The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

Nolan and Sharon walked toward the side of the ship closest to the ghost ship.

Since the two ships were side by side, they didn’t need a wooden plank to cross.

”Be careful,” Nolan said, reaching out his hand to Sharon.

Sharon took his hand and carefully jumped onto the ghost ship.

”Woaaa...” Sharon gasped at the sight before her. ”The ship really is destroyed.”

The deck was a mess—holes marred the floor, and many of the ship’s support pillars were broken.

The wooden walls were covered in moss and dangerous mold, which could cause hallucinations if inhaled.

”Nolan, you—”

Sharon turned, only to find Nolan had disappeared.

”Nolan!?” She called out in panic, looking around.

”I’m here, Sister. Come here!”

A voice came from her left. Sharon let out a relieved sigh and hurried toward it.

She found Nolan crouched in front of five damaged, rotting wooden barrels.

”What are you doing?” Sharon asked, curious.

Nolan glanced at her and said, ”Sister, I found these five barrels. They contain high-quality wine. If we take them, we could sell them for a lot.”

A sly, opportunistic smile—like that of a businessman who had just discovered a treasure—spread across his face.

The corners of Sharon’s mouth twitched at his words. She let out a deep sigh as she stared at the five wooden barrels.

”Are you crazy? This is a ghost ship. Everything here is probably cursed, including those wines. And even if they weren’t, all the wine in those barrels is likely stale and undrinkable.”

She didn’t know much about wine, but she understood that it had a shelf life.

This ghost ship had been drifting for hundreds—maybe even thousands—of years. The wine in those barrels was certainly no longer fit for drinking.

Nolan let out a small chuckle and shook his head. ”Sister, you’re wrong. The wine in these barrels isn’t spoiled.”

He stood slowly and opened one of them, revealing red wine that gave off a sharp, tempting aroma.

Nolan knew this wasn’t a sign of spoilage—it was the result of perfect fermentation.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass.

Sharon was momentarily surprised, wondering where it had come from, but she didn’t dwell on it, her attention fixed on what her brother was about to do.

”Are you really going to drink it?” she asked seriously.

”Of course,” Nolan said casually.

He raised the glass to his lips and took a sip.

The sour, bitter, and faintly sweet flavors danced on his tongue. Nolan couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

”Perfect wine! This is truly a treasure!” he praised sincerely.

The long fermentation had given the wine a unique taste that lingered on the tongue.

Nolan also noticed that the alcohol content wasn’t too strong, making it suitable for casual enjoyment—or to be served to important guests.

He went on to sample all the wines from the five barrels. It turned out that two of them were different types.

The first barrel held red wine, the second contained white wine that was equally delightful, and the third held wine fortified with a higher alcohol content.

The remaining two barrels were red wine, just like the first.

”Sister, please store these five barrels in your magic storage,” Nolan instructed. ”We can use one as a gift for the King of the Kaldarion Kingdom and another as a souvenir for Father. I remember he likes red wine, so this one should be perfect.”

Sharon: ”...”

She didn’t know what to say.

Using wine from a ghost ship as gifts had never even occurred to her. Wasn’t that... reckless?

Still, she didn’t refuse. If Nolan said the wine was fine, that was enough for her.

With a wave of her hand, the five barrels vanished into her magic storage.

Nolan was about to say something when a sudden, icy gust of wind swept past them.

Reacting instantly, he hooked an arm around Sharon’s waist and pulled her down.

Whoosh!

Two seconds later, five arrows zipped just over their heads.

If Nolan had been even a moment slower, they would have been killed instantly.

Sharon rubbed her forehead, which had hit the wooden floor, and looked at her brother with a mix of surprise and confusion.

”What happened? Why did you drop me?”

Nolan didn’t answer. Instead, he pressed his index finger to his lips, signaling Sharon to stay quiet.

She quickly understood and grew serious.

Rather than standing, they stayed crouched close to the floor.

Nolan regarded his sister with a solemn gaze.

”This ghost ship isn’t completely dead or inactive. It seems there’s a hidden mechanism that triggers whenever anything is taken from here,” he explained.

”Then what should we do? Do you want to keep going?” Sharon hesitated.

Her instincts warned her that many dangers lay ahead if they continued.

Nolan chuckled lightly. ”Of course, we’ll keep going. I know you’re worried, but I promise we’ll be fine.”

”Oh?” Sharon raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously. ”And how can you be so sure?”

Nolan glanced left and right, then leaned close to her ear.

”This is a secret—don’t tell anyone. Elina received a special heirloom from the Singularity of Chaos. It’s said to protect anyone who holds it.”

With that, Nolan revealed a small black triangular stone, no bigger than half a palm.

Sharon gasped, taking the stone with trembling hands.

”Are you serious? The Singularity of Chaos gave it to Elina personally?”

”Yes, I’m serious,” Nolan said, nodding slowly. ”Elina gave it to me before she left. She was worried I might be in danger, so she entrusted it to me.”

He let out a soft sigh, a mix of sadness and gratitude in his expression.

If Elina saw him acting like this, she would probably be surprised and ask, ”Since when did I have an heirloom like this?”

Sharon swallowed hard and looked at Nolan with wide, sparkling eyes.

”Then we’ll definitely be safe exploring this ghost ship, right?”

The Singularity of Chaos was the figure she admired most. Among the seven singularities, he was a renowned magic caster.

His name was famous at both the Fallen Star Academy and the Tower of Silence.

Sharon even remembered how her master was completely obsessed with him, always hoping for a chance to meet the Singularity of Chaos.

Her master had once said that if she ever met him, she would propose on the spot.

”Yes, we’ll be safe. Let’s explore this ship with confidence,” Nolan said as he stood up.

Sharon nodded eagerly and stood as well.

”Yes, let’s go!”