Doubt (2)
Chapter 96
Ray visited Jimmy and Bella’s newlywed home.
It was a house prepared with the intention of properly going into hiding, so as a result, Ray had been living alone at his own place recently.
After Bella placed teacups in front of Jimmy and Ray, she excused herself without being asked.
Jimmy raised his teacup towards Ray.
“This cup was a gift from the kids.”
“Which kids?”
“Apparently Karen, Johanna, and Luna pooled their allowances together to buy it.”
“It was probably Karen who paid for it.”
Ray muttered while taking a sip of tea.
Among the three, Karen was the only one who diligently saved her allowance. Johanna always spent hers right away, and Luna didn’t have much savings due to paying library fees at the church.
“…Do you sleep together?”
As Ray made a teasing remark while looking at the bedroom, Jimmy squinted his eyes.
“In case you’re wondering, we’ve got two more bedrooms here.”
The house was so large that it had many rooms, though Jimmy grumbled about how difficult it was just to maintain it. Pushing the teacup aside, he sighed.
“What brings you here, making that sour face?”
The forced smile on Ray’s face disappeared entirely.
Though Ray wanted to avoid talking about matters related to the Crown Prince, he knew he couldn’t keep silent from Jimmy.
“The Crown Prince is dead.”
“Oh, well. The nobles must be having headaches now.”
Jimmy’s reaction was calm.
For a commoner living on the frontier, who ruled the country wasn’t usually a matter of great concern—at least most of the time.
“The Crown Prince crossed Phillip’s County attempting to seek asylum in the Rubia Kingdom before dying.”
“Yeah, seeking asylum… Wait, what did you just say?”
Jimmy, who had been responding absentmindedly to Ray’s story, suddenly widened his eyes.
“Crossed Phillip’s County? The Crown Prince did?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Jimmy’s pupils trembled violently.
There was no way Jimmy wouldn’t understand why Ray had suddenly brought him here to tell this story.
With his mouth half-open in shock, Jimmy finally managed to utter a single sentence.
“This isn’t something we should be discussing between ourselves.”
“The Count knows too. With the Count, we’ve decided… since there’s uncertainty about whose blood the baby in Mom’s womb carries, we’ll wait until the child is born.”
“That’s a relief. Ah… Thank goodness.”
Jimmy sighed in relief knowing that the issue was out of his hands.
Ray looked at Jimmy, who was wiping his forehead, and asked an incredibly foolish question.
“If Mom’s child turns out to be of royal blood, what should we do?”
“Kill it!!”
Jimmy, who shouted reflexively, calmed himself down and faced Ray.
At first glance, Ray seemed calm.
However, Jimmy, who had known Ray for a long time, felt an indescribable chill.
In a hushed voice, Jimmy pleaded with Ray.
“Ray, don’t entertain strange thoughts. If the child is of royal blood, for Bella’s sake, we absolutely have to kill it. Bella would understand.”
“Yeah, Mom would understand too.”
Bella wasn’t a stubborn and foolish woman.
If people around her convinced her that the child she bore could bring disaster to everyone, she would understand.
“But, Jimmy.”
A corner of Ray’s mouth slowly curled upward.
“A woman who sold her body to feed her younger brother… A woman who sacrificed all the goods she’d accumulated over a lifetime and the hopes she’d cherished all her life to protect her younger brother’s child… Could she truly continue living after losing the child she carried through so much pain?”
“…”
Jimmy looked into Ray’s eyes.
Ray’s eyes, filled with mockery, seemed bleak.
Ray wondered.
“What’s the point…”
Of living a life when someone can’t die…
“In a world where Bella can’t die…”
“What’s the point?”
“Ray…!!”
In Jimmy’s eyes, he saw blindness in Ray’s gaze.
The psychological foundation for Ray’s decision to live his second life was “Bella.”
If the foundation crumbles, everything built upon it loses its meaning.
Jimmy slammed his hand on the table.
“Ray…! What are you trying to do?!”
“If Mom’s child turns out to be of royal blood… And if the Count doesn’t approve of the child’s existence…”
If that happens…
“I’ll leave this place.”
I will go far, change my identity, and live quietly without drawing attention.
At this declaration, Jimmy grabbed Ray’s hand.
“Ray, everything you’ve achieved is here. Everything you’ve accomplished is right here in Phillip’s County!”
Slowly shaking his head, Ray responded.
“They’re…”
Swallowing dryly, Ray continued.
“The kind of things I can give up.”
“RAY!!!”
Jimmy struggled to contain the surging emotions within him.
Ray, just like how Bella considers you the whole world, there are children who consider you their entire world, he wanted to shout.
But seeing Ray’s expression, still cold and rigid, he couldn’t bring himself to speak further.
As Ray stood up and grabbed the doorknob, he briefly turned back to Jimmy.
“Even if things don’t turn out well, I’ll come back someday. That’s what I wanted to say. I need to keep my promise with Jimmy.”
“…”
Without saying a word, Jimmy wiped his face.
A dull ache reverberated in his mind like never before.
*
Divine Power: A type of mana transformed by receiving the blessing of a deity.
Truly divine power, as its name suggests, was often regarded as miraculous because it could handle all kinds of injuries and diseases.
However, that was false.
For example, congenital deformities couldn’t be resolved by divine power, nor could the natural process of aging be reversed.
Even in cases of severe wounds, if bleeding wasn’t stopped, pouring divine power wouldn’t prevent death by excessive blood loss.
That’s why the profession of ‘Healer’ existed in the world.
Healers were experts in human anatomy and treated patients through medicine or physical surgery.
While some clerics who wielded divine power also studied healing knowledge, they were relatively few in number.
People in this world considered diseases untreatable by divine power as “God’s punishment” or “God’s curse.”
There was even a history of people with congenital diseases being massacred as those who sold their souls to demons.
Thus, healers capable of treating congenital diseases weren’t viewed favorably either.
In this regard, the Tarannis Family of the Rubia Kingdom was quite unique.
The Tarannis Family had produced several outstanding mages throughout its long history and held deep interest and expertise in the medical field of healing.
Though not overly influential, the Tarannis Family had earned a certain reputation and recently experienced rapid growth.
They significantly alleviated the suffering of the aging king using their medical knowledge.
Backed by the king, the Tarannis Family successfully entered central politics and eventually managed to secure the position of Ranger Captain for one of their own—Arthur.
Arthur, who came through connections and was a mage, was initially not welcomed by the Rangers.
But military organizations have rules that must be followed.
Even though Brandil grumbled, he tried to follow Arthur’s orders as faithfully as possible.
Then the Crown Prince’s defection incident happened.
The order to encourage and assist the Crown Prince’s defection came directly from the king of the Rubia Kingdom.
King’s reasons for wanting to secure the Empire’s Crown Prince were somewhat clear to Brandil.
Not only could the haughty Empire be humiliated, but there were many political uses for an Imperial Crown Prince.
However, it was dangerous as it might excessively provoke the Empire.
Nevertheless, the Rangers failed to protect the Crown Prince.
That should have been the end of it.
But Arthur instructed the Rangers to annihilate the Empire’s trackers.
This stance appeared overly confrontational with the Empire, so Brandil feigned injury and withdrew from the battlefield.
He thought the person who secured the position through connections was pushing things too far, but the real problem came next.
The Crown Prince resurrected.
“Was… that wound recoverable?”
Brandil witnessed from a distance the Crown Prince’s internal organs scattering.
Though the waist wasn’t completely severed, such an injury was almost certainly fatal.
Unless a saint appeared and poured divine power, there was no way Arthur, being from the Tarannis family, could revive the Crown Prince.
Yet, months later, the Crown Prince rose again and showed his face to the Rangers.
A miracle.
It was a miracle.
Perhaps the Crown Prince was just extraordinarily lucky.
Brandil tried to convince himself.
Anyway, once the Crown Prince crossed the Sigini Mountain Range into the heart of the kingdom, the Rangers wouldn’t have to see him anymore.
However, the revived Crown Prince made no attempt to hide his identity or leave the mountain range.
“Traitors will return. I will personally punish them.”
Spouting nonsense like that.
Did he lose his mind after coming back from the dead?
Is the kingdom just leaving this madman alone? Are they asking the Rangers to take the sword for him? Moreover, how did the Crown Prince resurrect?
Was it really a recoverable wound?
Brandil belatedly sought out Rangers who were close to the Crown Prince during the moment of injury.
However, most of the Rangers who closely guarded the Crown Prince had died or suffered major injuries and were transferred elsewhere.
“It wasn’t a recoverable wound.”
Brandil decided to trust his own eyes.
Most of the internal organs were gone. It was nearly a fatal injury.
And yet, the Crown Prince lived.
Does the imperial family possess some terrifying recovery ability?
If not…
“Undead.”
An absurd assumption flashed through Brandil’s mind.
Nightmares written in myths centuries ago.
Beings resurrected by the power of demons.
Too far-fetched, and Brandil burst into hollow laughter.
“Stuck in the mountains, dreaming nonsense.”
Brandil trudged along the mountain range.
The Crown Prince had declared vengeance, and the higher-ups in the kingdom hadn’t issued new orders yet.
Brandil loudly questioned Carinus, who was watching the mountain scenery with Arthur.
“Do you want to wage war with the Empire?”
“…”
Carinus turned around to look at Brandil.
Frustrated by the lack of Imperial trackers, Carinus asked,
“What did you just say?”
“I asked if you want to wage war with the Empire, Your Highness.”
“Foolish question. I am the Crown Prince of the Empire. Those who oppose and betray me are not enemies of the Empire but traitors.”
“Ah, you’ve lost your mind.”
Brandil’s blatant insult infuriated Arthur.
“BRANDIL!! Are you in your right mind?! What insolence is this?!”
Shrugging, Brandil clicked his tongue.
“What do you want me to do? I’m not an Imperial citizen. Why should I observe special etiquette toward an exiled Imperial noble?”
“BRANDIL!!!!”
Carinus stepped in front of the enraged Arthur.
“A tool meant to be sharp shouldn’t talk so much. Too many thoughts.”
“I agree I’m a tool, but for the Rubyha Kingdom, not the Empire. Thinking as a tool…”
BOOM! BOOM!
Brandil perked up his ears.
The sound of a heartbeat resonated from Carinus’ chest.
Could that even be a human heart? Or is it something else mimicking one?
Well, we could find out by taking it out.
“It seems lying still on the ground forever would benefit the kingdom.”
Whether Carinus has made a pact with demons or not.
Whether Arthur, the Tarannis family, or the Rubyha Kingdom plans to use the Crown Prince.
It’s clear that tensions with the Empire will escalate due to the Crown Prince.
If war breaks out, thousands or tens of thousands—or even more soldiers will die.
So, Brandil made a decision.
CRACK!!
Branding’s sword, imbued with Sword Aura, swung aggressively.
Brandil was confident that this strike would sever Carinus’ head without a doubt.
CLANG!!
At that moment.
A rusted sword popped out from Carinus’ possession.
The rusty blade, which looked like it would break at a mere touch, blocked Brandil’s sword.
ZING!
The fragment of Dragon Heart inside Carinus, mixed with demonic power, reacted.
Sinister flames erupted from Carinus’ heart and infused the rusted sword.
In response, memories embedded within the rusted sword surged back into Carinus.
Carinus’ lips twisted.
A sword he had never handled before felt familiar in his grip.
Advanced sword techniques that always seemed incomprehensible became naturally understandable.
“You underestimated me too.”
The Apostle of Greed, with fiery red eyes, awakened.
