After that day, I distance myself from Eliza.
I ordered Reynald to go to various missions and attempt to distance him from Eliza as well.
And one day, as if my hidden wish got granted, Eliza caught a severe sickness in the same with a declaration of war by a certain empire.
"T-This is..."
Her skin slowly turns into scales, and to prevent the disease to spread quickly, she covered herself in a sphere of magic.
"What is this?"
"I'm sorry, your majesty... I'm researching the ancient spatial magic, hoping that it could help the kingdom, but it turns out that I put my foot into a forbidden realm," said Eliza with a gentle smile. I believe she realized that I intentionally avoiding her, but she still managed to smile at me with such a gentle smile.
"Tell me, Eliza. I know you know that there is a cure for whatever disease this is. Tell me," Reynald that always acts indifferently with his pair of lazy eyes is currently losing his calm.
"I do... But this is a curse given by the ancient dragon of space and time for my attempt to manipulate time and space... A powerful curse like this could only be cured by a powerful thing that could counter the spell... And since it's a curse from an ancient dragon, I think this could only get cured by drinking the ancient water of the dragon king's lair..."
Dragon king's lair.
It's a dungeon that used to be the den of dragons in the ancient ages. But rumors said that after the great ancient war, there is only one dragon left inside the dungeon. But since no one is powerful enough to conquer the extremely hard dungeon, no one ever really saw the last floor of the dungeon.
"I'll go. Wait for me," said Reynald as he clenched his fist. It's the first time I saw his eyes with such determination.
Following Reynald's steps, Alexander and Aleia followed behind him.
"Stop!"
I stopped them.
"The Yurvand empire had just declared a war with our kingdom, we need your strength to finish the war quickly,"
"Then I'll-" Alexander attempted to suggest he himself will take care of it, but-
"No, you can't. They are strong, we need Reynald's strength in this battle,"
"But father-" Aleia tried to support them.
"No. This is my absolute order as a king. Reynald, if you take a step outside this castle without my permission. I will assume that action of yours as a form of betrayal! That's all!" I declared.
And just like that.
I destroyed the only thing that the black boy from the slums ever wanted.
It turns out that the curse that resided in Eliza's body is very powerful. Reynald unusually serious, and determined to finish the war quickly so that he could go to search for Eliza's cure.
But the war took one month.
Just when Reynald went back to visit Eliza after the war finished, at the same time, it is the time where he last saw Eliza.
When I come to see Eliza, there is not even a corpse of her remained. Reynald said that her soul and body got devoured by the ancient dragon of space and time, and it devoured her very existence.
"She died..."
"Eliza is no longer here... I won't be able to see her anymore..."
"Because of my weakness... I couldn't save her..."
"Just like before... I couldn't do anything..."
"And because of my weakness... She forces me to promise such unreasonable promise..."
"Even her soul got devoured! Even her soul! Even her soul couldn't make it!"
"Why? Why am I so weak!?"
She won't get reincarnated and go to the next life.
That is the first time I saw the black-haired boy cried.
It was a great shock as the feeling of guilt devoured my heart.
I realized I just did a horrible did towards the boy that I declared as my own son.
And maybe because of karma, or maybe because I was too shocked with Eliza's death and Reynald's state, I fell to a deadly ill the next day.
Following me, my wife got ill as well.
I know Reynald is aware that I intentionally made him go to the war even though I could ask other generals to fight and let him go to save Eliza's life.
But even so, the boy that I betrayed still come to visit me.
He visits me more than even Alexander, Aleia, and Victoria.
Maybe the three of them realized my actions and are disappointed in me... It can't be helped... I am the one who they should blame indeed...
Every morning and evening, Reynald will visit me. He will make a conversation and ask me what I'm feeling. That pair of black eyes, when I stared at it, I realized a thing.
The kindness inside it still remained.
The hint of laziness also still remained on it.
But one thing had lost.
Hope.
The light of hope for life had gone from it. Looking at it, I gritted my teeth as guilt start to cover my heart once again.
What have I done?
What have I done!?
I lost Eliza! And destroyed Reynald's only light!!
Even though I owe him for saving my life! Even though I owe him for saving my family's life! Even though I owe him for bringing life and making my family closer to each other! Even though I owe him for saving the kingdom!!!!!
I snatched away his only light.
I am indeed a villain.
And as if my horrible commands are still not enough, I gave him another ridiculous, horrible, and selfish command before my last breath.
"Reynald... If there is a time where the life of Alexander, Aleia, and Victoria endangered... Please... Save them... Even if you have to pay your life for it..."
But reacting to my unreasonable command, Reynald gladly accepted it without giving any comment. Even though he should be holding a grudge towards me, he calmly replied to me and hold my hands as if trying to reassure me.
"As you wish, your majesty,"
In the end...
The boy from the slums who didn't have anything, finally need to lose everything because of me. Even though I have sworn that I will bring happiness to his life...
In the end...
I even asked him to offer his life for me...
It is the greatest sin of my life.
Towards the one who saved my life before, I snatched away his first love, his light of hope, and even his life and soul...
My name is Roland Azeroth.
The worst king hidden in the history of the Azeroth kingdom.
___
"Ray," The Headmaster suddenly stared at me with a complex look.
"Hm?"
"I'm... I'm sorry..." The headmaster suddenly apologizes as he bowed his head towards me.
I could roughly guess why he apologized after his eyes went distant to the past. So in response, I just let out a small chuckle.
"What are you even apologizing for, old man? Letting trivial things distress you will make you age faster, you know?"
"Hmph! In this life, I will live for more than 100 years!" Exclaimed the headmaster.
"Then you should abandon your humanity, I guess," I replied with a shrug.
"Hell no, Ray," (The Headmaster)
"Anyway, how is the Onmyojis going? Had they captured the serial murderer roaming at the city?"
"They are still searching for him. But it's fine, it seems that the culprit only took the government's people as his target. So if they can't find him, a request will come to your agency soon," (The Headmaster)
"Well, as long as they give a large payment,"
"Well, you're the only yokai agency that exists in this world. I tried my best to suppress the information about your agency from the people that might bring trouble, but the legitimation of your agency should be enough to convince them, though..." (The Headmaster)
"Well, it's all thanks to a certain former head branch of the Onmyoji's hard work. Without your certification of our legitimation, my agency wouldn't be accepted by those stubborn bastards..."
Yes, in this life, he used to serve as a head branch at the onmyoji organization. Since he's strong, and with his skills from his previous life, it's not surprising at all to hear that he's a head branch before. Now, he's the supervisor of this school, his job is to make sure that the children of the big shots won't get harmed by a yokai or a demon.
Yes.
This school surprisingly has lots of onmyojis.
"Well. I did make you an onmyoji license under my influence, but it had been hard to conceal your actions, you know? You need to know how much paperwork your subordinates' troubles made..." said the headmaster as his face completely expressed how tiring that paperwork is.
With his authority, Achaeus and I got an onmyoji license. Since we got the onmyoji license, the yokais contracted to me are considered as my shikigami. And since Achaeus is the head of the agency at the paper, it's obvious that I need him to have a license as well.
"Well, they're a bunch of troublemakers, after all. Anyway, until when will you conceal the fact that those teachers that had been in contact with me are Onmyojis under you? Especially that Suzuka-sensei,"
"Hohoho! So you knew... Well, I believe you'll know it. She's my apprentice back then when I'm still an active onmyoji, you see. She decided to follow me, so she retired together with me and became a teacher here. Well, she still actively exorcise some evil yokai and demons around here, though," (The Headmaster)
"As I expected... it's all your doings, huh..."
"Well, anyways, have fun in your club, Ray!" said the headmaster with an annoying face.
"Yeah, yeah. Trouble after trouble, huh... Well... I've grown accustomed to it, though..." I said as I ready to leave the headmaster's room.
"Wait, Ray!" the headmaster suddenly called me once more.
"Back then. About E-" (The Headmaster)
"Don't say her name! I've made a promise... It's the only thing I could do for her... Please... Don't remind me..."
And like that. I left the headmaster's room.