-Emperors Kingdom’s High Mage’s POV-
It seems like the 5th knight order had invaded the forest.
I was relieved to hear that they were able to enter the forest without any problems.
This time, many mages are following them.
I hope they come back safely.
-0-
I’m looking over the documents in front of me.
They are important documents about the magic stones that we have been using.
What I’m searching for was a way to make up for the lost power with something other than slaves and if that method to empower the stone could repair the crack.
However, the more I read, the more depressed I become.
I’m being confronted by the fact that I’ve committed so many sins.
….there’s nothing here but information about the sins we have committed.
-0-
The next moment, I felt the castle tremble and felt like I was hit on the head by something.
My head hurts and I feel like my body is being crushed from above.
I don’t know what’s happening but….I just heard the sound of my body being crushed.
Not yet….
I don’t want to die yet!
When I opened my eyes, I saw the document before me.
It is a report about how slaves can strengthen the magic stone.
It says that there could never be enough slaves to strengthen the magic stone.
After handing the report to the king, he started to make the slaves breed and have children with each other.
It is written that there were slaves who shed tears even though their emotions had been suppressed.
And I was the one who wrote this document.
「Forgive me.」
There’s no sound but I just kept praying.
Suddenly, I can finally breathe normally again.
I repeatedly breathed using every power of my body and managed to check the surroundings.
My subordinate mages have collapsed.
I can see that several of them are injured.
I want to help them but I can’t even move.
Even though the attack has stopped, fear is still blocking my body from moving.
I managed to stand up with my wobbling body and go to the fallen subordinates.
I was relieved to find out that they only passed out and were not dead.
-0-
I slowly sat down on the floor and relaxed my body.
As I exhale slowly, my body begins to tremble.
Fear and despair.
Tears overflow.
Suddenly, I remember.
That girl who stared at me full of emotions until the end.
I hit her….
-0-
The crime I committed is proven by the documents around me.
As the girl said, I’m “unforgivable”.
-0-
—Scene Change—
-0-
Voices can be heard in the silent castle again.
However, they were shouting, screaming, running, and yelling.
-0-
While I was listening to the sounds in a daze, someone entered the room.
When I looked to check who it was, I saw the chief mage.
The chief mage’s face is pale and his body seems to be trembling.
-0-
Something happened to the king.
-0-
Those words are so heavy that I had to take a deep breath before being able to move again.
My body moved sluggishly as if it was someone else’s body.
Still, I rushed to the king’s side.
I was a little surprised to see the chief mage enter the bedroom since the king never allows anyone in his bedroom.
Except for his daughter and granddaughter whom he trusts.
No, he doesn’t trust them.
His daughter and granddaughter have slave crests engraved on them.
-0-
When I entered the bedroom, I heard the king shouting and screaming.
And his appearance shocked me.
His left arm is missing from around the elbow.
-0-
It is impossible for something to happen with his strengthened body….ah, no, the king’s blood has flowed before.
When the sword enhancement magic failed.
He was wounded that time.
However, the king never admitted it.
But now, I felt a different kind of despair compared to before.
-0-
—Scene Change—
-0-
The king’s left arm never returned to normal.
Even if the strongest mages poured magic on him, it’s like pouring water in a bucket with a hole.
A change happened to the king’s body itself.
No matter how much magical power is poured, there’s no point.
-0-
The king is angry but nothing can be done.
-0-
All four high mages, including the chief mage, are aware of the cause.
Why can’t the king’s arm be reattached.
And that it will probably never be able to be reattached again.
However, they can’t voice it out.
Not only the one who’ll speak will die but everyone related to him will be condemned to die as well.
I wonder how many will die again.
-0-
I sighed as I left the king’s bedroom.
The king’s body had been strengthened by the magic stone.
If it was the original magic stone, the king’s body wouldn’t have been scratched.
However, the current magic stone doesn’t have enough power to strengthen the king’s body.
It’s not just about reattaching the cut-off arm.
No, I’m sure that’s still impossible even if the magic stone has its pre-cracked power.
No matter what the condition of the stone is, there is no way to reattach it.
-0-
—Scene Change—
-0-
If only I had noticed it when I was repairing the crack in the magic stone….
That time, yes, that time.
We gathered slaves in order to use them to repair the still small crack.
I don’t know why I didn’t care when I saw those slaves.
….they were frightened. The slaves whose minds were supposed to be sealed were frightened!
Since that time, the magic stone….
I was too late to notice anything.
It was too late.