MTM 108

The next morning, Zed and Harto finished a light meal and went straight to see Isadora. She had been deep in a serious discussion with Zed regarding his missing holy power. She decided it was best for him to see for himself and pulled a wooden box from beneath the table.

Click.

“This is…”

Zed’s eyes widened as the latch released and the lid opened.

“Yes, a Resonance Stone,” Isadora replied, showing him the contents. On top of a bed of red velvet was a rough, grey stone.

‘Wait. Isn’t that just… a pebble?’

Harto blinked. To his eyes, it looked like a perfectly ordinary grey stone, the kind one might find scattered by a riverbank.

His confusion was understandable. Although it appeared to be a dull lump of rock, it had a raw, natural power. This rare mineral reacted only to holy power and was valuable enough to serve as the foundation for the inner sanctums of holy cathedrals. Even Zed, who grew up in the Imperial Palace, had rarely seen such a sacred relic.

Because of its plain appearance, commoners often failed to realize its worth. Since those with holy power were so few in this world, people with the eye to recognize a Resonance Stone were just as rare.

“Don’t ask where I got it. I had to send out word in a hurry to find this.”

“I understand.”

Zed reached out toward the stone without another word. His palm met the cold surface, but nothing happened. If he still possessed his holy power, the stone should have emitted a clear light and a resonant chime.

“Focus,” Isadora said in a cool tone as she watched him.

Zed slowly closed his eyes. He concentrated every sense on his fingertips. He held his breath, trying to scrape together every bit of holy power from deep within his body.

‘Zed…’

Harto stood beside him, attentively watching. He didn’t even dare to breathe.

Tak.

Suddenly, the motionless stone began to tremble.

Hum–.

The air vibrated as a clear, low resonance filled the room.

‘Is it working…!’

Hope began to shine in Harto’s eyes. Then, Zed abruptly pulled his hand away. The movement and the sound instantly vanished, as if they had never existed.

“Ha… I think that’s my limit.”

Zed opened his eyes. He was sweating from that brief attempt. Harto saw how pale Zed had become and quickly reached out to wipe the sweat away.

“Hmm. One thing is certain: your power isn’t completely gone. Something is blocking the flow of energy. A thorough exam by a mage-physician would be best to find the cause, but…”

Isadora trailed off. With the Crown Prince hunting them like a hungry wolf, it was too dangerous to bring in an outsider or go out themselves.

“Anyway, how is your wound? Robert said it healed well and shouldn’t hinder your walking.”

“A wound?”

Harto’s eyes went wide. He hadn’t heard anything about Zed being injured. Zed seemed to realize his slip and looked at Harto before speaking awkwardly.

“There’s a very small scar on my knee. I never had a single scratch thanks to my holy power, so I’ll just consider this a badge of honor.”

“……”

Zed spoke with a forced cheerfulness, but Harto’s heart grew heavy. He knew all too well who that scar was meant to protect.

“Yes, a scar on the body is proof you protected something precious,” Isadora said. She wanted to comfort him as she saw the shadow on Harto’s face and closed the box.

“Isadora.”

Zed remained silent for a moment before addressing her.

“There’s no need to call for a mage-physician.”

“Why not?”

“I think I know why I can’t use my power.”

Isadora looked at him with a confused expression. Zed glanced at Harto, then spoke in a cold voice.

“I just have to kill Magnus. Then everything will be resolved.”

Harto flinched. He never imagined Zed would talk about killing the Crown Prince.

“…I see.”

Isadora was briefly surprise by his declaration, but she nodded in understanding. Perhaps it was because she had watched the rivalry between Ares and Magnus for so long.

She also realized that Magnus wasn’t just checking Ares because of the succession. Even with the Seventh Prince removed from the records and missing, Magnus obsessively continued to track him.

Magnus was the sole Crown Prince of the Regnovar Empire and a man of absolute power. To kill him was an act of treason that would lead to the destruction of one’s entire family. As the Commander of the Royal Guard, she should have stopped such a dangerous plan. However, if this was the blood-stained destiny of the Regnovar royals, she had no reason to interfere.

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to meet Damien.”

Damien Regnovar. He was the Sixth Prince and Ares’s half-brother. Like Ares, he was born out of wedlock, but his mother came from a powerful noble family. Because of his lineage, he held a higher status than Ares, who was the son of a fallen princess.

Prince Damien had always been an unremarkable man. He never stood out in swordsmanship, magic, or academics. In contrast, all eyes were on the Seventh Prince, Ares, because of his holy power.

Damien had been pushed out of the race for the throne long ago, so even Magnus left him alone. However, the political climate of the palace had completely changed in the three years Ares was gone.

“Prince Damien is currently… confined in the dungeon.”

“In the dungeon?”

“Yes. A year ago, he was charged with the murder of the Second and Third Princes. Murder of royalty is a capital crime, but the Crown Prince hasn’t executed him yet.”

“Do you really think he killed them?”

Isadora silently shook her head at Zed’s question. She never met Prince Damien personally, but she heard the rumors. He was famous for being so timid that he supposedly fainted at the sight of a horse. He never showed his face at hunting competitions and lacked any brilliance in strategy. To put it coldly, the other royals treated him as if he were already dead.

He was likely kept alive only to be used as a hostage for a rival kingdom someday.

“I’ll find a way for you to meet him.”

“Thank you.”

Zed offered his sincere gratitude to Isadora for her help. As he and Harto stood to leave the study, she stopped him.

“Ares.”

She called out his true name.

“Do you intend to become the Emperor?”

“……”

Zed stopped in his tracks. He remained silent, neither confirming nor denying her words.

“My apologies. That was too direct. Let me rephrase,” Isadora said with a bitter smile. “Do you have any intention of returning as Ares Carseon?”

The moment she asked the question, Zed took Harto’s hand and answered without hesitation.

“No.”

He didn’t look back as he led Harto out of the room.