39 - The Crown I Will Take From You
Chapter 39
"Boss, can you see this?"”
The White Rose Mansion in District 2.
“The Regent Duke sent it. They’re holding a banquet at the Royal Palace to celebrate the Princess’s recovery.”
Gallo picked up a stiff card. It was on top of a pile of invitations on the table.
"Hey, look at this, brother." It’s paper with gold dust sprinkled on it. The royal family is groaning about money, but where does the Regent Duke get the money to sprinkle gold dust on invitations like this?”
He held the card up to his face as if observing it.
“Anyway, he invited you too, Boss. Keep your schedule open. You have to go with me that day.”
“No.”
The rejection came swiftly, as if such a trivial thing wasn’t even worth considering.
But Gallo, used to Cesare’s dismissals, didn’t give up.
“We can’t just ignore the Regent Duke if we want to stay in Baldina. You promised to show your face to Ciseo publicly too. You have to attend.”
“Then you go alone."Look here, 'To Mercenary Achares."’ He’s specifically asking you to come, Boss.”
Gallo rolled the dice on the table. Dice of the same shape and size filled the table, scattering chaotically.
Achares
The pieces with letters engraved on each side changed their arrangement as if dancing at Gallo’s gesture.
Cesare
“I’m sure he knows your reputation, Boss, but he’s not afraid to specifically ask you to come.”
“……”
“So, are you really not going? He’s the king’s brother and the one and only Regent Duke of this country, you know. It wouldn’t hurt to get to know him.”
Regent Duke.
Cesare carelessly rolled the word around in his mouth. His lips twisted into a crooked smirk.
“They’ve given a fool an undeserved title.”
“Boss, let’s go together. I’m going because I’m curious about the Princess’s face.”
Mischief flickered again in his gleeful eyes.
“Look, ‘Banquet to celebrate the Princess’s recovery.’ Isn’t the title itself suspicious enough to pique your curiosity?”
Gallo actually thought Claudio, the Regent Duke, was quite interesting.
He tried to cut off his niece’s Maid, ended up losing his right-hand man and his money supply, so what was he plotting this time?
What’s more, the Regent Duke still hadn’t realized that his niece was the real mastermind behind ousting the former Head Maid.
“How is he still breathing with that level of stupidity?”
“That’s why I said it was undeserved.”
Finally, an answer came.
‘Hmph, he was listening while pretending not to.’ Gallo snorted and said,
“But I don’t think the Princess will just take it this time either. She sent someone out of the palace on an errand a while ago. I secretly found out what she was looking for, and she found several rare herbs.”
“So? She’s probably going to make a potion or something.”
Cesare said, as if Gallo was making a fuss over something insignificant, and Gallo shouted.
“One of those herbs causes impotence if used together!”
The arm holding the glass stopped in mid-air.
Gallo stretched out his cheeks as if he was dying of curiosity.
“Who on earth is the Princess planning to use it on?”
“You must still have a lot of free time if you’re curious about such useless things.”
“No! I just took a short break! Look, I’m going back to work!”
Cesare twirled a dagger at his fingertips, and Gallo ran away as fast as his legs could carry him, afraid another dagger would fly at him.
In the now quiet room, Cesare turned around.
“Come in, Terrence.”
A tall, young man walked in from the connecting passage, carrying a steaming glass.
He was an impressive young man with a slightly thin body and long limbs.
His glasses and light brown hair added to his calm demeanor.
“That Gallo is still noisy as ever.”
“You could have come in if you arrived earlier.”
“Why bother? It would have just tired my ears with useless talk.”
Terrence pushed up his glasses. His bloodshot eyes showed his fatigue.
Since accompanying Cesare, he had been searching through data every night, looking for a cure for the curse.
“How’s your body?”
“Fine. Thanks to you.”
Cesare answered simply as he took the glass.
The dark green medicine inside tasted bitter, but he didn’t even flinch.
Three years since he was given a death sentence.
He was still able to move around despite the seizures that took him to the brink of death, far exceeding the time limit given by the first doctor, all thanks to Terrence.
He was artificially delaying the onset of the curse by using all his knowledge of magic and medicine.
The man narrowed his brows as he examined his forearm with bulging blue veins.
“You had another seizure. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cesare only twirled his dagger in response.
“Cesare, you don’t have much time left. The intervals are getting shorter.”
More frequent seizures. He might not wake up again at any moment.
“……I know.”
“Even if we find the Shaman, can we guarantee that he will lift the curse? What if he can’t? What are you going to do then?”
“That’s why you’re by my side.”
“Is that all you can say……? Is this a joke?”
Terrence glared at him at Cesare’s jest.
“Cesare.”
The smile gradually disappeared from his face as he looked at his friend, replaced by seriousness.
“It’s already been three years. Death is closer to you than removing the curse.”
As a subordinate, Terrence followed Cesare.
First Prince of Kazen.
The youngest Commander-in-Chief. Duke of Romagna. Lord of the Principality of Venafro. Ruler of Alpha Non. And even the leader of the Facade mercenary group.
Too many and heavy titles to be given to one person.
But if you knew Cesare, not a single one was lacking. He had earned all of this with his own hands.
‘The one who jumps into the most dangerous path first.’
His incredibly bold decisions and willingness to take risks fascinated people.
Terrence was one of those who was fascinated by him.
“Look, Terrence. Those kinds of people don’t know how to give up. Achievement is faster than giving up. They don’t stop until they get what they want.”
His teacher, the Master of the Magic Tower, once said casually while looking at Cesare.
“So be careful. Those kinds of guys don’t avoid obstacles when they encounter them, they break them.”
But Terrence didn’t know that he wouldn’t give up even on death.
A human fighting against the Primordial Darkness, was it brave or reckless?
“Let’s go to the Magic Tower. My teacher can delay the onset of the curse as much as possible. Even if we can’t eliminate the Primordial Darkness, the speed-”
“So, I just have to wait to die slowly?”
Terrence was speechless at the cold question.
“You know, that’s not me.”
“…….”
Terrence had seen many patients.
“At this rate…… it won’t be easy to endure. Can you really handle it?”
Was there anyone who didn’t collapse from the fear and despair that came from time to time?
No matter how outstanding, no matter how high, there were no exceptions in the face of death.
“Do I have to answer?”
Terrence let out a sigh mixed with admiration and lamentation at the words that asked if he wanted to hear the answer even though he knew it.
“……Aren’t you afraid? You don’t know when the curse will swallow you in an instant, how can you be so calm?”
“Terrence, can’t you hear the exclamations that will spread on the day I remove this curse?”
The one who pushed back the Primordial Darkness.
The conqueror who even swallowed death.
It will be engraved on the entire continent beyond Kazen.
“Are you still hopeful in this situation?”
“Nothing in my life has been without gambling.”
Cesare placed his hand over his chest.
The dull thumping sound from his hardening heart. He felt death getting closer as time tightened.
But he had no intention of sitting still and helplessly waiting for the curse to cover him.
He would somehow grab the fate that was slipping out of his grasp. He would not give up until the fleeting moment before his life ended.
Because his victories had always been won that way.
“I start and end everything myself. Even if there’s only a sliver of possibility, I’ll struggle.”
“You, really…….”
Flames flared in his golden eyes. They flickered dangerously, as if they would burn everything.
“I don’t need a comfortable death.”
\ \ \
On a sunny afternoon, Gillifos’s Communication device was delivered to the Royal Palace.
“Your Highness. My teacher has sent a message.”
The Soldier Village that Medeia had ordered him to build had been successfully completed.
A small village had been created for the veterans to live in, and it was named the Casey Relief Center after Medeia’s middle name.
More than half of the veterans outside the castle had moved in, and he added that the number of residents would continue to increase in the future.
I am sorry to inform you that there was no soldier named ‘Teo’ that Your Highness had specifically requested.
However, after not giving up and inquiring inside and outside the castle,
It is said that a veteran who passed away a long time ago had twin siblings named Teo.
Medeia was able to achieve what she wanted.
