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“I would like to exchange more words with you, but the circumstances do not permit us to do so. Do not be disappointed.”

King Theodore looked quite tired. It seemed as though he was suffering from handling all of the royal duties alone, since the princess, after shouldering much of the burden in the past, had shut herself in the palace leading up to her coming-of-age.

“Then please take care.”

Knowing that it would be best for them to quickly get out of each other’s way in such situations, Seon-Hyeok quickly ended the conversation and said farewell.

“What’s so surprising?”

Instead of responding, the little dragon-like creature spread her wings and cried out.

Coo coo coo coo coo.

Seon-Hyeok almost laughed at the strangely familiar cry. However, he was soon forced to swallow his laughter.

Whoosh!

Geheimnis spread out her colorful, butterfly-like wings, and some of the engraved geometric patterns began to shine. Soon, these lights emerged like three-dimensional objects and emitted a fantastic glow into the air.

Geheimnis’ previous talkative nature was nowhere to be seen, now replaced by the mysterious side of the fairy dragon.

Seon-Hyeok was about to express his admiration at the sight before catching himself.

Coo coo coo coo.

The creature’s surprising cry distracted him, making him unable to focus on the sight in front of him.

Whether or not she understood his inner turmoil, Geheimnis stopped the glowing of her wings before looking at him to speak.

[This isn’t the best place to talk, so I had to take matters into my own hands.]

“Use of magic is forbidden within the palace.”

The royal palace was a place where even summoning a spirit resulted in the Royal Guard barging into one’s quarters. There was no way that such a commotion would not result from the fairy dragon’s flashy spell.

[Does this look like any old magic?]

But unlike him, Geheimnis did not show the slightest signs of concern.

“It’s not?”

[They will be ignorant because they cannot see it, and even if they do, they will pass by without noticing it. That is the source and foundation of my power.]

Her words were long-winded, but Seon-Hyeok was able to understand what she meant.

“So, you’re saying the mages within the palace can’t detect what you just did?”

[Arcane magic will never leave a trace so long as the caster wishes it so.]

To think that there was a secret magic that not even the monster-like mages of the royal palace could detect – at this moment, Seon-Hyeok saw Geheimnis as more than just a chatty creature.

“So what’s so surprising?”

However, he could not just sit back and admire the small fairy dragon’s abilities. He was truly curious why Geheimnis, a creature that normally showed no signs of caution, had to make such a fuss even if it meant casting this arcane magic.

[He has something he shouldn’t have.]

After returning to his accommodations and having the chance to overcome the fatigue of his travels, Seon-Hyeok was invited to breakfast the following day.

“What’s bothering you that you’re sitting there so blankly?”

Seon-Hyeok had been preoccupied with his thoughts and mindlessly eating his food when he was suddenly brought back to attention by King Theodore’s laughter-filled voice.

“Ah, I apologize. I was thinking about something else.”

“To think that you’re distracted in my presence – I must ask what it was that made you so.”

The words sounded stern, but the king’s voice and expression continued to be joking and friendly.

“It’s a joke. There’s no need to be so stiff.”

Seon-Hyeok could not help but subconsciously touch his face at the king’s words. He had not noticed it, but his facial muscles had become quite tense.

‘There is only so much talent permissible for any one person. If one is capable with the sword, he grows more distant from the magical arts, just as one who explores magic becomes limited with the sword. There are obvious limitations to mankind.’

Geheimnis had said,

‘However, that man has too many talents.’

She had said that King Theodore’s endless potential and talent was anything but normal.

“Is it because there are major events up ahead? You seem to have a lot on your mind today.”

“I apologize.”

Seon-Hyeok had repeated his mistake in front of a kingdom’s ruler. Despite this, however, he could not shake off his distracting thoughts.

“Well. I understand why you would be preoccupied. Even you must need some time.”

Though his tone was friendly, the king’s eyes seemed unusually dark. At first, Seon-Hyeok imagined it was because of the additional workload he shouldered as a result of the royal princess’ absence.

‘There are too many wicks on that one candle, so it’s natural for it to shine the brightest. However, the price for this is his own life – the candle given to him cannot help but burn faster than any other.’

But he had been mistaken. The shadow cast on the king’s face was nothing short of a harbinger of death.

‘The means to delay his end is to light fewer of those wicks, and perhaps he is aware of his own fate. If he didn’t, he would not have suppressed his own abilities to that extent.’

Geheimnis even suggested that King Theodore was cognizant of his own destiny.

“However, the worries you have right now are a rite that many men must go through, and they, too, will pass.”

The king playfully reasoned with him before waving him away.

“Go and rest. The groom shouldn’t get sick before the ceremony.”

King Theodore excused him, but Seon-Hyeok could not depart easily.

To be honest, he had never established a personal friendship with the king. Seon-Hyeok had faithfully maintained the relationship between a servant and his liege, and their dealings to this point had all been negotiated for mutual benefit.

Despite this, Seon-Hyeok lamented this king’s foretold death.

Although King Theodore utilized Seon-Hyeok’s talents extensively, he had always been reasonable with his requests and kept all of his promises. This would have been surprising even within a standard boss-subordinate relationship, let alone one between an all-powerful king and his subject.

Seon-Hyeok’s heart felt heavy knowing that such a ruler would soon depart this world.

‘Next time we meet, you can call me Ophelia.’

He briefly recalled Ophelia’s appearance. She was truly royalty and always acted precocious and dignified unlike others her age, but even she would not be able to remain aloof upon her father’s death.

Parenting for royals might differ from that of commoners, but the relationship and feelings surely would be the same. Perhaps the king was rushing this royal wedding with the knowledge that his death was not far away.

“Hm…”

His heart grew even heavier at the thought of the girl on the ground shedding tears.

“Your Majesty."

“Is there something you would like to say?”

King Theodore’s eyes looked so peaceful. It was hard to believe that he was a man sentenced to an early death.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that you look very tired…”

Seon-Hyeok found it difficult to speak.

“Don’t worry about me, and take care of yourself. In the future, your body will not solely be your own.”

The king smiled as he watched the foreigner unable to continue.

“Your Majesty."

Seon-Hyeok once again called the king.

“Do you have something to say? If you do, don’t hesitate to say it. After all, what can’t we say between the two of us?”

Perhaps it was simply a façade, but King Theodore’s words felt sincere.

“Strange. Very strange. The Drachen I know never hesitates when he has something to say. You seem like a different person today.”

The king gave a puzzled look, confused about Seon-Hyeok’s strange attitude.

“If the people listening are bothering you, I will send them away.”

As soon as he spoke, the others with them at the meal departed the scene. All that remained were Seon-Hyeok and the king, and he finally continued voicing his thoughts.

“Please be honest with me. Are you really all right?”

“I’ve been feeling tired lately, but not to the point that you should be concerned…”

“If anything happens to you, the princess will grieve.”

There was no greater discourtesy than cutting off a monarch’s words.

“And so, you have to be honest with me.”

“What are you trying to say?”

The king’s expression was stiffer than ever. His sharp voice was almost as though he was addressing Adenburg’s nobles.

“What would you do if I suggested you could delay the changes in your body?”

However, Seon-Hyeok did not recoil at the king’s sharp tone and got to his point.

“Speak. What, and how much, do you know?”

As expected, King Theodore’s response was icy.

“I know that your body is not normal.”

It was not a trifling matter that a king’s life was at peril, and it was certainly not a topic to broach recklessly. Considering that the king himself had hidden this fact, this topic was taboo.

“What do you know?”

The king neither raised his voice nor threatened him. He simply continued speaking in his low voice. However, his quiet voice contained a transcendent weight behind it.

Seon-Hyeok gritted his teeth at this powerful aura he had never felt before – not even from Marquis Reinhardt, the powerful knight with Gradus 4.

However, the die had been cast. He could not retract his words now.

“I know that your days are numbered.”

“Even though I highly value you, I cannot take those words lightly…”

“I also know how to prolong your lifespan.”

King Theodore had jumped up from his seat as though he would call in the royal knights at once, but he immediately froze at those words.

“How…”

“It doesn’t matter what and how I know.”

Seon-Hyeok looked directly at the frozen king.

“Would you like to make a deal with me?”

It was a bit rash, but the current conversation they were having was not too different from their previous dealings.

“Of course, I am offering a means of replenishing the burnt wick of yours with a new one. What can you offer me in return, Your Majesty?”

Even after Seon-Hyeok finished his comment, King Theodore remained quiet for a while.

“It’s surprising.”

The king slumped back into his seat as he finally spoke.

“It’s surprising that you were able to know about my state, and also that you have the solution.”

“Then are you going to be honest with me now?”

“What could I possibly hide now? You are correct. I do not have much time left.”

The look in the king’s eyes remained steady even as he stated his death was not far away.

“That is the divine punishment that all with the blood of Adenstein must bear.”

“Ah…”

Geheimnis told him quite a bit, but Seon-Hyeok had not imagined this was a recurring problem for the entire House of Adenstein.

“It’s going to be a long story.”

King Theodore rose and beckoned him to follow.

“For generations, those with the blood of House Adenstein have been cursed with short lives. However, this was not the case from the beginning.”

In a secret room within the deepest part of the inner palace, King Theodore revealed the whole truth.

“It was about 200 years ago that those of House Adenstein began to suffer from shortened lifespans.”

The king continued as he stared directly at Seon-Hyeok with his clear eyes.

“200 years ago, people like you appeared in this world.”

Seon-Hyeok groaned. He realized what the king was talking about.

“It can’t be. Mass summoning?”

The king nodded when he heard the foreigner’s subdued voice.

“Yes. It all began during the mass summoning 200 years ago.”