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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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Raymond placed the book he had been pretending to read back on the shelf.
He felt a presence behind him. The old man in the brown robe was leaning against the wall.
“Old man, do you have a lot of time on your hands?”
Though he spoke nonchalantly, he couldn’t help but be bothered by the fact that the old man kept revealing his presence behind him.
“Being old, all I have left is time.”
The old man grinned as he replied.
Turning his head slightly to glance at him, Raymond sighed briefly and shook his head as he moved away.
After all, the secret chamber containing the spellbook for the Spear of Sacrifice could only be accessed by royalty.
The ‘protagonist’ had destroyed the spell that restricted access using some method, but the old man following him, Lysfield Dior from the Blue Tower, was unaware of this.
“If you have so much time left, why not teach me how to handle mana instead of wandering around aimlessly?”
“What did you just say?”
His voice was stiff, but it wasn’t unpleasant or offensive.
He was a bit surprised by the unexpected request from the Fifth Prince.
‘Did that rogue Fifth Prince really ask to be taught about mana? Could the rumors be true?’
Shock, fear, and confusion danced in the old man’s eyes.
Raymond sighed again. He should have been used to such reactions from others by now, but it wasn’t easy.
‘Just how much of a rogue have I been…’
Suddenly, fatigue washed over him.
‘No response.’
Asking to be taught about mana had just been a casual remark.
The Spear of Sacrifice doesn’t consume mana like other spells. So there was no need for him to learn how to handle mana.
He had spent a lot of time in the archives recently, yet he hadn’t found the spellbook for the Spear of Sacrifice.
He couldn’t rummage through the archives 24/7, so he thought he might as well use his spare time to throw out that comment. He didn’t particularly care if the old man refused.
‘Well, it’s not like the Blue Tower Master would open up the path of mana for a rogue.’
With no answer forthcoming, he was about to give up and move on when…
“How did you know I’m a mage, Your Highness?”
The tone was quite serious now.
“When we first met, you used a concealment spell.”
What? Why are you asking something so obvious? Raymond showed an exhausted expression.
“A killer could also use concealment magic.”
‘Oh no, I didn’t expect this.’
After turning his brain at full speed, Raymond came up with an excuse and spoke up.
“I could smell your mana.”
At Raymond’s response, the old man’s eyes widened in surprise; he looked genuinely shocked.
“Excuse me, Your Highness… Are you saying you smelled mana from my concealment spell even though you haven’t walked the path of mana?”
“Yeah.”
‘Of course, that’s a lie, but let’s just go with it for now.’
“Your Highness, didn’t you say you didn’t know who I am?”
“Is there really a need to know?”
“You said you weren’t interested either?”
“Is there really any need for interest? It’s clear that you’re at least a high-ranking mage; I think you could open up the path of mana for me…”
The old man’s face grew serious.
Raymond forced a smile while trying to act casual but…
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Uneasy thoughts began to creep in. Was his bluff exposed? But what came next was unexpected.
“I will take responsibility and open up the path of mana before you, Your Highness.”
The old man’s voice carried a sense of solemn determination as he spoke seriously.
Instead, Raymond found himself taken aback.
‘Why is this old man suddenly acting like this?’
He couldn’t understand why.
“Uh, thanks.”
“Shall we start right away?”
“I was planning to take a break anyway. Now’s fine.”
As he nodded in response, a smile spread across the old man’s face.
“Don’t smile like that with such a strange expression, old man. For now, I only plan to learn the basics.”
He had no intention of diving into advanced courses or pursuing a path as a mage just yet.
Finding the spellbook for the Spear of Sacrifice was his priority; learning only basic concepts about mana during his spare time would suffice for now.
“Then let’s do that.”
The old man grinned as he agreed. And from that day forward, lessons on understanding mana began.
While mages were rare, opening up the path of mana itself wasn’t particularly difficult.
However,
He never expected that within just five minutes of starting his training, he would grasp mana itself.
Neither the old man nor Raymond had anticipated this outcome.
“Hmm… Old man, is this what they call mana?”
As he spread his hands open, something danced and shimmered. It glowed faintly blue—definitely mana.
‘Ha! How about that? This should change their perception of me as a rogue!’
Raymond thought so. However, his reaction was more than that.
“Y-Your Highness…!”
“What?”
“Y-You just…! Did you materialize mana?!”
Something felt off. The old man looked like he might have an episode from shock.
“This?”
As Raymond waved his hand again, blue mana danced around. The sight made the old man tremble as if he might faint at any moment.
“Old man?”
But it wasn’t an episode. Looking at the old man’s face made it clear—he was smiling.
“Your Highness! You knew how to manipulate mana?!”
“Oh no… I’ve never learned anything like that…”
He spoke honestly.
The Emperor had once tried to pair him with both a magic teacher and a swordsmanship instructor, but Raymond had refused them all. So he truly didn’t know anything about it.
“Gahhh!”
Ultimately, the old man lost it. Trembling hands tore through space as he pulled out his staff.
‘The Heart of the Sea. The fact that he pulled out the symbol of the Blue Tower means he intends to reveal his identity?’
“My name is Lysfield Dior; as you can see from this emblem, I am indeed from the Blue Tower.”
“I didn’t expect you to be from the Blue Tower…”
His acting felt awkward like reading from a textbook; however, Lysfield didn’t have enough composure to notice it at this moment.
“I only intended to open up your path to mana; however, this old man has become greedy.”
“What kind of greed?”
“Become my disciple.”
‘Suddenly?’
“What do I gain from that?”
“We and the Blue Tower will stand behind Your Highness the Fifth Prince.”
The Blue Tower Master is getting greedy? This confirmed it: Raymond Philios turned out to be quite talented after all.
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“We and the Blue Tower will stand behind Your Highness.”
Back in his residence, Raymond reflected on Lysfield’s words.
In ‘Empire of the Dead’, it was only after the protagonist found the spellbook—the Spear of Sacrifice—that Lysfield had bowed down in respect.
Yet due to magical talent that even Raymond hadn’t anticipated in himself, much of that process had been skipped over significantly.
‘But… is there really a need for me to become his disciple?’
Once he finds lost magic—the Spear of Sacrifice—the Blue Tower would support him anyway.
Was there really any need for him to take on such an annoying role?
‘Actually… there is.’
Upon realizing the existence of his talent, he knew he had to utilize it.
What if the once good-for-nothing Fifth Prince displayed greater magical talent than the Third Prince? And if he also possessed the lost magic of the south, the Spear of Sacrifice?
‘The Blue Tower, which values legitimacy, will hold its ground, but we should consider the possibility of the Red Tower moving.’
If he could gain support from both the Blue and Red Towers, he could shake and absorb the Third Prince’s strongest support base.
‘This is the best course of action right now.’
Having discovered his talent for magic, it was time to put it to use; he couldn’t let it go to waste.
‘After all, I was planning to learn anyway.’
It was just a matter of speeding things up. To survive the royal family’s annihilation, he needed ‘power.’
“And to obtain that, I need to learn magic.”
He muttered absentmindedly. Learning magic would make it easier to gather opportunities and ancient relics.
A satisfied smile spread across Raymond’s face as he calmly walked toward the mirror.
As he organized his thoughts, some aspects of Raymond’s character that he had forgotten began to resurface in his memory.
‘So I really was a genius.’
At first, he must have hidden it due to lacking backing, and after the death of the Third Empress, he likely chose to ignore it intentionally.
It felt as though fate was asking him now that he had awakened his talent as the Fifth Prince.
“Are you asking if I can protect it…?”
A smile crept onto his lips.
“Of course I can.”
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Early in the morning, Raymond left the Fifth Prince’s residence in a carriage heading towards Imperial Treasury Room 7.
“Your Highness the Fifth Prince, have you arrived? I will open the door for you.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
He had now developed a rapport with the royal knights guarding the entrance to the archives, exchanging light greetings.
As the firmly closed door opened, Raymond entered while leaving his attendants behind.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Lysfield appeared from the darkness in his brown robe.
With a faint smile on his lips, he approached Raymond and bowed his head.
“What will you do?”
The old man asked. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t yet given an answer about becoming his disciple.
“For now, I’ll take a look around the archives.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Lysfield replied in a calm voice. He was eager about Raymond’s talent.
If nurtured well, he would become an outstanding mage.
Though he desperately wanted to urge Raymond to make a decision, he couldn’t treat him carelessly since he was still royalty—even if at the bottom of the succession line.
‘I found it.’
A smile spread across his face. He hadn’t found the Spear of Sacrifice yet.
However, he had located a book containing a magical formula that could help find the secret chamber’s location.
[On shelf 12 in the west section, there was a book detailing a magical formula that could detect mana flowing from the secret chamber. Among blue books, one red book stood out.]
Just as described in the novel, it was indeed a red book on shelf 12 in the west section.
Before mastering mana, finding it would have been meaningless. But now that he could handle mana…
‘If I couldn’t handle mana, I would have used another method.’
This was one of two methods to find the secret chamber—assuming he could handle mana.
With excitement bubbling inside him, he opened the book and immediately revealed the magical formula. It was simple enough for even beginners to understand.
Raymond pretended to read while observing what Lysfield was doing. The old high-ranking mage was examining other shelves.
‘Now’s my chance.’
He infused mana into the formula written in the book. When Lysfield finally noticed the flow of mana and turned around, Raymond had already thrown himself toward where white energy was emanating from.
‘As long as I get into the secret chamber!’
The Blue Tower Master Lysfield wouldn’t be able to follow him.
That place was restricted to royalty only. From its inception, that’s how secret chambers were designed.
The previous Emperor Hansen didn’t want anyone without royal blood participating in treasure hunts.
Of course, while the protagonist used underhanded methods to enter secret chambers, Lysfield wouldn’t know those methods either.
That too was part of the protagonist’s opportunities.
‘This is mine!’
He grinned like a child. The secret chamber lay before him.
[In the area where white energy flowed most strongly stood a single book. As soon as he pulled it out, a door opened revealing a hidden space. It was undoubtedly a secret chamber left behind by Emperor Hansen.]
Just as described in the novel. Pulling out a book imbued with white energy caused shelves to part and reveal a mysterious passageway.
‘The secret chamber…’
A smile spread across his face.
“Your Highness!”
Lysfield rushed in with difficulty due to his old age but by then Raymond had already crossed into the passageway.
Though Lysfield tried to follow him, a powerful wall of mana blocked his path.
It was a barrier set by Emperor Hansen himself.
“It can’t be destroyed?”
The barrier blocking his way looked shabby. He thought it would be easy to break through; however, upon reading its formula in an attempt to destroy it, he had no choice but to give up immediately.
‘It’s too intricate.’
Even someone with Lysfield’s title gave up on breaking through such a powerful barrier.
‘But how did the rogue prince manage to pass through?’
Seeing Raymond’s faint silhouette beyond the barrier made Lysfield feel an unusual sense of awe.
“W-Wait there! I’ll bring back the Spear of Sacrifice!”
“You know about the Spear of Sacrifice?!”
Lysfield from the Blue Tower felt like he might lose his mind.
Overwhelming magical talent and knowledge about the Spear of Sacrifice—what on earth was this Fifth Prince capable of?
‘Has he been pretending all along behind that mask of being a rogue?’
If so, then this Fifth Prince truly was frightening indeed.
While Lysfield lost himself in thought about these possibilities, Raymond waved goodbye and stepped deeper into the passageway.
“Your Highness!”
Lysfield’s desperate call echoed from behind but Raymond ignored it lightly. Sorry, but there was no way he would give up on finding the Spear of Sacrifice.
‘It’s all mine.’
He couldn’t hide his excitement any longer; joy bubbled within him.
