Chapter 71: Chapter 60: Divine Lamp Grand Trial? No! Holy Grail War! Yes

"Tsk~ I knew it was you!"

As Isaac followed Prince Norns into the dining hall, he immediately spotted a familiar face: Merin, a Witch from the Mad Witch Association.

’Merin’s true identity isn’t hard to guess,’ Isaac thought. ’The original author of the Divine Research Manual was just a fairly average Wizard, so it’s unlikely the manuscript of such a minor figure would be scattered across the globe. That means the Witch Merin and I, holding the two halves of the manuscript, can’t be far from each other in the real world. In fact, we’re likely within the same Empire.’

’And based on what I know, the only legitimate Mad Witches within the Empire are the Eldest Princess and me. It isn’t a hard puzzle to solve.’ The same was true in reverse. Isaac’s identity wasn’t hard to guess either, especially since his codename in the Mad Witch Association was simply his surname, Solomon.

"Hmm? You two know each other?" Prince Norns asked in surprise, looking from the Eldest Princess to Isaac.

"Yes, we’ve met a couple of times in the Mad Witch Association, but this is our first time meeting face-to-face in the real world." The Eldest Princess stood, looking Isaac up and down. A bright smile bloomed as she extended a delicate, fair hand. "Let’s make a proper introduction. I’m Philo Merin Terra. You can call me Philo."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, took her hand, and replied, "Isaac Solomon."

"Wait, hold on! Isaac, you’re... you’re a Mad Witch, too?" Prince Norns asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I’ve gotten lucky a few times."

’A few times...’ Prince Norns’s mouth twitched. He glanced from Isaac to Philo, the gloom in his heart deepening. ’What sin did the Empire commit to produce two troublemakers like this...’

"Your Magic Power is so stable. How many times have you done it?" Philo asked suddenly, sizing Isaac up.

"Only once. I’ll do the second after I get settled. Why?"

"A ritual is about to manifest in a small nearby city. Interested in teaming up?" Merin rubbed her fair chin, extending an invitation to Isaac.

Nearby, Prince Norns and his daughter exchanged a surprised glance. ’She actually invited him?’

"A ritual? Manifesting? Is it the kind where multiple Wizards compete to complete an objective for a reward?" Isaac’s eyes lit up, and he instantly forgot all about etiquette. ’This is a fantastic opportunity!’

Rituals were generally divided into two types: conventional and unconventional. Conventional rituals were set up manually; even an Ordinary person could perform one, as long as the materials and their placement were correct. The other type was unconventional, known as a Fantasy Ritual!

Its origins lay in the Legends possessed by powerful Wizards—miraculous rituals born when those Wizards projected their own fictional stories into the Real World.

Different Legends gave rise to different Fantasy Rituals, each with different rewards. Some yielded Magic Items, some granted power enhancements, and others granted Servant Demons. High Level Fantasy Rituals could even grant a [Legend]!

They were the undisputed best way to increase one’s power!

"That’s right. And it’s a Divine Lamp Trial, a Tier One. So, what do you say? Interested?"

"Yes! Of course I’m interested. But teaming up... could it be a seven-on-seven Holy Grail... Divine Lamp Grand Trial?" Isaac asked curiously.

The Divine Lamp Trial had rules similar to the Holy Grail War. During the ritual’s preparation phase, participants would each perform a Summoning for a Servant Demon. They would then fight each other within a limited area, and the last surviving pair would be the victors.

The difference was that the grand prize of the Holy Grail War was a wish, while the grand prize of the Divine Lamp was a Servant Demon—an exceptionally outstanding one!

And the Divine Lamp Grand Trial, much like the great Holy Grail War, was a seven-on-seven battle. This was the only kind that required forming teams; the regular version was just a free-for-all, making it impossible to form teams in advance.

"Exactly. And it’s Tier One, so there’s no need to worry. By the way, we have one other teammate besides you. I’ll take you to meet her later. She’s a Witch, and a very strong one at that," Philo said confidently.

’Two Mad Witches and one Witch,’ she thought. ’How could we possibly lose?’

Though she wasn’t sure about Isaac’s strength, she was confident in her own. ’Anyone who dares to make deals with Outer Gods has to have a few tricks up their sleeve. Their combat power is bound to be maxed out, since they’ll have goodies obtained from those trades.’

"Are you two finished chatting? If so, please sit down and eat."

While Isaac and Philo were talking, Prince Norns and Second Brother Remington had already taken their seats, watching them while eating their steaks.

Now that they had come to an agreement, Prince Norns gestured with his knife and fork.

"My apologies. I got a little carried away and was rude." Finally calming down, Isaac remembered he was in the Prince’s Mansion and quickly bowed to Prince Norns in apology.

’The Nobility is very particular about etiquette, and the more ancient the family, the more they value it,’ he thought. ’After all, in this world, etiquette itself can hold power!’

Though Isaac had never seen it himself, that didn’t stop him from being reverent.

However, contrary to his expectations, Prince Norns showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, he waved his utensils more casually and said with a sigh of resignation, "It’s fine. That’s just how Mad Witches are. I’m almost used to it."

As he spoke, he glanced at Philo, who had plopped back into her chair without a shred of ladylike grace and was now stuffing her face with steak. The expression on his face grew even more helpless.

Seeing this, Isaac raised an eyebrow. He could relate.

Of course, he was relating to Princess Philo, because after he became a Wizard, Gaia often gave him the exact same look.

Isaac glanced at the seating arrangement and blinked, momentarily baffled. ’This is... where am I supposed to sit?’

Isaac’s hesitation wasn’t because the table was small. In fact, it was quite the opposite; the long table could seat dozens.

He hesitated because Prince Norns, as the host of the Prince’s Mansion and the highest-ranking person present, naturally sat at the head of the table. It was also natural for Isaac and the others to sit along the sides.

The problem was, Second Brother Remington and Princess Philo were sitting together on one side. That put him in a bind—where was the appropriate place for him to sit?

"Hah. Just sit wherever. Don’t worry about all that." Philo, seeing right through him, laughed and pulled out the chair beside her, patting the cushion. "You don’t have to be so formal here. Uncle Rein is very easygoing. I come here all the time."

Hearing this, Isaac looked from the grease-mouthed Philo to the exasperated Prince Norns. He had a feeling the Eldest Princess might have gotten some things backward...

’But that’s none of my business. As long as I can sit somewhere, it’s better than just standing around. Besides...’

’Those steaks look amazing!’

RRRRIP!