March 29, 2021
"...Am I your king?"
[You were.]
"You were?"
[You loved too many things.]
[You were not only our king.]
"I don’t understand what you’re saying."
Alicia let out an awkward laugh. The beasts, covered in thick black fur, were not the most pleasant sight, but having seen them before, she didn’t find them frightening anymore.
[We learned human speech.]
[We wanted to talk to you.]
[We practiced for a long time.]
[Do you truly not remember?]
The beasts’ unrelenting gazes were not like those of ordinary creatures. Yet, as they looked at her with eyes filled with expectation, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her young son. It was a strange comparison, but their presence felt similar to baby birds chirping for their mother.
"I don’t know what it is you want from me. But—"
[We want to be by your side.]
[That is all.]
[We do not wish to be abandoned.]
[You promised.]
"Just being by my side is enough? That’s all?"
Alicia narrowed her eyes, trying to discern any deception. But their gleaming eyes were sincere.
[We have always longed to be at your side.]
[We wanted to be with you.]
[But you never looked back at us.]
[We waited. Always. Too long.]
The beasts murmured faintly, but Alicia still couldn’t fully grasp their words. They mimicked human speech, but their clumsy phrasing and unnatural cadence made their explanations lacking.
"I still don’t fully understand what you’re saying."
[We try.]
[We can understand.]
[We will do what you wish.]
Before she could even finish speaking, they hurriedly added their reassurances. They were afraid—afraid she might reject them again.
"If you can do what I wish, does that mean you can help me?"
[We do not help you.]
[You command, and we obey.]
[That is all.]
"Then... is it possible for you to heal my body?"
The beasts were naturally resilient. If she truly was their ruler, perhaps she had the chance to obtain a strong body as well.
[Heal your body?]
[There is no need.]
[You are not hurt.]
"No. I am hurt."
Alicia rolled up her sleeve, revealing her thin, emaciated arm. The sight of it alone was pitiful.
"I made a wish. And in exchange, I lost my lifespan."
[Lifespan?]
[Exchange?]
"If things continue like this, I will die. That’s why I need your help. If my power comes from you, then the answer must lie with you as well."
This time, the beasts did not answer right away. But even in their silence, Alicia could tell what they were thinking—they didn’t understand.
[You are not in pain.]
"That’s impossible."
[You are merely broken.]
One of the beasts suddenly lowered its head toward her. Alicia flinched but didn’t pull away. The beast sniffed at her several times before straightening back up.
[You are shattered.]
"Shattered? What do you mean?"
[Your vessel is broken. That is why you cannot contain it.]
"That explanation is too vague. I need more details."
The beast hesitated for a moment before nodding.
[Your power is different from ours. It is the greatest of all.]
"The greatest?"
[It is your power. It cannot harm you. There is no price.]
"...No price?"
Alicia stood still, unsure of what expression to make. Contrary to their words, the pallor of her hands remained, a reminder of the death looming over her.
[Your power is vast. But the vessel that holds it is too small. And so, it broke.]
"The vessel..."
[Nothing can be done. A human body is weak. It has limits.]
The beast’s ears and tail drooped. It seemed more saddened than Alicia herself.
"Then... if the vessel breaks? What happens?"
[You die.]
"What?"
The answer shocked her so much she nearly bit her tongue. But the beast merely swayed its tail nonchalantly.
[It is fine. You will not truly die. Only the human body will.]
"The human body?"
[You have weakened. But you are still strong and great. If you shed your human form, that is what you will become.]
"Are you saying I won’t be able to live as a human anymore?"
[You will become the great one once more.]
Without hesitation, the beast nodded.
"...And what happens if I do?"
[You must leave this land. It was once yours, but it was taken from you. There is no choice. That is the promise.]
"......."
[But it is fine. We will always be with you.]
The beast’s eyes glowed as if to comfort her. But that alone did not reach Alicia’s heart.
"I want to stay here."
[Why? Humans are weak.]
"There are people I want to stay with."
[Him?]
[The child?]
"Both."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Alicia clasped her hands over her chest. She liked things the way they were now. She no longer wanted to leave Cabelenus’s side.
[Time has passed. Yet, you remain unchanged.]
[You still love humans.]
[There is no need to.]
[Humans are enviable.]
[We wish they did not exist.]
Danger. Alicia instinctively swallowed. The beasts' eyes, glistening with jealousy, held a threatening gleam.
[Humans are detestable.]
[But we can do nothing about it.]
[The sin has already been committed. And so, we were punished.]
[We cannot make the same mistake. We cannot become like ‘him.’]
The fiery glow in their eyes dimmed. Alicia stared at the beasts, watching as they tucked their tails between their ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) legs.
"...Then, will you help me?"
[We have said before. We do not help you.]
They merely followed. The beasts laughed. Given the structure of their long muzzles, the very idea of them laughing was strange, but to Alicia, that was exactly what it looked like.
***
"So, there have been sightings of beasts in Schwarhan?"
"Yes. The entire city is in an uproar, calling it an omen of disaster."
"So, that child is responsible after all."
Jerpeneus’s smile deepened. He had his suspicions, and it seemed he was right. Cabelenus’s bloodline was indeed special.
"Could it be that the child was truly born with the ability to command beasts?"
"If not, then why else would they suddenly appear? Something must have happened inside the fortress."
"It’s a shame we can’t confirm it."
Peltion expressed his regret. The predator, once driven from its den, had become even more sensitive and guarded. They had attempted to extract information several times, but every effort had been met with the impenetrable walls of Schwarhan’s defenses.
"It’s thanks to my dear younger brother and his impressive vigilance."
"Then what will you do? Simply wait and watch?"
"Now that the child’s power has been confirmed, there’s no need for that."
Jerpeneus leisurely rested his chin on his hand. He wasn’t particularly fond of direct confrontations, but sometimes, preference had to be set aside in favor of strategy.
"Cabelenus prefers things to be flawless. The longer we delay, the more advantageous it becomes for him."
"But we still have the Shackles."
"Which is precisely why I intend to act directly. No matter how well-trained his soldiers are, Schwarhan’s reputation as the strongest rests on my dear brother’s strength alone."
Jerpeneus slowly moved the game pieces on the map.
"We’ll open the research facilities in Talin, Heinan, and Kein."
"You mean to release the failures?"
"They may be useless failures, but they’re perfect for instilling fear. The world is in chaos already, after all."
Jerpeneus’s eyes curved smoothly. The fabricated witches created by the temple were already stirring up disasters across the empire, and now, beasts had appeared in Schwarhan. Complaints and appeals were pouring in from all regions. It would only take the slightest nudge to turn this into a full-blown inferno.
"Having been puppets of the gods all our lives, it’s time we put their name to use for ourselves."
"But we lack the legitimacy of the temple."
"I hear rumors of someone claiming to be the voice of God."
"We’ve already investigated. He’s a fraud."
Peltion shook his head. Scammers always appeared in times of crisis. The so-called divine messengers were nothing more than opportunists profiting off of chaos. They might be skilled at eliminating the temple’s false witches, but they were still deceivers, preaching about divine will for their own gain.
"The truth doesn’t matter. What matters is that people believe it."
Jerpeneus smirked, glancing at the stack of reports on self-proclaimed ‘divine representatives.’
"Bring him in with the utmost respect. Let’s play the role of devout servants of God for a while."
And finally, the real prize would be his. Jerpeneus flicked over a black game piece, knocking it down. A small Schwarhan flag was planted atop it.
"It’s time to kill the wicked witch and rescue the prince."
"But if we move, the temple won’t stay silent."
"They won’t have a choice. The temple must move as well."
Of course, only we will return from Schwarhan. Jerpeneus leisurely licked his lips.
"Hand over the so-called divine representative to the temple. Frame the witch hunt as a holy war. That will be enough to push the temple into mobilizing its forces."
"Will the High Priest act so hastily? The temple has been cautious, avoiding unnecessary provocations."
"If he won’t move, then we’ll make him move."
"You have a way?"
"Leak information to the temple about the child."
Jerpeneus smirked arrogantly before continuing.
"Make it clear that the child possesses the power to control beasts. Stoke the greed of that old man until he can’t resist."
"Are you certain? If we do that, the temple won’t want to give the child up."
Peltion’s face grew tense. Hermann was the type who had to obtain what he desired. The High Priest, who was supposed to be the embodiment of virtue, had no qualms about clinging onto power. Once something was in his grasp, he would never let it go.
"That only means he’ll be eager to take the lead. The old man, who always prefers to stay in the background, will suddenly become more aggressive than ever."
"You plan to pit them against each other first."
"The temple, bloated with arrogance, foolishly believes itself superior."
Jerpeneus raised his chin confidently. Hermann had spent his life pressing down on the imperial family, issuing commands rather than considering the possibility of losing.
"With Schwarhan’s terrain factored in, their army will be nearly unbeatable. That will put the temple at a serious disadvantage."
"And that’s when we make our move."
"No matter how much of a disadvantage the temple faces, Cabelenus won’t be able to escape unscathed. That’s when we unleash the hounds we’ve prepared."
All the useless pieces would be devoured, and he would take what was rightfully his. Jerpeneus idly toyed with the black game piece between his fingers.
His soldiers, trained to obey without question, had already become excellent hunting dogs. But that alone was not enough to satisfy him.
He had reached the top—naturally, he deserved the best.
