Chapter 417: Prince
Chapter 417: Prince
“P-Prince?” Tyrion muttered and immediately bowed. “I apologize for not greeting you, sir!”
The man didn’t react in the slightest, but the air around him did get slightly heavier. Instead, he continued staring at Tyrion until eventually he spoke, his voice cold.
“Who was here?” Prince asked. “A few moments ago, I felt someone incredibly powerful appear. Yet before I could arrive, that certain someone vanished.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Silas?”
“T-The demon?” Tyrion mumbled. “He… I’m not sure. He was here earlier. As for the person you’re referring to, it was a platinum-haired man. He reacted to the Demonic Soul Purification Array, so he’s very likely a demon. I can’t remember how his eyes looked… or his face. Only his hair, sorry, my Prince.”
Prince sighed. “It is fine. When dealing with you, I am used to disappointment. I will go look for the man you mentioned, but the topic of your son’s misalignment must be sealed this instant.”
With those words, Prince turned toward Theo and flashed a look of disgust.
“King Aurenthia, deal with him now.”
Theo’s brows twitched as he entered a defensive stance, preparing for the worst.
“…Who are you?” Theo asked warily, but then he recalled the books he used to read as a child.
A man with long curly red hair and blue eyes that resembled stars. It was the signature appearance of the monster who ruled over the Sathmir continent.
Yet he was also known as the Hollow King, Kareth.
So with those thoughts in mind, Theo took a few steps back, fear gripping his chest.
“The Hollow King…?”
The moment Theo uttered those words, he was sent flying backward, knocking over all the seats and finally slamming against the wall.
He blacked out for a few seconds, but once he came to, he saw the man towering over him.
Prince didn’t say a single word, but from his sheer presence alone, Theo realized he had said something wrong.
Yet the deathly silence only lasted for a few seconds as Theo’s father soon approached, holding a chalice in his hands.
He crouched down and, with a smile, extended the chalice toward Theo.
“Drink it, my son,” Tyrion said. “After you do, you won’t have to worry about anything. All will be explained by the Prince.”
Theo stared at the liquid inside the chalice, and it resembled the one the man had drunk earlier, which likely meant it was poisonous.
“What’s wrong?” Tyrion asked. “Don’t worry, it’s not the same potion the demon had drunk. It’s safe for consumption. Just one gulp, and I promise, it’ll all be—”
Before his father could finish speaking, Theo suddenly tossed the chalice straight at Prince.
Yet the contents of the chalice froze in midair right as they were about to reach the Prince’s face, and with a wave of his hand, he sent the contents straight at Tyrion’s face, melting it in an instant.
Theo’s father fell lifelessly to the ground, whatever was left of his brains falling outward, staining the ground red.
“F-Father?” Theo muttered, processing what had just happened.
He knew the chances of harming Prince were slim, but the last thing he had ever expected to happen was for Prince to kill his father.
And yet, as tears began flowing down Theo’s cheeks, the Prince continued staring at him, not saying a word.
All of a sudden, he stood up and picked up Tyrion by the leg, slowly dragging him toward the altar. A large trail of blood was left behind on the ground, and no matter how much Theo tried to move, his body refused to listen.
Just like that, Prince dragged Tyrion onto the podium and then lifted his body slightly, placing him over the altar.
A single droplet of blood fell into the altar, and not even a second later, a pair of black tentacles emerged, gripping Tyrion’s body and tearing it out of Prince’s grasp.
The body was slowly absorbed into the altar, and in just a moment, the smell of blood filled the air.
Yet Theo could do nothing but watch as his father was turned into a potion, until eventually the last of his body was submerged in the altar.
A satisfied look appeared on Prince’s face as he extended his arm, causing the chalice that was right beside Theo to fly over to him.
He grabbed it with steady hands and dipped the chalice into the altar. A second later, he raised the chalice, which was now filled with golden liquid. A tiny amount of black swirled around it, yet Prince remained unfazed as he approached Theo, brushing his finger across the altar.
He walked slowly, yet with every step, Theo’s mind raced. He knew what would happen when Prince finally arrived.
But once again, he could do nothing since he was far too weak to even move.
So just like that, Prince arrived in front of Theo and sat down on one of the nearby seats.
He crossed his legs and, all of a sudden, took a sip out of the golden potion, then twirled it around as though it was a glass of wine.
A dreary feeling enveloped Theo once more, and having been left no choice, he reached into his inventory and pulled out the sword he had bought from the strange shop earlier.
Twisting the sword, he aimed for his heart and thrust forward.
However…
—SQUEAK
A squeaky noise resounded throughout the altar room, and when Theo glanced down, he realized that the legendary sword he had been holding had turned into a children’s toy.
For the first time since arriving, Prince smiled, and after taking another sip, he spoke.
“Some refer to me as a lost lamb, a man without purpose,” Prince said, his voice falling lower. “But the majority know me as the son of a monster.”
He took one big sip and met Theo’s eyes.
“Don’t associate me with the Hollow King,” Prince warned, his gaze softening. “Since this is our first time meeting, I shall forgive you. But do know, King Aurenthia, this is your last chance.”
Theo’s mind was scrambled, and his entire body was shaking. However, he still managed to pick up on what Prince had said.
“King Aurenthia…?”
“That is correct.” Prince nodded slowly. “Since you have murdered your father in cold blood, you have overthrown him, thus becoming the King of Aurenthia in his place.”
With each word Prince said, Theo felt his mind wander. It was almost like what he was saying truly had happened.
He noticed his father was about to kill him, so Theo didn’t hesitate to throw the potion at him, killing his father in an instant.
Is that really what happened…? Theo wondered, a sharp headache forming, as though something was blocking his doubt.
Yet the more he thought about it, the more solid that memory became, until eventually, Theo put it to the back of his mind, no longer questioning it.
“Before your father died, however, he prepared a potion for you to drink,” Prince said, holding out the chalice.
Theo hesitated, but his eyes soon lost focus, and like a puppet, he reached for the chalice. The formerly repulsive bloody smell vanished, replaced by a sweet, almost welcoming fragrance that reminded him of strawberries.
And when the potion entered his throat, a wave of relaxation hit Theo, causing his mind to blank out.
<Ding!>
<…>
<Ding!>
Theo finished drinking the potion, and right as he was about to read the pop-ups, his vision blurred once more and a loud buzzing noise assaulted his ears, causing the pop-ups to vanish.
And when his vision returned, he glanced around in confusion, his gaze landing on Prince, who had an amused look on his face.
“Excellent,” Prince said, clapping once. “I’m glad we were able to find mutual ground, King Aurenthia.”
“…”
“Yes, Prince.”
Hearing that, a faint smile appeared on Prince’s face as he rose from his seat and approached Theo. Then, he crouched down, placing a hand on Theo’s shoulder.
“Now then, King Aurenthia, why don’t you tell me about the platinum-haired man?”
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