chapter_0027

Chapter 26 : Successor Dispute

“How is he doing?”

The saintess emerging from the king’s chamber did not look very bright.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help.”

“Was there no progress at all?”

“Unfortunately… that’s right.”

“Oh dear… this is serious.”

“Is heaven abandoning Eldrian…?”

The retainers waiting behind Prince Leonid each let out a sigh of despair.

The fact that even the saintess’s healing power — their last hope — had no effect meant there was no longer any way to save the king.

It was a natural conclusion for those who believed there was no greater healer on the continent than her.

The princess standing next to them asked Prince Leonid in disbelief.

“Prince, are you sure this is really the miasma of the 8th Legion’s commander?”

As someone who had followed countless battlefields and healed the miasma of commanders far superior to the 8th Legion’s, Lumienne couldn’t accept the fact that she couldn’t heal this one.

Then, suddenly, a certain person came to her mind — a man whose healing power far surpassed even hers, known to be the greatest healer on the continent.

‘If it’s him…’

The man with the crimson mask — maybe he could make a difference.

“By any chance, have you heard of someone called the Sage?”

“The Sage…? The Sage… I’ve never heard of him.”

Prince Leonid tilted his head in confusion.

“He might know the solution. His healing power is far greater than mine.”

“What?!”

“Is that true?”

“This is the first I’ve heard of him… Has anyone else?”

“I don’t know of him either.”

Prince Leonid asked urgently.

“Where is this person now?”

“He’s said to be residing near a fortress on the border between Eldrian and Velodenit.”

In a hushed voice, Prince Leonid asked his closest aide, Duke Waltheim.

“Have there been any movements from the princess’s side?”

“No particular signs. Both the Clingham Ducal House and the princess have been completely quiet.”

Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Prince Leonid issued an order to Duke Waltheim.

“Go and bring this so-called Sage at once. No matter what it takes, you must bring him. Absolutely. Before the princess does!”

The Kingdom of Eldrian was currently divided into two factions — the First Prince’s camp and the Second Princess’s camp — locked in a fierce battle for succession.

In this situation, Prince Leonid had personally traveled to the Empire as an envoy and brought back the Saintess.

Had the Saintess been able to heal the king, it would have brought him a huge step closer to the throne — but the results were disappointing.

Even so, there was no reason for despair.

If the Saintess couldn’t heal the king, it meant no one in this world could.

But now, someone they had never even heard of was being suggested as a possible savior — and that was enough to put him on edge.

If the princess managed to bring this so-called Sage, it would be a disaster.

He had to make his move before the princess found out.

Just then, a maid’s voice announced the arrival of the princess.

“Her Highness the Princess has arrived.”

Prince Leonid’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

‘No movement until now… and suddenly, now?’

The sound of the chamber doors opening filled the air, followed by the footsteps of two people.

The princess entered — accompanied by a man wearing a crimson mask.

“Huh?”

“Why… why are you here…?”

It seemed both the Princess of Velodenit and the Saintess recognized this mysterious figure.

‘No… it couldn’t be…’

Prince Leonid’s eyes narrowed as he stared warily at the man in the black robe and crimson mask.

“Ah, it seems everyone is already gathered.”

Armis, the princess, smiled confidently.

Duke Waltheim immediately stepped forward to criticize the princess.

“Your Highness, this is no place to bring in outsiders so carelessly.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Duke Waltheim. This man is my personally invited guest.”

“Oh? Invited personally by you, Your Highness?”

As always, bad premonitions had a way of coming true.

“Now, please introduce yourself.”

“I have come, humbly offering what little skill I possess, to heal His Majesty. I am called the Sage, though it is far more than I deserve. Due to certain circumstances, I must wear this mask — I beg your forgiveness for the discourtesy.”

Prince Leonid sharply turned his head toward Duke Waltheim, shooting him a fierce glare.

Having failed to notice any of the princess’s movements, Duke Waltheim lowered his head in shame, avoiding the prince’s eyes.

“The… Sage?”

“The Sage… could it really be…?”

“Saintess, is this the Sage you spoke of earlier?”

“Yes, I’ve met him once before — his voice is unmistakable.”

But instead of relief, the expressions of the prince and his followers were filled with dissatisfaction.

Had Prince Leonid been the one to bring the Sage, their attitudes would have been entirely different.

“Now then, would you all kindly step aside?”

“Ahem… well…”

“Your Highness, it would be best if His Majesty avoided external contact as much as possible.”

“Indeed — if anything were to happen, it would be disastrous.”

“It’s already late today — perhaps an audience with His Majesty could wait until tomorrow.”

Princess Armis narrowed her eyes, glaring at the prince’s faction.

She knew these people would use any means, fair or foul, to keep her in check.

“Strange… it almost sounds like you’re hoping for something bad to happen.”

“T-that’s not what we meant!”

“Watch your words, Your Highness the Princess!”

“Is it not your duty to do whatever it takes to restore His Majesty’s health? If the Sage truly knows how to control this miasma, we cannot afford to waste any more time.”

“Hmm…”

“Ahem…”

“Ah…”

The nobles of the Prince’s faction, who usually kept Armis, the princess, in check thanks to their greater influence, were caught off guard by her unusually firm stance.

On top of that, neither logic nor reason gave them anything to counter her argument.

“Come with me, Sage.”

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, the Sage quietly followed behind Princess Armis as she confidently cut through the nobles blocking the entrance to the king’s chamber.

Just as they were about to enter, Prince Leonid’s voice rang out.

“Wait.”

The princess turned back, and the two siblings locked eyes — their gazes colder than midwinter frost.

“What is it?”

“We’ll go in too.”

“…….”

“As the princess said, if anything were to happen, it would indeed be a serious matter.”

“Yes… that’s right.”

“His Highness is correct.”

Sensing an opportunity, the nobles of the Prince’s faction eagerly jumped in to support their master’s words.

‘Spineless followers…’

Though she was annoyed, the princess lacked the power to stop them from joining.

“As you wish. Open the door.”

The maids opened the chamber doors, and Princess Armis and the Sage entered first.

They were followed closely by Prince Leonid, his loyal followers, and the Princess of Velodenit alongside the Saintess.

Inside the king’s chamber, the air was thick with the stench of decay — the scent of flesh rotting under the influence of the miasma.

“This way.”

Princess Armis carefully pulled back the blanket covering the king’s body, revealing the afflicted area.

A long, pitch-black streak of miasma stretched from the left shoulder up toward the side of his neck — a deep, sinister corruption eating into his flesh.

“What do you think? Is it possible?”

The princess asked cautiously as the Sage examined the wound.

“Hmm… I’ve never seen miasma this ominous before. I cannot make any promises.”

For some reason, the Prince and his followers looked strangely relieved — and among them, some even seemed smug.

Their expressions said it all: “Let’s see how great your powers really are.”

“Still, I will do my very best.”

The Sage rolled up his sleeves and held his hand just above the afflicted area without touching it.

A brilliant, radiant light began to emanate from his hand, illuminating the entire chamber.

“Oh…!”

“Hmph!”

“I-I can’t see…!”

It was a power distinctly different from the Saintess’s gentle, green-hued divine energy.

Even those who had seen powerful magic before were left stunned — and those who had never seen this power before were utterly speechless.

Even the Princess of Velodenit and the Saintess, who had encountered this light once before, were in shock.

‘Has the Sage… grown even stronger since then…?!’

The light was far more dazzling and brilliant than what they had seen previously.

But the one most shaken by this situation was the Sage himself.

The brilliance of his light and the mask covering his face kept his anxiety well hidden — but his heart pounded in disbelief.

‘The Annihilating Divine Qi… it’s disappearing…?!’

By all rights, the miasma should have melted away like snow under the sun.

But instead, his sacred power was colliding violently with the miasma — and both forces were consuming each other in a struggle for survival.

Never before had he seen anything like this.

Shocked by this unprecedented phenomenon, the Sage quickly withdrew his hand from the wound.

As soon as he did, the radiant light filling the chamber vanished.

“Huh…? What’s this…?”

“It can’t be…!”

“This… this is…!”

It was faint, almost imperceptible — but there was no denying it.

The aggressive energy of the miasma, once overwhelming, had weakened slightly.

Princess Armis’s face lit up with hope — a hope brighter than it had been in a long time.

“Sage…! This… this means…!”

“It’s a relief… it seems my efforts weren’t entirely in vain.”

The princess clenched her fist with newfound determination.

While part of her joy stemmed from her care for her ailing father, there was something else driving her.

This was a breakthrough — one powerful enough to overturn the power struggle that had long been stacked against her.

“Thank you… thank you so much, Sage!”

With tears in her eyes, Princess Armis clasped the Sage’s hands tightly, her gratitude and resolve overflowing.

The Saintess could only watch the scene with a complex and conflicted expression.

It wasn’t a situation where she could easily step in.

Prince Leonid and his followers didn’t look pleased either.

Their faces were grim.

“But we still can’t let our guard down just yet,” the Sage said.

“I can’t guarantee how long it will take for His Majesty to fully recover.”

“I… I see,” Princess Armis replied.

Only then did she realize she was still holding the Sage’s hands.

“Ah… my apologies. I got carried away in the moment…”

“I’ll do my best to make sure His Majesty recovers as quickly as possible,” the Sage reassured her.

From the moment he arrived at the Eldrian royal palace, the Sage devoted himself entirely to the king’s healing, staying up day and night for several days.

And at last, their efforts paid off — the King of Eldrian finally regained consciousness.