Ezekiel wasn’t completely drunk.
The acceptance he blurted out under the influence was not what it seemed. He had simply realized there was no other way to obtain the Sun Elixir.
Being terminal, he had to take the Sun Elixir to survive, and the only method was to have a relationship. With the 1st Princess’s agreement, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“I underestimated you, thinking you were just a naive teacher, but I see that’s not the case.”
The 1st Princess, Ether, wore a peculiar smile.
“However, it’s a bit disappointing to be embraced just to obtain the Sun Elixir. You should be totally smitten and desperate for me to feel the impact.”
“It’s not just about the Sun Elixir.”
Ezekiel shook his head.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but his feelings and statements were rather candid.
“Ether, how could anyone possibly hate you? Honestly, the time spent with you is…”
“Haha, I never expected to hear such words directly from you, teacher.”
Ether interrupted Ezekiel’s compliments with a hearty laugh, unable to listen to him to the end because she wasn’t used to receiving praise.
After sitting side by side, Ether filled their cups.
“As warriors, we must put our feelings into battle. What do you say? Let’s empty this bottle and then head to our chambers.”
“…”
Ezekiel didn’t respond.
He just stared at Ether.
He sensed a slight tremor in her voice. Ether’s face was slightly flushed, but it didn’t seem to be solely due to the alcohol.
It was a stark contrast to her usual serious demeanor on the battlefield. A look no one had ever witnessed.
Clink!
Just then, the cup clinked.
Rumble rumble rumble──
It started as a subtle vibration.
At first, the ground trembled just a little beneath their feet, but soon it escalated, causing the table and the alcohol bottles to shake.
It seemed the epicenter was quite deep. As it approached, a massive rumble began resonating.
“Hmm?”
Ether narrowed her brows.
Ezekiel felt it too. The air was tinged with something unusual.
At that very moment.
Boom─! Crash──!
The noises echoing from the other side were anything but normal. The clash of weapons and shouts intertwined echoed loudly.
“Corpses! The corpses are moving!”
“Necromancy…! It’s not just Brogar. They’ve all sold their souls for power!”
“Do not retreat! Smash them all to pieces!”
The urgent cries of the northern warriors could be heard. Ether was gulping down the alcohol from the bottle at that moment.
“…Even death is noisy and trifling. How annoying.”
Ezekiel’s muttering was the beginning of chaos. A messenger quickly approached the 1st Princess and Ezekiel.
He began by bowing respectfully before speaking.
“Due to Brogar and his followers selling their souls, the corpses are going berserk from necromancy. The warriors are managing to hold them off, but…”
Crash──!
Before the messenger could finish, an explosion resonated.
“…As you just heard, the corpses exploding presents quite a headache. The scale of the explosions suggests the goddess’s power is anything but ordinary.”
“Chaos” was a fitting description. The entire area around the 1st Princess had transformed into a battlefield.
Bang─! Bang─!
As the corpses self-destructed, a unified voice shouted. A bizarre yet clear voice.
─Bring the 1st Princess!
─The 1st Princess is weak; you are all being deceived! Every single one of you!
The messenger muttered in disbelief.
“…The corpses are speaking?”
“They’re not uttering words of their own. It must be the Demon Goddess using the corpses to speak.”
Ezekiel downplayed the situation.
“If the 1st Princess shows herself, this will all be over. Ether’s energy even has the quality to extinguish mana.”
“Ah, that….”
The messenger trailed off.
Ezekiel couldn’t understand why this wasn’t the easiest solution. There was no reason to hesitate.
Yet, something felt off.
The state of the 1st Princess was strange.
It wasn’t just the alcohol. She seemed lethargic and in pain. Considering Ether’s strength, it was hard to believe her condition was normal.
Ezekiel could physically sense it.
Ether’s energy flow was abnormal. The normally refined and neat energy wave was now tangled like a chaotic mess.
Gag cough─!
That was when the 1st Princess coughed up blood. Both Ezekiel and the messenger’s eyes widened in shock.
“…Ether?”
“Y-Your Highness!”
Ether waved her hands dismissively as if to say she was fine, but the reality was far from it.
Cough, cough─!
Placing a hand on her forehead, her body felt hot like a blazing ember. The messenger and Ezekiel nodded and immediately moved to get her inside the mansion.
When they examined her condition, it was utterly shocking.
“…!”
They had only temporarily removed her outer garment for fever relief, yet the bandaged injuries were severe. There were even strange wounds that weren’t covered by the bandages.
Hissssss─!
Ether’s flesh seemed to ignite painfully in real time, only for it to regenerate instantly. This horrifying cycle repeated multiple times in a short span.
‘This is suffering no human could endure.’
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain as her new skin burned immediately. It was certainly not something one could withstand with a clear mind.
“What on earth….”
Ezekiel struggled to speak, and the messenger chimed in.
“This happens every time she comes into contact with the Sun Elixir. Her body cannot handle it, yet she never shows any signs.”
Ezekiel hadn’t been aware of this either.
He recalled the imperial family’s past. Hadn’t the Emperor thrown the 1st Princess into the Sun Elixir alive?
How many deaths had she endured after that? How much pain had she borne each time she received the Sun Elixir? All for the sake of being the 1st Princess.
The weight of her title suddenly hit him.
Goddess of War, Queen of All Cures, The Strongest…
She could never show weakness. Just experiencing pain would create doubt, leading to an influx of challengers.
“Your Highness, I’m deeply concerned. Are you alright?”
The messenger asked with great worry.
Ezekiel felt a heavy sense of responsibility. The Sun Elixir he had received from the Emperor was the reason Ether was suffering.
“Ether, you shouldn’t have consumed the Sun Elixir.”
“…How could I not? It’s for you, my teacher.”
Ether forced a smile, despite her struggles.
It meant she went forward with this knowing the great pain it would bring, all for the sake of giving Ezekiel the diluted Sun Elixir. He felt immensely grateful and guilty.
Meanwhile, the corpses continued to shout.
─Witness the 1st Princess’s weakness!
─Face the truth!
─Keh keh keh…. You are all being deceived!
─Return my man!
Even the ‘goddess’ who had taken Brogar’s soul seemed to have noticed Ether’s state, as the corpses began to cast doubt on the 1st Princess indiscriminately.
Naturally, confusion appeared on the warriors’ faces. They were all fighting yet repeatedly glanced toward the mansion where the 1st Princess remained.
Doubt had begun to take root.
“…It seems I must take action myself.”
Ether murmured through gritted teeth.
“I’ll handle this quickly and return. Wait here.”
However, as soon as she stood up, she wobbled helplessly. Her mental strength held, but her body couldn’t keep up.
Now he understood the 1st Princess’s actions.
Had she downed the bottle to numb herself? The pain must have been unbearable.
“Just because she’s the 1st Princess doesn’t mean the Sun Elixir suits her. She pushes through every time. But why are the symptoms so severe today…?”
The messenger’s expression was more serious than ever.
“…Unless someone could cool her down.”
The messenger bit his lip as he spoke, aware of the impossibility of such a thing.
Ether chuckled lightly.
“Cooling the Sun Elixir? You know it’s impossible as well.”
A hint of melancholy hung in the Princess’s voice.
“When I was young, all the healers who touched me turned to ashes and died. Only I can understand and endure this pain. It can’t be helped.”
But at that moment, a soft whisper surfaced.
“I’ll do it.”
Both the Princess and the messenger turned their heads in unison towards the owner of that voice. It was none other than Ezekiel, who was raising a chill so striking.
“Don’t! Your safety is at risk! Your body will burn!”
Ether immediately rejected him sternly.
However, Ezekiel quietly turned one of his hands blue.
“I was speaking of my own safety.”
Muttering that, he placed his palm against Ether’s back before she could respond.
“Ether, your safety is far more important.”
Hissssss──!
Inside the mansion, a tremendous steam began to rise.
An overwhelming chill clashed with the heat.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.