Chapter 1

Story 1. Ara’s Acropolis (1)

The son of a god came down to earth with an ember of contention and became a king. He didn’t want a war, but he was in love with the beauty of this ember’s fragility…

Chapter 1: The truth of the Castle of Ara

The half-naked boy whose forehead was covered with sweat pointed at the cliff far away and asked, “Juya, they say that at the end of the land in that direction is a kingdom named Hwen, right?”

Soon, they were going to war in that direction. The order had been made already. Presently, a wet fog covered the mountaintops and the lakes. People said that the creepy rock castle that was barely visible was built by the people of the past.

The boys couldn’t be certain if going to war to conquer the faraway land was the right thing to do.

“Prince Camille.”

All I could do was help to put an extravagant top on the young boy’s bare shoulder. His skin was incredibly smooth, and when my finger grazed it, it felt too cold. Just until a moment ago, he was running around training with his sword. He had only been resting for a few minutes, but the weather must have been too cold. His skin cooled very quickly.

Our castle was in the middle of our fogged land, Minurd, above the mountain and surrounded by a lake. The time and season had stopped here in this kingdom, and the prince of this place was this 17-year-old man. Until he got dressed, I continued to make sure the loose top didn’t slip off from his shoulders. The prince was oblivious to my attempt at keeping him warm; all he did was continue to chat about this awkward conversation.

“… You know, the people of Hwen apparently have a strange healing power, which they believe was a gift from god, but strangely, their culture is still rather underdeveloped. Well, at least that is what I heard anyway. Because of that, they have low morals and ethics. I heard they treat the poor and weak horribly; they, in fact, buy and sell these unfortunate people as slaves. Apparently, the situation is very dire.”

“That would be their problem, not ours.”

“Juya.”

This kind and naïve young prince was a scholar of the law. He read many books in his life, but unlike the other average princes, he had only begun to learn how to use a sword a few months ago. He didn’t know what war was. The prince called my name, but he didn’t speak anymore. I wondered if he understood anything at all.

When he didn’t continue, I said to him, “Your highness, even in our great kingdom Alincha, the poor, the unfortunate, and the uneducated people were mistreated. It is a normal thing in every kingdom. Your highness probably doesn’t remember because you came here as a very young child.”

“Iztal Juya.”

The prince finally got appropriately dressed, and the way he spoke those words sounded strange. He continued, “In our Alincha, we don’t treat these unfortunate people like garbage. We are taught that using or abusing another person will cause us to end up in hell.”

“…”

“For example, if a man who prefers women is forced to be raped by another man, then it would be considered illegal. Everyone will condemn such a horrible act, but apparently, in Hwen, this is a common occurrence for male slaves. In fact, there are male slaves specifically used this way by rich and powerful men. To use these poor slaves like an object… Forcing them into unwanted oral sex…”

The prince who was talking about such a vulgar matter was a beautiful young man. His lovely wet hair stuck to his face, and his eyes shone brightly. People believed that he closely resembled the magnificent goddess herself.

However, perhaps his beauty was his curse.

His own kingdom condemned this young man. None recognized him as the king’s legitimate son because he was believed to have killed his mother when he was born into this world.

He was called “The one who killed the goddess.”

He was sent to Minurd at a very young age, and that was a blessing for him. For him to have to leave this place… I didn’t wish that for him. No matter what the world was like or how it has changed, it didn’t matter. No matter how strong this prince may be, the life outside of this place would be harsh for him.

The Prince continued, “And of course, you may be right that it is none of our concern. Like you said before, maybe they have no choice, but if for whatever reason we end up going south, would it be so bad for us to hope that those poor people will have better lives in the future—That the goddess will smile down upon them, even just a little bit?”

“I praise your highness’s generosity and kindness, but…”

I didn’t want to continue arguing with him. Prince Arim Sevan Camille was a young man, perhaps still a boy, who had never even killed anyone before. He didn’t realize how cruel reality could be. He didn’t know what kind of painful life he would face soon.

I didn’t want him to know it just yet.

However, I couldn’t leave the conversation as it was. With an awkward smile, I asked the prince a question quietly, “Do you really believe that something good could ever come out of a war?”

***

I am called Iztal Juya.

I am one of the many who protects the holy land called Minurd. The group of us are named “The Innocent Ones.” My brothers and I recently received an order from our goddess’ warrior that we are to help her brother Prince Camille learn to fight. Soon, there would be a march towards the south, and the prince needed to know at least the necessary combat skills for his own protection.

I am doing what I am told to do, but I am uncertain if this conquest is the right thing to do.

Minurd is a paradise.

This was the wealthiest, most abundant of all the lands—even compared to our homeland in the far east. This continent was mostly made up of deserts. Some parts could be productive, and the rich had the most extravagant and luxurious lifestyle, but in truth, most were poor. Lack of water was a massive problem in this land.

However, unlike the mainland, we were well off here in Minurd. There was no extreme poverty or richness here. Everyone had the luxury of being able to bathe with clean water, which was more than even the richest man could afford in the mainland.

We didn’t have the gold and other treasures here, and we didn’t have rich and exotic foods either. There were no slaves, no mistresses. Here, people had just enough to live a comfortable life.

We, the innocent ones, were considered blessed, but it was all because we restrained ourselves. We were in complete control of our mind and body; we kept ourselves clean and pure and only did what was ordered of us by the goddess’s warrior.

We were skilled swordsmen, but we did not use our weapon without a definite order. We had no desire or hope for any kind of future.

I looked at the reflection of my naked body on the smooth floor as I washed. Long black hair that reached my ears, lean body, and rough hands and feet. I, and all my brothers, needed to be diligent with our training and prayer so that we do not disappoint our goddess.

However, because we were still imperfect humans, we still could not control our desire and lust. To make sure we never act on these inappropriate needs, we had to maintain our bodies accordingly. We needed to make sure we slept well, ate well, and our body properly satisfied.

Most of the time, we could stand underneath the cold waterfall and get rid of these lust, but there were odd times when it was not enough. On those occasions, we allowed ourselves a distinctive fragrance that helped in relaxing our bodies. This fragrance was always available in our bathrooms. It was not recommended, but it was not banned either.

“Ahh…”

When I opened the glass jar, the familiar alcoholic smell tickled my nose. I felt a little dizzy, so I leaned against the wall. My body began to feel warm, and although it felt amazing, I still hated my body for having such a weakness. What’s wrong with me nowadays? I used to have much better control, but ever since I began to serve the prince, things have changed. Was I losing my self-control? I have been allowing myself this act too often lately.

Helplessly, my hands reached my manhood. I bit my lips until they bled.

“AHHH…”