Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
Upon closer inspection, the three people sitting in front of me each exude a different aura. To my right, Layfence maintains his usual expression, slowly shifting his gaze between the two kings and me. He seems to emanate a sense of reassurance, as if to say, “I’ll back you up, so feel free to speak.”
On my left, King Maintia stares intently at my face. His eyes sparkle with anticipation, as if his heart is brimming with excitement. In front of me, King Poseidon stares steadfastly. It’s as if he’s measuring my worth.
It seems there’s no escape now. I must brace myself.
“Um, is it alright if I share not my own experience, but a story I’ve heard?”
“That’s fine,” King Poseidon responds promptly. King Maintia smiles slyly, probably thinking I should just candidly share my own experiences. His thoughts are transparent to me.
With resolve, I clear my throat and begin.
“This is an old tale. In a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful queen deeply loved by the king for her beauty.”
“Ah, a common tale. Reminds me of my father, the Great King.”
“…”
“The queen and king had a lovely son. However, the queen, being of low birth, was envied and harassed by other concubines. Over time, she fell ill.”
“Yes, a familiar situation. The same happens in my Alison Castle.”
“…”
“When the prince was three, the queen succumbed to her illness.”
“How tragic! Couldn’t something have been done earlier?”
“…”
“The king mourned deeply, unable to forget her. The servants, seeing his grief, found a woman resembling the queen and brought her to serve the king.”
“Such loyal subjects! If only my kingdom of Vladime had even one…”
“…”
“The king was delighted with the new queen and regained his spirits.”
“Of course, of course.”
King Poseidon, who has been listening with a stoic face, suddenly speaks up.
“And then? Surely that’s not the end?”
“No, the story continues.”
“Let’s hear it.”
I clear my throat again and resume.
“The prince, missing his late mother, gradually grew fond of the new queen, who in turn began to love him.”
“A good turn.”
“…”
“As the prince grew, his feelings for the queen turned to love. She became his first love.”
“Interesting. And then?”
King Maintia interrupts eagerly, but King Poseidon leans forward, engrossed.
“Out of respect for his father, the prince couldn’t express his feelings or act upon them. Eventually, he married someone else.”
“But that’s not the end of their love, right?”
“Certainly not.”
“…”
“When the queen fell ill, she retired to the countryside. The prince followed, and there, they consummated their love.”
“Indeed! And then what happened?”
“She became pregnant with the prince’s child.”
“Ah, what a twist! A divine retribution, yet understandable. But a complicated situation.”
“The healed queen returned to the palace, tormented by guilt, and bore the prince’s child—a boy. The king, overjoyed, declared the child his heir.”
“Wait! Why would the newborn become the heir? Normally, the elder prince should be the heir. Could it be the king knew about the prince and queen’s affair? If so, the prince would be charged with adultery and…!”
“Please calm down, King Maintia. There’s more to the story. After struggling with guilt, the queen soon passed away. The prince, burdened with guilt and grief over the loss of his loved one, spent his days in sorrow.”
“What a tragedy… But wait! You mentioned guilt… Could it be a pretext, and in reality, she was secretly executed by the king? If so, the prince should be fleeing the country to save his life, not wallowing in despair!”
“King Maintia, please, be quiet for a moment. It’s hard to continue the story with interruptions. Alright? So, during his days of gloom, the prince went for a walk in the mountains for a change of scenery and came across a large mansion.”
“A new turn in the story, it seems.”
“From the mansion, he heard the voice of a young girl, saying trivial things like, ‘The sparrow got away!’ The prince peeked through a gap in the wall and saw her.”
“Hmm. Not exactly commendable behavior, but… I understand. Then what?”
“He saw a girl around 10 years old playing there, and she looked remarkably like the deceased queen.”
“What! I didn’t expect that! I thought he’d be smitten with a lady from the mansion, but a young girl… Yet, what can one do with a 10-year-old?”
“You might think so, right? But the prince took the girl to his mansion and raised her, teaching her manners and shaping her into his ideal woman.”
“Intriguing…”
“When the girl turned 14, the prince married her.”
“What! Is that even possible?”
“And the prince deeply loved her, and she loved him in return. They lived happily ever after… That’s the story.”
Everyone fell silent, the air growing tense. King Poseidon’s expression remained unchanged. King Maintia was visibly disturbed, darting his eyes from side to side. Layfence had closed his eyes, pondering something.
Could they have guessed the original source of my story? No, that’s impossible. They couldn’t know it. It’s a work I learned in high school, and I even altered it a bit. It’s not just a vague memory; I deliberately modified it.
“King Agartha, didn’t the father king charge the prince with adultery? What happened?”
“Charged with adultery? I don’t think that happened… The child born to the previous queen ascended the throne, and the prince became a subject, assisting in governance.”
“What? He put his own child on the throne and became a regent? How cunning… Wouldn’t that make the kingdom entirely under the prince’s control? Isn’t that a usurpation? What were the other servants doing?”
King Maintia’s absurd questions came tremblingly. Is he alright?
“Well, there were power struggles, of course. The prince even left the capital for a time. But eventually, he was called back and held a high position. He was a competent person.”
“But… that’s still a usurpation, isn’t it?”
“Would you kindly be silent for a moment?” interjected King Poseidon with a commanding voice. King Maintia straightened up, still looking flustered.
“Such a tale I’ve never heard before. Loving a stepmother is not unheard of, but raising a young girl to be a wife according to one’s preference is astonishing. Could I do such a thing? No. To do so, one must continually shower her with affection. Otherwise, deep mutual love cannot develop. The prince lived harmoniously with her after marrying. She accepted him, even as a guardian. She must have been exceptional… No, it was the prince’s love. Without a love as deep as the sea, this story wouldn’t hold.”
King Poseidon’s brows furrowed, his expression intense. He seems intimidating when angry. I must be careful with my words to avoid complications.
“I’m amazed. Truly interesting. I never thought I’d learn such a thing from a human, much younger than me. I almost underestimated you, King Agartha.”
King Poseidon nodded, still stern. I’m at a loss for words.
“We are satisfied! Inviting these people was not a mistake. From today, we are brothers! Let us recognize each other as brothers with the same aspirations!”
What? Brothers? With the same aspirations? I’d rather not be lumped together like this…
Suddenly, glasses with a clear liquid appeared on the table. King Poseidon, now smiling, picked up a glass.
“In human culture, brothers share a drink to seal their bond. Let us do the same and form a brotherly pact!”
Hearing this, King Maintia eagerly grabbed a glass, followed by Layfence. I reluctantly took one as well.
“From now on, we are brothers. Though born on different days, we will help each other as such. And when we face death… let us vow to die in the same way!”
With that, King Poseidon downed his drink, followed by the others. Reluctantly, I did the same.
The drink wasn’t pleasant. And what’s this about dying the same way? I hope it’s not something ridiculous like dying of overeating…
Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
Upon closer inspection, the three people sitting in front of me each exude a different aura. To my right, Layfence maintains his usual expression, slowly shifting his gaze between the two kings and me. He seems to emanate a sense of reassurance, as if to say, “I’ll back you up, so feel free to speak.”
On my left, King Maintia stares intently at my face. His eyes sparkle with anticipation, as if his heart is brimming with excitement. In front of me, King Poseidon stares steadfastly. It’s as if he’s measuring my worth.
It seems there’s no escape now. I must brace myself.
“Um, is it alright if I share not my own experience, but a story I’ve heard?”
“That’s fine,” King Poseidon responds promptly. King Maintia smiles slyly, probably thinking I should just candidly share my own experiences. His thoughts are transparent to me.
With resolve, I clear my throat and begin.
“This is an old tale. In a certain kingdom, there lived a beautiful queen deeply loved by the king for her beauty.”
“Ah, a common tale. Reminds me of my father, the Great King.”
“…”
“The queen and king had a lovely son. However, the queen, being of low birth, was envied and harassed by other concubines. Over time, she fell ill.”
“Yes, a familiar situation. The same happens in my Alison Castle.”
“…”
“When the prince was three, the queen succumbed to her illness.”
“How tragic! Couldn’t something have been done earlier?”
“…”
“The king mourned deeply, unable to forget her. The servants, seeing his grief, found a woman resembling the queen and brought her to serve the king.”
“Such loyal subjects! If only my kingdom of Vladime had even one…”
“…”
“The king was delighted with the new queen and regained his spirits.”
“Of course, of course.”
King Poseidon, who has been listening with a stoic face, suddenly speaks up.
“And then? Surely that’s not the end?”
“No, the story continues.”
“Let’s hear it.”
I clear my throat again and resume.
“The prince, missing his late mother, gradually grew fond of the new queen, who in turn began to love him.”
“A good turn.”
“…”
“As the prince grew, his feelings for the queen turned to love. She became his first love.”
“Interesting. And then?”
King Maintia interrupts eagerly, but King Poseidon leans forward, engrossed.
“Out of respect for his father, the prince couldn’t express his feelings or act upon them. Eventually, he married someone else.”
“But that’s not the end of their love, right?”
“Certainly not.”
“…”
“When the queen fell ill, she retired to the countryside. The prince followed, and there, they consummated their love.”
“Indeed! And then what happened?”
“She became pregnant with the prince’s child.”
“Ah, what a twist! A divine retribution, yet understandable. But a complicated situation.”
“The healed queen returned to the palace, tormented by guilt, and bore the prince’s child—a boy. The king, overjoyed, declared the child his heir.”
“Wait! Why would the newborn become the heir? Normally, the elder prince should be the heir. Could it be the king knew about the prince and queen’s affair? If so, the prince would be charged with adultery and…!”
“Please calm down, King Maintia. There’s more to the story. After struggling with guilt, the queen soon passed away. The prince, burdened with guilt and grief over the loss of his loved one, spent his days in sorrow.”
“What a tragedy… But wait! You mentioned guilt… Could it be a pretext, and in reality, she was secretly executed by the king? If so, the prince should be fleeing the country to save his life, not wallowing in despair!”
“King Maintia, please, be quiet for a moment. It’s hard to continue the story with interruptions. Alright? So, during his days of gloom, the prince went for a walk in the mountains for a change of scenery and came across a large mansion.”
“A new turn in the story, it seems.”
“From the mansion, he heard the voice of a young girl, saying trivial things like, ‘The sparrow got away!’ The prince peeked through a gap in the wall and saw her.”
“Hmm. Not exactly commendable behavior, but… I understand. Then what?”
“He saw a girl around 10 years old playing there, and she looked remarkably like the deceased queen.”
“What! I didn’t expect that! I thought he’d be smitten with a lady from the mansion, but a young girl… Yet, what can one do with a 10-year-old?”
“You might think so, right? But the prince took the girl to his mansion and raised her, teaching her manners and shaping her into his ideal woman.”
“Intriguing…”
“When the girl turned 14, the prince married her.”
“What! Is that even possible?”
“And the prince deeply loved her, and she loved him in return. They lived happily ever after… That’s the story.”
Everyone fell silent, the air growing tense. King Poseidon’s expression remained unchanged. King Maintia was visibly disturbed, darting his eyes from side to side. Layfence had closed his eyes, pondering something.
Could they have guessed the original source of my story? No, that’s impossible. They couldn’t know it. It’s a work I learned in high school, and I even altered it a bit. It’s not just a vague memory; I deliberately modified it.
“King Agartha, didn’t the father king charge the prince with adultery? What happened?”
“Charged with adultery? I don’t think that happened… The child born to the previous queen ascended the throne, and the prince became a subject, assisting in governance.”
“What? He put his own child on the throne and became a regent? How cunning… Wouldn’t that make the kingdom entirely under the prince’s control? Isn’t that a usurpation? What were the other servants doing?”
King Maintia’s absurd questions came tremblingly. Is he alright?
“Well, there were power struggles, of course. The prince even left the capital for a time. But eventually, he was called back and held a high position. He was a competent person.”
“But… that’s still a usurpation, isn’t it?”
“Would you kindly be silent for a moment?” interjected King Poseidon with a commanding voice. King Maintia straightened up, still looking flustered.
“Such a tale I’ve never heard before. Loving a stepmother is not unheard of, but raising a young girl to be a wife according to one’s preference is astonishing. Could I do such a thing? No. To do so, one must continually shower her with affection. Otherwise, deep mutual love cannot develop. The prince lived harmoniously with her after marrying. She accepted him, even as a guardian. She must have been exceptional… No, it was the prince’s love. Without a love as deep as the sea, this story wouldn’t hold.”
King Poseidon’s brows furrowed, his expression intense. He seems intimidating when angry. I must be careful with my words to avoid complications.
“I’m amazed. Truly interesting. I never thought I’d learn such a thing from a human, much younger than me. I almost underestimated you, King Agartha.”
King Poseidon nodded, still stern. I’m at a loss for words.
“We are satisfied! Inviting these people was not a mistake. From today, we are brothers! Let us recognize each other as brothers with the same aspirations!”
What? Brothers? With the same aspirations? I’d rather not be lumped together like this…
Suddenly, glasses with a clear liquid appeared on the table. King Poseidon, now smiling, picked up a glass.
“In human culture, brothers share a drink to seal their bond. Let us do the same and form a brotherly pact!”
Hearing this, King Maintia eagerly grabbed a glass, followed by Layfence. I reluctantly took one as well.
“From now on, we are brothers. Though born on different days, we will help each other as such. And when we face death… let us vow to die in the same way!”
With that, King Poseidon downed his drink, followed by the others. Reluctantly, I did the same.
The drink wasn’t pleasant. And what’s this about dying the same way? I hope it’s not something ridiculous like dying of overeating…
