RGS Vol 7 Part 12

No one could answer Nani’s bewildered question.

Why had the blackened land spread out before their eyes?

It was as if a giant dragon had spewed flames, burning everything on the green land, and then the blackened land stretched out far and wide, expanding out in dozens of directions. Strangely, only the library had been spared.

Thud.

The startled butler’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Th-that must be the Dragon’s Forest that devours people, right? Young Master, could it be… is this why you said we need to stop His Majesty?”

In response to the butler’s question, which sounded like a groan, someone other than Abel asked back.

“Stop His Majesty?”

Hearing the hoarse voice from behind, all three of them turned their heads at the same time to see someone staggering, leaning against the wall for support. It was Ashler, who should have been sleeping as if he were dead. He glanced at the startled people and stopped walking when he recognized Abel.

“Abel?”

Are you really alive?

This time, he tried to ask in surprise. However, when he looked out the open door, he closed his mouth again. The blackened land cut long across the front of the library.

The Dragon’s Forest had expanded?!

His eyes, momentarily frozen in shock, seemed to waver before turning back to Abel. The complicated thoughts tangled in his gaze revealed his thoughts.

“Did you meet His Majesty?”

“Yes.”

“How is His Majesty’s condition? Is there any problem because of the black potion?”

“Sir Ashler, no. His Majesty seemed fine. In fact, it seemed like his strength had returned, and his eyes, they became, uh, frighteningly sharp.”

When Nani answered on behalf of Abel instead, Ashler took a step forward, breathing heavily as if the effort was too much.

“Then why is the Dragon’s Forest expanding its territory? Hah, the Dragon Forest turned like that because the Duke set it on fire. The forest is angry. But.”

Ashler, struggling, couldn’t finish his sentence, but everyone understood. The forest was cursed. People had whispered for a long time about the barren land where not even a single blade of grass grew. But now the forest was getting even angrier and expanding its territory.

Could Truyde be plotting something terrifying again?

Had he perhaps harmed the emperor?

Nani and the butler, contemplating Ashler’s concerns, looked outside again and also took a deep breath.

“It might not be a curse.”

Abel’s voice emerged, negating everyone’s worries. He began to step outside, looking at the blackened land with sunken eyes. Voices trying to stop him sounded from behind, but Abel ignored them and continued to walk towards the blackened ground. In fact, it had been bothering him all along.

Karas who had recovered from the poison and claimed to have gotten rid of everyone who was in the way. This was linked to the words of the Marquis’ ancestor he had seen through the past.

‘Think about how many people the mad king killed after the Regas died over the years. The palace has long been an abandoned ruin where no one enters.’

A king who killed many people and the palace that had become a ruin because of it. Although he knew this wasn’t about Karas, an inexplicable sense of unease filled within him.

I need to confirm it. I need to see with my own eyes what the prince did and what he intends to do.

Just as Abel stepped onto the blackened ground, Ashler’s voice came from behind him.

“I will go too.”

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Outside the palace, the crowd was gradually increasing.

Something must have happened inside.

They say the emperor has gone mad?

 People whispered. Rumors about Truyde’s grand procession and the palace being closed since dawn spread quickly, drawing more and more people.

However, despite the growing number of onlookers, there was no movement inside. Then, at some point, the tightly shut palace gates began to open slowly. The people watched with a mix of curiosity and unease. But that was all.

Though the gates were open, no one came out. Not those who had entered, nor the soldiers who were originally inside, not even a shadow. There was only an eerie silence that filled the air, enough to instill fear in the onlookers. Kin decided to lead the ten or so soldiers, hastily gathered by the innkeeper, into the palace.

The number of soldiers who had entered, led boastfully by Truyde and the ministers, was enormous, let alone the number of people that were there. If a fight broke out inside, Ashler wouldn’t be able to handle it. Moreover, with the crowd gathered to see if the emperor had truly gone mad, the situation needed to be prevented from getting any worse.

Clearly, those inside were unaware of the situation outside. Kin signaled the others with a hand gesture that they were about to enter. It was easy to go in since no one was stopping them. Just as he was about to execute his firm plan, the anticipated reaction came from inside.

A group of soldiers came running out. They were the ones who had entered, bearing the Truyde family’s flag as if to seize control. However, before their figures appeared, the screams of fear they let out reached the ears of the onlookers first. Screams filled with terror.

“Ahh! The land of death! Everyone run! The Dragon Forest is devouring people!”

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Since when had this happened?

A deep, endless trap had formed beneath his feet.

 Why had he been so careless?

He hadn’t noticed the bottomless pit opening its black maw beneath the branches that were barely supporting his body. Truyde, looking at Karas standing before him, thought.

A demon.

That bastard is a demon.

Even if it costs me all my flesh and blood, I must destroy him.

“Is this your revenge?”

Even as he spoke, the thought of what Karas had done wouldn’t leave his mind. Perhaps, as Karas said, things had indeed turned out that way at the main house, with which he had lost contact. The horrors of the tragedy that would unfold there were vividly etched in his mind. However, Karas responded indifferently to Truyde’s question, which was filled with pain.

“Revenge?”

“You’re doing the same thing that was done to you as a child.”

At this, Karas tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“Does that mean what you did to me was also revenge? No. To you, I was just a piece of meat to be used and consumed. So why do you think what I’m doing is revenge?”

The childlike innocence in his question continued starkly out of place with the terror of the situation.

“Now, you’re just rotten, stinking trash. Even if I ate you, it wouldn’t have any effect and would taste disgusting.”

Truyde stared at the other person in disbelief, forgetting even his anger.

“It’s not revenge? To you, I’m just rotten, stinking trash? Ha, hahaha… kuhahaha!”

Suddenly, laughter burst out from Truyde’s mouth. Unable to hold back his shaking body, he fell to his knees, his shoulders trembling.

“Hehe, I’m… to you, I’m just rotten trash that tastes disgusting. Hahaha—”

Tears streaming down his face, he abruptly stopped laughing and lifted his eyes. Filled with venom, he spat out a curse, seemingly out of his mind.

“Don’t pretend you’re above it all. You’ve barely managed to survive, poisoned by my trash all this time. I don’t know how you detoxified the black potion, but you can’t defeat our King’s Heart. Do you think killing me will solve everything? Do you think the entire world will be yours if I’m gone? Hah, there’s no way.”

Truyde stood up, extending his hand to point outside.

“Most of the people in this world belong to our King’s Heart. Unless you kill them all, you won’t be able to laugh as the victor. So why don’t you use your great flames to burn and destroy them all? Huh? Kill everyone and shout that you have won! Because that’s the only way for you.”

Truyde’s eyes truly looked like those of a madman as he shouted. He was filled with nothing but a venomous resolve to drag his opponent down with him if there was no way to win. He continued to mock Karas, trying to provoke him somehow and steal his victory.

“There’s already a rumor outside that the emperor has gone mad. What do you think the people will say once they find out that not only the lowly people inside the palace but also those who followed me in are all dead? They’ll turn their backs on you even more, claiming that the insane emperor went on a rampage and killed everyone. In the end, you won’t be able to escape the shadow of our King’s Heart.”

Karas should have been enraged by Truyde’s taunts, burning everyone with his flames, but the reality was quite the opposite. The hall, which had been filled with scorching heat and flames hot enough to burn their skin, returned to normal as if nothing had happened. The flames that had surrounded Truyde like a cage suddenly vanished.

All that remained were the torches quietly burning on the walls. The dozens of ministers who had followed Truyde, trembling with their heads pressed against the vast hall floor, only realized much later that the flames tormenting them had finally disappeared. One by one, they raised their heads and looked up at Karas.

More than half of them were groaning in pain, either scorched or with parts of their bodies burned, but as the flames vanished, they swallowed their screams as the flames disappeared. The silence that had now settled in the hall made it seem like raising their voices would provoke greater wrath.

So even though the flames were gone, their fear only grew.

Why?

What happened?

They glanced around several times to confirm there were no flames around them, and then their gazes all turned to one place. There stood Truyde, with his back turned, and Karas, who was standing expressionlessly.

Truyde was standing in front of Karas?!

Hope sparked in the hearts of those watching.

Had Truyde done something?

Did he stop the emperor with the black potion?

Everyone held their breath, staring motionlessly at the two standing opposite each other. Just as their eyes widened to the point of tearing, there was a sign of movement from someone.

“Black potion.”

Karas’ languid voice uttered a word. Truyde continued to glare at Karas with a taunting smile.

No matter what you do now, you will never taste victory.

His eyes still held mockery that glinted with madness, but Karas’ next words left him with no choice but to react the same way as the other ministers.

“Bring the black potion. The black potion Truyde brought is a useless trash, both ineffective and foul-tasting.”

Karas placed a hand on Truyde’s shoulder and looked at him as if to confirm, ‘Isn’t that right?’ Truyde, filled with rage, stopped laughing and spat out harshly.

“There’s still one last chance—Ugh!”

Thud.

Truyde fell to his knees with a scream, trembling. The shoulder Karas’ hand had touched had turned pitch black. No, his flesh was still burning with a sizzling sound. The smell of burning meat and rot filled the air.

“See? It even smells disgusting.”

Karas slightly pouted his lips like a child and then turned back to look at the ministers.

“That kind of poison doesn’t satisfy me at all. So, you bring me something.”

Bring?

The ministers were in a flustered panic, their eyes wide.

Wasn’t Truyde the only one who knew the ingredients for the black potion?

Then Karas added.

“Anything similar will do. Scour the entire country if you have to, and find a poison that will satisfy me.”

Despite the content of his words, his voice was filled with clear annoyance. However, the ministers had no time to notice this. The flames began to creep up the walls and floor like snakes once again. The brief moment of peace turned into even greater fear as they saw the approaching flames before them. Having already felt their scorching heat once, these flames now appeared as the demon’s tongue ready to devour them.

“Ah! We’ll find it! We’ll bring you whatever you want!”

“We’ll get it! S-So, please just spare our lives.”

Without waiting for someone to go first, they banged their heads against the floor, begging for their lives.

Did their pleas perhaps work?

The approaching flames disappeared. However, they didn’t vanish completely. Someone lifted their head to look around and gasped when they saw the remaining flames. It was just a tiny speck, no bigger than a fingernail.

“Ah! Your Majesty.”

Someone called out to Karas in fear. The ministers slowly rose one by one, but all they could do was tremble. They were all staring at the small flame. The small flames fluttered like butterflies over their chests. However, unlike a butterfly, it couldn’t be easily extinguished. It blackened their clothes and clung to their skin, causing excruciating pain.

“One week. Within that time, search the entire country and bring me a poison that will keep driving me mad. Before the flames burrow into your hearts.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously closed door burst open with a loud noise. A long hallway was visible beyond the open door. Before Karas could even order them to leave, the ministers rushed towards the door one after another. The same hallway they had proudly walked down following Truyde, they now crawled on all fours and stumbled through, fighting each other in a pathetic attempt to escape first.

Once their noisy exit was over, Truyde’s groans, previously drowned out by their sounds, now filled the corner of the hall. Karas had long since removed his hand from Truyde’s shoulder, but strangely, Truyde’s shoulder continued to sizzle, with flesh and blood still burning.