“…and so it’s different depending on the version, but the interpretation for this sentence, the will of the half-human, half-dragon Karnak….. Judith, are you listening?”
“Ah? Huh?”
Judith, who was dozing off, reacted belatedly.
The autumn weather was very nice. It was the perfect weather for taking a nap.
The wind was cool and the sunlight was appropriately bright enough to understand the fourth prince who was going abroad tomorrow.
Louis, with the basic theology book open, was looking at her like he couldn’t stop it.
Judith chased away the drowsiness and tried to concentrate. But it was already too late.
Louis was not angry. Blonde hair, which stood out as much as his friendly personality, shook with laughter.
“If you’re really tired, shall we do it next time?”
“No, no, I’m sorry, I’m tired… I couldn’t sleep last night.”
Judith felt her face burning. She felt embarrassed.
Louis asked after staring at her.
“What’s on your mind?”
“…….”
“Will you tell me?””
Judith hesitated for a moment, but shook her head quickly.
“It’s okay, I’m sorry, I’m taking the time to tell you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m wide awake.”
“All right, I’ll trust you.”
Louis giggled and tapped the book again.
When she asked to learn theology, she didn’t expect Louis to teach her this patiently.
But when the lid was opened, Louis was passionate enough to far exceed Judith’s expectations.
Not only did he buy a book to teach her, but he also underlined the important parts and folded the corners.
A teacher who studied harder than a student.
When I think about the time when I was teaching Violet, it was a world apart from me.
“You understand that God Karnak is not just the founder of the empire, right?”
“Yeah. Half human, half beast who inherited the blue blood of a dragon. A warrior who unified the empire with one sword… I memorized everything up to this paragraph.”
Judith, who had intended to pry out a few questions in moderation, suddenly took a special lecture on theology.
It was a great deal of luck.
For a few days, Judith learned the joy of strangely matching common sense and theology that she knew.
For example, things about dragons.
The silhouette of a dragon is engraved on the crest of the Imperial family, including the Knights Order uniform.
She learned that this was not a coincidence, but a custom hardened in the hope of the protection of God Karnak.
The same goes for the blue knight.
A blue knight that only the bloodline of the imperial family and the noble family can be traced.
It also means ‘noble blue blood’, but it is said that it comes from the fact that the god Karnak, who founded the empire, was born with the blood of a blue dragon.
It is the Veritas Empire that regards dragons as sacred. Throughout her studies, she wondered whether the origins of the empire were so deeply intertwined with theology.
It was a refreshing experience for Judith. The fun of rolling a pen. It’s the first time in my life.
But…
“Louis, there’s actually something I want to learn first…”
“Huh? Which part?”
“Here. This part.”
Judith’s hand hurriedly turned the page.
Judith, who was always busy following the progress, looked at the book in advance.
Louis’ eyes opened wide.
“Stigma?”
“It’s fine as far as I know. Can’t you tell me?”
Judith muttered.
It took me a moment to ponder whether my behavior would look strange, and unexpectedly, Louis smiled bitterly.
“Is it because of Calipa?”
“……”
Judith hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head.
She unintentionally used Calipa as an excuse for her curiosity, but there was no better reason than this.
“Yeah, I know that.”
“How did you know?”
“…I just happened to find out, Louis. How did you know?”
“It’s quite a famous story among the aristocrats, because the princess who was supposed to be pampered and protected was rather kicked out.”
Louis stopped talking and looked around. Fortunately, there was no one around.
“Um, what should I do with this…”
Embarrassment mixed with Louis’ laughter.
He pondered for a moment, but spoke again.
Being sorry was an easy way to persuade Louis.
Isn’t it because of him that Judith was assaulted during training? That fact made Louis very generous.
“Then, just know, you must never say that you found out about Calipa.”
“I promise. I will keep my mouth shut in front of Calipa.”
Judith nodded quickly because Louis’s mind might change.
It was worthwhile to act tactfully.
Louis’ explanation was the first story Judith heard.
“Stigma is kind of a divine power”
“Divine power? Like a priest’s healing power?”
“No, the divine power and healing skills are drastically different.”
Louis denied.
“Usually, holy power is the divine power that can be used by priests. It’s healing magic or purification. But divine power is a completely different power.”
Judith, who had always thought that divine power and holy power were the same word, listened while holding her breath.
“Divine power, Stigma, is the power that Karnak, who was half-human and half-beast, put on the ground to ascend the throne. Literally the power of God is divine power. According to the story, a lot of the emotions Karnak abandoned with his body to become a god turned into power.”
“The emotions that Karnak left behind.”
Judith pondered his words.
“Do you have a rough idea of the divine power, thestigma of murder that Calipa has?”
“Yes.”
Judith replied.
The men who killed Calipa’s parents and sister were never caught.
This is because Calipa, who witnessed their deaths in person, slaughtered them all as soon as she got her Stigma.1
A princess who killed dozens of assailants with a sword for the first time in her life.
Rather than a remarkable miracle, it was a light miracle.
The murder of the Duke of Impenor became a problem beyond gossip.
In an instant, Calipa, who aroused both fear and contempt, lost power and fell into a ruined house.
“It doesn’t appear to anyone. At first, it is said that it only appeared in the imperial family that inherited the blood of Karnak. However, as the generations passed, the marriage of the imperial family gradually began to appear, like with Calipa, among the nobles of dukes, marquis, and counts. “
“They don’t show up in commoners?”
“Yes, not yet.”
After turning several books in a row, his hand stopped.
“As far as I know, there is no instance of Stigma appearing on commoners.”
“…….”
Judith was naturally frustrated.
Then what is this stigma engraved on the back of my neck? Why did the stigma not appear in the common people?
If we match the words logically, it means that there was a secret to her birth.
However, Judith grew up hearing countless times that she looked just like her mother.
As it turned out, it was absurd that I was the daughter of a hidden princess or duke.
“There are more powers that have not been revealed yet, and there are more books about Stigma in the Rosetta Kingdom, which will be difficult to get in the Empire. I think the priests know more details.”
“Yeah… thanks for letting me know.”
“Of course.”
Louis picked up his pen with a big smile.
The pen moved as gently as a baton in his hand.
“It’s really difficult for Calipa. I’m sure it’s complicated because of her Stigma, since it’s not seen in a good light in public places.”
Judith nodded.
The nib of the pen scratched the paper.
Louis underlined the paper to make it easier for Judith to read.
“Would you like to read from here?”
“……”
It took her a while to quickly scan the top of the book.
The place where Louis lined up was the last item.
A stern warning from God Karnak, Judith read carefully.
“When you turn a blind eye to those at their lowest point, when you deceive a dragon, when you ruin an empire with a wicked heart… put this power on the ground for that occasion, and correct it when the time comes. With everything on the line.”
The words that Karnak God left as a will before he ascended to the throne.
Judith read the sentence bewitched.
“If you can’t fix it yourself, I’ll intervene myself.”2
***
The day of departure for the Noscana Duchy.
An unexpected figure accompanied the third and fourth princes on their trip.
It was the Third Princess consort.
“Are you sure you don’t mind, Seria?”
“Don’t worry, Eden, it’s not even a long trip.”
“But… even if you ride a carriage, you’ll be tired if the environment changes.”
“The Duchy of Noscana is not too far away.”
Seria smiled brightly at the worried Eden.
The consort’s accompaniment was a surprise because she was as frail as the third prince.
“Will asked me to go, so how can I refuse? I also want to spend some time outside the Imperial Palace.”
“……then there’s nothing I can do. William will hate me if I ruin your romantic trip.”
“Thank you.”
Eden smiled slightly.
The third consort, Seria Arbat, had not been in good health since her childhood.
Perhaps he felt the friendship between her and his brother because they were not in good health, so William sent Seria a passionate courtship.
Thanks to this, the couple was happy.
Considering their political position, marriage was enviable for Eden in the distant future.
It was when Judith was listening to their conversation that a group of people approached her.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man in a navy blue cloak with a strong grip. He first asked for a handshake.
“I serve His Highness Prince William. I’m Ilnuk, the one in charge of security for this trip.”
“Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Judith of the Red Knights.”
“I know.”
Judith clasped the wounded hand that reached out to her.
Ilnuk was a man with a stylishly shaved beard.
“You’re the youngest Aether master, aren’t you?”
“I still have a long way to go, sir.”
The tip of his beard wriggled. Ilnuk smiled kindly.
“If it wasn’t enough, you’d be disqualified as a guard. Would an Aether master be so humble?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re tougher than I thought, ha.”
Ilnuk soothed Judith, saying there was nothing to be so nervous about.
A strong arm introduced the escort knights one by one. Surprisingly, Judith was not the only one who was called up from the Red Knights.
“I’m Vista from the Red Knights.”
“Likewise, my name is Hailey of the Red Knights. We said hello last time, right? If you’re an Aether master, you’ll soon be my boss.”
They were twins of the Metis family, whose lavender hair caught attention.
The two had some sort of fancy charm.
The older brother Vista reminded her of a peony flower, and his sister, Hailey, reminded her of a lilac.
‘Is the imperial escort looking at only appearances?’3
That’s how pretty they were.
In the meantime, the man who guarded the crown prince and the crown princess like iron bars approached.
——————
TL Notes ( ´ ▿ ` )
Manhwa cahpter: 22
Don’t know if it’ll make a difference but getting a stigma is not so much as “getting” it but rather described as an awakening. In the manhwa, the official translation of Karnak’s last words before his ascension to the throne were: “When all hope is lost, the people forsaken, the dragon beguiled, and the empire dishonored, the power that I leave behind will end all suffering. Restore the order with this power. If you fail to set things right, I shall personally intervene to amend those wrongs.” ‘황족 호위는 외모도 보는 건가.’ Sorry, I can’t understand what she meant (｡•́︿•̀｡)
“…and so it’s different depending on the version, but the interpretation for this sentence, the will of the half-human, half-dragon Karnak….. Judith, are you listening?”
“Ah? Huh?”
Judith, who was dozing off, reacted belatedly.
The autumn weather was very nice. It was the perfect weather for taking a nap.
The wind was cool and the sunlight was appropriately bright enough to understand the fourth prince who was going abroad tomorrow.
Louis, with the basic theology book open, was looking at her like he couldn’t stop it.
Judith chased away the drowsiness and tried to concentrate. But it was already too late.
Louis was not angry. Blonde hair, which stood out as much as his friendly personality, shook with laughter.
“If you’re really tired, shall we do it next time?”
“No, no, I’m sorry, I’m tired… I couldn’t sleep last night.”
Judith felt her face burning. She felt embarrassed.
Louis asked after staring at her.
“What’s on your mind?”
“…….”
“Will you tell me?””
Judith hesitated for a moment, but shook her head quickly.
“It’s okay, I’m sorry, I’m taking the time to tell you.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m wide awake.”
“All right, I’ll trust you.”
Louis giggled and tapped the book again.
When she asked to learn theology, she didn’t expect Louis to teach her this patiently.
But when the lid was opened, Louis was passionate enough to far exceed Judith’s expectations.
Not only did he buy a book to teach her, but he also underlined the important parts and folded the corners.
A teacher who studied harder than a student.
When I think about the time when I was teaching Violet, it was a world apart from me.
“You understand that God Karnak is not just the founder of the empire, right?”
“Yeah. Half human, half beast who inherited the blue blood of a dragon. A warrior who unified the empire with one sword… I memorized everything up to this paragraph.”
Judith, who had intended to pry out a few questions in moderation, suddenly took a special lecture on theology.
It was a great deal of luck.
For a few days, Judith learned the joy of strangely matching common sense and theology that she knew.
For example, things about dragons.
The silhouette of a dragon is engraved on the crest of the Imperial family, including the Knights Order uniform.
She learned that this was not a coincidence, but a custom hardened in the hope of the protection of God Karnak.
The same goes for the blue knight.
A blue knight that only the bloodline of the imperial family and the noble family can be traced.
It also means ‘noble blue blood’, but it is said that it comes from the fact that the god Karnak, who founded the empire, was born with the blood of a blue dragon.
It is the Veritas Empire that regards dragons as sacred. Throughout her studies, she wondered whether the origins of the empire were so deeply intertwined with theology.
It was a refreshing experience for Judith. The fun of rolling a pen. It’s the first time in my life.
But…
“Louis, there’s actually something I want to learn first…”
“Huh? Which part?”
“Here. This part.”
Judith’s hand hurriedly turned the page.
Judith, who was always busy following the progress, looked at the book in advance.
Louis’ eyes opened wide.
“Stigma?”
“It’s fine as far as I know. Can’t you tell me?”
Judith muttered.
It took me a moment to ponder whether my behavior would look strange, and unexpectedly, Louis smiled bitterly.
“Is it because of Calipa?”
“……”
Judith hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head.
She unintentionally used Calipa as an excuse for her curiosity, but there was no better reason than this.
“Yeah, I know that.”
“How did you know?”
“…I just happened to find out, Louis. How did you know?”
“It’s quite a famous story among the aristocrats, because the princess who was supposed to be pampered and protected was rather kicked out.”
Louis stopped talking and looked around. Fortunately, there was no one around.
“Um, what should I do with this…”
Embarrassment mixed with Louis’ laughter.
He pondered for a moment, but spoke again.
Being sorry was an easy way to persuade Louis.
Isn’t it because of him that Judith was assaulted during training? That fact made Louis very generous.
“Then, just know, you must never say that you found out about Calipa.”
“I promise. I will keep my mouth shut in front of Calipa.”
Judith nodded quickly because Louis’s mind might change.
It was worthwhile to act tactfully.
Louis’ explanation was the first story Judith heard.
“Stigma is kind of a divine power”
“Divine power? Like a priest’s healing power?”
“No, the divine power and healing skills are drastically different.”
Louis denied.
“Usually, holy power is the divine power that can be used by priests. It’s healing magic or purification. But divine power is a completely different power.”
Judith, who had always thought that divine power and holy power were the same word, listened while holding her breath.
“Divine power, Stigma, is the power that Karnak, who was half-human and half-beast, put on the ground to ascend the throne. Literally the power of God is divine power. According to the story, a lot of the emotions Karnak abandoned with his body to become a god turned into power.”
“The emotions that Karnak left behind.”
Judith pondered his words.
“Do you have a rough idea of the divine power, thestigma of murder that Calipa has?”
“Yes.”
Judith replied.
The men who killed Calipa’s parents and sister were never caught.
This is because Calipa, who witnessed their deaths in person, slaughtered them all as soon as she got her Stigma.1
A princess who killed dozens of assailants with a sword for the first time in her life.
Rather than a remarkable miracle, it was a light miracle.
The murder of the Duke of Impenor became a problem beyond gossip.
In an instant, Calipa, who aroused both fear and contempt, lost power and fell into a ruined house.
“It doesn’t appear to anyone. At first, it is said that it only appeared in the imperial family that inherited the blood of Karnak. However, as the generations passed, the marriage of the imperial family gradually began to appear, like with Calipa, among the nobles of dukes, marquis, and counts. “
“They don’t show up in commoners?”
“Yes, not yet.”
After turning several books in a row, his hand stopped.
“As far as I know, there is no instance of Stigma appearing on commoners.”
“…….”
Judith was naturally frustrated.
Then what is this stigma engraved on the back of my neck? Why did the stigma not appear in the common people?
If we match the words logically, it means that there was a secret to her birth.
However, Judith grew up hearing countless times that she looked just like her mother.
As it turned out, it was absurd that I was the daughter of a hidden princess or duke.
“There are more powers that have not been revealed yet, and there are more books about Stigma in the Rosetta Kingdom, which will be difficult to get in the Empire. I think the priests know more details.”
“Yeah… thanks for letting me know.”
“Of course.”
Louis picked up his pen with a big smile.
The pen moved as gently as a baton in his hand.
“It’s really difficult for Calipa. I’m sure it’s complicated because of her Stigma, since it’s not seen in a good light in public places.”
Judith nodded.
The nib of the pen scratched the paper.
Louis underlined the paper to make it easier for Judith to read.
“Would you like to read from here?”
“……”
It took her a while to quickly scan the top of the book.
The place where Louis lined up was the last item.
A stern warning from God Karnak, Judith read carefully.
“When you turn a blind eye to those at their lowest point, when you deceive a dragon, when you ruin an empire with a wicked heart… put this power on the ground for that occasion, and correct it when the time comes. With everything on the line.”
The words that Karnak God left as a will before he ascended to the throne.
Judith read the sentence bewitched.
“If you can’t fix it yourself, I’ll intervene myself.”2
***
The day of departure for the Noscana Duchy.
An unexpected figure accompanied the third and fourth princes on their trip.
It was the Third Princess consort.
“Are you sure you don’t mind, Seria?”
“Don’t worry, Eden, it’s not even a long trip.”
“But… even if you ride a carriage, you’ll be tired if the environment changes.”
“The Duchy of Noscana is not too far away.”
Seria smiled brightly at the worried Eden.
The consort’s accompaniment was a surprise because she was as frail as the third prince.
“Will asked me to go, so how can I refuse? I also want to spend some time outside the Imperial Palace.”
“……then there’s nothing I can do. William will hate me if I ruin your romantic trip.”
“Thank you.”
Eden smiled slightly.
The third consort, Seria Arbat, had not been in good health since her childhood.
Perhaps he felt the friendship between her and his brother because they were not in good health, so William sent Seria a passionate courtship.
Thanks to this, the couple was happy.
Considering their political position, marriage was enviable for Eden in the distant future.
It was when Judith was listening to their conversation that a group of people approached her.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man in a navy blue cloak with a strong grip. He first asked for a handshake.
“I serve His Highness Prince William. I’m Ilnuk, the one in charge of security for this trip.”
“Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Judith of the Red Knights.”
“I know.”
Judith clasped the wounded hand that reached out to her.
Ilnuk was a man with a stylishly shaved beard.
“You’re the youngest Aether master, aren’t you?”
“I still have a long way to go, sir.”
The tip of his beard wriggled. Ilnuk smiled kindly.
“If it wasn’t enough, you’d be disqualified as a guard. Would an Aether master be so humble?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re tougher than I thought, ha.”
Ilnuk soothed Judith, saying there was nothing to be so nervous about.
A strong arm introduced the escort knights one by one. Surprisingly, Judith was not the only one who was called up from the Red Knights.
“I’m Vista from the Red Knights.”
“Likewise, my name is Hailey of the Red Knights. We said hello last time, right? If you’re an Aether master, you’ll soon be my boss.”
They were twins of the Metis family, whose lavender hair caught attention.
The two had some sort of fancy charm.
The older brother Vista reminded her of a peony flower, and his sister, Hailey, reminded her of a lilac.
‘Is the imperial escort looking at only appearances?’3
That’s how pretty they were.
In the meantime, the man who guarded the crown prince and the crown princess like iron bars approached.
——————
TL Notes ( ´ ▿ ` )
Manhwa cahpter: 22
Don’t know if it’ll make a difference but getting a stigma is not so much as “getting” it but rather described as an awakening. In the manhwa, the official translation of Karnak’s last words before his ascension to the throne were: “When all hope is lost, the people forsaken, the dragon beguiled, and the empire dishonored, the power that I leave behind will end all suffering. Restore the order with this power. If you fail to set things right, I shall personally intervene to amend those wrongs.” ‘황족 호위는 외모도 보는 건가.’ Sorry, I can’t understand what she meant (｡•́︿•̀｡)