[CHE] 026. BLACK PROPHETS (1)

[Call me now, this is no place to be. Huwaaangg]

How do I call you?

[Call me, Lee Seongjin. Whimper.]

Hearing someone’s sad cry, Sungjin opened his eyes.

What. Was that really a dream?

His mind slowly returns to reality. It is the morning of the Pearl Palace as always.

He rubbed his tired eyes and rose from his seat. Exhausted, he stretched out until the morning to sleep, but perhaps because his mind was busy, he wasn’t tired at all.

Normally, he would have stretched and ran to the gymnasium, but now he wasn’t in the mood for that at all. Seongjin just blankly sat on the bed and recalled the events of yesterday.

“Don’t worry. We are on the side of Father Holy Emperor and Morres.”

“We just want to help with what we know.”

Herna and Gades assured Seongjin, who was staring at them from the other side of the carriage. He was on high alert after the puppet show.

“Al Fahas. What is that? Is that the name of the Demon King?”

Seongjin asked what he was most curious about. As soon as he heard the name, he felt strangely upset and his stomach churned.

But the twins shook their heads.

“It’s a different name. They are denying the real thing by calling the wrong name.”

“It’s a more insignificant and inferior attack than a long, long slap in the face.”1

Seeing an expression of sincere indignation on the twins’ faces, Seongjin averted his gaze for no reason.

But it was strange. Now, no matter how many times he repeat Al Fahas, he doesn’t feel the same shock as before. When he asked, Herna and Gades nodded as if it were natural and briefly explained to Seongjin what the puppeteer had done.

The reason the offended person performed the ‘funny’ puppet show was to use it to create something called a flame barrier.

The ‘bad’ puppeteer created an ‘insignificant’ flame image with unclear boundaries, and tried to overlay it on the real demon king and the world. Because of that ‘unreasonable’ action, the blow that the demon king received also affected some of Seongjin.

I’m not sure what you mean.

When he asked why the puppeteer was doing such a thing, they said it was because the ‘nasty’ guy was a ‘terribly bad’ guy who threatened the safety of this world.

More than that, don’t you guys just really hate that puppeteer?

“What binds someone to this world is the name he is given, Morres.”

“If you keep denying your name, you will eventually be unable to set foot in the world, Morres.”

Anyway, this is what made it certain.

The twins knew about the Demon King of Gehenna and seemed to understand that he had some sort of relationship with Seongjin. Maybe it’s too much speculation to assume that they even knows Seongjin’s real identity?

Besides, he doesn’t know why, but these kids seemed to be trying to help the demon king who disappeared anyway.

Then.

“Do you guys know what the demon king’s real name is?”

He had a little bit of expectation, but unfortunately the twins answered with a sullen face.

“That’s probably something not even Father Holy Emperor knows.”

“We don’t know what His Majesty Father doesn’t know.”

“This is the Holy Empire. Why do you, the children of the imperial family, try to help the demon king?”

“It’s because Father Holy Emperor willingly allowed him.”

“His Majesty Father seems to think he’s needed.”

After all, all these twins talk about was the Holy Emperor.

“The twins don’t know what even the Holy Emperor doesn’t know. If so, what the twins know means that is also known by the Holy Emperor……”

Seongjin was muttering blankly while staring into the air when a knocking sound came.

“Prince Morres, did you cough?”

As always, Edith comes in and sets the water bottle and cloth down on the table. Soon after, she pulled back the curtains and ventilated the room, telling Seongjin.

“This is a message from Lord Marthain. There is something he needs to find out this morning, so he asks the prince to meditate alone and review swordsmanship.”

It reminds him of Sir Marthain, who left the Pearl Palace last night with a very confused face.

Knowing that the prince he was serving was suddenly involved with various radical groups, he must have felt the need to confirm the facts as quickly as possible.

Golden Truth Society.

Plague Society of Adelheit.

Blue Republican Revolutionary Front.

What on earth was Morres originally thinking when sponsoring such organizations?

‘Well, it’s no use if I think about it now……’

If he finds something, Sir Marthain will explain it to him. He don’t know why, but he cares a lot for Sungjin.

At least, if Morres did something wrong, he didn’t seem to have the personality to inform others, even though he would try to rectify it.

Seongjin decided to put aside various doubts for a while and focus on training. For now, he decided to focus on what he could do.

The Holy Emperor also told him to train. If something goes wrong, won’t that guy come forward and help?

He think he knows the whole story to some extent.

Anyway, once the closed prayer is over, he think he should have an open conversation with the Holy Emperor.

* * *

Even without Sir Masrthain, the resident knights of the Pearl Palace, once disciplined, were still the same.

As soon as Seongjin entered the gymnasium, they rumbled and straightened up the ranks, and everyone greeted with a loud voice.

“Greetings to the Third Prince!”

“Uh, good job everyone.”

Until recently, it was a little awkward because they were fighting without words. Seongjin smiled shyly and headed to the corner of the gymnasium.

Let’s start the day clean with meditation.

Before sitting down and meditating, as a habit, check the ripples of the aura inside his chest. After that, he felt something calming down.

Breathe slowly and begin tracking the flow of Aura. The minute flow that seeps into the body through the inhalation and gathers in the lower abdomen.

The circulation in which it circulates here and there along the core in the lower abdomen and then spreads throughout the body.

And, like when absorbing the spirit of monsters in the past, he spread the Aura evenly to the skeleton, muscle fibers, and even the skin.

Marthain said that he shouldn’t just try to forcefully twist the flow of Aura. Of course, that didn’t mean to let the Aura flow on its own.

He was told to guide the direction gently on a line that does not go against the flow and lead to the lower abdomen. Also, when you draw out Aura from the core, do not disturb its natural flow and flow it from the center to the periphery like water.

That is, flowing from where enough is needed to where it is needed.

In the past, when absorbing the spirit of monsters, Seongjin did not try to move the flow of spirit itself. He just clearly recognized what to strengthen with it and where the flow should be.

Maybe Aura management is similar to this? Is it necessary to twist the flowing water with force?

All he needed was to draw the flow where it fell short. To do so, it was to accurately recognize the desired place. It was what he desperately wanted from the absence of Aura. It was to materialize that wish into a clear image.

Isn’t that what it means to go to the place where the heart goes?

There is something to refer to the words of the Holy Emperor. Sungjin thought.

Above all, the sense of controlling the flow of the huge Aura that the Holy Emperor had experienced not long ago was still vivid in Seongjin’s memory. Recalling the refreshing flow, he tried to collect the energy that spread and pull it to the core.

A gentle wind was blowing around Seongjin before he knew it, but he didn’t realize it. The fact that some of the knights who were training were looking at him with surprised eyes.

Round and round. It’s fun to see the gathered Aura quickly create a round orbit. Even if he does not try to press together with force, the flows drawing round and round circles gradually converge to the critical angle on their own and eventually form a layer.

One, and another.

A small smile appeared on Seongjin’s lips as he sat with his eyes closed.

“I’ve seen something like that before. So, back in the day, when Lord Baltazar was meditating……”

One of the knights who was watching the scene with a blank face suddenly muttered. It was Maria, a high-ranking knight who requested to be dispatched from the 1st Knights of the Imperial Guard to earn money for alcohol.

All of the resident knights at the gymnasium had stopped practicing and were sitting huddled together watching Seongjin. The low-ranking knight Haven, who was sitting at the end of the line, pouted.

“No, no matter how you do it, are you comparing a beginner to Lord Baltazar?”

“Then have you ever seen anything like that? How does the flow of Aura materialize like that?”

Haven, who was speechless, rolled his eyes wide and reluctantly replied.

“Umm… Like the Aura storm that His Majesty the Holy Emperor caused a while ago?”

And he was stunned by all the knights’ ridiculous glares.

His Majesty the Holy Emperor was no match for him.

“Genius……”

All the knights fell silent at a single word that sounded like a sigh that came out of someone’s mouth.

Genius.

Until now, no one had spoken out, but everyone thought of it at least once while watching Sir Marthain and the Third Prince training for the past few days.

No matter what method he learns, he quickly masters the movements, the honesty of wielding the sword until he corrects it as soon as he is pointed out, the sword dance that instantly falls into a state of trance and rides on an instinctive rhythm.

And from the moment he sensed Aura, the Aura around his body were being activated at a rapid pace.

In the appearance of the Third Prince, they could never recall the lazy and dull pig from before.

With such a genius talent, why had he been doing such stupid things?

“… Shit!”

One of the young knights sitting at the far end spat out a curse word and then jumped up and left. He had a long, torn scar on one side of his forehead.

Haven tried to grab him in surprise, but Sir Kurt stopped him and shook his head.

“Leave him alone. That guy will have complicated thoughts too.”

“But……”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit futile? In the end, I wonder why the captain had to leave the Knights like that.”

“……”

The rest of the resident knights again began to look at Seongjin and the wind blowing around him in silence.

For a long time, absent-mindedly.

‘Is the 5th layer a bit unreasonable at once……’

How much time had passed, Seongjin sighed and opened his eyes.

He wanted to meditate a little more while he was away, but it didn’t seem like the incredibly strong repelling force would be offset so easily.

It will probably take quite a while to make the next layer. As Marthain said, these are things to do slowly over time.

Besides, he wants to wield a wooden sword soon.

Seongjin, who tried to get up thinking that far, was startled for a moment and collapsed again.

When he came to, an angel was squatting in front of him and staring at him.

“… Older Sister?”

Amelia was pretty as always. Her light pink dress and her hair, braided with a red ribbon and pinned up, are neat and pretty. Dressed so cute, she sat on her knees in front of Seongjin, quietly resting her chin and looking at him.

“When did you come? What are you doing here?”

“Yeah, I was thinking of having lunch together and I was watching you meditate. I don’t know what it is, but it looks great.”

Oh yeah? Seongjin looked around him in a cold sweat.

On one side of the gymnasium, he saw the resident knights training with stiff movements due to nervousness. How long have they been doing this?

Whether or not she knew Seongjin’s bewildered feelings, she mumbled with a calm face.

“You become so strong because you train like this.”

“……?”

Amelia’s clear gray eyes grow dim again.

She often looked at Seongjin and made those eyes. She seems to be staring into the distance, or as if recalling her old memories.

“You’re such a great child, Morres.”

Seongjin brushed off his seat and burst into laughter.

“Is there anything great to say? I just started what could be called seniority. We still have a long way to go to get it right.”

“No, even to me who doesn’t know much, it’s so extraordinary.”

Amelia stood up from her seat holding Seongjin’s outstretched hand, and emphasized it once again with a voice full of unfounded confidence.

“Trust me, Morres. You will become incredibly strong in the future.”

Well, I don’t know why you’re so sure, but thank you for believing in me, Older Sister.

“And you’ll probably become a cool young knight who looks good in black armor.”

Suddenly, why black armor?

“Isn’t that the perfect look for the demon of the frontlines? Cold-blooded and heartless.”

No, but as a prince of the Holy Empire, being a demon is a bit much.

“The Black Demon of Delcross that makes others tremble in fear just by looking at him. Isn’t that wonderful?”

… Uh.

This older sister, who looked like a fairy, seemed to have Second Grade Syndrome2.

T/N:
TBH the most troublesome thing about editing this entire novel is trying to find a suitable sound effect for any onomatopoeia that shows up.

On a random note, Morres and Amelia calls Nate 아버지, but Herna calls him 성황 아빠 while Gades calls him 아빠 폐하. There’s also some moments where Nate was called 아바마마. These kids have so many different ways to refer to the parents I had to make up some new terms in English for it. The way the twins call him, ‘dad’ would have been more suitable than ‘father’. But ‘Dad Holy Emperor’ and ‘His Majesty Dad’ sounds a bit weird? At least weirder than using father. On one hand though, using dad instead of father shows how the twins are still very childish. What do you guys think though? Should I just keep using father or should I adjust and change to dad? Let me know in the comments! (Do people even read the T/Ns? lol)

1They’re talking about Seongjin slapping/punching the Demon King to death lolol.
2Chuunibyou. Quoting Google, “Early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want to stand out, and who have convinced themselves that they have hidden knowledge or secret powers.”