Chapter 176: Removing the Mask

Thump... Thump, thump, thump—!

“You there.”

“...!!”

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“N-no... I'm fine.”

Kuwell MacGovern shook his head at Belin Vallention’s words.

“You’re in the presence of His Majesty. Mind your manners.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“Yes... My apologies.”

“Whoever he is to you, he’s certainly an unusual one,” Belin noted with a displeased expression. However, as a member of Luon’s faction, his opinion didn’t carry much weight. In fact, Karyl’s appearance had only worsened Luon’s situation, but that wasn’t the utmost important thing at the moment.

Gulp–

In this brief moment, Kuwell’s mind was racing. Should he rush forward and stop him? Would doing so worsen the already delicate situation for Prince Olivurn, especially now that the Ryeo Knights were no longer a supporting force?

Caught between his adopted son and the prince he served, Kuwell was unable to make a decision.

“What are you doing? His Majesty has commanded you!”

“This is blatant insolence!!”

Some of the vassals shouted at Karyl.

“I have no issues with removing my mask. However, I worry my face might shock you.”

“What do you take me for? As the vassals have said, I gave you an order. You think you can rattle me, the emperor, like that?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty.”

Clink—

Karyl unbuckled his mask; everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to him.

Slowly, his visage came into view.

“...!!”

Everyone in the Sun Hall was stunned by what they saw.

“His eye color...”

“Those eyes...”

They all muttered in astonishment, staring at him in a daze. But the two most shocked were Kuwell, his father, and the First Prince, Luon Shutean. Though everyone was speechless at Karyl’s eyes, those two were shocked for entirely different reasons.

...They’re not black?!

“They’re not brown?!”

If one couldn’t voice his question, the other shouted in surprise.

His eyes were fiery red, embers of lava shimmering against the inky black of his pupils.

“I’ve never seen eyes like that...”

“Huh...”

“What on earth...”

The vassals murmured in disbelief, and Karyl nodded at Luon, expecting another outburst from him.

“Your Majesty, do you remember when, at your command, I went to the lair of the Flame Dragon, Riseria?”

“Of course. How could I forget my own orders? Haha... If my memory were that shabby, I shouldn’t be sitting here.”

“While there, I not only obtained your medicine but also gained a certain power.”

“Hmm?”

“Regretfully, I couldn’t inform you sooner due to my inability to control this power.”

“A power, you say... I assume it’s related to your eyes.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

“And what exactly is this power that you’re speaking of?”

Whoosh!

Crackle... Crackle—!!

At that moment, a spiral of red flames erupted around Karyl. The sudden blaze caused the knights to draw their swords and the vassals to step back in alarm.

“You—!!”

“What are you doing?!”

Ignoring the knights’ shouts, Karyl continued in a calm voice, “Please forgive my impudence. I merely thought that a display would be better than an explanation.”

“Hmm.”

Unlike the startled vassals, the emperor gazed at Karyl’s flames with a rather nonchalant expression.

“I am not well-versed in magic, but I reckon that flames of that magnitude must consume a considerable amount of mana. However, I sense no mana from you.”

At the emperor’s question, Kuwell looked at Karyl with trembling eyes. Despite the astonishing situation, both the emperor and Karyl maintained a casual demeanor, as if they were just having a chat in the garden.

“Your perception is keen as always, Your Majesty. Indeed, an imperial should naturally sense mana. However, the reason you don’t sense mana from this power is because it is not magic.”

“Not magic? Then what is it?”

“A spirit.”

Just like that, Karyl caused another stir in the Sun Hall.

“It’s the power of the Blazing King, Ramine, one of the five Spirit Kings."

“...!!”

The vassals were in utter shock. The young boy’s revelations were beyond extraordinary.

“A... Spirit King?”

“Is that even possible?”

“Spirits are almost extinct, aren’t they?”

The vassals, seemingly forgetting they were in the emperor’s presence, murmured in astonishment. Ironically, as Karyl’s power was revealed, their perception of him shifted dramatically.

Not just any spirit, but a Spirit King... This is unprecedented.

There really is no one like him on the continent...

And he is Kuwell's son...

There’s potential. He’s supporting the emperor, after all. Perhaps he could take a different path.

We must bring him to our side... By any means necessary...

Both the emperor and Karyl smirked coldly, as if they could guess the meaning behind their gazes.

“Sir Kadin, I would like to hear your expert opinion.”

At the emperor's words, everyone looked at Kadin Luer, the court sorcerer.

“Indeed... I don’t sense mana from him, but a powerful, unfamiliar force. It’s so overwhelming that it seems to obscure his mana.”

“Hmm, is that so? Then it means you cannot measure Karyl’s mana.”

“My apologies. While we can measure the amount of mana with a mana gauge, determining his element will be difficult due to the strong flame aura.”

“I see. If that is your assessment, Sir Kadin, then it must be so.”

No one would dare challenge the opinion of Kadin, the empire’s Great Sorcerer. Still, it wasn’t enough—a decisive blow was needed.

“Your Majesty, to prove I am not lying...”

Karyl turned his head. He then looked at someone and gave a sinister smile.

“...”

The target of his gaze turned pale, as though death itself was smiling at him.

“He shall be my witness.”

“I... I...”

“Isn’t that right, Sir Yurin Huygar?”

At Karyl’s words, everyone’s gaze shifted to Yurin.

“Indeed. On my orders, Sir Yurin accompanied you to the lair of the Flame Dragon.”

The emperor cast a curious glance at Yurin. As a member of the church who worshipped Yula, Yurin was not yet part of the empire, and so, the emperor spoke in a particularly respectful manner to him in front of the vassals.

“A priest of the Church of Yula will speak only the truth.”

Yurin Huygar looked at Karyl with fearful eyes. In truth, what had happened at the Flame Dragon’s lair and Karyl’s acquisition of Ramine’s power weren’t the main concerns; there was a bigger issue.

Yurin had confidently reported to the emperor that he had dealt with the Water King and the Sea King himself. He knew it would be disastrous if his lies were exposed and the emperor found out that Karyl was connected to that incident.

After all, the First Prince had suffered a massive defeat at the Twin Armor because of those two monsters.

“...!”

At that moment, Yurin noticed Karyl’s lips move slightly as he stared at him. He didn’t make any sounds, but Yurin managed to read his lips.

One word: King.

Damn it... He knows everything!!

As if reading his mind, Karyl put a finger to his lips, signaling him not to bring up the Water King and Sea King.

“He... He speaks the truth, Your Majesty. At that time, we discovered an unknown flame power, but he could not control it, so we returned first to report.” Yurin bit his lip as he spoke. “Following that incident, Sir Karyl’s eyes changed color as well. Given how unusual his eyes are within the empire, his decision to wear a mask is understandable.”

Quick-witted, Yurin added some details that Karyl hadn’t mentioned. Karyl nodded in satisfaction at his thorough explanation.

“Sir Kuwell.”

“...Yes, Your Majesty.”

“The MacGovern family traditionally has a fire affinity, correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor looked at Kuwell and then at Karyl’s flames.

“I must say... This whole thing is very untimely, but it turned out well for you. A child blessed with the power of the Blazing King, wielding the mightiest of flames...” the emperor trailed off momentarily before continuing, “Kuwell, your family has many talented individuals, but this child is exceptional. It seems Yula is favoring your family.”

“I am deeply honored, Your Majesty.”

The emperor then turned back to Karyl.

“However, there are still many questions I have for you. Regardless of this power, I will investigate the events at the Twin Armor once Kromen’s funeral is over.”

“I understand.”

“So until then, stay put and wait.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Kromen’s death had shaken the imperial palace, but Karyl’s unexpected arrival had caused an even greater stir.

“...”

Karyl took a deep breath, just as he had when he first entered the palace. His eyes gleamed, knowing that the wave would not subside until they were all swept away.

***

[You managed to succeed.]

Karyl lay on his bed, exhausted but smiling, satisfied with receiving a private chamber in the palace instead of a cell.

Be cautious. This place houses a Great Sorcerer who has reached the pinnacle. Even now, we’re being watched,

Karyl responded to Ramine’s voice. He found it hilarious that the only one he could comfortably converse with in the palace wasn’t even human, but a spirit.

[Hmph... Not even the greatest sorcerer can hear my voice without spirit power. Even if they had it, none can hear without my permission.]

Ramine was intrigued.

[Your black eyes are the mark of an outsider. No external magic can change that, but you, who consumed the heart of a dragon and gained mana, can. You used transformation magic to change your eye and hair color until now...]

In the palace, there was the court sorcerer Kadin Luer, a Great Sorcerer of the 7th Class. As someone only in the 5th Class, Karyl’s magic would easily be detected by Kadin, meaning he had no choice but to borrow Ramine’s power.

[And with my spirit power, your mana is concealed]

Exactly. And fortunately, my mana doesn’t have an affinity for any of the five elements. It’s based on the powers of light and darkness, making it even harder to detect.

No matter how great Kadin Luer was, sensing Karyl’s mana while it was enveloped in Ramine’s aura would be incredibly difficult for him. Moreover, since Karyl’s dragon mana had no specific element, it blended seamlessly with Ramine’s flames.

[No human sorcerer, no matter how skilled, can detect your dragon mana. Only one species on this continent can.]

Karyl slowly got up. He walked to the window and drew back the curtain. Outside the castle, preparations for Kromen’s funeral were in full swing, with lights illuminating the night.

And what species would that be?

Karyl asked quietly.

Ramine whispered in response, [Dragons.]