IYAMD: Episode 1

The prosperous Arhen Empire, blessed by the grace of the goddess.

Far from the empire’s capital, Bireline, stood the Aricto Prison—a place where the empire’s most dangerous criminals were confined. A heavy silence loomed over the prison.

Leading the group was a man with a long, neatly adorned sword hanging at his waist, followed by four others.

Among them, the man walking at the forefront was strikingly tall, exuding an imposing presence. His golden hair shimmered brilliantly, and his well-built figure was as refined as that of the knights trailing behind him. His name was Marsilia Serentio F. Arhen.

He was the emperor of the Arhen Empire.

Marsilia strode forward without hesitation, unfazed by the stifling stench of blood and filth that filled the air. The attendant following him glanced around nervously, occasionally stealing glances at the emperor’s face—but his expression remained unchanged.

The attendant knew the reason for the emperor’s visit. He had come to this place because he had found his fated bond.

According to Arhen’s sacred doctrine, one of the divine blessings bestowed upon the empire’s rulers was their fated partner. The goddess herself ordained that an emperor and their fated partner would have their names inscribed upon each other’s bodies as a sign of their destined connection.

Since the imperial successorcould only be born by their fated partner, the imerial family’s authority was absolute.

On the other hand, appointing another emperor was pointless. The goddess had only ever bestowed her blessing upon the direct bloodline of the first emperor. Because of this, there were hardly any forces within the Arhen Empire that posed a threat to the imperial family.

Of course, the occasional conflicts between members of the imperial family were an exception. Even now, the former emperor’s older brother, Grand Duke Dorton, was attempting to challenge his position.

The attendant recalled the rumors he had once heard, letting out a quiet sigh.

Well, whatever schemes might be brewing among the imperial family had nothing to do with him. Most of the attendants at Aricto Prison would eventually be reassigned elsewhere, so all they had to do was continue guarding the prison until that time came.

Even if the emperor changed, the attendant’s duty remained the same—serving in this place in accordance with imperial command. The power struggles within the imperial family were of no concern to him.

He brushed off his pointless thoughts and glanced back at the men following behind him.

It had been ten years since the emperor ascended the throne. Usually, an emperor’s fated partner would be discovered within a few years, but nearly a decade had passed since his reign began…

After such a long time, one might have expected a joyful reunion or even some anticipation, but the atmosphere was filled only with cold indifference.

As expected, no matter how much fate had decreed this bond, it was only natural that someone would struggle if their destined partner turned out to be a notorious mass murderer. The attendant interpreted the emperor’s expression in that way.

The one who bore the emperor’s divine mark had been imprisoned in Aricto for the crime of slaughtering an entire family noble family, the Setora. The massacre was so brutal that not a single person in the residence was spared—whether noble or servant, all had been killed.

Since no survivors remained, the discovery of the massacre had been delayed. It was only when a merchant arrived to deliver the weekly food supplies that the gruesome scene was uncovered.

The sight was so horrific that even seasoned officials had difficulty speaking. Blood had soaked into the very walls, and the bodies were found piled together in twisted heaps.

The culprit had been captured without resistance, found sitting quietly among the corpses, his hands still gripping the sword he had used in the slaughter.

However, in order to pass judgment, one would need to understand the motive behind such a crime. Yet, no matter how much he was tortured, the criminal never uttered a single word.

He had been poisoned.

By the time they realized it, his body was so battered that there was hardly a part left intact. Just as he was about to bite off his own tongue, he lost counciousness..

The guard who discovered the body was shocked. Not even in his wildest dreams had he expected the emperor to personally visit this place. The highest authority in the empire, standing in a space reeking of death—it was a realization that truly shook him.

Leading the way, the eunuch guided the emperor deep into the third underground level. The scent of dried blood hung thick in the air. Standing before a heavy door, the guard reached for the ring of keys fastened to his waist.

With a creak, the iron gate swung open, and he stepped aside to make way for the emperor.

“This is the place, Your Majesty.”

As the door opened, the emperor’s usual cold expression wavered slightly. He frowned at the overwhelming stench seeping from inside the room. Then, as if to wash away his distaste, he downed his wine in one swift motion.

The knight lowered his lantern, casting flickering light into the darkness, illuminating the grim scene before them.

The knight adjusted the lantern in his hands and spoke to the emperor.

“Will you enter, Your Majesty?”

The emperor remained silent for a moment. He simply stood still, gazing into the darkness of the prison cell with an unreadable expression.

At last, he took a step forward, and the guard quietly exhaled the breath he had been holding in.

The emperor’s footsteps were light against the stone floor, as if stepping onto a thick carpet. Without making a single unnecessary noise, he entered the room—where someone had been waiting for him for over ten years.

Inside, Marcilia leaned against the knight’s lantern light, taking in her surroundings. The underground prison had no windows, and though she was told there was light, it hardly seemed enough. A single small lantern felt woefully inadequate.

The space wasn’t particularly wide, yet strangely, the shadows on the walls stretched unnaturally large.

Marsilia looked into the cell with the help of the lantern the knight was holding.
There was no light in the windowless dungeon, so the small lantern alone felt quite inadequate.

Even though it wasn’t a very large space, the shadows were strangely large.

It was only after the knight with the lantern had taken a couple of steps forward that Marsilia noticed something resembling fur hanging on one of the walls. Only too late did he realize that it was a man with black hair.

The man was completely stretched out, both arms tied to the wall. There was no need to ask the guard how much he had been tortured.

As the knight approached and held up the lantern, he saw torn clothes, and a mess of scars underneath.

There were whip marks all over his body, his fingernails and toenails were gone, and there were marks from the iron on his arms and legs. The wounds were festering and rotting without any treatment, giving off a foul smell.

Marsilia looked at his soulmate indifferently.

Is that the fated partner his goddess promised him?

There was no emotion at all. Ten years was enough time to destroy all hope and expectation.

The man’s face was completely covered by his long hair that reached down to his thighs. As Marsilia nodded slightly, the knight behind him approached and grabbed the hanging man’s chin.

It seemed as though they had used an hot iron on his face, as his skin was burned and melted, filled with pus. Even if you didn’t get close, you could smell the rotting flesh.

“Open your mouth.”

At Marsilia’s command, the knight tightened the man’s jaw. Even though his jaw was forced open, the man did not even let out a small groan.

The man hanging with his eyes downcast was as unresponsive as a stone statue.

Whether it was because his jaw was stiff from the torture, or because the man had a strong jaw, his jaw, which was small enough to fit under the knight’s palm, did not open easily.

Eventually, the two knights worked together and forced open the closed jaw with their strength. Marsilia nodded to the knights and moved a little closer.

As the light got closer to his face, the man, who had been keeping his eyes down, opened his eyelids.

The relatively healthy forehead and eyelids were covered in black, dried bloodstains. Marsilia had the feeling that it wasn’t just the man’s blood that was on him.

As he opened his eyes, dandelions bloomed in his disgustingly dirty face. In the dark, colorless cell, those eyes stood out as if they were the only thing with color.

In that golden dandelion field, a dark, sunken pupil was located. Marsilia, who was looking at the dead eyes that showed no emotion, bent down a little and looked into the man’s mouth.

In the widest part of the roof of his mouth, there appeared his name: Marsilia.

Marsilia, who confirmed the name that shimmered in a mysterious golden light, immediately straightened his bent body and gave an order.

“Warden, release the restraints.”

As the knight and the guard untied the hanging man, Marsilia watched from a distance.

When the restraints were released, the man was unable to stand properly and collapsed on the spot. His blank face had no expression, and his eyes were also open.

He seemed to feel no pain. The moment the knights reached out to raise him, Marsilia stepped forward.

“Step back.”

There was no response from him even as Marsilia approached him. Marsilia, who was staring at his dead eyes that showed no sign of recognition, clicked his tongue slightly and opened his mouth.

“My believer, your king is my apostle. Believe and follow him, and he will save you by my power.”

As Marsilia recited the scripture, healing light formed in his hand. The moment the round orb left his hand, a green light swept over the man’s body.

New flesh grew on the rotting wound. The cool, refreshing wind quickly carried away the rotten smell, and his body became smooth.

Was it because the wounds on his body had disappeared? Only then did the man show a slight reaction. His yellow eyes slightly rose and looked at Marsilia.

It felt like the wind that had flowed through him had moved to his body. Marsilia swallowed dry saliva without realizing it as he felt the hair on his ear being pulled.

But that only lasted for a very short time.

He knew very well that this sensation was his own illusion. The bound was only a sign and had no other function. So, this must have been an illusion from waiting for so long.

Marsilia, who was looking into his pale yellow eyes, didn’t wait any longer for his reaction. He simply pulled off his cloak in a neat manner.

As the emperor moved, the knights opened their mouths with embarrassed expressions.

“Your Majesty, we…”

“I told you to back off.”

Marsilia did not want to let them escort the man. It was not out of a possessive desire, but rather out of caution over the possible risk of assassination.

He came here before his enemies knew about it, but wasn’t it always necessary to be on guard? It was the same even if the knights who followed him were his closest confidants. After becoming emperor, he had never been able to trust anyone easily.

Marsilia wrapped the other person in the cloak he had pulled out and hugged him. At first, he thought he was small because he was so crumpled, but when he hugged him, he realized that he was actually very small and light.

Even if he covered him with a cloak that couldn’t even show his face, and even if he hugged him without any signal, the person in his arms was quiet. They didn’t move at all, as if they weren’t alive.

But he could definitely feel the body temperature. Marsilia sighed in relief at the lukewarm body temperature that could be felt through the thick cloak and clothes.

“Amber, replace the murderer of Viscount Setora with another criminal and execute him immediately. And tell the warden. I will personally ask you later why you left him alone when you knew he was my soulmate .”

“That’s because… he is such a vicious criminal…”

The guard mumbled and made excuses. Marsilia glanced at him, and as he left the prison, a rustling sound was heard behind him.

“Your Majesty. Your Majesty? He…”

The sound of a sword cutting through the wind echoed briefly in the quiet dungeon. Before the smell of blood could grow stronger, the knight holding the lantern took the lead and guided Marsilia.

From behind, the sound of keys being pulled out from the waistband of the severed head of the guard could be heard.

“Ask the warden if there are any more guards who know the details, and deal with them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Only then did Marsilia follow the knights in front and walk down the stone passage. The sound of the knights’ swords echoed quietly in the damp corridor.