"Anyway, I'll be back soon."
Albus, who had been laughing for a while, greeted Edward, who was wearing a bewildered expression.
At Roselyn's request, Albus was planning to go to the Duchy to make an Abyss Weapon with her.
Edward decided to stay because he still had things to sort out at the mansion and had to look after the children who had decided to remain in this world for a while.
"...Hey."
Roselyn, who was about to board the carriage carrying Garen, Arma, and the High Priest, paused.
"...Th-thank you."
Roselyn glanced at Edward with wide eyes and let out a light chuckle.
Then, this time, Edward opened his eyes wide.
"Ed, don't get fooled even if someone comes along and promises to make you useful again. You are useful enough."
"...What are you talking about, suddenly?"
"And since the dead cannot come back to life and you won't be able to meet your mother and father, even if someone offers to let you see them again, you must consider it a cult and absolutely not agree. Do you remember what I taught you?"
"Do I look like a fool to you?"
"..."
As Roselyn fell silent, Edward glared at her and stomped his foot violently.
"There's no way such a crazy person exists, and I won't fall for such crazy talk, so don't worry!"
And the next day, Edward ended up discovering it.
"Your Highness, His Majesty finally needs you."
A real pseudo.
***
'...Are you crazy?'
He never thought there would actually be someone who would say something like that.
Edward was dumbfounded to face a charlatan who had come at dawn and suddenly blurted out, "Are you His Highness Prince Edward Dianitas?"
Because...
“Who are you?”
"I am Gallio, the Captain of the Royal Guard, here on His Majesty's orders."
"His Majesty?"
Edward retorted, frowning.
"Yes. The world is in complete disarray these days. Now that times have come to this, His Majesty has finally recognized Your Highness's true worth. It seems it has been a long time since you last saw your mother... I can arrange for you to meet her."
Edward let out a chuckle.
"So you're saying my father needs me?"
"Yes."
"I heard you need me for something?"
"The outside world is currently swarming with traitors. I earnestly hope you will lend your strength to defeat these traitors."
Galio spoke with force.
His eyes did not waver even an inch, and his mouth was firm.
He was nothing more and nothing less than a well-trained knight, so it was obvious that Edward would have been completely fooled had he not listened to Roselyn.
However, Edward had already heard it.
The truth of the outside world.
"Whenever someone comes to visit and says something strange, I always say this."
He crossed his arms and recalled what Roselyn had said.
"Also..."
"Ah."
Edward raised a hand to stop Galio from speaking.
“I’m not buying it.”
"What...? That's not it..."
"Ah. I don't believe in religion, I don't have any loans, and I have nothing, so if you don't want to get bitten to death by a beast, get lost."
Galio opened his eyes wide as unexpected words poured out like a rapid-fire machine gun.
"Ah. I may be a bit handsome, but I don't sell my body."
“What on earth are you saying...!”
"I'm saying that since I won't get hooked by a cultist like you, you should just leave it at that..."
It was the moment he whispered softly.
Kaaaak.
The cry of something fiercer than a beast was heard.
A beast that cannot be simply described as a beast, carrying with it a foul aura emitting an unpleasant stench of rotting flesh and the smell of blood
Monster.
The creatures scurrying around the mansion, appearing from who knows where they had been hiding, all had bizarre appearances.
The horns were abnormally long, and the fangs were unbelievably long.
Covered thickly in pitch-black fur, its appearance was truly bizarre, hardly worthy of being called a beast.
"What, big brother! Did a guest come over?"
"Brother! Did a new guest come?"
“Is he bullying my brother?”
While Galio hesitated, the porcelain dolls that had decided to stay here for a while suddenly popped their heads out from behind Edward.
The children's porcelain dolls were broken here and there, so standing alongside the monster, they looked even more bizarre.
As Galio took a hesitant step back, the porcelain dolls each moved their mouths with the same expression.
"Wow, his limbs are all intact! I don't have any eyes, so could I have those?!"
"I don't have hands, so hands!"
"Oh. Then I'll take the other finger!"
“We have feet and legs!”
"How about putting it on display?"
It was a remark beyond cruel to be uttered by such an innocent voice.
"...What on earth have you been talking about since earlier?"
It was the moment Galio reflexively reached for the sword at his waist.
"Hey, quit if you don't want to die. Or... you. Do you want to know what happens if you get bitten by a monster even once?"
Edward, who was leaning against the mansion with his arms crossed, laughed fiercely and asked.
Beneath the blonde hair, the innocent-looking blue eyes flashed red.
The mansion that looked magnificent began to crack and split, and soon it started to transform from a splendid Western-style mansion into an old, dilapidated, vine-covered wooden house that looked as if it would collapse at any moment.
"..."
Galio took a deep breath.
He was not unaware of what happens to those bitten by monsters.
Infected by foul energy, the body rots away while still alive, starting from that part.
It is a considerably troublesome condition that can only be treated with divine power. Moreover, he was currently in a position where he could not visit the temple.
'...There are too many."
There were too many monsters for one person to handle alone.
Galio clicked his tongue inwardly at life not going his way and clenched his fist tightly.
'What on earth is this?'
He was confident.
He was confident that he could use this ignorant immortal human.
It was because not long ago, he had a dream that felt like a revelation.
It means that none other than God! He showed him what would happen in the future in his mind, just like the Book of Revelation.
The version of himself in the dream discovered this forest much later than now, but he was different.
Galio believed this was his destiny.
He was certain that God was supporting him.
Otherwise, there is no way it would have shown him the future that would unfold and guided him this far.
'I don't know why that unlucky Marquis Wilbreed appeared in that dream, but...'
Anyway, Galio thought everything was perfect.
Didn't this unbelievable immortal being actually exist as well?
He never dreamed that the 13th Emperor's illegitimate child would still be alive and breathing.
'...I wanted to replicate this Abyss.'
He gritted his teeth.
If it were the Abyss of Immortality, he would be able to survive no matter how much time passed.
If given infinite time, it would not be a dream to one day seize the throne.
The illegitimate child they despise the most becomes King.
“...That’s too bad.”
"Not really."
Edward snorted mockingly.
'...I guess we should save it for next time.'
If what was shown in the dream was the truth, it was clear that he was a guy who knew absolutely nothing about the ways of the world.
'...This has never happened before. Maybe it’s because the timing is too early.'
Galio did not deny in the slightest that the vivid dream was a revelation.
It was because every moment shown in the dream was entirely true.
He invested in the business shown to him in a dream, and it really took off. So he invested more of the money he had.
And not long ago, he found out in a dream that there was 'Yellownite' in the mine owned by the organization in charge of that project.
So when they were recruiting investors for the mining business, Galio decided to invest immediately without hesitation.
The new mineral called 'Yellownite,' which was mined at the Nolang Mine and was mistaken for amber, has finally been discovered in other places as well.
'The Duke's family made quite a lot of money with that.'
Rumors were widespread that there was never a day when a smile left Duke Bellion's face.
Thanks to this, quite a few investors flocked in, but Galio had already invested almost all the money he had made from the business.
'...This should resolve the funding shortage to some extent.'
It would be nice to obtain immortality here as well, but it cannot be helped.
"...Well then, I'll be going now."
"Hey. Don't ever come back, peddler."
"I will convey that to His Majesty for now."
Edward frowned at Galio's words and chuckled.
"I don't know how you intend to convey anything to someone already dead..."
Galio, who was turning around at Edward's words, paused.
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