“Do you really think we can escape without being caught?”
“It’s the power of the God of Darkness. No human can detect it.”
Rene, who was anxious, looked at Alsatin, who appeared completely unruffled. It didn’t seem like he was just pretending to be calm, but had he ever truly felt the power of a god before?
As Rene calmed down in the presence of Alsatin’s calmness, he finally breathed a sigh of relief when the Queen entered the room. He had erased all traces, but could he truly deceive the First Queen so perfectly?
Considering her temperament, she would thoroughly check if even the slightest suspicion arose.
Holding his breath, Rene watched her move. When he saw her head straight for the bed without hesitation, he felt a wave of relief.
Thank goodness. Just as Alsatin had said, the power of darkness was working as expected.
Did she come here every day? The First Queen sat down by the bed, her movements familiar, and she stared silently at the mummified corpse.
Her gaze was calm, as if she were looking at someone peacefully asleep.
That was when Rene felt a shiver run down his spine.
Even though she was his mother, there were many times when he couldn’t understand her, but he had never felt this level of incomprehension before.
Until now, the actions of the First Queen had always seemed rational, as if they were all done under the guise of restoring the kingdom. It had been unsettling, but if one tried, it was possible to understand her.
But today wasn’t the same. The King’s death had been expected. Everyone had been preparing for it, thinking that it was only a matter of time before it happened.
Once the King’s death was known, there might be a small amount of confusion, but it wouldn’t shake the kingdom.
However, the actions of the First Queen now were highly problematic.
A woman who hid the king’s death and preserved his body as a mummy.
If this fact were revealed, not only would all of her previous actions be negated, but it would also give other countries a reason to criticize the kingdom. Worst case, she could be branded a heretic.
The First Queen couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. So why was she doing this?
Desperately trying to find a plausible explanation, Rene was pulled back to reality when he heard the First Queen rise from her seat.
“Everything is for Soladin.”
With those words, the First Queen left the room. Rene, his eyes shaking, struggled to regain his composure.
“Now you understand, don’t you? The First Queen is not in a normal state.”
“...When did this happen?”
Rene had spent a long time with the First Queen. He had been trained in the palace for the purpose of becoming king, so it could be said that he had never been apart from her for long.
Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint when the First Queen had gone mad. The mother he knew had always been someone who put the kingdom above everything else, no matter what happened.
“First Prince.”
“I understand. If the First Queen is planning to use the King’s corpse, I’ll have to stop her.”
The current king was undoubtedly a good man and a good king.
Considering how difficult it was to balance both qualities, he must have been much more capable than Rene thought.
When the current king had been active, even outwardly, the First Queen and Second Queen had shown respect for each other. That showed just how capable the king was.
It wasn’t easy to keep two strong-willed women in harmony and create a gentle atmosphere.
Rene, recalling his father, who had sweat bullets between the two women but never stepped back, glanced briefly at the bed before biting his lip.
“This is giving me a headache. Where should I even start?”
“First Prince, there’s no need for you to worry. You just need to move when the time comes.”
Rene hesitated at Alsatin’s answer, then ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly.
“That’s a rather ambiguous statement.”
“Please understand that I can’t tell you everything.”
“Yeah, I understand. After all, I’ve seen what you’ve shown me.”
After using the power of darkness to leave and returning to the room, Rene grabbed Alsatin by the neck as soon as he confirmed the door was closed.
“Who are you?”
“Wow, Your Highness?”
“Don’t play dumb. If you didn’t recognize the signal Karia uses, then you’re not his disciple.”
Though there was something off about Alsatin, Rene had initially accepted it. After all, it wasn’t likely that Erginus would lend his powers to someone suspicious.
The display Alsatin had shown had been so astonishing that Rene couldn’t dismiss it.
But now, his suspicions had resurfaced due to Alsatin’s words.
To claim that he would act once the time was right seemed too convenient.
Karia wouldn’t ask for something like that.
There was no reason for him to ask.
No matter the situation, Karia would have adapted and acted accordingly.
To confirm his doubts, Rene showed Alsatin the code that Karia had used, and, as expected, Alsatin couldn’t recognize it.
“Don’t think you can escape using the power of darkness. I’ve already embedded my magic into your body. Even if you lose your other senses, this one won’t disappear.”
The moment Alsatin tried to escape, Rene threatened to cut both his ankles. As Rene glared, the trembling man gave a sly grin.
“You... huh?”
At the same moment, the man’s body turned to mud and collapsed, only to reassemble behind Rene.
From the ominous energy, a shape emerged, one that was distinctly female.
“...Fairy Queen?”
Stunned, Rene lost his words at the sight of the exquisite beauty he had seen in the forest. The Fairy Queen giggled.
“I thought I had you completely fooled until the middle.”
“Fooled... me?”
“Haven’t you heard the legend of the fairy’s tricks?”
Fairy tricks. In this era, where the existence of fairies was fading, this term was used as a metaphor for describing inexplicable phenomena.
“You played tricks on me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I really like love stories. Especially those that are twisted and tangled, where the next step isn’t clear.”
“Can you explain it in a way I can understand?”
Rene demanded with a sharp tone, but the Fairy Queen only smiled without giving him a proper answer.
“You have a role to play in the flow of things. Now, depending on what you do, many things will change.”
“A prophecy?”
“I can’t deny that. I’m a fragment of a god now.”
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
“The interpretation is mine, then.”
Rene had never had true faith, yet here he was, becoming a priest interpreting the words of a god.
“But how can I trust that you’re real?”
“Hmm... Would you like to know Erginus’s embarrassing secret?”
“...What?”
“It was two days ago. He was so absorbed in his study of powers that he neglected me, so I got a little upset. I kept tapping him, but he didn’t respond, so I...”
“Enough. Fine. I’ll believe you. Just stop.”
“Eh. This is the fun part. Can’t I continue? I need someone to brag to.”
“Go tell the noble lady from the Partan family. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear it.”
“Oh? I was hesitant because she seems like a shy child, but I’ll try it!”
The Fairy Queen nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with mischief, before giving a polite bow.
“Please hang in there. I both dislike and like you, after all.”
Like a midsummer night’s dream, the Fairy Queen scattered away, leaving Rene alone. He left the room, leaving the stack of papers behind.
There were more pressing matters to attend to.
“Thanks for coming all the way here! Honestly, I didn’t expect anyone to come! This place is so bizarre after all!”
It was strange. His grandfather had always called the hero a madman who had half-lost his sanity, so why was there a seemingly kind fool here?
Watching the man laugh heartily no matter what he said, Rene felt the venom that had built up in his heart dissipate.
“How did you manage to get through that? Honestly, I couldn’t even bring myself to try.”
“Eh? You’re a hero, and you couldn’t do that? How pathetic!”
“Hahaha! Can’t deny that! I’ve always been bad at dungeon raiding! Even though I got a lot of scolding from my comrades, I never grew much! I’m so glad I had them with me!”
Talking to this man, Rene realized that this hero was someone with an extreme sense of optimism.
No matter what anyone said, he interpreted it in his own way. Even when discussing past mistakes, he laughed it off as having some kind of meaning. Even when Rene intentionally poked at him, his smile didn’t waver.
Maybe his grandfather had misunderstood something?
This man didn’t seem like someone who would go mad and spout strange things.
Rather, it seemed more likely that he was the type who would get swindled like a fool, fall to rock bottom, and still laugh it off, saying "it’s all for the best."
“Hmm. Future hero.”
“What? Old fool?”
“Old fool?”
“A kind fool, like an idiot. Shortened to ‘Binggu.’ Doesn’t it suit you?”
“If you think so, then sure. Anyway, let’s get to the point. Don’t you have something you’re curious about?”
“Nothing?”
“...Nothing? Why? Don’t you want to know why I’m here? Or something about the dungeon you overcame? Or what you saw?”
“It’s pretty obvious, huh? That you’re here to talk about some heroic sacrifice or grand undertaking.”
Hearing that, the hero froze, losing the joviality he had been carrying until then.
It was obvious.
If the grandfather had truly been a good person, the kind who had left behind a legacy, and then gone half-mad from the weight of that legacy, he would have traveled for his entire life, seeking ways to undo it. The only reason to leave a mark would have been to leave behind something significant.
“It’s such an obvious story that even a little girl could guess it. How pathetic.”
“Oh. That’s...”
“Why am I stuck with a mentor like you? Just the existence of you is embarrassing.”
“You.”
“Can you just disappear? I’d love to erase you from my memory.”
“...Hold on, don’t say anything. Can you just listen to me for a second?”
Seeing the cold sweat dripping from the hero’s face, Rene thought that maybe he wasn’t quite as innocent as he appeared.
If Rene’s feelings weren’t so messed up right now, he would probably want to leave this island and deal with that damn woman. But if he did, he could see the previous hero crying out loud, so he crossed his arms and pouted.
“Hmm. Thanks. To get to the point, you were right. I stayed here because I didn’t want to pass my legacy on to the next generation. I prayed to the great god for it.”