Chapter 15_I Don’t Want to Lose Anything Precious Anymore

So that’s what it was.

That crying sound.

Dismissing it lightly was his mistake. It had crashed into the window, asking its master to save it.

Kuro. That bastard!

A beastly creature who committed a heinous crime.

Kuro’s Divine Beast must have devoured his white horse. He had only heard of such things happening in the past, never imagining it would happen to him.

He had heard the story that the lion, the Divine Beast of the 5th Emperor, became twice as strong after devouring a living lion kept in the palace. That day, Kuro’s Divine Beast had become clearer and even made a sound. The time it took to disappear had also doubled. All because it had devoured his white horse and gained its power.

Kuro was a bastard who deserves to be torn limb from limb. But there’s no way to prove it. No matter how certain he is, there’s no evidence.

A Divine Beast resembles the heart of its master. Since Kuro detests him, his Divine Beast would feel the same and thus devoured the white horse.

Kalik wanted to rush over and behead that bastard to retrieve his white horse from the Divine Beast. But he didn’t have the power. For the first time, the Emperor, who ruled the world, felt helpless because he couldn’t even save his own horse.

There was only one way.

He had to manifest a stronger Divine Beast to subdue Kuro’s.

Only then could he retrieve his white horse trapped inside. So for now… there was nothing he could do. Nothing at all. He had to endure it with his eyes wide open.

Argh!

The Emperor screamed and fell to his knees, pounding the hard ground with his fists.

Anton, who stopped the attendants and knights from approaching, stayed by the Emperor’s side with a heavy heart.

The Emperor pounded the ground repeatedly.

I’m sorry.

I’m really sorry.

I… I don’t have the power. The power to save you.

That white horse had been with Kalik since birth. He had raised it with love from a small foal.

Such a cherished horse!

He clenched his teeth so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth. His fists, which had pounded the ground several times, were covered in dirt and bleeding. His anger was not relieved.

When will my Divine Beast appear, making me suffer like this? 

The tiger Divine Beast that was said to have appeared faintly behind him when he gained the power to imbue magic into the Divine Sword.

Anton, Dein, and the aides around him had all seen it. But the Emperor himself had not.

It had appeared briefly behind him, almost like a fleeting shadow. He had even doubted that they were lying to comfort him.

He still had doubts. But since he had gained the Divine Sword, he believed. He tried to believe that it would manifest soon. The Divine Sword was the sign. But there had been no indication so far.

There was still time. But thinking about the Divine Beast that devoured his white horse made him feel like his body would explode.

“I will kill him, Anton.”

He swore to Anton, who was kneeling beside him with his head bowed in despair.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will be there with you.”

Anton’s solemn voice comforted the Emperor.

“I will retrieve my white horse.”

Seeing Anton prostrate on the ground, the Emperor calmed down a bit and spoke.

“It wasn’t something that could be stopped by human strength. Tell everyone that no one is to blame.”

With a voice choked with emotion, the Emperor absolved everyone of their guilt, and Anton pledged even greater loyalty.

I will serve you with my last drop of blood. Your Majesty.

Leaving Anton’s silent loyalty behind, the Emperor stood up. His eyes, looking into the void, were filled with emptiness.

“I don’t want to lose anything precious anymore.”

The Emperor’s desolate voice fell heavily to the ground. With a soulless appearance, he forced himself to walk. Each step was so heavy that the ground seemed to sink beneath him.

***

Ugh…

The Emperor lay in bed, writhing and groaning. Anton, who had been keeping watch, rushed to his side, anticipating this.

Swoosh.

The Divine Sword flew over and pointed sharply at Anton’s throat, preventing him from taking a single step.

He knew this too. The Divine Sword needed time to recognize him.

The menacing blue flame of the Divine Sword gradually subsided. Then it returned to its place beside the Emperor. It floated vertically, guarding the Emperor. Only Anton and Dein could pass the Divine Sword in the palace.

Once the Divine Sword settled, Anton hurried to the Emperor’s side. The Emperor was sweating profusely, as if suffering from a severe fever. He groaned and moved his limbs restlessly, tossing and turning as if in discomfort.

As expected.

He anticipated this today, which is why he stayed by the Emperor’s side.

The Emperor was asleep, but during these episodes, his body would burn with fever, and he would thrash around violently. This was a recurring illness that appeared whenever he experienced significant emotional shock, like when the previous Emperor and Empress died of an epidemic or when Kuro’s Divine Beast manifested first. Anton had stayed by his side tonight, anticipating this.

The aide had advised never to wake him forcefully during these episodes, so Anton carefully wiped the sweat from the Emperor’s face.

Seeing the Emperor suffer so much, Anton wished he could take the pain instead. He wiped the Emperor’s face until the towel was soaked. Finally, the Emperor’s movements began to calm down.

As the thrashing subsided and his breathing returned to normal, Anton straightened the Emperor’s body and stepped back. He stood beside the bed, next to the Divine Sword, without moving.

Anton prayed earnestly.

Please let the Divine Beast appear.

So that he doesn’t suffer anymore.

So that he can retrieve the white horse.

Anton stood silently by the Emperor’s side until dawn.

***

From the morning, Dein’s face was dark. He had heard everything from Anton about what had happened yesterday. Anton and Dein always shared information and devised plans for the Emperor. Their trust and loyalty made this possible.

The Emperor’s expression, which he had seen briefly, seemed better than expected. He might have been pretending to be fine in front of him. The aide had said that it would be best if the Emperor didn’t use his hands for a day, as they were bandaged with herbal medicine. So Dein was handling matters personally today. The aide also served as a physician, so no information would leak out, which was fortunate for the Emperor.

Damn.

Meeting an enemy on a single-log bridge, and from early in the morning.

Seeing an unwelcome figure approaching from the opposite side, Dein frowned slightly. He intended to pass by without a word, hoping the other would do the same, but it seemed not.

“The Emperor is out of his mind, isn’t he? Giving the title of Grand Duke to a bastard. Should I ask him directly?”

“Good idea. You should have asked earlier.”

Dein responded calmly, maintaining his composure, which made Kuro glare at him. Dein was an expert at maintaining his expression, rivaling Kuro. He would have no regrets if he could punch that face once.

Dein knew Kuro’s true feelings. Despite being unable to speak properly to the Emperor, Kuro acted arrogantly just because his Divine Beast had manifested. Dein saw him as the smallest of small-minded people. He was embarrassed to be from the same family. He shook his head.

Dein’s always condescending attitude infuriated Kuro. Kuro’s face twisted with anger as he dropped his mask.

“A bastard indeed.”

He spat out the words that would hurt Dein the most with a mocking laugh.

“My mother, though from a fallen family, was a noble lady. Everyone knows that you were born after your mother remarried two years after her death. You’re the only one in this country who calls me a bastard. How childish.”

Dein’s polite smile felt more mocking than Kuro’s sneer. Kuro was furious that he still felt intimidated by this bastard. He had never won an argument against him. He wanted to curse him out.

“Your tone is quite arrogant. Is every dog and cow a Grand Duke now?”

If there weren’t people around, he would have cursed more, but he couldn’t.

“You’re the dog, I’m the cow?”

Dein’s playful words made Kuro’s lips twist in an ugly way.

He had been like this since childhood. Dein, the king of sarcasm.

“Should I continue? I’m Grand Duke No. 1, you’re Grand Duke No. 2. Who’s the arrogant one?”

If only there were a way to shut that mouth!

Kuro’s face turned red with anger. This bastard always made him lose his composure. He wanted to kill him.

“When I become Emperor! You…”

“Wait. Say that after you become Emperor. If you can, that is. I’m very busy now. I don’t have time to waste on this, so goodbye.”

Kuro wanted to grab Dein by the collar, but there were too many eyes watching. So he stood there, trembling with rage. Your arrogance won’t last long.

“Oh, by the way.”

As if he had forgotten something, Dein turned back to Kuro.

“Don’t let the Emperor see you today. He’s in a very sharp mood. You know the Emperor’s temper, right?”

With a final mocking smile, Dein turned and walked away briskly.

Kuro, watching Dein’s back with murderous eyes, felt like he was going to explode.