"DID MOTHER and Father find out the secret of the Soul Beasts when they were still together?" Nero asked, then he sipped his tea. He was still amazed at how his spirit form functioned like his physical body in the Spirit World. After all, he could taste the sweetness of his drink. "Did you tell them?"
"I told Mona after I accepted her as my master," William, seated from across him while folding a pink paper in his hand, said. The Grand Spirit invited him in his room for tea but he hasn't touched his drink yet. He just slumped on the sofa and put his legs on the table between them. "Then, she told your scum of a father."
"What did they do about it?"
"I refuse to answer that question," the Grand Spirit said, then he raised his head to give him a bored look. "Just remembering the times that Mona spent with de Moonasterio make me want to throw up. If I speak about it, my mouth might fall off."
"I never thought the day I'd say this would come but between you and my Father, I trust my father more," he said. "So I guess it doesn't matter whether you answer my question or not."
"I don't want to hate you even though you're half de Moonasterio because you're the first male Roseheart born after such a long time," he said with a low growl. "But you're making it easy for me to hate you, Nero."
"That's fine with me," he said casually. "The feeling is mutual anyway."
"Hah," the Grand Spirit said, letting out a drawn and frustrated sigh. "I won't tell you the full details. Just ask your father later. But to answer your question, yes, Mona and de Moonasterio tried to free the Soul Beasts in the past. The first thing that they did was to break up, then your father married Juliet Sloane so he could sit on the throne. As a said earlier, the Divine Key could only be summoned during a new emperor's enthronement."
"Wait, I don't understand," he said with furrowed brows. "I thought Mother and Father had us after the previous empress died?"
"Yeah, that's true," the Grand Spirit said. "But didn't you know that Mona and de Moonasterio were already in a relationship when your father was still a Crown Prince?"
He shook his head. "It's forbidden to talk about my mother in the palace. And it's not like it's easy to ask my father about our mother. He hates her."
William scoffed at that. "The audacity of that scumbag to hate my master after he ruined her life."
He just sipped his tea. "Judging by the fact that the Soul Beasts are still locked up, then something wrong obviously went wrong. Are sitting on the throne and summoning the Divine Key not enough to free them?"
"Of course not," The Grand Spirit said. "Who do you think guards the 'cage' where the Soul Beasts are locked up?"
That question made him stop and ponder for a few moments, then his eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me the cage is guarded by the Spirits of the previous emperors?"
"That's right," he said while nodding. "To be precise, the emperors who vowed to protect the Soul Beasts. Not all emperors were interested in them. Unfortunately, those who cared about the Soul Beasts too much are the ones who were the greediest, the most ruthless, and the most powerful emperors in history. They still desired power even after their death." He paused for a while, looked up at the ceiling as if he was thinking, then he turned to him. "If I remember it correctly, there are thirteen dead emperors guarding the cage."
"So in order to free the Soul Beasts, we have to overcome the thirteen previous emperors first?"
"Uh-huh."
"Father and Mother lost to them?" he asked, then he raised a brow at the Grand Spirit. "Weren't you with my mother then? Does it mean you lost to some dead emperors?"
"Yeah, we were utterly defeated then."
"Oh," he said in disbelief. "I couldn't believe that an arrogant person like you would easily admit that he lost."
"You wouldn't understand because you didn't face them," the Grand Spirit said seriously. "Going against the thirteen dead emperors is the real reason why the late Empress Juliet Sloane de Moonasterio passed away."
To say that he was shocked would be an understatement.
The late empress died while trying to free the Soul Beasts along with Mother and Father…?
That wasn't what was written in the history books. Now he understood why the real date the late empress died was different from what he knew.
In the official records, Empress Julian Sloane died a few years before he and Neoma were born. But from what he knew, the late empress's time of death was closer to their birth. That was the reason why he once suspected that he and Neoma weren't really twins even though he knew the truth.
Well, magic and spells existed in this world so nothing was really impossible.
"Mona and de Moonasterio were too shocked to continue the mission after Empress Juliet died," William continued with his story. "Moreover, the Divine Key would only stay in its physical form for a short period of time. After that, it would disappear and would only show up again once a new emperor is crowned."
"That means it will only appear once I sit on the throne."
The Grand Spirit nodded firmly. "That's why I intend to train you until you're ready to replace your father."
"The only thing that I want from you is your technique that swaps–"
"It's called Vitality Swapping Technique in human language."
"What a bland name."
"Who cares about the name when the only thing that matters is its usefulness?"
Well, that was true.
"Nero, as I said earlier, I will teach you that technique and everything I am known for," William said seriously. "Just promise me that you'll free the Soul Beasts once you become the new emperor."
"That will be difficult."
"How so?"
"I only make promises with people I trust," he said. "And most of all, I don't really care about the Soul Beasts."
"Nero Roseheart!" the Grand Spirit snarled at him. "Those Soul Beasts are a part of our family!"
"Even so, I don't feel attached to dead people I haven't met," he said calloused. "And even if we managed to free them, it's not like you can revive them. Can you?"
William didn't have a retort for that.
"I'm not that desperate to learn your technique. I only asked because it's a convenient ability," he said, then he put his teacup down on the table. "It seems like this conversation is over."
"I don't understand you, Nero Roseheart."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You have everything you need to accomplish noble things but you're not doing anything," William said in a frustrated voice. "Even if your physical body is currently cursed, you can still do incredible things in your spirit form. If you stay here and learn from me and Her Majesty, you could even become more powerful than Mona and I."
"Why are you mad? I intend to stay here and train to be stronger anyway," he said. "But it doesn't mean you or the queen could order me around. But if you're saying that I could only stay and train here if I do something for you, then I'll just leave."
The Grand Spirit smirked at him. "Aren't you being a little too greedy, Your Royal Highness? You're expecting the Spirit World to take care of you without asking for anything in return?"
"Yes," he said bluntly. "It's my birthright to be taken care of the Spirit World, isn't it? If you're really genuine about looking after me, then you wouldn't ask me for anything in return. But if you want me to stay here with you because you want something in return, then, why don't we just make a contract?"
William let out a frustrated sigh. "Let's talk again later," he said, then he stood up and headed to the door without looking back at him. "I feel like I'd end up hating you for real if we keep up this conversation, Nero Roseheart."
"I'm Nero Roseheart de Moonasterio," Nero reminded the Grand Spirit. "I belong to both families."
***
WILLIAM headed straight to his bed upon entering his room.
As soon as he plopped on his bed, Draki– the blue snake that served as his Familiar– crawled and wrapped its body around his neck lightly.
"My lord, I have bad news for you," Draki, in the voice of a young boy, said hurriedly. "The entrance of your territory was attacked!"
"Are you drunk, Draki?" William asked in a tired voice, then he closed his eyes. "Who can possibly enter my territory without my permission?"
"Princess Neoma Roseheart de Moonasterio did, my lord."
He instantly opened his eyes. "What?!"
"Her Royal Highness even managed to bring her Soul Beast with her," Draki reported in an amused voice. "The royal princess's red dragon burned the dead trees and flattened the mountain in your territory."
He got up with a clenched jaw. "That filthy bug!"
"It doesn't end there, my lord," his Familiar said in a somehow excited voice. "Using her Soul Beast's flame, Princess Neoma left a literally burning message on the dry ground of your land."
"What did the message say?"
Draki cleared his throat before he spoke. "'Uncle Scumbag, prepare a funeral… but not for me!'" The blue snake coughed as if he was trying to hold back his laughter. "Lastly, Princess Neoma left a huge picture of herself under the message. And in the picture, Princess Neoma has her middle finger raised."
To say that he was shocked would be an understatement.
It was the first time someone had disrespected him that much. Moreover, how did a mere bug like her who didn't have half of Nero's talent managed to trespass his territory?
"My lord."
He glared at his Familiar who seemed to be silently laughing at him. "What?"
Draki chuckled before he asked. "Would you like me to retrieve the photo that Princess Neoma left for you?"
William growled lowly, then he plopped on the bed and shut his eyes tight. "Mona, you gave birth to a little monster!"
***
"I APOLOGIZE but I overheard your conversation with William."
"I know, Your Majesty," Nero said calmly while facing Tara, the Queen of the Spirit World who occupied the seat that William vacated a while ago. "I'm sure that William also knows that you're eavesdropping."
"I want you to stay here in the Spirit World and I'd like to know how I can bribe you to do so. Thus, I committed such a crime," Tara said playfully. "You rejected William's offer because you're not that interested in his offer. But I think you'd like what I have to offer."
"Really? What is it then?"
"Would you like me to help you collect the missing fragments of your memories?" Tara said, her rainbow-colored eyes glistening. "By that, I mean the memories of your first life."
To say that he was shocked would be an understatement.
It was a secret that he didn't even share with his Neoma.
"Of course, I'd know," the queen said when she probably saw the shocked look on your face. "Your soul is older than your physical vessel." She smiled 'innocently' at him. "Does my offer pique your interest?"
He sipped his tea before he spoke again. Well, he should have known that the Queen of the Spirit World would discover his royal secret right away. But the fact that he could use that to his advantage calmed him down. "Rather than helping me collect the fragments of my missing memories, I want you to help me with something else, Your Majesty."
Tara tilted her head at one side. "How can I help you, Nero?"
"There's another man who stayed by Neoma's side in our first life– someone who probably retained his memories in this lifetime as well. But I can't remember who he is," Nero said seriously. "Help me find him, Your Majesty."
***
"I'M NOT weak."
Neoma, who was walking side by side with Ruto, laughed when she heard his response when she told him not to come out at night because it was dangerous. "Ruto, being physically weak isn't something you should be ashamed of," she teased him. "I will protect you."
"I'm not weak," Ruto, who was walking beside her with decent space between them, repeated. "People around me say I'm a god."
The way he said it made her think that he was being serious, and it sent chills down her spine for some reason.
She stopped walking and faced him.
Ruto did the same thing and stood in front of her with a curious look on his face. He was probably wondering why she suddenly stopped.
She raised a brow at him. "God of what?"
Ruto shrugged casually. "God of cooking?"
She blinked several times, then she laughed while hitting his shoulder. "Wow. My Ruto can be arrogant, huh?"
It was the young chef's turn to raise a brow at her.
"I'm 'your' Ruto?" Ruto asked in a teasing tone. "Interesting."
Neoma wanted to take it back but for some reason, she suddenly got tongue-tied.
Shit, why did I say that?
***
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***
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