Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 431



Only Noblemtl

431. The Immortal Secretary (4)

I know none of this is real.

I know full well that a life filled with fierce struggles is nothing more than a light illusion added to by someone out of goodwill.

but-

[□□□.]

Strangely enough, that one voice was able to give meaning to a battlefield that had always been lonely.

It could be considered a worthwhile fight to protect something precious.

[□□□.]

That’s why I can’t help but feel weak whenever I hear a voice calling my name in my head.

That was why I ended up forgiving that annoying guy, whom I had vowed to take revenge on, as if it were a lie.

A short time spent with imperfect illusions. Perhaps those were days that could rarely be called happiness.

So that time is also a nightmare at the same time.

Because one day, when you open your eyes, you will realize that the voice that was always by your side no longer exists in reality.

* * *

“It’s nothing.”

The boy answered strangely.

“It’s kind of strange because you and Brother Masain are right in front of you.”

“I guess I’m still in a happy nightmare,” the boy added, slowly stretching out one hand toward the air.

Then-

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As if that gesture was a signal, the flames that had been spreading in all directions quickly gathered around the boy.

The flames that had incinerated the wizard’s workshop in an instant were now swirling wildly around the boy’s body.

A terrifying force that at first glance seemed like it would swallow the boy whole.

But to Owen, that appearance somehow felt like a son-in-law expressing confused emotions instead of an expressionless boy.

“Newbie, that fire… … .”

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not dangerous. It’s mine.”

As he said, the boy seemed to have complete control over the fire. It was burning so fast that it threatened to evaporate all the sewage in the sewer, but the boy’s body was unharmed, as evidenced by the fact that not a single hair on it was damaged.

The fire did not come closer to Owen and Martha either.

‘but…….’

Why, Owen was overcome by the urge to get the boy away from the flames right away.

Fire has always been a threat. Wasn’t it the fire that engulfed his parents one day, and the fire that burned the world in his dream one day?

‘Wait a minute, a dream?’

In an instant, a powerful realization struck Owen’s mind.

Now that I think about it, I have seen this sight with my own eyes.

A hellish landscape covered in blood red flames, and the sight of a boy calmly walking into it. The nightmare scene that I had forgotten for a while.

‘This is ominous. We can’t leave the newbie alone!’

Owen, who vividly recalled the emotions of that time along with the memories, became anxious. So he turned his head to find the person he could most rely on in the current situation.

“Brother. Brother Marsain! It seems that Mores… …!”

But something strange happened.

The person who would normally have run to the boy the moment he discovered his ideals was now standing still, frozen in place.

“…older brother?”

“… … .”

Even though he had called for Jaeja, Masain remained stiff and blankly stared at the boy.

His distorted face seemed either to be greatly afraid of something or to be desperately hesitating about something.

Rather, it was the boy who responded to Owen’s call. He rolled his eyes and glanced at Marsain, then slightly twisted the corners of his mouth upward. It was the first expression that his lifeless face, like a statue, had ever made.

“Look at this. It’s a dream after all. Brother Masain is still by my side.”

Shudder.

At that moment, Masain’s pupils shook violently.

“Your Majesty. I… … .”

But the boy didn’t listen to his words, and turned his gaze back to look straight at Owen.

“And you idiot. You look fine too.”

“…what?”

“I knew you would end up like that when you forcibly withdrew your army to save Sisley. You should have listened to me when I told you not to. Because of you, I have to… … .”

The boy who had said that burst into low laughter, hahaha.

“Oh, really? Is this going to help me revisit all the things I’ve lost? This is a really bad nightmare.”

…nightmare!

In that moment, the boy’s one word brought Owen to his senses.

‘I don’t know! I don’t know how the hell a newbie guy ended up like that… … !’

At least the guy seemed to think this was a nightmare.

Then there is only one answer. You have to wake up from this nightmare.

And Owen knew at least one easy way out of his painful nightmare.

“Hey, can you look at this for a second? I’m a newbie.”

Owen took out the blindfold he had been carefully keeping in his bosom. He held it out and took a step toward the boy.

“Remember? This is a precious limited item.”

“… … .”

“It’s a great thing that gets rid of bad dreams.”

The boy stared at the black blindfold Owen held out, his mouth shut.

Damn it.

As Owen took another step into the raging flames surrounding the boy-

Wow!

The flames split to the left and right, avoiding him. Judging by the way they obediently open the way, it doesn’t seem to be rejecting him at least.

Owen, feeling a little relieved, tried not to rush and continued walking toward the boy.

“This also has high mental resistance. So whatever it is, if you just use this, your current condition will improve a little.”

So Owen slowly made his way through the fire, finally stopping right in front of the boy’s nose.

“But you know, wasn’t this originally something you got?”

“… … .”

“So, newbie, I’m giving this back to you now.”

The boy didn’t stop Owen’s hands from carefully putting the blindfold on.

But Owen had no idea. As he stared at the blindfold approaching, the boy was absentmindedly thinking about this.

‘But Owen. If possible, I don’t want to wake up from this dream yet… … .’

The boy’s thoughts ended there.

Slurp-

As the pitch-black cloth completely covered his eyes, the boy’s mind quickly became pitch-black.

* * *

…Huh?

Seongjin thought with a dazed mind.

‘What is this? What am I doing?’

When I looked around, I saw that the whole place was covered in bright light. It was so bright that I couldn’t even see myself, let alone the scenery around me.

Seongjin blinked for a moment and carefully rummaged through the scattered memories.

‘… That’s right. I came looking for the Freedom Underpass. I sent Owen and Sir Marsain into the sewers first, and tried to go after Giacomo Milo alone. But… … .’

It’s confusing.

‘Why on earth did you suddenly fly to a place like this after being in the sewers?’

Just then, a familiar voice was heard from nearby.

[Son.]

uh?

[…father?]

Seongjin looked around in surprise. However, because the light was so strong that it blinded his eyes, he couldn’t identify the owner of the voice.

[Father, what on earth is going on… …!]

I was flustered and panicked, but luckily the other person approached Seongjin first.

Bam.

The familiar feeling of a light tap on the head.

[It’s okay now. You must have been very heartbroken.]

[Heartbroken, huh?]

When I asked back, not knowing English, the saint gently patted my head.

Swish swish.

[Don’t worry too much. You didn’t harm them. They were souls that couldn’t be saved anyway, so you’ve done a great thing for them by just relieving their suffering.]

…ah.

Only then did Sungjin recall the crucial moment when he had lost his composure.

That is, when I saw them in the sewers. So many souls rotting away in terrible agony, now broken beyond repair.

[You may not have felt it, but your fear must have been a great salvation to them. So don’t be upset about it anymore.]

From the calm and calm voice of Seonghwang, Seongjin could easily sense the worry and comfort.

Seongjin let out a snicker in relief without realizing it.

Yeah. That’s right. I thought this guy would always be around.

So now I’m really okay.

[…There’s something strange about me these days, Father.]

Seongjin, who felt completely relieved, immediately confessed to him what had been bothering him for a long time.

[It seems like nothing goes as planned these days. No matter how careful I am, something keeps going wrong. Why on earth am I doing this?]

Bam.

Another feeling of being gently tapped on the head.

This time, it feels like there’s a bit of a reproach in it.

[Isn’t it time to go astray now? You’ve been trying to erase your own memories over and over again, trying to interfere with as many causal chains as possible without causing trouble.]

… was it?

I think it was something like that.

[But, son. No matter how hard you try to sort out unnecessary memories, human memories are not something that can be easily broken apart. They can become entangled and twisted in unexpected places, and if even one small thread breaks, all your efforts can go down the drain.]

[okay.]

No matter how much you try to control your information, it will be impossible to completely close your eyes to all phenomena, because all causes and memories are intricately intertwined.

[Besides, it might be because I disturbed you before.]

A soft sigh was heard next to my ear.

[The conflict caused by the Oracle’s will has a wider and deeper impact than I thought. Because of that, things aren’t going as well as I want them to these days.]

A prime example would be the uncontrollable Barbarian warriors of Varsha.

[Besides, haven’t you been hanging out with Owen a lot lately?]

That’s right.

We met often at the palace, and we even went to the underpass together. To be exact, whenever we were apart, he would follow me like a ghost.

[But why is Owen a problem again?]

[Isn’t it the Oracle’s legacy that guides Owen now? No matter how careful they are to avoid interfering with each other, the two of them cannot help but act as huge variables for each other. That’s why your senses are bound to become even more confused.]

Oh, I see.

Seongjin nodded in agreement at the refreshing explanation, but suddenly felt a strange sense of discomfort and called out to Seonghwang.

[Hey… but, father?]

Then the answer comes right away.

[okay.]

[father.]

[Yes, son.]

[… … .]

Only after calling him repeatedly did Seongjin realize the source of his discomfort.

wait for a sec.

Why doesn’t my father call my name?

Why don’t you call me Mores anymore?

Why do you insist on surrounding yourself with such a strong light that nothing can be seen?

Bam.

Before my thoughts could deepen, another knock on my head interrupted my thoughts.

[Son.]

Knock. Knock, knock.

Seongjin felt his heart suddenly calm down as he felt the sensation transmitted at regular intervals.

Yeah, that’s okay. But my father still calls me son.

[There isn’t much time left to talk. The resistance is formidable, so I think it’s time for me to go.]

Resistance?

[I came to check on you in case something bad happened, but didn’t you already prepare everything?]

Contrast?

As I was absentmindedly mulling over his words, this time I felt the Holy Spirit gently stroking my head.

Swish swish.

[So don’t be too anxious. You will do well this time as you have always done. The reason I come to you every time is not because you are not attractive. It’s just because I don’t want to leave you alone.]

The hand that started out stroking the back of my head is now moving forward, little by little, through my crown.

Then Seongjin realized intuitively.

[Uh… So what’s next?]

[… … .]

[… I guess so.]

Then I felt a gentle vibration in the air. It was the light, ringing sound of the laughter of the saint.

[Yes. You know very well.]

Taaak!

With the shock he had expected, Sungjin’s mind was suddenly pushed back to reality.