Count's Youngest Son is a Warlock-Chapter 271: The Fifth Story (3)

‘What the hell?’

Lucion was stunned. He quickly looked around.

“I knew I would meet you before I died,” the King of Darkness said.

Draped in a cloak as black as a raven, so long it trailed on the ground, he slowly approached Lucion.

His eyes, filled with guilt, lingered on him.

“I have waited here endlessly to meet you—the one who carries my soul.”

It was then that Lucion realized this wasn’t a dream.

“You piece of shit.”

The curse slipped from Lucion’s lips without hesitation.

The King of Darkness looked momentarily surprised, then smiled.

That made Lucion even angrier.

To him, the King of Darkness was the very source of his suffering.

“You should have killed Veronia back then! If you had, we wouldn’t be trapped in this miserable cycle!” Lucion shouted.

Never had he imagined he would come face-to-face with the King of Darkness.

He had suppressed a rage that felt like unbearable turmoil, pushing it down, enduring the pain that sometimes felt like being scratched by sharp nails.

Yet now, the very person he resented stood before him.

What should he say first?

What should he unleash first?

“Yes, you’re right. I was a fool,” the King of Darkness admitted. “Perhaps the memories you have of me are incomplete—some parts may be missing. But that doesn’t change the truth of what I’ve done.”

How nice it was to hear him admit it.

Lucion waited, briefly, to hear what the King of Darkness would say next.

“It’s because Veronia was precious to me. I may have suspected he would bring ruin to the world, but in the end, I did nothing.”

“Coward. You didn’t want to get your hands dirty, did you?”

Lucion scowled.

“If you had killed him… No, if you had just stopped Veronia, everything would have been different. But you did nothing. You pathetic coward!”

“You’re right. You are correct.” The King of Darkness’s voice was heavy with guilt. “I was meant to maintain balance. Yet, when I weighed the world and Veronia on a scale—I chose Veronia.”

His eyes, deep and endless as the ocean, held sorrow.

“Perhaps… I had simply grown weary after all those long years.”

“So?”

“Little one… I have no excuses. Your suffering began because of me. To you, I am nothing but a sinner—someone you should resent for all eternity.”

Lucion couldn’t look away. The weight of sincerity in the King’s voice pressed against him.

If only the bastard had been more shameless about it.

“Why did you create this place? Did you think I would want to see you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Just tell me—why am I here?”

The King of Darkness removed his cloak and held it out to Lucion.

The black fabric shimmered like a night sky strewn with stars, almost as if it were alive.

“What is this?” Lucion asked suspiciously.

“I want to give you a cloak engraved with the mark of the king.”

“Why?”

Lucion’s expression hardened.

“If I call it a gift… will you accept it?”

“You want to use this so-called gift to put me on the throne, to bind me to responsibility, don’t you?”

“That’s not it.” The King of Darkness gave a faint, cautious smile. “A cloak isn’t something that binds you. You can wear it or cast it aside as you wish.”

Lucion exhaled sharply.

“I’m going to kill Veronia.”

His voice was firm. He reached out his hand.

“That’s fine,” the King of Darkness said. “This power is now yours.”

“But you cared for Veronia, didn’t you?”

“I know this is the right thing to do. I’m going to disappear anyway… and what right do I have to say anything when I leave you with my regrets?”

Every word rang true, and Lucion felt his emotions surge.

“Yeah. You really made a mess of things,” Lucion said bitterly. “I… died countless times because of you. My teacher had to bear an enormous price for it.”

His brow twitched. Revenge was the only answer.

“You should feel sorry. Until the very moment you disappear.”

Lucion reached for the cloak in the King of Darkness’s hands.

“Then, if you truly regret it… watch closely when I kill Veronia. That way, you’ll understand, won’t you?”

He smirked.

“Feel what it’s like to have your loved ones ripped away in a world destroyed by your judgment.”

The corners of Lucion’s mouth trembled.

He didn’t show it, but as the former version of himself, he understood that pain.

How hard it must have been.

“…I will watch,” the King of Darkness murmured. “I promise I won’t disappear until then.”

He bowed his head.

Lucion snatched the cloak and draped it over his shoulders.

A pitch-black, beautiful night arrived, accompanied by a fluttering cloak.

“I,”

Lucion looked down at the King of Darkness, his eyes narrowing with a gleam.

“I will bring you despair.”

* * *

Lucion slowly opened his eyes and placed a hand on his chest.

Thump. Thump.

His heart beat steadily.

It had only been a memory, yet it felt so vivid, as if Veronia had truly ripped his heart from his chest.

[‘Lord Lucion?’]

Bethel gazed at Lucion, momentarily forgetting she was supposed to call out to him. She was mesmerized by the deep, striking look in his eyes.

Was it just her imagination, or was there an indescribable majesty pressing upon him?

[Lord Lucion?]

Snapping out of her daze, Bethel finally spoke.

“Ah, Bethel.”

Lucion belatedly turned to look at her.

He had met the King of Darkness and donned the cloak, yet nothing seemed to have changed.

Pain crept slowly through his body, making every movement ache. His throat was parched, his eyes swollen, and it was difficult to keep them open.

[How is your body? Hume applied additional first aid, but are you in much pain?]

Bethel’s voice was unusually cautious.

Lucion’s face was covered with band-aids, and his shoulder was tightly wrapped in bandages, extending down to an arm that was splinted and bound. His complexion was flushed, and his breathing was slightly rough.

It was almost easier to find a part of him that wasn’t a mess.

“Aside from my arm feeling uncomfortable, I’m fine,” Lucion replied, glancing at the bandages on his shoulder.

Out of habit, his gaze sought out Russell—then he flinched.

For a brief moment, his eyes wavered.

Biting his lip slightly, he let his shoulders drop. He looked away for no reason, then stuck out his tongue and gently stroked the sleeping Ratta.

He felt guilty.

Though his memories were hazy, he remembered Ratta’s desperate voice.

“How long has it been? I hope not too much time has passed.”

The room was dim—it appeared to be night.

How long had he been unconscious?

Before passing out, he should have told Hume that he would take the black orb later.

There was so much to do while the divine beasts held Veronia at bay.

‘…?’

Only then did Lucion take note of his surroundings.

This wasn’t his room.

[Don’t worry. Not even a full day has passed. And this is Russell’s hideout.]

“How?”

[You lost consciousness, and at the darkness’s request, Hume placed the black orb in your hand.]

Bethel explained what had happened after he collapsed.

[While we were passing by the hideout in the carriage, Hume urgently stopped it and asked them to wait here.]

“My sister… did she allow it?”

Though Lucion was proud of Hume, he was also worried about Shaela. Given his current condition, she would have insisted on calling a doctor first.

[It seems Shaela has caught on to some extent… In any case, it’s nighttime now, and everyone is waiting near the hideout.]

Seeing Lucion’s gaze lower slightly, Bethel hurriedly continued.

[Everyone agreed to this. You saved their lives, after all. So, Lord Lucion, please don’t think you’ve troubled them.]

If she could, Bethel would have explained everything in detail—how desperate Hume had been, how deeply everyone had worried about Lucion.

But Lucion changed the subject, looking down at his freshly changed clothes.

“Where’s Hume?”

[Knowing you would burn up with fever after acquiring the black orb, he stepped out briefly to fetch water.]

Hearing that Hume wasn’t present, Lucion called out to Bethel.

“Bethel.”

His gaze, now filled with unwavering determination, locked onto hers.

“Veronia… I know what that bastard’s goal is.”

Lucion took a moment to catch his breath.

“It’s Hume. He’s targeting Hume.”

[Why? Didn’t he create Hume?]

“Exactly. Veronia plans to resurrect Ravien in exchange for Hume and the Sea of Death.”

[Hume’s blood… Does that mean Ravien’s blood is needed?]

Bethel asked hesitantly.

“That’s right. The blood of the most powerful Ravien. And that’s Hume, isn’t it?”

Lucion moved his parched lips.

“Tea…”

He tried to say Teacher, but a sudden rush of bitterness welled up, and tears slipped from his eyes.

Bethel flinched.

Lucion wiped them away with an expressionless face, swallowing the word Teacher before speaking again.

“You must know that the world has repeated itself.”

[Yes… It was too sudden to grasp. Lord Lucion…]

Bethel looked at Ratta, then at the door.

[You kept dying.]

“It’s fine. The one who must be feeling the worst isn’t me.”

Russell.

His teacher, the one who carried all the memories, must be feeling the deepest sorrow.

“Anyway, after obtaining the black orb, I started having dreams.”

Dreams filled with the memories of the King of Darkness.

Through them, Lucion had uncovered Veronia’s true intentions.

“I learned Veronia’s objective there. I may not remember everything, but I know what happened in the previous world.”

Since Russell had already revealed the truth, it was easier for Lucion to bring it up.

Had his teacher planned for this?

“Back then, Hume followed me as well. But he was different from the Hume I know now. He didn’t even know he was Ravien, and he wasn’t as powerful as he is now.”

[Are you saying Hume has changed?]

“Exactly. Maybe the Hume I know isn’t the same as the one from the previous world. He might just look the same.”

The only sound Bethel could hear was Lucion’s quiet breathing.

Since she had died as a test subject, she understood Hume.

“Veronia could have revealed himself to the world at any time. But he didn’t. He must not have been ready.”

[Then, the repetitions… Were they just a process of gathering the price to resurrect Ravien? And now, he’s finally ready?]

“That’s my best guess. Right now, I can’t think of any other reason.”

[Lord Lucion.]

“Are you asking why I’m telling you all this?”

Lucion, quick to notice, asked before Bethel could.

[Yes.]

She wore the same expression Russell had before he disappeared—

A face burdened with immense sorrow, struggling to hold on.

“Bethel, that’s not it. I’m never going to die again… I’ve come this far for that very reason.”

Lucion smiled at her.

“The reason I’m telling you this is simple—I’m sorry for keeping it hidden until now, and I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

[If that’s the reason, then it’s fine. Lord Lucion didn’t hide it; you just took a long time to say it—just like I did.]

At last, Bethel sighed in relief and let out a chuckle.

Lucion’s eyes, filled with an unshakable will to live, were completely sincere.

[Lord Lucion.]

Bethel looked at him warmly.

[When we meet Russell, let’s scold him together. What do you think?]

“Sounds good. I’ll make sure to tease and mock him.”

Lucion chuckled along.

Click.

The door opened quietly, and Hume froze in place.

Fearing he might cry out at any moment, Lucion placed a finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

“Are you okay?”

Hume’s face twisted with emotion, as though he might burst into tears with just a little push.

“The first aid was perfect.”

Lucion swung his legs over the side of the bed, placing his feet on the floor.

A wave of dizziness hit him, making his stomach churn.

But he had no time to hesitate.

Seeing his condition, Hume flinched but didn’t try to stop him.

“I… was the one who suggested we come here.”

“I heard from Bethel. You did well, Hume.”

“I thought a lot about what kind of expression I should have when you woke up, Young Master.”

“For someone who thought a lot, you look exactly the same as usual.”

“Is that so? Then I’m relieved.”

Hume forced a smile, but his expression remained tense.

“He hasn’t disappeared. So put on a better face.”

Hume’s eyes widened in shock.

“R-Russell-nim didn’t disappear?”

—…!

Ratta, startled, sat up abruptly.

Lucion flinched slightly.

Had she overheard his conversation with Bethel?

Still half-asleep, Ratta wobbled before collapsing back onto the bed. Her voice was filled with anxiety.

—Russell…

Huge tears welled in her eyes.

—Russell hasn’t disappeared? Did Ratta hear that right?

“Yeah. Teacher… hasn’t disappeared.”

Lucion reassured her, gently wiping away her tears.

“It’s not a dream, right?”

Hume’s voice trembled, and Lucion smiled reassuringly.

“That’s right. It’s not a dream.”

That mischievous teacher…

Not only had he made himself cry, but also Bethel, Hume, and even Ratta.

When they found him, they’d have to give him a hard time.