Ch.340112. To Live Forever (3)

# What is Life?

That’s something I must define for myself.

And to me, life is…

****

“Delivering this to His Majesty in person is the last favor I ask of you.”

“…”

Kael accepted the bundle of unmarked parchment and looked at Günter.

Günter wasn’t finished speaking.

“He is with the guardian fairy of the nation, as I’ve told you before. The map showing the location… here. This should guide you.”

“I’m not pleased about leaving my post in these troubled times.”

“That’s precisely why. Since you think that way, our enemies will assume the same.”

Enemies.

…Are we now openly speaking of enemies within Lutania, among our own people?

“Enemies, you say. If we’re setting a trap, including me would mean fewer sacrifices…”

“Without sacrifice and loss… actions and results have no value.”

If we only ever gain without paying any price.

“…expectations only grow higher. That’s not good. Not for the ruler, nor for the people.”

“…”

“They must protect their rights and freedoms with their own blood and sweat, as proper subjects should. It’s not about being spoon-fed, but about earning things through their own efforts—that’s where the value lies.”

“But what about your reputation and dignity?”

“The royal family will suffer no harm.”

“No, I meant you yourself, Günter, not the royal family—”

“Enough. I’ve already made my decision, so please comply. Besides, isn’t this a meaningful proposition for you as well?”

After all, Kael had come to this country to see her, the Queen.

Because he was curious about facts he could only learn from her.

“Unlike your sister, you have many questions for your mother, don’t you?”

“…”

That’s why he was conflicted.

Why now, of all times?

Not on any other day, and moreover, this issue would naturally resolve itself when the Queen returned to the royal capital.

Furthermore…

He had just received news that his sister was coming to the capital with another prince, another half-brother who had completed his mission.

…It was unexpected that his sister was traveling with him, but in any case, even accompanying her after her arrival…

“Don’t worry. What I’m entrusting you with is to safely escort my mother, the Queen Mother, back to the royal capital.”

During that time, you’ll be able to resolve all your questions.

“She’s been away from her position for too long. So now… it’s time for her to return.”

Günter rose from his seat and flung open the wooden window.

In his office space—cramped yet somehow spacious—silence and an indescribable anxiety writhed formlessly.

“To her rightful place, which she must reclaim.”

“…”

Kael pondered deeply.

Despite having spent considerable time with him, Kael still couldn’t fathom Günter’s true intentions.

Why, for what reason, to what end?

What was certain was that the landscape Günter gazed upon differed from the ordinary.

It wasn’t about power or honor.

Nor was it about seeking recognition, arrogance from bloodline, or dignity born of self-importance.

‘What are you plotting?’

And that it stemmed from a single misalignment, a divergence.

No, perhaps it was a misunderstanding and distorted perception arising from a twisted starting point—something Kael couldn’t even begin to guess at the time.

Perhaps if I had been older, more experienced, more perceptive.

I might have understood him…

No.

Even then, I could never have truly understood him.

Because the path he sought to walk and the path I sought to walk were…

Beyond polar opposites, they were entirely different kinds of things.

How could creatures that roam the waters, beings that drift through the skies, and those that inhabit the earth ever see the same landscape in the same way?

That was the essence of the problem.

****

On the third day after leaving the royal capital, as Kael traveled alone on horseback,

He arrived at the entrance of a small forest, eerily quiet except for the abundant insect calls.

According to travelers he’d met along the way, this place was considered a sacred ground in Lutania.

The place where the king was recognized as king.

The place where the king stood righteous.

Dragons and fairies, demons and witches.

The one who subdued them, persuaded them, earned their respect, and claimed the crown.

Legends of holy swords and demon blades.

Even tales of the ancient demon king.

…The very place where various myths of heroes, kings, warriors, and knights—distorted and transformed—began.

A sacred ground that countless Lutanian heroes had ritualistically passed through over many generations.

At the same time, a forbidden land where not just anyone could set foot.

“…”

Originally, it wasn’t an area one could approach or enter at will, even if desired.

Nevertheless, Kael managed to slip through the surrounding barrier with relative ease.

“This place…”

From leaves that were blue rather than green.

To trees bearing dark red and golden fruits, wildflowers, weeds, and vines growing abundantly, and all manner of insects with gleaming red eyes crawling over thorny vines.

Kael’s eyes narrowed in displeasure at the buzzing wings that grated on his nerves.

On one side, an idealistic landscape unlike anything seen in the world, a dreamlike scenery.

On the other side, its complete opposite—a decadent forest with rivers, streams, and small lakes lined up like swamps… an unnatural landscape.

Kael discerned that none of this was naturally formed.

‘Good thing I’ve seen something similar before.’

In his homeland, there had been a leader of monsters who played similar tricks with the surrounding landscape.

Thanks to that experience, which had left Kael wandering in an illusory maze for over two months while starving, he wasn’t particularly fond of this sight.

‘My target is…’

Perhaps everything visible was just an illusion, an unreal phantom, an empty representation.

Is what meets the eye the truth?

Or what is truth and what is falsehood?

Kael had long realized that what appears to the eye isn’t everything.

Only by recognizing and discerning such essence and unreality…

By acknowledging one’s own essence, could one take another step closer to the source.

His eldest brother Adrian had always emphasized the importance of striving to see the essence.

And to do that…

‘He said we shouldn’t fixate on what’s visible, didn’t he?’

And that we shouldn’t be captivated by our own small hearts.

Still such ambiguous words.

Even when you think you understand, when you dig deeper, you wonder if that’s really it.

In the pursuit of training, how many times had this happened?

In that sense, escaping this space wasn’t particularly challenging for Kael.

-…You come directly.

A massive snake made of water maintained its clear form in the murky lake.

And then.

“…Hmm.”

A woman… resting on a long wooden chair amidst the drooping weeds.

The high backrest was slightly tilted, making her appear half-reclined, but it would be more accurate to say she was catching her breath rather than collapsing.

Brilliant blonde hair, bright green eyes like lush verdure.

Her attire—leather shoes, leather pants, and a rough woolen shirt—made her look like a man, but

Even that couldn’t diminish her radiant beauty.

Kael had already identified her.

Yet even he couldn’t help but be momentarily captivated by her abnormal beauty.

No matter how many exquisite beauties he had encountered, there was something incomparable about her splendor.

“Yes. You resemble him quite a bit.”

“…?”

Like the delicate cry of a beautiful bird—diverse yet with a sharp dignity that couldn’t be hidden beneath the pathos—it sent chills down Kael’s spine.

What made Kael tense?

It was, in other words, humanity.

In a pure contest of strength, Kael would never be outmatched.

If Kael were to name those he considered truly formidable, the first would be Adrian, the second would be his first mother, followed by his senior brothers and sisters.

Even then, he had only been allowed to leave after surpassing them.

“Don’t be tense. What’s there to be anxious about?”

“…”

With a tone that seemed casual yet somehow deflated, Kael’s tension naturally eased.

This wasn’t even Kael’s intention; it happened naturally, as if she had guided it.

Is this what it means to manipulate people at will?

Strangely, those in power possess a unique aura, energy, or presence.

What’s fascinating is that while some are full of pretense and vanity,

Others, despite having little inherent power or capacity,

…somehow render such things meaningless.

Günter was a prime example.

In terms of martial prowess, he wouldn’t even reach Kael’s ankles.

Even among countless knights, Günter’s skills were proficient but nothing more.

Yet occasionally, depending on the place and situation, he naturally commanded the audience and swayed the crowd.

This remained a mystery to Kael.

…At the same time, he dared to guess that this might be the technique—or perhaps something beyond technique—that Kael’s first mother had used to control them.

“Did you come straight here? Or did you wander around before drifting here?”

“…”

Kael relaxed his shoulders and approached her.

-…

The water snake on the murky lake continued to observe them.

“Günter asked me to deliver this to you.”

“That child…”

Was it unexpected?

Or was it surprising despite understanding?

Aseratt, the woman who received the parchment from Kael, immediately examined it.

Despite her unwrinkled face, her hands were marred with calluses and small scars.

With those rough hands, wrapped in cloth bandages, she unfolded the hefty bundle of letters that could be grasped in one hand.

Naturally, it took some time to examine, during which Kael surveyed the surroundings with his head and gaze.

“How is that child faring?”

“He is fulfilling his role diligently.”

“His role, you say.”

Through Aseratt’s emotionless gaze, a hint of complex emotions seeped through.

“Did he tell you the truth?”

“What truth do you mean?”

“…I see he didn’t.”

A soft sigh.

“By the way, did you come here with your mother’s permission?”

“Yes.”

“…What did she say about me?”

“She said nothing.”

“…Nothing?”

“She told me to go and find out with my own eyes and ears.”

She parted her delicate lips and exhaled.

“Haa. I see. That’s just like her—a wise approach.”

And dumping the troublesome tasks on me, too.

“…”

“Tell me. What do you want to know? I can guess, but I’d like to hear it directly from you.”

“…”

Kael remained silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

In truth, he had already decided what to say.

“I want to know about my father.”

“…Couldn’t you ask your mother?”

“I was told that only Your Majesty, present here, knows about the time spent with my father during his youth, as well as during his pilgrimages, foreign wanderings, and seclusion.”

“You should have asked Mines instead.”

Aseratt let out a small laugh and leaned forward, crossing her legs.

“The sun hasn’t set yet, so it’s not too late to depart. I’ll tell you that story during our journey back to the royal capital.”

“…”

Aseratt rose from the wooden chair.

She called out to the water snake floating on the murky lake.

“I’ll be away for a while. You don’t mind, do you?”

-I noticed when that bloodline arrived here. How could I object to that?

The water snake spoke.

But it wasn’t speaking with its mouth… it resonated like an echo from afar.

Yet every word was clear and precise in the mind.

“Don’t be disappointed. Where else would I go but here?”

This is my grave, isn’t it?

Aseratt muttered softly, as if lamenting.

Then, draping a cloak from somewhere over her shoulders and hoisting a leather pack, she gestured to Kael with her chin.

“Let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

So readily?

Kael was somewhat confused and bewildered, unsure if things were going well or if the situation was unexpected.

“Before that, there’s someone we should meet on the way.”

“You mean me?”

“Yes.”

They walked through the forest path for quite some time.

And the place they reached was…

A strange space where bright red and pure white thorny trees intermingled and overflowed.

“There, over there.”

And in the distance.

On a hill formed by intertwined dark red and pure white thorny trees, something black in form was situated.

There’s no other way to describe it.

As they approached, the impression became more pronounced.

That formless black thing stood like a human with four limbs.

When it turned its head to stare at them, Kael instinctively held his breath.

“What is that?”

“…It’s the remains of an ancient demon king.”

Remains? Does she mean a corpse… like bone fragments?

“Once, it invaded this country. Hundreds of years ago.”

This thing, which appeared not on the continent but merely in the archipelago, had swiftly ravaged the islands.

Nevertheless, it was eventually subdued by warriors, mages, and later, a hero of the Endraig bloodline wielding a holy sword dispatched from Lutania, the mainland.

The problem was that, both then and now, it couldn’t be killed or banished.

It is an immortal being.

Even in death, it didn’t disappear.

Hence, it’s the immortal demon king.

However, apart from that, its capacity as a demon king was truly crude.

“Even now it’s troublesome, but back then, it was even more impossible to open a dimensional gate to the demon realm, so we couldn’t send it back. In the end, all they could do was bury it deep in the earth and seal it.”

Originally, there would have been no chance of it emerging, but as the bloodline of this land deteriorated, the seal weakened somewhat.

…That’s why the guardian fairy was angered by the discontinuation of the Endraig bloodline.

“The Endraig clan, as rulers, should always suppress it… but I intend to break that shackle in my generation.”

“…So the reason Endraig is called Lutania’s guardian bloodline is because of this?”

Not to legitimately preserve their position by celebrating ancient achievements as rightful rulers?

“It’s a story known to all the original meritorious families through generations… but the problem is that new nobles can’t access this information. It could easily lead to discord and misunderstanding. Among the original meritorious families, only two or three remain intact. Even they mostly consider it a myth now. Quite coincidentally.”

“…”

“Still, thanks to your father’s early intervention, it can’t wreak havoc like it did during its active period.”

“…”

“However, we can’t just leave it be. If abandoned, someone will surely emerge to exploit it.”

The black remains of the demon king.

It was still staring at them with something red.

Kael felt that gaze distinctly.

A gaze devoid of vitality but brimming with malevolence, ominously foreboding.

“Even so, personally dealing with or disposing of it… doesn’t seem easy.”

“You can discern that?”

Aseratt expressed admiration.

“Yes. That’s why I planned to have someone don it… and either commit suicide, throw themselves into the demon realm, or form this sacred ground into a forbidden area to seal it… one way or another, I intended to resolve it.”

“…”

“I was going to do it myself, but there was a loyal subject who dissuaded me, so I almost unwillingly passed the role to him… but even that failed.”

With eyes cold as ice, yet with trembling lips, she closed her eyes as if suppressing her breath.

Kael inwardly speculated whether that ominous remains standing there might actually be that loyal subject she mentioned.

“And if that child who volunteered for this role still hasn’t changed his mind, he would rightfully endure that role.”

“…”

That child…

“By ‘that child,’ do you mean your children?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“Since it’s impossible for me, there’s no other choice.”

“Did you know it would come to this?”

“Of course not.”

She let out a bitter smile.

“I had planned to quietly embrace this and disappear. Pass on the crown and quietly leave.”

“…”

“But I recently discovered that it’s impossible for me.”

So what can I do? I have to create a situation where it can be resolved without resorting to that.

“That’s probably why you all came here.”

“By ‘you all,’ do you mean us?”

Kael and his sister Eileen.

Does she mean those two?

“I have no one else to ask. The forest folk far away say they have no answers regarding this matter, and the Empire… that’s even more out of the question, so I haven’t given them any hints. Besides, we’re not on terms where we can comfortably share our inner thoughts. Unless they use this to trouble us.”

After their quiet civil war, they’re preoccupied with mitigating that, so they have no time to worry about external matters.

“The reason demon worshippers have started to swarm this area is because of that. Finding it difficult to operate in Imperial lands, some have crossed over here.”

“…”

“That’s when Günter, that child, shared some cruel ideas with me.”

If calamity is inevitable anyway.

“Why not use it for our country’s benefit?”

A nation steeped in peace, monotony, and complacency is bound to crumble, isn’t it?

The heart must beat continuously, mustn’t it?

If you don’t want to collapse and die feebly.

“Coincidentally, Lutania… despite having several civil wars and conflicts, hasn’t experienced a major unifying event for nearly a hundred years. Even the Sage Demon King who once invaded the continent didn’t extend its claws here significantly. If the continent had been conquered, we would have been next.”

“What you’re saying is…”

“Which comes first? The king, the state, the people, or the nation?”

…Kael couldn’t quite grasp what she was saying.

“We, as those at the top, have made our choice. If the best is not possible, then the second best.”

“Hearing this, I’m curious about something. Günter knows about this situation and understands the problem with that thing, but he said he would resolve it himself? How? As you mentioned earlier, is he planning to personally handle those remains? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I didn’t speak in riddles. Your understanding is correct.”

“…Did he volunteer because he’s capable of handling this situation? Or is it a sacrifice he’s volunteering for… or did you intend for him to have no choice but to do this in the name of duty and responsibility?”

“…Regrettably, I never clearly revealed anything about this situation to either of my children.”

It was Günter himself who understood this situation, and not only understood it but even proposed a solution.

“It’s that child’s own choice.”

“…Is that possible? If you had wanted to hide it…”

“Yes. That’s how it should have been. He should have remained ignorant.”

If someone hadn’t maliciously disclosed this situation.

“…”

Sensing an unusual anger beneath her expressionless face, Kael instinctively closed his mouth.

“Our fairy grandmother apparently couldn’t bear to see our bloodline crumble or wallow in the mud.”

With a sneer, she turned her back on the pitch-black remains and surveyed the surrounding thorny vines and thorny fields.

“So, she felt no guilt or sense of sin about sacrificing that child who isn’t of our bloodline. She probably thought it was a necessary sacrifice.”

“…”

Following Aseratt as she turned and walked ahead, Kael questioned a part he didn’t quite understand.

“In what you said, did you mean the fairy disclosed this fact? That the being who told Günter was the fairy, the lake fairy that has long cared for this country? And what do you mean by ‘a child who isn’t of our bloodline’?”

“Child, you must have guessed already.”

“…”

“Günter is neither my child nor of your father’s bloodline.”

That child is.

“…Yes. That’s precisely what I mean.”