Chapter 51: The Child of Darkness

“The distance between them vanished in an instant as Beryl closed the gap. Their bodies shifted with the rattling of the carriage. In the cramped space where they seemed only a breath away from touching, Kebel’s eyes trembled slightly.

He wanted to ask Beryl to step back, but the moment he saw the anger in the man’s gaze, he found himself unable to speak.

His eyes resembled those of a beast.

“A place that can keep him as far away from you as possible. And a place you cannot simply run to.”

“…”

“That place is war.”

Kebel sucked in a sharp breath.

‘War?’

‘Even though the original story had already gone off course, Osh was still going to war?’

His eyes widened in disbelief.

“There’s been unrest in the frontier. It happens to be a good opportunity for us as well. I’m thinking of sending Osh there.”

The frontier.

Just like in the original story.

A conflict near the border.

By suppressing the rebels there, the Empire would gain access to mana stones found only in that region. Mana stones were one of the most important resources in the Empire, which valued divine power above all else.

One of Beryl’s subordinates had discovered them, and Beryl had been waiting for the right opportunity ever since.

Then trouble broke out along the border.

Beryl seized the chance and sent Osh to war.

He already knew there was a mage of at least Fifth Class stationed there, and he was convinced Osh could never defeat such an opponent.

Even knowing that, he ordered Osh to return with news of victory.

From the very beginning, Beryl had never intended to let Osh earn any glory.

That was how the story originally unfolded.

But even now, despite everything having changed, that part remained exactly the same.

‘Why?’

“Don’t resent me too much. This was Duke Ilya’s suggestion.”

“M-My father?”

“That’s right. He requested that Osh be punished by being sent to war. There’s no way I’d refuse such a wonderful proposal.”

The shock remained plain on Kebel’s face.

Beryl slowly reached out and brushed a hand against his cheek.

Kebel’s eyelids quivered.

There was no guarantee Osh would return unharmed.

The war would last six long months.

And during that time, Osh would grow accustomed to bloodshed.

‘Good heavens.’

‘He’ll become a genuine psychopath.’

Kebel’s face turned pale.

If Osh became the monster he was destined to become, all of Kebel’s efforts would have been for nothing.

Neither his own life nor the Charloa Empire would survive.

More than anything else, he had to stop that future.

But how was he supposed to change a decision that had already been made?

Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed Beryl’s hand moving toward his face again.

The touch irritated him.

Before Beryl could caress his cheek, Kebel caught his wrist.

“I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“If Your Highness truly likes me, then I’d appreciate it if you refrained from this kind of physical contact.”

“What?”

Beryl’s expression hardened instantly.

The request had clearly caught him off guard.

But Kebel had no desire for Beryl’s touch at the moment.

He gave the prince a gentle push, silently asking for more distance.

Fortunately, Beryl stepped back without protest.

The atmosphere turned cold in an instant.

Straightening himself, Kebel nearly laughed at the irony.

If this had been Osh instead of Beryl…

He might not have pushed him away at all.

“I hope you’re not offended. I’m just not used to this sort of thing yet…”

“You’re right. I was too impatient. But don’t make me wait forever. This is difficult for me as well.”

“…Yes.”

After answering, Kebel turned his gaze toward the scenery outside the carriage window.

For some reason, the journey home felt unusually long.

By the time they arrived, the sky had already turned orange with sunset.

****

The sky was clear.

Cherry blossoms bloomed in full splendor around the temple entrance, petals drifting through the air.

It was a breathtaking sight, almost too beautiful to enjoy alone.

People said catching a falling leaf or blossom would bring good fortune.

So Kebel spent several minutes chasing petals around the courtyard.

His athletic ability was terrible.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t catch one.

Just as he was about to give up, a single blossom drifted directly before him.

He caught it with ease.

‘This makes me happier than it should.’

Smiling, he carefully tucked the petal into his pocket.

Since it had come from the temple grounds, it felt as though it carried a blessing.

The moment he stepped inside, several priests approached him.

They were clergy members friendly with House Ilya and had already been informed of his arrival by the Duke.

Kebel greeted them politely.

Before coming here, he had spoken privately with his father.

Trying to uncover everything alone had its limits.

So he had explained the entire situation to the Duke.

Surprisingly, instead of reacting with shock, the Duke had listened calmly from beginning to end.

After hearing everything, he simply promised to contact the temple on Kebel’s behalf.

Although Kebel found his reaction strange, he chose not to ask further questions.

Following the priests, he entered a chamber.

The crisp air made his mind feel clearer.

Just as he was wondering whether this was the divine power he had heard so much about, an elderly priest approached him.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Marshel.”

“I’m Kebel Ilya.”

As soon as the introductions ended, Marshel opened a smaller door connected to the room.

Beyond it was a chamber entirely white.

Marshel stepped inside.

Feeling as though he had no choice, Kebel followed.

The door closed behind them.

Now only the two of them remained inside the empty white room.

Being alone in an unfamiliar place with a stranger made Kebel uneasy.

When he subtly shifted closer to the door, Marshel smiled gently.

“I heard from the Duke. He said you may have awakened healing abilities.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I imagine you have many questions. I’ll explain everything slowly.”

“Thank you.”

Marshel smiled kindly.

“A thousand years ago, dragons became extinct. Only one survived, a Black Dragon. The last dragon.”

Kebel nodded.

He had already heard parts of this story from the Duke, but the existence of dragons still felt unreal.

Seeing that he was listening carefully, Marshel continued.

“The creature was so violent that killing it proved extremely difficult. The war lasted a very long time. Many people became exhausted. Many gave up. But House Ilya did not.”

“…”

“True to their knightly ideals, they continued fighting until they finally achieved victory.”

“Ah…”

“But the Black Dragon did not accept defeat quietly. It cursed those responsible for destroying its race. You already know the details of that curse.”

Kebel nodded.

Yet somehow, hearing it again felt entirely different.

Marshel’s face had become troubled.

The story clearly wasn’t over.

“There is something else you do not know.”

“…”

“The curse was carved into the hearts of two children yet to be born. One received darkness. The other received light.”

Kebel’s breath caught.

“The blessing and the curse were engraved into their very hearts, forcing them to follow the paths chosen for them. Human conflict. Human destruction. That was the dragon’s ultimate goal.”

“…”

“You were born carrying the blessing. The other child was born carrying misfortune. Such is the nature of the curse.”

Marshel’s voice grew heavier.

“Do you think a child born under such circumstances could live happily? The curse would slowly devour their soul. They would grow up hating the world, cursing it again and again.”

Kebel remained silent.

“And such a person could easily bring about the world’s destruction.”

A child born into misery.

A child raised in misery.

If that were true…

Then perhaps the curse really could consume them.

The thought frightened him.

He didn’t even know who that child was.

Yet somehow, preventing that catastrophe seemed to be his responsibility alone.

The burden was overwhelming.

The more he learned about his power, the heavier his shoulders felt.

“The temple has already begun making preparations. The fact that your power has awakened means the other child is nearing awakening as well.”

“…”

“You are two halves of the same shadow. The stronger the light becomes, the stronger the darkness grows in response.”

“Then… what should I do?”

“First, I would like to measure the amount of divine power you possess. Do I have your permission?”

“Of course.”

Kebel nodded firmly.

Marshel clasped his hands together.

Immediately, a blue light appeared between them.

A cool, refreshing energy wrapped around Kebel’s body.

The sensation flowed from his fingertips through every part of him.

‘So this is divine power.’

By the time he reached that conclusion, the examination was over.

Marshel released his hands.

Kebel waited anxiously for the results.

But the priest remained silent.

Concerned, Kebel called out to him.

“Marshel?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I was simply surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“Your divine power is weaker than I expected.”

Kebel blinked.

“You mean I don’t have much divine power?”

“At the moment, it resembles a small sphere. However, with proper training, it will grow quickly.”

Disappointment immediately appeared on Kebel’s face.

He had hoped that being the Child of Light meant possessing some extraordinary power.

No wonder the healing ability hadn’t activated again afterward.

He stared down at his own hands.

“Then was my healing ability only temporary?”

“Not at all. Your divine power is still developing. As it grows stronger, your abilities will strengthen as well.”

Kebel hesitated before asking his final question.

“There’s one more thing I want to know.”

“Go ahead.”

“How can I find that child?”

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