CHAPTER 084
Count Corald’s story came to an end, but no one gathered at Innis Lake could speak.
They believed they had no right to cry and lament the sacrifice of the small, delicate woman who loved the Emperor.
The hot steam rising from Innis Lake seemed to enter their eyes, causing their shallowly trembling eyes to become damp.
Occasionally, sobs escaped only to be swallowed back by fists covering their mouths.
The silent gazes of everyone moved from the sleeping Arabelle to the Emperor holding her in his arms.
The sight of the Emperor crying out while holding Arabelle, who had fallen onto the grass, was no longer there.
The face under the moonlight, shadowed by the night, was chillingly calm.
Unlike the twisted lips of the courtiers, trying to stifle their sobs, the Emperor’s lips remained tightly closed and unmoving.
The white moon floating above Innis Lake shimmered in his red eyes.
If not for the humid breeze stirring his black hair, he could have been mistaken for a statue, not a single finger moving.
The beautifully composed face, devoid of any emotion, was almost terrifying.
Sir Peter and Sir Jacob, who had grown accustomed to the Emperor’s cold and fierce demeanor in numerous battles, felt an indescribable chill from the Emperor before them.
“Hehehehe…”
A low laugh echoed from behind the courtiers surrounding the Emperor.
It was a clear sound of mockery.
Startled, the courtiers turned to see a small, thin, half-naked boy crouching by the lakeside.
Though his face was hidden between his folded knees, he seemed to be in his mid-teens.
“Timothy!”
Count Corald quickly noticed his son lying prone on the grass a bit away from the boy.
Count Corald and Sir Peter hurried to Timothy, helping him to his feet.
At the same time, as if on cue, Sir Derrick drew his sword and stood by the Emperor’s side, while Sir Jacob swiftly moved in front of the boy, aiming his sword at him.
“I-I’m fine, Father. That person used my body to come here.”
Timothy staggered but thankfully didn’t appear seriously injured.
Everyone turned their gaze to Caligo, still giggling with his head between his knees, at Timothy’s words.
“That boy… entered your body?”
“He’s not a boy. He’s a demon using dark magic. I could feel it when he entered my body. He’s a very strong one, even though his energy is weak now.”
In response to Count Corald’s question, Timothy shook his head and replied.
As the heir to Count Corald, Timothy had the ability to repel most dark magic trying to meddle with his body.
But...
This boy, no, this demon was different.
Caligo was more experienced and skilled in dark magic than any demon Timothy had faced before while assisting his father.
Had Caligo's energy not been weak, Timothy wouldn’t be standing on his feet now.
Timothy thought, staring at the thin back of the figure.
“Identify yourself!”
Sir Jacob’s deep voice, accompanied by his raised sword, fell over the boy’s slender neck.
“Hehehe…”
Caligo, still unable to stop laughing, raised his head.
As he slowly lifted his head, his transparent, glass-like eyes appeared beneath his silvery eyebrows.
His skin, pale to the point of a bluish tint, revealed how weak his body was.
“Who are you? How dare you enter Innis Lake without permission? Reveal your identity!”
Sir Jacob demanded, glaring at the boy’s unafraid face, but there was no answer.
Instead of answering, Caligo slightly raised his thin arm.
With a gentle pull of his frail wrist, Sir Jacob’s sword flew into the air and plunged into the ground.
“Ugh…”
Groaning softly, Sir Jacob clutched his right wrist with his left hand.
“Huh…!”
From behind, Sir Peter’s shout and a loud thud echoed simultaneously.
When Caligo snapped his fingers in mid-air, an invisible force struck Sir Peter in the abdomen.
Seeing Sir Jacob’s sword fly from his hand, Sir Peter had rushed at Caligo, only to be thrown back.
“Did you ask… who I am?”
A chilling metallic voice slipped from Caligo’s thin, blue lips.
As Caligo slowly stood, two mice with silver fur wriggled beneath his feet.
Under the white moonlight, the silver tail curled up and glowed softly.
Count Corald, Sir Derrick, and the now recovered Sir Peter and Sir Jacob glared at the demon as they swiftly drew their swords to protect the Emperor.
Caligo sneered, raising one corner of his mouth as he took step after step forward.
It was clear that Maxwell, the Emperor, was his target.
Despite the loyal knights trying to block the demon's path with their swords, it was useless.
Though Caligo’s legs wobbled weakly, with each small movement of his hand, a tremendous force pushed the knights back.
“Listen carefully. My name is Caligo.”
Throwing each loyal knight to the ground one by one, Caligo spoke.
His words were directed solely at one person.
“I am Caligo, who has lived for a thousand years as a demon due to the greed and cruelty of Helterd.”
To become the empire of the continent, the Kingdom of Helterd had committed countless atrocities long before they annihilated the Lumen Savior tribe.
They contracted with powerful demons using dark magic to create human weapons, sacrificing countless orphans.
Caligo was one of them.
At sixteen, he took on the form of a white panther, and from there, time stopped for him.
Due to the immense energy required to transform into a white panther, capable of killing enemies, his human form had become utterly frail and weak.
The boy who once loved singing and flowers spent decades covered in blood, living in hell...
He was saved by Princess Ermiore of Lumen Savior.
Caligo slowly approached the motionless Emperor Maxwell.
Laughter kept escaping from his parched lips.
“I waited a thousand years... A thousand years hoping to rescue Princess Ermiore from the underworld... I didn’t care if I turned into a monster. As long as I could save her. As long as I could cross the River Aether with her, I was willing to do anything. Hahaha.”
The lifeless silver-furred feet stopped in front of the Emperor, who was kneeling, holding Arabelle in his arms.
“But the damned fate... it was never on my side. The bloodline of Helterd was saved by Lumen Savior once again, and Lumen Savior lost the light of its soul, falling into the underworld again!”
The Emperor was as emotionless as a rock.
It was as if he was looking at the first Emperor of Helterd, who had betrayed Princess Ermiore and the Lumen Savior tribe a thousand years ago.
Caligo wanted to pluck out the Emperor’s cold red eyes that resembled those staring at the princess who had lost the light of her soul and fallen.
Just like that, you will forget this woman and live happily as if nothing happened.
His grief and resentment turned into hatred as Caligo screamed.
“Today was the day... The day I planned to take your body and go to the underworld to save the princess. But... Ugh! Argh...!”
Caligo’s voice, which had been shouting as if coughing up blood, faded into a gasp of pain.
The knights, regaining their composure, widened their eyes.
Caligo’s body was lifted into the air, his feet dangling.
The large hand gripping his neck...
It belonged to Emperor Maxwell.
Caligo tried to repel the Emperor by moving his hands, but the Emperor’s grip did not budge.
Instead, the hand choking him tightened even more.
Thick blue veins bulged and pulsed on the Emperor’s hand and arm.
The Emperor’s calm voice resonated quietly across Innis Lake.
“Speak. What do you mean you were going to the underworld to save your princess? Explain everything without leaving anything out.”
The dry voice made the hearts of the loyal knights ache.
The Emperor was holding onto his sanity with all his might.
If he didn’t, he knew he would collapse beyond recovery.
If that happened...
He wouldn’t be able to save Arabelle.
That was the only reason he hadn’t lost his mind.
From the moment he heard Count Corald’s story about Princess Ermiore’s sacrifice and her soul’s eternal entrapment in the underworld...
The Emperor’s goal was set.
He would go to the underworld and reclaim Arabelle’s light.
So, he couldn’t shed a single tear.
If he shed tears, he would collapse.
He couldn’t show cheap tears to Arabelle, who lay sleeping at his feet.
Arabelle’s voice still echoed vividly in his ears, from when her soul was being torn apart by the black panther.
‘I was truly happy to meet you, Your Majesty. So, I’m neither sad nor afraid. I experienced all the love and happiness I could in my lifetime. If you love me... Please be happy. That is my final wish.’
As your beast’s master wished, I will be happy. Absolutely.
To do that, I will bring Arabelle to my side. By all means.
The Emperor’s cold, frozen red eyes stared into Caligo’s trembling glassy eyes.
“The reason I’m not taking your life...”
The Emperor’s hand brought Caligo’s face close, and he whispered slowly, his red lips near Caligo’s ear.
“...is because you need to send me to the underworld.”
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