Episode 996
“blue?”
The king of an unknown country rolled his blurry eyes to the left.
“I’ve never heard of that name. If you’re talking about a race, are you some kind of elf?”
He shook his head, saying it was the first time he had heard of this species.
“Your Majesty, Para is not of the race.”
The priest with a neat white beard took a step forward.
“They are humans like us, but they are more sensitive to mana, so we call them Para.”
He lowered his eyes as he replied that Para was a human sensitive to mana.
“Your Majesty, what you said is correct. I treated Para before, and she was an ordinary human being, no different from us.”
The therapist also nodded, saying that Para was not a different race.
“I see.”
The king seemed to understand and turned his gaze again to look at the wise man with the face of a thousand years ago.
“But why did you bring up that name, Para?”
He lowered his thick eyebrows as if he didn’t know why.
“Before I explain that part, I need to correct something first.”
The wise man raised his long, thin fingers. His fingers also resembled the heavens of this world.
“Para are not humans, they are a completely different species from us.”
He shook his head, saying that the priests and healers’ opinions were wrong.
“yes?”
“No, what is that….”
The priest and the healer swallowed dryly as they looked at the sage who seemed to be ignoring their opinions.
“Para’s body is no different from a human’s, but the flow of mana is clearly different from ours. The cross-shaped mana slits in their eyes create foreign waves. They are more similar to elves or trolls than humans.”
Tacheon lowered his finger, explaining that Para was different from humans.
“Hmm….”
“Mana flow….”
The priest and the healer seemed unaware of that part and were unable to refute Tacheon’s words, instead scratching their cheeks and ears.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re human or another race. Why did you bring up these Paras?”
The king furrowed his brows as if he was pressed for time. Even at this moment, his hair and eyebrows were falling out one by one.
“Because Para is the answer to stopping His Majesty’s aging.”
The wise man smiled faintly, saying that Para could cure the king’s illness.
“Is that true?”
The king approached the wise man, his chin trembling.
“Tell me! What should I do?”
He clasped his hands together and said he would do anything if only he could cure aging.
“This is information that no one knows yet….”
The wise man glanced around as if to check the mood.
“Everyone get out!”
The king understood the wise man’s words and waved his hand, shouting for everyone to get out of reality.
“Uhm, okay.”
The priests and healers left the audience room, their mouths heavy with emotion.
“You guys get out too!”
The king stamped his foot and told the knights of the guard standing like statues in front of the pillar to leave.
“Your Majesty. In case of any unforeseen circumstances… .”
“Okay, get out! Does the wise man look like someone who would harm me?”
He cut off the captain of the guards and frowned, telling him to get out.
“…All right.”
The captain of the guards bit his lip slightly and led the knights out the door. Judging from his crumpled expression, it seemed like this wasn’t the first or second time this had happened.
“Now tell me.”
After the king confirmed that everyone had left, he grabbed the wise man’s hand tightly.
“How to cure my illness!”
He bit his lip, saying he would do anything.
“The blood of the Para race I mentioned earlier….”
The wise man nodded calmly, looking at the king’s hand.
“I will provide the elixir to cure Your Majesty.”
“what…?”
The king let go of the wise man’s hand that he was holding.
“Blood, blood, does that mean we have to kill them?”
He opened his eyes wide as if he had never thought of it that way.
“Yes.”
The wise man did not erase the smile from his lips even as he spoke about killing humans.
“Your Majesty’s mana is currently flowing in the opposite direction of natural mana. Your body is unable to withstand the stress, so you are rapidly aging.”
He shook his head, saying that it was a deformity and could not be cured with human medicine and treatment.
“But as I said earlier, Paras have a different flow of mana than humans. What makes this possible is the mana scepter in their eyes and their hearts.”
The wise man raised his finger and pointed to his pupils and his heart in his chest.
“In the past, the Para tribe built a kingdom called Sirken and enjoyed prosperity, but now they have fallen into decline and only a few remain. Still, there should be enough to cure Your Majesty’s illness.”
He smiled faintly, saying that fortunately, treatment was possible.
“If it’s the eyes and the heart… .”
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The king swallowed dryly as he looked into the wise man’s shining eyes.
“Are you saying that we should kill those Paras?”
“That’s the way it should be. No, there’s no other way.”
The wise man nodded, saying that killing Para was the only way for the king to live.
“But isn’t killing a person human sacrifice?”
The king bit his lip, seemingly not thinking about killing others to save himself.
“As I said at the beginning, the Para tribe is not human.”
The wise man waved his hand as if to tell her not to worry.
“but….”
“Your Majesty, how do you feel when an orc, a troll, or an elf dies?”
He cut off the king and named the monsters.
“Well, I guess it won’t feel like much.”
The king lowered his eyebrows, saying that it would be nothing.
“Then what about when you pull out herbs growing on the ground?”
“That wouldn’t be a big deal.”
“It’s the same thing.”
The wise man smiled gently and said that was all.
“Para may look human, but they are not human. You don’t have to feel anything about their deaths, just like pulling out a plant.”
He shrugged, saying it was a simple task.
“Your Majesty, your time is not long. Are you going to abandon all this wealth and honor? Just for the sake of some monsters?”
The wise man nodded, pointing to the vast panorama of the kingdom visible outside the window.
“Hmm….”
The King traced the prosperous kingdom along the wise man’s finger, his wrinkled fingertips trembling.
“There is no need to feel pain. It is no different from ordering the subjugation of monsters.”
The wise man knelt on one knee and took the king’s hand.
“Leave everything to me. If you give me the authority to move the knights, I will finish everything and make the elixir for you.”
He bowed his head, asking for permission to move the knights.
“The knights?”
The king looked down at the wise man and narrowed his eyes.
“yes.”
The wise man nodded calmly, as if making a reasonable request.
“As the Para tribe is sensitive to mana, everyone from children to the elderly who are about to die can use magic. We need strong warriors to catch them.”
He smiled faintly, saying that he had to use the knights to capture the Para tribe.
“Is that okay?”
The king opened his trembling mouth as if entranced by the wise man’s words.
“There’s one more thing. I need to prepare a spell to counter their magic, so it’ll take some time.”
The wise man raised his gaze and said that if he were prepared, he could capture all of the Para tribe without much damage.
His golden eyes began to twinkle brightly.
“Haaah….”
The king swallowed dryly as he met the sage’s eyes. He placed his wrinkled hands on the view of the kingdom reflected in the window.
“Are you sure?”
He lowered his voice deeply as if he had made up his mind.
“Of course. Don’t worry, only my hands and the knights’ hands will be stained with blood.”
The wise man bowed down and asked to be believed.
“Okay. If you’re going to do it, make sure you do it.”
The king nodded and told them to capture the entire Para race.
“Of course.”
The wise man said he would do as he wished and stepped back. He left the audience room without turning his back.
“… … .”
Raon chewed his lips as he looked into the sage’s dark golden eyes through the door.
‘Somehow I feel like I can see what will happen next.’
My heart ached as I felt the word tragedy descend upon that affectionate village.
-The same goes for the king.
Rasdo seemed to feel the same way and let out a muffled breath.
‘You dirty little bastard.’
Raon frowned as he looked at the aged king.
“A charlatan who doesn’t even have the courage to get his hands dirty is on the throne.”
The king absolved himself of responsibility for the murder, saying he would leave it to the wise. Anger welled up inside him as he saw the height of human wickedness.
‘I want to kill you right now.’
It was when Raon was expressing deep anger towards the king.
Cheeeeeeek!
Time stopped again and a blue dimensional door opened before my eyes.
“I don’t know what you want to show me, but….”
Raon frowned as he looked at the shaking dimensional door.
“I’ll do anything to save that guy.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I stepped right into the dimensional gate.
***
When I open my eyes again, I see a large cave dug into the side of the mountain.
“… … .”
Merlin was crouching by the entrance to the cave, his head bowed.
‘This is….’
Raon turned his gaze. Looking at the location, it seemed to be a mountain next to the village.
“Hoooo… .”
As Merlin lowered his head and let out a long sigh, a rustling sound was heard from inside the cave.
‘Is that a bear?’
I was nervous, thinking it might be a bear or a monster, but what came out of the cave was a blue-haired knight wearing silver armor. It was a man who looked exactly like someone I had seen somewhere.
“Princess. Are you crying again?”
The blue-haired man approached Merlin, bending down.
‘Princess? Ah!’
Rockta Deport!
Raon let out a gasp with his eyes wide open. The blue-haired knight was the Draconian Lokta Deport whom he had absorbed while wearing the Helmet of Eden.
“Don’t cry. And don’t call me princess… .”
Merlin shook his head without raising his face.
“Aren’t you crying? And how could I call you by any other name, Princess?”
Rockta said he could see everything and got down on one knee.
“How am I a princess…?”
Merlin sobbed, saying he was never a princess.
“You are the daughter of Queen Selah, so of course you are a princess.”
Lokta continued to call Merlin princess.
‘Now that I think about it… .’
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Rockta and Merlin.
‘Even in the world of imagination, Merlin was called princess.’
Even when they met in the imaginary world, Lokta called Merlin a princess and said he regretted not being able to protect her.
“Since Sella is the queen of Sirken, and you are her daughter, it is only natural that you should be the princess.”
“Our village isn’t the Sirken Kingdom….”
Merlin shook his head, saying that the country called Sirken did not exist.
“The legacy of Sirken continues in this village. It is small, but untouchable.”
Lokta grabbed the sword on his waist and said that the village where Merlin lived was the incarnation of Sirken.
“Especially since Queen Cela and… the princess are there!”
He nodded confidently as he spoke the names of the Queen and the Princess.
‘Wait a minute. … Princess?’
Raon looked at Rockta and touched his temple.
‘Did you hear Merlin’s name being said?’
-No, I didn’t hear it.
Lasdo shook his head, saying he only heard the word princess.
‘I guess you can’t hear me.’
Even when talking to Sella, and now with Lokta, whenever Merlin’s real name was mentioned, there was a crackling sound so I couldn’t hear it properly.
“But I’m not Sella’s biological daughter.”
Merlin chewed his lip, thinking, “Don’t you know everything?”
“It doesn’t matter whether you gave birth to her yourself or raised her by hand. Lady Sella considers the princess as her own daughter.”
Rockta nodded, saying that was all.
“… … .”
Merlin remained silent for a moment before raising his head slightly.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Rockta smiled faintly for the first time.
“Sella will be waiting for you to call her mom.”
He waved his hand, telling me to go and try it today.
“But it won’t come out of my mouth.”
Merlin sighed, his tongue feeling stiff.
“Besides, I don’t have crosses in my eyes, and I can’t use magic….”
She shook her head as if embarrassed.
“That’s not important to parents.”
Rockta smiled thinly.
“It’s a little different from my parents’ situation. No, it’s a lot different, but that’s not important.”
He lowered his chin, saying that Cella probably didn’t care about such things.
“Hmm….”
Merlin straightened his back slightly, as if his mood had been relieved.
“But where are you going, Uncle?”
She blinked at Lokta, who was carrying a load on his back.
“I’ve been feeling a bit stiff here, so I’m going to go do some training. I’ve already received permission from Her Majesty the Queen.”
Rockta nodded, saying that he would be leaving the residence for a while.
“ah….”
Merlin’s chin shook at the mention of Lokta’s departure.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in about a month.”
Rockta snickered, saying he was just going to get a feel for the real thing.
“No, no, it doesn’t matter, have a nice trip.”
Merlin nodded weakly, hiding his regret.
“Yes. I’ll be back. And…”
After Lokta had fully emerged from the cave, he waved at Merlin.
“Just be honest, Princess.”
He smiled brightly, saying that everything would be fine then.
“then.”
After leaving those last words, Lokta slowly descended the mountain.
“… … .”
Merlin only got up after Lokta had completely disappeared. She made up her mind, clenched her fists, and returned to the village.
“ha….”
Merlin slowly took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered the house.
“I told you not to be out so late!”
Sella put her hands on her waist as if she was angry.
“Ugh… .”
Merlin looked at Sella, his mouth wagging as if remembering what Lokta had said.
However, she stuck her tongue out as soon as she saw the blue cross in Sella’s eyes.
“…sorry.”
Merlin nodded and ran into the room.
“anyhow.”
Sella frowned and went back into the study.
“… … .”
Raon let out a long sigh as he looked at Merlin, who had lost all of his usual energy.
‘He’s completely different from the Merlin of this world.’
My heart ached as I realized why the same Merlin had such different personalities.
“Haaah….”
Raon let out a long sigh and looked up at the ceiling covered in a single strand of dust.
***
“Ugh… .”
Merlin groaned as he sat down in front of Lokta’s cave.
“It didn’t work again.”
She bit her lip, saying that she had failed to use magic again today.
“Why can’t I do it?”
Merlin shook his head, saying that he knew the theory and could sense mana better than anyone else, but strangely, he could not complete the magic.
“… … .”
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the flames fading away from Merlin’s fingertips.
‘As I said, the flow of magic is not strange.’
Merlin here possessed mana of such high purity that it was comparable to his real-life counterpart, but he was never able to succeed with even a small spell and always failed.
‘What is the reason?’
-Confidence.
Lars frowned at Merlin.
‘confidence?’
-That’s right. That guy lacks confidence to the point where he doesn’t even think of a real-life madwoman.
The guy snorted, saying that was why.
‘Is confidence that important?’
-Magic and sorcery require mental strength more than ignorance. How you think about yourself determines the flow.
Lars licked his lips at Merlin’s shattered confidence, which was holding back the flow of magic.
-Originally, that young madwoman would have been able to use stronger magic than the adults here.
The guy nodded, saying that it was certain.
-There is just something strange… .
‘What’s strange?’
-The madwoman here seems more talented than the madwoman of this world.
‘What does that mean?’
Raon narrowed his eyes at Las. He couldn’t understand why Merlin’s talent was better here, even though they were the same person.
-I don’t know much about the theory, so I can’t explain it exactly. But the power that I feel from the soul of that young madwoman is different from that of this world.
Lars scratched his head, saying he couldn’t explain it exactly.
‘… Is there something wrong with your soul?’
The appearance of Merlin in this world and Merlin here are the same, but there are differences such as the cross in his eyes and his actions, so it seems that it cannot be explained now.
‘I don’t know.’
After entering this imaginary world, I watched Merlin for about two weeks, but she was just an ordinary, shy child.
Although he liked Sella, he didn’t have the courage to call her mom, and although he said he didn’t put in any effort, he practiced magic all day long behind her back.
‘It’s so different from the current Merlin… .’
It was when Raon shook his head, feeling a sense of alienation from the masked Merlin who was called the madwoman.
Kuwaaaaang!
There was a loud noise as if something huge was falling, and red flames began to rise up here and there in the village.
“uh…?”
Merlin’s chin shook as he watched the black smoke rising from the village.
“What, what is it?”
She swallowed dryly, got up, and ran toward the village.
-It’s started.
Lars let out a short sigh.
‘okay.’
Raon sighed as he watched Merlin’s back shaking uneasily.
‘It’s really frustrating to be powerless.’
It was so frustrating to know what would happen, but not be able to do anything.
It was like going back to the time when Derus had been held captive by a leash.
‘I guess I have to go anyway.’
Raon closed his eyes and opened them again as he ran into the village following Merlin.
‘To see the end of this world….’
