Chapter 222
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 222
“So, I’m going to die…”
Hearing Joshua’s prophecy, I leaned back in my chair and let out a long, weary sigh.
Joshua’s prophecies were absolute. If she said I was going to die, then my death was a certainty.
Joshua tilted her head, seemingly puzzled by my composed reaction.
“You don’t seem very surprised.”
“Everyone dies eventually. The only difference is whether it’s sooner or later.”
“That’s true. But it looks like your time will come quite a bit sooner than most. And also…”
Joshua started to say more, then swallowed her words.
“Never mind. Telling you exactly how you die is a bit…”
“I don’t mind. Tell me.”
Knowing the future didn’t mean I could easily change it, but I was still curious about the nature of my end.
Despite my interest, Joshua refused to give a detailed answer.
“No, saying more wouldn’t be good for either of us. It’s not just a matter of feelings…”
“You mean it’s like divulging the secrets of heaven?”
“Yes. There would be repercussions on a providential level. If that happens, things could get very tiresome for me.”
“I understand.”
It was better to drop it, for both our sakes.
“Hoo.”
I exhaled deeply before speaking again.
“Joshua, in that case, just tell me how your prophecies work. Do you have dreams, receive revelations, or something like that?”
Since she couldn’t tell me how I would die, I wanted to at least understand how she had come to learn of that future.
Joshua scratched her cheek and replied.
“I can answer that much. It’s hard to explain precisely, but you can think of it as seeing a scene from the future in a dream.”
“A scene from the future?”
“Yes. For example, let’s say Kingdom A and Kingdom B are at war right now.”
Joshua clinked two teacups together to illustrate her point.
“If I then dreamed of Kingdom B’s fortress burning, what kind of prophecy would I make?”
“…That you predict Kingdom A’s victory?”
“Yes, that’s the most likely outcome. But it’s not always the case. There are a ton of variables when it comes to foreseeing the future.”
Joshua pulled the teapot over and set it between us.
“Empire C could have suddenly joined the war and burned the fortress, or Kingdom B could have deliberately set fire to their own fortress as a ploy to deal a major blow to Kingdom A.”
“I see. So the same scene can be interpreted differently depending on the context.”
Without solid evidence, it would be difficult to be certain of the future based on a single, fleeting glimpse in a dream.
“Exactly. That’s why I need a process of interpretation and supplementation to prophesy accurately. The easiest way is to have another related dream. If, in my dream the next day, I see the king of Kingdom B being killed by a general from Kingdom A, then Kingdom A’s victory becomes much more certain.”
“Hmm.”
“Of course, it’s rare to have dreams that provide such obvious clues. Most of them appear in the form of metaphors and allegories.”
“I see. I think I get the gist of it.”
The scenes Joshua saw in her dreams were futures that would definitely happen. However, depending on the surrounding circumstances, the same scene could be interpreted differently, or events could flow in a completely different direction.
“Then it’s possible I might not die after all.”
I didn’t know what exact scene Joshua had seen, but this meant there was room for a different interpretation. Didn’t that mean my death wasn’t set in stone?
Just as I was thinking that…
“I’m sorry to say this to the man who saved my life, but the dream was just too clear. You’re going to die soon! I guarantee it!”
I couldn’t take it anymore and bonked her on the head.
Thwack—!
“Hey. Don’t say that in such a cheerful voice.”
“Ow! But lying would be worse, wouldn’t it? You need to know something that important. You’ll need time to prepare, after all.”
She had a point, but she could at least consider the listener’s feelings.
“But how do you know I’ll die soon?”
“The face I saw in the dream and your face now are almost identical. It must be an event in the very near future.”
“I see.”
If Roen’s face, which was still in its growth period, had barely changed, then the event was imminent.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, I sighed. “Hoo. To come to your savior only to deliver a death sentence… how cruel.”
“…Now that you mention it, that’s true. I’m sorry.”
Bowing her head again, Joshua sidled up to me.
“Then how about a passionate romance with a frail, beautiful girl before you die? If it’s you, Senior, I’ll serve you with all my heart.”
“Not interested. You want me to get stabbed by my fiancée?”
I had renewed my engagement with Freya and promised to keep my distance from others. There was no need to create unnecessary misunderstandings.
Just as I gave my cold reply…
“…”
Joshua’s expression momentarily hardened. It wasn’t because I had rejected her offer of romance.
Could it be because of what I said about being stabbed by my fiancée?
Seeing her reaction, I asked in a half-doubting voice, “What is it? Don’t tell me Freya is the one who kills me.”
“Ahaha…”
Joshua didn’t answer, only scratching her head with an awkward smile, but that was answer enough.
In the future the prophet Joshua had seen, I am murdered by Freya.
*
The northeast of the continent.
The Kingdom of Gilbert, the land of knights, bordered the Gunhild family’s territory on the northern front.
The Kingdom of Gilbert had long carried the lofty reputation and lineage of the Knight King, but that was now a tale of the past.
“Is everyone gathered?”
King Kaim’s gruff voice echoed from behind the thick screen obscuring the throne.
The great King Kaim had once personally charged across battlefields to protect Gilbert’s territory from monsters. But for the past few years, he had not only failed to subjugate any monsters, he hadn’t even shown his face to his ministers.
He simply had all the lights near the throne extinguished and layers of screens installed to block the view, preventing anyone from seeing what lay beyond.
Because of this, rumors circulated that the king was suffering from a horrific plague, and there were even bizarre whispers that the king was already dead and someone else was impersonating him.
One reason for these grim rumors was the numerous massacres being carried out under the king’s orders. Countless villages had been burned and their people slaughtered under the pretext of purging heretics; the resentment of the populace had reached its peak.
Now, for the first time in years, King Kaim had gathered the kingdom’s ministers to personally hold a royal court session.
A heavy silence filled the audience chamber.
As no one dared to step forward, one minister finally came forth, touched his forehead to the ground, and cried out.
“Your Highness! I, your humble servant Lando, dare to speak frankly to you!”
He shouted in a voice that was almost a wail.
“A plague is rampant throughout the kingdom and monsters are swarming! Even now, countless subjects are groaning in agony! Meanwhile, Captain of the Royal Guard Egil is slaughtering the people under the pretext of purging heretics! Your Highness, please save your people who have fallen into misery and look after the affairs of the state!”
The minister’s loyal plea echoed desperately through the audience chamber.
“…”
Yet, King Kaim, hidden in the darkness, showed no reaction.
As the ministers kept their heads bowed in silence…
Thud—.
Thud—.
The sound of heavy footsteps approached, followed by a vibration that shook the audience chamber. A giant of a man in armor opened the doors and entered.
The Knight Commander of the Kingdom of Gilbert, Egil Demetri.
He was the king’s right-hand man and the only one who had communicated with King Kaim during his years of seclusion.
Shaaa—.
As Egil stepped into the audience chamber, a heavy pressure—magic so dense it felt like it was crushing their lungs—spread through the space.
“Keuk.”
The ministers with low magic resistance clutched their chests and throats, crying out in pain.
At Egil’s appearance, the silent King Kaim finally spoke.
“Egil.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“How goes the work of accumulating evil karma?”
At the king’s question, Egil knelt on one knee and gave his report.
“It is proceeding smoothly, as Your Highness intended. The massacres are now in their final stages. If this continues, you will surely be worthy of the title of Successor.”
“What?”
“Massacres?”
“Does he mean they’re not even bothering with the excuse of purging heretics anymore?”
As the ministers began to murmur at the ominous, incomprehensible conversation between King Kaim and Egil…
“Good. Then let us dispose of what is no longer needed. Starting with… the insects here.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At King Kaim’s command, Egil drew his sword and swung it through the air.
Swoosh—.
A crescent-shaped arc of sword energy shot from his blade, slitting the throats of every minister gathered in the audience chamber.
“Keoheok!”
“Gaaah!”
With horrific screams, the audience chamber instantly became a sea of blood. With a single swing of Egil’s sword, dozens of ministers who managed the kingdom’s affairs lost their lives.
The only survivor was Lando, the minister who had been prostrated on the ground to offer his counsel.
He looked around the blood-soaked chamber and shouted in terror.
“Y-Your Highness! What is the meaning of this?!”
King Kaim addressed the minister.
“Lando, was it? No one else dared to speak their mind to me, yet you alone stepped forward. A loyal one, indeed. I shall grant you a special pardon and let you live. Now, go outside and tell the others who did not answer the summons what happened here today.”
The king’s red eyes glinted in the darkness.
“Tell them all… to wash their necks and wait.”
“K-Keuk.”
“You may go.”
At King Kaim’s command, Lando gritted his teeth and scrambled out of the audience chamber.
Egil watched Lando flee and asked the king.
“Why did you let that one live?”
“Kekeke. Someone has to survive to tell the tale of today’s events. Will that not further build my evil karma?”
There was a peculiar aspect to karma. It accumulated more when evil deeds were widely known rather than simply committed in secret. The more his infamy spread across the continent, the closer the succession would be.
“I see.”
Egil nodded once before reporting to the king again.
“The nobles under Jeremy and Andrew did not respond to the summons.”
“I know. Kill them all as well. However, bring Jeremy back alive.”
Creeak—.
King Kaim rose from his throne and looked down upon the blood-drenched audience chamber.
“…At last, the time of my coronation draws near.”
He pushed aside the screen and stepped forward, a twisted smile touching his lips.
“Immortality and eternal life… and the throne of the Demon God shall be mine.”
*
After finishing my daily routine, I returned to the workshop with a heavy heart.
I sat in the rocking chair and slowly closed my eyes.
A terminal life. And to die at Freya’s hands, of all people.
It was a prophecy that was hard to swallow. At least for now, my relationship with Freya wasn’t bad, and there were no other variables that seemed likely to lead to my death.
I’ve dealt with most of the atrocities the past Roen committed… or rather, the ones he was believed to have committed.
I had contacted the victims who had agreed to meet, begged for their forgiveness, and provided appropriate compensation. That didn’t mean I had cleared all grudges, but Freya wouldn’t kill me for that reason, at least.
Then why?
Why would Freya kill me? What possible justification could she have?
Sitting alone in the darkened workshop, deep in thought, I slowly opened my eyes.
I see.
Freya was destined to be the Hero. Soon, she would possess the power and abilities befitting a hero and fight against the darkness.
And…
I, Roen, am the successor of darkness, watched over by the Twelve Honored Ones.
Not only did Roen possess the bloodline of darkness, but he was also the most crucial figure for the succession of the Demon God.
If she had a reason to kill me… it could only be that.
My thoughts concluded, I let out a deep sigh. This wasn’t something that could be resolved through effort or sincerity.
This… is inevitable.
From the moment they were born, Freya was the essence of a hero, and Roen was a descendant of darkness.
My death was like an inescapable fate. In the end, I would die at her hands, just as Joshua prophesied. Perhaps this was the destiny set by this world. It might have been a future determined the very moment I possessed Roen’s body.
“…”
I sat alone in the dark workshop, staring blankly out the window.
It was a spring night that still held a lingering chill. Beyond the cherry blossoms in full, riotous bloom, the moon was piercingly bright.