Chapter 4: Back to the Time I Could Never Forget! (3)

—

For several days, Raion didn’t leave his room.

First, he decided to figure out the powers he had suddenly gained.

He had already confirmed Synthesis, Decomposition, and Analysis on the very first day he returned to the past, using a brass vase.

After that, an additional ability was confirmed — Extraction.

Extraction was similar to Decomposition, yet slightly different.

Unlike Decomposition, which classified and separated all materials, Extraction could pull out only one specific substance.

As for the remaining abilities — Emission, Engraving, and Formation — he was still fumbling around, not knowing how to use them.

“What’s the difference between releasing something and extracting it?”

Since he had lived in the Republic of Korea and studied through equivalency exams, he roughly understood the scientific meanings of the words.

However, he couldn’t comprehend what they meant in the context of abilities.

“And Engraving… does that mean carving something? What about Formation — does it mean creating a shape?”

Raion’s head grew increasingly tangled.

Then, something occurred to him — something that wasn’t a physical material.

“No way…?”

As a thought crossed his mind, Raion moved toward the bookshelf that stood in the room like decoration and began searching for a book on magic.

A book about basic magic formulas.

To be honest, the previous Raion hadn’t had even the slightest bit of talent for magic.

That was why this book about basic magic formulas had been sitting on the shelf purely for display.

He found the incantation for Fire Ignition.

On the Phalon Continent, mages manifested magic by tracing formulas in the air with their fingers.

The greater the destructive power, the more complex the formula became.

Because of that, magical scrolls and arcane devices with engraved magic circles were commonly used.

Raion slowly traced the ignition formula with his fingers.

Since he had no talent for magic, his fingers didn’t move properly, and it took him ten whole minutes to barely succeed.

At that moment, he felt his mana drain from his body.

Simultaneously, a translucent blue window appeared before him.

[The engravable formula has been completed.]

[Please designate a target for Engraving.]

“I can’t believe it actually worked…!”

Having discovered how to use Engraving, Raion designated the porcelain vase as the target for the Fire Ignition formula.

Crack—!

The surface of the vase thinned slightly as the formula he had drawn was engraved as a sunken pattern.

“How do I activate it now? Wait… if engraving is done like this, then could Emission be…?”

Guessing, Raion uttered the name of another ability.

“Emission (放出)!”

[An engraved formula has been detected. Would you like to use Emission (放出)?]

“Yes!”

As soon as he answered, the engraved pattern emitted a faint light — and flames ignited.

The fire instantly engulfed the vase, burning away even the flowers within it.

Crash—!

Because of the water inside, the vase couldn’t withstand the heat and shattered, extinguishing the flames.

“So that’s how it works. But if I can easily engrave formulas I draw by hand like this, that’s incredibly useful.”

Normally, engraving a formula was done very delicately using a carving knife.

Moreover, the process required infusing mana as one carved, meaning the higher the level of the formula, the greater the risk of accidents.

A single mistake could cost one’s life — hence the extreme rarity of such professions.

“So now only Formation (形成) remains, huh?”

It was supposed to be the ability to create shapes, but he couldn’t even guess what or how it would create something.

“At times like this, I guess I just have to try it recklessly.”

After all, he had discovered his other powers only through experimentation.

So Raion looked around the room and began shouting the ability name at various things.

“Formation! Formation! Formation! Formation! Formation! Formation!”

He kept calling it out until finally, a long blue window appeared.

[Water has been designated. You can form it into the shape you imagine.]

It was the water that had spilled from the shattered vase moments earlier.

[Since the substance is completely liquid, it will maintain its shape for 10 seconds.]

Upon reading that, Raion hurriedly imagined a simple shape — a sphere.

Instantly, the designated water formed into a sphere and rolled across the table before dropping to the floor.

Ting—! Ting—! Ting—! Ting—! Crack!

The spherical water bounced like a ball for ten seconds before dispersing back into droplets, soaking the carpet.

“So I can solidify any shapeless material with Formation? But it doesn’t seem to work on air… or maybe it only works on simple substances?”

For another test, Raion looked around and fixed his gaze on a wooden lion figurine.

“Formation (形成)!”

[Wood has been designated. You can form it into the shape you imagine.]

At that moment, a knock came from the door.

Knock, knock!

—Your Highness. It’s Patrick. Is everything all right?

Raion had ordered that no one enter his room no matter what noises they heard, as he was experimenting with his abilities.

However, the maids must have told Patrick after hearing the vase shatter.

Because of that, when Raion was about to decide on the shape to form, Patrick’s face suddenly popped into his mind.

[Since the material is wood, the shape will be maintained permanently.]

“Ah, no—!”

Raion tried to stop it, but the wooden transformation completed swiftly.

The lion figurine turned into a miniature version of Patrick, wearing the same calm expression.

Click—!

At that moment, the door opened, and Patrick entered.

Raion had shouted in surprise at his mistake, which drew Patrick’s attention.

“Is something the matter, Your Highness?”

“N-no! Nothing happened!”

Patrick stepped inside, his eyes sweeping over the broken vase shards, the water-soaked carpet, and the table bearing the figurine.

“Hmm… For ‘nothing happening,’ the room looks rather chaotic. The Edina earthenware vase is broken, the Moratz carpet is soaked, and the sacred-wood table from the Bachenan Holy Kingdom is burnt in the center… Truly, nothing out of the ordinary, indeed.”

Patrick’s tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Raion wiped cold sweat from his brow and forced a weak smile.

“Ha, ha, ha… well, maybe it was a little something, huh?”

“‘A little’? I’d say not at all.”

“Right? Definitely not nothing.”

“If Your Highness intends to practice magic, I can prepare a suitable space for that.”

“If you could, I’d be grateful…”

Raion scratched the back of his red hair awkwardly.

“I’ll make the arrangements right away. In the meantime, I’ll have these broken things cleaned up.”

Patrick stepped outside briefly and returned with Monica and a few other attendants.

They quickly replaced the table, carpet, and vase with new ones.

Then, Monica noticed the miniature wooden statue of Patrick placed on the table.

“What should we do with this, Butler?”

It looked so identical to Patrick that throwing it away felt strangely inappropriate.

“I believe His Highness should decide that himself.”

The choice passed from Patrick to Raion.

However, Raion had no particular desire to keep it.

“I think Patrick should do as he likes with it.”

“Understood. Then I’ll take care of it.”

Swish—!

Before anyone realized, the miniature Patrick statue had already slipped into Patrick’s arms.

Once the cleaning was done, everyone left the room.

Later, according to rumors, that very statue was displayed neatly inside Patrick’s quarters.

—

About seven days had passed since Raion had awakened after returning to the past.

Now, he carefully entered the royal audience chamber to meet his father, Laskan Canel, the King of the Canel Kingdom.

Numerous ministers stood lined up on both sides of the grand hall.

All of them stared sharply at Raion, the Third Prince, with looks far from friendly.

‘I need to look as timid as possible.’

Instead of walking proudly, Raion deliberately acted nervous as he walked forward slowly.

Step. Step. Step.

When he reached the front, he knelt down on one knee.

From the high platform, King Laskan Canel looked down at him with solemn eyes.

“Well… I’m sure it must’ve been difficult to recover after finally regaining consciousness. Are you all right now?”

At his father’s question, Raion stammered slightly as he answered.

“Y-yes, Your Majesty…”

“Hmm! What are you so afraid of that you shrink away like that? Does this hall weigh upon you so heavily?”

The ministers’ cold gazes pierced through him.

Meanwhile, King Laskan Canel regarded Raion not as a father, but purely from the standpoint of a monarch.

Of course, Raion felt nothing inside.

However, for the sake of his plan, he needed to maintain his former appearance.

Especially when Queen Elina, seated beside Laskan, was watching.

‘I can’t show my true self in front of that woman, not when I have nothing yet.’

For Queen Elina possessed venom stronger than hundreds—no, thousands—of vipers.

“M-my apologies.”

“In any case, I’m glad to hear you’re well. But according to the priest who treated you, your body was quite frail… How about beginning knight training from now on?”

Knight lessons were something even the First Prince, Ashuran, had taken from a young age.

Ashuran possessed remarkable talent with the sword and was highly regarded as a knight.

In fact, among the royal children, he had inherited the King’s swordsmanship talent the most.

At that, Queen Elina, seated beside Laskan, smiled gently and spoke.

“As His Majesty said, that does sound like a wonderful idea. Though… I do worry. His body is so weak—what if he collapses again?”

Far from being concern, her words were meant to keep Raion from doing anything at all.

The nobles aligned with her faction understood her true intention perfectly.

But to Laskan, it merely sounded like motherly worry.

“You have a point, but we can’t let him continue living in such frailty forever. He must build up his stamina somehow and learn to fulfill his duties as a prince.”

“I share Your Majesty’s thoughts completely. It’s just… I can’t help but worry as a mother.”

“Truly, you worry too much. Third Prince, did you hear that?”

At his father’s call, Raion bowed his head again.

“Y-yes… I heard you well, Your Majesty.”

Even though he clearly saw through Queen Elina’s intentions, Raion still answered with the same meek demeanor as before.

King Laskan could only gaze at him with a look of helpless pity.

“Sigh… I really don’t know what to do. How did you end up with such a weakling among my sons?”

As Laskan’s sigh lingered heavily in the air, murmurs spread among the ministers.

They all knew how deeply the King cared for his third son, but this atmosphere was enough to make the royal succession feel uncertain.

Amid the rising tension, Raion cautiously opened his mouth.

“Your Majesty… there is something I wish to request.”

Until now, Raion had never once made a personal request of his father.

So, Laskan regarded him with mild surprise.

“Hm…? What request? Speak.”

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