The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character

When was it?

Blanca had once thought about Bern in this way.

“Could he have learned magic somewhere?”

Normally, swordsmen didn’t know much about magic.

In fact, even mages couldn’t be said to truly know magic well.

Unless they had received formal education from a professional institution or a powerful faction, there were many adventurers who called themselves mages after self-studying with a single magic tome.

There were even cases where they only knew one spell, so how could they claim to “know” magic?

In Blanca’s case, she had learned directly from her mother, so among adventurers, she was considered relatively well-versed in magic. But even she thought that Bern knew an unusually large amount about magic.

“This is something I heard from a mage acquaintance of mine by chance.”

It seemed strange that a mage would casually pass on such high-level knowledge to an acquaintance, but Blanca didn’t press him for details.

After all, from the very beginning, they had agreed not to ask about the origin of Bern’s power or knowledge when they formed their party.

Honestly, it was kind of cute that someone like Bern, who seemed to excel at everything, showed a slight vulnerability in this area.

“Magic is actually closely related to a person’s life,” he had said.

...Well, even so, at that moment, Blanca couldn’t help but worry if Bern had been deceived by some strange fortune-teller. What he was saying sounded exactly like something those types of people would spout.

She felt affection for Bern, but that didn’t mean she was blindly trusting (in fact, this was exactly why she liked him more), so the mage replied as calmly as possible.

“Are you speaking in metaphor?”

“No, it’s literal. Do you remember what I told you before? The story about how a mage who only uses ice magic will develop magic that is specialized in ice?”

“Yes.”

“Then you must also remember that mages who specialize in ice magic see a drastic decrease in their effectiveness when using spells of other elements. In fact, using spells of another element can even lower the efficiency of their primary element.”

“Of course. That’s why mages usually don’t bother trying to learn spells outside their chosen element. It’s not effective anyway.”

“But, isn’t that a bit strange?”

“Strange?”

Blanca tilted her head, and Bern rolled up his sleeve and explained.

“Let’s use the human body as an analogy. A huge, muscular guy, who has bulked up his muscles and weight for strength, would have a hard time running long distances. But even so, given his conditioning, he would still be better than an average person in that area, though not very efficient, right?”

“Well, that’s because he’s trained his body for a different purpose.”

“Then, would that muscular guy’s body shrink noticeably just from a couple of long-distance runs?”

“Well, that’s...”

Of course not.

If someone ignored their main field of training for an extended period and repeatedly focused on something else, their body might change, but after only a couple of attempts, it would not undergo a noticeable transformation.

It was then that Blanca realized what Bern was trying to say.

“Are you saying it’s strange that a mage’s primary attribute would lose effectiveness just because they’ve used another attribute’s magic a couple of times? But, this actually happens among mages.”

“Yes, and the problem lies in the cause. Frankly speaking, using a few spells of a different element doesn’t have a significant impact on one’s magic. The real issue is the mage’s own perception of themselves.”

Just as one doesn’t question why an apple falls, Bern logically explained something that Blanca had always taken for granted.

“Magic influences the physical world, but it’s also deeply connected to the mind. Mages who repeatedly use spells of only one element, easily reach the 4th rank because they see themselves as ‘that type of mage.’ Their awareness, both conscious and unconscious, their actions, and their choices in battle, all lean heavily toward that particular element. As a result, their magic follows suit.”

Therefore, mages who have reached the peak of their chosen element often resemble the traits associated with that element.

A fire mage tends to be fiery and fierce, an ice mage is cold and logical, and an earth mage is silent and steadfast.

“Was it Karina? The former companion of yours, Blanca? She’s only recently reached the 4th rank, so it seems the effect isn’t very strong yet, but over time, she’ll probably become more and more like the element she specializes in. If she breaks through to higher ranks and shatters her limits and fixed perceptions, things could change. But even then, completely shaking off the influence would take quite a bit of effort and time.”

Blanca stood there, speechless, her mouth slightly open.

She had never imagined that there would be such a connection between a mage’s element and their personality.

If this was true, then if she had abandoned other forms of magic and focused solely on fire magic, it would have been easy to reach a high level—but she would have also likely become as fiery as the magic itself.

With a trembling voice, she asked.

“So, then, the reason why using other elements affects the efficiency of the primary element...”

“Simply put, it’s because your focus is broken. It’s like a thief tripping over their own feet—because you’ve used another element, your unconscious mind thinks that it’s going to affect your primary magic. In severe cases, just thinking about using the spell can have an impact.”

Bern explained that mages who reached the 4th rank in the correct way didn’t get influenced by the properties of magic. Instead, their personal beliefs, personality, abilities, and fighting style would manifest as the nature of their magic.

“Therefore, if you encounter a mage with a problematic magical affinity, it’s best to be cautious. They’re often troublesome in terms of both their personality and methods.”

***

As soon as the Guild Master transformed into a Death Knight, the adventurers immediately attempted to flee.

They judged that there was no chance of victory if the battle continued, so they decided to retreat and regroup.

This was a strategically reasonable choice, but the problem lay with the purple mist that the Lich had spread.

At first, the adventurers had assumed it was just a fog mixed with paralyzing poison, so they tried to break through while holding their breath. However, they soon realized the true effect of the mist and trembled with fear.

The distance between them and their companions was barely a meter, yet those next to them suddenly disappeared from sight.

Not only their figures but their voices were gone as well.

“Is anyone there!? Answer me!!”

In the eerie silence with no echo, Blanca gritted her teeth.

‘This isn’t just fog. This, the purple mist itself, is the Lich’s magic!’

If it were to be named, it would be called Mimu Jungjung.

The layers of purple mist restricted the senses of the victims, carrying with it all sorts of curses and spells used by the Lich in particle form.

Paralyzing magic, hallucination magic, temperature-stealing magic.

Each one was a minor debuff, a weakening or curse.

However, when they merged together in the form of mist and infiltrated the body, their effects became exponentially more powerful.

The victims, fearing enemies that could appear from any direction, would flee in panic, only to collapse where they stood, unable to resist the effects of the mist.

And the Lich would then reanimate them as undead, as though gathering the fallen crops.

It was a power that was insignificant against a few strong individuals, but when dealing with many weaker ones, it showed horrific efficiency.

Cough, cough!

Blanca trembled as she felt something toxic slowly seeping into her body.

She was still maintaining her combat abilities, using both body enhancement and healing magic to fight off the effects of the mist, but she couldn’t be sure how much longer she could last.

After making up her mind, she summoned a large fireball from her hand.

Boom!

The Flame ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) of the Burning Rock exploded on the ground she had just crossed, using its heat and shockwave to disperse the mist.

Fighting through the intense heat that stung her skin, she fired another fireball into the cleared space, pushing the mist back slightly and widening her vision.

It was an extremely inefficient method, but it was the only way to secure vision without risking friendly fire.

And finally, her efforts paid off.

“Don’t come near me! Don’t come any closer!!”

“Ah! Aagh! Sister! Brother! Please, save us!!”

The once elegant Karina, now with a face filled with poison, was fiercely blocking the approach of the undead, casting blizzards of magic.

Renya, crouching on the floor, shrieked as snowflakes fell on him.

In that desperate yet somehow deflated scene, Blanca couldn’t help but feel her eyes tremble with emotion.

Why couldn’t she find Bern among the chaos, only to come across these helpless fools?

Despite her resentment, Blanca knew she couldn’t abandon her comrades and, after turning the undead to ash with another fireball, approached them.

“Karina! Renya! Snap out of it!!”

“Don’t come near!! ...Huh?”

“Where did you go, Sister!? I thought something had happened to you! I was so worried!”

Blanca, having secured Karina, who was disoriented, and Renya, who couldn’t stop rambling in his panic, began moving forward again, clearing her path.

Karina, speaking in a hurried tone, asked. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“Do you even know where the exit is?!”

“You won’t find it anyway.”

Blanca responded coolly.

“The adventurers who have experience in dungeon raids tried to retreat while still having enough stamina, yet they got lost. The chance of us reaching the exit safely is almost nonexistent. In the worst case, the exit could be blocked, or an ambush could be waiting.”

Karina, with a nervous look, asked again.

“So, what are we supposed to do?”

“We have to defeat the Lich.”

Karina frowned in disbelief.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Don’t say something so foolish! We couldn’t even defeat him when we all rushed in together, and now you want to fight him with this small group!?”

“It’s because we’re separated that it makes sense,” Blanca said firmly.

“Though we suffered a painful counterattack in the end, the actions we took in the dungeon weren’t meaningless. The Lich’s forces have been drastically reduced, and the remaining forces have been sent to capture the adventurers. Plus, he’s already died once. There’s no way he hasn’t suffered losses.”

The Guild Master didn’t die without doing anything.

Though it might sound strange to use such a term for the undead Lich, the Guild Master had certainly killed the Lich once.

Though the Lich was revived using his spare life, if that backup life were easily generated, the Lich wouldn’t have been so furious with the Guild Master.

“When he thought of himself as the hunter, when he believed all the adventurers had lost their will and were fleeing... We have to strike now. It’s the best chance we have to survive. Am I wrong?”

“...You’re not wrong, but I can’t think of another plan.”

“I’ll follow you, Sister!”

Though Karina pouted, she agreed, and Renya, though looking like he wanted to run away, instinctively followed Blanca, knowing that staying close to her was the best chance for survival.

Throughout the dungeon, adventurers like Karina were facing the undead, but due to the effects of the mist, they all looked pale and exhausted.

After rescuing two more adventurers, Blanca finally spotted a third shadow.

Without hesitation, she unleashed her full power on the enemy.

Boom!

The Lich, blocking the attack with a wall of bone, smiled in a twisted way, his face, now nothing but bone, seeming to show amusement.

“─Oh, I was looking for you. You’ve saved me some trouble. What a good child.”

“Enough, just die!!”

Blanca didn’t waste time with words. She raised her sword and charged forward.

As expected, there was only one knight guarding the Lich.

The knight tried to block her way, but before he could even swing his sword, Karina fired a large icicle that struck the knight.

Though the knight blocked the icicle with his sword, the opening that resulted from it was something Blanca didn’t miss.

Ignoring the knight, she rushed straight at the Lich.

She could sense Renya and the other adventurers fighting the knight behind her.

The Lich shot out black magic blades to stop her, but Blanca, having improved her skills through repeated practice matches with Bern, dodged or deflected the blades and reached the Lich.

At the moment her sword was about to reach him, she saw a glimmer of joy in the Lich’s eyes as he looked down at her.

Clang!

Suddenly, a blade appeared from the side, knocking Blanca’s sword out of her hands.

The worn-out knight’s sword was thrown to the ground.

Disarmed, she could see the black sword heading toward her heart in slow motion.

Ah, why had she made that mistake?

Magic’s nature, it was a reflection of the person’s life.

The one who delights in tormenting their prey wouldn’t fail to respond to their final struggles.

Blanca finally realized that she hadn’t wanted to run. She had wanted to capture the Lich, creating excuses for herself all along.

There was no time for a final word.

So, in her mind, she muttered.

‘I’m sorry. Mom. And, Bern.’

“─I trust you didn’t just say you’re sorry for giving up on life, Blanca?”

Fwosh!

The knight who had been aiming for her heart was sent flying as if struck by a carriage.

Blanca widened her eyes, staring at the man who had appeared before her.

A gust of wind ruffled his red hair.

His leather armor, usually neat, was now tattered, and his body was covered in dust and soot, as if he had been through something intense.

Yet his face remained calm and serene, as it always did.

The Lich, who had always been composed, now showed signs of displeasure and confusion in his eyes.

He asked.

“...Who are you? How did the one who fell into the translocation trap end up here?”

Bern answered.

“Well.”