Follow Your Heart [EN]: Chapter 39

#8. Voices of the Dead

#39.

“King Noel Provisio Blake the 5th

was a royal born from the marriage policy of the previous king.

He was the only king who could use both the royal family’s and Duncan’s powers,

but after his death,

all abilities began to decline on the continent.

Eventually, the power of Daimon completely disappeared,

and no more royals were born who could wield the Holy Sword.

However, before the 5th King’s passing….

– From ‘Writings to Future Kings,’ page 103.”

The King wore a murderous expression for the first time in a while.

“Say it again.”

The conference room turned cold as the King glared with his blue eyes.

“…There have been sporadic, localized battles on the western border.”

“Is it the Daimon reconstruction forces?”

“Yes, they say the border is secure thanks to a strong defense.”

“Is the military boasting about that in front of me right now?”

Veins popped on the King’s clenched fist, and the pro-royal nobles lowered their heads.

“Didn’t I clearly state that they were completely suppressed?”

“We are sorry. We struck what we believed to be their base….”

Roderick, looking annoyed, swept back his hair and scanned the conference room.

His eyes landed on Duke Duncan, who had the corners of his lips raised.

The anger that had been boiling up cooled down instead.

The anti-royal nobles, having found an opportunity, began to speak one by one.

“Shouldn’t the commander of the western guard be held accountable? Your Majesty, this is clearly grounds for demotion.”

“That’s right. He failed to fulfill his duty.”

The pro-royal nobles watched the King’s reaction.

Duke Duncan remained silent, but Roderick, who had calmed down, was staring intently at the Duke.

It was clearly grounds for accountability. However, it could end up giving Duke Duncan justification. As the King pondered, the expectations and anxieties of both sides grew.

Roderick reserved his judgment.

“I will consider it carefully. After receiving a detailed report from the military, I will decide on a response.”

As Roderick left the room, Jade followed closely.

“Your Majesty, what are you planning to do? Why didn’t you just crush them?”

“So, you’re suggesting I leave the western border as it is?”

Come to think of it, they were incredibly persistent.

It had been five hundred years since Daimon was destroyed.

They had long been forgotten in the memories of the continent’s people.

But why were they acting up at this particular time?

He was ultimately continuing the suspicions of the previous king.

Lost in thought, Roderick glanced at his close friend.

“That’s why I told you to go to the west.”

“Wasn’t that just to trample on the Duke’s pride?”

“If Albert Duncan goes, you’re better suited.”

He didn’t like the big Duncan, but he also distrusted the middle Duncan.

There wasn’t a single thing he liked about that family except for the little Duncan.

“…Who will protect Your Majesty if I’m not here?”

In truth, Jade wasn’t particularly worried about the King’s safety.

What he was worried about was who would protect the people from the King’s potential rampage.

But strangely, at this moment, the commander of the Knights had someone in mind.

In the Queen’s Palace, there resided a pro-royal heavyweight and a skilled suppression expert.

At that moment, the chamberlain asked,

“Are you going to see Her Majesty the Queen?”

They were about to send a message, but Roderick, after a moment of thought, shook his head.

“No, I’m going to the study.”

He didn’t want to bring up the Duncans to the Queen unnecessarily.

And he certainly didn’t want to talk about Daimon or politics.

He didn’t want to reveal his complicated feelings, and he didn’t want to make someone who was already troubled even more troubled.

The King continued his steps.

Sitting at his desk, Roderick took out a musty, old manuscript from the drawer.

The cover of the book had characters that only the royal family could recognize.

「Writings to Future Kings」

He had read it once at the beginning of his reign and never taken it out since, but Roderick slowly began to turn the pages.

In the Blake Dynasty, there was a family precept passed down through generations.

Do not trust the Duncans.

The late king sent Albert Duncan from the west to the south because the Daimon reconstruction movement was taking place near the western border. And the roots of the Duncan family were in Daimon.

Was this old suspicion really valid?

Roderick, who had been frowning for a while, called Jade.

“Commander of the Knights.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Summon the Prince.”

Jade hesitated.

Because the King’s brother was not currently within Cayenne [the capital city].

“He… I don’t think he’ll be happy about it.”

“He should stop studying after all this time and come help. Am I the only royal in this country?”

“……”

“It is the duty of the royal family to step forward when the country is in crisis.”

Jade wore a somewhat troubled expression.

The Blake royal family had always been particularly sensitive to the Duncan family and the Daimon reconstruction movement.

Border disputes were bound to be used politically, and the Duncan family was the head of the anti-royal faction, so it was only natural.

However, it was difficult to call this a national crisis.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, they are not a force capable of waging an all-out war.”

Roderick shook his head.

“We can’t just leave it as it is. Jade. You have a lot to do here. But I can’t send Albert Duncan either. So, I will dispatch a member of the royal family as an advisor to gain both justification and practical benefit.”

“……”

“Then the nobles will be quiet for a while.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Jade gave a solemn salute.

But Roderick’s gaze remained fixed on a page of the book.

An old sentence was constantly circling in the King’s head.

Do not trust the Duncans. The Duncans.

At that moment, the little Duncan was out by the lake.

The squirrel that Roderick had caught kept playing on Lee Jae’s body.

“Not on my head. Play on my shoulder.”

Lee Jae was annoyed because the squirrel kept messing up her fluffy hair. It was so fast that she couldn’t catch it even when she tried, but the squirrel soon scurried away.

Lee Jae, like the squirrel, sensed a powerful energy.

When she glanced up at her shoulder, the Boy King was looking at her with a pathetic expression.

As she fixed her hair, which the squirrel had completely torn apart, she grumbled.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

-How can you not catch just one of those?

She almost snapped back, but remembering that he wasn’t an ordinary ghost, Lee Jae asked.

“You’re the Boy King, right?”

-That’s what they called me. I was almost forty when I died; it’s quite an embarrassing nickname. Of course, I was boyishly handsome until I died.

Oh dear, what should I do? I’m having such an unlucky day again.

In the end, Lee Jae couldn’t help but snap off a branch.

Then, suddenly curious, she tilted her head.

“But why do you still have that face?”

-What do you mean?

“Your face is too young.”

Many of the spirits wandering the afterlife have the appearance they had just before death. The memories just before death are that intense. That’s why the more unjustly a vengeful spirit dies, the more terrifying its appearance.

The Boy King nodded as if he understood what she meant.

-Kang Lee Jae, do you think humans are so objective?

“What are you talking about now?”

-Intense memories are ultimately quite subjective.

-Humans can’t avoid all the pain in their lives, but the charm of humans is that they can decide whether to hold onto moments of pain or moments of happiness.

-That subtle difference creates vengeful spirits and guardian spirits.

“It doesn’t seem like a subtle difference at all.”

The Boy King chuckled.

-You know it too. Those who are consumed by strong resentment become vengeful spirits, and those who embrace great ideals break the rules.

-And well, I was youthful until I died. It’s all about being born with it. Why are you asking such embarrassing things?

Lee Jae, who had been listening quite seriously, said, “Aish,” and snapped off another branch.

“If you’re such a great person, you could help! I don’t know what ideals you had when you died, but you’re a guardian spirit!”

The Boy King, who had been floating in the air, came down and sat next to Lee Jae.

As he began to stare intently at Lee Jae with his chin resting on his hand, Lee Jae was startled.

Because now that she knew, there were some similarities to Roderick. This family’s bloodline is quite strong.

-Kang Lee Jae. I think you’ve been making a big mistake since last time.

“…What is it?”

-There are rules in the afterlife too. Do you think the dead can interfere with the living? A guardian spirit can’t do everything.

Lee Jae knew that it was an act of crossing the line.

But feeling somewhat wronged, she muttered discontentedly.

“But vengeful spirits do it. They interfere with people, make their lives miserable, torture them.”

-That’s why they’re vengeful spirits. Do you think I’m like those insignificant creatures who can’t tell the difference between heaven and earth?

It was boastful, but it wasn’t exactly wrong, so Lee Jae couldn’t argue.

-Kang Lee Jae. Most of them will disappear anyway, even if you pray for them with all your heart. So, don’t waste your energy on useless things. What are you going to do by giving those kids a chance?

-Are you starting to get confused about whether you’re human or not because you keep seeing spirits? You’re really going to die if you keep doing that.

The Boy King chuckled as he looked at the gloomy Lee Jae.

But Lee Jae felt bitter as she saw that smile. Roderick’s face had been overlapping with his since a while ago.

It was similar to Roderick’s feeling of disgust every time he discovered the little Duncan’s face in the big Duncan.

In the end, Lee Jae couldn’t help but argue.

“Why can’t you have any affection for your descendants?”

-What?

“Our ancestors in the Eastern Land of Courtesy [a reference to Korea and its Confucian traditions] weren’t like this. They had affection for their descendants and their country. They tried to overcome national crises together. Many of our ancestral spirits were more altruistic than this!”

Suddenly, Confucianism was about to awaken within her.

But the Boy King just scoffed with a ‘you’re kidding me’ face.

-Hey. Back in my day, all over the continent….

Lee Jae was momentarily startled. Back in your day? Were you Korean?

-Never mind. Anyway, take care of yourself. I’m practically your father-in-law.

Lee Jae frowned.

“Father-in-law, my foot. Don’t say that with that face, it’s disgusting!”

This was selective Confucianism.

And then, a memory flashed through Lee Jae’s mind. Her pupils trembled as if she couldn’t believe it.

“So, you’re saying that you told your descendant’s wife that you were no different from her father-in-law! And you wanted to have a spiritual affair?”

The Boy King shrugged.

-I was just testing you. I needed to know what kind of person you were. And you misunderstood and brought it up first.

-Anyway, I’m sorry.

But Lee Jae shook her head.

“Oh my god, it’s the end of the world. I’m telling you, it’s the end of the world.”

“……”

“Even if you’re going to test someone, there are things you shouldn’t test.”

“……”

“Have I ever seen such a messed-up bunch of Westerners?”

Watching to see how far she would go, the Boy King immediately pulled out the Holy Sword.

And this time, he focused the gathered energy solely on the tip of the sword.

-Kang Lee Jae. If you knew who I was, wouldn’t you speak more politely? Are you going to climb all over me at every opportunity?

The light that flashed intensely from the tip of the sword spread in all directions. It was the first time she had ever seen such a flash.

Lee Jae, who had been blankly watching the scene, soon came to her senses. The Confucian virtue of respecting elders suddenly awakened within her. Lee Jae obediently put her hands together and asked.

“Perhaps… would you like me to kneel if you need it?”

The Boy King burst into laughter. The conversation between grandfather and daughter-in-law was very friendly.