Theodore entered his room with a calm but calculating expression. Belial, who had been waiting patiently inside, greeted him warmly.
"Ah, my lord, you're back. How did your meeting with your father go?"
"Horrible," Theodore said flatly, tossing himself into a chair.
Belial tilted his head, smiling. "I see. But I can't help but notice, my lord, you seem like you heard something amusing."
"Indeed, Belial," Theodore replied with a bitter chuckle. "Vincent told me something funny. Apparently, this body was labeled as a child of disaster,all because of a prophecy. Isn't that ridiculous? A prophecy made everyone lose their minds."
Belial's grin widened, his crimson eyes gleaming. "It's tragic, but predictable. Humans tend to fear what they don't understand, and when they try to prevent something, they often end up creating the very disaster they fear."
Theodore frowned, puzzled by Belial's words. "What do you mean?"
Belial folded his arms, taking on a more serious tone. "You see, my lord, this world is deeply religious. When a child is born, they're taken to the Holy Temple for a blessing ceremony. The gods or their saints,descend to deliver a message about the child's future. Sometimes, those messages are misinterpreted. If a child shows even the smallest signs of dark magic, they're executed. Dark mana is forbidden in this world.
"In the case of the original Theodore," Belial continued, "I believe the prophecy was misunderstood. Humans don't fully grasp the words of the gods, and they drove the poor child to despair. They thought they were preventing a disaster, but in reality…" Belial trailed off, letting Theodore connect the dots.
"…they created the disaster," Theodore finished, his voice cold but steady.
Belial smiled, impressed. "Exactly, my lord. Remember what little Luna said? She called you a walking disaster. It wasn't a mistake that you were reincarnated into this body. Fate intended for you to fulfill that prophecy."
Theodore leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "So my reincarnation wasn't just chance… it needed to happen. And what about the original Theodore? Why didn't they just kill him if they believed he was cursed?"
"Because," Belial explained, "the original Theodore,my guess is he Naturally possess dark magic. His body was weak and cursed, which likely someone must have blocked his mana and aura entirely. Without those abilities, they had no evidence to justify killing him, so they abandoned him instead."
Theodore started laughing darkly, his sharp grin unsettling even Belial. "I see… I see. I suppose I should thank Bianca for cursing this poor child. Her jealousy ended up playing a part in my success. Maybe I should've let her live as a reward but, well, it's a bit late now for someone who's already dead."
"What do you mean, my lord?" Belial asked, curious.
"Oh, nothing, Belial. Just thinking about how this body was originally weak and cursed. Maybe that's why Theodore wasn't killed,just discarded like trash."
"Quite lucky," Belial mused with a grin.
But then,Theodore expression darkened. "Still… there's one thing I don't understand. Why did the goddess send me here in the first place?"
Before Belial could dwell on his own question, Mimi knock and entered the room, bowing respectfully.
"My lord, I apologize for disturbing your evening, but I have something urgent to report about the mission you sent me on concerning my father."
Theodore nodded for her to continue.
Mimi stood straight, her expression serious. "As per your instructions, I stayed with my father for two months. During that time, I gathered some concerning information. It seems there's a secret cult operating across the Donovan Territory. They wear red cloaks and bear a tattoo on their hands,a triangle pointing upwards with a cross in the center."
Theodore raised an eyebrow. "A cult, huh? Sounds cliché and uninteresting."
Mimi hesitated before adding, "But, my lord, their influence is massive. They've infiltrated nearly every region of Kiran continent. My father managed to capture one of their members, but it was far harder than we anticipated. The cultist was proficient in dark magic."
"What?" Theodore and Belial exclaimed simultaneously, their expressions mirroring each other in shock.
"How is that possible?" Belial asked. "For generations, the Holy Temple has been executing newborns with traces of dark mana. How could anyone wield dark magic ?"
Mimi nodded grimly. "It was baffling for us as well. The captured cultist kept saying strange things. He claimed, 'The only ruler is coming to take over the world.'"
Theodore crimson eyes narrowed. "Does your father still have the hostage?"
Mimi shook her head. "No, my lord. Before we could report him to the Holy Temple, he bit his tongue and killed himself… but not before his body melted away into some strange substance."
Theodore frowned, leaning forward. "Melted? That's disturbing. Something's definitely going on here." He stood up, pacing the room. "I suppose we'll need to investigate this cult further. They're clearly tied to something bigger."
Belial watched his young master closely. "My lord, is something bothering you about them?"
Theodore sighed, Explaining the events in Daunt Village—the curse of Mother Cry, the sacrifices of children, and the mysterious cloaked man who orchestrated it all.
"In Anita's illusion, I saw a man in a cloak. I couldn't see his face, but he was definitely a dark magic user."
Mimi and Belial exchanged uneasy glances.
"This cult," Theodore said, sitting on the bed, "feels connected to everything. The curse in Daunt, their knowledge of dark magic… it all leads back to them. But for now, we'll have to tread carefully. I need to train harder, grow stronger, and ugh attend my classes."
Belial smirked. "At least you still have your priorities, my lord."
Theodore rolled his eyes. "Don't push it, Belial."
With that, he leaned back on the bed, his mind buzzing with plans. The cult, the gods, the prophecy everything was converging, and he knew he'd need to be ready.