008. Successful audience (3)
Seongjin sat down and glared at Seonghwang in silence for a while. It was an expression of his will to gauge his intentions as much as possible.
It was an extremely disrespectful look for his son to see, but Seonghwang didn’t seem to mind at all and lifted the teacup in front of him.
The face that was quietly looking into the tea without drinking was so indifferent that Seongjin had a moment of doubt as to whether the person in front of him had emotions.
The silence between the two was broken when Seonghwang placed the teacup down on the table.
“Don’t you listen? “Don’t you usually enjoy eating it?”
“… … .”
what? Aren’t you suspecting this side?
Seongjin paused for a while and then cautiously called out to him.
“… “Me, father?”
“Yes, Mores.”
For a moment, my heart relaxed. I was feeling really nervous for some reason, but the other person really didn’t seem to have any thoughts.
‘Well, it’s a little suspicious, but I guess you’re going to treat me like a son first, right?’
Seongjin somehow felt like everything was going to happen, so he picked up a cookie in front of him.
I feel like that guy will keep noticing me if I don’t eat it, and it feels like a waste of having it prepared.
Crash, clap.
“… … !”
Is it better than you think?
Is it because the body that lost fat after a few days of dieting craves sugar, or is Seongjin’s original taste, which he didn’t know about, similar to Mores?
For decades, he lived mainly on preserved food in an Earth devastated by a monster invasion. The desserts that the imperial chef poured his soul into were enough to satisfy his depleted appetite.
Seongjin was impressed and tasted various types of desserts. Meanwhile, Seonghwang looked at Seongjin without saying anything and occasionally sipped the tea. Judging by the fact that the contents were not decreasing at all, it seemed like he was not enjoying the tea very much.
Only then was Seongjin able to take a closer look at the situation with some leisure time.
‘At first glance, his face looks young and docile.’
Maybe it’s because of his strangely cool eyes, but he doesn’t look that young. In reality, he probably isn’t that young. Edith once told me that when an Auror user reaches a certain level, aging slows down.
So how strong is it? Even for Seongjin, who had decades of experience fighting, the decision was not easy.
In the case of Edith and the Pearl Palace’s resident knights, if they could regain some of their stamina, they were confident that they would be able to compete to some extent even without Aurors. Needless to say, if you have absorbed the magical beast’s energy, you can crush it.
However, in the case of Seonghwang, it was somewhat ambiguous. I didn’t feel any powerful force or anything, but when I tried to find an opening, it felt oddly uncomfortable.
Above all, Seongjin’s senses, forged through long battles, continue to sound the alarm toward Seonghwang.
‘I guess this means I’m stronger than I can fathom, right?’
If possible, let’s not reach out to this guy. Seongjin made that decision.
Afterwards, an awkward conversation between father and son continued.
“So, how have you been?”
“what… “I’m working on my physical strength, and I’m thinking about losing some weight.”
“Good idea. “I heard you’re going to the gym these days, right?”
“yes. “I plan to start with light exercise and gradually increase the training time.”
“Excessive exercise can actually be harmful.”
“I know. Once you get used to it, you can reduce the time instead of increasing the intensity. Then wouldn’t it be possible to read some books in your spare time?”
“Books?”
A strange look appeared in Seonghwang’s eyes.
It was a meaningful change that Seongjin, who had been wondering if he was even human because he had no facial expression, read it for the first time.
Oh my. This topic is working. Well, no matter where you are, there is no parent who would hate their child studying.
Seongjin felt a little more relaxed and began to ramble.
“hmm… So, I’ve been so ignorant until now… “No, you lived away from books, didn’t you?”
I guess it’s true that the devil said that, right? Fortunately, Seonghwang showed no particular reaction.
“… … .”
“Then, after dying and coming back to life, I wonder if it made me think about life again. Philosophical topics pop into my head. Why live life? What do you do with your life? Things like this.”
“philosophy.”
“yes. And I’m also curious about religion. “I want to know about death, the afterlife, God and the soul.”
Seonghwang tilted his head.
“Were you interested in that? “I believe the first person they kicked out in the past was the theology teacher.”
No, didn’t that guy Mores just skip all the classes regardless of the subject?
“So, Your Majesty, no, father. “I really have a question.”
“Any questions?”
“yes. Do you believe your father has a soul? No, since you are a prosperous person, of course you will believe it… . That’s not it, in my father’s eyes… Can you see the human soul?”
“… … .”
It was an impulsive question. When he became strangely confident that Seonghwang was not likely to harm him right away, his personality of not being able to hold back his curiosity for a moment secretly raised his head.
At the same time, it penetrated the most fundamental suspicion.
What Seongjin was worried about from the beginning, and what he still doubts about Seonghwang.
Seonghwang responded obediently.
“I can definitely see the soul in my eyes. Even if this is not the case, a priest who believes in the main body naturally does not doubt the existence of the soul. As the prince of the Holy Empire, you should not have such suspicions.”
“Then what does the soul look like?”
“It’s the same as the person he was when he was alive. “The soul is influenced by the body until the moment of death.”
Seongjin swallowed his saliva. then.
“Then, perhaps… “What does my soul look like?”
Seonghwang did not answer right away this time.
“… Why is that suddenly happening again?”
“No, whatever. Since Soja has been living such a debauched life up until now, I wonder if my soul has also gained weight… … .”
Even though he thought it was bullshit, Seongjin decided to be confident.
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Seonghwang looked at him with unreadable eyes for a moment and then said.
“To confirm that, you will have to see your soul come out of your body. “Did you want to die?”
“… … .”
No, this guy was caught off guard and hit the person.
sorry… … .
The audience time passed faster than expected.
Even in his previous life, Seongjin was never a very social person, but strangely enough, in front of Seonghwang, he spoke softly as if he had greased his tongue.
Was I this talkative? He was surprised at himself even while talking.
It’s a quick adaptation compared to how nervous I was when I treated Seonghwang as the final boss. Maybe it was the relief that came from the disappearance of the threat to my life that I had always felt.
“… So, I was doing exercises on the floor, and suddenly Edith got scared and came running to me. “I thought I had flipped over and couldn’t get up.”
“Is that so?”
“If I were to hold something to exercise my arms, I don’t know how they would know and come running towards me. They seem to think that I will throw everything I hold in my hand.”
“okay.”
“By the way, the tea is really delicious. I haven’t tried it much, but it smells really good compared to the Melbourne tea that Edith gave me the other day. “It really tasted like bile.”
“This car must also be a Melbourne… … .”
“… yes?”
Seonghwang was a better person to talk to than I thought, because he listened silently even when Seongjin said trivial things. Of course, he wasn’t a man with great reactions.
Maybe that’s why, even though he was actually almost as old as Seongjin’s son, his father’s voice came out very smoothly.
“That’s why I want to learn how to be an Auror. “But I don’t know where to start.”
At the end, I also asked for this.
Since his father is the most powerful person in the country and seems to be a fairly strong Auror user, he would be an idiot if he didn’t take advantage of this opportunity.
“Okay, come… … .”
Seonghwang rested his chin and was lost in thought.
“They usually say that training in swordsmanship or spearmanship should come first. “I heard that there are unique Auror training methods tailored to that skill, and the more you become proficient in them, the more freely you will be able to use Aurors.”
“Ah, there is a separate method of practice!”
“okay. The basis for learning Aurors is practice. Of course, they say that once you reach a certain level, the distinction between practice methods becomes meaningless. “Because where your heart goes, aura will naturally flow.”
“Then, first of all, learn swordsmanship and practice…” … .”
what?
Seongjin nodded and suddenly became curious.
Isn’t this guy an Auror user? Why are you talking so vaguely as if you heard it from someone else?
“I heard that my father is also an Auror user. How did you learn it in the first place?”
In response to Seongjin’s question, Seonghwang rubbed the tip of his chin with his hand.
hmm? Why are you feeling a bit embarrassed right now?
As I keep watching, I feel like I know a little bit about this expressionless man.
“Well, I actually don’t remember how I got started. “I was moving my sword out of habit when using it, and later I heard from my teacher that it was an auror.”
“… yes?”
Seongjin’s mouth dropped open.
Wow, they said there was a person with a talent for using Auras like breathing from a young age, so they were talking about this person.
“Now that I think about it, when you were young, you seemed to have enjoyed swordsmanship classes even though you didn’t know much about studying. But no matter how much I trained, I could never get a feel for Aurors.”
“Uh, um… … .”
“No matter how hard you try, there is no result, so you end up losing interest in swordsmanship.”
“I see… … .”
Suddenly, sympathy for that guy Mores surges in like a tide.
There was one thing he was passionate about, but he wasn’t even talented at it, poor guy.
Seongjin’s thoughts became complicated. This is because, since it is the body of Mores, I thought that if you are naturally insensitive to Aurors, the road ahead will be difficult.
“Is it really going to be difficult? I thought that if I could do it through training, I would be able to learn it somehow… … .”
Seonghwang shook his head.
“In the end, it was a matter of time and effort. I have seen cases where even those who took a while to feel Auras for the first time achieved remarkable speed in mastering them. furthermore… … .”
He stopped talking, stared at Seongjin’s face for a moment, and then said something unexpected.
“… “I don’t think it would be that difficult for you now.”
* * *
In the carriage returning to Jinju Palace, Seongjin was sprawled out on the cushion with a proud feeling.
Although I was a little tired, today’s audience was quite successful.
Chief Chamberlain Louis had tears in his eyes.
“It’s been a while since you two had such a great time… … .”
To make a gentle old man so happy, this is truly a model of proper respect for the elderly.
In addition, to Seongjin’s request to resume swordsmanship classes, Seonghwang confirmed this.
“I will send a suitable person to Jinju Palace soon.”
And above all, one of the biggest achievements is that you no longer have to worry about being exorcised! hurray!
As his huge body writhed in joy, the carriage rocked violently.
“Prince! What’s going on! Are you okay?”
Hearing the coachman shouting outside, Seongjin quickly straightened his posture and cleared his throat.
“Hmm, it’s nothing! I slipped off the seat for a moment. “Never mind!”
[This is a good thing. Are you a kid? I’m really embarrassed to see others.]
And the Demon King, who had been silent until now, finally opened his mouth. Seongjin responded to her happiness.
‘So this is what you do when you’re alone. By the way, are you okay? ‘Why are you so quiet from earlier?’
[It’s because the shock to my soul was too great. I also needed time to recover.]
The trembling feeling is vivid. It seemed like it was really a big deal.
[The main palace was truly a scary place filled with divine power. I thought I was going to die because I was completely crushed. If the divine power had not been blocked at that time, if it had been a little later, I would have… … .]
Divine power blocked?
Seongjin also had a guess. That’s when Seonghwang placed his hand on his head. That’s when he did something.
[I don’t know what the hell he did, but now there’s a barrier around our souls.]
‘… Barrier?’
[It seems to have the property of completely blocking not only divine power but also spiritual energy. Now, even if someone with divine power is nearby, it doesn’t sting like before. only… … .]
The Demon King hesitated a little and continued speaking in a depressed voice.
[However, it has become impossible for my soul to interfere with other souls.]
Wait, that means… … .
[Yes, that’s right.]
A trembling wave is transmitted as if it were a sigh.
[Soul detection is no longer possible. I just tried it against the coachman and the escort driver, and it didn’t work at all.]
Is this his only usefulness disappearing like this? Now he has truly become the embers of the demon world.
The Demon King shouted angrily.
[But now it is possible to move away from this body to some extent? Could you please stop treating me like trash?]
So it went from a lie detector to a short-range navigation device?
‘Unfortunately… … .’
Seongjin adjusted his posture and looked out the window. As dusk slowly sets, the ivory fence of Jinju Palace begins to appear in the distance.
It was amazing that even though it had only been a few days, Jinju Palace felt as cozy as home.
‘For now, let’s take comfort in the fact that we survived. Seonghwang was a better person than I thought, and we both ended up being safe.’
However, the Demon King had a slightly different idea.
[what? Anyone okay? Is it safe? Wow, what an innocent human being. If a person is ignorant, his head can be like a flower garden… … .]
A black and thick feeling of fear suddenly surged from his quivering soul, leaving Seongjin speechless for a moment.
[Maybe you don’t know. Because you won’t know unless you encounter it soul-to-soul.]
‘… … ?’
[that… That’s a monster. How can something like that exist in this world?]
‘Hey, what a monster… … .’
[What if it’s not a monster? Do you really think that this body, the great demon king of Gehenna, cannot estimate its limits, and that it is an ordinary human being?]
Is it that much?
Still, wasn’t that person relatively kind to us? He provides good counseling and saves the devil… … .
The Demon King snorted.
[her! Do you really think that monster doesn’t know who you are? But why would I let you live? What an evil spirit that hijacked my son’s body?]
‘To say it’s an evil spirit is a bit harsh. Cursing others, huh? Either do some harm, or possess someone on their own! That should be it… … ?’
uh? I am an evil spirit.
Ignoring Seongjin, who suddenly gained enlightenment, the Demon King began pouring out everything he wanted to say.
[For now, just pretend we are not there. Isn’t Mores’ body going to die? So, even if it’s annoying, just leave it alone for now! And hey, how would you find your real son’s soul? Perhaps the evil spirit that took over the body would know best, right? Because there is no clue other than us! So you’re saying you’re going to keep it next to you and keep an eye on it? uh? Don’t you know that?]
‘Hey, calm down first… … .’
Seongjin was not entirely comfortable with Seonghwang’s favor. But he thought there was a bond that felt like a real father-son relationship, even if only for a moment.
Of course, I did not convey that thought to the Demon King. He was so emotional that he was now crying.
[scared. That guy, I’m so scared… … .]
While comforting the whimpering Demon King, the carriage with Seongjin riding entered the inside of Jinju Palace.
Before I knew it, dusk was falling on the ground around me.
And that evening, an administrative official who visited Seongjin with Edith informed her that the visitor restrictions at Jinju Palace had been partially lifted as of today.
fantasy,
