Riser
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37-16
🕑 Added 2025-08-02 21:17:30 +0000 UTCEP.16 Master (1)
"What's that? The Third Prince has a body without a mana hole?"
The next day. When Count Lichtenauer's report was delivered, the cabinet meeting erupted into chaos.
"Didn't I say so? I told you it was too early to give such a great reward to His Highness the Prince! Now we've just wasted a precious dragon heart for nothing."
"That was agreed to by the Crown Prince as well, wasn't it? And in any case, it was just a small shard, wasn't it?"
"Do you even know how much that one shard is worth?"
"Hmph! Even so, it's not even one hundredth the cost of the canal construction from the Spirit Lake to the capital that the Finance Ministry wasted!"
"What? Did you just say everything you wanted to say?"
As the ministers of administration, finance, and military affairs tangled and argued, their subordinates also began to blame and fight each other, giving the chancellor, who presided over the cabinet meeting, a throbbing headache.
In particular, the finance minister, who was part of the Second Prince's faction, fiercely attacked the administration and military ministries, and there were even whispers that the Crown Prince should be held responsible for this.
Bang bang bang!!
"Silence!! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this in front of His Majesty?"
Finally, the chancellor banged the podium and forcibly quieted them, and only then did the court fall silent as the emperor spoke.
"Count Lichtenauer. So what is the Third Prince's condition now?"
"There is no major problem with his body, and he is currently resting in a state of sleep. Since the massive mana from the dragon heart could not be stored, I believe he will simply sleep for a few days as the mana slowly dissipates."
"It's a shame about the dragon heart, but it's fortunate that the Third Prince is safe. In any investment, failure is part of the process. Do not discuss this matter any further."
With the emperor's absolute order, Count Dietrich, the finance minister and leader of the Second Prince's faction, fell silent.
With the emperor's command, Yuno's issue was settled, and the meeting moved on to other matters. The emperor then left the rest of the affairs to the chancellor and ministers and headed to Yuno's palace with Count Lichtenauer.
"Your Majesty! What brings you here..."
Yuria, who was sitting by Yuno's bed wiping his forehead with a wet towel, rose to greet the emperor, and Isabella, Marie, and Eliza, who were looking at Yuno with worried eyes, also knelt and bowed to the emperor.
"Haha. Everyone, rise. Hm? Princess Eliza, you're here too. I heard you've become close with Yuno lately... Well, anyway, Empress, how is Yuno?"
"He seemed to sleep well last night, but he still hasn't woken up."
"Hmm... Royal physician! What's your opinion?"
When the emperor called for the royal physician, who had been preparing medicine in the corner, the physician hurried over and bowed deeply.
"Yes, Your Majesty. As Her Majesty the Empress said, there is nothing to be done externally. However... His Highness Yuno does not actually lack a mana hole."
"What? Count Lichtenauer! What's going on? Didn't you just say Yuno had no mana hole?"
"Ah... I checked every part of his body yesterday... Royal physician! Where exactly is the mana hole?"
As the emperor and the commander of the royal guard glared at him, the royal physician grew flustered and sweated profusely, bowing his head.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but..."
"But what?"
"Um... His Highness Yuno's mana hole is located in his testicles... And thanks to his excellent constitution, it seems all the mana from the dragon heart he took yesterday was absorbed there..."
No sooner had the physician finished speaking than Count Lichtenauer placed his hand on Yuno's abdomen and, unlike yesterday, sent mana downward.
At that moment, with tremendous rebound from Yuno's testicles, Count Lichtenauer was blown back across the room.
Bang!!
"Kuh!! Wh-what is this?"
"Count! What happened? What's going on?!"
"Is Yuno... is Yuno alright?"
Startled by the commotion, the emperor and Yuria rushed to Lichtenauer and questioned him, but he was too shocked to answer.
'Th-that mana just now... Even if I was surprised, for it to repel my master-level mana like that...'
But as the emperor and empress kept pressing, he soon collected himself and explained the situation.
"It seems His Highness has absorbed one hundred percent of the dragon heart... Normally, when you start cultivation, most of the mana from the mana stone or herbs is lost, and only a small portion is absorbed, while the rest stimulates the mana hole to allow mana use. But... His Highness..."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Ah! Come to think of it, the crown prince's gift to Yuno was a dragon heart solution, so I thought it might help and gave it to the unconscious Yuno as well. Could that also..."
At Yuria's confession, Lichtenauer shouted.
"Your Majesty the Empress!!! How could you do something like that without consulting me!! Even if it's just a shard and a solution, if all that mana was absorbed..."
Now the emperor and Yuria stared at Lichtenauer's lips in suspense.
But Lichtenauer ignored them, stood up, and carefully sent a minuscule amount of mana into Yuno again.
As Lichtenauer's mana approached, Yuno's mana hole reacted violently once more. But this time, since Lichtenauer was extremely careful, there was no big rebound, and he was able to circulate mana around the mana hole and roughly assess Yuno's current state and the amount of mana he possessed.
"Whew~~ I've got a general sense now. As the physician said, in a few days he should wake up without issue. The amount of mana is so vast that it will take quite some time for the mana hole to stabilize, but there shouldn't be any major problems."
At this, the emperor and empress finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
"But how much mana does Yuno have for you to be blown back like that? Aren't you supposed to be the Empire's strongest master?"
"That reputation is a bit exaggerated... I became the top imperial knight through swordsmanship, not because of my mana reserves. Of course, I am at master level..."
Lichtenauer continued, with a wry smile.
"But teaching His Highness is the problem. If the mana hole isn't in a normal place, it's hard to use mana with the standard imperial swordsmanship or knightly techniques... If it were at least in the abdomen, there'd be hope, but... in such an embarrassing place..."
Both the emperor and empress fell into deep thought at his words.
"Then maybe Yuno doesn't need to learn swordsmanship at all? Of course, he wants to be strong, but as long as a royal can protect themselves, I don't think they need to go that far."
"What are you saying, Empress! Yuno is to be the shield of our royal family! He is to become the Empire's greatest warrior, the sword that defends the Empire! Just look at his physique it's obvious. And as for his grades... well, you know that better than I do."
The emperor, having apparently received Yuno's academic reports as well, hit Yuria right where it hurt. She couldn't say anything in response, and silence lingered.
"Come to think of it, wasn't there a master in the Empire whose mana hole was in an unusual place? How about having him teach Yuno when he wakes up?"
Breaking the silence, the emperor's suggestion made Count Lichtenauer's face twist.
"Your Majesty! That man!!"
"Of course... I know you don't get along with him. I don't like how he shirks his duties as a citizen and does as he pleases either. But we need someone to teach Yuno, don't we?"
"That's true, but..."
"Then let's try it. Nothing to lose, right? If we're lucky, maybe he'll join the imperial army for real while teaching Yuno."
"I will obey, Your Majesty."
"Good! Then find him and bring him here. If possible, I'd like him in the palace before Yuno wakes up."
With that, the emperor stroked Yuno's forehead and patted his shoulder as if to encourage him, then left.
After the emperor left, Lichtenauer looked at the sleeping Yuno and gathered his thoughts again.
'It's a shame I can't be the one to teach this once-in-a-generation talent... But maybe for His Highness, a freer martial art suits him better than the regimented swordsmanship of the knights... But can His Highness handle that madman's temperament...?'
Watching Yuno sleep peacefully, Count Lichtenauer got up to go fetch his rival, the Empire's strongest or perhaps the world's strongest fist master and back-alley brawler.
After the emperor and the commander of the royal guard left, Yuria and the princesses came back to Yuno's side and resumed nursing him.
The attendants and maids tried to take over and urged them to rest, but Yuria, Isabella, Marie, and Eliza never left Yuno's side, staying with him until he woke up. When Yuno finally awoke a week later, he was surrounded by their hugs and they burst into tears.
"Uwaa... M-mom? What happened..."
"Sob sob sob, Yuno, are you awake?"
"Yuno~"
"Oppa~"
Waking from a week-long coma, Yuno was so overwhelmed by the girls clinging to him that he couldn't even think straight. And at that moment
KWAANG!!
Yuno's door burst open as the figure of a woman appeared.
