Chapter: 616
“Do you really think we won’t get caught?”
“It’s the power of the God of Darkness. Humans can’t perceive it.”
Rene, feeling uneasy, gazed curiously at Alsetin, who remained completely unbothered. Did he actually experience the true extent of the divine power before?
After Rene shook off his tension, the queen stepped into the room. They had erased all traces, but could they really fool the First Queen completely?
Given her temperament, she’d be sure to check thoroughly at the slightest hint of doubt.
Holding his breath and observing the First Queen as she moved, Rene felt relieved when he saw her head straight for the bed without hesitation.
Thank goodness. It seems like the dark power is genuinely working, just as this guy said.
Did she come here every day? The First Queen, with familiar movements, settled down beside the mummified corpse without saying a word.
Her gaze was as calm as someone looking at a person peacefully sleeping.
And that made Rene’s spine tingle.
Even though she was my mother, I often found it impossible to understand that woman.
But never before had he felt this intense a disconnect.
At least up until now, the First Queen’s actions did seem to have their own logic under the facade of working for the kingdom’s revival.
It was eerie, moving like a machine driven solely for the nation, but one could justify it, if they tried.
Today, however, was different. The king’s passing was a foregone conclusion. Everyone thought it was only a matter of time and was preparing for after.
If news of the king’s death were to spread, there would be some confusion, but it wouldn’t shake the kingdom at its core.
Rather, the First Queen’s actions right now posed the greater risk.
A woman hiding the king’s death and keeping a mummified body? Should this fact come to light, everything she had done until now would be questioned, giving the other kingdoms a reason to disparage the realm, and in the worst-case scenario, she could even be labeled a heretic.
She couldn’t possibly be unaware of this—why on earth was she doing this?
Desperately searching for a plausible reason, Rene was jolted back to reality by the sound of the First Queen rising.
“Everything is for Soladin.”
With that declaration, the First Queen exited the room, leaving Rene clutching his shaking gaze desperately.
“Now, do you see? The First Queen isn’t in a normal state.”
“…Since when?”
Rene had spent so much time with the First Queen, receiving training to become king within the palace. It would be fair to say he had hardly been separated from her.
Yet, he couldn’t pinpoint when she had lost her sanity. The mother he knew was entirely focused on the nation, no matter what she faced.
“First Prince.”
“I get it. If the First Queen truly plans to use His Majesty’s corpse, we must stop her.”
The current king was undoubtedly a good person and a great king.
Considering how hard it is for those two to coexist, he must have been significantly more capable than Rene first thought.
Despite the friction, he had seen the respect shared between the First Queen and the Second Queen when the current king was actively ruling.
How difficult must it have been to maintain a soft atmosphere while managing two strong-willed women?
With a gulp of sweat recalling his father, who had never backed down, Rene briefly glanced at the bed before biting his lip.
“My head hurts. Where do I begin?”
“You don’t have to worry, First Prince. Just move when the time comes that you’re needed.”
Rene hesitated at Alsetin’s reply, fiddling with his hair before letting out a long sigh.
“That’s a curious thing to say.”
“You’ll need to forgive my inability to reveal everything.”
“Sure. Right. I get it. You’ve shown me something, after all.”
Once out using the power of darkness, Rene returned to the room, immediately seizing Alsetin by the neck as soon as he confirmed the door was closed.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Whoa, Your Highness?”
“Don’t play dumb. If Karia didn’t recognize the signal, then you can’t be her disciple.”
Though there had been no initial sense of discomfort, it was unlikely that Erginius would lend his powers to a suspect, so Rene decided to play along for now.
What this dude showed was shocking enough to make one forget their doubts.
And yet, the fact that his words raised suspicion again was puzzling.
“Just inform me of everything,” meant don’t reveal all your cards until it’s time for action, which Karia wouldn’t ask for.
Why would she need to make such a request?
No matter the circumstances, she’d be able to act accordingly, no problem.
Testing him, Rene decided to show him the signal Karia used by ruffling his own hair, and naturally, Alsetin was totally clueless.
“Don’t think you can slip away using the power of darkness. I’ve already injected my magic into your body. Even if other senses become irrelevant, this connection won’t disappear.”
Just as he seemed about to escape, Rene glared, implying he’d start severing his ankles. The man who had been shaking in fear flashed a grin.
“Y-you… huh?”
In that instant, the man’s body melted into mud and crumbled before reassembling behind Rene.
Amidst the ominous aura, a figure emerged—it was a woman.
“…Your Majesty, the Fairy Queen?”
Caught off guard by the epitome of beauty he had seen in the forest, Rene was left speechless as the Fairy Queen giggled.
“I thought I had you completely tricked until halfway through.”
“Tricked…you say?”
“Weren’t there legends about the pranks of fairies?”
Pranks from fairies. Such words only surfaced symbolically when discussing bizarre phenomena, especially since their existence had become increasingly vague now.
“Did you just pull a prank on me?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“I really adore love stories. Especially the tangled, twisted ones where you can’t see the next step.”
“Could you please clarify that?”
Rene interrogated, his tone sharp, but the Fairy Queen merely smiled back without giving a proper answer.
“You’ve now acquired a role that must flow within the current tides. Things will shift drastically based on your actions.”
“Is this a prophecy?”
“I can’t deny that, considering I’m a fragment of the deity.”
“Looks like interpretation is up to me.”
Having never truly held a proper belief before being thrust into the role of a priest, interpreting the god’s words seemed a tad daunting.
“But how can I believe you’re real?”
“Hmm. Want me to share an embarrassing secret of Erginius?”
“…What?”
“Just two days ago, he was so absorbed in studying his powers he completely overlooked me. I felt a bit miffed, you know?”
“Fine! I believe it. I’ll trust you now, so just stop it.”
“Yup. But this part is the fun bit. Can I keep going? I need someone to boast to.”
“Why not visit the Young Lady of the Partran Family? I’m sure she’d find it thrilling.”
“Really? She seems shy, so I was wary, but I’ll give it a try!”
With a bright smile, the Fairy Queen bobbed her head and clasped her hands together, bowing respectfully.
“Please stay strong. I adore you, even if I’m confused about my feelings towards you.”
Like a midsummer night’s dream, the Fairy Queen vanished, leaving Rene alone as he stepped out without a second thought amidst the pile of papers which had seemed far less important now.
Something much more critical had just emerged.
*
“Thanks for coming all the way here! Honestly, I never expected anyone to show up! I mean, this place is just straight-up terrifying!”
This is odd. Didn’t Grandpa say the Hero was a half-crazed lunatic? So why is this guy such a nice fool here?
Watching the boisterous man laughing heartily helped Rene ease the pent-up malice inside.
“How did you manage to get through that? Truth be told, I didn’t even have it in me.”
“Hey! You’re a hero, yet you can’t do that? Talk about pathetic!”
“Hahaha! Can’t argue with that! I’ve always struggled with dungeon raids! Even with my companions nagging me constantly, I just couldn’t get any better! I’m really thankful for them!”
Engaging in a conversation with him, it felt clear that this hero was a man of extreme positivity.
No matter what he heard, he could twist it into a good interpretation, talking about past mistakes while laughing, showing they all had some meaning. Even when nudged lightly with annoyance, his laughter never faltered.
Maybe Grandpa was just misinformed?
Someone like this does not seem half-crazy enough to say strange things.
It’d seem much more convincing he got scammed like a complete sucker only to fall to the bottom and still smile, claiming ‘what’s good is good.’
“Hmm. Huh, esteemed one.”
“What? Silly Uncle?”
“Silly?”
“Nice guy; overly kind fool. Shortened it to ‘silly.’ Sounds about right, don’t you think?”
“If that’s how you see it, well, so it be. Anyway, say, don’t you have questions for me?”
“Nah.”
“…Nothing at all? Why I’m here, or your experience in that dungeon, or maybe what you saw?”
“You likely have a dumb reason for being here, huh?”
The hero froze, visibly shocked at Rene’s response.
It was predictable.
If Grandpa was so kind as to accept the hero’s existence, it would 100% have broken him, and if he spent his life bouncing around to find ways to resolve his debt, he’d surely have just one reason—
“To leave a mark behind.”
“Is this story, so predictable that even a girl could guess it? It’s pitiful.”
“Uh, wha?”
“Why am I stuck with a mentor like you? Your mere existence is embarrassing.”
“W-wait! Can’t you just let me disappear from your memories?”
“…Just a second, can you not speak and listen to me?”
Seeing him break out in a cold sweat, it was clear he wasn’t simply another pure-minded fool.
It’d be best to bolt from this island and mess up that brat to purge the memories, but if he did that, the Legendary Hero would surely wail like a child. With his arms crossed, Rene tapped his chin, suddenly faced with the guy awkwardly grinning at him.
“Ahem. Thanks a bunch. To skip ahead, you’re correct; I’m here to prevent leaving a legacy for the next generation. I wished for the wish of the Almighty God.”
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