nd tested passion and curiosity.
Both had fallen short.
Yet to him, the Special Prison key.
'Hand the madmen to a madman. Entertaining.'
Let them kill each other until the strongest lunatic remains?
No.
The emperor was testing him—his worth.
'A sewer to some.'
A smile crept unbidden.
A sewer no other royal would protest him taking.
Merely an adequate testing ground tossed his way.
'But to me, the greatest gift.'
For this prison key was a far more valuable treasure than any prince's reward.
[End of Merit Awards]