Calian gazed into Arlen's light purple eyes, which were brimming with absolute earnestness and a burning resolve.
Hearing the oath of loyalty, Calian gave a firm nod. A faint smile radiating the commanding aura of a leader slowly etched itself onto his lips.
"Very well, I will hold you to that oath, Arlen." Calian said in a relaxed yet absolute tone. He then slowly stood up from his sofa, looking toward the room's window that was beginning to refract the golden morning light. "Morning has broken. We no longer have much time to relax. We must prepare to leave for Wollen City right this instant!"
Hearing the firm instruction to depart, Wolvin, who was sitting next to Calian, stood up without hesitation. Across the table, Arlen, still in the physical form of a six-year-old boy, promptly hopped off his sofa and stood tall with full enthusiasm, ready to follow his savior wherever he went.
Calian then shifted his gaze to the black metal key he had just received. He extended his left hand, intending to place the universal key back onto the surface of the table.
His plan was remarkably simple: he wanted to leave the matter of unlocking the handcuffs and freeing the captives entirely to Eralio, while he and his group focused on their destination of Wollen City.
However, at the exact fraction of a second the metal tip of the black key touched the table's surface, Eralio immediately activated his blessing. He was deeply curious about the alchemical masterpiece created without a single forging tool.
The middle-aged man activated his [Valuation] blessing to uncover specific information regarding the black object Arlen had just forged.
Instantly, a semi-transparent information window panel appeared, hovering right above the black key.
[Universal Magic Key]
[Description: Forged with absolute precision by an Alchemist, this key is the result of immense dedication, high-level meticulousness, and the fusion of a magic stone core. This masterpiece possesses the ability to adapt its structure automatically.]
[Usage: Used to open doors, handcuffs, safes, treasure chests, or any object possessing a mechanical or magical keyhole without the need to forcefully breach or destroy it.]
[Grade: Rank S Item]
As Eralio read line by line the text displayed on the information window, his eyes widened completely. He was in a state of profound shock.
"W-What kind of terrifying key did you actually just create, Arlen?!"
Eralio's voice cracked, trembling violently from the deep shock. He pointed at the black key on the table with a shaking finger.
"By the Gods... if this key were to fall into the wrong hands, would it not become an extreme danger to the entire empire?!" the man continued, his tone laden with panic.
Hearing Eralio's extreme reaction and his voice suddenly filled with terror, Calian's movements halted. He grew deeply curious about the black object he was currently holding.
"Can you explain in detail about this key based on what you are seeing?"
"T-That key is indeed a magic key, Your Highness." Eralio answered, his voice still trembling slightly as he repeated what he read from his blessing's status window. "But what makes that key such a terrifying object is the fact that it can open absolutely anything in this world. It matters not whether it is a door, a pair of handcuffs, or a chest, as long as those objects have a keyhole... with the key in your hand, its user can open it smoothly without having to go through the trouble of breaking seals or forcing it open!"
The explanation coming from the middle-aged man's mouth successfully startled both Calian and Wolvin. A key capable of breaching any object without the slightest effort was the ultimate nightmare for the security of everyone across the continent.
Both Calian and Wolvin simultaneously snapped their heads around. They turned and glared sharply at Arlen, demanding a reason behind his action of creating such a dreadful object.
Arlen was also taken aback. However, the boy's surprise was not regarding how dangerous his forged key was. He was surprised because he had just realized a new fact: Eralio apparently possessed a blessing capable of dissecting and evaluating an object's information.
"Can you explain this to me, Arlen? Why would you forge such a terrifying and dangerous object like this?" Calian asked in a deliberately lowered tone. He demanded a reasonable explanation from the alchemist regarding the motive behind creating the key.
"I-I only did exactly as you ordered, Your Highness." the little alchemist answered, explaining the logical reasoning behind his action. "Earlier, you specifically asked me to forge a 'universal key'. Therefore, I concocted a mechanical structure that is truly 'universal' in the most literal sense."
Arlen looked at Calian with honest eyes. "And as the alchemist you have just chosen... I certainly did not want to disappoint you by providing a mere ordinary key. I ensured its quality was at the absolute perfect level."
Hearing the innocent explanation coming from the boy's mouth, Calian fell silent. His mouth was slightly agape, yet not a single syllable came out.
Calian recalled their conversation from just moments ago. And in reality, Arlen's words were one hundred percent correct. He was the one who had given broad instructions and full permission for a 'universal key' to be made in order to free the people shackled by the anti-magic and mana handcuffs. However, he still never expected that Arlen would interpret the word 'universal' as an artifact capable of dismantling the entire world's security systems.
Calian could only massage his temples in silence, realizing that he was the one at fault for failing to provide clear boundaries in his instructions to the alchemist.
However, if Calian was currently rendered speechless by his own regret, a vastly different and far more intense reaction was being experienced by Eralio on the sofa to Arlen's right.
The middle-aged man's body began to stiffen rigidly. His pupils trembled violently in an uncontrollable rhythm, and his mouth fell slightly open as if he had just witnessed something horrifying.
As a result of his [Valuation] blessing still being active, his line of sight accidentally caught another semi-transparent information window hovering near the area of Calian's left hand, directly above an object worn on his ring finger.
Yes, the item was none other than a gold ring currently secured tightly on the ring finger of the Prince's own left hand.
[Ring of Trust]
[Description: A ring specifically forged by the first empress of the Erthland Empire in the ancient era. Passed down through generations, this ring is exclusively inherited by the direct descendants of the core imperial family as a symbol of absolute recognition of the heir to the throne. This ring was created as a pair so that the Emperor and Empress could protect each other from any threat. Once worn on the finger of its rightful owner, this ring absolutely cannot be removed by anything, until the user consciously decides to pass it down to their successor or until the user dies.]
[Usage: By channeling mana into this ring, the user can summon one highly trusted individual. The summoned person, no matter where they are, will be forcibly teleported, defying the laws of space and time, to the user's current location.
[Usage Limit: Can only be activated once in a four-day cycle.]
[SpecialUsage: This ring can mutually detect each other's situation and condition in real-time when the two users are separated by distance. If the gold color on this ring turns red, it means one of the separated users is in danger. And if the ring's color fades and turns pitch black, it means one of the users is in a critical, life-threatening condition.]
[Grade: Rank SSS Item]
Reading the information window about the ring right before his eyes, Eralio felt his knees go weak. His common sense as an ordinary human could no longer bear the weight of information regarding the existence of an heirloom passed down through generations to the members of the imperial family.
In his eyes, the purple-haired youth was not merely a Prince who would inherit the emperor's throne, but the very embodiment of the Erthland Empire itself.