I explained everything honestly down to the finest detail.
When I completely finished speaking, a frozen, bitter smile had appeared on everyone’s face in the hall.
Breaking the heavy silence in the room, Enwoybi spoke up: “I see…
The truth spell didn’t change color even once this whole time.
Everything you’ve told us is real.”
Scatroj straightened up in his armchair and stroked his beard.
“Even though it’s hard as hell to believe when you first hear it, what you’re saying makes perfect sense in its own right.
If Ermo and the legion had made such a ruthless move back then, and if there were traitors inside the kingdom, things would have resulted in a bloodbath exactly as you described.”
Ermo frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.
“So that’s how it is…” he murmured.
Then he approached me and placed a friendly hand on my shoulder: “Thank you, Kaan.”
I slowly turned my eyes toward him.
“For what?” I asked.
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
“For making me take things a bit more seriously, and for making me look toward the future more carefully…” he said, then slowly stepped back and sat down in his seat.
With a single gesture of his hand, Enwoybi broke the truth spell over me and clenched his right hand into a tight fist.
“So we played out this destiny once…
And we lost bitterly, is that it?” he asked fiercely.
I went back to my own spot and sat down on the sofa.
“That is exactly why we must use that massive influence and power beneath us to the absolute fullest.
What we can do on our own will always remain limited, and…” I said.
As if he didn’t care much about the weight of the situation, Scatroj interrupted with a casual attitude: “And?”
I slowly lowered my head and sighed.
“When you look at it from such a broad perspective…
You are completely right about all those theories you built around Luna.”
Noticing that my spirits were dampened, Enwoybi immediately stepped in: “Don’t blame yourself for nothing, Kaan.
Also, when we go outside, let no one show even the slightest hint of anything to the girl.
Since they still haven’t taken direct action, it means they are merely in the phase of observing us from afar.
After leaving here, let everyone focus on strengthening their own position and military power as much as possible.
And don’t you dare neglect your personal training!
Even I haven’t fully adapted to my power in this world yet.”
Everyone nodded in approval of Enwoybi’s justified warning.
At that moment, Scatroj suddenly stood up, speaking as if he wanted to disperse the gloomy atmosphere in the room: “Don’t worry boys, let the future us think about this problem!
Right now, we came here completely to have fun.” He turned his steps toward the kitchen.
“Who wants a stiff drink?” he shouted from inside.
When not a sound came from anyone in the hall, Scatroj grumbled from the kitchen: “Man, you guys are so boring!”
In response to his complaining, Ermo stood up and went over to him.
“Just bring us something refreshing and cold,” he said, carrying ice-cold drinks for Enwoybi and me.
Once everyone settled back into their places, Enwoybi turned toward Ermo: “So, how are things going between you and Velmora?”
A warm smile instantly appeared on Ermo’s face.
“Pretty good…
She completely left all her official duties in the army and is currently only focusing on Kyso,” he said.
Satisfied with the answer he received, Scatroj nodded.
“Take good care of your child, Ermo.
Don’t ever lose him to those bigoted fools in the council.”
Smiling under my breath, I chimed in: “What about you guys, what’s really going on with you, old-timers?”
Enwoybi pretended not to take offense at this ‘old-timer’ remark at all, deliberately averting his gaze.
Scatroj, on the other hand, burst into laughter and pointed his finger directly at Enwoybi: “Look, he’s talking right about you!”
Enwoybi raised his eyebrows and smiled with mock sarcasm.
“Who’s old, man?”
Scatroj mocked him, pointing out his long ears: “You are, long-ears!”
Following the cheerful laughter in the hall, Scatroj leaned back comfortably, his tone shifting back to the gravity of a leader: “It’s just not like that, my Kaan…
Ruling a massive empire is truly not easy at all.
I haven’t been able to fully dedicate time to personal matters like that yet.
The lands still haven’t achieved total stability; I have to be on alert at any given moment.”
Agreeing with his words, Enwoybi nodded in approval.
Just as we were diving into a sincere conversation about nothing in particular and the old days, Scatroj suddenly looked directly into my eyes: “Kaan…
Would you like to come to our empire with me?” he asked.
I replied with a slight chuckle: “We’ve basically turned into beans in a field.
Tossed around here and there…”
Scatroj’s face suddenly grew serious.
“You know…
Even though our lands are vast and majestic, I am at constant risk of a major assassination or attack.
That’s why having someone like you standing by my side, covering my back, would be damn good.” He then added with a slight smirk: “Plus, if you come, I can personally grant you the highest rank in the empire.
When I go there, I’ll probably be executing quite a few nobles in the council by hanging them by their heads.”
With a serious tone, I crossed my legs and fixed my eyes on him.
“You’re pretty serious.”
He nodded decisively.
“Kaan…
Even if all of this still feels like a dream, a fantasy, this is now our sole reality and we need to fully adapt here.
Don’t you want to leave beautiful things behind for your own bloodline, for those who will follow you in the future?”
Right as we were discussing this deep topic, Ermo suddenly stood up.
Standing right across from the two of us, he made a funny gesture with his hands as if taking our photo with an imaginary camera: “Presenting to you…
The glorious Kaan Dynasty, ancient friend of the empire!” he shouted with a laugh.
I smiled as Enwoybi couldn’t help but crack up at his banter.
“Actually…
When you think about it, it doesn’t sound bad at all,” I said under my breath.
Scatroj continued, elaborating further on his offer: “To be honest, right now I have to make a lot of concessions to those bigots in the council just to preserve our territorial integrity.
Having an honest person by my side whom I can fully lean on gives me strength.”
“Isn’t Kaju with you?” I asked curiously.
Scatroj sighed.
“He is, he is, but you know…
Unlike Enwoybi and Ermo, I still haven’t fully adapted here.
Politically, my risk of falling victim to a secret assassination at any moment is extremely high,” he said in a deeply serious tone.
“If you were in such a shitty situation, why didn’t you ever let us know and ask for help before?” I snapped.
Swirling his glass with a slight smile, he replied: “My Kaan…
If you take on a responsibility in this world, you must carry it through to the end all by yourself.”
Thoughtfully, I scratched my chin.
“Alright, what exact rank are you going to give me anyway?
You know I don’t understand nobility stuff or title names at all.”
Scatroj laughed with delight.
“I will give you the title of Archduke directly.
That way, if an assassination or something is carried out against me in the future and something happens to me, the absolute and legitimate ruler of the kingdom will be you.”
Waving my arm in the air, I harshly rejected his offer: “Man, I don’t want to deal with that kind of bureaucratic stuff or throne struggles at all.
So don’t you dare die, stay at the head of your kingdom,” I said, laughing.
As Scatroj carried his empty glass toward the kitchen, he shouted back over his shoulder: “Look, you said ‘don’t die’, so I took that as an indirect promise, just so you know!” He was refilling his glass with a fresh drink inside.
I leaned slightly toward Ermo, who was sitting next to me.
“Man, when are these girls coming?
They’ve practically turned into trees waiting in the pool,” I said impatiently.
Ermo shrugged with a laugh.
“I don’t know, honestly, just women being women…”
At that moment, Enwoybi poked his head out from behind and smirked: “Bro, why aren’t you asking me?
I already sent a telepathic message to Ramia telling them they could come.
They’ll drop by here in a bit.”
I nodded in approval and leaned back on the sofa.
Leaping to his feet, Ermo said, “Then let’s set up some refreshing drinks here before they arrive.
What did Luna use to drink, Kaan?” he asked.
I nodded slightly and smirked: “She loves lemonade, she doesn’t really like carbonated things.”
While Ermo was pouring the drinks into glasses, Scatroj walked out of the kitchen and let out a deep “Ah!” “I’m genuinely jealous…
When I return to the empire, I’m going to find myself a loyal lady like that too,” he said.
Frowning completely, I turned to him.
“Are you picking watermelons from the market, you prick?” I snapped bluntly.
Laughing, Scatroj continued to tease me: “Oh give me a break, you know exactly what I mean, don’t twist my words!”
Right at that second, Ermo lined up the cold drinks on the table and stretched back into his own armchair.
At that exact moment, the mansion’s door swung open along with the cheerful and sweet sound of the girls’ laughter coming from outside.
The moment they stepped inside, the entire atmosphere of the room instantly shifted under the influence of the dense thermal steam and the scent of fresh flowers the girls brought with them.
As everyone slowly settled into their places in the hall, I noticed Velmora and Luna casting highly suggestive and strange glances at each other.
Not reading much into the situation, I said, “I see that the pool session went quite well, I suppose.”
When Ramia started giggling to herself, Velmora coughed slightly, trying to suppress her laughter.
“It was highly enjoyable and productive,” she said in a formal tone.
When Luna couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into a cheerful laugh, Ramia joined her.
Wiping a sweet tear of laughter from her eye with the tip of her finger, Luna looked at Velmora and said, “It really turned out exactly word-for-word as you said!”
Frowning, I turned to Luna.
“What turned out word-for-word, huh?”
To immediately fix the blunder and the mystery in the room, Ramia stepped in: “Well, sir…
We made a little bet while in the pool.
We were talking about exactly what kind of a blockhead you would act like when Luna came inside and sat next to you.”
Raising a single eyebrow, I stared at the girl.
“Was I supposed to do something then?” I asked innocently.
Velmora looked at me and let out a deep sigh.
“Oh, never mind…
What do you men know anyway,” she said, trying to cut the subject short.
While I was scratching my hair in confusion, I saw Luna crossing her arms over her chest and looking at me, as if expecting a move, an action from me.
Due to the pressure in the room, I began to stammer slightly, “Uh…” I immediately grabbed the ice-cold lemonade on the table and extended it toward her: “Look…
I got this specifically for you.”
As I did this, Ermo shouted wildly from the side, “Finally, man!
I caught that pass!” Scatroj lightly smacked Ermo on the head, forcing him to shut up by saying, “Dude, shut up, don’t ruin the mood!”
Luna took the lemonade from my hand with a sweet smile on her face and began to sip it slowly.
Velmora, covering her face with her hand, muttered: “Well…
That’s something at least, he’s not a completely hopeless case.”
Leaning completely back into his armchair, Enwoybi took a relaxed breath.
“Ah, ah…
Good thing I have absolutely nothing to do with this kind of relationship stuff or women’s nagging,” he said pleasantly.
Ramia shot an icy, murderous glare at Enwoybi.
“Because you wouldn’t be able to find a single living being in this world capable of putting up with your boring and insufferable attitude, Mr.
Enwoybi,” she said, putting him firmly in his place.
Enwoybi raised his hands in self-defense: “Come on!
I’m surely not that bad of a guy!” he complained, while at that moment I leaned slightly toward Luna, who was sitting next to me.
Lowering my voice completely, I whispered into her ear, “I’m sorry.”
Luna raised a single eyebrow and looked at me with curiosity.
“Why are you apologizing out of nowhere?”
I turned my gaze slightly away.
“I don’t know…
I felt like I saw a look of slight disappointment on your face when I handed you the lemonade.”
Nodding slightly, Luna smiled.
“It’s fine, I’m used to these ways of yours by now,” she said sweetly.
Following those beautiful hours where we chatted together quite pleasantly and unwound, the time had drifted deep into the night.
“Boys, we’ll take our leave slowly.
It’s gotten quite late, let’s get some rest,” he said, holding Velmora’s hand.
Straightening up from his seat, Enwoybi added: “So be it then…
But remember, tomorrow is our last day here.
Everyone get up very early in the morning.”
Upon Enwoybi’s words, Luna turned to me in surprise.
“Last day?” she asked.
Turning toward her, I explained the situation: “Yes…
Leaving these ranks and imperial lands vacant any longer could cause major problems at the border.” Saying this, I also stood up from my place.
As I left the hall and walked down the hallway toward the room I was staying in, Luna suddenly stepped in front of me with quick paces, blocking my path.
Looking into my eyes with anxiety, she asked, “Are you okay, Kaan?”
I nodded slightly in confirmation.
“I’m fine, I’m fine…
It’s just that my throat hurts a bit from talking too much with the team downstairs, that’s all,” I said.
Clasping her arms behind her back, Luna laughed softly as she walked toward the door of the room.
“Since your throat hurts, why don’t you use the mana inside you and heal yourself within seconds, you silly?” she said.
Stepping into the room behind her, I grumbled: “I’m not a golem, Luna, I can’t use magic for everything.”
The moment I entered the room, I threw myself directly onto that massive bed.
“I’m seriously so tired…” I murmured into the pillow.
Luna came to the bed next to me, lightly placing her head on the back of my neck, and breathed in my scent.
“What exactly are you so tired from?” she asked in a low voice.
Straightening up slightly in bed, I explained to her one by one that big empire and Archduke offer Scatroj had made to me downstairs just now.
Luna remained completely silent for a while after hearing what she heard.
Following the silence in the room, a proud expression appeared on her face.
“It’s actually quite a nice offer…
Archduke Kaan Dynasty.
It sounds really powerful and noble.” she said.
I nodded in agreement.
“We’ll talk about this in detail when we wake up tomorrow morning, babe…
Right now I just want to sleep and rest,” I said.
When no verbal response came from Luna, I assumed she approved of my suggestion and closed my eyes for a deep sleep.
Right at that moment, Luna tightly hugged me from behind in bed again.
Following this warm embrace, my body didn’t flinch, and my consciousness faded away with great speed within seconds…
When I opened my eyes, I suddenly found myself in a completely different dimension with gray-colored soil, where a soft ground stretched beneath my feet.
When I raised my head toward the sky, I saw a massive, blue planet structure hanging right above me, looking just like our world.
Laughing slightly to myself, I murmured, “Look at that…
Shouldn’t there normally be a shining moon there?”
Taking a good look around, I realized I was right in the middle of a flat, desolate terrain that stretched as far as the eye could see.
At that exact second, that familiar pitch-black mist suddenly billowed and appeared in front of me.
That eerie whisper rose from within the mist: “Did you miss me, mortal?”
I shot it an honest, unapologetic look.
“Are you that same creature that sneaked into my mind the other day?” I asked.
The mist drew an arc as if nodding in agreement.
Scanning the massive gray terrain around me, I continued: “It seems you’ve managed to pull my consciousness and mind into this illusion dimension of your own creation again.
Well, if you don’t mind me asking…
For the sake of what did you waste such a massive amount of magical energy just for a tiny conversation?
Do you really think you can trap me here forever with this ridiculous trick?” I said, taking a step back.
Altering its shape, the black mist whispered: “My goal was never to trap you here, little mortal…”
I took a brave, large step toward it.
“Then get to the point, say whatever you’re going to say quickly.
I don’t want to waste much time here,” I said with a clear voice.
Not beating around the bush, the mist got straight to the point: “Why do you think…
those arrogant dragons on the surface have allowed human kingdoms and your wretched existence to live on their lands for this long?” it asked.
I didn’t answer, merely waiting as I fixed my eyes upon its pitch-black center.
The mist continued its speech with that deep whisper: “Because those massive creatures, just like the others, are terrified of losing a great amount of power.”
I responded to its words with a raw chuckle.
“Oh give me a break…
If a major war broke out, at most a few dozen dragons would die against us, the rest would fall to their knees.” I said.
“They aren’t afraid for their own lives…
They are afraid of the total magical power possessed by this planet, meaning the absolute resources, being completely destroyed.” said the mist.
Narrowing my eyes, I looked at it.
“Meaning?
Get to the point, what are you trying to say?” I said, keeping my composure.
Changing its form, the mist asked: “Had you ever heard…
of those ancient underground races living in a completely different ecosystem and darkness, layers upon layers beneath this surface, under the ground you step on?”
I gave it a mocking look.
“What, like those mermaids or cave dwarves in fairy tales?” I asked jokingly.
The mist flatly rejected this guess.
“Why do you think…
those all-powerful, arrogant gods and their absolute army, the angels, haven’t personally descended to the surface to intervene in this order for all this time?” it asked.
Just as I was weighing the answer to this question in my mind, the mist continued its speech: “For me to fully explain this big picture and the horror behind it to you…
You personally need to come to heaven, to our side.”
I looked at it with envy, scanning all its plans.
“So…
You are also together with those gods and angels watching the surface, is that right?” I asked.
Just as I was about to trigger the absolute mana in my mind to return to my own body, to the bed next to Luna, the mist suddenly surged: “Wait!
Don’t leave just yet!” it whispered.
As I turned my head toward it one last time, the mist engraved its final words into my mind: “You don’t need to come here right away, at this very moment, little mortal…
But I want you to remember that the above will always be waiting for you with a great hunger.” it said, and with a single strike, it forcefully ejected my consciousness out of its dimension…