Chapter 80

Cordelia and the others left the king's room and decided to return home from the palace.

Upon arriving at Leonhardt's mansion, they took a break and decided to sort out the events that had just transpired.

The two of them shared information, but unfortunately, it seemed there was no significant gain beyond what they had learned in the king's room.

" Cordelia, I want to hand over control of my body to King Lionel again today. ...I know it's a lot to ask, but could you watch over what happens and talk to King Lionel for me?"

"...I understand."

Cordelia could only nod.

While it was unsettling for Lionel to use Leonhardt's body, the current situation was desperately lacking in information.

"Your Highness, just to be sure, can you regain control of your consciousness at any time?"

"Yeah, probably. I've lived as myself for twenty years. It shouldn't be that easy for someone to take control of my consciousness."

There was no hint of dishonesty in Leonhardt's words.

Although her unease wasn't completely gone, Cordelia decided to comply with Leonhardt's request.

"Thank you, Cordelia."

Leonhardt closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Inhaling, exhaling, and when he inhaled again, his presence had completely changed, as if he had become a different person.

"Who dares to disturb my sleep...?"

Lionel stood there, not even trying to hide his displeasure. His voice rumbled from deep in his throat, more like a predator than a human. When his emerald eyes, narrowed with displeasure, caught sight of Cordelia, a faint, amused light flickered in them.

"It's you again. Do you have something you want to ask me?"

"...I have many questions."

Cordelia observed Lionel carefully.

While his face was the same as Leonhardt's, his expression was vastly different.

His arrogant smile, which exuded confidence, reminded her more of Zayeed.

(Come to think of it, Zayeed, the older brother of Prince Leonhardt, is also a distant descendant of King Lionel.)

So it wasn't strange that they shared a similar atmosphere.

Cordelia thought about this as she faced Lionel.

"What was that black mist that was affecting the king? And what do you mean by Prince Leonhardt being the reincarnation of King Lionel?"

"Don't ask so many questions at once. ...However, I am generous, so I can answer them in order."

Lionel made no effort to hide his annoyance, but he seemed willing to answer.

Lying on the couch, he looked at Cordelia in a relaxed posture.

"The black mist is proof of a curse."

"...A curse? Is it a type of magic?"

"Huh? Are you kidding me?"

"!"

Cordelia's throat tightened.

The sudden surge of killing intent was so intense it felt tangible.

"Don't joke around. Curses and magic are completely different. Magic is a power that follows the laws of the world, while curses are the opposite, a power that invades the world."

"Invasions of the world..."

Free from the killing intent, Cordelia moved her lips.

Swallowing hard, she was taken aback by the ominous words that Lionel had spoken.

"Right. Curses are a power that uses one's soul or blood, the solvent of the soul, as fuel to bring about impossible phenomena. They are activated through the medium of the magic power residing in the body, making them entirely different from magic."

"...Entirely different."

To be honest, Cordelia didn't understand much of what Lionel was saying.

However, she could sense that curses were a dark and unwelcome technique.

"Can anyone use this curse?"

"It's possible. While magic requires a body with high magic power, the fuel for curses is the soul. Since everyone has a soul, all you need is knowledge of curses and a curse tool to use them."

"What does a curse tool look like?"

"There's no specific form. Creating a curse tool requires specialized knowledge, but with that knowledge, you can create various forms. Rings, gems, pieces of paper, or cloth. I've seen many different forms of curse tools. Since anyone can use curses with a curse tool, it's a troublesome matter."

Indeed, that is troublesome.

Cordelia thought for a moment and decided to ask about countermeasures.

"Is there a way to distinguish a curse tool from other objects?"

"You should be able to see it."

"Me?"

Lionel slowly pointed to his own chest, Leonhardt's body.

"You can see this flame, right?"

"...Yes. At first, it was faint, but now it's clear."

"Then you should be able to distinguish curse tools. Curse tools are always enveloped in a black mist, like the king earlier."

"I see, so if I see a black mist, it's a curse tool. ...That mist, others couldn't see it, but I can see it because of Prince Leonhardt, right?"

"Probably. You can see it because the power of the holy sword has been transferred to you."

"The power of the holy sword...?"

Cordelia hadn't realized it, but it seemed she had changed somehow.

"...I'm surprised the holy sword has such power. Can you tell me more about the holy sword?"

"In a word, it's a wedge."

"A wedge...?"

A wedge, not a sword.

Not understanding, she asked for more explanation.

"Excuse me, could you explain it in simpler terms?"

"It's troublesome."

Lionel turned over on the couch, lazily.

Despite his sloppy posture, he didn't look unseemly, perhaps due to the aura of authority emanating from within him.

"Why do I have to explain everything from one to ten?"

"Could you please show some mercy?"

Cordelia asked, as if trying to please a wild beast.

Since Lionel was the only source of information, she couldn't afford to upset him.

"A request, huh? A request requires a price. If you offer yourself, I'll answer."

"..."

Lionel's hand reached out, and Cordelia trembled.

Though he had Leonhardt's face, Lionel was a different entity, and it confused her.

"――――Gah!"

In front of the frozen Cordelia, Lionel was pressing his chest.

"Gah... This insolent! My reincarnation body seems to be quite infatuated with you."

"Prince Leonhardt..."

Cordelia's body relaxed.

Though she couldn't see or hear him, it seemed Leonhardt had helped her.

Leonhardt's consciousness might be present in the depths of Lionel's body, in the realm of the soul.

"...There's no choice. It's too troublesome to fight unnecessarily, so I'll tell you about the holy sword. The holy sword's essential role is to act as a wedge to retain my factors in the bloodline."

"Your factors?"

"Yes. Think about it. As generations pass, blood becomes diluted, right? After ten generations, the blood of descendants is almost like that of strangers. However, the bloodline that hosts the holy sword is special. It ensures that each generation inherits a strong resemblance to me."

"So that's why it's a wedge..."

The mechanism to retain special blood as it thinned was the essence of the holy sword.

"I understand its original role, but why can I manipulate flames and see the black mist when I hold the holy sword?"

"It's a secondary function. To remind the descendants of my power when the blood has thinned over generations, a part of that power is stored in the holy sword. If a human holds the holy sword for a long time, they will be influenced by it."

"I see..."

One mystery was solved, and Cordelia nodded slightly.

However, one answer led to a new question, creating a chain of inquiries.

"Why did King Lionel go to such lengths to preserve his blood and power?"

"It's my role. The reason I move is to burn the entities that invade the world, such as curse users and curse tools."

"Curse tools..."

Returning to the previous topic, Cordelia pondered for a moment.

"Do you know who used a curse on the king, King Lionel?"

"I don't. I only burned the remnants of the curse."

It seemed there was no hope.

Cordelia's shoulders slumped, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

After regaining her composure, she decided to ask one more question, driven by a bit of curiosity.

"Earlier, you said Prince Leonhardt, who is a regression to an ancestor, is your reincarnation, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"...Then do I and other people have past lives?"

"Yes, you do. What of it?"

Lionel said it casually, but it was a shocking revelation.

(What was my past life like? Was I a woman, a man, or not even human... I'm curious.)

As Cordelia let her imagination run wild, Lionel snorted.

"Stop it, stop it. While you're curious about your past life, recalling the memories of your past life won't end well."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll die."

"...What?"

A dangerous word had come out of Lionel's mouth.