「Noel Provicio Blake, the 5th king was born according to the policy of inheriting the spirits of the previous kings.
He was the only king who could use the powers of both the Royal Family and the Duncans.
However, after his reign, all abilities on the continent began to decline.
Eventually, the power of Daemon disappeared completely,
and no more kings who could wield the royal sword were born.
But before the 5th King passed away…
From the letter to future kings, page 103」
* * *
The King wore a rare, murderous expression.
“Say that again.”
As the King’s piercing blue eyes swept across the room, the atmosphere turned ice-cold.
“…There have been sporadic skirmishes along the western border.”
“Is it the Daemon Restoration Movement?”
“Yes, but the border remains secure thanks to our strong defense.”
“And you think that’s something to boast about in front of me?”
As the veins bulged on Roderick’s clenched fist, the pro-king nobles bowed their heads in silence.
“Didn’t you assure me that they were completely subdued?”
“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. We struck what we believed to be their base, but—”
With an irritated sigh, Roderick ran a hand through his hair and scanned the room. His gaze landed on Duke Duncan, whose lips curled into a faint smirk.
At that moment, Roderick’s rising fury turned ice-cold.
Sensing an opportunity, the anti-king nobles began to speak up.
“The Western Border Commander must be held accountable, Your Majesty. This is clearly grounds for demotion.”
“Indeed. He has failed in his duty.”
The pro-king nobles hesitated, watching the King for a cue. Duke Duncan remained silent, yet Roderick, now composed, fixed his sharp gaze on him.
There was no doubt that disciplinary action was warranted. However, any rash decision might only serve to strengthen Duke Duncan’s position. As Roderick weighed his options, both factions in the room grew tense with anticipation.
Finally, the King chose to delay his verdict.
“I will deliberate further. Once I receive a detailed report from the military, I will decide on the appropriate course of action.”
As Roderick exited the room, Jade quickly followed.
“Your Majesty, what do you plan to do? You could have crushed them on the spot.”
“And leave the western border as it is?”
It was remarkable how persistent these people were. The Daemon Kingdom had fallen five centuries ago, long erased from the memories of the continent’s people.
So why now, of all times, were they re-emerging?
In the end, he was continuing the suspicions of the late king.
Lost in thought, Roderick glanced sideways at his closest confidant.
“That’s why I told you to go to the west.”
“I thought that was just an excuse to trample on the Duke’s pride.”
“Better you than Albert Duncan.”
The elder Duncan was insufferable, the middle Duncan was untrustworthy, and apart from the youngest, Roderick found no redeeming qualities in that family.
“…If I leave, who will protect you, Your Majesty?”
Jade wasn’t particularly concerned about Roderick’s safety. His real worry was—who would protect others from the King if he lost control?
And yet, strangely enough, at that moment, one person came to mind.
In the Queen’s palace resided a key pro-king figure, a seasoned force capable of handling difficult situations.
Just then, the Chamberlain approached.
“Shall I announce your visit to the Queen, Your Majesty?”
They were about to send word, but after a brief moment of contemplation, Roderick shook his head.
“No. I’m going to the study.”
He had no desire to bring up the Duncans with her. He wanted even less to discuss Daemon or politics.
He didn’t wish to expose his own tangled emotions, nor burden someone who was already dealing with enough.
Without another word, the King strode off toward the study.
Seated at his desk, Roderick retrieved an ancient manuscript from the drawer.
The cover bore inscriptions in a script only the Royal Family could decipher.
「A Letter to Future Kings」
Roderick had only read it once, early in his reign, but now he slowly flipped through the pages.
The Blake dynasty had a guiding principle passed down through generations:
Do not trust the Duncans.
The former king had sent Albert Duncan from the west to the south because the Daemon Restoration Movement had emerged near the western border. And the roots of House Duncan traced back to Daemon.
Was this long-standing suspicion truly justified?
Frowning, Roderick called for Jade.
“Commander.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Summon my brother.”
Jade hesitated. The king’s younger brother was not currently in Cayenne.
“Uh… I don’t think he’ll be pleased.”
“He’s studied enough. Tell him to drop his books and come help. Am I the only royal in this country?”
“…”
“When the nation faces a crisis, it is the duty of the Royal Family to step forward.”
Jade looked conflicted.
The Blake royal family had always been particularly sensitive about the Duncans and the Daemon Restoration Movement. Border conflicts were often politically exploited, and since the Duncans led the anti-king faction, their suspicion was understandable.
But calling this a national crisis seemed like an overstatement.
“Your Majesty, if I may, they don’t have the strength to wage a full-scale war.”
Roderick shook his head.
“We can’t just let them be. Jade, you have plenty to handle here, and I can’t send Albert Duncan. So, I’ll send a Royal as an advisor—this way, we gain both legitimacy and authority.”
“…”
“That should keep the nobles quiet for a while.”
“…Understood.”
Jade gave a solemn salute.
But Roderick’s gaze remained fixed on the pages of the book. The words echoed in his mind, over and over.
Do not trust the Duncans.
At that moment, the youngest Duncan was by the lakeside. The squirrel Roderick had caught kept scampering up and down Lee-Jae’s body.
“Not my head! Stay on my shoulder.”
Annoyed, she tried to shoo it away as it messed up her soft hair. The little creature was too quick to catch, but soon it darted off, sensing a powerful presence.
Lee-Jae, too, felt the overwhelming energy. When she glanced at her shoulder, the foreign spirit was watching her with a look of pure disappointment.
Fixing her now-disheveled hair, she grumbled,
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
— How can you not even catch that?
She nearly snapped back but reminded herself that this was no ordinary spirit. Instead, she asked,
“You’re the Boy King, aren’t you?”
— That’s what they called me. I was nearly forty when I died, though. It’s a ridiculous title. Of course, I did retain my youthful charm until the end.
“….”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. How could someone be this insufferable?
Lee-Jae finally gave in to her frustration and snapped a twig in half. But curiosity soon overtook her irritation, and she tilted her head.
“Then why do you still look like this?”
— What do you mean?
“You look too young.”
Most lingering spirits take the form they had at the moment of their death—especially those with strong emotions tied to their passing. Spirits who died unjustly often appear in grotesque forms, their agony made to manifest distinctly.
The Boy King seemed to understand her point and nodded.
— Kang Lee-Jae, do you really think humans are that objective?
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
— A person’s strongest memory is subjective.
“…?”
— No one escapes suffering in life. But whether you choose to hold onto your pain or your joy—that’s up to you. That’s the beauty of being human.
“….”
— That small choice is what separates a vengeful spirit from a guardian spirit.
“That doesn’t seem like a small choice at all.”
The Boy King smirked.
— You already know. Those who are consumed by hatred become wraiths, while those who carry great aspirations defy the laws of existence.
“….”
— And besides, I was youthful-looking till the end. Some things, you’re just born with. Why ask something so embarrassing?
Lee-Jae, who had been listening somewhat seriously, let out a sharp sigh and snapped another twig.
“If you were so great, you could help! I don’t know what kind of grand ideals you had when you died, but aren’t you supposed to be a guardian spirit?!”
The Boy King, who had been floating in midair, descended and casually perched beside Lee-Jae. Resting his chin on his hand, he stared at her intently, making her flinch.
Now that she got a closer look, she realized something—he did bear a slight resemblance to Roderick. So the bloodline really did run strong in this family.
— Kang Lee-Jae. You’ve been making a huge mistake.
“…About what?”
— The afterlife has its own rules. Do you think the dead can interfere with the living however they please? A guardian spirit can’t just do anything.
Lee-Jae knew that there were limits, but she still felt a sense of injustice. She mumbled in protest.
“But vengeful spirits do it all the time. They interfere, torment people, and make their lives miserable.”
— That’s why they’re vengeful spirits. Do I look like one of those mindless, pathetic beings to you?
It was arrogant, but not exactly wrong, so Lee-Jae couldn’t argue back.
— Listen, Kang Lee-Jae. Even if you pray sincerely for them, most of those spirits will just disappear anyway. So don’t waste your energy. What do you even hope to accomplish by giving them a chance?
“….”
— You keep seeing spirits everywhere. Are you starting to forget that you’re human? Keep this up, and you really will die.
The Boy King smirked as he watched Lee-Jae sulk.
But for some reason, that smirk unsettled her.
It was because, since earlier, his face kept overlapping with Roderick’s in her mind.
It was the same eerie feeling Roderick got when he saw traces of the younger Duncan in the elder one.
Unable to hold back, she blurted out,
“How can you have no affection for your own descendants?!”
— …What?
“In my homeland, our ancestors weren’t like this! They had deep love for their descendants and their country! In times of crisis, they stood together to overcome hardships! Our ancestral spirits were way more selfless than this!”
For some reason, the Confucianism inside her was waking up.
But the Boy King merely scoffed, looking entirely unimpressed.
— Kid, back in my time, across the entire continent…
Lee-Jae suddenly froze.
Wait… ‘my time’?
Was he… Korean?!
— Never mind. Point is, worry about yourself first. Technically, I’m practically your father-in-law.
Lee-Jae’s face twisted in horror.
“What father-in-law?! That’s disgusting! Don’t say things like that while looking like that!”
So much for Confucian values—this was selective tradition at its finest.
And then—
A memory flashed through her mind.
Her pupils trembled in disbelief.
“Then—as someone who is practically my father-in-law… Were you hitting on me?!”
The Boy King shrugged.
— I was just testing you. I needed to figure out what kind of person you are. Besides, you were the one who misunderstood and brought it up first.
“….”
— Anyway, my bad.
But Lee-Jae shook her head furiously.
“This is insane. Truly the end times.”
— …
“There are limits to what you should be testing.”
— …
“What a disgraceful bunch of ancestors.”
The Boy King, having listened patiently, finally decided he had seen enough. Without hesitation, he summoned his holy sword. This time, he focused all his gathered energy solely at the tip of the blade.
— Kang Lee-Jae. If you knew who I really was, wouldn’t you start speaking a bit more respectfully? You sure do like running your mouth.
A blinding light surged from the sword’s tip, radiating outward in every direction.
It was a brilliance unlike anything Lee-Jae had ever seen.
Stunned into silence, she gawked at the display—until she quickly snapped back to reality.
Suddenly, her long-buried respect for hierarchy awakened. She folded her hands neatly and asked,
“Would you like me to kneel as well?”
The Boy King burst into laughter.
It was a heartwarming conversation between an elder and a junior.
