Sustaining The King’s Life - Chapter 270

It was just a short amount of time before the castle was at chaos. People pacing back and forth, rushing, trying to find solutions.

Faustina happened to overheard something.

“Owen Lopez was taken… uh, or left, without anyone’s knowledge,” said one of the ministers. “He is said to harbor the blood of Eulalia Fortunatorum.”

“A party of mages and soldiers were dispatched to search for him. If he was indeed taken, then we still do not know the reason why they would take him so.” Said the minister. “Although it is known now that the forsaken wishes to revive his lover, as what I have heard, being a blood relative isn’t enough. There is still the need for the blood of Feuer to strengthen the spell, which is why they are protecting the little girl who was the daughter of the duke and a distant relative of Eulalia.”

Faustina clenched her fist.

Owen Lopez. He had saved her life many times—

And he was family.

He was supposed to be. Even if they were practically strangers to each other, Owen shared the same blood as Eula.

“That child is crying nonstop when she knew that he was missing, and was now constantly searching for him. She sees him as her real father, even though she is the duke’s…”

Faustina clenched her fist as she lowered her gaze. She held her broken staff tightly.

She was training magic with Orwell. Her mana was still unstable, but she was able to cast spells.

Faustina hasn’t seen the king in days—he was focused on planning for a counterattack with the royals who harbored nightmare, those who are given the ancient power of the Opus.

Many things were happening around her.

She could not afford to do nothing.

—

As Faustina opened the door to the library, she sees Orwell adjusting his magician robe and preparing potions.

“Orwell?”

“Ah, Faustina.”

“I am preparing for battle. It seems magicians are highly needed to defend the province’s barrier due to the strong miasma.”

“Miasma?”

“A large concentration of black magic. But it’s also not the miasma that is the issue. There are dungeon monsters trying to break the barrier. I know that Feuersturm needs my help—even if I’m not a citizen here.”

“I’m coming with you!”

Faustina expected a disagreement or two, but…

“Alright.” He said. “Bring tons of health potions. We will need them.”

Faustina nodded as she started to prepare.

**

“The source of black magic that was released to the world is from the south, which quickly spread towards the continental cliff and the dark ocean.” The king said.

“That is where the first king of Feuersturm sealed the black magic of Zweite.”

Alexander Octavius Ein Feuerkrieger IX looked down on the map.

“The forsaken is on Assiah.” He said. “Where the remains of the warlocks lie, and where my ancestor sealed all of the black magic.”

“And this is where we will attack.”

The king of Feuersturm eyed each of them.

Queen of Eissturm, the land of ice. The young prince of Gronland, the land of earth and growth. The king of Verteidigerin, the land of defenders, Zuerst’s shield, harboring the elemental power of water, and the three sister kingdoms Elizabethian, Victorian, and Antonettian who shared the elemental power of the wind, each with their princesses.

“The three branching families from Zuerst,” said the king of Feuersturm, “the Feuerlons, Feuerfalke, and Feuersoldat, along with all the military power we all have, will be fighting the monsters that are attacking Zuerst.”

The king of Verteidigerin parted his lips to speak, which called the attention of all.

“The defender country will be shielding the entire continent from the sea monsters that will attack.” He said. “My sons and daughters, along with my people, will defend my country and our continent.”

He clenched his fist.

“I know we pride ourselves to be the battlefront country, but we were easily tricked by Gluttony.” He said. “The shapeshifting man-eater warlock general.”

“Shapeshifting?” The duke of Feuerlon questioned.

“Yes.” The king of Verteidigerin answered. “I assume that she’s been assuming the face of my long dead wife.”

“What?”

The king lowered his gaze.

“It just occurred to me.” He said. “I think she might have eaten her to take over her form.”

Silence had sufficed once more.

“At dawn, where the sunrise is at peak,” the king of Feuersturm uttered. “We attack.”

**

The duke returned to the ducal mansion, only for both Bethrion to welcome him.

“Is there any news about Adalia?” The duke asked.

“Mother is still not waking,” Bethrion answered. “Lucas, along with both mages and a few clairvoyant have been trying to cast multiple spells on her. But she isn’t waking.”

This was all of his fault.

He played the role the forsaken assumed him to play, and everything had been according to the forsaken’s plans.

**

In the darkness that surrounded the world, the moon was now blood red.

She lied peacefully on the canopy, and this time she did not look like a white butterfly, for she was dressed in a red dress.

“You weren’t able to get the girl,” the forsaken said.

“I figured I did not need to.”

“Oh?” The forsaken smiled, his red eyes glinting. “It seems I have underestimated you a little, my child.”

“You compliment me, father.”

“How riveting,” he said. “But it’s not of importance… because I already had the blood of Faustina.”

“The forsaken then drew his dagger and held it with both of his hands, glistening in the moonlight.

Without any hesitation, he swung the dagger downwards.

Owen’s eyes widened, his mouth coughing blood.

The forsaken buried the dagger deep to his heart, which now slowed and grew silent each passing second.

“Y…you…”

The forsaken smiled, and then his hands pierced through Owen’s heart.

“A soul for a soul.” He said, as he climbed to Eulalia’s bed; blood dripping everywhere.

He then began eating Owen’s heart,

And then his mouth found Eulalia’s, passing the blood to her mouth, making her drink the remains of Owen’s soul.

The forsaken parted away, wiping the blood from Eulalia’s mouth using his thumb.

And so, he waited.

Until she opened her eyes, welcoming the chaos and darkness at her wake.