In the imperial capital city.
In a luxurious mansion, Morley lay on the bed with a gloomy expression.
Although his body had mostly recovered under healing magic, he could never retrieve the hand that was bitten off by the magical beast.
Even though it wasn't his dominant hand, it was enough to infuriate him.
Morey was a prodigy with limitless potential, likely to become a holy mage. How could he tolerate having a defect?
He wished he could cruelly kill Raphael, who caused all of this, but Raphael was stronger and had a higher status. Morley feared he wouldn't be able to seek revenge.
The servant then came and informed him that the Crown Prince was coming to visit.
Although Morey was arrogant towards others, he still respected the Crown Prince. After all, the Crown Prince was his only hope to deal with Raphael. So he asked the servant to let the Crown Prince in.
After some words of comfort, the Crown Prince said seriously, "I know you're in pain. Do you really want to endure this situation?"
"How is that possible?" Morley gritted his teeth. "But I can't deal with him."
"Although he is my younger brother, it's not easy to solve the situation when he commits such a violent act in the imperial capital," the Crown Prince said with a distressed expression. "I believe no one wants to see such a cruel person become the ruler of the empire."
Morley's eyes lit up. If one were to put it bluntly, he had only stolen Raphael's magical pet. Raphael had no right to cripple his hand like that.
Thinking back to that day, Morley still had some lingering fear, but when he saw his lost hand, hatred surged within him.
The Crown Prince believed he had found an opportunity and immediately accused Raphael in front of the Emperor. He emphasized how ruthless Raphael had been, attacking a disciple of the holy mage in public, and how he had ruined the future of the prodigious talent. It was truly terrifying.
Such a morally corrupt person shouldn't be spared just because he was a prince. He should be sent to the holy city where the Radiant Church was located to learn a lesson.
If Raphael had harmed an ordinary person, no one would care. But he had harmed a disciple of the holy mage, and many people were conflicted. Offending the holy mage would make things difficult. It should be noted that the holy mage was more important to a country than the Emperor, not to mention that Raphael was just a prince.
Although everyone knows that the Holy Mage almost took Raphael as his disciple, it didn't happen in the end, did it? On the surface, people say that the Holy Mage admires Raphael, but who knows if it's just empty words to save face?
In such a situation, the Crown Prince's foolish proposal surprisingly gained support from many people.
At this time, Princess Eleanor seemed to want to teach her disobedient son a lesson. She didn't speak up and even forbade the family members from saying anything.
For a while, it seemed like everyone was leaning towards the Crown Prince's side. Some of Raphael's followers also showed a tendency to switch sides and support the Crown Prince.
In this critical moment, Raphael seemed completely unconcerned and was taking care of Shao Ci at home.
His subordinates were going crazy and hurriedly came to find Raphael. "Your Highness, why don't we apologize to Morey? Maybe we can salvage the situation."
"No need," Raphael said nonchalantly. "Just silently observe."
It was only then that Shao Ci realized that Raphael had unleashed the magical beast to bite Morey that day because of him, resulting in Morey being severely injured.
He was shocked. Raphael didn't seem like such an irrational person. Perhaps it was because he couldn't control his emotions when someone casually broke into his home and stole something.
Raphael was capable of dealing with the Crown Prince. He had thought it through before taking action against Morey. He wouldn't do something unprepared.
When all the opportunists had switched sides, Raphael calmly made his move.
The Crown Prince, who had been feeling triumphant while praying in the temple, was approached by several women when he left. One of them even held a child.
These were the consequences of the Crown Prince's promiscuity over the years. He thought he had kept it a secret, but anyone with a little power knew about it.
At that time, there were many people outside the temple, and news spread in an instant.
The princess from the second noble family in the empire was almost furious. Their marriage was a political alliance, and their relationship was not good to begin with. But the Crown Prince's actions were too embarrassing for her.
And in order to resolve this matter, the Crown Prince went to great lengths to dismiss those people. However, it was suddenly discovered that he had connections with the half-beastmen from outside the empire.
The half-beastmen lived in extremely barren lands and would occasionally attack human territories for resources. But the Crown Prince had been selling resources to the half-beastmen for profit. When this news came out, those who supported the Crown Prince were almost fainting.
With the attention now focused on the Crown Prince, he explained that he thought he was selling to foreign merchants and didn't expect them to shamelessly pass the resources to the half-beastmen.
After all, what the Crown Prince did could almost be considered treason, making Raphael's actions pale in comparison.
Many people demanded that the Crown Prince apologize with his life. In this situation, the Crown Prince had no choice but to write a letter to the Holy Mage in Morey's name, smearing Raphael in the letter and claiming his innocence, attempting to seek the Holy Mage's intervention.
Surprisingly, the Holy Mage arrived in the capital two days later.
Those who hated the Crown Prince to the core dared not do anything. After all, it was the Holy Mage, almost the pillar of the empire. If the Holy Mage said to protect the Crown Prince, who would dare to lay a hand on him?
The Emperor personally came out to greet them, looking at the excited Crown Prince and the calm Raphael. His emotions were complex.
Countless people gathered outside, cheering as they saw the Holy Mage. After all, the Holy Mage had saved the empire from countless dangers.
Then, the Holy Mage looked at Morey, who had lost a hand, and said calmly, "Come here."
Morey immediately looked smugly at Raphael and walked towards the Holy Mage.
He was the true disciple of the Holy Mage. What could Raphael, no matter how talented, do about it? Now he would still have to be fearful because of this incident.
The Emperor sighed inwardly. No matter how you looked at it, Raphael was more suitable to be the heir. But if the Crown Prince truly won the favor of the Holy Mage, then he would likely become the heir.
Others had similar thoughts. Even if the Crown Prince was a bit foolish, as long as he was connected to the Holy Mage, there was no hope for anyone else.
In the next moment, the Holy Mage coldly said to the triumphant Morey, "I am deeply disappointed."
Morey was shocked, as if struck by lightning. He stared at the Holy Mage, barely registering what had just been said.
The Holy Mage then coldly uttered a few more words, severing the master-disciple relationship with Morey.
The Holy Mage had actually realized that Morey had a corrupt heart from the beginning, but he had taken him as a disciple due to his talent. However, over the years, Morey had become increasingly unbearable, and his actions were something the Holy Mage could not tolerate.
Morey desperately knelt on the ground, begging the Holy Mage for another chance, with tears and snot streaming down his face.
However, the Holy Mage simply shook his head.
He had initially had no intention of coming, but it was Raphael's letter that prompted him to make the trip.
In reality, the person the Holy Mage most wanted to take as his disciple was Raphael, but due to various reasons, he had given up on that idea. Nevertheless, he greatly admired Raphael over the years.
The Holy Mage then stated that he would not interfere in matters of succession and departed, leaving Morey behind.
As a result, the Crown Prince completely lost his power. He was imprisoned for his previous crimes, and the Princess swiftly severed her marital ties with him.
Although Raphael was not yet the heir, it was clear to everyone that he was most likely to inherit the throne.
Meanwhile, even after losing the aura of being a disciple of the Holy Mage, Morey remained arrogant. Due to his strength and talent, many noble families still supported him.
However, he was later attacked and knocked unconscious in his own home. When he woke up, he discovered that his powers had been completely crippled. From then on, he was no different from an ordinary person and was too afraid to leave his house.
…………
……
Meanwhile, Shao Ci began to experience hair loss. Every morning, he would wake up to find feathers scattered around him. It was a rather peculiar sensation... Could he end up bald one day?
Seeing that Shao Ci seemed to be concerned about this, Raphael obtained holy water from the Radiant Church.
This holy water was extremely effective in treating wounds and contained a large amount of light elements, making it a good supplement for celestial beings like Shao Ci.
After drinking the holy water for a few days, Shao Ci noticed that the new feathers were growing quickly, alleviating his worries about going bald. He could finally relax.
Raphael, however, didn't mention that the information stated that holy water could accelerate the growth rate of celestial beings.
This phase of recovery lasted for almost half a month before Shao Ci fully recovered and transformed back into a fluffy ball.
At this time, Empress Eleanor once again brought up the idea of Raphael getting married.
"Apologies, Mother, but I have no intention of doing so," Raphael said as he caressed the fluffy ball in his arms.
Empress Eleanor was exasperated. "If you have an heir, your position would be more secure."
"Does Mother want me to be like the Crown Prince?" Raphael smiled faintly.
Empress Eleanor thought of the Crown Prince, who was practically a walking corpse, and felt a headache coming on. She responded, "I know you have your own ideas, but this matter needs to be settled quickly. If you have your eye on any noble young lady, let me know."
She then remembered the man who was involved in the scandal with Raphael in the past and furrowed her brow. "As for boys, if you like them, you can have them as male companions. No need to take it too seriously."
Shao Ci: "..." It felt like he was watching some palace drama with these lines. What kind of dialogue is this?
Although, if you really think about it, it does make some sense.
Raphael nodded, but his thoughts remained uncertain.
He would never let his fluffy ball become just a male companion. He would only give him the best.
——
Time passed quickly, and two years went by in the blink of an eye.
During these two years, Shao Ci spent most of his time sleeping because the growth period required a tremendous amount of energy, necessitating ample rest.
Currently, he still appeared as a palm-sized fluffy ball, but his strength had increased significantly compared to before. Occasionally, he would even transform into a human-like form due to his excessive power.
Of course, the excessive power was also due to occasionally drinking holy water... Most people didn't have the privilege of experiencing this.
On this day, Shao Ci was brought outside by Raphael while still in his fluffy ball form. It seemed that Raphael was afraid of others seeing Shao Ci in his human-like form.
The people in the capital, because the scandalous figure from before had not appeared for a long time and there were no news of any new lovers for Prince Raphael, had imagined many tragic and deep love stories.
It was only when they arrived at their destination that Shao Ci realized it was the temple.
The temple exuded a strong aura of light elements, making Shao Ci feel very comfortable.
Raphael held him tightly in his arms, exerting a bit of force.
Celestial beings needed the recognition of the Goddess of Light to fully control their body's power. Although Raphael was reluctant to draw the attention of the Radiant Church to Shao Ci, they had no choice but to come to the temple now.
Raphael led them to the most secluded part of the temple, where the Goddess of Light stood. He placed Shao Ci on a soft cushion.
"You stay here and wait for me. I'll be back soon," Raphael touched Shao Ci's head before leaving. The Archbishop in charge of the temple seemed to have something to discuss with him regarding celestial matters, and the seriousness of the situation weighed on Raphael's expression.
As for Shao Ci, lying on the cushion felt incredibly comfortable, and he couldn't help but fall asleep.
In his dream, he saw numerous islands floating in the sky, a temple filled with holy aura, and celestial beings flying back and forth.
In the dream, Shao Ci still appeared as a fluffy ball. He hesitated as he hopped around on a grassy field, but in the next moment, someone picked him up.
The person's embrace was warm, and their presence felt familiar to Shao Ci.
However, Shao Ci couldn't see the person's face clearly in the dream. He only saw their beautiful silver hair tied behind them and a pair of large, magnificent wings.
——
Raphael's relationship with the Radiant Church had always been good, and he was able to obtain some secretive information that outsiders were unaware of through them.
Although the celestial beings were a rather aloof race, their relationship with the Radiant Church was still decent, as they both worshiped the Goddess of Light.
Therefore, the Radiant Church had some understanding of the celestial beings' affairs.
Initially, Raphael discreetly inquired about the celestial beings and received information that they were completely fine, which put his mind at ease.
However, this time, the Archbishop seemed somewhat anxious, and Raphael immediately sensed that something was amiss.
"The celestial beings have been acting strangely recently; it seems they are searching for someone," the Archbishop said. "It is said that this person went missing two to three years ago and is currently within the empire."
Raphael's heart tightened, but he managed to maintain a calm demeanor on the surface. "Wouldn't it be easy to spot them if they have wings?"
"No," the Archbishop shook his head. "During the early stages of their lives, celestial beings don't have their current appearance. They resemble a type of demonic pet, much like the fluffy ball you keep..."
Raphael's eyes flickered, but he continued to act nonchalant. "In that case, it would be difficult to find them since most of those fluffy pet-like creatures look similar."
"It is said that celestial beings have a special method to locate their kindred, and they also have some differences from ordinary demonic pets, with a stronger presence of light elements," the Archbishop explained. "If we can find them in advance, we can have a favor owed to us by the celestial beings."
This was a favor from the celestial beings. With this opportunity, he had a sixty percent chance of becoming the next Pope.
Caught up in his excitement, the Archbishop completely failed to notice Raphael's slightly unusual expression.
"Prince Raphael, the empire will soon need your assistance," the Archbishop said. "There will be great benefits once we find them."
"Naturally," Raphael smiled. "I will do my best."
After the Archbishop left, a coldness flickered in Raphael's eyes.
…………
……
After discussing with the Archbishop, Raphael returned to the statue of the Goddess of Light and saw Shao Ci, who had already transformed into a human form.
The other person's pristine white body seemed to emit a radiant glow, and the wings on their back carried a sacred aura.
Raphael was taken aback, suddenly realizing that Shao Ci didn't belong to him. He wasn't a mere pet but a noble celestial being.
If others were to discover this, Shao Ci would undoubtedly be taken back to the celestial realm, completely leaving Raphael's side.
Raphael's heart tightened as he held Shao Ci in his arms, finally feeling at ease and no longer sensing the imminent departure of Shao Ci from his side.
Although Shao Ci hadn't transformed back into a fluffy ball at this moment, Raphael couldn't stay here any longer. He returned home through a secluded side entrance, fortunately encountering only a few people along the way. Otherwise, he would have had to silence them.
Once in his room, Raphael's expression immediately softened. He gently stroked Shao Ci's hair as he slept.
However, a sense of unease lingered within Raphael. Despite his belief that he had hidden Shao Ci well, the Archbishop's words kept resurfacing in his mind.
Celestial beings were not to be trifled with. They had special methods to track their kindred, and if they were to find Shao Ci, he would be taken away from Raphael.
Even though Raphael had been with Shao Ci for so long, what did those people mean? They were merely connected by blood, wanting to take Shao Ci away from him?
Raphael couldn't calm his thoughts, but suddenly he remembered the dark magic books he had found in the Earl's mansion. Almost involuntarily, he opened one and started reading.
Raphael was not a devout follower of the Goddess of Light. Everything he did was merely to gain support from the Radiant Church.
As for dark magic and such, why couldn't he use such powerful magic?
He had never believed that Bois was an extremely wicked person; he had just been unlucky.
Among the books, there were many dark magic spells that were astonishing and far surpassed ordinary magic. Raphael skimmed through them until he reached the last page, where he suddenly froze.
It described how to make someone fall in love with oneself using magic.
This type of magic, which forcibly manipulated others' thoughts, naturally fell into the category of dark magic. It required numerous materials and extremely complex steps.
But if successful, even if the person had previously despised the caster, they would now wholeheartedly fall in love with them.
Raphael closed the book and returned it to its original place.
After spending so much time with Shao Ci, there was no doubt that he had some feelings for him. There was no need for such magic.
But was that really the case?
If Shao Ci had to choose between family and Raphael, would he truly choose Raphael?
Raphael realized that he couldn't come to a conclusion because he didn't know. He didn't know what kind of feelings Shao Ci had for him.
If that's the case, then he should ask.
The Radiant Church possessed a precious potion known as the Tears of the Goddess. When consumed, it greatly enhanced the presence of light elements in the body, with the side effect of being unable to lie for a period of time.
This potion was mainly consumed by high-ranking individuals within the Radiant Church during ceremonies to demonstrate their devotion to the Goddess.
Due to its rarity, no one had ever thought of using it for interrogation purposes.
Raphael had obtained a vial of Tears of the Goddess at a great cost, but he had never used it.
"Perhaps now is the time to put it to use," he tightly gripped the vial.
…………
……
When Shao Ci woke up, he realized that he was already back home.
"Have a glass of water," Raphael smiled and handed him the cup.
Shao Ci didn't notice anything different about Raphael and directly took the glass, drinking from it.
In the next moment, a powerful force surged from within his body. Every limb and bone seemed to be filled with light elements, and his body felt as if it was bathed in holy light.
Shao Ci was astonished. This was much more potent than the usual holy water... It was clear that this wasn't something easily obtained. Why was it given to him so casually?
Raphael smiled as he watched Shao Ci. "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine," Shao Ci hurriedly replied.
Shao Ci felt that in these past two years, Raphael had been worrying about things even more than his own father. It wasn't easy for him either.
"That's good," Raphael softly spoke again. "Have you... ever thought about your family, those who are also celestial beings like you?"
After all, even if they looked similar, they couldn't be considered the same race.
Why did he suddenly bring up this topic? Shao Ci was momentarily stunned, and then, intending to brush it off, he blurted out uncontrollably, "I haven't thought about it."
He didn't know any of those celestial beings, after all.
Shao Ci felt that something wasn't quite right with his recent behavior. It was as if his thoughts were being spoken out without control. Could it be the enhanced version of the holy water and its truth-telling effect?
"If they wanted to take you away, would you go?" Raphael asked.
"Of course not," Shao Ci replied. How could he complete his mission if he left? Unable to control himself, he continued, "I want to stay by your side."
Raphael was taken aback, but then he immediately embraced Shao Ci. He had already let go of his worries, but then he casually asked, "Who... is the person you care about the most?"
Shao Ci's body stiffened.
If he had to say who he cared about the most, it would definitely be Bryce... After all, he was the original male lead, hey.
But if he were to say it, Raphael would definitely be angry. However, if he didn't say anything, wouldn't it be more suspicious?
Raphael's brow furrowed, suddenly realizing something.
He had initially thought that Shao Ci was being forcibly kept by Bryce, and after Bryce escaped, Shao Ci didn't attempt to find him. That's why Raphael believed that Shao Ci didn't have any feelings for Bryce and didn't even consider him as a rival.
However, now that he thought about it, every time they mentioned Bryce, Shao Ci seemed to be quite concerned. And when Bryce escaped, his guards had checked the temple, which he escaped through a teleportation magic circle, filled with the power of light.
Heretics wouldn't be able to draw such a magic circle. Initially, he thought it was just a remnant circle in the temple... but now it seemed likely that it was made by Shao Ci, who was also in the temple at the time.
Raphael lowered his gaze to Shao Ci, suddenly feeling that many doubts had been answered.
Moreover, even though so many people were chasing after Bryce, he repeatedly managed to escape easily, as if someone was assisting him from behind.
And Shao Ci, who remained by his side, was the person most likely to have access to that information.
But... he had said that he wanted to stay by his side, and that couldn't have been a lie under the influence of the Tears of the Goddess.
Raphael silently looked at Shao Ci, not knowing how much time had passed. Shao Ci seemed to have woken up from a nightmare.
Raphael watched Shao Ci, who had just awakened, and softly asked, "Did you stay by my side to use me?"
The power of the Tears of the Goddess was incredibly strong, enough to last for a day and night.
Therefore, in a dazed state, Shao Ci directly responded, "Yes."
...Upon realizing what he had said, Shao Ci was almost frightened and sat up.
81-85 will be update later at night.