RGS Volume 8 Part 6

In the long silence that followed, only the sound of the turning pages could be heard inside.

Rustle.

As Melmond’s trembling hand turned the page of the letter, Abel, with equally trembling hands, took it and read.

While the two read the letters, the butler sat leisurely and sipped his tea. After Nani had left following Ashler who called him over, Abel had no choice but to stop pretending to sleep. Melmond’s mouth kept producing an array of exclamations as he began to read the letter.

‘Ah!’

‘No way!’

‘T-This is…!’

After hearing such sounds repeatedly for the fourth time, Abel jumped up and joined Melmond in reading the letters. And he, too, couldn’t help but exclaim similarly. The butler’s words were true. The letters were meticulously written travelogues, perfectly capturing the character of the former young master.

Most of the content involved using his beauty to seduce countless men. Every man he encountered fell for the young master without exception, and it was not surprising that he even captivated the hearts of the famous emperor’s four commanders, and even made them his slaves. However, they couldn’t help but question the absurd story about using the young master’s beauty to entice the former King’s Heart, extract information through it, and destroy them.

“Why on earth did you write such lies?”

Abel rarely reprimands anyone, but this time, he couldn’t help it. The butler, however, seemed to think he had done nothing wrong and asked him back.

“I merely added exaggeration to the truth a bit.”

“A bit? This is a bit?!”

Melmond exclaimed in disbelief, shaking the letter he was holding.

“Look here, it says Duke Truyde eventually knelt before the young master’s beauty, wept, and begged to sleep with him just for once. When that wish of him wasn’t granted, he supposedly tried to commit suicide by stabbing himself with a rose thorn, thinking of the young master. You couldn’t even kill a sparrow with a rose thorn! Where’s the truth in all of that?!”

“Well, the Duke did die, didn’t he?”

“…That’s it?”

Nod.

Melmond couldn’t argue any further and put down the letter in frustration. However, there was something Abel couldn’t accept at all.

“Even if we let everything else slide, what about this? It says here that the young master—that’s me—and the prince shared love while…”

Abel’s face turned pale as he struggled to continue and finally spat out in a strangled voice:

“…w-while an orchestra played around the bed, and a crowd of spectators applauded whenever I moaned… Ugh!”

Abel clutched his head, distressed by the horrifying fiction. Surprisingly, Melmond didn’t seem as shocked about this part. He just thought that the butler had merely expressed the young master’s fantasies in writing. Nevertheless, this horrifying creation was something unacceptable.

“Then, do your Master and Mistress really believe that Abel has experienced all… all of this? And they don’t even know that he was reincarnated?”

“Hehe, that’s right. Both of them are so proud of the young master. They can’t believe that their once self-absorbed and ignorant son ended up saving the world! They can’t wait to meet him. So, please, come with me to the mansion as soon as possible, young master.”

Abel stood frozen with his mouth agape, then finally asked.

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you must go. Don’t you remember the promise you made with me at the beginning? You agreed to act as the young master in front of our Master and Mistress while going to the battlefield in the young master’s body.”

Ah, that’s right.

Abel recalled the promise he made when he first visited Melmond’s house after being reincarnated and nodded reluctantly. The butler smiled with a satisfied expression.

“Please, I implore you. I’ll assist with the practice. We’ll prepare scripts for various situations, and if you familiarize yourself with them beforehand, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Melmond and Abel flinched.

“Hey, is it really necessary to practice like that?”

“Absolutely. Our Mistress is very weak, so even a slight shock could cause her to faint immediately. If Lord Abel shows even the slightest difference from the young master, her life could be at risk.”

The cold warning felt strangely familiar. Melmond recalling Abel’s previously frail condition, made up his mind. He resolved never to visit that house no matter what. Beside him, Abel was also making up his mind. He had to delay it as much as possible.

“I, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can leave the palace yet. Haha, I need to stay by His Majesty’s side. As long as His Majesty doesn’t leave…”

His plans to send Karas out into the world were quickly shoved aside. As Abel was about to explain further why he should stay in the palace, the door suddenly burst open, and Nani returned. Along with exciting news.

“Wow! I heard His Majesty is going to the festival himself! And he’s even planning to travel to multiple places!”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The lord from the north stated that it was his first time visiting the capital. The northern region was so far from the capital, with treacherous mountains and freezing weather, that making the journey to the capital was extremely difficult.

Thus, even when the King’s Heart ruled the country, they could not extend their influence on this region. Naturally, he didn’t know that the King’s Heart had fallen. It was only upon arriving in the capital that he learned that the Emperor had expelled them and was reorganizing the country. And so, his visit was not because of the King’s Heart.

“I heard that Your Majesty has become the master of the entire continent through the continuous victories in war with the powerful strength of a dragon. Therefore, I came here believing that Your Majesty could solve the terror in our region.”

The lord wore shabby clothes that were not typical of his status, but his voice was serious. His eyes were filled with desperation as if Karas was his only hope. According to him, he had been sending letters asking for help to the central government for several years.

However, he had never received a response. In truth, he had little hope even when he came in person this time. He thought it would be fortunate just to meet one of the Emperor’s close aides, but seeing Karas’ face directly filled him with so much emotion.

“In the northernmost part of the region I govern, there is a mountain that borders the Sea of Ice. It is a place that remains covered in ice all year round, with four peaks so cold and harsh that no one could enter. Still, a few people managed to pass through the mountains. Inside, there is a large plain surrounded by a green forest. It is said that many people live there, and there has been a legend of a great wizard ruling the place for a long time. However, at some point, the ice on the mountain, which no one could enter, began to melt.”

The lord’s expression grew serious as he thought of his homeland. It had not even been ten years since the ice mountain began to melt. The ice that did not melt even in midsummer slowly turned into water, eventually a plain was revealed, and one of the mountains began to turn green.

As the ice continued to melt year by year, nearly one peak had completely melted all the way down. In summer, there was no trace of ice or snow on that mountain. As one mountain melted, a path accessible to people appeared. The number of people visiting the once-mythical plain increased one by one. However, it wasn’t just that. The people of the territory began to enter the mountain to hunt or gather food.

However, as traffic increased, the people of the plains issued a warning.

They said that even though the Ice Mountain had melted, no one should go there. They claimed that the power of an evil dragon that had originally been sealed in the ice was now being released as the ice melted. Yet, since the ice had not completely melted, there was a warning that the evil dragon’s power could become even more rampant. However, the people did not believe them.

The mountain, now devoid of ice, was like a treasure trove. In summer, it was full of fruits, and in winter, there were plenty of trees for firewood. Despite the warnings from the people of the plains, the number of people climbing the mountain did not decrease. For nearly ten years, several people disappeared every year and did not return, but it was thought to be just accidents. However, a few months ago, a problem arose. All the people who went up the mountain disappeared without a trace.

As none of the people returned, a search party was sent, but they too failed to come back. As people’s anxiety and complaints grew, the lord also became worried. It was clear that the disappearance of everyone who entered the mountain was not a natural occurrence. The only place where people lived nearby was the plain within the four peaks.

The lord suspected that it was the people of the plains who were responsible for it and led his soldiers to find them. However, they couldn’t find the missing people inside. Instead, they encountered the wizard, who was only known through legends among the plains people. The wizard, angered by their unwarranted attack, burned the soldiers to ashes right before the lord’s eyes.

“He was truly a wizard. All my soldiers who stepped on his land were all reduced to ashes in an instant. However, he was always lenient with those who didn’t step on his land. He warned us again about the Ice Mountain and told us to beware of the fog. I only understood what he meant a week before I left my territory. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, a thick fog covered the village, so dense that you couldn’t see in ahead, and… the children of the village disappeared in an instant.”

The lord swallowed his rising despair and added.

“Including my five children.”

“Is it really the work of the Ice Mountain?”

Ashler, who was listening beside them, asked in disbelief. The lord took a deep breath before he opened his mouth with difficulty.

“Yes, according to the wizard, it is. He said that many people in his village also disappeared because of the fog. He claimed that his power could only protect the plains. He explained that the dwindling power of the dragon was making a final, desperate attempt to devour the people. The only solution was to wait until the ice melted completely. However, we can’t possibly do that. That land is our livelihood and contains everything we have. We cannot abandon it. But the fog continues to expand its territory and devour the people every time.”

The fear in the lord’s eyes was evident to the listeners. He then revealed his true purpose for coming here.

“The wizard said there is one more way… If someone with the power of another dragon assists him, they can melt the mountain’s ice instantly and extinguish the power of the evil dragon.”

The lord looked up at Karas with a desperate gaze.

“Your Majesty, please save us. Please extinguish the power of the evil dragon.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The lord’s words were shocking to anyone. The idea that the power of an evil dragon was devouring people through the fog sent chills down their spines. Having already experienced the dragon’s fog firsthand, those present had no choice but to believe that the lord’s words were true.

Thus, Ashler expected Karas to take an interest in the lord’s words and take some action. However, after hearing the entire story, Karas turned to Ashler with a bored expression and asked.

‘Is that all?’

It sounded as if he was saying, ‘I’ve done my part; now stop bothering me.’ The meaning was clear, and Ashler found himself at a loss for words. It was genuinely surprising. Why? One would expect him to be wary upon discovering that there might be someone else like him. At the very least, he should have been curious.

However, Karas quickly left the palace without asking the lord anything further. Ashler, chasing after him, asked belatedly if he wasn’t concerned by such a surprising story and whether he thought the lord might be lying. Karas responded coldly.

‘It’s annoying.’

Ashler stopped in his tracks, unable to pursue him further.

In the end, was the most they could hope for from Karas merely that he wouldn’t destroy the world?

The hope that he might help someone seemed like a vain wish, and it weighed heavily on Ashler’s heart.