I Became the Abandoned Prince Whom the Saintess Is Obsessed With chapter 37

37 – The Oblivious Crown Prince

“The Crown Prince’s mother is a saint…!”

Count Tenafel, who was listening to the story of the Elf Prince Aphlatus, was quite surprised.

A woman chosen by the gods who revealed her appearance hundreds of years ago.

Without a doubt, the prince was talking about that sacred woman mentioned in legends.

“But is that really possible…?”

He had heard that divine power was specialized in healing wounds and curing diseases.

Honey couldn’t help but have doubts.

Could the source of that power, which created a wide shield made of light to block powerful magic, really be divine power?

He kept coming to the conclusion that she was not a saint.

“Rather, isn’t she an outstanding mage with exceptional abilities in defensive magic?”

But then again, when he thought about it, it didn’t seem possible for a young child like his grandson to use magic that was far from ordinary.

“Although my brother is not one to make false claims…”

In any case, one thing was certain. It was necessary to thoroughly monitor the lower ranks.

It was said that the saint in the legends, despite receiving more love from the gods than anyone else, lived a miserable life.

It was because she was endlessly exploited in the temples of the goddess.

Before the Demon King’s army gained power, she tirelessly treated the sick as a healing machine, and afterwards, she was known to have been endlessly sacrificed as a healer in the warrior parties.

So, if the Crown Prince’s mother really is a saint…

It’s still before the engagement.

As soon as the truth is revealed, I may be summoned to the temple and live a life no different from a slave.

Moreover, even if I’m not a saint.

With such powerful defensive magic, someone greedy might covet and kidnap me, or enemies of the empire scattered throughout the continent might try to assassinate me.

“I must ensure that this does not leak out.”

However, there is one major problem, the presence of Chancellor Lergio, who follows the crown prince and occasionally catches glimpses of Elaine.

Although he didn’t witness yesterday’s extraordinary sight, there was still a chance.

If he considers Elaine a saint, it could lead to an uncontrollable situation.

Fortunately, the chancellor didn’t bring any assistants.

“If he suspects anything, I must discreetly remove him.”

Count Tenafel, the most loyal of the emperor’s loyal subjects, was someone who would sacrifice himself and jump into fire if it was for the emperor and the prince he cherished.

***

Chancellor Lergio was currently extremely bewildered.

It was true that he could see the appearance of a presence that had taken hold of others and peer into their inner selves.

But it wasn’t just because he saw the shape of a black crow imprinted on the crown prince’s body.

Of course, it wasn’t because a mane-covered male lion with sharp fangs bared towards him from Count Tenafel’s body.

The sole reason he couldn’t help but be surprised was because of Elaine, who emitted a light even more intense than the light imprinted on the crown prince’s body.

Count Tenafel was calling her the princess consort.

But in Lergio’s mind, she had already established herself as a saint a long time ago.

More powerful in sanctity than the Pope, and more humble in sanctity than a prince, if she possessed a power more intense than the prince, then without a doubt, she was a saint.

Yes, undoubtedly she was a saint.

The noblest woman, whom the goddess Aurora loved the most.

But in the current situation, if I were to acknowledge her as a saint, it somehow seemed like a betrayal to the prince, a despicable act of tightrope walking.

And I was worried.

“Is it okay to call her a saint in front of so many people…?”

I was apprehensive because the prince, who had treated himself as a fool for calling him a saint, was right beside me.

Cautiously looking around, seeing the marquis, the prince, and the elf prince’s escorts, I ultimately decided to postpone the courtesy towards the saint.

With that, leaving the prince and the saint heading towards Rivengard, Lergio headed towards the marquis’s castle of Tenafel.

***

Slapping Glen Tino, who was still sleeping in, Astia sighed heavily.

She was still suffering from a severe headache due to the unresolved doubts.

She had known for a while that her childhood friend, the prince, was hiding something.

But the suspicion she harbored now was not about the prince.

It was because of that woman, Elaine, who was engaged to the prince.

How was it possible for her frail body to unleash such tremendous magic to stop the meteor?

The elf prince had undoubtedly called Elaine a saint.

Astia had heard of saints before.

They were chosen by the gods, holy women who possessed incredibly powerful sanctity.

But is it possible with divine power?

It’s unlikely.

Divine power is specialized in healing, isn’t it?

“…”

Then, could it be magic?

But even now, I can hardly sense any mana from Elaine.

Of course, if your skill level is high enough, you can hide the presence of mana, but I didn’t think that innocent-looking girl had that kind of skill.

So, does that mean she demonstrated a powerful magic with just a tiny amount of mana…?

That also didn’t make sense.

Summoning a meteor was a high-level magic that ordinary mages couldn’t even pretend to use.

I’ve never heard of anyone being able to stop it with magic.

And yet, that amazing feat was accomplished by a young girl who appeared to be nothing more than her peers, and without much mana at that.

The intense shield of light that covered the vast plain.

The moment I saw it, I lost all my senses and my heart became calm.

Recalling that, as a natural-born swordsman, I felt an unwarranted sense of rivalry.

Could my sword have shattered it?

No, it would be impossible.

To cut through even a powerful magic that distorts the flow of mana completely, with one’s own sword, was beyond belief.

Astia tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

Suddenly, she felt endlessly small and insignificant.

“Haah….”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Hwang Ja, who kept engaging in strange behavior, clearly seemed to know the person who killed her mother four years ago.

Of course, she had a hunch, but she knew even the smallest habits of her childhood friend in detail.

That’s why she could instinctively sense that Hwang Ja was hiding a lot of things.

However, Hwang Ja didn’t reveal anything to her except for small fragments of the truth.

Why could that be?

She could easily deduce the answer to that question not long after.

It was probably because she was undoubtedly weak.

It was not difficult to guess.

Blood seeped from her bitten lips.

“I have to become stronger.”

She must do it without fail.

If she was a being who could reverse that level of infamy in Eos, then she would be a more wicked existence than one could imagine.

Such an existence could not simply sit back and watch Eos.

And she knew that.

If Eos were to fall, the ones who would gain the most benefit were Duke Shurein, the Empress, and the Crown Prince.

Naturally, those who wanted Eos to fall the most were undoubtedly them.

There was no confirmation, but there was a vague speculation that they might have been involved in the tragedy four years ago.

So she had to protect Eos from them without fail.

However, just a moment ago, Astia was clearly trembling in front of Service.

Her body froze like a puppy standing in front of a wild beast, continuously convulsing and ringing the alarm, even refusing the command to draw her sword.

Recalling that situation made me even more furious.

I was convinced that if things continued like this, I would never be able to protect Eos.

“So let’s become stronger.”

Strong enough to protect a friend who would inevitably be in danger.

With that determination, Astia closely followed behind Eos and Elaine, the elf prince.

***

The elf prince entered the vast forest of Rivengard.

Countless elves revealed themselves one by one, showing respect to the prince.

It clearly demonstrated not only the prince’s status and power, but also the love and admiration he received from the elves.

As they headed towards the center of the forest, the sight of Rivengard was exactly as described in the novel.

It could be considered a kingdom, or simply a very large forest.

Of course, the trees here, unlike those in other forests, were particularly large and sturdy, receiving the essence of the World Tree located in the heart of the forest.

And on top of those trees, there were always elf houses.

As most humans know, elves inherently love flowers and trees.

That’s why most elf houses were made of animal hides, but the spirits that existed throughout the forest made the exteriors of the houses look like flower buds.

The scent of flowers that filled the air as soon as you opened the door was also thanks to the spirits.

This vast forest, where the elves who could become sharpshooters with their bows lived, could be seen as both a village and a fortress.

This was the kind of place.

So, when the elves had ill intentions, it was truly an easy task for me to kill one.

That’s why my mouth automatically went dry.

Countless elves were opening their doors and coming out, searching Elaine and me from the trees or hiding behind them.

As we moved forward, the changing light on our faces alternated rapidly.

It seemed to be because the unconscious gratitude for Elaine, who saved our people, and the unpleasant feeling towards me, evidence of Wiblea’s misfortune, were crossing each other.

Then a few young elves ran up to Elaine and handed her bouquets of flowers.

One, two, three, four, five…

The bouquets they held were enough to cover their faces.

It was an expression of gratitude for stopping the destruction of the forest and protecting the lives of elven soldiers.

Following Astia’s instructions, Elaine’s bouquets were soon handed over to the escorts.

As I walked alongside the prince, the elves’ welcome continued.

They summoned spirits and beautifully drew smiling faces, flowers, hearts, and all sorts of pretty patterns along with the words “welcome” in the air.

Elaine had a happier expression than any face she had ever seen before.

To be able to receive such a welcome from the elves, even as a human.

Being infamous wherever I went, I couldn’t help but feel envious somehow.

Then, before I knew it, we stopped in front of a giant tree that was unlike anything I had seen so far.

The elven prince spoke to me with a softened expression and voice.

“Nephew. This tree is where the branches of the World Tree are planted. If it disappears, the forest in a considerable area will wither away.”

Caught off guard by the sudden kindness, not knowing what to say, I simply nodded my head lightly and remained silent.

“Follow me.”

The elven prince, accompanied by his guards, effortlessly leaped up and entered the massive house built on the trees, as if it were second nature to him.

Without thinking, I tried to follow, but I was abruptly stopped as Elaine tugged at my sleeve, causing me to stumble.

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“….”

I pondered for a moment what expression she was making with a slightly embarrassed face, wondering what she wanted.

Come to think of it, Elaine, who was not a knight, couldn’t possibly climb up to that height on the tree.

“Astia, could you please lift Elaine up there?”

“….”

Without saying a word, Astia let out a sigh and picked up Elaine in her arms, then leaped up with a bounce.

***

“What on earth is this man?”

Elaine was slightly taken aback by the attitude of the prince, who had handed her over to Astia.

It was a situation where she had to climb up to a huge tree that she had never seen before in her life.

If that’s the case, as the fiancée, she thought it was only right for him to hold her and lift her up, being the delicate fiancée that she was.

She even pulled at his sleeve to be held, how could he do this?

Elaine felt incredibly disappointed.

Should she have clearly asked to be held?

But Astia was following behind, so that would have been embarrassing.

Of course, running non-stop from the capital and using divine power wasn’t something she had done in exchange for anything.

But when you don’t receive the treatment you should naturally receive, humans tend to feel upset like a child.

I couldn’t help but feel childish and couldn’t suppress that feeling.

And then.

Before I knew it, all sorts of delicious food were laid out on the table in front of me.

“Well then, enjoy your meal.”

The elf’s table, which I was sitting at for the first time in my life, was quite fascinating.

In fact, Elaine had vaguely thought that elves only ate fruits and vegetables because they liked flowers and trees.

But when I saw the dishes they prepared, they were all meat.

According to the explanation given by the elf prince, there was everything from chicken, turkey, rabbit, deer, wild boar, wolf, lion… There was nothing missing.

I couldn’t understand why they even ate carnivorous animals, but each dish exuded a different intense flavor, using all kinds of spices in an amazing way.

After filling my stomach enough, the elf prince threw a word at the prince.

“So, when is the engagement ceremony?”