Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 8

Deathwish

There had to be something to say about how the more easily people exchanged rough words, the better they tended to get along.

Just looking at how quickly the Emperor and Dunadan reached the same conclusion gave that sentence some persuasive power.

"...If this spreads, it'll be chaos."

"I agree, Your Majesty."

There was one fact commonly known among those who handled supernatural abilities.

Every supernatural power was, each in its own way, a divine authority granted by a god to their subjects.

It was a force in its purest form, not to be damaged or distorted.

Anyone born under the domain of a certain god and bestowed with a supernatural power was bound solely to that authority. To wield a different one, they had no choice but to abandon what they already possessed.

To handle such powers "simultaneously" was an exceedingly rare talent.

In other words, it was no different from saying one had been chosen by several gods at once.

And in the midst of all that.

That bastard Aiden had simultaneously used the two most peculiar powers among them all.

The Heart of Pure White Qi, which only Noel could wield, and the divinity that only the royal family of the Holy Crown Kingdom could use.

If you measured difficulty in mastery, both were things so demanding that any practitioner would lament being second best.

"I was looking forward to seeing what he'd show me."

Muttering like that, the Emperor slammed the folder lying on the table shut with a sharp clap.

Someone had been quick-witted enough to capture a photograph of the scene at the time.

It clearly showed Noel’s force field being ripped apart like cardboard and Aiden bursting through.

"There are only two in the Holy Crown Kingdom’s royal family who could do anything similar."

"The Pontiff and Deathwish?"

"Yes."

"...Truly an extraordinary raw gem."

Of course, it felt premature to already rank him among monsters representing an entire nation, but even so, it was undeniable he had shown the potential to stand on that level.

If you looked at the bright side, this alone would be enough to instantly sweep away most of the opinions claiming that brat was unworthy of taking Lionhearted’s hand in marriage. You could say the intended goal had been achieved.

However, it had been achieved a little too well, and that was the problem.

The Emperor squinted his eyes as he lit his pipe again.

True to a man who had seen all sorts of spectacles since ascending the imperial throne, he remained calm in his mind even if he was surprised outwardly, calculating coldly behind his expression.

"Dunadan."

"Yes."

"Keep their mouths shut."

"Of course."

"Simply telling them to keep quiet won’t be enough. If you have to, pull some personnel from the Imperial Assassination Bureau. Put surveillance on everyone."

"It's inevitable that some will leak bits and pieces."

"I’m not hoping for perfect secrecy over a long period anyway. Instead, just making it obvious that the Emperor of the Empire is paying this much attention will be enough of a deterrent for a while. Anyone who tries to smear him will be picking a fight with me."

It made no sense that a talent of that caliber would remain completely unknown forever.

However, at the very least, it could not be allowed to spread right now.

The continent had yet to finish recovering fully from the direct damages of the war.

In the midst of all that.

If such an exceptionally “tempting” catch started giving off this much enticing scent, it wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of chaos would erupt.

And there were even more reasons they felt compelled to avoid such a situation.

The Emperor and Dunadan were both arriving at the same thought.

"...It’d be a waste to let someone else have him, wouldn’t it?"

"Of course."

The Emperor and Dunadan exchanged grins.

Handing over this lottery ticket, practically guaranteed to win, to someone else was simply too painful to stomach.

"He’s already caught by Noel, so for now, let’s keep a good hold of him through her."

That fellow—he had thought she’d brought along some feeble little stray. Who could have guessed it’d turn out like this?

Saying that, the Emperor once again lowered his gaze to the column of flame captured in the document.

It was, honestly, quite a fascinating sight.

‘The Heart of Pure White Qi that Noel wields, and the rare ultra-high-temperature divinity even among the royal family…’

Qi, by nature, possessed no particular attributes, but it had a remarkable advantage in both output and quantity. Divinity, on the other hand, held destructive offensive power through its heat but was far harder to maintain at high output.

And yet.

The column of flame Aiden had unleashed that day felt like the “output” of the Heart of Pure White Qi had been merged with the “offensive power” of the divinity.

As if the two attributes had been “combined.”

Divinity pouring forth in a torrent like Heart of Pure White Qi.

‘Could it be.’

The Emperor gave a small laugh as he packed another pinch of tobacco into his pipe.

◈ Weaver of Fate

【 Noel Astrea Simus 】

Bond: Level 2

◆ Heart of Pure White

◆ Qi Enhancement: Consecration

【 Katya Heinkel Craven 】

Bond: Level 1

◆ The First Vow

『 Lionel XIII 』

Bond: Level 1

You can copy 1 skill.

『 Dunadan Uzal 』

Bond: Level 1

You can copy 1 skill.

Aiden stroked his chin as he looked over the newly arrived information.

It seemed what he had expected had played out exactly as planned.

‘I sure did stand out.’

He had thought there would be a reaction on this side if things went smoothly, but even he hadn’t anticipated that kind of overwhelming firepower.

Thanks to that, he had managed to secure the right to copy the skills of such incredible figures, one by one. There was no reason to complain about that.

However.

-Quest Info

▶ If you fail the events listed in this section, severe penalties will be imposed!

◈ Fake Marriage

You have been chosen as Sir Noel’s spouse. Maintain the contract with her to the end!

◈ Act I, < Imperial Capital Fracture >

Your contact frequency with key scenario characters is increasing to a sufficient level.

Soon, your existence will be officially incorporated into the scenario. Depending on your choices, the scenario’s course will be determined!

Related event imminent. (D-3)

It was good that he had gained skill-copying rights and could prepare for upcoming incidents.

Still, he wished they’d drop something a little more manageable.

Wasn’t this just too much?

◈ Weaver of Fate

You alone possess the true knowledge of this world. Build bonds with the major figures of the main story to receive new rewards!

【 Katya Heinkel Craven 】

Bond: Level 2

You can copy 1 skill.

Aiden’s brow furrowed sharply.

...What the hell is this now?

▣

Inside the royal palace of the Holy Crown Kingdom of Craven, there was one room everyone was reluctant to enter.

From morning to night, its lights were always out, and strange noises echoed from within at all hours.

It was the place senior officials liked to trick new hires into believing was haunted and in truth, it worked fairly often.

However, no one would ever have the nerve to say such things openly.

Because everyone in the palace knew exactly whose room this was.

“Katya.”

The First Prince of the Holy Crown Kingdom—Alester Fansheus Craven—spoke again, his tone filled with concern.

The golden ceremonial robe, symbol of the legitimate heir, shimmered faintly, so even in the darkness he could see well enough what his “younger sister” was doing.

“...Did you hear me properly, Katya?”

In place of an answer came the crack of a gunshot.

The sound of flesh tearing and bone shattering filled the room. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Sudden intrusions like this hardly belonged in a quiet conversation, but neither of the two people inside changed their expression in the slightest.

Not the First Prince, who had just watched the gun go off before his eyes, nor the Second Princess, who had fired it “directly into her own forehead.”

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to stop doing things like that.”

However, even as he watched all this, Alester’s voice remained steady. He sounded like someone gently scolding a child for lacking self-restraint.

As though he had already witnessed this sort of thing dozens of times.

In fact.

What came back in reply was a voice that sounded as innocent as a child’s, perfectly matching his tone.

“Ah, I didn’t hear you. What did you say?”

She acted as if it were nothing, despite having just fired a bullet into her own head.

“...”

Alester looked into the darkness with a complicated expression.

From that side came the sticky, squelching sounds that scraped at his ears.

Though it was hard to see clearly past the shadows, he could guess well enough what was happening to his sister’s skull where the bullet had passed through.

Incomprehensible, repulsive, loathsome, horrific.

No matter how generously one tried to describe it, it was impossible to call it anything else.

Katya Heinkel Craven. The unmatched prodigy whose talent towered over all others in the royal family of the Holy Crown Kingdom.

A monster whose power with divinity ranked among the greatest in recorded history.

Yet, to her, the nature of that supernatural ability had to be called a “curse.”

Alester dropped his gaze and continued in an even voice.

“It’s an assignment. Mother gave it to me personally. She said there’s someone important in the Empire.”

“Someone important?”

“He possesses divinity. Even though he’s not a member of the royal family.”

That must have surprised Katya, too.

Even in the darkness, her golden eyes were clear as they fixed on Alester, flickering with a pale light.

“How is that possible?”

“He’s what they call a multi-ability holder.”

“I thought those only existed in the records?”

“They discovered one this time.”

“How reliable is it?”

“Fairly high.”

Katya blinked slowly, lapsing into silence.

It was obvious she was quickly sorting out the situation based on this new information.

Despite her bizarre and unsettling behaviors, Katya’s mind worked with startling speed.

“Then I have to bring him back, don’t I?”

Just from that, it was clear she needed no further explanation to deduce exactly what the Pontiff desired.

Alester gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“You’ll probably have to go yourself. Use force if you have to, but you must bring him back.”

“You’re sending me personally? Isn’t that like using a butcher’s cleaver to kill a chicken? Has Her Holiness finally gone mad?”

Her open blasphemy made the wry smile deepen on Alester’s lips.

To be fair, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Bringing that man to the Holy Crown Kingdom would not be difficult in itself.

Divinity belonged to the royal family, and if it had manifested in an outsider, they were obligated at the very least to establish the truth. The justification was firmly theirs.

And yet.

If they were sending this... so thoroughly unstable “monster,” it could only mean one thing.

“He’s Lionhearted’s fiancé.”

At those words, Katya’s eyes narrowed.

“Since this is her fiancé we’re talking about, there’s no telling how Lionhearted might react. And more importantly, the Emperor has already made it clear he intends to protect him. There’s a chance this could escalate to open conflict.”

“Lionhearted’s fiancé?”

“Yes. His name is—”

“Aiden Kellermain.”

This time, it was Alester’s brow that furrowed in a curious direction.

“...That’s right. How do you know that? Until yesterday, he was completely unknown.”

“I was just a little bit interested.”

Katya said this as she yawned and rolled around on her bed.

Setting aside the horrific atmosphere, she looked exactly like a languid cat.

“Brother. That man, Aiden.”

“Hmm?”

“How strong is he? What do you think?”

“...Even by rumor alone, he’s impressive. If not yet, he’ll definitely become strong.”

“Strong enough to kill me?”

Her reply came in the same childlike, innocent tone, and Alester bit his lip until it bled.

Because he knew better than anyone else what that question meant.

“...The possibility is there.”

“Ah.”

Katya smiled brightly.

“Then I must bring him back.”

She was called—

Deathwish.

The one who desired death.

That woman, wearing a smile as pure as could be, answered softly.

“I’ll be going. To the Empire.”