POTC - Chapter 44

Ivan was not feeling well.

"A dog like a puppy..."

A harsh curse escaped from between Ivan's lips as he looked in the mirror and examined his wound.

"How dare you lay a hand on me?"

And in such a visible place? With that filthy sword?

He was suddenly furious. He didn't like the fact that he had left a scar like that, but what bothered him the most was the fact that Fenrir had pointed a sword at him that had likely severed hundreds or thousands of heads.

In addition to his eccentric personality, Ivan had a chronic illness.

It was myolemia.

Of course, besides germophobia, there were other bizarre chronic illnesses like narcissism, though.

"..."

Ivan frowned intensely and, in a panic, carefully spread the disinfectant the child had brought over the wound.

"It would have been nice if I could have at least purified it..."

But unfortunately, Ivan did not have such an ability.

The Magic Tower of Ateloia had a continuous lineage dating back to the Demonic Cult thousands of years ago, but the magical power they possessed was limited purely to black magic.

So, far from purifying, he had no choice but to just grumble and spread disinfectant.

He could have received help from the church that governs divine power and white magic, but even if a knife were held to his throat—no, even if a knife were held to his throat twice—he would not have wanted to do so.

"But it's really strange."

Ivan, slumping onto the sofa with a tired face, muttered to himself with a puzzled expression.

"If he had that much power, there is no way I wouldn't have recognized him."

Fenrir showed no reaction to the attack he launched.

Furthermore, that black mist that faintly appeared behind Fenrir the moment he cast the magic.

No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one answer.

Fenrir possesses immense power. In other words, magical power. And far greater than him, who appears perhaps once every hundred years.

That was the answer, but he couldn't understand it. How could he have failed to recognize such power?

"Or maybe, were you hiding your power all along...?"

But is that even possible?

However, if this reasoning is correct, he must have been a skilled individual capable of handling magical power as if it were his own body, at will.

For example, going beyond Ateloia's black magic and tracing back to its roots, the Demonic Cult, to the extent of an existence that is the very source of this power.

"Adversary?"

So, an ominous being said to have lived to the west of Ateloia since very long ago.

As generations passed one after another, wizards were no longer regarded as ominous beings. Of course, they remained at odds with the Church, which revolved around the power of God.

The reason wizards gradually emerged into the light over a long period of time, and why the Imperial Palace acknowledged their power and built a magic tower for them, was simple.

This is because, although it possessed ominous power, wizards did not use it recklessly and were friendly toward the Imperial Palace.

Well, even that was only after they belatedly came to their senses and started cooperating with the imperial family following a long period of persecution.

In any case, the lineage of magical power possessed by wizards originated from that being in the western forest. From him known as the Demon King.

"...What nonsense."

However, Fenrir was human. Ivan also knew of his background.

"I actually thought it would be related to the Presepe side..."

In fact, before he sensed an unusually strong power from Fenrir, Ivan thought that Presepe was involved in all of these events.

He meant the deaths of Noah and Siegfried.

"And so, life is sometimes born between monsters and humans. It's quite funny, isn't it?"

Ivan suspected that Presepe was the child born from the union of Vanessa, the concubine who was executed, and a monster before she entered the imperial palace.

The saying that mutants often go berserk was not a lie, but in truth, no special aura was detected from Presepe. Perhaps she was just lucky enough to have inherited more human blood.

The reason he told Presepe that story was to scare her, to make her come find him.

Besides, everyone is curious about their roots.

However, he believed it was true that monster blood was circulating in her body.

Contrary to what ordinary people think, monsters never cast aside anyone with the same nature as themselves, even if that person is only half-breed. If anything, they will help.

It is because they know it, too. That increasing their population by any means is advantageous in the fight against humans.

So, he thought it was something Presepe had done.

She, who knew of her bloodline from the beginning, must have used her wits when Dietrich, who became Emperor, unjustly imprisoned her in the tower and prevented her from escaping.

Furthermore, all the deceased were people who had at least spoken to Presepe just before they died.

Prince Attar tried to keep Presepe detained recklessly.

Just before that, Noah DeVern, who had approached Presepe and spoken to her but was driven away by Attar, even met his death at the hands of a monster, a Griffin.

"...Wait for a sec."

Ivan, lost in thought, muttered softly.

Something suddenly flashed through her mind.

A long time ago.

That day when the persecuted wizards were finally recognized as members of society.

A writing left by someone, likely the first-generation Archmage of Ateloia.

Personally brought from that secret space accessible only to the great wizards of the time.

Once again, verification was needed.

Ivan, who was sprawled on the sofa, reached out his hand toward the mountain of documents piled up.

Then, he picked up a very old, worn-out ancient document that could not withstand the passage of time despite being protected by a preservation spell.

- Book of Prophecy.

Ivan stared intently at the title of the ancient document written on the faded parchment.

"He still exists in the western forest."

Ivan's voice lowered as he read the Book of Prophecy.

"He sleeps forever yet never sleeps; he cannot die yet cannot live. Until a pitiful woman, neither monster nor human, finds him. He will repeat an illusory life, completely immersed in pain without even a purpose."

Neither monster nor human.

Poor woman.

Ivan stared down intently at that spot.

"A woman born on the day the moon is fullest will be most persecuted in the most dazzling place of the empire, while concealing her roots."

Ivan, having found the Book of Prophecy, found the record of the day Presepe was born.

And Presepe was said to have been born on the day of the full moon, just as it was in the Book of Prophecy.

"When the woman has died hundreds of times and been resurrected hundreds of times, and five fruits have been achieved, she will finally find him."

Ivan continued to read the Book of Prophecy.

"Without him, the woman will not be able to end her suffering, and without the woman, he will not be able to find rest."

Although it was not yet known what hundreds of deaths and resurrections and five harvests meant, it was clear what the Book of Prophecy intended to convey in the next sentence.

"Neither a faithful archbishop, nor a brave warrior, nor a wizard of equal power can destroy him. He merely remains silent, still holding his ground. Forever, until a woman appears."

The stone statue that the church was so proud of, and the story that a brave man blessed by God had put him to sleep a very long time ago, were nothing but a blatant lie.

It was merely a cover-up to strengthen the church's power while things were quiet.

Ivan instinctively noticed it.

Perhaps that was also the reason why this Book of Prophecies did not come out into the open and had been passed down in top secret within the Magic Tower for a long time.

Because it would cause a huge stir once people found out.

Of course, just because it was Ivan, he could not interpret everything written in the Book of Prophecy.

Even 'he' would be a term referring to the Demon King, but for that to be the case... the Western Forest was far too quiet. Abnormally so.

But...

"I can use it however I want."

And very favorably for him at that.

Ivan put down the Book of Prophecy and laughed sinisterly. Then, he slowly rose from his seat.

"Ivan. Where are you trying to go again! I brought more bandages and medicine here, too..."

The child who appeared just then looked at Ivan with a worried expression, but Ivan merely shrugged his shoulders and answered briefly.

"I'm going to see the Emperor."

“Huh? Suddenly?”

"I have something I need to tell him very secretly and urgently."

***

She had a dream.

Just like last time, it wasn't a dream where someone like the real Yoon Ju-yeon appeared.

Even in her dreams, Presepe was Presepe.

Things that had already happened were endlessly repeated. That is, the things of facing death painfully.

No. She left the Imperial Palace. And things aren't even going according to the game's storyline right now.

In the dream, Presepe was curled up tightly and muttered like a madman. However, all she could hear was the mockery of the male characters.

However, the nightmare did not last long.

"It's okay."

It was because of the low voice she heard softly even in her dreams, and the touch of someone's hand patting her shoulder.

"Everything will go exactly as Presepe wishes."

So don't worry...

It was a truly surprising and fascinating thing. The moment she heard that kind voice, Presepe felt relieved.

And then fell into a deep sleep again.

"..."

Presepe's tightly closed eyelids slowly opened.

It was only belatedly felt that the day had dawned, and that the dazzling, bright sunlight was completely covering her clear face.

She thought Hannah mentioned that it contained sleep-inducing ingredients when she brought the tea, but...

She wondered how she fell asleep yesterday.

Presepe blinked blankly, then slowly got up and sat on the bed.

Then, pausing slightly, she opened her eyes wide.

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