Richard raised his hand upon seeing Mr. Delon, gesturing for him to sit opposite at the dining table, and asked, "Would Mr. Delon like to join me for a meal?"
"No need, thank you for your kindness, Lord Richard," replied the gaunt Mr. Delon promptly.
After being declined, Richard didn't insist further and directly asked calmly, "What brings Mr. Delon to see me this time?"
"Well..." Mr. Delon hesitated for a moment before answering, "It's like this, Lord Richard. The Eldest Prince specifically brought the pharmacist today to see the ailing King."
"Oh?" Richard's eyes flickered, sensing there might be more unsaid and prompted, "So..."
"So... I was thinking, perhaps Lord Richard should visit His Majesty as well? After all, during these special times, the King bedridden needs some care. Besides..."
Mr. Delon's voice turned somber, tinged with sadness, "Fifteen years ago, Queen Sofia gave birth to you in a difficult labor. In her final moments, she instructed me to remind you, Lord Richard, not to become too distant from the King. Now..."
"So now, you're preparing to persuade me to follow the example of my beloved brother, William Austin?" Richard said aloud.
"After all..." Mr. Delon faltered mid-sentence.
"I understand you're considering my interests, Mr. Delon," Richard said, joining his hands on the table. "However, I visited my ailing, esteemed father, the King of Donnas, just a week ago. As I see it, even if I visit him to express concern, it might not aid his condition. Hence, it's better to let him rest."
Mr. Delon listened to Richard's words with a slight startle, then suddenly alarmed, hearing some unsettling implications. Knowing Richard often had strange yet accurate insights, Mr. Delon couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that His Majesty..."
A waxy yellow face rapidly surfaced in Richard's mind. His eyes flickered as he looked at Mr. Delon without responding.
Mr. Delon's heart chilled instantly because sometimes silence signified the worst response.
"Then..." Mr. Delon's voice trembled slightly, "then... can His Majesty see the falling leaves this autumn, Lord Richard?"
Richard still gave no response.
Mr. Delon finally understood, lowering his head. After a moment, he lifted it again, stood up, and walked toward the dining room exit, preparing to leave, his departing figure appearing somewhat aged.
At the entrance, Mr. Delon paused slightly, turned back to look at Richard, and said, "If His Majesty's condition is truly as dire as it seems, Lord Richard should indeed visit. Though a few years ago, His Majesty punished you due to false words, he is, after all, your father, correct?"
"Of course, His Majesty is certainly my esteemed father," Richard replied with a smile.
Mr. Delon sighed, said no more, and exited the dining room, disappearing from sight.
Richard then picked up his knife and fork and continued having breakfast.
Afterward, he consumed about three more slices of bread, half a roasted bird, a salmon, and drank two glasses of water, finally concluding his meal.
...
After breakfast, Richard wiped his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and walked into the palace hall outside the dining room.
Edward followed closely behind and asked, "Your Highness, are you planning to visit His Majesty? As Mr. Delon mentioned earlier..."
"Let's put this matter aside until I have time," Richard replied.
"Then, Your Highness, what are you planning now..."
"I have a very important research experiment to conduct," Richard stated.
"Uh..." Edward was left speechless.
Richard ignored Edward and walked towards the busy maids in the hall, pointing to two of them, "You two, come with me to the laboratory."
Saying this, Richard entered the private laboratory, and the two selected maids nervously stood up. One was the smartest among the maids, the freckled girl Angel, and the other was a slightly plump girl Luna, not as clever as Angel but smarter than the other maids.
Both looked at each other in wonder, unsure of Richard's intentions, but obediently followed into the private laboratory.
Inside, Richard was already waiting. Seeing the two maids enter, he directly said, "Today, I'll be doing some very tedious tasks, so I need both of you to assist me, understand?"
"Understood," they quickly nodded.
Richard showed a satisfied expression.
The reason for calling the two maids was mainly to research the issues related to the second life remolding.
Last night's first attempt at life remolding, using anesthetics, had achieved perfect resolution, allowing the free acceptance of star-body projection energy. Solving one of the three difficulties marked a third of the spell's preparation completed.
To proceed further, to truly release the spell, the issue of the second life remolding—constructing the Magic Origin—needed resolution.
According to the records in the "Monroe Chapter," the Magic Origin is a very special vessel within the body, responsible for storing the special energy absorbed by star-body projection. The size and shape of the Magic Origin can vary based on individual preference; if someone doesn't mind the hassle, they could construct a Magic Origin with 365 facets.
However, for simplicity and stability, many wizard apprentices construct their Magic Origin in a cocoon shape.
Moreover, the Magic Origin is not singular, as it can be self-constructed with spiritual power; thus, multiple Magic Origins can be created within the body if desired.
Yet, due to the Magic Origin's high-energy reactions, it is critical during construction to avoid vital organs such as the brain and heart, to prevent affecting their functions.
Additionally, as the energy source, the Magic Origin is vital for every wizard. Any damage to it can cause significant harm to the body. For this reason, many wizards prefer to destroy their opponent's exposed Magic Origin during combat to end the battle easily.
Therefore, each wizard must carefully hide and protect their Magic Origin. Without equivalent strength, recklessly developing new Magic Origins is a waste of time and energy, increasing exposure risk—equivalent to suicide.
However, for the second life remolding, the essential focus is on the conditions for constructing the Magic Origin.
The "Monroe Chapter" describes that, besides entering star-body projection, constructing a Magic Origin requires an attempt to awaken the body with the consciousness, putting it in a "highly activated state."
The body is always somewhat activated, but generally, it cannot achieve the height necessary for Magic Origin construction, relying on talent for "exceptional performance" to reach. Once successfully entering the "highly activated state," the spiritual power can officially construct the Mana Source.
But what exactly this "highly activated state" entailed puzzled Richard greatly.