novelraw Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Episode 40
The day of blessing when the Great Demon Mors was erased from the world.
The black castle crumbled, and the fog and demonic energy surrounding the forest were pushed to the edge of the continent and disappeared.
People realized the heroes had defeated the evil threatening the world and held a grand ceremony for their return, praising the heroes who saved the world.
The four heroes, including Lord Philinwood who plunged his sword into the Great Demon's heart, offered their swords to the heavens before the masses, and the Chief God Beshart filled the entire sky of the continent with holy, blessed light, as if blessing humanity for vanquishing evil.
Beneath the Chief God's blessing, an empire blessed by the gods was born, named after Lord Philinwood who showed the greatest courage.
The proud founding Emperor of the Philinwood Empire and the brave ducal houses descended from heroes who assisted him.
Everyone expected that humanity's future would be peaceful and beautiful.
But the end for the heroes who vanquished evil was not a happy one.
〈You will live unhappily for the rest of your lives in terrible hallucinations and pain! All who inherit your blood will also live with a dreadful fate! You will struggle in a fate where you cannot easily die, only to perish miserably!〉
The curse Mors cast before dying showed its symptoms very slowly, so they wouldn't notice.
The five heroes began having nightmares they couldn't remember, suffering from hallucinations and auditory hallucinations.
The heroes gradually lost their vitality, and only when their daily lives became impossible did they belatedly realize it was all due to Mors's lingering will and curse.
They lost their daily peace, and at some point, madness began to arise within them. The kind, sincere heroes crumbled.
Wanting to erase the curse flowing in their blood, they prayed to Chief God Beshart day and night, morning and evening, pleading for him to look upon their pitiful state.
The demons who were Mors's subordinates scattered and created their own forests at the edge of the empire where her traces remained, and the founding Dukes personally stepped forward to strive to eliminate the monsters and demons.
Perhaps their efforts were commendable, as after several generations, the curse on the four ducal houses disappeared, but only the Imperial Family failed to completely shake it off.
No one knew why only the Imperial Family couldn't rid itself of the curse, and it persisted.
Then one day, a wandering priest claiming to have received an oracle from Beshart appeared before them.
He came holding the Holy Sword offered by Philinwood, said that keeping things imbued with the god's love close would make the curse disappear, and then vanished without a trace.
The Imperial Family regarded him as a Saint, accepted the Saint's message, began taking Saintesses who received the god's love as Empresses, designated the Holy Sword as an imperial treasure, and sought to dilute the curse by relying on the god's love.
This was effective, and for generations, the Saintess from the temple became the Imperial Empress, and only those chosen by the Holy Sword passed down in the Imperial Family could become the Crown Prince and ascend to the position of the next Emperor.
Thus, it seemed the Imperial curse was also ending.
Until a Crown Prince born not of a Saintess but of humble blood was born.
Everything began with the current Emperor's one-night dalliance.
He spent one night with a court musician attending a palace banquet, and from the musician's body came the current Emperor's one and only child, Basilian Philinwood.
The curse began to bloom again in Basilian's body, born not from a Saintess's womb, and madness gradually arose in him even at his young age.
The court musician was driven from the Imperial palace and died alone from illness in a foreign land, and the half-blood Prince was dying without anyone's care.
Until he was 7 years old, before receiving the selection of the Imperial treasure, the Holy Sword.
"His Majesty sought my death."
The abandoned Prince was chosen by the Holy Sword and ascended to the position of Crown Prince.
The Imperial Family, the Empress's maternal relatives, and the Temple found Basilian's existence nothing but a thorn in their side and made desperate efforts to kill him.
Thus, death crises constantly assailed Basilian, and eventually, to survive, he hid in a supply wagon and fled the Imperial palace.
All he had in his hands was the Imperial Holy Sword, sized to fit him, an identity card made of magic stone proving he was the Crown Prince, and the elegant robes he received on the day of the Crown Prince's inauguration ceremony.
"I fled, sold the robes, and started a wandering life. The Imperial Family began searching for me, who had fled with the Holy Sword, so I had to hide even more, avoiding people's eyes."
"No matter what, you are the Imperial Family's only bloodline. I cannot believe His Majesty made such a decision."
At Athanas's words, Basilian remained silent for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh.
"Yes, the only Imperial descendant. That was the only reason for my life. But that's over now too."
"...Don't tell me."
The words didn't continue, but Athanas seemed to have read Basilian's inner thoughts and looked flustered.
"Her Majesty the Empress is with child."
The news he had desperately hoped wasn't true came from Basilian's mouth.
Athanas couldn't even form a reply and silently listened to him.
"Although my birth is lowly, am I not the Crown Prince chosen by the Holy Sword? So as long as I live, my half-sibling born from the Empress's womb won't receive the Holy Sword's selection and won't be able to sit on the Emperor's throne via the Crown Prince position."
When Basilian heard the news of the Empress's pregnancy, he foresaw his own end.
It was only natural to dispose of the useless, lowly creature who had merely occupied the seat to place a noble bloodline on the Crown Prince's throne.
"Above all, don't I possess a cursed power due to the madness?"
Saying that, Basilian conjured a small flame in his hand.
Unlike the mystical power seen in the Temple or Executor Bureau, the black flame contained an subtle light. It was because it was mixed with demonic energy.
Athanas's complexion darkened at the sight of the flame born from demonic energy.
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are quite something. To seat someone who can use such power as Crown Prince just because he holds the Holy Sword."
Possessing and being able to use the terrible power that once led the empire to ruin became a great weakness and shame for him.
"The more I use this power, the more my head hurts and my reason fades. Sometimes I'm afraid to sleep because of nightmares I can't remember upon waking, and sometimes I worry because I wake up in strange places as if sleepwalking. This clearly means the madness passed down in the Imperial Family is worsening."
The few who knew this all despised Basilian.
Perhaps thanks to living with such contempt, he became sensitive to danger and managed to escape the capital safely, which might be considered fortunate in a way.
"People said I was a child abandoned by the gods. They said my birth mother died from an illness caused by the curse, and that the reason no more children were born to His Majesty the Emperor was the same. But it seems the curse on His Majesty the Emperor has ended. Seeing that I'm to have a sibling."
The reality that confronted him after fleeing the Imperial palace to avoid being killed by his own parents was cruel.
He had nearly been kidnapped and been beaten for no reason.
When he was attacked by a monster while hiding and moving along the mountainside to avoid people's eyes, he thought the world had abandoned him.
A curse brings misfortune.
Whether internally or externally.
"Perhaps I am fated to never be happy in my lifetime."
"Your Highness."
It had been a long time since someone called him with such a pitying tone.
Despite belittling his own situation, a faint smile formed on Basilian's lips.
"But I have no intention of yielding to that fate. No matter what anyone says, I am the Crown Prince of Philinwood, the one the Holy Sword serves as master. I am the one who will become the next Emperor of Philinwood."
Basilian learned the world's harshness at an early age.
And within that, he vowed and vowed again that he would definitely change his own miserable life, not just submit to fate.
"When the day comes that I can properly wield this Holy Sword, I will return to the Imperial palace and reclaim my position. Not as a cursed one possessing this damned power, but as a proud knight of Chief God Beshart."
He spoke his aspirations boldly, unlike his young age, but the more he spoke, the more tension built up, and sweat beaded on his palms.
Not wanting to show a lacking side to the only person he could ask for help, he deliberately clenched his fists tightly.
He looked like a warrior who had made a firm resolution.
"I intended to become a mercenary to hide my existence and to learn the sword and survive. But no one would teach the sword to a child like me."
He could only join as an errand boy because the Red Serpent mercenary band showed him mercy.
It's fine to live a wretched life, despised and scorned by all.
I will use even this unfortunate life as fertilizer to achieve my goal.
Basilian commanded Athanas in a dignified voice.
"So teach me the sword, Duke Lucifer."
Athanas didn't speak easily. He guessed Basilian's words weren't finished yet.
"I will ascend to the foremost position in this Imperial Family. To do that, I need your help."
A grim determination, unseen in a boy his age, passed over him.
Basilian, having voiced his bold aspiration, let out a rough breath.
An ordinary noble would have considered it the presumptuous talk of a powerless, weak young Crown Prince.
Putting on a strong front to avoid being crushed by the world's fear, but ultimately just the bragging of a half-blood who didn't know his place.
And not stopping there, they would have presented the pitiful Crown Prince before the Emperor and tattled about every reckless thing he said.
Perhaps the Athanas from not long ago would have done so.
Looking at Basilian trembling unconsciously from tension, Athanas became angry at his own complacency.
Like the young Crown Prince, Athanas also had to step forward into change.
To protect what was precious, he had to grow stronger and embark on change.
If one stays stagnant in one place, they are bound to rot.
Perhaps the Crown Prince appearing before him at this moment was also divine providence and an opportunity given to Athanas.
A smile briefly flashed across his rugged face.
Athanas knelt on one knee and gave a definite answer to the tense Basilian.
"I, Athanas Lucifer, have sworn loyalty to the Imperial Family. Therefore, following the orders of Your Highness the Crown Prince, the future Emperor chosen by the Holy Sword, is only natural. But such simple words would be difficult to earn Your Highness's trust."
He took a breath and smiled brightly, pulling up the corners of his mouth.
"Promise me that after your accession, you will not spare support to change the unjust treatment of Lucifer. Whenever those around me try to sway me, I will focus solely on this one goal and steady my resolve."
"Good, I promise."
At the words carrying the certainty of becoming his ally, a relieved smile spread across Basilian's face.
"It's late, so let me escort you to your quarters."
"That won't be necessary. I will continue to live as the mercenary Basilian, not the Crown Prince."
"Is it alright not to use an alias?"
At that, Basilian smiled wryly.
"I hear that in common circles, they call boys abandoned by their parents 'Basilian,' after the Crown Prince in the same situation."
His name had at some point spread like a trend, becoming a term for children abandoned by their parents.
Athanas, being in the north, was shocked not to know of this trend, but the person in question, Basilian, had silently swallowed all such insults.
Looking forward to the future.
"Ah, don't tell others that I am the Crown Prince. Especially not Flora."
"Now that you mention it, you were quite close with my daughter. If a friend keeps a secret, Flora would be quite upset... Is there a particular reason?"
At the sudden question, Basilian closed his mouth firmly.
'She said she hates the Imperial Family.'
After learning Flora's status, Basilian had also considered whether it might be okay to honestly reveal his circumstances.
But seeing Flora's face when she exclaimed she hated the Imperial Family so much, he firmly abandoned that thought.
If Flora showed obvious dislike when he revealed his identity, he would be deeply hurt.
In that case, it was better to hide the source of potential hurt.
"I'm worried my daughter might commit an act of disrespect."
Athanas tried to dissuade him, but Basilian was firm.