Chapter 11 – An Irrevocable Choice

Lyle’s mother, Merin, was the weakest among the Emperor’s many Empresses. She had no powerful family backing her, nor did she possess much wealth or robust health. She wasn’t even strong-willed enough to survive in the ruthless environment of the Imperial Palace.

“She’s just some average commoner woman from Oak Village, right? Just a pretty doll. She has nothing else to boast about.”

“Even flowers only bloom for a season. Honestly, if she was just meant to be enjoyed for a while and then discarded, I don’t know why she was raised to the position of Empress. And that young child, too.”

“She’s like a candle in the wind.”

The gaze of those in the Imperial Palace had an enormous impact on young Lyle’s mind—it’s no exaggeration to say so.

Lyle was not proud of his beautiful appearance, which he inherited from his mother. The position as the Emperor’s thirteenth child was not something he welcomed, either.

All Lyle wanted was to possess a power that distinguished him from others. Only then could he protect himself.

But what kind of power, and how should he cultivate it?

Of course, as a member of the Imperial Family, Lyle had inherited exorcism abilities from his distant ancestor, Drenai Hillus. However, this was a power that his other siblings also possessed, and unless monsters appeared, there was hardly any practical way to test that ability. Unless he left the Empire.

Lyle wanted to find and nurture a power that could grow stronger through effort. At just the right moment, his close friend Seisil recommended alchemy.

“How about alchemy?”

“Alchemy? Isn’t it strange for a mage to recommend alchemy instead of magic?”

“Haha, dear Prince. I’m telling you as a mage myself, but realistically, magic isn’t a discipline you can diligently pursue in the palace.”

It wasn’t wrong. If someone in the Imperial Palace tried to seriously practice magic, they would immediately attract attention. Why, for what purpose, and how powerful did they intend to become? Many would be curious.

Moreover, one had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Emperor and Crown Prince in order to freely use high-level magic. If someone ignored all that and practiced magic anyway, others could easily conspire against them. Especially since the Mage Tower was crawling with mages constantly trying to keep each other in check.

A field where he could study quietly, out of the Crown Prince’s sight, and still cultivate strong power was desperately needed.

Seisil continued his explanation.

“Alchemy is different from magic. Magic depends on the amount of mana and the condition of the caster, but alchemy can create anything as long as you have the right materials, devices, and precision. When combined with magic, it can produce even more astonishing power than magic itself. Ah, this isn’t me trying to vicariously satisfy my desire to become an alchemist through you, Prince. I was born as the son of the Mage Tower Master and couldn’t overcome my father’s stubbornness, so I have to become his successor. This is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not about vicarious satisfaction, Prince.”

“No matter how I look at it, it seems you’re trying to fulfill your alchemical desires through me.”

“Pfft!”

That day, they passed it off as a joke, but as Lyle read books on alchemy in the palace library, his thoughts grew more serious. Especially the book written by Ethea’s father, Javir Parazia, seemed to list only the advantages of alchemy.

Alchemy was practical in daily life, had healing powers, could beautify the world, and depending on the precise combination of materials, could produce immensely powerful effects.

“A power that can do anything.”

Once, when his mother was suffering from poor lungs and lingering illness, Lyle wondered if he could use alchemy to make medicine for her. So he followed the instructions in the book and made the medicine.

Gold powder, sulfur, red salt, olive oil, palladium, tears of a loved one.

He followed the prescribed amounts, made the medicine, and secretly mixed it into his mother’s daily tea. After several repetitions, his mother’s persistent cough stopped.

That incident convinced Lyle to focus on alchemy.

However, he had to be wary of the many eyes in the palace. Any attempt by a member of the Imperial Family to cultivate power was bound to be seen as a thorn in the side.

Lyle decided it was easier to study alchemy if others perceived him as lazy. That was simple. He neglected the basic studies required of the Imperial Family and acted immaturely.

Looking foolish was essential, too. Lyle pretended to be ignorant of trends, politics, and power dynamics. He wore rustic clothes, wandered outside the palace spending money on snacks, and ordered obscene books as if he couldn’t resist his base desires.

By acting as the child who had been cast aside, the sibling that didn’t need to be cared about, no one paid attention to what he did or where he went.

His chance visit to the Parazia alchemist’s house felt like fate. Drawn in by the smell of sulfur, he entered as if hypnotized, only to discover it was the home of someone he deeply respected. And there, he met Ethea, a peer.

Ethea was comfortable to be around. When he asked her to speak informally, she did so. Even Seisil, his closest friend, didn’t do that, but Ethea didn’t treat him specially just because he was a prince, so there was no sense of distance. Whenever he asked about alchemy, she answered smoothly and taught him willingly. Even after ten days, even after a month, rumors didn’t spread about Prince Lyle spending time with someone, so she clearly kept secrets well. He felt like he’d found a truly good friend, and he became increasingly drawn to her.

His feelings grew deeper. Eventually, he didn’t want to be apart from Ethea even for a moment.

Wasn’t it possible to always be together in this state of freedom where no one cared? Was it just a fleeting, adolescent fantasy? He thought it would be wonderful to go somewhere far away together. The stifling palace, where he had to live as someone other than his true self, made him long to wander the world with Ethea as he really was. He wanted her so badly.

That was why he asked her to go somewhere far away together. Lyle had no qualms about leaving everything behind. If the lazy prince disappeared to become a wanderer, his mother would have an easier time living in the palace. Outside the palace, Lyle and Ethea could practice alchemy freely and boldly.

But Ethea said she had to stay by her father’s side. Lyle pretended to understand, but honestly, he felt jealous. Not just jealousy—he even wished, in a moment of selfishness, that she didn’t have a father.

There was a time when Ethea happened to ask about the Imperial Family’s engagements. Lyle was startled. What if Ethea, after finishing school, married someone else?

He felt impatient. He didn’t want the person he felt most in tune with to marry someone else. Maybe it was selfish to feel that way without even asking her opinion, but that’s how feelings worked.

Should he propose marriage first? No, that was too rash. He hadn’t even asked her to be his girlfriend yet; marriage was too soon.

So he thought of a vow of friendship. It wasn’t the same as dating, but a vow of friendship could carry as much weight as a romantic relationship.

Just as marriage required a ring, friendship needed a symbol—something noble and beautiful.

To get money and to play the part of the foolish prince, Lyle went to the Crown Prince.

“Hehe. Brother.”

“I told you to call me ‘Your Highness’. Tsk. What do you want?”

“Please give your little brother some pocket money.”

“If it’s for buying obscene books, I refuse. Really, try to maintain some dignity. Unlike that troublemaker Ophel, you’re not extravagant, but spending money on things like that doesn’t look good either.”

Ophel was the Crown Prince’s favorite sibling, born of the same mother. But he was extravagant, promiscuous, and caused trouble everywhere, making him a headache for the Imperial Family.

“I’m not buying dirty books this time. I have a girlfriend and want to give her a gift.”

“A girlfriend? Ho. Even though you have a fiancée, you’ve been frivolous since childhood.”

“So you won’t give it to me?”

“Just meet her for a while and break up. Do some studying, too.”

“Yes, I’ll do that!”

The Crown Prince smirked. He probably thought of his distant half-brother as a pathetic guy who only cared about women. And that was exactly the reaction Lyle wanted.