Chapter 92 - Special 1.1

Feuersturm empire was a long-established country way back when the legends still existed. Feuersturm coexisted with the other six countries situated in the first continent, Zuerst. Zuerst is a continent that prospered in the early 400s, with the new seven countries being founded by their kings. These kings are said to be cursed by the First Warlock with the disease "Nightmare" which made their soul unable to return to heaven upon death. Every king's soul will be doomed to possess the body of the next generation, making the royals of Zuerst lose their individuality.

The first cursed royals of the seven countries were their king and queens, princesses and princes. It differed in each country, but there was only one among the royal family which harbored Nightmare. The chosen royals were also given the ability to use the Opus given their overflowing mana and magical potential running through their veins. However, being an Opus user is not equivalent to a guaranteed increase in power. The other Opus users weren't able to control their prodigious power, consequently speeding their bodies' cell deterioration.

Only in Feuersturm, did they use it to their advantage. The first king—Alexander Octavius, was the one who was able to acquire the Opus, a legendary archive which contained ancient magic that befitted the royal bloodline. This would secure Zuerst's victory. But the first Warlock, Nathaniel, a magician of Zweite who practiced the dark arts, did not like the idea of making Zuerst gain the upper hand. He cursed the entire lineage of royals with a curse, and the rest was history.

Octavius did everything he could to battle the warlock, and it cost him his life—or to be exact his 'vessel,'. After the king of Feuersturm's death, the war was still not at all ceasing. It was year 200 when an heir—who looked exactly like the late first king—appeared. His name was Julius. He was a boy whose eyes were like sapphire jewels, sharp and cunning; his hair was a silky platinum-blond, similar to that of the first king. In his adolescence, magic slowly manifested until the day of his debut as the heir to the throne. The day of his ascension, it was not he, Julius, who appeared to ascend—rather it was the first king, with the memory dating back to year 100.

Alexander Octavius was back, and he knew his death wasn't in vain.

Ortfalcons were closer to the Feuerkriegers even before the war was brewing. The first king, Octavius, entrusted an undisclosed formula that would be able to sustain the bodies of the ones ridden with Nightmare. This formula, however, was only exclusive with Feuersturm royals. The continent did not need a civil war—and so there came Verteidigerin, the battlefront country, who tasked an emissary to obtain this certain formula and share it with the other countries whose royals had been suffering from the curse. This was the time Feuersturm was loathed for selfishness; they were forgiven shortly after Octavius offered the secrets of the Opus. The royals of the five countries forgave Feuersturm's misdeed. All five countries, except Verteidigerin.

Julius was renamed Alexander Octavius II then after, and followed his ancestor's orders and acted to the best of his actions. With the first king's guide, he was able to rise to the top and improve his magical prowess. He was yet another Opus user, along with the royals of different kingdoms. They fought in the war and were gaining the upper hand—but Zweite was still unshakeable at this point. Even the Opus users were nothing compared to black magic. Lives were lost from the unending bloodshed.

Even if Julius was an exceptional warrior, he was not a very reliable leader. He had been hostile to his fellow companions. Rumors say he did not trust the other Opus users, particularly the young warrior-princess of Verteidigerin. It sparked conflict among the monarchs of Zuerst. This was the time Octavius stepped into the picture and trained Julius harder, gave instructions to the countrymen, and guided his descendant to the path to success. Even from Julius' flaws, he was admired by the majority. He was the most exceptional Opus-user, despite his sordid brashness.

In another hundred-year leap, the Feuerkriegers were still in line. Year 300 and another Opus user was born. His name was Sirius. It was the same case as Julius; he too had a distinct look similar to that of the first king. At his ascension, he too also awoke as the first king. But this time, there was a magic seal on his left chest—a crest in the form of a clock with a faint magic circle etched on it. Three numbers. I, II, and III appeared on different sides. The clock hand determined whose soul was in possession of the body—the first king, second king, and Sirius. Unlike the other two, Sirius invested more in strategy. He was a cruel king who used underhanded tricks. With the acc.u.mulated knowledge from Octavius and Julius—Sirius was the one to end the war.

The Great War lasted for 300 years, meaning the three kings, namely: Octavius, Julius, and Sirius, who used the Opus, are the ones who got to conjure the most magic for the benefit of winning the war and was recorded in the books as the Great Three, the founding fathers of the "Knighthood of the Firehawk," These warriors are the chosen knights in servitude of the Feuersturm Empire. In the year 589 was the year that the next king with the Opus was born, the fourth king Heinrich, year 764 was the fifth king, Dietrich; the sixth king Friedrich, year 876; the seventh king Erich, year 954; and the eight king Roderich, the year 1035—Noah's grandfather.

It was evident then. As the years passed by, Opus users were beginning to lessen.

Faustina trotted along the castle, astounded by how seemingly vast it is. She was wearing clothes that can cover a month's daily expenses, and that was just the dress alone. She passed by the ministers on the hall earlier, who was looking at her with both wary and judgment. It was two weeks when she arrived at the castle, and she had been toured often in the castle by the court ladies. Some gossiped about, telling themselves in a loud 'whisper' how the king chose a Heilen slave for a consort, or even outrageous claims: his needs in his chambers; a dutiful slave in bed. The seneschals—or anyone at the castle—regarded her as a woman of the most inferior birth. The desired slave, with a peculiarly petite body at most. Heilens are supposed to be sturdy, well-built warriors with incredulous powers, but here she was, a s.l.u.t of the king.

She wondered if words got out. If these people in the monarchy already spread rumors concerning to the king 'sleeping' with a Heilen slave. It wouldn't cause outrage, given she was simply a slave, and he was a king, who was allowed to own several wives.

But surprisingly, when the maids toured her to the Amber palace, no one was there but the cleaning ladies. The king hadn't made a wife, much less a consort. This was why Faustina being in the stronghold attracted too much attention from the ministers and the people of the castle—after all, she was the first woman who was brought in by the king.

The favored one.

"These are the portrait of our spectacular kings," Maddie says. "This way, lady Faustina."

The castle had many palaces. This one was the palace filled with portraits of the kings for the past thousand years' rule. The Hall of Kingship—a palace of a thousand years monarchy.

They all had remarkable faces—some with platinum-blond hair and brown eyes, some who looked young with honey-blond locks, some bearded, some aren't. They all shared a distinct look that uniquely differed from one another.

"Maddie, it seemed like the year 1000 is the most recent here. Where is the ninth king's…?" Faustina asks as she examined the portraits. There were also objects of great importance surrounding the scope, some armory, and swords, even vases, and pieces of jewelry.

"Oh, our king is… different. His portrait doesn't belong here. You see, m'lady, these kings are scepter-users, they say. They cannot wield magic without using a scepter, just like how magicians needed staves and wands as a medium,"

"Then, our king isn't a scepter-user?"

"Yes! Yes. That's how amazing our king is, m'lady. And he's fallen for you… Aah, you're so young, and you've already captured his majesty's heart!"

Faustina laughed nervously and then smiled as she watched Maddie. Madielyn, the only maid that showed her no discrimination. She was the only one who agreed to tour her to the castle, too. She felt thankful.

"I kind of want to see the portraits." Faustina blabbered aimlessly as she stared vacantly at the pictures hung before her. She immediately covered her mouth. "I—I'm sorry. That was insolent, wasn't it? Don't tell anyone, Maddie."

"The hall of portraits to the nine kings is only exclusive to the royal family," says Maddie as she giggled. "Oh, I know! M'lady is favored by the king, right? Why don't you ask him to show you the portraits?"

"That's… preposterous of me."

"But HE favors you. He brought you to the castle, after all. You should seize the moment! As long as his heart is yours, you can ask for anything!"

Faustina stared down.

'Anything, huh…'