Multiverse's Holy Right

Alice showed no surprise at Roy's death sentence. There was neither shock nor fear on her face, as if she had long anticipated this outcome.

Leaning against the headboard, she lifted her bloodless, jade-like hand and tucked a strand of platinum hair behind her ear, smiling gracefully at Roy.

"...I'm very aware of my physical condition, King Roy!"

"...This isn't self-praise, but as far as a witch's abilities go, I could be called the most powerful in the world. Yet I take no joy in that, because the price I've paid for it—as you can see—is my body as it is now."

"Since birth, I've possessed extraordinary spiritual energy. The magic that most witches struggle to master, I had already grasped by the age of ten. This immense spiritual energy allows me to easily enter the Astral Realm, where I receive revelations and knowledge."

"This is also why, despite the average age of the highest council of the Greenwich Assembly, the Diogenes Club, being elderly, I became its chairman in my teens. Some of my knowledge was learned, but a great deal of it was acquired through spiritual visions."

Perhaps because she knew her life was limited—that she had already lived through two-thirds of it—Alice could face even a brutal and powerful Campione like Roy without fear. She was unafraid of death.

When a person no longer fears death, they lose all terror, becoming both brave and reckless.

"My body can hardly leave this place, so in daily life, I exist in the form of an astral body. The astral body has its advantages—I can appear anywhere in the world in an instant, using the Astral Realm as a stepping stone to cross distances. I can go wherever I wish to behold breathtaking scenery."

Speaking at length left Alice even paler. She covered her mouth and coughed twice, breathing heavily.

Liliana, standing nearby, poured some water from a bottle and carefully sat beside Alice, bringing the cup to her faint, pale lips to help her drink.

"Thank you. You're Liliana, aren't you? Though you appear stern and imposing, you're actually a very considerate girl."

Alice expressed her thanks, then gazed at Liliana with a clever smile. Whether it was due to a witch's "spiritual sight" or her own experience, with just a few glances, she saw right through Liliana's heart.

"I—I am Liliana! But I am a knight, saying I'm delicate or something..."

Liliana's face flushed with panic. Facing Alice, a senior on the path of witchcraft and a figure of great renown, made her even more flustered—she was never good at handling such situations.

"Hehe~~ There's nothing embarrassing about it. Liliana, you must stay just as you are now. This contrast between an upright exterior and an extremely sensitive heart is what will earn you even more favor from the King~"

Finding Liliana so amusing, Alice couldn't resist teasing her a little more.

"Don't bully Lily."

Roy timely interrupted Alice, earning a grateful glance from Liliana.

"Princess Alice, while Astral Projection is indeed a convenient ability that allows you to travel anywhere in the world at will, it also comes with significant drawbacks. Since it's merely a spiritual form without a physical body, you lack senses like taste and touch when acting in this state. Living like this, you can't even be considered 'human'!"

Roy's words struck right at the heart of the matter, causing a bitter smile to appear on Alice's elegant face.

"You're absolutely right, my King. Without the sense of smell, I cannot appreciate the fragrance of perfumes. Without taste, everything I eat is flavorless. It's true that I lack the basic sensations of being human, and even I sometimes lament and grieve over this."

"...Just like a blind person—someone born blind has never seen the colors of this world, so they don't feel profound sorrow. But someone who loses their sight later in life, having once known the world's vibrancy, suffers far more after losing it all."

"When I was young, my health was relatively good. I used to enjoy sweets, became enchanted by ladies' tea, and loved the fragrance of flowers. But I lost all of that when I was in my teens. My digestive system is weak now, and I can only survive through nutrient infusions. I can't even leave this house—it would hasten my death. My life now is simply about living one day at a time."

Alice's tragic life left Erica and Liliana utterly shocked. The two fourteen-year-old girls, at an age prone to sentimentality, listened to the princess's plant-like existence with eyes full of pity.

"Please don't look at me like that—it only makes me feel worse."

Uncomfortable with the pity in the girls' eyes, Alice spoke with a hint of discomfort.

"Exactly, Erica and Liliana, don't dwell too much on pity for the misfortunes of others. While compassion is an essential human emotion, 'pity' is also the evil of humanity—a stain humanity cannot overcome, one of the root causes of human downfall."

Roy reminded the two girls, then turned his gaze to Alice, whose beautiful face was filled with a sorrowful smile beneath its grace. His tone softened as he continued, "...No wonder you encountered a Heretic God when you were just over ten years old. That was when your spiritual power fully awakened. No wonder you resigned as the head of the Greenwich Assembly after only three years. I thought the so-called health issues were just an excuse, but now I see they were real."

"...And no wonder the Marquis Voban didn't seek you out two years ago when he wanted to perform a Heretic God summoning ritual. He knew your body simply couldn't handle it."

Alice nodded lightly, her smile like a withering flower—ethereal yet heartbreaking. "...When you, King Roy, came to my residence seeking me, I already knew your purpose. The only reason someone like me, a witch, would be needed is for matters related to Heretic Gods. You must be like the Marquis, intending to summon a Heretic God actively."

"...But what a shame. I've made you come all this way for nothing. In my current state, I can't leave this place. I'd likely die before even performing the ritual for you. Magic cannot heal the damage my body has suffered from my immense spiritual power. Even Lady Aisha's authority can only heal external and internal injuries—it's useless against the cursed affliction plaguing my body."

"You'll probably have to find someone else for the task."

Alice's smile was almost cheerful, as if she took great delight in having an irrefutable reason to thwart Roy, a Campione.

"Hah, others might indeed be helpless against your condition, Princess Alice, but among my authorities, there happens to be one ability perfectly suited to resolve this predicament."

Roy suddenly stood up, and before Alice could react to the situation spiraling out of control, he strode to her bedside. His left hand reached out, gripping her delicate chin as he gazed at her pale lips and leaned down and sealed her lips with his.

This was the fifth of the seven abilities of the Holy Right!

***

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