Chapter 257 - Infinite Mage

In any case, having narrowly escaped with their lives, they now had to consider practical issues. Though they longed to pack up and leave immediately, the governance of Khazra had recently fallen under the administration of Kashan. Interference in internal affairs was considered a national disgrace. As such, although the nobles were significantly opposed, Theraze's status as Orkamp's wife made openly defying her a tricky proposition. Ultimately, they had no choice but to wait until the paternity confirmation was completed by the next day. Even a single day's difference seemed overwhelmingly perilous, akin to walking on thin ice in enemy territory. Kashan's medical team had hinted that the nobles of Khazra would take no further action, but there was little reassurance in that. Above all else, the most worrying issue was whether Eliza could simply endure this situation. Olina had struck the queen across the face. For a commoner to lay hands upon a royal was a capital offense. While Olina might do the same if time were reversed, her safe release was a considerably different matter. The night, which felt longer than ever, passed, and morning arrived. Ogent family's retainers, who stayed awake watching over Shirone, all showed dark circles under their eyes. Contrary to their fears, nothing transpired. It seemed Kashan's medical team's warnings were not without basis. With the day of Shirone’s paternity confirmation having arrived, the eyes of Khazra's nobility turned towards the judiciary. The safe on display in the inner garden was recovered. As they had adopted a system of public surveillance, no one had approached the safe during the exhibition. The alchemists opened the meticulously sealed caspi. If anyone intended to meddle, now would be their only chance; however, with control passed to Kashan, no one dared try. Upon verifying the results, the alchemists conveyed them to Kashan’s representative, completed the report, and sent a prior notice to the king’s quarters, preparing for the announcement. Eliza had been bedridden with fever for two days. The shock of realizing Shirone had tried to kill her was profound. Moreover, her cheek, struck by Olina, continued to ache. The fever had risen to 40 degrees the previous night, rendering her unable to sleep. Orkamp, caring for his wife, was in a similar mental state. The internal meddling had eaten away at him, and the only hope, Shirone, remained under Theraze’s protection. All that could be relied upon was the test results. Confirming Shirone was his child might grant him some voice in the matter. "I need Shirone. I need Shirone." At that moment, the Minister of the Interior arrived with the approval documents from the Alchemy Department. "Your Majesty, the results are in." Eliza reached for the papers before Orkamp could, her hand trembling with tension. She sat down heavily on the bed and opened the file. Inside was a single official document marked with the alchemy department’s seal. The paper trembled as Eliza held it. She read every word of the statement without skipping a sentence. When she finally saw the result, large tears rolled down her cheeks. She clutched the document as if it might crumple in her embrace and looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, our son..." *** Olina stayed up all night nursing Shirone. Her efforts seemed to have paid off as his fever lessened by morning. Amy gazed at Shirone with pity. Kashan's medical staff indicated it was likely he would regain consciousness within 24 hours. However, if that time passed, they couldn’t predict when he might wake. Perhaps they just needed to wait a day or two. But in the worst-case scenario, he could remain in a coma-like state for more than a year. "Indeed, he did cast an unbelievable spell." The creature from the first depth level had assaulted, slashed, and torn Shirone's mind. It was as if a child’s blanket had been shredded to cover an adult’s body. Considering Shirone's rapid growth rate, it should have taken at least five more years of training to reach that level. One could hardly imagine the significant trauma inflicted on his psyche. Could he recover? If his mental resilience had lost its elasticity, he might remain mentally devastated forever. "What am I thinking right now? Shirone won’t let that happen. Shirone..." A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. When Reina answered, Eliza’s maid entered, bowing her head. Amy thought the inevitable moment had arrived. “The Queen requests an audience with Miss Olina.” Olina nodded calmly. She replaced the damp cloth on Shirone’s forehead with a fresh one, kissed her son’s cheek, and prepared to leave. “Let’s go. Lead the way.” Vincent followed with a worried expression. “Love, let’s go together.” “No. The Queen summoned only me. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.” Olina had a reason to meet Eliza alone. Facing charges of assault on royalty would not end with just her execution. She needed to negotiate to protect her family. The Grand Hall still bore the marks of battle. Debris had been cleared away, but the collapsed floor was temporarily patched with planks, and no solution seemed found for the broken pillars, left in disrepair. The king and queen’s garments were more splendid than ever. Olina sensed it was a desperate attempt to hide the humiliation of losing control to Kashan. Eliza, who looked down at Olina arrogantly, became unsettled when Olina refused to avert her gaze. The woman who hadn’t dared look her in the eye upon first meeting now glared defiantly at a queen. Was it because she was a mother? Perhaps that was it. Yet, the thought didn't resonate. "If our positions were swapped... could I do the same as she?" It seemed every mother could do it, yet paradoxically, not just anyone could. “I remember precisely what you did to me.” Olina let out a quiet scoff. Orkamp thought perhaps something got caught in her throat, but Eliza, being a woman, knew it was a scoff. Her eyes seemed to speak silently: If there's a regret in my life, it's that I only slapped you once. “Do you think I'm a pitiful mother?” “I am in no position to judge others. I simply could not allow any harm to come to my child.” Olina answered, bowing her head respectfully. The intense psychological battle unfolding between the women was lost on Orkamp, so he remained silent. Eliza recalled the day Shirone lost control. “Yes, I was indeed frightened. But Shirone attacked me. Had I been any closer, he might have killed me. Yet you act as if what you did was somehow more noble. How would you have reacted in my situation?” “I would have still approached Shirone.” “And why? Because you are a mother?” “Because my child had a knife stuck in him.” The Wheel of Cause and Effect (5) Eliza's sneer froze over. “Your Majesty, I do not know what transpired that day. However, the only thing I saw was the knife embedded in my bleeding son’s abdomen. I wasn’t capable of thinking about anything else, which led me to commit an unforgivable breach of etiquette against you.” Eliza gripped the armrests of her chair tightly. “Ha! How shameless! Perhaps the commoners would side with you since all they have are their emotions! But I think differently. You nearly turned your son into a parricide!” “If that is what Shirone chose, then I must accept it.” “Accept it? What a convenient mindset. No, it’s cowardice. Shirone tried to kill me. Even so, you tell me I have no right to judge him?” “Parents have no such right.” Eliza clenched her teeth and stood up, appearing ready to issue a beheading. Olina, undeterred, continued speaking with her head bowed. “Parents have only the time—years and years—to teach their children not to commit such acts.” Eliza's mind went blank. She wanted to think of something, but her thoughts were as white as a clean slate, rendering her helpless in her chair. “Your Majesty, I have been by Shirone’s side for 18 years. Therefore, no matter what my son does now, it’s all my fault. I ask for your punishment.” Parents have no right to deny a child’s decisions. However, they have countless years to prevent those decisions. Tears welled in Eliza’s eyes. She had none of those years. The moment she abandoned her child, that precious time vanished too. A guardsman broke the silence in the Grand Hall. “Your Majesty, Shirone requests an audience.” Olina turned with surprise towards the door. Orkamp also hadn’t expected Shirone to regain consciousness so soon. Deep in thought, he solemnly gave his order. “Let him in.” A weary-looking Shirone entered, following the red carpet. Behind him were Amy, Reina, and Vincent. Relieved to see Olina unharmed, Vincent exhaled a sigh of relief. “What brings you here? You look unwell. If it’s not urgent, we could talk after you’ve rested.” Shirone hesitated, his voice faint from having rushed over immediately upon regaining consciousness. He approached Orkamp, speaking directly. “I will leave the royal palace immediately.” Amy, Reina, and his parents turned to him in shock. They had not expected him to announce his departure so soon, even after insisting on meeting Orkamp the moment he awoke. “Being here has made me realize something. From this moment onward, aside from my parents who are with me now, I have no other parents.” It was a vow Shirone intended to uphold for the rest of his life, a declaration to sever all ties with Khazra for good. After pondering for a moment, Orkamp spoke. “I grant you permission.” Everyone turned their attention to Orkamp. Yet, he revealed no emotions, seemingly having already prepared himself. He simply met Shirone’s gaze steadily. “Reina, prepare the carriage. I’ll pack my things back in my room.” As Shirone made his exit from the Grand Hall, he never looked back. It was clear how much he disliked this place. Reina glanced at Eliza to gauge her reaction. With Orkamp’s permission, she hoped to turn Olina’s issue into a non-issue as well. With a coy smile and a farewell, she turned to leave with the group when Eliza's cold voice stopped them. “Where do you think you’re going? There’s still an unresolved matter between us.” Olina furrowed her brow and turned back. Her heart was pounding, but she didn’t want to show any weakness now. “The reason I summoned you is because I haven’t decided on your punishment. I wanted to order your execution, but that wouldn’t quite satisfy me. Initially, I thought of gouging your eyes or cutting out your tongue.” Vincent's face flushed red. Should they attempt anything like that, he would take Olina and escape, even if it meant burying his bones here. “But none of that felt satisfying. Then I realized something. It was the perfect punishment.” Everyone held their breath, waiting for what would come next. Eliza watched their reactions through tired eyes and continued. “I’m simply letting you go.” “What?” Amy involuntarily asked. The others were similarly bewildered. “If I harmed you, Shirone would spend his entire life looking only at you. That didn’t sit well with me. So, I decided to let you go. To force you to live the rest of your lives weighing me against your biological mother, the queen of a kingdom, to make you envy and resent me till the end.” No one seemed to have the words to respond. Regardless of the severity of the punishment, it was a chillingly calculated mindset. Eliza, exuding a frightening sense of malice just moments ago, now wore a hollowed expression as she rummaged through her belongings. "But on the off chance, though I believed it was unlikely, if you managed to persuade me, I thought I'd give you this. And... you’ve won." The crumpled paper slipped from Eliza's hand and rolled across the floor. Olina picked it up and slowly unfolded it. It was the official document bearing the results of the paternity test between Orkamp and Shirone. Having taught Shirone to read, she could understand most of it except for the complex terminology. She skimmed over the detailed experimental results and focused on the crucial conclusion. Everyone else couldn’t help but turn their eyes to the document, anxiously awaiting the answer. Results indicated no changes in color, concentration, or sediment found upon dissolving the blood samples of Subject 1 and 2 in Oxytamine and storing it in a vacuum for three days. Hence, it concluded that Subject 1 (Orkamp) and Subject 2 (Shirone) were not biologically father and son. "My goodness..." Orkamp and Shirone were not related by blood; biologically perfect strangers. Amy looked at Orkamp, realizing only then why he seemed so indifferent earlier. "How could this be?" "I don’t know. Nor do I need to. The possibility of tampering is zero percent, so no worries there. In any case, he is not my son, so take the document. Whether you'll need it or not, I can’t say." Eliza added, "Shirone doesn't know yet. Whether you choose to tell him the truth is up to you. As much as I might want to remain Shirone's true mother forever considering the audacity two days ago, I'll forgive this time, thinking you did what I ought to have done." Olina looked up, surprised. It might have been a trick of the light, but for a moment, it seemed as though Eliza smiled. "Go back already. Shirone is your son." *** The third basement level of Khazra's royal palace was a dungeon filled with political prisoners during a time of inner turmoil. They hadn't seen the sun in decades, nor were they likely to in the future. Some nobles married those who had once tortured them. Gender didn’t matter; it was a love that transcended societal barriers, a pure connection between beings. At least in their minds. What issue could there be? For them, the walls of the dungeon were the edge of the world. Here was another society, wholly isolated from human society. Woo Rin walked the dirt floor laden with the stench of decay. Countless underground creatures parted to the sides as she stepped, the daily sustenance of those isolated. Strange sounds seeped from behind each barred door. They were as likely cries of pain as of pleasure. They sounded like weeping, yet gave a sneaking suspicion of hidden laughter. Khazra Kingdom had left this place abandoned for five years now. Though currently rendered useless, someone might have endured torture to hold dangerous, explosive information, biding their time. Bringing them to the surface unnecessarily could just create trouble. It was best to let them rot away eternally. Woo Rin recalled a novel read by the previous generation 80 years ago. The protagonist was a child born in a dungeon left unattended for 70 years. The novel depicted the dungeon as if it was an ant colony. Women were valued as bearers of children, and any boy born became food or a lifelong slave. The protagonist was born as Food Number 141. But with the help of the dungeon’s oldest man, he became a slave instead. The old man had once been a high-ranking noble 70 years prior, the only one who knew of the outside world. Knowing his time was limited, he imparted all his knowledge to the protagonist. At fifteen, a rebellion broke out in the kingdom. The dungeon, opened for the first time in 85 years, allowed the protagonist to escape into the world, quelling the rebellion and becoming king. Woo Rin’s lips curled into a smile. Even though it was just fiction, who knew? Perhaps Zion might experience such a miracle to leave this place someday. When Zion was found in the food storage, he was hanging onto life, relying on Armand’s recovery program. Left as he was, he would have died. And perhaps, that might have been a happier fate. Zion wouldn't know who saved him, nor who ordered his torture upon regaining consciousness, nor the one who threw him into the dungeon after confessing what transpired in Shirone's mind. Zion sat, defeated, in a makeshift wooden cell. He knew well how miserable the dungeon was. His eyes were puffed and vacant from crying all night; he seemed lost, as if in a daze. Hearing footsteps, he instinctively drew his limbs inward, then relaxed upon recognizing Woo Rin's face in the weak torchlight, clinging to the bars. "Woo Rin! Over here! Get me out of here! Where have you been? Some weird guys tortured me and threw me in here!" Even with Zion whining like a child, Woo Rin felt no maternal instincts for him. Her son did not inherit Theraze’s abilities. For one who existed through self-replication, the son was nothing more than a shell resembling her. Zion's face was a mess from torture—scabs on the beaten areas, eyes bruised a deep blue, his ribs wrapped in bandages. Seeing him panic even when barely able to move, the dungeon was evidently terrifying. "What a sight you are. How did a big shot like you end up like this?" Zion's eyes gleamed, noticing the sword Woo Rin carried. Though sheathed, the handle was unmistakable. Clearly, it was meant to break him out. "Damn it! I won’t leave them alone! Shirone’s still in the palace, right? No matter. I'll find and kill him myself." Zion reached out through the bars, trying to grab Armand. Woo Rin took a step back. Zion looked at her curiously, and she smiled slyly, showing him the key to the cell. “What’s this? Has my release already been arranged? You should have told me sooner!” As soon as the lock clicked open, Zion eagerly pushed through the bars, only to be shoved back inside the cell by Woo Rin, who caught him by the neck. “Gah...!” With his head slammed against the wall, Zion sank to the floor. Woo Rin, still gripping his throat, leaned closer. “Have you still not grasped the situation, you pathetic human?” “W-Woo Rin...! Why are you doing this...?” "Do you know why I haven't killed you yet?"