How to Live Comfortably as an Abandoned Prince Chapter 263 : Chapter 263

Chapter 263. The Key of Seal (2)

The Spirit of the Library toured the Secret School together with Radel.

“If a place like this existed, you should have brought here imdiately!”

Radel scratched the back of his head.

He had discovered the place even before enrolling in the academy, so the Spirit of the Library had not crossed his mind until now.

“That is true. Still, is it not fortunate that I rembered now, at least?”

At Radel’s calm response, the Spirit of the Library felt its anger surge.

Anyone else might have been forgiven, but this was soone who knew its situation perfectly well and was still saying such thoughtless things.

“You little brat, knowing full well that I was bound by a fraudulent contract, how can you say sothing like that?!”

The Spirit of the Library fud, its pages trembling violently.

“Only by scouring every trace that bastard left behind can we hope to find a clue to cancel this fraudulent contract! And yet a Great Spirit like is stuck in nothing more than an academy library!”

Only then did Radel realize that the Spirit of the Library desperately wanted to leave the academy.

“So that is why you are searching for traces left by Ancestor Hayden.”

“Hmph, obviously! How long do you think I should keep babysitting academy brats?”

“For soone who says that, you seed full of energy during exam season….”

“Energy, my foot! Try repeating the sa explanations every exam season for over a hundred years. It is enough to drive anyone mad!”

Just thinking about academy students made the Spirit of the Library feel sick to its stomach.

Explaining the sa material to students again and again made it hard to tell whether it was a Great Spirit or a nanny.

And the boredom was unbearable as well.

Even though the academy was the empire’s foremost institution of magical education, students were still just students.

No matter how much magic they demonstrated in front of the Spirit of the Library, it was never enough to stir the interest of one who had once governed all knowledge in the world.

Of course, Radel saw it differently.

“I thought you were simply missing Ancestor Hayden.”

“What? Wh-What!? Why would I miss that con artist?!”

Watching the Spirit of the Library explode in protest, Radel briefly wondered whether such strong denial might actually an the opposite, but he wisely kept that thought to himself.

After raging for so ti, the Spirit of the Library cald down.

It had finally grasped just how absurd this place was.

The desert ruins they had visited before felt simple by comparison.

“This place was created far later than the desert ruins. And it subtly rges the spatial coordinates of Marcellent and the academy. So this is the work of a Great Sage….”

“Are you saying the Secret School is connected to the academy?”

This ti, it was Radel’s turn to be shocked.

He knew there were secret passages left behind by his ancestor within the academy, but according to the spirit, they were directly connected to this place.

“That is right. I am bound to the academy library, so I can tell. You seem not to have discovered it yet.”

The Spirit of the Library was dumbfounded by Hayden’s skill in linking the academy to the underground of Marcellent.

The Imperial Magic Academy was hardly an ordinary building.

It was layered with spells cast by the greatest Archmages of their eras, stacked across generations.

Then again, only soone of that caliber could have blindsided a Great Spirit like itself and succeeded in forming a fraudulent contract.

“…What a nasty bastard. He placed seals on every door with ticulous care.”

Listening to the Spirit of the Library mutter while wandering among the sealed doors, Radel had a strong feeling that hidden passages lay sowhere beyond them.

He suspected they would only open once Hayden’s Normal Mana Training thod was upgraded.

To do that, he would need to fulfill the remaining advancent condition.

Ding.

[Hayden’s Normal Mana Training thod (B)]

A mana training thod researched by Archmage Hayden throughout his lifeti.

If one comprehends the essence of magic, one can be reborn as a true mage.

Slash (30,000/30,000)

Thrust (30,000/30,000)

Block (30,000/30,000)

Lie Down (30,000/30,000)

Defeat a stronger opponent (1,000/1,000)

Defeat an overwhelmingly strong opponent (100/100)

Comprehend the essence of magic (0/1)

Radel summoned his skill window and checked the final condition.

‘Comprehend the essence of magic.’

The other requirents could be fulfilled without too much trouble in the desert or the Tower of Combat.

However, just like Imperial Swordsmanship, the mana training thod ca with an extrely abstract and difficult final condition.

Since it was not sothing he could resolve imdiately, he decided to deal with what lay before him first.

Together with the Spirit of the Library, Radel stepped into the door whose seal had been lifted.

***

Key Research Log

-H.L.K

Imperial Year XXX, February 14

There is a problem with the keys that sealed the demons.

My design was flawless.

Then what went wrong?

For now, I must retrieve the keys that escaped the dungeon.

Imperial Year XXX, February 20

I never expected them to corrupt dungeon adventurers.

Their power should have diminished after dividing their souls into six.

Yet they turned that weakness to their advantage.

It is fascinating. Worth further study.

Imperial Year XXX, February 23

Their resistance is growing fierce.

But it is useless.

They have begun to fear .

Imperial Year XXX, February 29

I have recovered all the keys that left the dungeon.

It was worth installing a failsafe when creating them.

Imperial Year XXX, March 1

I have found a way to kill them.

In hindsight, it was sothing I could have realized with a little thought.

Had I known this sooner, there would have been no need to create keys and seal them.

Still, it made for an entertaining research project.

It is ti to return the Keys of Seal to the dungeon.

This ti, escaping will not be easy….

“Calling that research… he really toyed with Archdemons as he pleased.”

The Spirit of the Library clicked its tongue while reading Hayden’s research log alongside Radel.

An ordinary human would risk losing their sanity just by being near an Archdemon.

Yet this man had captured them all, sealed them, and split their souls into six fragnts.

He was soone who blatantly defied the laws of the world.

Radel, too, could not help but admire his ancestor again.

‘So this is how strong you have to be to live as royalty without becoming emperor.’

What Hayden added at the end was especially striking.

To the descendant who might one day discover this log.

If you are reading this, you must have completed the interdiate potion.

I sought to overco the limits of Magic Nullification.

So of the efforts that are no longer necessary, I leave here.

I hope they will be of use.

P.S. If you wish to deal with demons, first learn what they are weak against.

-Archmage Hayden Reinhard Cretian

Through Hayden’s research log, Radel learned new facts.

In addition to the existing knowledge that gathering six keys of the sa color would release an Archdemon’s seal, he confird that a completed key could be used to locate other keys.

‘So that is why Bishop Taylor’s key reacted.’

Radel recalled the quest that had occurred when reformist bishops of the Supre Deity Order visited the Dice Shop.

The reward had included a hint on how to identify an insider of the Black Order.

That thod involved infusing Magic Power into a completed Key of Seal.

Doing so would stimulate nearby keys, causing them to resonate with one another.

It was a contingency Hayden had prepared in case the keys were ever lost.

In Hayden’s original design, even a single key would have been sufficient, but for soone like Radel, whose Magic Power was limited, using a completed key was the optimal choice.

As Radel reread the log from the beginning with care, he took out a bundle of keys from his pocket.

Clink.

Recognizing the keys, the Spirit of the Library leaped back in alarm.

“Does that an an Archdemon is inside those? Throw them away imdiately!”

The Spirit of the Library had thoroughly analyzed the entire log in case even a trace of Hayden remained.

The reason Hayden said there was a problem with the keys was precisely because they had gone missing from the dungeon.

No matter how sealed they were, Archdemons were still Archdemons.

Even with their souls split and confined within the keys, luring adventurers into corruption was hardly difficult.

“You fool! Just holding them exposes you to demonic power! Why are you not throwing them away right now?!”

The Spirit of the Library shouted, its pages flapping wildly.

Of course, Radel knew very well how dangerous the Keys of Seal were.

He rembered the strength displayed by those who had possessed the keys—the lizardman chieftain who held one in Raviedel, and Obsidian, who had infiltrated the academy under the guise of a professor from Helsington Magic School.

It was proof that rely possessing a key could lead to corruption and even allow one to borrow demonic power.

Yet Radel was completely fine, despite holding several keys.

“It is all right. I have been carrying them this whole ti.”

“What? How is that even possible?”

The Spirit of the Library could not hide its confusion, but Radel had a suspicion.

‘Could Status Effect Nullification also apply to the keys?’

Radel had remained unaffected by demonic energy emanating from beings of the Demon World thanks to his Status Effect Nullification.

If that was the case, it was worth confirming.

Conveniently, he had just confird that Hayden had left behind a spell in the log to communicate with the keys.

“Y-You brat! What are you doing right now?!”

Before the Spirit of the Library could stop him, Radel grasped a green key and infused it with Magic Power.

***

“Belphegor.”

Soone called the na of Belphegor, the Archdemon of Sloth.

Belphegor lazily opened one eye, but upon recognizing who stood before him, he closed it again.

“Belphegor, hey!”

The one waking him was not alone.

Before him stood Leviathan, the Archdemon of Envy, and Asmodeus, the Archdemon of Lust.

Leviathan, shirtless, with jagged purple hair, had two pairs of sharp horns protruding from his temples.

With vertically slit pupils like a reptile, he opened his mouth and shouted.

“Belphegor! Are your ears clogged?!”

“He is pretending to sleep again. Has he not always been like this?”

Asmodeus grumbled from the side.

He was an extraordinarily beautiful figure, to the point that one could not easily tell whether he was male or female.

“Stop bothering and get lost.”

Belphegor muttered without opening his eyes.

Hearing that, Leviathan erupted.

“Does being trapped here not piss you off?!”

“Exactly. You arrived first, so you should know that prince better than anyone. Share so information with us.”

Asmodeus licked his lips with a crimson tongue.

“If we corrupt that bastard, it feels like we could accomplish sothing great.”

Belphegor replied, still with his eyes closed.

“…You do not know that prince yet.”

“What?”

Asmodeus bristled at the dismissive tone, feeling insulted.

At that mont, brilliant Magic Power suddenly gathered around Asmodeus.

It was Radel’s Magic Power, the owner of the key.

-Can you hear ?

Radel’s voice echoed from afar.

No one had ever approached the keys so directly before, and all three Archdemons focused their attention.

What would he say?

After a brief pause, Radel’s voice continued.

-If you can hear , could you try seducing once?

It was the most outrageous proposal the Archdemons had ever heard in their lives.