Chapter 273: Privileges of the Strongest

Kai was now crowned as the Red Prince.

His bearing changed instantly from a pariah to someone respected.

Just being a Red Prince alone already made him respected, as it was a sign of strength, but his struggle during the Dragon Ring Tournament pushed him beyond that. In addition to being respected, he was now revered.

Once he was crowned, the investiture continued.

Kai had to burn his hand and then used his hot blood to carve his name on the black tablet.

It was the dragon statue’s eyes that flashed and burned his hand.

Now, his name would forever be remembered for as long as the academy remained standing.

And surprisingly, his name flickered as soon as it was carved on the black tablet—the crimson colour changed to a lighter tone. A sign that, unlike the other red princes, who had carved their names on the black tablets that were mainly High Angels, he was a Lesser Angel.

Before this, still being branded as a Lesser Angel was an insult.

Now, that became a source of pride as he had triumphed regardless of his discriminated class.

Once the important procedures were completed, the Chancellor made a speech—making use of Kai’s resilience as an example for the others to follow. They needed to perform well for mankind in order to survive.

No excuses for them to perform less than Kai when they were all of a higher class than him.

Though the First Sky would offer no grander stage than the Dragon Ring Tournament, they could strive harder and close the distance in the Second Sky. His last words seamlessly faded into the silence, and with them, the investiture came to an end.

After the investiture, Dean Lincoln brought Kai to his office and sat him down.

"The last time we met, you were the slowest to digest the Blessed Drop of Hebe during the Seraphic Rebirth. Thirty minutes was a record slow." Dean Lincoln settled into his chair with blatant amusement in his eyes. "And now you’ve become the Red Prince. Life seemed to really be the one thing that was always unpredictable."

"Yes..." Kai nodded politely. "If I remember correctly—you had to leave to handle a problem north of Cloud Alpha."

"Our academy was having a shortage of strong squads—in the Second Sky, so there are more Star Beasts that had gone through. But your seniors who would be transferred to the Second Sky were strong enough to recuperate that shortage."

"I see..."

"Forget all that. I didn’t bring you here for that kind of talk." Dean Lincoln waved his hand to get rid of the bitterness from that ongoing problem, then opened a drawer and laid a stack of papers on the desk. "We’re here to discuss your privileges as the Red Prince."

Kai paused for a second, then his lips behind his mask curled.

Hearing this made him so excited that he almost couldn’t hide it.

"You may go ahead—and read your privileges." Dean Lincoln gestured for Kai to have a look with an open palm. "Everything written there is what you need to know as the Red Prince. It summarizes all your privileges in the First Sky."

Eagerly, Kai pulled the papers towards him and then read the content.

He read the privileges he obtained attentively.

In the first section, the privileges affected his weekly allowance.

First was the betterment of his Accolade, which now included the Red Ox Leaves—a far better oxygen-rich plant that would last multiple people a week without a problem. Additionally, he would also be allocated a Special Accolade.

It included one hundred legal mana ores for himself and ten mana ores per group member.

Second, his mining quota would also be reduced to five hundred mana ores.

Considering that he originally would need to amass three thousand mana ores per week, this was a significant decrease. His mining quota went from the highest one across the academy to the lowest.

His mining quota was even less than High Angels, which was at one thousand per week.

Third was the section that explained the facility privilege.

It included a special multi-functional training chamber, which was the one Bryan wanted. Next was the copy of the Eventide Mantle of Lifeblood, which would be made specifically to fit his frame.

He could use the original Eventide Mantle of Lifeblood in the meantime.

However, he can’t use it to engage in a battle.

And then he would also receive accommodations reserved exclusively for the Red Prince, a new Scourge-class mount of his choosing, a white dragon-shaped mask capable of functioning well even in the Second Sky, and the Heart of Dragon.

It turns out the Heart of Dragon is a reward included for the Red Prince.

According to what he read, it has the effect of doubling the mana of whoever digested it while also granting a mana efficiency boost. That alone made it, without question, the best reward he had earned from winning the Dragon Ring Tournament.

Kai, as the Supernal of the Goddess of the Primordial Night, is a mana-focused Supernal.

His swollen mana stat was the proof of that.

So, naturally, having it doubled would be an incredible growth.

Inside the fourth section was his external privilege.

Other than being allowed to roam around Cloud Alpha as long as he didn’t cause trouble, he also gained access to a cultivated cloud called the Lair of the Small, along with something that Kai found interesting.

A domesticated White Sky Gate called the Barbarian Hold.

Both were not only accessible to him, but also to the Ambrosia Pact.

Finally, the fifth privilege stated that his class as the Red Prince would exceed even that of the High Angels within Eventide Academy. Kai raised his gaze from the papers and looked at the Dean. "What does this privilege even mean—the Red Prince is to be treated higher than High Angels within the academy?"

"Hm?" Dean Lincoln leaned forward to take a look, and he smirked. "That means you could do whatever you want in the academy."

Kai was stunned by the answer.

And then shook his head, snapping out of his trance.

As basically the strongest freshman at Angel, and now formally acknowledged by the academy, his power within Eventide Academy was all but absolute. Only the Chancellor and the Deans stood above him.

Even professors would need to think twice before challenging him.

Naturally, the other students would need to think three times over to offend him.

Not that any of them would dare after seeing what they saw.

"I-I see..." Kai reclined back in his chair. And then, he recalled one thing that Dean Lincoln said. "You said earlier that these privileges are the ones I have in the First Sky; does that mean I also have other privileges in the Second Sky and above?"

"Yes." Dean Lincoln nodded. "Do you think the tournament would be celebrated so highly if the Red Prince title meant little? Eventide Academy and every academy in all Cloud Colonies holds ties up to the Third Sky. Naturally—the Red Prince title travels with you through every sky, granting more privileges along the way."

Kai was fully aware that being the Red Prince was a big deal.

It was made clear by the other Red Princes he met.

But he didn’t expect it to be this impactful.

"Do you have any other questions?" Dean Lincoln asked.

"No..." Kai leaned forward again to check one more time, and then pulled away. "No."

"You may take the papers with you, so you don’t forget what you’re entitled to." Dean Lincoln offered a light chuckle at his awkwardness. "Everything listed will be delivered to your brand-new residence. And do make sure to safeguard the mask and the Eventide Mantle of Lifeblood you currently wear. You may return them once your own mantle and new mask have finished being made and delivered."

"Yes, I will take care of them."

"In that case." Dean Lincoln rose from his chair, and Kai followed suit. The Dean extended his hand—and Kai accepted the firm handshake. "Once again, congratulations on becoming this year’s Red Prince. I trust you will use it in service of mankind. And may Nemesis take all your powers away if you dare forget about the academy as you rise."

Kai laughed sheepishly at the joke, and then excused himself to leave.

It was already nighttime, and the corridor was emptier now.

Some workers were still cleaning up the last echoes of the investiture while being watched by a few grey-masked Angels. Kai walked with slow, measured steps—the crimson mantle still heavy on his shoulders.

No more crimson steel laurel against his brows, but he could still feel its lingering coldness.

Even as he walked, the grey-masked Angels stopped and saluted toward him.

Something that he wasn’t used to, as he flinched every time they did it, expecting an attack.

As he walked, he still couldn’t believe what he learned.

The privileges that came with being Red Prince were beyond anything he had imagined. He could only curse the Red Prince he’d met before—the ones who had grinned and told him the best part was the ice cream and attention from girls.

Technically, those weren’t lies, but they were the most important privileges.

His lifestyle had transformed overnight.

Facilities exclusive to him. Better Accolades. Private hunting grounds. Bearing that extended beyond the academy walls. Even freedom to move, to act, and to exist beyond the suffocating weight of being a Lesser Angel.

Now, he was entitled to be treated with even more respect than High Angels.

He had seen the treatment Bree and Matilda got as High Angels.

Frankly, they were already living well, so he couldn’t imagine how it would be for him.

It felt like he had won the lottery.

A fortune no one had told him existed—the feeling was exuberant and grand, a warmth that spread through his whole body and made him feel, for the first time, like the world might really open its doors to him.

And yet, this was only the first step.

Revenge still waited for him.

The Demon Man—whoever he was—still stood at the end of the road.

And to make a difference, to truly change the world, Kai would need more power. Far more.

But that was for later. Tonight was meant to be a celebration. He wanted to focus on the happy thoughts, to let himself feel victorious. Then, he remembered someone, and the warmth inside him curdled into something cold.

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

The celebratory haze burned away in an instant.

Kai made a sharp turn and descended the stairs with purposeful steps.

As much as he wanted to feel victorious, he needed to know the cost of his victory first.

He needed to understand what had been paid for it.

Talitha... Abigail... Please be okay.