RGS Volume 3 Part 2

Tears of apology flowed from the king’s flattened mouth on the ground. The remaining soldiers finally understood the king’s intention. The word “extermination” that came out of Karas’ mouth was mixed with laughter. That alone was enough. Fear engulfed them at the thought that Karas might really kill all the people of their kingdom.”

The people had already suffered enough from years of war. While they knew that if the king and they themselves were to die, they would become subjects of the enemy and endure miserable days, it was not comparable to extermination. The remaining soldiers followed suit, one by one, prostrating themselves on the ground, pleading.

However, Karas, as if annoyed, prostrated himself on the ground and moved the rocks towards the easier target. Except for above the king’s head. The stones poured down like hail, filling the surroundings with dust in an instant. The ground shook and trembled, and after the stones piled up like small hills, everything finally calmed down.

And Karas, as if his work was done, turned his body towards the surviving king. Dazed by the trembling ground, the king had kept his eyes tightly shut, only realizing he was truly alive when he finally heard footsteps nearby. Leaving behind the most unwanted outcome. Grimly, the king bit his lower lip until it bled and shouted.

“I… I can help!”

Of course, such words cannot stop Karas, however, the king continued talking without pause.

“The King’s Heart is trying to kill Karas. They provided massive support to the enemy, including us, to eliminate their emperor in this war. Even if you return to the palace alive, you will have to fight the King’s Heart and wage war again. But I can help you eliminate them!”

His heart raced and his breath caught from the words that came out all at once. However, the king did not lift his head and instead listened carefully. There was no sound of footsteps. Finally, with hope in his heart, the king looked up. Karas was standing a few steps away, halfway turned, looking down at him. Realizing he had caught his attention, the king hastily added.

“I have the letters I exchanged with them. The King’s Heart believed that I burned them all, but I kept them for future reference. I will present them, along with several witnesses, no, I will testify in front of everyone. I will testify that the King’s Heart conspired with the enemy. They have gained the trust of the people. It is not enough to just kill them all. We need to expose that they have betrayed the country…”

Unaware of what he was saying, words poured out of him without his control. But all he heard was the sound of footsteps, tap, tap, echoing away. Karas was turning his half-turned body and moving in the opposite direction again. The king stared at his retreating figure with dismayed eyes.

Why? According to the information he obtained, the King’s Heart had found Karas’ weakness, preventing him from entering the palace and using the war as an excuse to stay outside. In fact, even the King’s Heart had subtly hinted that such a story is indeed true. They probably brought up such a conversation to subtly assert their superiority over Karas, but it had credibility.

It is unusual for a young king to leave the throne vacant and go to the battlefield immediately after ascending. Therefore, the biggest enemy to Karas should have been the King’s Heart. But even though he could help him win, he wasn’t interested. In his desperate state, the king quickly raised his upper body and called out to him.

The king recalled a story he had once heard in passing. There was a time when the royal family of a fallen kingdom, once an ally, came to seek help from the king. He had asked about Karas for various pieces of information and had shared some intriguing tales. The stories were so unbelievable that even the speaking royal family had trouble believing them.

“I heard that you are looking for something!”

Please let this catch his attention.

The king prayed earnestly and then blurted out what he was looking for, holding his breath. After a moment, Karas stopped walking and turned completely towards the king. The king swallowed his saliva while still looking into his snake-like eyes.

When the king first heard about the item Karas was searching for, he was puzzled. It wasn’t a valuable jewel or anything that could be sold for money. Still, on the off chance it was important, he scoured the kingdom to locate it. However, once he discovered its location, he lost interest as it was neither significant nor useful.

But how fortunate is this? The king thought that the unnecessary act he did might save the rest of his people. The king looked straight into Karas’ eyes and opened his mouth.

“We have it in our country. I’ll tell you where it’s located. In exchange, end this war by killing me.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The person who came to meet Duke Truyde was a so-called war profiteer, one of the new emerging forces notorious for their ruthless money games. He was the one who had bankrupted Duke Duncan, one of the King’s Hearts. Their meeting took place at the palace.

The duke deliberately summoned him here to show off his high position. There was also an intention to prevent other King’s Hearts from noticing Truyde’s movements. By conducting the meeting openly and officially, he would dispel unnecessary suspicions.

“Are you really not going to get involved in Duke Duncan’s affairs?”

The war profiteer, who had risen to the rank of baron and made a fortune within the palace, asked Truyde with a surprised expression.

“Duke Duncan is already bankrupt, and it will be a big flaw in the status of the King’s Hearts. Yet you still support him?”

The war profiteer in his late 40s had a worn-out appearance that made him look much older and more withered than his age, the result due to the hardships he endured in his youth. However, his murky eyes now shone sharply. He had become a person who, after fighting in the war with the emperor for about a year, luckily obtained land with salt mines and came all the way here, which brought him to his current status.

Before that, he ruled over a barren, small estate where crops barely grew, and it was said that even he, the lord, struggled to eat one meal a day. He was a vulgar beggar who had tasted wealth and was now flaunting his newfound power. Yet, this also meant that with enough money, he could eventually settle on either side.

Truyde looked at his dark and bloodshot eyes and remained silent for a moment.

He had considered persuading and using him, but he didn’t like the idea. The man looked like a drunken gambler.

Putting aside the bankrupted Duncan and putting a new family into the King’s Heart was a good strategy, hpwever when he actually saw his undignified appearance, his eyebrows naturally furrowed.

He felt even dirtier because if such a person entered the King’s Heart, the damage would be greater than Duncan’s bankruptcy. Especially Norhox, who was in charge of the Regas education, was clearly going to draw his sword right away. However, even if he didn’t like it, he had no choice but to embrace them in order to restrain the emperor. It was too late to reject and trample on them.

Truyde replied in his usual gentle tone.

“Have he not done anything illegal?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then I don’t have any way to sanction him either.”

Truyde smiled, but the war profiteer was not deceived. How can there be no way to sanction him when everyone knows that his words alone can become law? What was his ulterior motive? Suspicious, he thought of the Emperor on the battlefield.

“His Majesty seems to really care about the country.”

When Truyde asked for the reason for the sudden praise, the war profiteer just smiled with a simple expression, reminiscent of a country farmer.

“Duke Duncan scoffed, saying that His Majesty, my backer, would not return from the war. He mocked me, saying that despite receiving His Majesty’s favor to come this far, I would end up losing everything and return to the countryside as a mere peasant. However, it seems that you, Lord Truyde, believe that His Majesty will indeed return.”

Sighing, Truyde chuckled and leaned back in his chair then looked down at the other person.

“Ah, are you saying that I am afraid of the return of His Majesty therefore I’m showing kindness to you?”

The war profiteer also smiled, but he didn’t bother to confirm it with his mouth. Truyde found it amusing and laughed with narrowed eyes.

“Indeed, an ignorant bumpkin can only think within those limits.”

Truyde confirmed that the war profiteer’s face stiffened and continued speaking.

“Listen well. Even if the legendary dragon appears, it cannot defeat us. So, am I afraid that a mere human like His Majesty will return to the palace? It actually becomes easier to manipulate him, don’t you think?”

“….”

“So think a little harder. Why do you think I’m giving you a chance.”

The war profiteer couldn’t immediately respond to Truyde’s words. After carefully considering, he finally spoke.

“You truly believe that His Majesty will return. That’s why you’re trying to isolate him further by involving me.”

After pausing for thought, he lowered his head for a moment before continuing.

“Even if you say that, His Majesty is still… not an easy opponent.”

Such frankness could have provoked Truyde’s anger, but surprisingly, he readily agreed.

“Yes, it’s not easy. But it’s also a fact that His Majesty cannot defeat us. However, wouldn’t it be better if we could minimize the damage to each other when facing off against him?”

The war profiteer nodded in response to his words. Then he quickly asked a question.

“If I were to comply, are you suggesting that as a reward, you wouldn’t turn a blind eye to Duke Duncan’s affairs? If so, there is nothing more honorable for me than this. I’ve always desired to be close to the King’s Heart. However… I’m sorry, but isn’t that too small of a reward? Considering, I’m betraying His Majesty, whom I have sworn loyalty to…”

Truyde knew that the war profiteer was a greedy man, but he was still surprised at how easily he gave in. A sneer escaped his lips involuntarily.

“It might be small. But if we see the extent of what you can do, wouldn’t we offer you a better reward?”

“What kind of better reward are you referring to?”

Truyde twisted his lips in response to his hopeful tone.

“Well, it would have to be a grand reward—a spot within the King’s Heart.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Ashler’s group arrived at the valley before Melmond’s slow carriage. The first thing they noticed was a small hill on the other side of the valley. Crossing the valley and approaching closer, they realized it was a pile of stacked rocks, but that wasn’t important. The person they had been searching for was right in front of them.

“Your Majesty!”

Ashler dismounted from his horse and rushed towards Karas. Having seen a mangled corpse in the middle of the valley, so torn apart that its identity couldn’t be discerned, he felt relieved only after seeing Karas with his own eyes.

“Your Majesty, are you injured?”

Kneeling down with the search team that followed, he asked immediately and received a response.

“Yes.”

What? Injured?!

Ashler was taken aback, and as he opened his eyes wider, he indeed noticed wounds on Karas’ tense face. He had never been injured even when fighting against hundreds of enemies!

Who did this? How? Unless stones were raining down from the sky?! That was the only plausible answer.

However, since there was no way to know that fact, the only surprising thing was that Karas was injured. Ashler and the other soldiers could only gape in astonishment. But soon, as if in competition, their mouths opened even wider. Karas was holding someone in his arms. And that someone…

“Wow! A-A fairy?”

A soldier blurted out his surprise. With porcelain-like white skin, slightly parted red lips, and thin golden hair that shimmered like gold, among his other features. This beautiful being, who seemed like delicate wings like a sleeping butterfly might sprout from their back if they were undressed, was nestled in Karas’ arms.

Everyone seemed mesmerized, their minds going blank as they gazed at him. Ashler was the first to regain his senses and recognize him. It was clear that he was the one Melmond and the butler had been so worried about. When he had heard the exaggerated descriptions, he dismissed them as nonsense, but now it turned out to be true.

Along with the shock, the thought that the person was Abel also came to mind, making the shock even greater. Ashler knew Abel’s appearance better than anyone, as he had looked like a bandit in the past, so he couldn’t believe that this same person was Abel’s reincarnation. But the emperor was holding him. The cruel emperor who showed no mercy even to women and children alike was holding someone in his arms!

Ashler looked up at Karas with trembling eyes.

It must be true, he really is Abel’s reincarnation, and that’s why he hugged him so cautiously. Such a miraculous event happening in the world.

To Ashler, the fact that Abel was reincarnated was not as miraculous as Karas doing something for someone else.

He was not just someone who was cold and cruel.

His heart raced for some reason. Ashler managed to speak with a trembling voice.

“Your Majesty, that person is…”

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

₊‧°𐐪♡𐑂°‧₊

T/N: Btw, did you guys notice the cover for Volume 3? Karas eyes turned gray in this Volume ^0^

And thank you for your kind comments, I’ve been reading them all<3