Chapter 3
The Fears of the Golden Child
Once upon a time, the world was full of peace. There were no wars, hardships, or even death. People loved one another, and there was no reason to wage battle between brothers and sisters. Everything was right, and the world was good.
But one day, the Grimoire of Reason came into this wondrous world and tainted the land with dark energy. The demonic force escaped from another realm and began infecting the holy world of Sian.
This brought about the seven deadly sins into the pure world of Sian.
Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.
Soon enough, brothers and sisters were fighting amongst each other. Sian became corrupt to the point that humans were doing unspeakable acts to one another. Death didn't exist before, and only a few knew pain before the seven deadly sins entered the world.
Like monsters, God's creations would torture one another for riches, power, lust, and all the above. Mankind began devouring itself for the sin that they worshipped. The pureness of Sian fell victim to the human desire for the seven deadly sins.
It was then that the gods decided that allowing death would give peace as corruption was too strong. The pure people who couldn't take it were given a reprieve.
Death was established, and the Grimoire of Reason tainted the world with its lies.
But out of the darkness came a group of hand-selected warriors known as the Kingsman. Not related by blood, the gods bestowed a seal upon their bodies at birth, giving them the power to search for demons. One was born a Kingsman, a human blessed by the gods. They didn't battle against the flesh and blood of their brothers and sisters, though. They fought the sin that was controlling their minds. The Kingsman fought against the darkness that corrupted the world, the demons that served to subjugate mankind. Kingsman even fought against the creator of the Grimoire of Reason.
The one known as…
The Overlord.
For millennia, the Kingsman battled the demons in the shadows. Generations of Kingsman died for the following children to fight. This battle waged on for thousands of years. In the last war against the Grimoire of Reason, 6 Kingsman finally took the reigns. They banished the Overlord into the depths of the Grimoire of Reason, the book in which it came.
Yet, four of the six lost their lives in the fierce battle.
Two remained of the Kingsman who the gods blessed.
King Arnold the First
And
Queen Annastella the First
The King and the Queen changed their last names to Kingsman, honoring their fallen comrades. Despite this, the world was still full of darkness. But thankfully… because the overseer of darkness was banished, peace was slowly being restored across the land. In the years to come, murder had lessened. The souls and minds of the people have gradually become warm with love.
Heaven slowly returned to Sian.
The world would reign for however long the gods wish.
And the Kingsman line, blessed by the gods, would continue from that day forth.
"Remember this history well, young lady."
Goldie's mind felt like it was in a haze. She looked around to see a room full of beautiful paintings and royal red carpets. There she sat, at a single desk and bright white cushioned chair. The woman who spoke to her had lgreen hair that stopped at her hips and sharp ivy eyes. With jewels on her wrist and azure earrings, one could tell she was built up from money. She usually wore an outlandish witch hat, but today she had it hung on the wall. She had gaudy blue earrings and the most expensive rings one would dare to put on their fingers with a blue vest and brown dress made from the finest materials.
"I'm in class?"
Goldie murmured.
"Of course, you're in class. Have you not been paying attention again?"
Annoyed, the princess bucked back as the leaned back in her chair.
"Nnng? I've been paying attention, professor Ada!"
Professor Ada, an expert mage, was here to teach the princess about history and magic. But Goldie didn't find either of them exciting. On top of that, Goldie didn't like her professor all that much. She imagined her voice was equal to how it would sound for a cat to be strangled.
"You'll never learn how to do anything with that attitude. I've taught hundreds of amazing witches and mages over my short tenor. They've gone out to do incredible works..."
Goldie bit her tongue. She could never best her professor in the game of fancy words. It made the princess feel small, and that annoyed her the most.
"Lorodite..."
Goldie cursed.
The princess was trapped in a lecture from Ada. The expert magician would go on and on about her achievements and only took the job of being Goldie's teacher for the prestige it would bring. Goldie knew this, and it was one of the primary reasons why she hated magic in the first place.
Annoyed, she closed her eyes and leaned back.
"I don't care... Ada. I... I just want mommy back."
Goldie murmured before drifting back into a deep slumber...
"I feel like I've been crying for days…."
Goldie laid out, sprawled her arms out, uncharacteristic of the princess she was. Yet another dream danced through her mind as she sat in his world. The story that raced in her mind was the tale told at least once weekly in class. The one about her kind, the Kingsman. How her father, the king, and her mother, the queen. They banished the Grimoire of Reason away along with the Overlord.
"That happened… only a year before I was born. At least… fifteen or sixteen years ago."
Goldie was born in the world after the chaos and had never experienced the darkness mentioned in the stories. It was just that, tales, to Goldie. Her land was peaceful. The way people treated each other was pure and honest, unlike only years ago. Goldie couldn't imagine a brother or sister of humanity doing something so atrocious to another.
It went to show just how powerful the Grimoire of Reason's influence was on the world of Sian.
Stiff and tired, Goldie sat up. This world within the Grimoire of Reason had no wind. It was still dark, and the world shined with only stars. After days of looking at the same scenery, the wonder wore off, and everything became dull to the princess.
"It seems your soul is calming down."
Ice ran down Goldie's spine as the Overlord drew near. She towered over the princess, causing her to shiver in fear.
"Ahh!"
The princess escaped to the other edge of the world. She wasn't ready to leave… but had no intentions of speaking with the destroyer of worlds either.
"W-What do you want, Madalyn?"
"Now that you've finally stopped crying for an hour… I wanted to read."
Calmly, she sat on a rocker conveniently placed outside for her. She opened a book that looked like a grimoire and read it silently. Goldie watched the specimen dissect the book with her eyes. Her beauty was still unmatched, and it scrambled the princess's head.
"Are you really the Overlord, Madalyn?"
"Yes."
Coldly, she replied. Goldie couldn't believe her ears. The one responsible for the death of millions, no, more, was sitting in a rocking chair… looking like a beauty that couldn't be mirrored. She recalled the touch a few days ago that felt like her mother's. It… scared her that something so tender could cause such atrocities.
"Why are you staring, child?"
Rattled, Goldie shouted the first thing that came to mind.
"I… I expected the Overlord to look… different, I guess..."
"Hm? How so?"
Madalyn's eyes raised from the book. They were as sharp as a glacier, causing a chill to go down Goldie's spine again.
"I-I don't know. Maybe you would have had horns or… look like a purple orc."
Madalyn groaned.
"Yes, maybe I should appear that way to make you leave faster. Shall I show you horrors beyond that feeble brain of yours?"
Goldie shuttered.
"P-Please don't."
Coldly, the woman turned away to read again.
"If you're done crying, the exit is at the edge of the world."
Goldie knew if she left this world, she would have to confront the head maid. The prospect nearly scared her more than having a casual chat with the world-destroyer. Instead, she pondered at the world's edge, thinking about her next course of action.
"Why… why did you do all those terrible things?"
Not sure what to say, Goldie spoke out of turn, something she was terrible about and would constantly be scolded by Victoria and Ada not to do. But it didn't seem like she realized her mistake. Her question was genuine, one a naive child would ask. Asking an Overlord why they murdered was like asking a farmer why they have cattle.
"…"
Annoyed, the Overlord tried her best to ignore the Kingsman. But Goldie wasn't used to being ignored. In the castle, if she spoke, everyone must listen.
"Ah… Overlord, answer me."
Goldie chided.
"You wouldn't understand. Your mind is too pathetic, and you have a surface understanding of good and evil."
Madalyn's words were sharp and belittling, but she went on.
"The world you live in is black and white. There is nothing you can comprehend outside of the enclosed space that is your palace."
Madalyn checked every box when it came to things Goldie hated about adults. The princess stood up and let her temper get the best of her.
"You're nothing but pure evil! You deserve to be in this prison!"
The Overlord groaned.
"You're right. I deserve to be here because I was foolish."
Indifferently, the Overlord looked down at Goldie.
"But why are you still here if you have that amazing world to return to? Why are you in this prison too?"
"Huh?"
Like claws, Madalyn sunk deep within the princess's soul. The recluse Overlord asked the question that was even fishing around the little girl's heart.
"You've cried here for one month, two days, and five hours. You've slept so much between your anguish that you didn't even perceive how long you've been here."
The Overlord rocked like a granny in her chair.
"Your pain has lessened. You're well enough to go about your days. You smile when thinking fondly of your mother instead of bursting into tears. Yet… you still remain within this prison with me."
Madalyn's eyes continued to move about the page as she broke down the child.
"Could it be that you… Are you seeking more than ruling over a perfect world handed to you on a golden platter?"
"A… perfect world?"
"Yes, a perfect world. Over time, the influences of the Grimoire of Reason will fade. Humans will only know love and compassion, and heaven will bestow itself upon Sian as it was before. It's a given when there is no conflict."
Like an encyclopedia, Madalyn spoke dryly to the princess.
"Yet you, one who has never known hardships, is staying within the land that only knows hardships. You've locked yourself away in a dark land made for the one who caused the biggest tragedy in human history."
The Overlord scratched her cheek and looked at the princess. Her beauty still captured the little Goldie even though she destroyed the princess with harsh words.
"Your life is perfect, yet you stay in this imperfect world. Could it be… you resent the life Annastella, your mother, made for you?"
The princess lunged back as if Madalyn had stabbed her in the chest with an arrow. It didn't matter if this woman was the Overlord or a god. The princess wasn't taking her beratement lying down.
"HOW DARE YOU?!"
Goldie shouted.
"How dare I? You spoiled, unruly child..."
Madalyn stood up, causing Goldie to scatter like a rat to the world's edge. She nearly fell off but caught herself on a nearby tree branch.
"I let you cry out for a month without bothering you. Your mother fought for the peace your world is experiencing. Sian is heaven, yet you refuse to return and be the heir of it?"
Surprised, Goldie's eyes widen.
"How… do you know I didn't want to be the heir?"
The Overlord closed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Simple deductions, nothing more. You're a Kingsman. You're the daughter of Annastella. You've lost your mother, and likely… your father is busy overseeing the people. A child that knows no hardships is not fit to lead."
"Overlord, you speak horridly. Holding your tongue might be good for your life expectancy."
Goldie's princess pride kicked in as she attempted to threaten the demon.
"I said it once before. The name Kingsman means nothing in this world. You can't kill me… and I can't kill you, Goldie."
"What… do you mean?"
"I would have killed you the moment I saw you if I could. This world doesn't allow me to hurt anyone… or anything within it. I'm a normal woman who wishes to read her book and be left alone."
It never registered to the princess that the Overlord, someone almighty and powerful, never tried to harm her. The idea that she was royalty may have entered her mind, tricking her into believing that she was safe because of something meaningless like that. It showed the ignorant child how sheltered she was by thinking on that logic.
"Everything in me wishes to kill you, child. But… I can't act on my urges. Pray to the gods that you are spared from my wrath."
Her tone was cold, like fresh snow found on the highest mountains.
"…I see."
"What, did you think I cared about you? Is that why you didn't want to leave?"
Goldie scratched her cheek.
She might not have thought that Madalyn cared about her… but in a way, she felt a bit of comradery as they were the only two within this world. Despite being the Overlord, Madalyn looked like an average woman to her. She had no idea that this woman had the urge to kill her hidden within that stoic demeanor.
"I…"
The golden child placed her hand over her chest and confessed.
"I don't know what to do. That's… that's why I don't want to leave yet, Madalyn."
Madalyn exhaled.
"I can't force you to leave. I can't grab you, throw you out, and force you back into your world. So, all I can do is either attack you with meaningless, pointless words until you run out screaming and crying… or ignore you. I choose the latter because I'm tired..."
Madalyn seemed to be fatigued as she leaned back into her chair.
"Once you've figured out your next step, then leave. You have all eternity in here to find the answer to your questions."
"For an overlord… you are a passive person."
Madalyn grumbled.
"You're just an ignorant child. Your mother had more brains and wit than you'd ever have. Annastella was… special. Somehow… she was special."
Madalyn glared at the golden child, still cowering towards the edge of the world, holding that tree branch like it was her lifeline.
"It's too bad you were her daughter. What a waste."
"You lorodite!"
The Overlord chuckled.
"A royal, let alone a child, shouldn't speak like that. Wash your tongue and learn proper ways to insult your adversary without resulting in hogwash dribble."
Defeated, Goldie sat at the edge of the world and pouted. She crossed her arms and kicked her feet like a spoiled princess.
"You… you talk about my mother like she was friends with you. But that's not possible. Weren't you adversaries in battle?"
The Overlord didn't reply. She sat in silence, engrossed by her Grimoire. Instead of pushing it further, Goldie looked out into the distance and pondered.
("I'm not ungrateful. I… I just don't want to do it.")
Despite whether she wanted to admit it, the Overlord's words were getting to her. Victoria asked her to be a leader and not mourn for too long. She asked the princess to stay uplifted, for the people of the world below might have been right. But she perished the thought as soon as it came. The last thing she wanted to be called was… the "w" word.
"I… I don't know."
With a grumble, the Overlord put her book down.
"What are you fighting against, Goldie?"
"Hm?"
"The world being handed to you is nearly perfect. The biggest gripe would probably be a merchant overpricing tomatoes. What is the big deal in running such a perfect world?"
Goldie clenched her thighs and put her cheek on her knees. With a sigh… she confessed.
"What if… what if I mess everything up? Mommy isn't there to tell me what's right and wrong. Daddy… daddy won't always be there either."
With a pout… she confessed the worries of her heart.
"Why can't they just let me do what I want?"
"You're such a child."
With those crisp blue eyes, Madalyn frowned at her.
"Then run away."
"Huh?"
"Run away. Don't look back and become your own person. The next heir who takes your place would do better because they want it. Why force yourself into a position in which you hate?"
"Because… everything mommy worked for would be wrong."
"Your mother worked for peace. Annastella achieved that. She never worked so her offspring could take the throne. How conceded can you be?"
Goldie kicked her feet. If she could, she would run over and kick the Overlord shines. But she knew if she did that, she wouldn't be able to stay much longer.
"H-How can you just say these vile things to me?!"
"Because I'm not your servant, maid, or friend. I'm the devil who will give you the reality check you clearly needed."
Coldly, Madalyn scowled at the Kingsman.
"If you're not fit for the throne, give it to someone who is. The sooner you realize that the sooner you'll get out of my way and allow me to die slowly in this wasteland alone."
The princess got up from the world's edge and made her way over to the Overlord. Upset, she stumped her feet.
"Something like you would never understand. It's a lot to sacrifice, being someone so important."
"S-Sacrifice? You have no idea what the word entails!"
Madalyn stood out of her rocking chair, enraged. The child stumbled back, realizing she may have gone too far.
"I've sacrificed so much that I can't remember anymore. To be told that by a Kingsman….Arrggg.."
Madalyn suddenly stumbled to the cobblestone, dropping her book to the ground.
Her body began to tremble, and she looked in intense pain.
The princess watched, confused and bewildered, as the Overlord yelled in pain.