Chapter 156:
Chapter 156:
Something unusual was happening. Belluna and Benjamin noticed that an indescribable power was pouring out of Claude in a tremendous roar. It was a power very familiar to them.
"Claude-nim!"
May opened her eyes at the light so strong that even her eyes could not be easily opened, and she fumbled toward Claude. However, she could not reach out even if she stretched out her hand at the unusual energy she felt from the child.
'What the hell is this......!'
While May swallowed a curse inside, the Knights of Ambrosia, who felt something from afar, were running towards them.
"What happened!"
At that moment, the light from Claude suddenly disappeared.
"......C, Claude-nim."
May fumbled Claude's body, blinking her blurry eyes due to the light. Fortunately, the child was fine with no injuries and was breathing evenly. Unlike when something like this happened in the past, he had come to his senses this time.
"......Ah."
Claude blinked his eyes slowly as if he was too surprised. Benjamin's figure slowly entered the child's eyes.
"Wounds from black magic......"
Benjamin's condition, which had been seriously injured, was noticeably improved. His pale face turned red, and his blood-stained body was cleansed. The body exposed as the clothes were torn looked more solid than before.
"Benjamin, how are you?"
"......Very good. I don't know why. It's better than when I'm dealing with that punk Oliven."
In response to Belluna's question, Benjamin lit dark red mana in his hand. More intense and cleaner than ever, the feeling of mana flowing through his body was vivid. It was as if his master had purified his body after occasional magic training. No, it was better than that.
"I can't even see the scars I had before."
Benjamin clicked his tongue slightly and lifted the hem of his robe to reveal his abdomen. As he followed the war mercenaries, his body, which was tattered with scars from all kinds of wounds, was cleansed.
"I wanted to keep it."
Benjamin clicked his tongue in regret. He was going to leave those scars forever so he wouldn't forget those damn bastards. But Benjamin quickly smiled and patted Claude's head, who looked at him anxiously.
"......Thank you very much, brat."
"Did I do it?"
"Yeah, you healed me."
"Me?"
"Uh."
"Really?"
"Really."
Claude looked at his hand in disbelief and blinked. Veron, who looked at him, muttered blankly.
"Even a priest wouldn't be able to do this."
The same thought ran through everyone's mind. Ronda asked Belluna in a cautious voice.
"Belluna-nim, this......"
"It's the power of Ambrosia. Unmistakable"
The people of Ambrosia, who had gathered at Belluna's answer, looked at each other and exchanged glances. In the past, when Claude's power was first manifested in the Imperial Palace, it was said that the power had healed Sarah. But neither Ethan nor Sarah could figure out how this had happened. Ambrosia's power was the power of destruction that coveted vitality. Even seeing with their own eyes, they couldn't believe that Claude, who was born with that power, could use a healing power that was stronger than that of a priest.
"The fact that Ambrosia's power can be used in this way......, could not be found in any records. That's interesting."
Belluna's eyes twinkled slightly. A magician was a seeker of power. No one could follow the magician's lust for the search for knowledge. So was she. As she studied the power of Ambrosia with Ethan's support, she was slowly gratifying her desires. But as she faced the power manifested in Claude right before her eyes, another desire came to life.
'Perhaps Ambrosia's power is not limited to destruction.'
Belluna looked at Claude with a pretty, dying look. He was small, cute, kind, cool, pretty, and now he had an interesting power. For magicians, Claude was a child of blessing. Elexa, who was then silently watching all this, murmured as he tilted his head.
"Ambrosia's power?"
Then, the eyes of the people of Ambrosia all turned to Elexa. The Ambrosian had been infinitely kind to Penelois and Elexa. But now, they were looking at Penelois and Elexa with an unfamiliar, deathly pale gaze.
"......!"
Penelois hurriedly covered Elexa's mouth and pulled him into her arms and hugged him. The quick-witted Penelois could sense the change in the air among the Ambrosias. It was also very sharp.
"Ah, I didn't even know there were outsiders."
Belluna apologized, narrowing her forehead as if it were a disaster.
Outsiders.
Penelois and Elexa were not yet aware of Ambrosia's power. All they knew was that Sarah was a magician. And it was just that her disciple was the culprit behind the Alton crisis. That was all the information Ethan Ambrosia allowed. No more could be disclosed to outsiders without the permission of Ethan, the owner of the house. And it was the people of Ambrosia who had better education about it than anyone else.
"......"
"......"
Veron and Ronda exchanged glances. The Knights of Ambrosia, nervous about what might happen, fixed the swords in their hands.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. Me and Elexa......"
"It is not up to us to judge that."
Penelois hurriedly opened her mouth but was cut off by Ronda's resolute voice.
The Third Prince's hidden lover and child.
Without Ambrosia's help, he could not even ascend to the throne. Ethan seemed to be inclined towards the Third Prince, but from the moment they learned about Ambrosia's power, she didn't know how to judge him. Even the power of Claude was expressed differently from the power of Ambrosia that had been passed down now.
Healing power that was stronger than that of a priest.
It was powerful enough to completely heal even the wounds of black magic that even magicians could not do. Even though he was the Third Prince, he was in a situation where he did not know what kind of profit he would get if he knew this.
"Please come this way for a moment."
"......"
The situation changed in an instant, and Penelois bit her lip and pondered whether she should take out the dagger she had hidden in her arms.
"What, what's wrong?"
Claude looked around in bewilderment at the sudden change of air. Before he could even figure out what he had done, the mood was somehow creeping towards Elexa and Penelois. The people of Ambrosia, who had a cold, subdued gaze, were unfamiliar.
"Uncle......"
Claude walked over to Benjamin, crouching, and plunged himself into his arms. Then he tugged at the hem of his robe as if to tell him to stop it.
"Do something."
"Ha...... How can I interfere with your house's affairs?"
"But."
Benjamin turned his head indifferently, avoiding Claude's gaze. In Ambrosia's secret, Benjamin was also an outsider. He had only been permitted to study by Ethan Ambrosia, the head of the house.
"......Uncle."
Claude bit his lip as he looked at Benjamin, who didn't seem to be helping at all. Belluna was also avoiding his gaze as if there was nothing she could do.
"Elexa is my friend."
Claude spoke resolutely, descended from Benjamin's arms, and went before Elexa and Penelois. And as if to protect the two of them, he puffed his small body and glared at the people of Ambrosia.
"Stop it, everyone. I won't forgive you if you bully my friend."
Claude's wary gaze turned to the Knights, who were still holding the swords. The Knights quickly hid the swords behind their backs. Nevertheless, when Claude did not loosen his guard, the Knights sighed and took three steps back. Only then did Claude's shoulders loosen a little.
"Claude-nim, This is an important issue for Ambrosia. Let the outsiders know......"
Veron tried to convince Claude, but the boy shook his head and answered firmly.
"Elexa is not an outsider. He's my friend!"
This time, Ronda comforted Claude with a soft voice, at the words that sounded full of stubbornness.
"It's His Lord who judges that. We're just trying to secure their safety for a while, until His Lord knows of this, not to hurt them."
"What if Father judges them badly? Won't he hurt them though?"
"......!"
Veron and Ronda's eyes widened at the same time at Claude's answer.
Everything Father does is right. Because Father is great.
They didn't know that those words would come out of Claude's mouth, who always praised his father like a song. Claude knew it too. His father's mercy had always been granted only to the people of Ambrosia. Penelois and Elexa would be casually thrown away if they did something wrong.
"......"
"......"
The faces of the Ambrosian, who wanted the child to remain a little more innocent, suddenly became complicated.
"My father did. Without Father, I'm Ambrosia. So everyone needs to listen to me."
"Claude-nim."
"I won't forgive you if you hurt my friend. Keep your manners."
Claude's turquoise eyes gleamed deathly blue. Ambrosia's dignity, pride, and sense of intimidation bloomed from his tiny body. It was as if Ethan was standing in front of them. Seeing Ethan's appearance from Claude, the Ambrosian retreated all at once.
"......I'll obey your order."
First, May stepped forward and knelt in front of Claude. As one came first, the others had no difficulty following.
"We will also obey you."
"If it's Ambrosia's will......"
Veron, Ronda, and even the Knights of Ambrosia slowly knelt in front of Claude. A faint smile formed on their lips as they knelt before their young master.
"......"
Claude accidentally made everyone kneel down and blinked slowly in disbelief. He knew that all the people of Ambrosia were his own, but before that, they were his father's people. So, they only listened to his father and he thought that he had no power to move them. Now, he could feel for the first time that they were not only his father's people but also his own people.
"Thank you, Young Lord Ambrosia."
Penelois, who was standing behind Claude, expressed her gratitude in a shriveled voice. Perhaps Claude didn't know, but the Ambrosians' gaze also had a faint glimpse of killing intent towards Penelois and Elexa.
Wouldn't it be better to get rid of them before the Ambrosian's power is known?
It was that kind of killing intent.
'That was freaking scary, really.'
Penelois swallowed the swear words inwardly and relaxed. Then she heard a sweet voice over her head.