Chapter 1. Friend
Standing atop the staircase leading to the emperor's palace, I gazed down upon the steps that were littered with countless corpses. The night sky, which should have been cloaked in darkness, was instead stained red by the flames rising from the ground.
I gazed at the hellish scene beneath me with a bitter smile as I watched my friend climb out of the inferno and up the blood-stained steps. Perhaps, deep down, I had known for a long time that this day would come.
Even though the rebels had breached the palace, I felt a strange sense of relief washing over me. Here I was, the last knight defending this palace, while my friend was the leader of the rebels trying to overthrow the tyrant emperor. And yet, my mind was as clear as day.
"Ah, finally," I said as I drove my sword into the ground before me and forced a smirk.
Our pain and anguish were mutual. I was duty-bound to defend the palace, and he had to overcome me.
Clad in silver armor adorned with his family crest, a blue wolf, he ascended the steps. His usually playful face was now twisted with seriousness as he halted before me.
"Surrender," he pleaded, his voice thick with suppressed emotions. "You know the atrocities the emperor is committing, don't you? Lay down your weapons and surrender now, and I will guarantee your life, I promise."
His voice even carried a tinge of desperation. But there was only one response I could give.
I let out a chuckle and waved my hand dismissively. "You know that's impossible, right? Let's not waste each other's time."
"Cain. Please," he whispered desperately.
"What use is a dog that can't even guard its own house? You should back down this time, for once."
As he strode toward me with unwavering resolve, memories of our first encounter flooded my mind.
I think it was the day he had been summoned by His Majesty and entered the palace for the first time. That was ten years ago. Back then, I had been practicing at the Imperial Guards' training ground when he approached me.
"My name is Halo. I'm the eldest son of Duke Leston. I’ve heard that among my peers, you're the best in the empire. Care to let me experience the Imperial Swordsmanship?" Halo had said.
He had been rather rude, so I dismissed his request initially, but he still stubbornly stuck around. He had even said something about being curious about the skills of the guard dog of the imperial family.
And yet, despite our different backgrounds—I, a mere slave who had joined the imperial guards for the sake of a full belly; he, a noble who had grown up sheltered—we had somehow gotten along well. Our spars had naturally progressed into a friendship.
"Looking back, you've always been a rebel at heart, Halo. I knew you'd eventually lead a rebellion successfully."
"How can you still say that at this moment?" Halo retorted.
"Why not? I'm about to die anyway, so I might as well say what I want. It's still better than insulting someone who's not even a friend by calling them a dog, right?"
"I don't even expect you to surrender. Just run away. With your skills, you could break through the encirclement and escape."
"But I can't do that."
"Why the hell not?" Halo's tone was laced with frustration, as he seemingly couldn't understand my rationale.
I gestured toward the palace, where the emperor was, and replied, "As long as the emperor lives, how can I flee? If you really want to save me, subdue me, go into the palace, and kill the emperor. That's the only way."
"Why go to such lengths..."
"Are you about to say ‘when that emperor has never truly trusted me’?"
If I were to describe our great emperor, I'd have to call him the bluest-blooded son of a bitch there was.
When he was young, he was called a genius; it was even said that he was destined to be the greatest ruler the Orias Empire had ever seen. Even when the former emperor had passed away unexpectedly and the current emperor ascended the throne, the people still held high hopes.
And yet, despite ascending to the throne amid the people’s blessings, the emperor's reign was now ending in disgrace—overthrown by rebels and facing judgment. Even the reason for his dethronement was unprecedented.
The emperor made a deal with the devils and is plotting evil schemes!
What was even more surprising was that the absurd rumor had turned out to be true. I wonder how much of a genius one would have to be to consider selling their soul to the devils. Maybe the devils offered a really high price in exchange for the soul of someone with royal blood.
"How little faith must His Majesty have in his subjects for him to toy with their souls? Quite a remarkable fellow," I muttered.
The black magic that had ensnared me when I stepped into the palace for the first time was truly formidable. Even now, the overwhelming urge to unleash violence upon my closest companion spoke volumes of the insidious influence of the emperor's magic on my mind.
Suppressing the urge to kill, I drew my sword from the ground. Perhaps the emperor's time was truly coming to an end.
Normally, I would have stabbed Halo with my sword according to the emperor's will, but the emperor's power was greatly weakened. Perhaps I was unable to leave this palace, but I could still decide my own fate.
With that in mind, I descended the stairs slowly, sword in hand, ready for what was ahead. Perhaps it was better to face this final moment head-on than to be remembered as the last knight who betrayed his master and fled.
"It’s better to be the foolish villain who stood by his misguided master until the bitter end, don’t you think, Halo?"
At least then the historical records would reflect my legacy. I was very lucky to be able to choose the very words that would describe me in the pages of history. I felt happier than ever.
"Let's have one last clash of swords."
One strike. Just one strike will do.
Suppressing the impulse within me, I moved forward with only one thought in my mind.
"Do you remember our sparring record?"
"One draw, nine losses," Halo responded.
"That one draw was only because I deliberately let you off easy when you said you had a stomachache. "
"Oh, please, Cain."
Blue mana emanated from Halo's body—the purest type of mana, the kind I had always envied. Unlike the murky mana the emperor had injected into my body, Halo's was a pure energy rooted in his noble bloodline.
The mana condensed into Aura and surged toward my throat.
"Please. You can be happy too. You can live freely. Do you really want to die as a guard dog?" Halo's voice cracked as he pleaded desperately.
"Ah, the first son of Duke Leston, worried about the freedom of a slave. How honored I feel." I forced a bright smile in response to Halo's anguished face before continuing, "Yes, I'll make sure to be happy."
As soon as I spoke those words, I rushed toward him.
It only took a blink of an eye. The black mana flowing from my body clashed with Halo's blue mana, both auras at each other. My sword pierced Halo's body, but only just.
Soon, a burning pain blossomed in my chest and spread throughout my body. I glanced down at my chest with a smirk. Halo's sword had pierced the exact center of my chest…
…and the sword I wielded had merely pierced through Halo's right shoulder.
"Why did you twist your blade at the last second, you bastard?!" Halo roared.
"Ah, my mistake. I guess I slipped up."
Halo glared at me, his expression revealing a mix of emotions, mostly anger and sorrow.
Perhaps I was getting too caught up in the moment, but I thought I saw tears welling in the eyes of this scoundrel. What a cornball.
"...It doesn't suit a hero to weep after slaying a villain, does it? Pathetic bastard."
Blood surged in my throat. I spat it out onto the ground, and just barely grasped Halo's sword that had impaled my heart.
He was the most annoying guy in my life, but at the same time, he was the bastard who had relieved my boredom.
Unlike me, someone who had lived as a slave ruled by fate all my life, he had lived his life as a noble, controlling his own destiny. He stood as my opposite, but strangely, we got along well too.
Actually there was no need to elaborate further. Just one word would suffice: Friend.
This was where the friendship between the mad dog of the palace and the eldest son of a Duke ended: With the Duke's son as the hero, and the mad dog as the villain.
Wasn't it quite a dramatic ending overflowing with bitterness, for a guy who had lived his whole life under someone else's will?
"Cain, you idiot." Halo glared at me and gritted his teeth.
I chuckled and said, "This is the first and last decision made by a guy who lived as someone else's dog for twenty-nine years. Show some respect, will you?"
Once again, various emotions seemed to swirl across Halo's face, his expression shifting multiple times. But in the end, his face reflected only resignation.
It seemed as though he had anticipated my actions. His voice was tinged with disappointment as he asked, "Is this really the path to your happiness?"
I struggled to answer that question, unsure if it was due to the fact that I was drowning in my own blood, or simply because I had no answer.
But one thing was for sure. I said, "At least I'm less miserable. So, I guess I'm happier than before."
With that, my vision gradually began to darken. I felt the cursed mana that had sustained me fading out..
"...Do you have any last words?" Halo asked; his voice sounded hazy.
I closed my eyes, and answered softly, "Nothing, really."
This marked my final decision after twenty-nine years of living as someone else's slave.
***
That punk's words kept echoing in my ears.
"Is this really the path to your happiness?"
Happiness. What was happiness?
Did the word "happiness" suit someone like me, an orphan who had been a slave all my life? I wasn't sure.
Slaves, guard dogs bound to the imperial family by their very souls, didn't have the freedom to be happy.
But still, there was something I sincerely wished for: to live as I pleased. To do anything I wanted, even if others called me trash.
I wished to live as Halo did, to walk in his shoes—seeking out the family who had mistreated and abused me in my youth, seeking vengeance, and even daring to challenge the very core of the mad emperor.
What was so special about happiness? Being able to do whatever I wished, that would be happiness and freedom.
But wait, what’s going on? I'm definitely dead. Shouldn't I be free from such trivial thoughts if I’m dead? But what is this unusual warmth I’ve felt for a while… Could it be that these demons are heating the fires of hell for me?
Now that I think about it, going to hell seems unjust. I didn't sell my soul to a demon! The deal was made by the emperor. Why should I be damned because of that blue-blooded motherfucker?
"Master, it's a boy."
"The third young master finally has a son!"
Suddenly, my vision cleared.
Many faces peered down at me, but among them, a middle-aged man held me in his arms, tears streaming down his face.
"My son. My son..."
For a while, the man shed tears before passing me over to someone else. I looked up to see a familiar face before my eyes.
"Our youngest grandson," he said.
It was Halo… Well, I couldn't say for certain, but that was what I imagined Halo would look like when he grew old.
Halo continued, "Wow, what a sharp gaze this newborn has! How fascinating."
Wait… Huh? A youngest grandson? A newborn?
What are they saying? Are they all collectively possessed by demons, speaking such nonsense so eloquently as if nothing is wrong here?
That was when a strange sound came out of my mouth.
"Waaah!"
‘Waaah’? Why am I making these sounds...?
***
Thus, I was reborn. From a lowly guard dog born as a slave, to the youngest grandson of the heroic Duke who had saved the empire.
Or, to put it more precisely: I was now the youngest grandson of my friend, Halo.
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