Part 2 Chapter 81
***
Late at night.
We are unexpectedly conducting a major mental care operation for the prince.
My role is to stay close to Nike and keep reminding him that Bania is still alive.
“No matter what, I’m her father, and even if we’re married, is this the way they’re acting in front of me?”
Living Room, 1st floor.
We sit around a small table on the sofas. My seat is between Nike’s legs, with his body serving as the backrest.
“…”
Despite Ryan’s scolding, Nike didn’t respond. He just tightened his embrace around me.
Right now, I can deeply relate to the feeling of a butterfly trapped in a Venus flytrap.
“Ugh, fine. I understand that the shock must’ve been enormous. But seriously, are you an idiot?”
Ryan’s role is to lie.
“Anyone could tell that guy was just trying to provoke him, and you believe it?”
It was David who delivered the news that I had died to Nike.
Without a word, we exchanged glances and decided to label David a liar.
Though it was impossible to hide the fact that David had visited since he seemed to know I was in Velger.
“An idiot to a royal? What an idiot! And you know, I’d have to believe it, too. That bastard could easily have done that!”
Ryan’s role is to stir things up.
“No matter what, if that happened, of course, I would’ve contacted you first.”
Ryan said, as though it was obvious.
Nike, who had been quietly listening, tightly hugged my waist, rubbing his face against my neck and whispering, “Sorry. I got too worked up.”
Fortunately, he seemed to care more about the fact that I was alive than anything else, and his voice softened.
The lie was effective because David had lied to provoke Nike.
He had said that I was burned to ash by lightning, right?
If I had died that way, there would have been no resurrection. The only solution would have been regression.
And so, Nike waited desperately for Ryan to return so he could pass on the memory and regress. That’s why he had withered away for four days.
Looking back, I saw my once strong man’s face now looking like a shell of himself.
‘He really pissed me off.’
After enduring such mental torture, Nike now looked relieved just to see me alive, as if nothing had happened. It made me angry.
‘If I had known this, I should have sent a premonition message at least once.’
If I had, Nike would’ve confirmed I was alive and wouldn’t have suffered for four days.
But I had been carefully conserving my premonitions.
The more I used them, the stronger my abilities became.
My premonitions were very close to evolving to the next stage.
Once they grow and strengthen, my abilities will become far more powerful.
‘I’ll probably be coughing up blood again and then recovering.’
I was someone who would pay a heavy price for gathering abilities like collecting acorns.
I couldn’t afford to be useless at such a critical time.
I couldn’t have predicted David’s future lies, so in the end, the situation was hopeless.
“You know his way, right? He had Bania in front of him, beat me mercilessly, and kept asking me 500 times about hiding things. He probably thought a young girl like her would be easier to break.”
Ryan perfectly wrapped up the lie.
“That’s right. He only beat my dad and didn’t touch me at all. Now, calm down.”
I also spoke to Nike.
He hugged me again, tighter this time.
“Thank goodness.”
“…? Hey.”
Ryan snapped.
“I got beaten like a dog, so what’s there to be thankful for?”
“Ah.”
Nike paused and stumbled.
“I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Really, you’re too much!”
Phew. The intense atmosphere lifted, and thankfully, we had managed to calm down Nike, but there was no other way. This was all for his mental state.
Click, click.
Suddenly, we heard the sound of the door opening urgently.
We all turned to look at the door.
The only ones with keys to this house were the knights of our family, who were constantly running around, keeping an eye on the enemy’s movements.
“Lord!”
As expected, it was Max. He hurried inside, quickly removing his wet robe, and before he could catch his breath, he spoke.
“We’re in big trouble!”
***
On a rainy night.
Elliot Basenberg’s carriage was heading somewhere.
If he didn’t want to be exiled, he would have to accept the imperial throne. This was the imperial family’s decision, one that involved risking everything.
The emperor had given him a deadline of fifteen days.
“Brother.”
At the sound of Bridget’s voice, Elliot, who had been staring out the window, turned around.
“What?”
“What would you like to do, brother?”
“Me? What about me?”
Elliot shrugged his shoulders.
“Is there even a choice? I have to take the throne. And, of course, I’ll burn the heads of the royals who caused this mess.”
“It’s a peaceful imperial succession, but if you humiliate the royals like that, won’t the people of the empire rebel?”
“What are you worried about? By then, my father will be the emperor. Anyone who rises against us, we’ll burn them too.”
“Then… what about the rebels? Should we just kill everyone who resists?”
Bridget tilted her head in confusion.
If everyone rebels, do we just kill them all? Will it be a country where only we live?
She had never really thought about things like this before and was now considering them for the first time.
“Well, not everyone will resist, right? So, we’ll have a country where only people who listen to us survive?”
“Er… Yeah.”
“Hmm… That would be convenient.”
“Uh… Yeah…”
The siblings fell into silence for a while.
“What about the cursed land? Are you going to personally take care of it now, brother?”
“Why me?”
“Because the entire empire’s land is now ours…”
“…”
Elliot blinked and shook his head.
“What are you saying? Just like before, we’ll handle it as we’ve been doing. We’ve been gathering the nobles’ soldiers and making use of them.”
“They don’t always work, though.”
That’s why, occasionally, the ability users had to be sent out on missions to build up their forces.
But now…
“Damn it.”
Elliot frowned again, turning his gaze back to the window.
He knew very well that for a country to function properly, there had to be social order, norms, and a system in place.
Once his father became emperor, he could legalize what had been illegal.
That would make his own business easier, but…
Elliot knew why those things had been illegal in the first place.
Why the country had created laws and regulations, why it imposed so many restrictions.
It was all to create a normal, functioning society.
‘This is troublesome.’
At least a minimal level of order was needed. It would be best for the clever royals to stay in power, handling the difficult task of governing.
The ability users would continue to live as they had, stepping on meaningless hierarchies and ruling over others.
“Ha.”
But the royals had declared a strike.
In the end, the ability users had to respond, and this wasn’t a decision for just the emperor to make.
If they didn’t accept the throne, they would be exiled — everyone with the Basenberg name.
The emperor, with his boldness, declared he would strip away their noble titles in fifteen days without giving them any time to think.
The entire family was urgently called together.
Elliot was now heading to fetch his younger brother, Richard.
***
“Big trouble!”
Max’s words froze us all, unable to breathe.
What’s the big trouble…?
“Ah? Hello, Your Highness. I didn’t know you were here. When did you arrive?”
Max, not realizing how tense he had made us, casually greeted Nike.
“Not long ago. But what’s this big trouble?”
Only then did Nike release me from the Venus flytrap-like grip and rush over to Max. Ryan, still startled, followed.
Max took a breath and spoke in front of the two men.
“Lord Balak has left his domain and is heading towards the islands. It’s not just him, but also Robytam, Magdenia, and Hysbalt. I’ll have more information soon, but they’re probably all heading to the same place.”
The names he listed were all vassals of Basenberg, the ones his father had likely summoned to discuss the imperial succession.
The fact that they were moving meant things were going according to plan.
But what on earth could the big trouble be?
I waited anxiously, biting my nails, for Max to speak.
“So, what’s the problem…?”
Ryan asked, equally nervous.
Max tilted his head.
“There’s no problem?”
“What? You said it was a big trouble.”
“Oh, I see.”
Max shrugged.
“They’re the ones in trouble.”
Silence.
“They’re gathering at the tomb, not even knowing.”
“Ahh! Are you trying to scare me?!”
Ryan shoved Max in the stomach.
“Ugh!!!”
