Long Live The King (1)

Death.

The word resonated clearly.

Freesia's pupils dilated drastically.

At her surprise, the shadows enveloping Reed's body returned to normal, and the strength of the hand gripping his collar loosened.

"What you desire… is it not complete death?"

No matter how much he thought about the reason for her obsession with possession magic, he couldn't find an answer.

Because possession magic did not appear in the future Reed knew.

However, her obsession was too intense to simply call it curiosity.

'The condition to give up possession was strange, too.'

Moreover, he didn't understand why she suddenly mentioned Rosaria.

She was a promising talent, but asking for Rosaria as a condition for giving up possession didn't make sense.

The ability that Rosaria possessed was exactly what she desired.

It meant there was something superior to possession magic.

Then, what was she trying to gain through possession and Rosaria?

Completeness.

It was to gain the completeness that Freesia could not achieve.

Reed pondered on what kind of perfection he could provide without combining the two.

Power?

Rosaria could become a better magician than Freesia.

Perhaps she was thinking of breaking the promise and cast the possession magic on Rosaria.

However, given her character, she wouldn't wish for something like power.

Then, a word suddenly popped into Reed's mind.

'Death.'

The Black Sky Tower, studying death to create undying soldiers.

At its pinnacle stands the "Immortal Empress," Freesia Vulcan Darksider.

[T/N: Changed "Undead Empress" to "Immortal Empress"]

Perhaps she was studying for her own death, just as people study medicine to live?

However, he could not ponder any further.

The moment Freesia's patience ran out, Reed spoke his speculation with a desperate feeling.

And it turned out to be the correct answer.

Freesia remained silent for a long time.

"How much do you know about me, Reed Adeleheights Roton?"

What Reed knew was Freesia's future.

He knew nothing about her past.

"I know that you possess the traits of 'Empress of the Immortals', 'Shadow Master', and the 'Broken Ring that Defies Fate' which you have not revealed to anyone."

Reed himself didn't know what those traits meant.

But he deduced that the unfamiliar 'Broken Ring that Defies Fate' was the reason she could not die.

Freesia's pupils, who had been testing him, dilated again.

"…How exactly do you plan to do it?"

Freesia asked.

"The very thing I couldn't find with over 100 years of searching in my head is my death. How will you solve that puzzle?"

If she asked for an immediate solution, Reed had nothing to offer.

Reed knew.

Freesia disliked uncertainties.

"I don't know."

But what she hated more than that was lies.

Reed told the truth.

"But one thing, I promise on my life."

Reed brought his hand to her neck.

Freesia did not resist Reed's hand. Like a cat waiting for its master's touch, she instinctively moved cautiously following Reed's hand.

Reed's hand was around her slender neck.

"With this hand... "

He pressed gently on her neck with his thumb.

With sincerity, he said to her,

"With this hand, I will surely give you death."

It was a promise without guarantee.

Unless she was a fool, there was no reason for her to accept it, so Freesia intended never to believe his words.

That's when it happened.

Freesia noticed a strong scent pricking her nose.

The scent of cinnamon and roses.

When she had roughly seated Reed on the throne, the bottle that had been placed on the armrest broke, and the perfume rose.

A promise without a guarantee.

But Reed returned the perfume to Freesia.

Freesia opened her mouth.

"Tell me."

***

Freesia, left alone in the Tower Master's office of the Black Sky Tower, was looking into a mirror.

She had never looked at herself before, so it felt utterly unfamiliar.

'Freesia Vulcan.'

That was her name before she took on the 'title' of a Darkrider.

A 12-year-old physique.

Her hair and nails grew, but her youthful face and height did not grow.

Her appearance remained the same for over 119 years.

If she was injured, it would recover.

If her neck was cut off, it would reattach.

If she was burned, the ashes would reunite to form her shape again.

No matter what was tried, it was impossible to leave a mark on her, let alone kill her.

'Broken Ring that Defies Fate.'

Half-removing her tightly wrapped robe, Freesia looked at her back in the mirror.

Eternal Hole.

It's called the legend of the magicians.

Many people coveted this "Eternal Hole" because they would gain the ability to rule the world once it manifested.

If it didn't naturally occur, they thought, couldn't it be created through human capability?

Eventually, they realized it was not an area that could be artificially created, but when Freesia was young, most of them were those who were burning with a spirit of challenge.

Even if it meant trampling on the life of a young girl.

Broken Ring that Defies Fate.

Unlike the "Eternal Hole" that glows brightly when mana manifests, her back looked as if dark mist was trickling down.

And unlike the perfect ring-shaped "Eternal Hole", the upper part of the ring looked as if it had exploded, with fragments splattered up towards her neck.

She was a failed product of the "Eternal Hole".

In exchange, she obtained twisted immortality, and Freesia loathed this immortality every single day.

That's why when she saw the girl who had the legendary "Eternal Hole", she couldn't help but covet it.

'But I couldn't take her away.'

Despite her desire more than anything, her tyrannical nature did not listen.

Freesia didn't know either.

Whether it was hesitation stemming from the uncertainty that the girl might not be able to provide her respite.

Or because she empathized, knowing the plight of those born with the mask of a genius.

She thought she knew a lot about herself as much as she hated herself, but there were still parts she didn't know.

And that was revealed when that man appeared.

'Reed Adeleheights Roton.'

That man certainly influenced her actions, directly or indirectly.

Freesia was sure of this much.

And this fact excited her more than anything else.

"Master, you've been silent for a while, so I came up... What are you doing?"

"Nothing much."

A hand stretched out from Freesia's shadow, adjusting her disheveled clothing.

"Destroy the possession magic that I got from Morgan."

"Really? But I thought you've been looking for that…"

"Stop the chatter and destroy it. It's not ours anymore."

"Understood."

Now that the secret is out, she should not use that possession magic.

Freesia sat in her usual spot and spoke to her servant.

"And congratulations, Ma-Gun."

"For what?"

"I finally found a man who will kill me, that's what."

"Weren't there always people trying to kill you, Master?"

From the very bottom of the Black Sky's Tower to the time she was designated as the next Master, she lived amongst magicians filled with hostility.

Those craving for power, unable to drive Freesia away with their abilities, used all kinds of methods to try and kill her.

Whenever she seemed even slightly vulnerable, the assassin's dagger was at her back, poison was put in her food, and bombs were even thrown into her room.

But such pathetic assassination attempts couldn't kill Freesia.

Rather, everyone who showed hostility lost their lives.

That was the bloody life of Freesia, who stood at the apex of the Black Sky.

"Yes, they always have been."

She smiled.

"But this time, I think I might really die."

Reed will accomplish it.

The 'salvation' that no one else could give, her very own.

After getting the location from Freesia, Reed, and Phoebe left the Black Sky Tower.

"Do you think you know where it is?"

"I've figured out the location. However, not only is the speed a concern, but it's also going to be hard to find a place to land the sky carriage."

Morgan and his son were held in a mountainous area not far from the HupperKingdom.

If the sky carriage didn't have a proper place to land, not only the chariot but also the people inside it could be in danger.

Phoebe sighed.

"It can't be helped..."

She frowned and exerted her strength.

Thump!

Something bulged out from her back.

Bang!

It exploded right away.

Pieces of her clothing scattered and something large unfolded.

It was a huge pair of wings.

They were so huge and fierce that it was hard to believe that they came out of her small body.

Reed realized once again that she was a half-dragon.

"I wanted to undress if possible, but I can't dare to show such a pathetic body... Please understand!"

Phoebe blushed and stuttered.

Understanding her meaning, Reed nodded.

"Master, um... I'm going to hold you."

"Alright."

"You absolutely must not open your eyes now."

"I got it, let's move quickly."

"Yes!"

Phoebe went around to his back and hugged Reed tightly.

"Ah... Master's back..."

"Phoebe, focus."

"I'm sorry..."

Along with her voice, which was longer than usual, a faint moan echoed in Reed's ears.

Despite her slender wrist, he could feel an undeniable strong power.

Flap.

Her giant wings spread out, blocking the sky.

Half-dragon, Phoebe leaped in an instant.

Her enormous wings pushed against the earth and sliced through the sky.

Feeling the air pressure that seemed to tear his skin, Reed opened his eyes again to find everything pitch black.

Phoebe and Reed were already flying above the clouds.

"We're off!"

Phoebe and Reed's bodies disappeared from that spot.

Where they disappeared, only a trace of a bullet piercing through the clouds remained.

At that time, in the mountains not far from Cohen City.

There was a place in the mountain range that was particularly not steep and was gentle enough to easily make a path.

People called this place the "Beginner's Hill," saying if one couldn't cross it, they shouldn't start an adventure.

In that Beginner's Hill, there was a cave that no one knew about.

Inside the narrow cave, if one went deep enough, a cave wide beyond imagination appeared.

This was a secret place that Morgan had secretly created to conduct rituals.

Six magicians were concentrating on the ritual, leaning on the candlelight.

At the center of mana, Morgan and his son, Morgan II, were laid on a slab.

The leader of the magicians shouted.

"Everyone, focus. This matter must be kept absolutely confidential, and no one should make a mistake!"

"Yes!"

Magicians responded in a spirited voice.

Moving their wands, they controlled the gathered mana.

The magic they were using was a spirit possession spell for family members.

They were in the process of transferring Morgan's soul to his son, Morgan II.

If it were Freesia, she could perform it alone, but it was a high-level spell that required six magicians to barely complete.

Then, it happened.

Rumble!

They felt a vibration as if a meteorite had fallen.

Dust fell from the ceiling, disrupting the magicians' concentration.

"Concentrate! It's not our business!"

Seeing the flow of mana disturbed, the leader quickly redirected their attention.

Although the leader was bothered, the spell was crucial at the moment.

'It'll be okay.'

Then, he heard the sound of a thread breaking in his head.

It was the breaking of the boundary magic he had set up.

'Impossible...'

The second boundary magic and the third one were also destroyed.

It was confirmed.

There was an intruder heading here.

The leader could no longer concentrate and turned his head to look at the entrance.

Clip-clop.

The sound of hoof steps, clearly audible even on the dirt floor.

With the eerie footsteps, a man revealed himself.

A man with grey hair and golden eyes.

"Found you."

It was Reed Adeleheights Roton.

"It's, it's the Master of the Silent Tower!"

"How, how did you find this place?"

Given that King Morgan had been planning this for a long time, there were few who knew of this place.

Even the magicians who knew about the plan in advance only found out about the existence of this place today. How did the Master of the Silent Tower find out about this place?

The concentration of all the magicians was disrupted.

Eventually, the spirit possession spell for the family members failed.

Now that it had already failed, the leader changed the plan.

'The opponent is a tower master. Even if he's the weakest tower master, his magic will be exceptional.'

If he, a level 4 in <Magic>, and his members who are level 3 or lower engage in battle, the odds of the tower master winning would be higher.

"We can't let this go easily... everyone, prepare for battle!"

"Yes!"

The magicians tore out the scrolls they had been keeping.

The spell sealed in the scroll was activated.

Boom!

A shockwave occurred, and the mana floating around the area began to disperse.

Just in case, Reed concentrated mana at his fingertips.

But there was no sensation of mana gathering.

'This is magic jamming.'

It was a tool used by knights when engaging in close combat with magicians, and it wasn't commonly used by magicians.

The opponent was a tower master.

Knowing that they would lose no matter what they did, they had taken out their secret weapon first.

"Kill him! He must be killed! No one who knows this place can be left alive!"

The magicians drew their daggers.

6 versus 1.

Without mana, a magician is no different from an ordinary person, so the numerical advantage had no meaning.

However, Reed wasn't flustered and briefly glanced over the daggers they were holding.

"You've set up a suicide mission."

Once a magician gives up magic, they become less than bandits.

And Reed still had another card to play besides magic.

"Phoebe."

When Reed called the name, someone came walking from behind.

The magicians could only agree bitterly with Reed's words.

Her golden hair was like a dog's fur, and her horns were threateningly protruding.

Asteria's Mad Dragon, infamous as the watchdog of the Silent Tower, walked in with a smile.