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"Please don't ever think that… I've dedicated myself to you, my dear young lord… I don't want to lose this position either. Please never doubt me… It took me so long to build the trust we have."
"...Hm."
Louis felt uncomfortable. He didn't want to be hugged.
"Please let go. I understand. No need to be dramatic."
"A-Ahaha…! S-Sorry!"
As Louis walked toward the bath, he gave Catrise one last glance. The voices had quieted somewhat. He had overcome something.
Perhaps by facing his own self-hatred, Louis was slowly learning to master the voices.
William's "sanity" helped at times, though it was far from a cure.
"Catrise… thank you. I appreciate you."
"Hahah, it took you this long to say it?"
"Maybe. About Melisa… I got annoyed and told her to leave, but she started crying… I'm not good with children. Could you find her and tell her I… am sorry?"
"Y-You're sorry?!"
"...Yes."
Louis decided to say it plainly instead of clinging to pride. He opened his shadows and handed Catrise a chocolate bar to give to Melisa.
"Understood!"
Louis nodded and went to bathe and relax. After a few minutes, the pills took effect, and his mind finally cleared. He had gained a clue about managing his illness: it seemed tied to "being honest with himself."
"The voices could be manifestations of my own insecurities and anxieties. They don't seem like ordinary mental illness—perhaps they have a supernatural origin because I'm a Sinner. Yet these pills still work… They were made by my father. I wonder what ingredients he used."
Louis sighed and checked his Status to calm himself, noticing something new. His Incarnation's growth had suddenly increased.
Incarnation:
Gravewalker – Tier 9 (Growth: 77% → 82%) Necromancer Fragment – Tier 9
"What?! How…?"
He was intrigued. It seemed that overcoming his mental struggles had directly strengthened his Incarnation.
"Incarnations are literally embodiments of a Spiral of Madness… I see. It's all connected. The Incarnation is the manifestation of my Soul and my Emotions?!"
This was knowledge not even present in the game, and likely something his father had never discovered through his research into the dangerous Spirals of Madness. Whenever Louis "overcame" his emotions and mental illness, his Incarnation grew stronger, further solidifying its existence.
"Hilarious."
That was all he could think. It was hilarious, ridiculous. It made him want to laugh. He felt like a clown—the more he entertained his Spiral, the stronger it became.
The prince stepped out of the bath after a long soak and washed his long hair with his favorite shampoo. His maid dried his dazzling hair and praised it as always.
"My dear prince, your hair is as beautiful as ever this morning!"
"Flattery won't get you anywhere."
"Heheh."
Once his daily routine was complete, Louis dressed in his white and golden royal prince military uniform and walked out with his sheathed sword. The nuns immediately greeted him, bowing deeply, followed by the children. They all felt blessed that the prince himself had chosen to sleep at their orphanage.
"Your Majesty…!" Melisa stood among them with Fernand and Elises. "Thank you for the chocolate… I'm sorry for overreacting…"
"It's all right, my dear child," Louis said with a warm smile, playing the virtuous role perfectly. "All is forgiven."
He enjoyed breakfast with his subordinates and Melisa, who had become quite talkative since being adopted. She had been so reserved and silent before, but it seemed she had simply been hiding her true personality.
"Melisa, you know your true nature, right?"
"Ah?"
"You're a Sinner."
"Yes…"
"Like me."
"Oh!"
"And all Sinners develop powers one way or another, with the strongest affinity for the Spiral of Incarnations. One day you may awaken a strange mental disorder too."
"E-Eh?"
"Or perhaps you already have one. Whatever the case, it will be detrimental. If it ever manifests, come to me. My father the King is a brilliant scientific genius. I hate to admit it, but it's the truth."
Despite everything, Louis disliked lying. He would usually tell the truth, even when it hurt him or when it meant praising his father's genius.
He could deceive with words, but those words were almost always rooted in truth. His face, however, had no connection to honesty.
Faking expressions and emotions was as natural as breathing, yet Louis still held to a personal doctrine of honesty.
This blunt truthfulness strengthened the bond with his subordinates, who trusted him more, while also enhancing his natural charm.
He was someone who spoke plainly and never held back the truth, even when confronted. He accepted reality for what it was.
Because he knew that only by being true to himself could he move forward in this chaotic world.
And this belief had only been proven further.
"O-Okay! Thank you… I plan to become stronger so I can be useful to the Prince."
"Good. That's the right mindset. Laziness is not permitted among my subordinates."
He glanced at his knights, who suddenly felt nervous for some reason. Some of the children regretted ever wishing to be in Melisa's place—she was going to be worked to the bone.
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked at the door.
Louis stared toward it, sensing waves of psychic energy from the other side.
"Aunt Helena?"
The door opened, and his aunt stepped inside, looking slightly annoyed. She hadn't been present earlier, as if she had been somewhere else.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just had a fight with your father…"
"...What?"
Helena sat down and sighed. "I tried to ask your father for backup, but he refused. He said he was busy… I told him it was for you, and even then he said you should return to the castle instead."
"...Ah, that's simply to be expected from my father. Don't mind him, Auntie," Louis said with a bitter smile. "It is what it is."
"No, it's not! There could be a Dimensional Rift down there. Why won't he help?" Helena sighed.
"Well, he is the King," Louis replied. "And he's my father. He's completely obsessed with his research. I'm not even sure he truly cares for any of us. At the very least, he does love Mother. I think he's doing everything for her."
"Yes… perhaps he has become too obsessed with finding a cure for her," Helena sighed. "He has been neglecting you for years now."
"I'm eighteen. I don't care anymore," Louis shrugged. "I'm no longer a child who needs his father's attention. I did all of this to prove that to him."
"Well, I suppose I'll help, then," Helena nodded. "We should get moving. Did the girl get any protective equipment?"
"Yes, I gave her a Barrier Ring," Catrise answered. "And some Magically Reinforced clothes as well."
Melisa wore an adorable fluffy blue-and-white dress and a matching hat to ward off the cold. There was plenty of room for her wings, which were also wrapped in soft yarn mittens.
"Aw, look at you! You're so cute!" Helena giggled. "Don't worry about a thing, Melisa. I'll protect you."
"Really? I hope we can find my friend!" Melisa said brightly. "But… um, I have no idea where she is right now…"
"No problem," Louis said. "I know where she is. I placed an Ash Rune on her skull. Through my connection to that Rune, I can roughly sense her location… and she's underground. Let's move. Thank you for your hospitality. I will make sure to send more security to this area, and expect a generous donation from the royal family later."
"T-Thank you so much!"
"Please, may the Holy Dragon Goddess watch over you!"
"I am certain your mother the Queen is watching over you, dear prince."
Louis nodded politely and walked away, Melisa hurrying to keep up with him. Once on the streets, he paused for a moment and expanded his Mana Consciousness Technique, a skill learned from the Cultivation Method of the same name. The connection to the Rune grew stronger. When he closed his eyes, the world became transparent, people glowed red, magic blue.
"I see. I know which route to take. Follow me," Louis said.
Helena, Fernand, Elises, Catrise, and Belladine—who had just joined them after her morning patrol of the Nameless Streets—followed with their troops. They moved through various alleys and eventually arrived near an abandoned factory.
Along the way, Louis noticed many preachers from another religion roaming about. They wore black and blue robes and freely distributed food while healing the needy. He vaguely recognized them from William's memories, though they weren't entirely obvious yet.
"Who are these hoodlums preaching a religion other than my mother's?" Louis muttered angrily.
"Oh, those are members of the Abyssal Mother's Cult," Helena explained. "They've been active around town lately. Don't worry—we've been keeping an eye on them. They're harmless. They all know healing magic and carry food. Their only purpose is to spread the Abyssal Mother's teachings."
"Are you sure they're all harmless, though? Abyssal Mother doesn't exactly sound benevolent," Elises said, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"That's true, but the title of their goddess, the Venerable, has nothing to do with what she preaches," Helena replied. "Whatever happened with her on another continent isn't really our problem. Still, we're watching them closely, so there's no need to worry."
"And this isn't the capital—it's the outskirts, a town built by immigrants who couldn't get inside the walls," Fernand added. "We can't simply kick them out. Within the walls, however, they're not allowed and are imprisoned immediately. So I assure you the capital is safe, young master."
"Hm." Louis narrowed his eyes as he watched a preacher speaking passionately about the Abyssal Mother.
"Accept her into your hearts! The great Mother of Mourning and Grief has nothing but love for all of you!"
"She sacrificed herself for our sins!"
"She created a utopia where suffering, despair, and grief no longer exist!"
"Accept her into your heart, learn her true name, and you will reach enlightenment and enter her utopia!"
"The starving, the poor, the dying—she welcomes them all without discrimination!"
"Unlike your Holy Dragon Mother, who now lies sleeping and dying pathetically, our great Abyssal Mother watches over you forever—GAH?!"
Louis stepped forward the moment the man slandered his mother, driving his fist into the preacher's face and breaking his nose and several teeth.
"A-Ahhh! T-The son!" the man gasped, scrambling backward and trying to crawl away.
"You dare speak ill of my mother in front of me, you filthy pagan preacher?!" Louis roared. "My mother's faith has brought endless happiness to millions! How dare you speak of her as if you know her?!"
"T-The Holy Dragon Mother is no goddess—she has fallen ill! Our Abyssal Mother is immortal, eternal, she is—GAAAH?!"
Louis didn't let him finish. His sword flashed and pierced the man's throat, killing him instantly in front of the horrified onlookers, who screamed and fled.
He didn't care if they were frightened.
"I care nothing for religion itself. But NOBODY—and I mean NOBODY—will speak ill of my mother!" he roared. "Anyone who dares insult her in my presence will meet a swift death!"
The remaining cult members trembled and began praying desperately to their goddess, but nothing happened.
"…Begone!"
With a furious kick, Louis sent them scattering. They cried and fled like rats. He was merciful enough not to kill them all on the spot.
Melisa stared in disbelief, hiding behind Helena.
"Did you really have to do that?" Helena sighed, walking over to the prince.
"Are you suggesting I should have let them speak?" Louis asked coldly.
"No, but…" Helena sighed again. "You can't solve everything with killing, Louis."
"You're right. I can't," Louis admitted. "But it wasn't just an insult to my mother—it was an insult to her country and everyone in it. I could never tolerate that."
"…Fine," Helena said softly, patting his shoulder. "Come on. Don't let this upset you. Let's keep moving."
"Yes…" Louis nodded. "It's there. There seems to be a sewer entrance inside that abandoned building. I detect life inside—probably members of the Black Fangs. Beast-people, I believe."
"Hm…" Helena nodded. "Let's deal with this quickly, then."
"Go," Louis commanded, sending his zombie into the building.
"A-A zombie?!"
"What—AAAAGH!"
"No, no! Run!"
"Gyaaaah!"
Melisa flinched at the screams of pain as the criminals inside were crushed by the zombie's giant hands. When the group entered, they found the remaining bandits desperately fighting the undead with magic and clearly illegal magical weapons.
"More weapons from the Vultarn High Dominion?" Louis muttered. "Men, take them down! Seize their weapons!"
"OOHH!"
The soldiers roared and charged, clashing with the bandits. Louis supported them with carefully placed spells so none of the soldiers died needlessly.
Helena and the others barely had to lift a finger. They were all impressed by how skillfully Louis commanded the troops and assisted them.
"Prince Louis! Here are some of the weapons we seized…"
Once it was over, a soldier knelt before Louis and offered several weapons developed in another country using foreign technology.
Mechanical spears, gun-blades, and various types of psychic guns—all extremely dangerous. Some seemed specifically designed to kill Sinners and Anomalies.
"These weapons…!" Helena looked disgusted. "So many Telekinetic Guns… Just how many Espers are those monsters from Vultarn slaughtering to mass-produce this many?!"
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