Chapter 171.
“The commoners did not fear hunger or sickness, and the kings and n.o.bles looked after them as though they were their own kin. The knights’ swords delivered justice, and the mages’ songs were full of wisdom and truth.”
The king’s voice, powerful as though reciting a heroic epic, quickly turned melancholy.
“Those were glorious days, but they did not last. It all started with the foreigners.”
His heavy voice resonated in the empty secret room.
“It was the foreigners who led us to the most magnificent of times, but it was also the foreigners who then pushed that Golden Age into the darkest depths of despair.”
The king explained. The new world described by the foreigners was so tempting that many of the native people began to share the same dream.
Seon-Hyeok thought he had a vague idea of what that dream was, but he did not interject and listened to King Theodore’s story.
“A huge war erupted. Countless famed generals died, and this world almost lost the entirety of its proud knights and wise mages. The crops in the fields rotted away because n.o.body was left to harvest them. The fields were filled with unburned bodies, leading to rampant pestilence, and after this extended conflict, the kings and n.o.bles were unable to trust one another.”
It was similar to the unspoken history of the continent as told by Einst Jeneger, the royal examiner, when he first came to Rheinperle to investigate its newly discovered mines.
“All regressed back to the days before honor. The developments that helped address the common people’s hunger were lost, and the positive laws and systems that brought order to society were discarded. All that the foreigners brought into this world became considered taboo without any efforts to understand them, and they were even banned from mentioning. The rulers of the kingdoms surviving these great wars were determined to erase everything. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not completely succeed – it was because of the foreigners hidden in this world.”
The look in King Theodore’s eyes deepened.
“In that time of continued chaos, some foreigners were fortunate to survive as n.o.bles, and a few among them became rulers of kingdoms.”
Seon-Hyeok looked directly at King Theodore, unable to believe what he was about to say.
“We, of House Adenstein, are among those descendants of the surviving foreigners.”
“What the h.e.l.l?”
He had not been imagining it. Seon-Hyeok jumped out of his seat at the antic.i.p.ated, but shocking, truth.
“My ancestor, a foreigner, survived this purge 200 years ago and re-established the Adenburg Kingdom after it struggled to recover from the war.”
Seon-Hyeok had not misheard. King Theodore repeatedly emphasized that his ancestors were of foreign origin.
“Ah…”
He had thought it strange from the start. After all, the Adenstein royal family had favored him, a mere foreigner, and treated him without discrimination. The only antagonism he received was from the n.o.bles trying to keep him in check.
“It can’t be… is that why the Adenburg Kingdom treats its foreigners better than the other kingdoms…”
Seon-Hyeok previously believed this to be a result of a reasonable royal disposition. However, he was mistaken.
“Excluding foreigners would be no different from denying our own bloodlines.”
The Adenstein royal family itself was descended from foreigners.
“I am also like you – I also have stats, skills, and a cla.s.s.”
Perhaps it was because he was already so shocked? For some reason, he was not taken aback to hear that King Theodore even had stats. Seon-Hyeok simply let out a sigh, his inner thoughts in turmoil.
“My predecessors were able to unite the divided kingdom using their abilities, and the Adenburg Kingdom was able to regain its previous prestige. However, their excessive greed became a curse. They sought the foreigners in hiding and their descendants to unite their families, and that, in turn, has become a poisoned chalice in my time. It is not something that the diluted and faded blood of Adenstein can handle.”
King Theodore calmly finished his explanation.
“And that is why those of House Adenstein are cursed to live short lives.”
Seon-Hyeok was simply trying to tell the current king on the verge of death how to extend his life, but instead, he was treated with far too many stories.
It was confusing.
It was surprising that the Adenstein royal family came from foreigners, but more importantly, he could not tell why the king was letting him in on such a major secret.
“I am sure you offered me a deal in an attempt to remove any burden for me. I understand the inner struggle you must have felt to even broach this topic.”
The king was not wrong. Seon-Hyeok really had to ponder over their relations.h.i.+p and whether to proceed with his actions. But in the end, he made his decision with the hope that the Adenburg ruler could prolong his life even a little bit, and he offered this in the form of a deal as to avoid any strain on their relations.h.i.+p.
“Perhaps your offer was simply recklessness brought out by political ignorance, but I value it nonetheless and trust you more for it.”
But what’s this?
“Drachen. You are truly a strong ally of House Adenstein. No, you are even more than that.”
Seon-Hyeok had not even made his offer yet, but he was being overpaid in advance.
“Even if the measures you propose are unable to solve my problem, that fact will never change.”
King Theodore’s eyes were full of trust and affection never before seen by Seon-Hyeok.
“This is an oath made on the blood of House Adenstein, and an oath I make on my soul.”
His words resonated far too much for them to be mere words. It truly felt as though he was swearing on his soul.
Whoos.h.!.+
It was not just a feeling.
A light suddenly flowed out of King Theodore’s body and spread like threads.
“What is this…?”
Soft, but intense. King Theodore’s solemn and n.o.ble will reached Seon-Hyeok’s soul through this light.
“I am the owner of a dual cla.s.s. This is ‘Monarch’s Vow’, an absolute declaration and a promise that cannot be broken – it is one of the abilities granted to my cla.s.s as ‘Royal Monarch’.”
Seon-Hyeok thought he had no more room to be surprised, but he was mistaken.
“In the future, all of the n.o.bles, knights, and countless allies who have sworn allegiance to the Adenstein royal family will treat you like they treat me.”
Ignoring the fact that ‘Royal Monarch’ was a cla.s.s he had never heard of before, Seon-Hyeok was taken aback by the widespread effect of his ability.
Cough!
He raised his head at the sound of a sudden cough and immediately froze.
The king’s pale complexion was much worse than it had been just a moment earlier, and his phlegmatic cough sounded dire.
“Are you all right?”
In his fit of coughing, the king was unable to answer his question for a while. When he finally recovered and opened his mouth, his ashen lips were speckled red.
“I am a cunning man. I’d like to prepare in the event that your solution proves ineffective.”
He looked as though he would collapse on the spot, but his voice sounded more powerful than ever.
“The ability I just used comes at the cost of my life force. I am sure you know the value and weight of that price.”
Maybe Seon-Hyeok was just seeing things? However, King Theodore’s face seemed somehow more aged and weaker than moments earlier.
“I am using part of my life to ensure that the n.o.bles and knights who have devoted themselves to me do not defy you. As someone with a righteous nature, you will surely pay a suitable price for this, but I will also unashamedly ask you for what I desire.”
It had been sudden, but receiving the entire support of the royal family was truly tremendous. Seon-Hyeok could not begin to imagine what kind of a price he would have to pay in return.
“Please take care of Ophelia.”
But surprisingly, the king’s ensuing demand was neither as grand nor as burdensome as he antic.i.p.ated.
“I hope that you stay by Ophelia until the very end and ensure that she does not collapse under the hards.h.i.+ps of life.”
The king’s voice was closer to that of a father than a ruler of a kingdom as he emphasized his request repeatedly out of fear that the foreigner misheard.
Seon-Hyeok’s heart naturally felt heavy as he sensed this desperate sincerity.
“It doesn’t add up. That cannot be your request for me.”
The king’s expression momentarily froze.
“After all, the princess is also my fiancée.”
It was perhaps an odd answer to be considered an acceptance of the king’s request, but it contained a promise that Seon-Hyeok would do as expected even without being asked.
King Theodore gave a faint smile, understanding the hidden meaning behind these words.
“I had forgotten for a moment. Just as Ophelia is my beloved daughter, she is someone you will spend the rest of your life with.”
Realizing that Seon-Hyeok’s answer was more sincere than a hundred vows, the king then asked with a more relaxed expression.
“In that case, I will ask for something else in return.”
They had exchanged many words up to this point, but it was then that the king finally brought up the matter at hand.
“Tell me what price I need to pay in order to remain in this world for a while longer.”
Seon-Hyeok responded.
“Regain your broken equilibrium. Abandon the power you cannot bear. That is the only means of changing your situation.”
Seon-Hyeok’s expression was heavy as he left the secret room.
‘Why?!’
His conversation with King Theodore from moments earlier continued to resonate in his head.
‘Why won’t you accept it?’
‘Sword energy rose whenever I grabbed a sword, and spells were invoked whenever I recited magical incantations. As such, I chose to neither hold a sword nor memorize any magic. That is not all. I also lived while suppressing all of the abilities granted to me.’
‘But then why now...’
‘All I have left is my cla.s.s as a royal monarch. Asking me to seal this away is tantamount to suggesting I become mediocre.’
King Theodore willingly gave up on extending his own life.
‘I would rather die as a royal monarch than survive as an incompetent father and burden to the royal princess. That is why I have no choice but to reject your offer.’
He insisted that there was no greater sin than being an incompetent ruler of a kingdom, and that he did not want to become such a sinner.
Seon-Hyeok repeatedly tried to persuade him otherwise, but ultimately failed.
‘Please take care of Ophelia, and please take care of the Adenburg Kingdom.’
With these words that sounded like his will, King Theodore complained of fatigue as he sent Seon-Hyeok away. It was clear that the aftereffects of ‘Monarch’s Vow’ were even greater than Seon-Hyeok imagined.
[How did it go?]
“His Majesty rejected my offer.”
Geheimnis immediately asked as Seon-Hyeok returned to his accommodations.
[I expected as much.]
The little creature acted as though she antic.i.p.ated this outcome from the beginning. Curious, Seon-Hyeok could not help but ask.
“How? Why did he reject my offer?”
[A man who has realized that there are matters more important than life and death will be willing to die for it.]
“What’s more important than survival? If he’s so worried about his daughter, he can live on and personally take care of her!”
Seon-Hyeok’s emotions welled up out of regret, as he remained unable to understand the king’s decision. Geheimnis spoke softly as he shouted in frustration.
[The way he takes care of his blood resembles her. It is neither stupid nor bad to show the path forward and wait rather than to lead and take care of everything by oneself.]
A mysterious light emanated from Geheimnis’ body. Seon-Hyeok felt his worries fade away as the light reached him.
“Ah…”
Realizing that he had been overly emotional, Seon-Hyeok belatedly took a deep breath to calm himself down.
[You can tell by looking at yourself. Her method of guidance is not wrong. Perhaps his descendant will find her own way as brilliantly as you have.]
His sadness subsided, but his questions remained.
“If you antic.i.p.ated this all from the start, why did you tell me that? I’m sure you knew I would do something about it.”
He wondered why the fairy dragon would even inform him of King Theodore’s condition, if, as she suggested, she knew how the king would react.
[As my mouth has been sealed, I hoped that he would tell you much in my place.]
“What?”
What is she talking about now?
Seon-Hyeok frowned.
[Ma.s.s summoning. The reason why you foreigners came to this world. I wanted you to get closer to the truth, even if only a little bit.]
“Is that what the dragon wants?”
The fairy dragon gave him a meaningful look upon hearing his question.
[No. That is my wish, and unrelated to her will. It is also what the countless dragon subspecies want.]
***
His time at the capital quickly pa.s.sed, and Seon-Hyeok was able to exchange numerous conversations with King Theodore. As if to prove his vow from that fateful day, the king treated him as a member of his own family and did not impose any conditions.
It was almost as though he was addressing his own successor.
The n.o.bles staying at the capital to attend the upcoming ceremony began to whisper among themselves at this sight. Even considering Seon-Hyeok’s status as the future son-in-law of the royal family and the fiancé to the next heir to the throne, King Theodore’s att.i.tude towards him seemed overly friendly and informal.
Even more surprising was the fact that the royalist n.o.bles followed and supported this foreigner without question. It was maddening to the others.
But regardless of what they thought, time continued to pa.s.s, and soon, the absent Princess Ophelia broke free of her seclusion and revealed herself to the world.
“Huh?”
Seon-Hyeok had been conversing with the king, but he was stunned once again by the royal princess’ appearance.