Published at 6th of December 2025 6:51 am

Chapter 292

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

"My apologies for my earlier indiscretion."

A young New Human with a neat smile and a smart suit extended his hand to me.

"As you've already heard, I am Maria von Osterreich-Este."

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Lukas Everett."

It was now thirty minutes before the start of the banquet. Before the king's entrance, dignitaries from various countries began to arrive in the ballroom of the Munich Residenz. I had arrived here earlier with the Crown Prince, and even now, as I met this member of the Osterreich-Este family, the Crown Prince was stuck to my leg like glue.

Anyway...

'Occult relics...'

That was the only thought in my mind. Fortunately, the strange cloak with talismans, the shoes with strange jump magic, and the bizarre medieval helmet were nowhere to be seen now. I could only feel a gentle impression from his neatly combed, light brown hair of a low saturation and his light green eyes. Perhaps because the color resembled Ulrike's, or because I had seen that strange appearance of his at first, the barrier in my heart had considerably lowered.

'Even so, I can't let my guard down completely.'

This wasn't the time for that. I needed to stay alert.

He said his name was Maria von Osterreich-Este.

The name read on the status window was the same. The owner of the sapphire parure mentioned in the documents I received before coming here, 'Leopold von Osterreich-Este,' also had Maria as a middle name. Since it was impossible to guess the gender of a New Human by their physique or attire, this person might be that Leopold. They were probably just using the middle name Maria as their given name.

And, according to my prior investigation, the person who owned the sapphire parure in this era was indeed him. Maria smiled correctly and replied.

"I've heard a great deal about you. You're the one who can use Divine Power. Your name is widely known in Austria as well, Your Excellency."

"I am honored that the Archduke knows my name."

"You're too modest. How could I not know, when your fame is soaring throughout the continent right now."

Despite that, the king hadn't requested my company. It was as I had expected. In the era of the Old Humans, nobles would attend with their spouses, but New Humans generally didn't, so they would bring their children, relatives, or prime ministers. Bringing someone of no consequence like me would too blatantly reveal his intentions, so it was a natural course of action.

When I replied with a smile, Osterreich-Este also smiled and looked at the Crown Prince clinging to my side.

"His Highness the Crown Prince seems to follow you very well, Your Excellency. You must be a good teacher."

At those words, Leonard's grip on my arm tightened.

Leonard was stuck to my side as if prepared to hang on like a sloth if necessary, constantly fiddling with my elbow. It was probably a request to hold his hand, but it was difficult to do so while holding a glass.

I looked at Leonard and said.

"It is all thanks to His Highness's favorable assessment. I am always grateful to His Highness."

I saw Osterreich-Este suppressing a laugh as he watched Leonard's reaction to my words. To be honest, I couldn't help but do the same. For a royal, he was showing his joy as openly as a child.

For some reason, Maria von Osterreich-Este was rolling his eyes and pursing his lips with an ambiguous smile. Then, when I raised an eyebrow and moved aside to signal that I was giving him some space, he hesitantly stepped back.

And so, after giving Leonard some fruit and wandering listlessly around the banquet hall, the time for His Majesty the King's arrival came. At this time, Leonard also had to leave my side to greet the king.

'Peaceful.'

To think that I've spent almost two weeks here, while not even a day has passed outside. A five-year-old who doesn't grant me any privacy and tries to stick by my side even when I'm sleeping is, after all, a five-year-old, so I could tolerate it now. Besides, when I fell asleep, the secretary would take him away, and the people around me were helping to make sure I wasn't tired, so it wasn't too uncomfortable anymore.

Of course, it was too early to relax completely. Learning about the connection between Maria von Osterreich-Este and the occult made things a bit more suspicious.

'...Well, he's a connoisseur of jewels and occult relics, but the jewels themselves have no connection to occult relics.'

But the owner was the problem. What if the owner, being so engrossed in occult relics, had taken an interest in the Pleroma, which bore the name of Gnosticism?

Gnosticism had long been closely associated with Jewish mysticism and was a Christian heresy that focused on spiritual enlightenment rather than the Bible. The word 'Pleroma' was not a word they created, but a Greek word primarily used in Gnosticism, meaning 'full perfection.' Despite their name, they claimed not to be a Gnostic sect, but people knew the Pleroma as a Gnostic sect because of that name anyway. Didn't the stall owner I first met in the Extra Chapter say, upon seeing the Pleroma, 'It seems to be a Gnostic sect, so it's a bit...'?

It was true that in this era, those engrossed in the occult tended to dabble in Gnosticism, but I wasn't sure if they would necessarily be interested in Christian Gnosticism. However, I still didn't think there was no reason at all for the jewels, which were stolen in a similar manner to the holy relics, to be unconnected.

Of course, just as I had thought a mere anagram cipher was a more sophisticated problem and tried to solve it with difficulty using the Caesar cipher and all sorts of other decryption methods, I was still considering the possibility that I was getting in too deep this time as well.

And, though unrelated, I now realized. Osterreich-Este was, on the surface, on the friendly side.

"With His Highness the Crown Prince liking you so much, Your Excellency, only a unique rise to success remains for you."

"Hmm."

A foreign imperial royal smiled at me.

"Is there any particular reason you chose the position of a personal tutor?"

While there were those who said things like that, there were also those who went a step further, saying, "His Majesty the King will also be pleased with your integrity, Sir." The person standing right in front of me was one such case.

In other words, they thought I would wield power with the Crown Prince at my back. 'Looking at his skills, he could demand a higher position, but the reason he doesn't is because he's aiming for something bigger.' They expected me to capture the heart of the Crown Prince at a relatively impressionable young age and control the next king like a puppet. No one said it directly, but praised me under the guise of compliments, but that was the real meaning.

I replied to another royal standing before me.

"Bavaria is more upright than any other place. Those who are not upright fail to understand the King's mind and speak contrary to His Majesty's intentions, but I am overjoyed that Your Highness understands it well."

"......"

The royal rolled his eyes, then smiled and nodded before leaving. It was a long-standing practice to insult a disliked newcomer to the social circle in their own language. He seemed flustered, as if he hadn't expected me to know how to use the language of high society.

"You're the one who uses Divine Power."

As one person left, another was looking for me. Turning around, I saw a familiar face, often seen in the media.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Gustav Hohenzollern of Prussia."

Elias's father. He looked much different than the king or the others, as if he had aged twice as much from mental anguish in those 12 years. 12 years later, he had a very weary face, but now, he had a healthy amount of flesh on his face and looked cheerful.

"I hear you are currently the personal tutor of His Highness the Crown Prince. I am delighted to meet such a talent of the Empire."

"It is I who am honored to meet the younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor."

I looked around him and asked.

"I know that His Highness Elias Hohenzollern often plays with His Highness Crown Prince Leonard. Did he not participate today?"

"That's right."

Gustav Hohenzollern showed an ambiguous smile, as if he was reluctant to talk about that topic. I could roughly guess without him saying anything. I had a feeling. The Emperor must have forbidden him from participating in public events.

At that moment, the attendant standing by the door said in a loud voice.

"His Majesty King Hildegard II of Bavaria has arrived!"

The king and Leonard entered the banquet hall together. The king greeted the nobles who welcomed him with a light nod, then strode up to the podium and spoke.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you who have attended today to celebrate my birthday. Today, we have with us the monarchs of our continent and the ministers of state from the various countries of the East. I am delighted to be with all of you who always strive for the prosperity of Bavaria and the peace of the continent. I hope that today's banquet will be a time for you to enjoy yourselves at ease."

As always, his words were not long. The king had already given a speech of thanks to the people of Bavaria outside, and now it was time to meet and greet the numerous royalty and ambassadors from various countries.

After finishing the reception, gift-giving ceremony, and even the meal, we moved to the opera house in Munich. Leonard was to travel with the king again, so he would arrive a little later than us.

The seat next to me was naturally reserved for Leonard and had to be kept empty. Emanuel had taken the other seat, but for some reason, he had moved. I looked to my side to see Osterreich-Este smiling and sitting down next to me.

"We meet again."

"Indeed."

I was grateful that he was being so proactive, but why?

To even switch seats with his friend to sit next to me. Usually, the seating arrangement itself is a form of diplomacy, so they don't do things like this easily. It meant that Archduke Maria had either threatened or requested Emanuel to switch seats, which would have been difficult.

'What does he want to say?'

The more he talked, the more information he would give, so I welcomed it. Suppressing my expectations, I smiled and looked at Archduke Maria. He smiled back and then looked at the stage, saying.

"Do you like Idomeneo?"

Idomeneo was the opera we were about to watch. I thought he would start making excuses for his earlier appearance, but he didn't seem to be doing so. I gave a suitable reply.

"I am well aware that it was premiered at the Munich Residenz Theatre, but I have not seen it yet. I am curious."

"Idomeneo is an opera Mozart composed before he came to Vienna. I am truly delighted to be able to appreciate it here today. The next performance is Tristan und Isolde. That was also premiered in Munich, was it not?"

"That is correct."

There was a reason he said he was delighted. Although Mozart had premiered Idomeneo in Bavaria, he eventually moved to Austria and made Vienna his main stage. As an Austrian, he would be pleased.

"Tristan und Isolde. As the name suggests, it is based on the Arthurian legend. The playwright Wagner was very interested in medieval legends. Are you interested in medieval literature?"

"I have studied it, but no matter how much I study medieval chivalric literature, I don't find it very appealing. Your Highness the Archduke seems to have a deep knowledge, so I am envious that you will be able to appreciate the performance more richly."

At my thoughtless words, the Archduke stiffened and his face showed all sorts of anguish and torment. Then, he smiled mechanically and shook his head.

"...I... I don't know it very well either. For us, with our Enlightenment worldview, it's not a good fit. Stories that emphasize mythological elements in an age where human reason is killing God, you see."

"......"

Suddenly?

He's being a bit over the top.

To bring up the Enlightenment and say 'it's not a good fit for us,' there was no particular reason to single out chivalric literature like that. To take issue with chivalric literature, one would have to treat 90% of the literature produced on this continent from before Christ to the 19th century in the same way. In other words, the Archduke had said something close to nonsense.

It was clear why he was saying such things.

'He's still bothered by that damned occult stuff...'

Is he that bothered by the appearance he showed me earlier?

The reason he's acting like this now is because of the occult. Many things from the Middle Ages are inevitably linked to 19th-century occultism. He was trying to subtly back away, afraid that if he said he knew medieval literature well, I would associate it with the occult again. It was an excessive defense.

As if he knew he was overdoing it himself, the Archduke cleared his throat and continued to speak from the side.

"Do you intend to watch Tristan und Isolde as well, Sir?"

"No. I have to look after His Highness the Crown Prince, so I will only watch until Idomeneo and then leave. His Majesty the King will also be leaving at that time."

"Excellent."

The Archduke replied grimly.

What's so excellent about that...

It seemed he had something to say, but he didn't continue. This person keeps turning into a robot, someone please drag him away. He's going to keep creating embarrassing moments for himself here. The Archduke continued to suffer in his own torment, pressing his forehead and sighing repeatedly, before asking seriously.

"Sir Everett. By any chance, what are your thoughts on the current state of affairs?"

"Pfft..."

A laugh came from beside the Archduke. Emanuel was covering his mouth and laughing theatrically. But the Archduke was serious, and I was dumbfounded.

'Suddenly?'

...is what I wanted to ask, but I couldn't.

"At least, as for Bavaria, I believe it is a time of peace and prosperity. But why do you suddenly ask...?"

"I see. I think so too. This continent is also living in a fairly peaceful era. But how long can the peace of this entire continent be maintained?"

"......"

I could hear Emanuel snickering beside me.

I understood well why this person kept saying such useless things to me. I hid that thought as much as possible and smiled.

"Aristotle said this. For a nation, education is an indispensable tool for unifying that nation into a single community. As Your Highness said, Bavaria is in an era of peace, and I also believe the same is true for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In an era like this, if our continent does not strive for a single, common community..."

He's been saying things that don't quite add up, so if he's going to do that, I wish he would just get to the point. As I nodded my head blankly, the conclusion came.

"So, would you like to have a cup of tea with me after this banquet?"

"...Ah, yes.... That would be nice."

I couldn't understand how we had gone from Aristotle to having a cup of tea. I just waited for the king and Leo to arrive as soon as possible.

Only during the intermission did Emanuel grab me and drag me outside. Then he burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

"Why are you being like this again, Your Highness? I'm tired."

"Hahaha... His Highness the Archduke is doing that to get on your good side, teacher. That conversation earlier."

"To get on my good side? Where?"

"I know, right.... I don't get it either. But can't you feel his intention? He's trying to get rid of the stigma of being an occult relic maniac, so he's desperately trying to bring up topics of conversation that circulate in high society."

Right. I felt that much too. I replied with a wry laugh.

"It was Your Highness Emanuel who was at fault. If you hadn't dragged me to a meeting with your friend, he wouldn't be trying to restore his image like that."

"I didn't know my friend would be that flustered either, so I'm sorry. But still, hasn't the misunderstanding been cleared up? It's not a baseless rumor, he's a real maniac."

He's still teasing his friend.

I didn't answer and was lost in thought when Emanuel waved his hand.

"You don't think much of it, do you, teacher?"

"If you mean his tendency to be a relic maniac, no. In fact, I'm glad."

"Good. Actually, I was planning to introduce you to my friend so you could make use of him if you ever need to create an artifact while working here. This artifact was actually a gift from him."

He pointed to the brooch on his jacket. It was an artifact made of glass and gold.

"He has a knack for developing artifacts. What's its function?"

"With this, you can broadcast the situation like this."

He took out a small folding mirror from his pocket and showed it to me. My clothes were visible in his mirror. In other words, what was reflected in the glass of the brooch was being displayed on another artifact.

"Conversely, not only can it show what's reflected on the brooch, but it can also send the situation reflected in this mirror to another mirror. He learns all sorts of bizarre magic formulas, you know. Sometimes he even creates them himself. This is comparable to what's sold on the market, don't you think?"

Indeed. He seems like he would be good at making artifacts. The flow of Magic Power I felt was a bit crude, but judging by the function, he seems skilled in magic studies. It's not important information, but it's not bad to know, so I'll remember it.

"I even used this to show His Highness Crown Prince Leonard your match, Sir Everett. His Highness Crown Prince Leonard probably has one of these too."

"I haven't seen anything like that?"

"Ah~ His Highness must have hidden it thoroughly from you, teacher?"

Emanuel raised an eyebrow and looked into the mirror. A sudden thought made me frown and ask.

"Then by any chance, right now..."

"Right now, everything we're saying is probably being streamed to His Highness the Crown Prince. Leonard, are you listening?"

Emanuel, who was laughing playfully, pulled me by the shoulder and held the mirror up.

"Your teacher and I are already this close."

"...!"

So that's how it's being transmitted. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I pushed Emanuel away. Emanuel, with good timing, snapped the mirror shut, so unfortunately, that scene didn't seem to have been transmitted to Leonard.

"You surprised me. What's wrong? Am I the only one who thinks of you as a friend, while you still see me as royalty? We've been hanging out for two weeks."

"You're right.... Let's not talk about it."

You're right, but there are some things a five-year-old can take as a joke and some things they can't. He's playing a prank knowing Leo's personality. One moment he's telling me to act like I'll play with him forever, and the next he's an uncle who's serious about teasing his nephew. If he gets sulky next to the king because of this, how am I supposed to face either of them?

'By the way...'

Somehow, I had felt it was a bit random when Leonard brought up the banquet as soon as I came to him before, but it turns out he had heard the whole process of me being dragged around by Emanuel and drinking. He was worried I wouldn't play with him because I would be sticking to Emanuel, so he brought up the banquet out of the blue.

Don't tell me he heard the conversations I had with the royalty from other countries earlier too. If he did, I'll have to punch this Emanuel guy.

'But... that's not what's important. Why didn't he register the patent.'

Just like I created the communication artifact, if he registered this, he would make a fortune. Did he hide this because it was part of his occult activities? It seems trivial, but it's a sticking point, so it's worth remembering.

When I returned to my seat, Leonard looked at Emanuel without expression. But to me, he smiled as calmly as usual and greeted me. Even at this age, he seemed to know well that Emanuel had been teasing him. As I sat down, Leonard called me in a low voice.

"Teacher."

"Yes, please speak."

"Can you spar with me later?"

I take back the calm part.

"I have an appointment later, so it might be a little difficult. How about tomorrow?"

"......"

Since Leonard delayed his answer, I corrected what I had said.

"This evening."

"No, please come after you've finished all your business, teacher."

I was about to agree, but then shook my head.

"I'll come early."

When I held out my finger, Leonard asked with a curious look.

"What's this?"

"Learn it in advance."

I hooked my pinky finger with his. Unlike the 17-year-old Leo, he was eager to learn even trivial pranks. It was convenient that he found everything new and fascinating. Leonard seemed to like this activity, as he returned to his comfortable expression and enjoyed the play.

***

"I don't know how this friend ended up in this meeting..."

The Archduke showed his displeasure with a sidelong glance.

"Because it's my house."

Emanuel replied with a smile.

As soon as the first act ended, we gathered at Emanuel's mansion for tea. Archduke Maria shot a strong glare as if to say 'don't open your mouth' and then spoke.

"May I continue our earlier conversation? Following the teachings of Aristotle, I believe a unified educational system for the European continent must be established. If so, this continent will become much more organized and stable. Moreover, considering that the Eastern countries, which were an unknown world to us, have built their own powerful magic systems, I believe we also need to unite and become stronger."

"So that's what you think."

He's still at it.

He's still trying to show his 'normality' to me here. I want to tell him to stop because it's even weirder.

I stirred my tea once with Divine Power, drank it, and said.

"I think the occult is a truly fascinating field of study."

"...!"

The Archduke, who had choked, coughed as if he were vomiting, his face turning red. Emanuel handed him a handkerchief and chided him.

"What's wrong with you.... So messy."

"Be quiet."

The Archduke glared at him as if asking if he didn't know whose fault this was, and said. As his efforts to focus the topic on something normal went up in smoke, the Archduke's eyes turned fierce. He put on a polite smile and waited for me to speak. I could feel his determination not to back down as he had been doing if I asked about his earlier appearance.

Right. If I ask about his earlier appearance, it would be a question out of curiosity. Of course, in a situation like this, one must first establish common ground.

I slowly chose my words, recalling the Hermetic occult philosophy I had frantically researched to study for the Hermetische Gesellschaft's club interview questionthe Lion's Duke's treasure chest.

"Your Highness the Archduke seems to be a person who lives 'As above, so below.' At least to me, you seemed to be very well-balanced between spiritual experience and daily life."

"......"

Emanuel raised an eyebrow. Judging by his reaction, that guy also seemed to know Hermeticism well. 'As above, so below.' A phrase that is like a motto of Hermeticism, and the words I followed up with were an application of that.

The Archduke narrowed his eyes, looking a little more confused than before. I didn't miss the opportunity and continued.

"Hermeticism is the foundation of magic. Especially in the sense that it is a path to 'becoming more divine,' the magic of our time can be said to be partially connected to Hermeticism."

"......"

"The Magic Power we use is endowed with God's grace. If we fuse the Kabbalistic mysticism that Hermeticism has accepted here, each Sephiroth is a polymorphic expression of divinity..."

Emanuel laughed silently with a look that said 'why do you even know this,' then looked at the Archduke. The Archduke's face had become utterly serious.

As I trailed off, the Archduke continued my words.

"All of it emanates from and is integrated into Kether, the Holy Spirit. This process is the emanation of Kabbalistic divinity."

"......"

"This is what you were talking about, right? You are making an abstract attempt."

He took the bait.

I nodded. The wariness in the Archduke's eyes had not completely disappeared, but he was much more friendly and full of curiosity than before.

"Although I say this, I still don't know much about Hermeticism. In fact, I'm only very interested in the occult, but I don't know where or how to approach it. I've only managed to gain knowledge from a few books I struggled to collect."

"......"

"So, I was really happy, thinking I had met someone I could talk to for the first time..."

I pursed my lips and averted my gaze.

"I'd be a little embarrassed if I was mistaken."

"......"

Beside me, Emanuel was looking at me with a look of disbelief, then whistled. The Archduke was silent for a long time.

Then, after a long while, he spoke in a low voice.

"Mistaken?"

When I raised my eyebrows and looked at him, he continued with a still grim face.

"I too have never met an initiate with such passion for Hermeticism. In that case, I will ask you just one thing. What is the Magnum Opus that Your Excellency seeks?"

"......"

It's much easier than the Lion's Duke's initiation question. However, it's a question one cannot answer without knowledge of alchemy. Generally, it means an artist's greatest achievement, but in this field, it means the transformation of base metals into gold. Well, if you just consider the meaning, it has a similar feel.

"I don't have anything that grand yet. However... I am currently trying to find a treasure chest that opens when you put Holy Water and Holy Blood in it."

It's not a lie. I need to know that to join that relic club.... It's beyond not being a lie, it can be considered a fact.

Emanuel's eyes widened. He exchanged glances with the Archduke for a long time, then tilted his head and looked at me. The Archduke also asked with a hardened face.

"Where did you hear that story?"

Hmm.

This is a problem. I must have said something I shouldn't have. Since it's an event 12 years in the future, has such a relic not been discovered yet? Or... is it a relic that only they know about?

As I was pondering what to answer to the thought that came to me intuitively, the Archduke leaned forward with a serious face.

"I have a dream I've had for a long time. Actually, I thought it would take a few years, so I had no intention of making it right now.... Let's make the three of us the founding members."

"Founding?"

I didn't intend to blow things up this much. What are we founding in the first place? The Archduke said energetically with shining eyes.

"Let's create an occult relic research society among ourselves. We'll call it the Hermetische Gesellschaft. What do you think?"

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