Chapter 143 |
Crash!
Raciel clenched the Perennial Snow firmly, infusing it with mana. He took cover behind a 5-foot diameter ice shield that materialized suddenly. Then, he contemplated silently.
‘How did I find myself in this situation?’
He lifted his pensive gaze, looking straight ahead. Across the neatly paved stone path and fine sand, approximately 15 feet away, stood a middle-aged man holding a hefty broadsword at an angle.
It was the Emperor.
“Are you prepared?”
…No.
That’s what he wanted to say.
But he couldn’t. So, he mustered a smile on his lips and continued to reflect. How did he truly end up like this?
♣
…Crash!
Suddenly, he felt an embrace encircling his shoulders.
A robust figure embraced him warmly, almost toppling him backward due to his slender physique. He managed to maintain his equilibrium with his feeble back muscles, eventually comprehending the situation.
‘The Emperor?’
…Welcomed him with an embrace?
Initially, he found it unbelievable. He thought the man was insane. However, it was accurate; the Emperor, with all his momentum, had hugged him. Consequently, Raciel had to fend off something akin to a takedown by a UFC wrestler.
In short?
He was suffocated!
The embrace was overwhelmingly powerful!
‘Ugh, uh, ah!’
An emotional embrace between father and son? An exhilarating reconciliation between frequently quarreling acquaintances? None of that was present. In reality, he wished it were.
At least then he wouldn’t feel like his limbs were on the verge of being torn off.
‘Hey, wait! Stop! Enough!’
He struggled as best as he could. Finally, it appeared that the Emperor noticed his pallor. The Emperor’s eyes flickered briefly. The passionate, nearly lethal body lock—no, the hug—relaxed.
“…Gasp! Cough! Cough!”
“So, did you return safely?”
Yes, he returned safely. And he narrowly avoided a complete spinal fracture.
…But he couldn’t mention that. So, he caught his breath and nodded.
“Ah, I’m honored to meet Your Majesty, the rightful ruler of the Empire.”
“Very well.”
“…?”
Was that all for the greetings?
Raciel felt uneasy and glanced at the Emperor. Their eyes locked briefly, and he averted his gaze swiftly.
“…”
“…”
Earlier, he thought that awkward silence would be preferable. Now, he realized it was worse. What should he say? He opted for a polite bow.
Then, it happened.
The Emperor began teasing him.
“Did my display of joy just hurt you? Just that much?”
“…”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re so fragile. How can you bear the weight of the throne when you turn pale over something like this?”
“…”
“It’s utterly pathetic and lamentable. I can’t help but have doubts.”
“Doubts, you say…?”
“Do I have to explain every little thing?”
“…”
He regretted asking and received a scolding in return. Simultaneously, he realized something. It wasn’t really about having doubts. It felt like the Emperor was speaking without much thought.
On the other hand, he sensed something else.
The Emperor’s true emotions.
‘He’s happy.’
Happy that he returned safely. Happy to see him in good health. Happy that they could face each other like this.
He felt genuinely relieved. He sensed the Emperor’s joy and contentment. He had felt it ever since the Emperor hugged him earlier, even more so because it wasn’t the first time.
‘…Father.’
Suddenly, he thought of his father in Korea. It was during his third year of middle school. He had broken his leg while playing soccer during lunchtime at school. He had to wear a cast for a while. Taking the bus was difficult, so his father drove him to and from school.
Back then, his father always appeared like that. He complained every day. He would grumble about him getting injured while playing.
But his actions contradicted his words. He wouldn’t let him carry his bag. He’d carry it all the way to the classroom for him. He worried incessantly that his injured leg might worsen or not heal properly.
He couldn’t forget it. He didn’t know where he heard some story, but until his cast was removed, their home’s fridge was filled with milk and anchovies that his father personally bought. They had at least five different anchovy side dishes on the dining table.
‘I must have eaten a lifetime supply of anchovies back then.’
Chuckling, a smile appeared on his face. But perhaps he misinterpreted his smile. The Emperor’s eyebrows furrowed.
“What’s so amusing?”
“…Huh?”
“Are you finding humor in receiving my reprimands?”
“Huh?”
“That won’t do. You need a firmer reprimand. Since you’ve been causing trouble in Anbouaz, prepare for a sparring session in the training grounds.”
“…Huh?”
Training grounds? Sparring? Him? Why?
A million questions raced through his mind. But the Emperor didn’t wait for his answer and turned away quickly.
…Thanks to that, this is his current predicament.
Meeting the Emperor in the training grounds, crouching behind the Perennial Snow.
‘Oh, why did I have to twitch my facial muscles?’
It wasn’t warmth he felt from the Emperor. It wasn’t nostalgia as he briefly reminisced. He shouldn’t have lost control of his facial muscles. But regrets always come too late. Raciel steadied himself, gripping the Perennial Snow tightly.
He could see the Emperor preparing himself.
“Let’s begin.”
“…”
Gulp.
He wished he could go in the opposite direction instead. He thought as he swallowed hard. In that moment, the Emperor struck the ground. His figure expanded explosively, no, he surged forward!
Swoosh!
“Ugh!”
Instinctively, he raised the Perennial Snow. He had been monitoring the Emperor’s movements with the meridian scanning option. Reading the attack direction wasn’t difficult. The intense shock struck the Perennial Snow.
Clang!
A powerful shock that seemed to compress his entire body from arms and shoulders to the waist! But he could endure it. There was no need to activate the Impenetrable defense option that prevented a knockout.
‘It’s not as strong as I thought.’
Was it because of his experience enduring Swordmaster Javillon’s powerful blows with his whole body, or was it because he had reached the Double Circle grade like the Emperor? Perhaps it was both. The Emperor’s attacks didn’t feel as burdensome as he had expected.
The subsequent attacks were similar.
Swoosh! Thud! Zzzt! Clatter! Clatter!
Upper, middle, side, lower, upper, head, shoulders, knees, feet, knees, feet. The attacks rained down like a one-sided shower. Each time, he responded skillfully, blocking them.
But the Emperor’s attacks didn’t stop there. In fact, there was a more potent attack than the raining sword strikes.
“Ugh! Why did you…”
Crash!
“Break the promise you made with me just before leaving for Anbouaz so easily?”
Thud!
“Weren’t you the one who said you would watch and gain experience in another country’s war process from a safe distance?”
Swoosh!
“However, why did you rush into danger so recklessly?”
Crash!
“Are you not going to answer?”
Thunk!
“…Gah!”
A groan involuntarily escaped. Of course, he wanted to answer. He wanted to retort at least a hundred times. But he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth. The emperor’s barrage was pouring down like a shower, and just reacting to it was enough to take his breath away.
“Huk! Hu, hooook…!”
It was obviously his poor stamina that was the problem. All this time, the emperor’s mental attacks (?) had been accompanied by physical ones.
“Furthermore, you are indeed foolish, and foolish again.”
“…Gruh!”
Kwaang-!
“Let me ask you. Do you lack awareness and responsibility for the position you hold? Is that really the case?”
“Krut!”
Tookwang-!
“Have you really not thought about the void and chaos that the imperial family would face, and the severe losses that could arise if you were to make a mistake?”
“Uuh! N, no, that’s not it!”
Jjeokkeok-!
“Or what were you thinking, challenging the Swordmaster so recklessly?”
“T, that… I didn’t want to, but it just happened!”
“…”
Tookwaang-!
“…Gack!”
This time, it’s for real. A strike filled with genuine emotion. He realized it the moment he blocked it. The emperor’s expression also turned grim. Was he angry? The glare he gave him was no joke.
“Do you consider the future that this father and the imperial family have placed on your shoulders to be a joke? Is it really?”
“…”
Raciel was at a loss for words and assumed an even more robust defensive posture.
The emperor’s gaze turned colder. He moved with a more aggressive momentum. However, in truth, the emperor was feeling both joy and astonishment at the same time.
‘This child has already… reached the realm of Double Circle?’
Just earlier, unable to contain his happiness, he had accidentally hugged him. That was when he faintly sensed it through Core Technique.
His eldest son’s aura had transformed. It was nothing like before. He even tested his son’s reaction by giving him a tight hug. From that moment, he had his suspicions. He wanted to confirm them even further.
So, he summoned him to the training grounds. He pushed him hard. Thanks to that, he realized. His always frail eldest son had already reached the Double Circle level.
‘Is this… a possible rate of growth?’
It was an astounding pace of development. No, it was an unrealistically rapid rate of progress.
‘He awakened his Mana Circle earlier this year. Not even a full year has passed yet…’
Already a Double Circle. The more he thought about it, the more incredible it felt, especially considering it took him 25 years to advance from Single Circle to Double Circle.
But it was a fact.
Every time he struck his eldest son’s ice shield, that fact became an increasingly vivid reality. It was astonishing, and it was glorious.
Of course, as his son’s defense grew colder, the Emperor’s words also turned colder.
“You are truly pitiful and pitiful again. With such a lamentable mindset, what will you achieve in the future as the crown prince responsible for the imperial family’s future? Tell me. What are your plans with such a low sense of responsibility and duty?”
“…Grr, I am!”
Kwaang-!
Another blow landed. Raciel’s leg quivered slightly. The moment he noticed that, the Emperor, holding a sword, loosened his grip just a bit. To avoid making it obvious, to give his son a chance to regain his stance, he waited for a brief moment.
Raciel didn’t miss that opening.
‘…Let’s initiate the offense first.’
It was unfair to keep being the target. He couldn’t continue to play defense and be overwhelmed indefinitely. Just then, he noticed the Emperor hesitating. It was an opportunity.
‘Shield strike!’
Swiftly taking a half step, he moved toward the Emperor’s chest. He planted his foot firmly, channeling strength through his legs and waist into the upper body holding the Perennial Snow. The amplified power from the Mana Circle was also at play. He aimed to push the Emperor back with his shield and create some distance.
‘Now!’
Whoosh-!
The icy shield of the Perennial Snow rushed toward the Emperor like a steel wall. A sense of a successful counterattack filled Raciel’s eyes.
‘Done!’
The Emperor remained unresponsive. It seemed like a successful surprise counterattack, at least for a moment. Then, the Emperor turned his gaze toward him. With a slight smile, he calmly stepped backward.
“Eh?”
Whoosh…?
The shield he had pushed forward only met empty air. Consequently, Raciel lost his balance, nearly stumbling forward. If the Emperor hadn’t reached out to catch him, he would have appeared quite foolish.
Thump!
“……”
The Emperor’s hand that caught him. His face instantly reddened. Attempting a counterattack and ending up in such a situation was somewhat embarrassing. But there was no time to dwell on this humiliation.
The Emperor suddenly retrieved a thick bundle of papers from his chest, the contents of which were unidentified, and handed it to him.
“Take this.”
“…What is this?”
He straightened his posture and reluctantly accepted the bundle. The Emperor wore an oddly pleased smile. And then… he said something that sounded almost unbelievable.
It was a bombshell.
“It’s a collection of marriage proposals sent by various royal families and prestigious noble houses for you.”
(To be Continued)
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