721. [Side Story] Lake Kingdom (2)
The day after the victory declaration ceremony.
Lake Kingdom's King's Castle. Audience Chamber.
"..."
The king, who had been filled with dignity and joy until just yesterday, now sat on his throne with an extremely dark expression.
In front of the deeply concerned king stood a young woman and man.
The woman was Princess Ariel, and the man was...
"Christian."
It was Prince Christian.
The prince, who shared the same beautiful silver hair and turquoise eyes as his sister, emitted a somewhat precarious aura.
The king reprimanded the prince.
"Why didn't you attend the victory declaration ceremony yesterday?"
"..."
Christian, standing silently, did not answer. The king's fist slammed down on the armrest of the throne.
"Do you not realize how important yesterday's event was? Envoys from major countries around the world had gathered!"
"..."
"It was a chance for you, the future king, to meet them and make your presence known! Why did you not show yourself? Do you really wish to break your father's heart?"
Christian remained silent. The king held his forehead with his hand and shook his head.
"We almost embarrassed ourselves at a place meant to uphold our country's prestige..."
"..."
"In the end, Ariel took care of everything you were supposed to do, and she did it flawlessly!"
Christian's eyebrows twitched, and a curt voice came from his tightly closed mouth.
"Then just leave it to Ariel from now on."
"...What?"
Christian sneered at the bewildered king.
"Even the position of the next king. Give it to my excellent sister instead of me, the useless one. Ariel will surely handle it all perfectly."
"You...! How can you say such things...!"
The king was not the only one shocked; Ariel also looked at Christian with a pale face.
Just as the enraged king was about to shout at his eldest son—
"Cough, cough!"
Instead of an angry roar, weak coughs escaped the king's lips.
He covered his mouth with his hand, coughing continuously. Blood seeped through his fingers.
"Father?!"
Ariel, alarmed, rushed to the king, while Christian, in a state of shock, could only watch as his father coughed up blood.
"Haah, haah..."
The king barely stopped coughing up blood.
Holding back tears, Ariel wiped her father's mouth with a handkerchief. The king, receiving his daughter's care, quietly looked at his wayward son.
"I don't have much time left, Christian."
"..."
"Look. Even after defeating all the monsters in the world and becoming the king of the most powerful country on the continent, life is still this futile."
The king shook his head.
"Do not waste your life, Christian."
"..."
"It's not too late. If you start your training to become the heir now, you can still be the next king of this country..."
But before the king could finish, Christian turned around and stormed out.
"Christian! Christian...! Cough, cough!"
Calling out his son's name, the king coughed heavily a few more times. Bloodstained lips muttered.
"That foolish boy... I don't have much time left to cover for his stupidity."
"Father..."
"I have no choice, Ariel. If your brother doesn't come to his senses soon, I will name you as the crown princess. You will be the next king..."
But Ariel shook her head firmly.
"Father. Even though my brother is lost right now, with the right people guiding him, he will surely become a good king."
"..."
"I will support him well. So please, focus on recovering your health."
Looking blankly at his smiling daughter, the king bitterly lowered his head.
"Please take care of him, Ariel. Both your brother and this country..."
As a king, as a father, unable to hide his complex feelings.
***
From an early age, Christian felt out of place.
It was because he realized that his sister Ariel was better than him in every way.
And, not only in the talents necessary to be a king but also in character, he realized he was inferior to his sister.
"I think it would be better if I just disappeared."
Mage Tower Street.
True to its reputation as a magical kingdom, the Lake Kingdom was filled with various mage towers and research labs. Christian was in one of the largest facilities, the "Mage Research Lab."
Christian, sprawled on a large sofa in the director's office, grumbled.
"If I weren't here, Father wouldn't be hesitant and troubled, and Ariel wouldn't be suppressed, unable to spread her wings."
"Please don't say such things, Your Highness."
Director Dirandahi smiled awkwardly, trying to soothe Christian.
"You know how much His Majesty the King and Princess Ariel care for and love you."
"Damn it, yes. I know. They love me, which is why they cover for me living like this. But..."
Christian sighed deeply and sat up.
"That makes it even more miserable..."
"Your Highness."
"I want to be recognized legitimately. But the more I try, the more I realize. Ariel is a better fit for the king..."
Dirandahi cautiously suggested.
"Then... how about achieving a great feat?"
Christian's eyes widened.
"A feat? What kind of feat?"
"A feat grand enough to be recognized as a king-worthy accomplishment."
Dirandahi scratched his chin sheepishly.
"However, the Lake Kingdom has defeated all monsters and even holds world dominance... There's hardly any enemy left to defeat or any great feat to accomplish."
"..."
"But there is one urgent matter, isn't there?"
Lowering his voice, Dirandahi glanced around.
"His Majesty the King's health."
"...!"
Rumors about the king's health had been circulating secretly for years.
Efforts to cure his illness had been made everywhere, but there was no improvement. The king, despite his young age, was dying rapidly.
Dirandahi lowered his voice even more.
"This is a story I heard from a clan of shamans from the Eastern Continent..."
Christian's shoulders trembled at the ensuing words.
"It is said that there was a magic of immortality on the far side of the Eastern Continent."
"What? Immortality?"
"Yes. There are rumors that the downfall of the Eastern Continent was because of that magic. So, we have been investigating it in our research lab... and it seems quite credible. We've even narrowed down the expected location."
Dirandahi looked at Christian with a subtle gaze.
"If you could find this magic of immortality..."
"...!"
Christian shuddered.
If he could really find the magic of immortality.
'Father would... recognize me.'
The father who always looked warmly at his sister, but only spoke cold and stern words to him.
The father who always blamed and scolded him for his shortcomings.
Might acknowledge his achievements, perhaps even praise him for the first time.
'And if I can bring back the magic of immortality, I could restore Father's health and gain recognition from all the kingdom's mages.'
The only thing the Lake Kingdom, a nation of magic, had not overcome was one thing.
Time.
And with it, aging and death.
If he could bring back the magic of immortality, all the kingdom's mages would praise Christian's achievement and submit to him.
Lost in hopeful thoughts, Christian soon sighed with a darkened face.
"...But I can't leave my place."
He was a prince. Likely to become the next king.
If he were to leave for the ruins of the Eastern Continent, his father would never allow it.
But as if anticipating Christian's words, Dirandahi smiled.
"In that case, we've found an interesting experimental subject."
"Huh? An interesting experimental subject?"
"Yes. Please follow me."
Following Dirandahi's lead, Christian headed to the underground of the research lab.
There, in a glass enclosure, was a boy with a vacant expression.
Gesturing towards the boy through the glass, Dirandahi spoke.
"A non-citizen living outside the outer wall. We found him while gathering magical materials in the sewers. We were so surprised that we 'purchased' him immediately."
"What's interesting about this non-citizen?"
In the Lake Kingdom, people were divided into the magic-using class, 'citizens', and those who could not use magic... who were treated like livestock, 'non-citizens'.
'Citizens' were further divided into commoners, nobles, and the royal family. For Christian, a royal family member, observing a non-citizen was unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
But the next words were even more outrageous.
"Doesn't he look alike?"
"...What?"
"To you, Your Highness. He looks remarkably similar."
Laughing loudly, Dirandahi manipulated a magical panel on the glass, causing the boy's hair and eye color to change.
The boy, who had dull gray hair and eyes, now had silver hair and turquoise eyes. And then...
"...How can this be?"
Christian muttered in surprise.
To his astonishment, the non-citizen boy resembled Christian. Not only in appearance but also in their unique aura.
"With a bit of perception-dampening magic, most people will think this boy is you, Your Highness."
"..."
"Since you rarely engage in public activities, if you're careful, you won't be discovered."
Lost in thought, Christian glanced at Dirandahi.
"The search of the Eastern Continent. How long is it expected to take?"
"We estimate about a month."
Dirandahi nodded.
"So this substitute only needs to cover for you for a month."
"...Alright."
Christian, having made up his mind, nodded firmly.
"Let's do it, Dirandahi."
"Yes, Your Highness. I will prepare immediately."
As Dirandahi left the underground room, Christian called out.
"Thank you, Dirandahi. I'll make sure... to repay you greatly someday."
"Haha. No need to mention it."
Dirandahi smiled kindly.
"Your Highness's happiness is my happiness."
After Dirandahi left, Christian turned his gaze toward the boy in the glass enclosure and slowly approached the glass wall.
Christian nodded toward the bewildered boy whose appearance had suddenly changed.
"Hey, you."
"Yes, yes?"
"What's your name?"
The boy hesitated and answered in a barely audible voice.
"I... don't have one."
"What?"
"Non-citizens usually don't have names. I-I'm sorry..."
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Christian raised his voice in front of the shrinking boy.
"From now on, your name is Christian."
"Yes? But..."
"While I'm away, you will be my shadow, my stand-in, my substitute... You must pretend to be me."
Christian asked coldly.
"Can you do it?"
There was no way he could say he couldn't.
Non-citizens follow orders. That was the life of a non-citizen in the Lake Kingdom.
If they didn't follow orders or failed...
They would die.
The boy, squeezing his eyes shut, tremblingly bowed.
"I will do as you command, Your Highness..."
***
A few days later.
Christian boarded a ship prepared by Dirandahi and set off for the Eastern Continent in search of the magic of immortality.
And the nameless boy, having received intensive training to act as the prince's double, was secretly placed inside the castle.
- Remember. The moment you're discovered, you die.
Mage Research Lab Director Dirandahi had repeatedly threatened.
- Mimicking the prince is easy. No matter what anyone asks, don't answer and just scowl as if you're angry. The prince is known as a rascal, so no one will easily approach you. Just stay quiet in your room. Understood?
Finally, Dirandahi had firmly grabbed the boy's shoulder.
- If you do well in this, you won't have to worry about your livelihood in the future.
Wearing a perception-dampening necklace, the boy stood awkwardly in the middle of the prince's room.
'How did this happen...'
He still couldn't tell if this was reality or a dream.
Just a few days ago, he was cleaning up rat carcasses in the sewers, and now he was pretending to be the prince of this country...
'But it's not a difficult task. I just need to stay quiet and endure for about a month.'
The boy, trying to calm himself, nodded firmly.
"Brother!"
The door burst open, and Princess Ariel came running in with a bright smile.
"Ice cream from the North has arrived! Let's eat together. I saved your favorite ice strawberries, Brother!"
"..."
Frozen in surprise, the boy soon came to his senses.
She was the sister Ariel, the person the prince had warned him to be most cautious of. The only person in the castle who was kind to the prickly prince.
'It's, it's okay. Just do as practiced. Just do as practiced.'
With the cold expression he had practiced relentlessly for the past few days, the boy narrowed his eyes and looked at Ariel.
But before he could say a word—
"...!"
Shing!
Ariel drew her sword from her waist and pointed the blade sharply at him.
'What?'
Before the boy, who was stiff with shock, Ariel demanded in a firm voice, pointing her sword at him.
"Who are you?"
"...?!"
"You're not my brother! Who are you?"
Not even an hour had passed since the boy started pretending to be the prince in the castle.
Having done nothing, he was immediately discovered.
Feeling aggrieved and bewildered, the boy couldn't help but swallow a tear.