Ch.339112. To Live Forever (2)

“My mother had many enemies.”

Despite this, the reason why my mother was able to maintain her dignity and authority as the Queen Mother was…

“Her competence. And… because of her unique and noble bloodline.”

The traces of rivers and mountains made of blood and corpse remains that she left behind in her path were far from insignificant to overthrow that legitimacy.

The establishment of Lutania as a monarchy within the alliance and its rise to absolute monarchy is not a very old story.

Even that was tumultuous.

A legitimacy barely maintained due to bloodline issues.

But just when the royal authority seemed to stabilize in the previous generation, royal family members started dying one after another.

“She was like a rolling stone that filled the gap.”

But that stone took over the wall.

The wall eventually became a dam, then a fortress wall.

It became the fortress itself.

Or perhaps the very earth itself.

“But that stability only lasted while she was alive and well.”

The resentment is not small.

She was the victor of a terrible bloody conflict.

Because she was a judge without mercy or forgiveness.

That anxiety still exists.

And now, devil worshippers are beginning to fill that gap again.

Neighboring countries are also keeping their eyes wide open to exploit this situation.

In fact, until just before the Queen’s coronation, there were many from neighboring countries who claimed or volunteered to be royal consorts.

This almost led to war.

But after disappearing for over half a year, she returned to the palace with her two sons and resumed her iron rule.

This had a profound impact on the people.

“Currently, those who assist mother in the palace are close to being meritorious subjects, but their numbers are few.”

The royal capital and territories directly under royal control are relatively stable.

However, the positions of ministers and officials who belonged to the alliance are another matter.

They follow according to formality and legitimacy, but their stance could change at any time.

Above all…

…there are not a few rumors and doubts about whether true legitimacy has been granted to the bloodline of those she brought as her children…

“Then does even you, Günter, know nothing about your father’s status and identity?”

“No, I know. That’s why… it’s more problematic.”

“……”

Kael and Eileen had only indirect opportunities to learn about who their father was.

That’s because no one clearly told them.

“Was he of humble birth, or of a status that would be a political obstacle?”

“That’s not entirely wrong, but… humble? No, quite the opposite.”

Listen carefully.

“…I don’t know who your mother is, but there’s one thing you should clearly understand.”

Your father was of a bloodline that once saved the world.

And even in his generation, he was one of the leaders who conquered and stabilized that vast continent, that great empire.

“He was the firstborn of the Radiant Bloodline. That is your father’s identity.”

“……”

“The bloodline of the one who will soon ascend as Emperor of the Empire over there.”

The Radiant Bloodline?

That means…

Since coming down from the mountain peak and entering the secular world, I recall hearing various news as common knowledge.

Among them, I heard various stories from a storyteller who joined us during our homeless wandering.

The absolute evil called the Demon King of Wisdom, the Golden Demon King.

And the story of the only hero who defeated it while countless warriors died facing it.

…And the Radiant Bloodline refers to the continent’s designation for the bloodline of that hero…

“……”

Kael, who normally wouldn’t bat an eye at most things, seemed surprised by this and spent a while pondering, fidgeting with his lips.

Moved? Happy? Disappointed?

I don’t know.

Kael maintained silence for a moment, feeling some unidentifiable emotion—a mixture of regret and sorrow, ambiguous and subtle, losing its way.

“But…”

Our father was of the Radiant Bloodline? And he was the firstborn?

I don’t know if it’s just my ignorance, but… I haven’t heard anything about this.

Having broken the ice, Kael asked again.

“Was he ordinary? I don’t remember hearing much about the hero’s children.”

“It’s not something people would easily talk about. Especially in this era.”

Neither ominous, nor pitiful, nor pathetic.

Simply because it was taboo.

“Taboo? Why?”

“The very notion that the great one’s child was ordinary or incompetent might have been a source of shame and wounded pride for the Empire. Though that’s just my guess.”

“……”

“But he was a relatively well-known figure outside the Empire rather than within.”

“Outside? Did he leave the Empire?”

Why was our family secluded, as if hiding themselves, in the Seven Peaks Mountain Range?

Could this be related to that?

“…Well, I don’t know much about him either.”

Isn’t this about our father? Why does this person seem uninterested?

“……”

Kael was momentarily puzzled by Günter’s seemingly indifferent expression, but soon dismissed it.

In a way, perhaps father failed to fulfill his role as a father properly.

Eileen and Kael had their mother and others around them, so they accepted it, but…

‘His situation must have been different from ours.’

That’s why Kael was willing to acknowledge if he harbored resentment toward their father.

In part because Kael wasn’t entirely free of such feelings himself.

Although mother told us he left to protect us.

But from what he was trying to protect us, and whether that was truly the right thing… remained a mystery to Kael.

“So, Günter. Are you claiming that you’re working hard to substitute for what the Queen cannot do?”

“Mother understands the greater cause and heavenly mandate, but she doesn’t understand the human heart.”

Therefore, that’s my role.

“She also understands the malice of her enemies, but she cannot embrace it.”

That too is my role.

“…Is that the basis and reason for your collusion with devils?”

“Do you know why devil worshippers began to flourish? It’s been decades since the Demon King’s invasion, but even before that, and after repelling the invasion, there has never been a time when they exerted such external, simultaneous influence.”

Ah, there were some instances in prehistoric times and right after the beginning of the era, but still.

“The expedition led by the Demon King of Wisdom. The void that emerged afterward. And what began to fill that void was… devils. Before their invasion, there were actually more Demon King worshippers, especially within Lutania.”

Moreover.

“I hear that the Demon King of Pain, who ascended after the death of the Demon King of Wisdom, completely transformed the thinking and concepts of the demon race. Oh, and it also helped that demons who joined the continent adapted well to our world, especially the continental side.”

Many things have happened, even at this moment.

“This doesn’t seem like information that’s easily accessible.”

“I’ve invited and sought cooperation from converted Demon King worshippers and native demons residing on the continent. It’s an era of harmony with the demon race. It’s inevitable.”

“I… don’t know much about that.”

Günter nodded at this.

You might think so, not having been exposed to the teachings of the Irenis Church or other doctrines.

“Anyway, to understand them, one must learn about their circumstances. Negotiation, communication, approach, and exchange begin from there.”

“Understanding…”

Is it a matter of perspective, or approach, or acceptance?

Come to think of it, perhaps Kael too had blindly believed that devil worshippers should be rejected.

…At least mother would gasp at the mention of devils.

Ambassador Adrian also said they were like natural disasters, a poisonous flower blooming within oneself, or a snake’s venom injected by others.

However.

Kael had clear reasons and grounds to despise and hate them.

Devil worshippers were filled with a uniquely malicious and evil energy.

If one hadn’t encountered them, it might be different, but during his journey, Kael had witnessed a village devastated by such beings, and he had also cut them down and burned them.

Yes, they were like a decaying corpse swarmed by flies… utterly impure and ominous.

If that alone made one frown, then moreover…

“Without understanding, there can be no empathy, and without empathy, one cannot become a friend, a brother… anything.”

“Friends and brothers, you say. Is there a reason to go that far for them?”

“Let me ask you the reverse. What comes next if we don’t? Oppression, eradication, conflict, and judgment. What else is there?”

How desperate must they have been to fall for the devil’s temptation?

How desperate must they have been to bow their heads not to us, but to devils, their worshippers, their minions and servants?

Weren’t we supposed to be their fathers and mothers?

Why did they turn to devils, not to their fathers and mothers, to express their pain and difficulties?

“There will be malicious ones. There will certainly be corrupt ones among them. But not all of them are like that. I believe that at least those who slipped into that pit unintentionally should be saved. As a ruler, I think that’s the appropriate role, my duty and responsibility. Of course, as a good ruler.”

They don’t know what their destiny is.

Because no one told them.

Because no one reached out to them.

They just live, breathing, eating, defecating, closing their eyes, opening them again.

That’s all they do.

Kael, there aren’t many awakened ones in this world.

Even fewer are those who realize this and try to improve.

“……”

Kael sensed a strange aspiration and sense of mission from his tone and gaze.

It was as if he was naturally meant to be this way, as if he had no choice but to be this way.

…What did people call such individuals?

“You’re taking the long way when there’s an easier path.”

“There are no easy paths or difficult paths. There are only you and I, us, who perceive and want to perceive them as such.”

“……”

A unique way of thinking.

Or.

If this stems from the teachings of the Queen of Lutania…

“You’re right.”

Even so.

While talent and insight are essential for honing a sword and training the body.

Even those pale in comparison to time, effort, willpower, and desperation.

There’s no easy or difficult in that.

…Only whether you do it or not. That’s all there is.

In the long view. In the broad view, that’s all there is.

That’s why Kael sensed that intuition, that unique attitude toward life, and the depth emanating from Günter.

Though he had lived a completely different life from Kael.

What he pursued was somehow similar to Kael’s own pursuits.

The difference was that Kael looked at himself and his surroundings.

Whereas Günter…

…seemed immersed in subjects other than himself.

And dangerously so.

****

Days passed.

And after several dozen more days.

Kael still remained in the vicinity.

Officially, he was a non-existent person.

However, he occasionally joined Günter’s official ceremonies or unofficial events to guard him, and sometimes was deployed in major operations.

Among devil worshippers and their allies, there are many who are formidable.

Günter would publicly try some of them and then execute them after the trial.

Sometimes, some would meet their end in the shadows.

Many who were deceived and enchanted regained their freedom and will through Günter’s invisible hand, but this was never publicly announced or discussed.

Also.

“I’m glad it was well conveyed.”

He encouraged the flow of funds to be embezzled, donated, or used for public benefit.

Projects requiring large external funds were done in the name of the royal family.

For smaller matters, he supported orphans, artists, mages, and sorcerers through various sponsors and noble families.

While doing this, he also did his best during the day as the crown prince and as the Queen’s representative, which led to relatively stable results.

However, despite this, dissatisfaction and anxiety continued to build.

“The situation in the Empire is not looking good.”

Small and large conflicts almost escalated into civil war, only to suddenly quiet down.

But the anxiety remains.

Lutania, which maintained trade with the Empire, was quite sensitive to these signs.

With the sudden decrease in imported goods and commerce, various rumors naturally began to circulate.

Meanwhile, the Imperial court, under the pretext of support and cooperation, made ominous suggestions that were almost threats.

As political conflicts between pro-Empire and anti-Empire factions within Lutania intensified, coupled with a poor harvest, Lutania was showing signs of discord in many ways.

“Yes. When do things in the world ever go as people wish?”

In the midst of this, with heretical cults flourishing and indigenous beliefs suddenly emerging to serve as puppets for devil worshippers.

With news that Demon King worshippers of unknown identity, though small in number, had fled to Lutania to escape the Empire’s blade, it was truly a comprehensive crisis.

However, to those unaware of the circumstances, Lutania was a land accustomed to severe cold, rarely seeing snow, yet peculiarly filled with fog, making the climate damp.

In this country of fog, where silence and stillness lurked.

It was dozens of days later that rumors began to spread about the truth of a devil sealed in the land since ancient times according to a covenant.

Also, as rumors about the Queen’s seclusion and conspiracy theories about the crown prince spread like gossip.

And just as rumors about Iriel, the crown prince’s sibling, began to circulate, a critical incident occurred that threatened Günter’s political position.

“You. You must be desperate to die.”

The formal accusation raised in the noble council that Crown Prince Günter was colluding with devil worshippers.

And Günter…

He beheaded the minister who maliciously slandered him right there.

“This is just the beginning.”

Just the day before, Günter had declared to Kael as if pronouncing a sentence.

“I will eradicate them all within the next two days.”

“……”

“You’re an outsider, so you don’t need to dirty your hands. This is purely an internal matter of our country.”

Understanding and empathy.

Compromise and negotiation.

Günter, who had judged these to be impossible, seemed to have been contemplating for months even before Kael joined him.

And he appeared to have spent a long time considering how to deal with these targets.

However, there was one aspect that Kael couldn’t understand at all.

Because no matter how right the decision was, and no matter how it was wrapped in goodwill and righteousness.

It seemed like a path where he could not politically survive.

Wielding the sword of judgment while wearing the mask of a tyrant, exercising autocracy and dictatorship.

While it could be considered reform if successful, it had aspects that made it difficult to be accepted as reform in the current era.

The backlash is not small.

Beyond not small, it’s at a serious level.

It was so severe that even poisoning plots were discovered.

For Kael, who had been holed up here, gaining various knowledge, learning, and perspectives from various books and individuals… Günter’s decision seemed somewhat reckless.

No, not just seemed.

It was clearly… reckless.

Was that why?

“Do you… perhaps want to die?”

“……”

After a brief pause at the question, Günter…

“Of course not.”

With a small laugh resembling a sneer.

He denied it like that.

“Rather, it’s to live forever. That’s why I’m doing this.”

For me to survive as myself.

So that I can live without shame, with pride.

“……”

However, Kael would only later realize that the meaning behind Günter’s claim of acting to survive, to live, was different from his own understanding.