Chapter 120: Heavenly Water
"She doesn’t need our support — or rather, she doesn’t even place us in her eyes," the Empress said with a soft chuckle.
"Of course, we can’t blame her for being too proud. But since she isn’t on friendly terms with us, there’s no way we can offer her our support. Richard, you must be careful of that woman."
"Why?" Richard was slightly surprised by the warning the Empress gave him.
"Your growth is extraordinary. You will inevitably become a target for other factions preparing to obtain the World Magic Aether. Lady Rebecca is the closest to you. There’s a possibility she might try to kill you. Such things are common among those who seek the World Magic Aether. When a new genius with great potential appears, they can be killed before they grow."
Richard naturally understood that, but it wasn’t proper for him to respond, so he simply nodded.
So far, he thought this Empress truly bore him no ill will.
Her motive might be simple — to gain favor and benefit once he reached the level she anticipated in the future.
"By the way, Richard, what’s your relationship with Lilith like?" the Empress suddenly asked.
Richard was caught off guard by the question.
It was difficult for him not to feel awkward. After all, the topic was about his relationship with a woman.
Although there was an age gap, Magi lived long lives. In the end, even a fifty-year difference could still be considered the same generation.
"I know her because my caretaker at the orphanage was a close friend of hers," Richard replied.
"And through that, Princess Lilith helped me quite a bit — she even gave me many things."
That was all he could say, because on the surface, their relationship indeed seemed like that.
The only thing he couldn’t say was that Lilith had been waiting for him to grow up so she could make him her lover.
The Empress nodded several times after hearing his words.
However, she didn’t continue the topic, leaving Richard wondering why she brought it up in the first place.
Even so, he didn’t stop eating — the meat was simply too delicious to resist.
"Richard, take this. It’s a gift from me — or rather, from the kingdom itself..." The Empress suddenly took something out and placed it in front of him.
Richard blinked in confusion when he saw it.
It was a small vial filled with golden liquid.
There were probably only a few drops inside, as the bottle was quite narrow.
Richard couldn’t tell what it was since he didn’t sense any particular energy from it.
"This is Heavenly Water, something discovered by the founder of this kingdom," said the Empress.
"Heavenly Water?" Richard repeated, somewhat surprised.
The name alone suggested its priceless value, though he couldn’t guess its purpose.
"We don’t have much left. The founder only left a little more than a liter of it. After countless years, only a few bottles remain. You simply have to drink it. Even with that small amount, once you consume it, as long as even a tiny part of your body remains — even a single strand of hair — you can be resurrected after three days. And this can happen twice. You’ll even be restored to full strength, even if you’re at the Ruler Realm. Think of it as a safeguard — in case an exceptionally powerful Magus suddenly attacks and completely obliterates your body."
After hearing the Empress’s explanation, Richard finally took the vial and examined it closely.
"Your Majesty, isn’t this too valuable?" he asked.
Compared to a monster egg that might or might not hatch, the Heavenly Water was far more precious — it was practically a second life.
After all, most Magi died from being killed, not from natural causes. One could never assume they were safe.
To live again after being destroyed — who wouldn’t want that? It allowed one to take risks others wouldn’t dare.
"You must accept it. This is the kingdom’s way of supporting you," the Empress replied.
"And that’s only one of its functions," she added.
"There’s another function?" Richard was surprised again.
"Yes, you can use its power to strengthen yourself. Of course, that would consume the Heavenly Water completely. You can think of it as another option — if you wish to fight. So far, based on the experience of our seniors, there are no side effects when using Heavenly Water to enhance one’s power."
Richard nodded. He didn’t feel the need to use it that way. It would be far better to save it for a life-threatening situation.
"From what I can see, you already possess the ability to strengthen yourself, but trust me — what Heavenly Water can do is far beyond your imagination."
"How strong would I become?" Richard asked.
"You would gain the power of a Ruler at your current realm."
"What!"
Richard’s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard that.
How could that be possible?
The distance between his level and the Ruler Realm was enormous. He would need to advance four more stages to reach it.
"It would last at most one minute — perhaps even less — but it’s enough to unleash a few devastating attacks," said the Empress.
Although Richard felt embarrassed to accept something so precious, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse it either.
"Thank you, Your Majesty..." he finally said, expressing his gratitude and showing that he had accepted the gift.
"You only need to know that this is our kingdom’s hope in you."
"I’ll continue to do my best, for I also wish to experience what it feels like to be the strongest," Richard replied, causing the Empress to let out a small laugh.
"You must never lose that ambition," she said.
"Alright then, you must want to rest or train. The head servant will escort you back," she added.
With a snap of her fingers, the old servant appeared again along with several maids who began clearing the table.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Richard said once more as he stood up.
After that, he walked toward the carriage prepared to take him home.
He truly felt that the kingdom bore him goodwill — but of course, he couldn’t recklessly drink the Heavenly Water just yet.
At the very least, he had to ask Lilith first.
If this was a trap, and the liquid turned out to be something harmful... then he would be doomed.