Dirandahi, the head of the expedition to the Eastern Continent, was secretly arrested and brought to the King's Castle.
"There was an accident during the expedition."
Dirandahi said calmly.
"The environment of the Eastern Continent was harsher than expected. We had considerable difficulty constructing the search base, but just before our return, a pillar of fire scorched the sky and engulfed the base."
"..."
"When we were all on the verge of death, Prince Christian heroically decided... He pushed us all through the teleport gate and stayed behind at the search base alone."
Dirandahi bowed his head to Ariel.
"Knowing his intentions, we had no choice but to escape with tears of blood."
"..."
"We are truly sorry, Princess. We were lacking..."
Ariel looked down at the tearful Dirandahi and coldly retorted.
"Don't lie, Dirandahi."
"...!"
"My brother is a selfish person. He would sacrifice his subordinates for his own goals, but he would never lay down his life for them."
It was a cold but accurate assessment.
A bitter smile briefly crossed Dirandahi's face. Ariel pressed him further.
"Confess everything in detail! What exactly happened in the Eastern Continent?"
"...Prince Christian is far too unqualified to be a king."
Wiping away the fake tears, Dirandahi spoke in a dry voice.
"I have known him for a long time and closely observed him. He should never become king."
"What did you say...?"
Dirandahi slowly raised his head and looked up at Ariel.
"And... Princess Ariel. You are truly the one who is fit to be the next monarch."
"..."
Dirandahi continued speaking to the pale-faced Ariel.
"For the thousand-year future of our Lake Kingdom, know that I, Dirandahi, orchestrated this matter with only loyalty in my heart."
"...So, what are you saying?"
Ariel, clenching her fists, spoke in a trembling voice.
"To prevent my brother from becoming the next king... you lured him with the lie of an immortality magic and abandoned him alone in the Eastern Continent?!"
"The information about the immortality magic in the Eastern Continent is not a lie. It is merely a rumor."
Dirandahi chuckled.
"And he wasn't abandoned. During the month-long search, there were no results, and just before the return, a small accident occurred... causing the prince to be isolated at the search base alone."
"You induced that situation!"
"But it was the prince's own will to go there."
To become a person worthy of the throne. Driven by the pressure to achieve overwhelming merit.
The prince clung to the nonexistent illusion of immortality magic and eventually went missing at the easternmost end of the world.
"Prince Christian will not return alive."
Dirandahi chuckled.
"And the King is gravely ill."
"You...!"
"Princess Ariel."
With an unwavering face showing no hint of regret, Dirandahi spoke.
"Ascend the throne. And continue the glory of this Lake Kingdom, which has conquered the world."
"...!"
"The only thing this unworthy subject desires is that."
Ariel, feeling dizzy, closed her eyes tightly.
'The crown, the crown, what is that worthless crown...'
Does her brother's life have to be at stake for a position she never even desired...
Gritting her teeth, Ariel shouted to the subordinate next to her.
"Send a rescue team to the Eastern Continent immediately!"
"Yes, Princess. And..."
The subordinate asked cautiously.
"How should we report this to His Majesty the King..."
"..."
Ariel bit her lip with a pale face and looked back.
There stood the false prince, Aider, looking just as flustered.
"His Majesty is ill, so we must not cause him undue concern."
Resolutely, Ariel nodded.
"Rescuing my brother is the priority. This matter will remain confidential."
"Yes."
"And, Aider."
Ariel forced a difficult smile at Aider.
"Please continue to act as the prince... just a little longer."
"...Yes, Princess."
Bowing his head, Aider simultaneously sensed it.
The ominous atmosphere.
A faint stench rising from the very foundation of the country.
***
At the same time.
Eastern Continent.
"Gasp, gasp!"
Prince Christian, covered in blood, slumped down in the ruins.
It was a building constructed by humans, proving that civilization once existed on this continent. However, it was now a complete ruin.
Gasping for breath, Christian looked up at the sky with a shiver.
It was burning.
Flames surged from the red sky, pouring down like rain. Each time, the already charred ruins were engulfed in flames again.
He had no idea what had turned the entire continent into a land of death.
The Eastern Continent was a place where even survival was a struggle, let alone exploration.
And in this land, the expedition had abandoned Christian, teleporting back. The gate's connection was severed, and Christian was isolated.
'Dirandahi, why would you do this to me...'
With parched lips, Christian trembled with rage.
Dirandahi's intention to find the immortality magic might have been somewhat true. If he wanted to eliminate him, he wouldn't have gone through such a cumbersome process.
But upon arrival, there was no hope. How could such a magic exist in this hell?
Thus, Dirandahi gave up on the immortality magic and abandoned him, the prince.
Hedging his bets between the prince and the princess, he decided to side with the more certain one.
'Does that mean I am so worthless...'
Crawling on the scorching ground, Christian laughed bitterly.
'That even Dirandahi, who was on my side, abandoned me because I am hopeless as a king...'
The fact was no longer even pathetic.
All he desperately wanted was a sip of water.
Leaning against the hot stone wall, Christian closed his eyes.
'So, this is how I die...'
Achieving nothing, dying in vain...
Accepting his fate bitterly, Christian quietly awaited his end.
And then, it happened.
Splash...
A cool sound of water echoed before his eyes.
'Huh?'
Thinking he was hearing things, Christian slowly opened his eyes.
Before him was a glass of clear water being held out.
Standing right in front of him, someone in a robe gently shook the glass.
"Thirsty? Here, drink up."
"...!"
It didn't matter if it was a hallucination.
Christian hurriedly grabbed the glass and gulped down the water. The water flowing down his throat was fragrant and cool.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
After downing the water, Christian bowed his head and returned the glass.
The one receiving the glass was a shadow... or someone in a robe.
A ghastly, white smile split across the shadow's face.
'Huh?'
No, it wasn't.
It seemed he was mistaken due to dehydration. Standing before him was an elderly man with a kind expression.
The old man stroked his beard and smiled gently.
"It's been a long time since I've seen someone in this land. Are you okay?"
"Had you not given me water, I would have died."
Bowing repeatedly, Christian cautiously asked.
"May I ask your name?"
"Hmm. I have many nicknames."
The old man muttered, stroking his beard.
"The Angel of Fulfillment, Master of the Monkey's Paw, the Fallen Constellation... But now, I'd like to introduce myself this way."
The words that followed made Christian's eyes widen.
"The Immortal Sage."
"...!"
"It seems you are not from this continent... What brings you here?"
With a smile, the old man's face looked to Christian like an angel descended to earth.
"If there is anything I can do to help, just say the word. I'll do my best to assist."
With a wide smile, Christian, who had found his long-sought companion, felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
And, likewise.
As if he had found a long-awaited companion, the old man also smiled broadly.
***
Six months later.
The Lake Kingdom was even more prosperous.
From the giant city-state floating on the clear lake, songs praising the royal family's reign echoed daily. The nation's power had grown stronger, and the lives of not only the citizens but also non-citizens had stabilized.
The king was bedridden due to his severe illness, but Prince Christian and Princess Ariel governed the country well in his stead.
"..."
Prince Christian, or rather.
His double, the fake-Aider, stared blankly down at the sunny streets of the Lake Kingdom.
Citizens gathered at the fountain square, bursting into laughter next to the gushing water. The giant city-state was peaceful and beautiful.
Both citizens and non-citizens blessed the excellence of the prince and princess, who would succeed the king, and rejoiced in the nation's foreseen prosperity.
And every time he heard those praises, Aider felt unbearably uncomfortable.
How long would he have to continue this act as the fake prince?
But, the timing to reveal the truth never came. Naturally, because...
"Gasp, gasp, gasp..."
The king was dying.
Aider tore his eyes away from the window and looked inside the room – at the king buried in the large bed and Princess Ariel nursing him.
The king, with a sallow face, kept gasping for breath. He was already close to death.
How could he reveal the truth to the king in this state?
That the person pretending to be the prince was a fake, and the real prince had gone missing in the Eastern Continent?
Several rescue teams had been sent to the Eastern Continent. Coco the Severer, a master of teleportation magic, had led the rescue teams.
But they had found no trace of the prince and had almost been annihilated several times. The Eastern Continent was truly a land of death.
Time passed helplessly, and six months went by. Christian's death was already an established fact.
But they couldn't tell the king. It would undoubtedly worsen his already fragile condition.
"I don't want to die, Christian, Ariel..."
The gasping king spoke with difficulty.
"I conquered everything in my life, but in the end, I cannot overcome this death..."
"Father."
"But now I must accept it... Christian, where is Christian...?"
Aider, standing by the window, hurried to the bedside.
The king, fully believing the man before him to be his real son, nodded seriously with a heavy heart.
"Seeing you sober up and stand as a prince is such a relief."
"No, Father. I am still lacking."
"Yes, you are lacking. But your mindset is right, and that's enough. Ariel will make up for your deficiencies."
Both Aider and Ariel's eyes widened as they realized what the king was saying.
The king reached out and grasped Christian's hand, squeezing it with his cooling hand.
"Christian. You will rule this country from now on."
"...!"
"You will inherit the throne. Become the next king and lead the Lake Kingdom."
Frozen in place, Ariel finally managed to speak.
"Father, actually...!"
"Hmm?"
"My brother... My brother is..."
Already dead.
The person you are holding hands with is a fake, a double.
Was it right to tell this to a father on his deathbed?
But wasn't it necessary to stop the fake prince from inheriting the throne?
Not knowing what to do, Ariel was paralyzed. At that moment.
"Father."
Aider gently stroked the king's hand, smiling.
"Pass the throne to Ariel."
"...!"
"I will assist Ariel well."
The king knew Ariel was more competent but loved Christian more.
Over the past six months of acting as the fake Christian, Aider had painfully realized this. So, he had anticipated that if the king were to pass on the throne, it would be to Christian.
Thus, he had prepared these words.
"It is the right thing to do for this country. You know this better than anyone, Father."
"..."
"Please pass the throne to Ariel, Father. I beg of you."
Tears filled the king's eyes. He was moved by Christian's mature act of yielding the throne to his sister.
"Yes... As long as you two maintain this harmony, I have no worries..."
The king turned his head towards Ariel.
"Ariel."
"...Yes, Father."
"Will you lead this country from now on?"
Ah.
Swallowing her tears, Ariel bowed her head.
The guilt of lying to her father until his final moments weighed heavily on her, but she also knew this was the best course.
"Though I am lacking, I will honor the wishes of both you and my brother..."
Just as Ariel was about to pledge her commitment.
Bang!
The door to the king's bedroom burst open, and knights and soldiers rushed in urgently.
It was Baltimore, the overseer of the internal guard post, and his subordinate knights. Kneeling hastily in front of the bed, Baltimore shouted.
"Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty! I have urgent news to report!"
Ariel shouted.
"Sir Baltimore! His Majesty is in a critical condition! How dare you..."
But Ariel froze like ice at Baltimore's next words.
"Prince Christian has returned!"
"...?!"
"He has returned from the Eastern Continent! Upon verification, it is undoubtedly the real Prince Christian. He is on his way here right now, requesting to see His Majesty!"
The room's atmosphere turned icy.
"...Christian was abroad? And now he's returned?"
Blinking in confusion, the king slowly turned his head to the side.
"Then, who is this man..."
Standing there, pale-faced and trembling like a leaf, was Aider.
"Who is this man who just asked me to pass the throne to Ariel?"