A World-Spanning Proclamation and a Sacred Vow

[Enough.]

At the dragon’s command, Meyril instantly masked her ferocious glare and bowed her head. I let out a sharp smirk at the sight of her submission, but perhaps because she was in Casimus’s presence, she offered no reaction.

Casimus addressed the gathered priestesses.

[I intend to correct the prophecy I previously gave.]

“Lord Casimus!”

Meyril gasped, whipping her head around to shoot me a venomous look. I simply shrugged in response to her silent accusation. As she ground her teeth, Casimus intervened once more.

[Meyril, you have served me for fifty years. I am well aware of your loyalty.]

“Lord Casimus…”

[However, the transgression you have committed this time is difficult even for me to overlook.]

“Lord Casimus?”

The look of touched devotion on Meyril’s face drained away, leaving her deathly pale. Casimus continued remorselessly.

[Do you admit to using my prophecy to settle your own personal grudges?]

“But, Lord Casimus!”

Meyril’s lips trembled as she struggled to speak, but in the end, she found no words and hung her head in shame. Casimus looked down at her coldly, sighed, and delivered his sentence.

[I hereby strip Elder Priestess Meyril of her title and position.]

A collective gasp echoed through the lair. Meyril collapsed as if the strength had left her legs, staring up at him in utter despair.

[Now, it is my turn.]

Turning his gaze away from Meyril, Casimus looked at me with a faint smile. After meeting my eyes, he tilted his head upward and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, mana began to billow from his frame. Unlike the sharp aura from earlier, this mana felt soft and warm, and his body began to glow with a gentle, silver light.

In that moment, his voice resonated directly within my mind—and throughout the world.

<A Star of Ruin has risen over the Empire. He was raised in misfortune, and pain was his awakening. Despair shall walk in his footsteps, and a river of blood shall flow behind him. His wrath shall finally set the world ablaze. Yet, as I turned away from that vision, a distortion occurred. Within that distortion, I saw a faint light floating above the Star of Ruin, though I could not know what influence it would bring.>

It was the exact prophecy I had heard from Ita.

<We stand at a crossroads. At the fork between racing toward a predestined doom or forging a new path. On that road, no one knows if the Star of Ruin will bring destruction or remain merely a brightly shining star. But I have seen a path to a better future, and having confirmed that path, I correct my prophecy. Humans, never forget that where we stand now is a turning point.>

The final, unfamiliar words hummed in my skull. With that parting exhortation, the mana surging from his body gradually subsided. The light faded from Casimus’s scales.

He spoke to me in a gentle voice.

[With this, I have rectified my error. Are you satisfied, Crown Prince of the Empire?]

“Uh… yes.”

I nodded dumbly, still captivated by the awe-inspiring sight of the proclamation. Beside me, I heard a clicking tongue. Clearly displeased that Casimus had captured my attention, Kaiern whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“Insane. Absolutely insane. To use that much power to broadcast a prophecy across the entire continent…”

“What? What does that mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Every person in the world just heard what you heard.”

I stared at Casimus in shock. Looking closer, I could see the visible exhaustion weighing on him.

‘Is that why he asked if I was satisfied?’

If he was asking, it was only right to answer. I wasn’t just satisfied; I was beyond thrilled.

[Using so much power after a long time has made me weary. I may need to sleep for a very long while. It was a pleasure to meet you, Crown Prince. Please, I entreat you to lead us toward that better future.]

“…I understand. Thank you, Casimus.”

Casimus gave a serene smile, lay down as he had been when I first arrived, and closed his eyes. I watched him for a moment before leaving the lair, passing the priestesses who were busy shaking a catatonic Meyril. I walked out accompanied by the invisible Kaiern.

“Your Highness!”

As I exited, I saw Viscount Travie sprinting toward me from a distance. The moment he reached me, he checked if I was unharmed and then collapsed onto the ground in relief.

“I am so glad you are safe!”

He burst into loud sobs. As I reached out to pat his back in apology, something suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Huh?”

My hand was jerked upward. To anyone else, it looked like I had randomly thrust my arm into the air. Viscount Travie stopped crying and stared at me in confusion.

“Did… did you hear it? The Dragon’s prophecy echoed in my head.”

He rolled his eyes and chose to change the subject. He explained how he had been startled by the mysterious voice until he saw the priestesses prostrate in prayer, realizing it wasn’t a hallucination.

“It was truly magnificent. A dragon is a dragon, after all.”

Kaiern let out a satisfied “Hmph” into my ear. Viscount Travie, still babbling about how glad he was that I was safe, escorted me back to the village.

The village was in an uproar over Casimus’s world-wide message. Worried about Chase, I headed straight for our quarters.

“Chase!”

Chase was sitting motionlessly inside. At the sound of my voice, he bolted upright and ran to me in a single breath.

“Your Highness!”

He threw his arms around me. Feeling his back trembling slightly, I could only pat him and tell him he had done well. Once he regained his composure, he pulled back.

“I thought you’d be safe because you’re you… but I was so afraid something might have gone wrong…”

“…”

“That’s why, even though you told me not to speak…”

Chase rambled on, eventually apologizing in a hesitant voice. He looked terrified that he might have interfered with my plans. I reached out and stroked his hair.

“No, you did nothing wrong. I’m the one at fault. I promised to be back early and I was late.”

“Your Highness.”

“So, you aren’t—”

At fault. I was about to finish my sentence when the hand stroking his hair was grabbed and hoisted upward again. I stared at the empty air beside me in embarrassment while Chase, looking bewildered by my raised arm, awkwardly raised his own hand in imitation.

Then, I saw something that made me gasp.

“Are you hurt?”

“Oh…”

Chase’s palm was sliced open as if by a sharp edge. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was deep.

“How did this happen? Did someone do this to you?”

“N-no! It was a mistake. I did it myself.”

He shook his head frantically as I scanned him with suspicious eyes, looking for a culprit. I held his hand, feeling a pang of regret.

If only I had the Authority of Healing… My holy power boosted my own recovery, but when I projected it outward, it manifested purely as a force of destruction.

Just as I was lamenting that my power would only hurt him more, a small “Tsk” sounded beside me.

[Why are you touching him so much? I don’t like it.]

Kaiern’s voice rang in my head. I checked Chase’s face to see if he’d heard, but he seemed oblivious.

[Only you can hear me.]

I relaxed at Kaiern’s follow-up. At least he was keeping his promise to stay hidden. I kept my mouth mostly shut and whispered to Kaiern like a ventriloquist.

“If you h-hate me t-touching him… then f-fix it yourself?”

Chase looked puzzled by my strange muttering, so I just gave him a bright smile. Another click of the tongue followed.

Suddenly, Chase’s palm began to glow with a faint light. He looked startled but didn’t pull away, seemingly thinking I was the one doing it.

The gash in his palm began to knit together before our eyes. Chase’s eyes widened into circles. Within seconds, his skin was as smooth as if he had never been cut. I checked his hand carefully to ensure no other wounds remained before letting go.

“Next time something like this happens… don’t say you’re sorry. Get angry at me for being late.”

I hated how subservient he was being. But he only looked at me as if such a thing were impossible.

“Chase, I hereby grant you ‘Permission to be Angry at Me’.”

I gave him a formal Imperial Decree. From now on, even if he got mad at me, I couldn’t blame or punish him. Chase looked stunned, his face a mask of total confusion. It was so funny I giggled, telling him he could get as angry as he liked. His eyes grew rimmed with red.

“In the future… I will protect you, Your Highness. So that nothing like today ever happens again.”

It was a sudden, random vow, but as I looked at him—teary-eyed and smiling brightly—I just smiled back.