After reaching the maximum level, my "soft rice system" finally arrived.

On the other side, Prince Andrew also stood up.

As the third princess of the empire, Isabella never exchanged benefits with noble ministers, making her relatively powerless in the capital.

Even so, she was still regarded by Prince Andrew as his biggest rival, precisely because of Isabella's own abilities.

In his early twenties, he had already reached the pinnacle of near-legendary status.

If it weren't for the even more monstrous figure ahead of her, Sharl, who became a legendary mage before the age of twenty, Isabella's brilliance would have been far more dazzling than it is now.

However, in the past, Prince Andrew would have been quite wary of this.

After all, there are no directly subordinate legendary experts within the empire, and the few quasi-legendary figures, such as Duke Brunstad, are all extremely shrewd and never take sides.

Prince Andrew himself was only at the seventh rank and did not have the means to contend with Isabella.

However—after contacting that mysterious cult and receiving the blessing from the Lord, Prince Andrew gained his own confidence.

……

boom--

A layer of grayish-white mist suddenly enveloped Prince Andrew.

His aura, enhanced by the mist, gradually increased until it reached a level comparable to Isabella's.

"Near-Legendary Completion... Near-Legendary Completion... Perfect Near-Legendary... Near-Legendary Peak... Near-Legendary Peak Nine Revolutions Great Perfection... Half-Step Legendary!"

Seele, watching from the sidelines, was shocked as she observed Prince Andrew's aura steadily rising.

Charles exclaimed in surprise: "So there are so many tiers among the near-legendary?"

Seele nodded: "Yes, after all, there are very few legends. There are a lot of near-legendary powerhouses in the Western Continent who can't break through that barrier in their entire lives."

"It seems that in order to distinguish themselves from those who have been stuck in the quasi-legendary realm for decades or even centuries, they manually created so many smaller levels."

Even though she is the Dragon of the Night, she can become a legend once she comes of age.

However, the growth period of pure-blooded dragons is too long. Before they truly reach adulthood, they also need to go through each of the minor ranks of these near-legendary dragons.

As she spoke, Seele suddenly sensed a slight sense of familiarity.

This feeling of chatting casually while watching the show, doesn't it seem a bit familiar?

Before she could react, she saw Charles nod: "I see. I remember I took a nap and then became a legend."

"I've never been stuck at the near-legendary rank; this is definitely a blind spot in my knowledge."

The girl's movements froze.

She recalled the source of this familiarity—wasn't it the freshman named Edmond Dantès during the entrance exam for the Extraordinary Academy?

I remember at the time, I thought the other person was a colleague who had come to copy the questions like me, which is why I only got such a low score on the written test.

He even said things like, "Otherwise, any student with normal intelligence wouldn't have scored so low."

Thinking about it later, it's clear that His Highness Charles couldn't possibly have come to copy the questions; he was most likely there for on-site teaching and research, as people say.

Wasn't I essentially calling His Highness Charles mentally unstable back then?

Then, recalling her sister's description of Ciel—how he was calculating, vindictive, and unwilling to let go of even a single gold coin—she recalled how her sister had described him.

Startled, Seele quickly accepted a mission to infiltrate the cult, hoping to avoid Ciel.

Unexpectedly, the two still met here.

Seele forced a bewildered smile: "Legend? You mean..."

She could only hope that Charles hadn't seen through her disguise and wouldn't recognize that Empishi was the same person as her.

Then, she felt Charles reach out his hand to her: "Stop pretending, your sister already told me about you."

Done!

He's going to get a beating!

Seele closed her eyes tightly, but the expected beating did not come.

She peeked open one eye and saw a warm, large hand resting on her head, stroking her hair.

Hmm? It seems His Highness Ciel isn't as petty and vindictive as his sister said...

……

Charles felt quite helpless.

I don't know what kind of nonsense Augudia fed her sister, making herself look like she was bullying a minor.

He turned his attention back to the battlefield within the Hailan Mansion—

Inside the mansion, explosions rang out one after another, and the radiance of colliding magic flashed continuously.

After receiving the blessing of that gray-white mist, Prince Andrew's own strength was now comparable to Isabella's.

In addition, with the mercenaries and retainers he had hired at great expense, as well as the magic array he had set up in the mansion in advance, Prince Andrew's gray-white magic power now held an absolute advantage.

However, even though they had been completely suppressed, their black military uniforms were now covered in bloody gashes, and they were in danger of losing their lives at any moment.

There was not a trace of fear in Isabella's beautiful, dark purple eyes.

On the contrary, there was an intense excitement and anticipation.

What she longed for was precisely such a desperate situation where she had a slim chance of survival.

Only in this way can we overcome the legendary hurdle that has troubled countless people for their entire lives.

This similar situation reminded her of ten years ago, when she traveled the continent as an adventurer alongside Sharl and several other companions.

Face countless powerful monsters, explore the deepest and most mysterious realms, and encounter all sorts of people and alien races.

Even though I face crises every day and have been in life-or-death situations more than once, I feel incredibly fulfilled and satisfied.

Those were the days Isabella cherished most in her life, and even today, they remain her most precious memories.

Swah——

A silvery-white sword light slashed out.

The magic power, which was already nearing its limit and somewhat dissipated, was now being compressed even further.

The solid sword light, like a continuous bolt, instantly severed the towering gray-white mist.

The sword's power had not yet subsided when it pierced through the ceiling above the Hailan Mansion, which was protected by a magical array, revealing the dazzling starry night sky above.

"It seems you're going to have to take this step too."

Charles was happy for Isabella.

Otherwise, if the first attempt fails, even if he manages to save her, the difficulty of breaking through again will undoubtedly be much greater.

Prince Andrew's expression also turned serious.

He never imagined that even with God's blessing, he still wouldn't be able to defeat his opponent.

Isabella is actually going to break through to the legendary level in battle!

Fortunately, he still had a backup plan—

Although the projection did not come by his own power, to outsiders, even though he defeated Isabella, it seemed like a rather unfair victory.

However, such matters can be discussed later. In any case, the nobles are all opportunists. Even if they see something, they will only shut up when faced with a bigger fist.

At this point, Prince Andrew had no time to think. If Isabella really completed her breakthrough and solidified her legendary status, then everything would be out of his control.

Prince Andrew took out a glass and smashed it violently.

Meanwhile, inside the Hailan Mansion.

The religious leader, who had been lying in wait in a room, began his prayer after hearing the agreed-upon signal.

The bronze statue radiated a dazzling light, and an immense power of faith surged forth.

Points of light slowly converged in the open space of the mansion, transforming into a blurry, illusory humanoid projection.

Even though it was not yet fully formed, the projection already exuded a terrifying pressure, causing everyone present to frown.

legend--

This projection represents true legendary power.

"I've finally... waited for this day."

The leader of the cult felt the immense aura emanating from the projection behind him, his eyes filled with tears.

How many years has it been...

How many years have passed!

Over the years, the Ironmoon Order has been forced to live like rats in the sewers, hiding and surviving under the pressure of the Dawn Church.

Countless high-ranking members of the cult have been exposed and arrested by the Dawn Church for various reasons, and then abandoned their faith.

Even recruiting new members has to be done secretly, for fear of attracting anyone's attention.

But starting today, everything will be different!

The Lord's projection suppressed the entire scene, annihilating all the opposition present and leaving only the nobles who supported the Church and Prince Andrew.

Once Prince Andrew ascends the throne, he can support our church as the state church.