Chapter 14.2: Mistaken Past, Consequential Future
[After the meeting, Kryos’s point of view]
Shouldn't I have something at that point? I've already blown that opportunity, so there's no point in crying over spilled milk. Bringing Eugen into this is the only way to put out this dumpster fire.
How long will that "uncle" of mine keep making those pointless complaints? We can barely feed ourselves under this year's harsher sun, but he demands more and more tribute, claiming that their women and children are dying. Shouldn't they have kept their festive spirit a little lower last winter? What a headache I'm in, at least Eugen has brought someone along to cover my ruling for me, those "subordinates" of my late father always bothering me with unnecessary appeals, what's the worth of a fallen royal like our family that would impact hell?
Needless to say, Eugen has found someone capable of doing my job; if they so desire, I can relinquish the ephemeral glory of a prince. Their meeting speech may have needed some pride, but I say that was sufficient. Oh, and that wretched commerce, how much of that money do you think he spends on his luxuries, and he dares to deflect my question at me? I swear, I will...
"Are you all right, my prince?" You've been strangely silent since you dragged me into your chamber." Oh, I didn't say anything, did I? All of this was just swirling thoughts in my head.
"Nothing wrong, Eugen. So, how did you get along with them?" The dismissive thoughts lingered in my mind like bugs that squirmed in a bowl. Eugen dismisses his worried demeanor.
"We are simply good friends." He declares loudly. This answer is that of a flustered man. Ha! His humanity is shining through; was he still convinced that he is alive and a human? This wouldn't have happened infrequently, but it seems to have become more frequent since he returned with that angel yesterday.
"How dull! I was just wondering if they were adjusting to this new way of life. Was it like they sulked or regretted ever coming here?" No matter how useful they appear to be, I can't expect to simply trust liars who lack visible loyalty. These words are just reminders to be cautious; I have no grudge against them specifically, but rather a bad experience with a few members of their race as a whole.
"Please don't make such remarks about them again. You know that even your advisor thought highly of them, so why should you doubt them at this point?" Eugen completely ignored my comments; oh boy, has he fallen for sure. After all, this is his personality type.
If any more items are crammed into the two bags, the teleportation spell will simply not work. So, how did my father manage to teleport a small army that day? Whatever the case may be, 'Collocatione' is the spell I cast; imagine where the question is... The port must have been smacked the night that message was sent, so the market nearby then.
"Hold on tight, Eugen. I'm not sure if that place is still standing." 'Collocatione' " The binding light transports us both to a market near the northern border, which is devoid of any shudder. How dare he speak in such haste if he has no intention of violence?
Walking around, nothing appears out of the ordinary; the market is as cheerful as ever. The only distinction is our troop. Is it just Eugen's subordinates who have come to greet us, or have they all lazed around again?
"Why isn't anyone greeting us, Blood Claw?" I thought you said to train them specifically to recognize your mana sense?" His grunt is cause for concern, as he is no longer dealing with my tease. This is a serious step to take.
"Your Majesty, I don't think it's safe to discuss this right now." As the royal instructed, we should proceed to the border." That's his response. True, all of his shadows have vanished. My uncle was dead serious about getting rid of the contract. It's pointless to think of another plan for this; I considered delaying for another century or so, but it's pointless now.
"What are you suggesting to deal with this, my faithful retainer?" Allowing such an ancient rampage to occur without restraints would almost certainly spell the end for us." This kingdom will be lost if an ancient earl is not chained when he is in a vengeful mood like that.
"We don't have any other options, my liege. You and I aren't strong enough to quell an ancient's rage like he is...unless." Eugen, are you suggesting we use our little friend at this point? The sooner he establishes his authority over an ancient earl, the better. I should be on vacation for a better reason. I'm curious if you planned this before that meeting.
"We should use them, then?" Eugen reluctantly nods.
"It's too soon, but I suppose we don't have a choice." I was extremely fortunate to have Mikhail as my executioner at the time." At this point, he cracks another joke. When our little friend hears this, they will cry in frustration.
"I can say that to myself because I was always going to be the last prince of this decaying kingdom." Would you like to go traveling after this, whether we win or lose?" I wish we could face this tragedy together, as a promise for an uncertain future.
"Sure, if we survive this, your Majesty." Eugen makes a vow in response to my promise, which reminds me of the first time we met when we didn't have titles and were just two adventurers meeting at a crossroads.
“Come to the north border and aid me. There isn’t much time, little angel” As the glowing orb flies from the bustling market, carrying our wish to see the light of the next day, the message is sent through "numtius."
The end
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Standing under the limelight.How may you react?Fight or Flight?It's your choice.
Chapter 15: Common EnemyWouldn't it be too soon? The night is approaching, and he has already called me on it... Would it be far from here to the north border? I should consult with someone about it. The palace is eerily quiet at night, save for the demons who are rumored to be creatures of the night or that belong to vampires. There was no one to be seen outside of their quarter.Is there anyone there as the night torch in front of the office turns greenish blue? What a unique system they have, which I have glossily overlooked due to how inefficiently one's mana is used to forget how majestic the cover they wear... What was I thinking? I'm getting absorbed in nothing again; if someone was in the office, it had to be the advisor, right?The figure drops the book it is holding after unexpectedly opening the door. The hard book was the result of a knock on the floor. I can't see anything but the blurred figure in front of me because the light didn't reach my eyes completely when I ente
Chapter 16: Vanquish evilAfter those tall pine trees, Kryos stands to fight the "ancient evil," as the imp put it, while Blood Claw holds on to himself because he is surrounded by snakes. The situation is far too depressing for this kingdom's royalty. Is it necessary for me to step in for a simple gorgon? It would not have come to this pitiful state if he had followed the instructions and become a "king."In the midst of the fierce battle, an arrow grazed my face and passed through the pine tree. The soldier was alerted to "ancient evil" by blood drops on the gentle snow. I can't stand it any longer, can I? The snake approaches my location, 'hypnosis' as I conceal its unconscious body at my location."I'm not going to put up with that kind of crowding in my presence." Roaring, the gorgon hurls his spear at me, knocking over the pine tree in front of me in the process. Though it hasn't even come close to reaching me, it has prompted me to cast a defensive spell. 'Barrier' as my sudden
Chapter 17: ComradesTwo hours have passed since the last time any of us spoke, and I can't tell the difference between morning and night on this unholy ground. Because of how much mana flows into the air, snow on the ground begins to melt. I'm not sure how much mana I have left. My body isn't that close to light or dark magic, so whether it adapts to harm or heal me has little impact.After the whole declaration of his and my titles, Andromalius is rather calm. If he chose to ask at that time, I would respond without hesitation. So, what was keeping that thousand-year-old mind going?"I believe you have no ill will toward us, or at least toward me." Finally, Andromalius breaks the silence between us. Excellent timing, as I am feeling weakened in my ability to maintain the unholy ground. I'm wondering if Kryos has finally awakened; standing on the sidelines has made me feel guilty for not intervening sooner."So you're done with healing?" "Shall we call a truce right now, sir Andromal
Chapter 17.5: First death[Contain “abuse” and “gore”. Proceed with cautious][Rebooting]Again, nothing can be seen in the death realm. Pa's authority over the concept of death has allowed me to be reborn time and time again. In this forsaken realm, each time to be modified on my part. Every time I am violated to my core, I am disgusted by it.[Cause of death: mana exhaustion][Process of repairing the vessel: 15%][Modification ?]This time, I should limit my mana output so that I don't waste so much every time. While this terrain is mana poor, the majority of it is dark mana, so there should be some trait to go along with it to accumulate with that.Finally, the balance of light and dark mana...Being a homunculus has its advantages. Unlike elemental magic, which can manifest freely, light and dark constantly collide; losing control of one will result in permanent physical transformation. My halo and white are the physical manifestations of 70% of light magic. Let's keep it even th
Chapter 18: Aftermath of a battleKryos yawned, remembering the sleepless night he must have spent with my corpse. There wasn't anything like this before; perhaps the lack of common knowledge led him to believe I was still "alive." The chamber that this vessel surrounds itself in is a closed-off space, with the only door leading to the outside world. This appeared to be a cremated space for burying the dead in luxury."What's with the surprised look, little angel?" "Do you have amnesia because you've slept so much?" scoffs Kryos the prince. Of course, my analysis is met with a snide remark; amnesia... My soul still echoes my creator's guilt and trouble after being mixed up with Sariel's experiment logs. Lamenting the past would be counterproductive; instead, I need to organize the treaty with Andromalius."Your Majesty, death." "I was dead," I said monotonously. There isn't much value to my life; now that I have complete control of the death realm, I can "rebirth" whenever and however
Chapter 19: Our futureThe dusk sun shines through the clear window, illuminating the massive gorgon in front of me. To avoid eavesdropping, the room is completely locked. "Changing the course of the kingdom" makes me sound like the lunatic in front of him. The tension is high because there is nothing left to do as I previously stated.Looking around, the office appears to be in disarray. Many parchments have been discovered on the waste ground, and those books on the self have been misplaced. What happened while I was dying? It was a waste of my and the advisor's time, and the culprit could be any of the four because the librarian never left the library unless on a direct order or to mistreat the knowledge he so cherished. In any case, failing to provide a proper meeting arrangement is an embarrassment on my part."In the end, it's your choice. Mikhail, you are a sovereign, correct? Don't worry about my nephew's babbling; he is, as you said, irresponsible at times like this." Androma
Chapter 20: AdvancementDawn has broken over the horizon, casting a glorious shadow over the land of demons. The violet sky of night gradually transforms into the bright blue sky of day. It was a lovely but vexing day. The hall appears lively today because it is no longer haunted by the previous heavy atmosphere. With those gleeful tones, the imps greet me. "Good morning, my king," one said, "how are you feeling?" others responded."Quite nice," is all I can muster. Spending the night looking for the necessary assortment is not without merit, and those are inhumane. The aura of the Ars Goetia is quite fearsome to influence the mood of others on the way to the chamber I once slept in. Those who patrol the area have fearful expressions on their faces.One knock and two knocks, both silent, with no response. Between three and four, only a whisp of air can be heard. If I insisted on courtesy, I would be late, so I open the locked wooden door. Andromalius is spinning his spear side to sid
Chapter 21: Visiting village"It's past noon. The sun has passed its prime time. In Saudade, there will be an invasion. It is entirely my fault, and I must- " A knock behind my head, the knock was not strong enough to have a long-term effect, but it was enough to take my mind off the current panic. Andromalius must have used his strength to prevent further damage to my vessel."You are a foolish king, Mikhail." But don't worry, I've been in contact with my trusted troops since last night. That you have no ill will toward us, the high noon comment is a rush to bring you back to reality because you are so engrossed in your work." Andromalius teases us as he moves us to the shade. The imps quickly bring some iced water to cool down the heat stroke we have."That remark of yours almost gave me a panic attack, Andromalius. However, I apologize for my tardiness in performing my duty." The sun is still shining brightly as we speak, and the lack of sleep has kept me from thinking much; moving