Chapter 14. What a Windfall (1)
In a prison near the capital of the Holy Empire's central-eastern region...
Cardinal Verit glared coldly at the prison interior, where a bishop who had undergone interrogation and torture by the imperial family was sobbing pathetically.
"I told you to handle Esua's brat and return, yet you couldn't even accomplish that simple task - staining the papal family's honor with your incompetence."
"You're utterly useless to the end. Not only did you give the Emperor leverage, but you actually helped Esua? Were you secretly a follower of Qing rather than Gold?"
"N-no! This is unfair! I... gack!"
"Hold your tongue."
A radiant knight surged forth from beneath the Cardinal's feet in a golden glow. The emotionless yet arrogant killing intent turned toward the bishop.
"If that brat learns Esua's visions and becomes a Saint while running amok, that would indeed be quite a spectacle."
"N-no! That child could never become a Saint! Because that kid is...!"
"A demonkin?"
Cardinal Verit slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
"You expect me to believe such nonsense now?"
The incredulous smile carried contempt as if looking at vermin. The panicked bishop desperately grabbed the Cardinal's leg.
"You must believe me! If you just save me here, I'll...!"
"Apologies, but we've already verified that brat's identity."
"Then...!"
"A demonkin wielding holy power cannot exist in this world. Are you truly unaware that your words blaspheme both God and His Holiness?"
"Th-that's... gack!!"
The bishop collapsed with a severed neck. Cardinal Verit turned away, dismissing the luminous spirit that had executed the blow.
"Clean this up."
As the attendant nodded and stared at the corpse, he swallowed hard.
Esua was one of the strongest noble houses capable of nurturing prodigies like the Saintess. They led the Five Great Houses supporting the Holy Empire, rivaling even the papal family in influence.
The problem was precisely that the Saintess' child had gone to their sworn enemies at Esua.
'That brat could become our young lord's greatest threat.'
Saints had to emerge from Verit's papal lineage. All others needed eradication.
As if reading the attendant's anxious thoughts, the Cardinal turned.
"Relax. The Emperor will likely take the child. As long as it doesn't go to Esua... If it enters the imperial household, we'll have opportunities to intercept."
"Yes. We'll prepare thoroughly near the palace."
"We can't let that brat achieve anything more."
"Understood."
If the whelp kept slaying demons, Sainthood rumors would spread. The papal attendant's guts twisted at the thought.
Isaac, was it?
Failed to poison him, lost a bishop... The brat even used holy magic beyond his capabilities.
What kind of monster is this child?
But no matter.
Chungshin smiled.
The moment that child reaches the palace, his lifeline will be severed.
Meanwhile, the Skeleton King was heading not to the palace, but to Esua.
Not for any moldy, bloodline-related reasons, of course.
Several days prior...
The Skeleton King had initially chosen the Emperor over Esua after they'd blathered about honor and indomitable spirit.
'What? Gold's useless?'
You crazy bastards! Silk, castles, gold bars, land - isn't that the best offering?
Shouldn't that be enough?
He clung to the Emperor like glue. While the ruler was delighted, Esua's members were thrown into disarray.
Even the uncle, formerly so dignified, feigned panic while alternating glances between the child and Emperor. He'd instantly read the imperial mood.
Sure enough:
"Y-your Majesty! While we naturally respect your will... shouldn't the child be returned to his blood relatives?"
But the Emperor, happily embracing the unyielding Skeleton King, smirked.
"Hoh? I'd love to return him to family, but shouldn't we respect the child's wishes? Though young, he's a person deserving dignity."
"But..."
"Surely you, an Esua council member and his uncle, wouldn't ignore your nephew's will? I never took you for such a man."
You fucking imperial bastard!
Though maintaining decorum before the Emperor, the uncle's clenched jaw screamed profanity. When he didn't object, Esua's knight captain urgently whispered:
"Are you truly sending your nephew to the palace?"
"If it's for his benefit, perhaps it's better this way."
"Pardon?"
"We never found who took my brother and sister-in-law. The baby could be targeted next."
"But..."
"Moreover, the palace can offer him more than we ever could."
"Young master..."
"Our house only has demon corpses and magic cores. Hardly a nurturing environment. The most valuable thing we possess is... the Skeleton King's physical remains."
At that moment—
Thud-thud-thud!
"Eh?"
The Skeleton King rolled out of the attendant's arms.
"Young master?!"
Scuttling cockroach-like, he latched onto the uncle's leg. Esua's knights gaped in moved astonishment - they'd thought their young lord was palace-bound forever.
"Young master!"
"You choose to stay with us?!"
But the Skeleton King clinging to them glared wide-eyed.
'The Skeleton King's remains?!'
You should've led with that, you shits!
Though whispered, the magic core-crafted Skeleton King heard clearly.
His original body?
Fuck!
My body!
The body I painstakingly developed over centuries by scamming naive dragons for their magic!
'With my original form, even 10th-circle magic would be trivial.'
Higher demons stored magic not just in cores, but throughout their flesh. The deeper the magical history, the more saturated every muscle and bone fragment became.
A Dark Lord's body versus common magic cores?
They're not even comparable!
Though limited by his skeletal origins, he'd honed this body through centuries of subjugating demons and rivaling gods.
The ultimate elixir!
Recovering his original power would be exponentially faster.
And Esua had it?
How it reached an exorcist family during his 150-year sealing was puzzling, but not impossible.
Thus, the Skeleton King chose Esua.
Moreover, his "Survival" instinct - this body's risk-assessment mechanism - had reacted again.
Bzzzt!
The same instinct that helped avoid danger and seize gains now pulsed toward the uncle.
Thump-thump-thump!
Stronger than its reaction to the Emperor.
Though Esua touted honor and spirit, the Survival instinct shone like a beacon from the uncle's head - visible only to him.
Flash!
Why keep signaling when I'm not going?
Flash! Flash!
I said no! Fuck off!
Flash-BANG! Flash-BANG! Flash-BANG! Flashflashflashflash!
Fuck! Stop!
This wasn't just auspicious - it signaled a life-changing fortune!
Choose Esua first, use the Emperor as backup?
The instinct had never failed since his skeletal days. Grudgingly, the Skeleton King frowned.
Of course, the body revelation sealed the deal, but as an exorcist house...
'They must have abundant magic cores.'
More demon corpses meant more cleanup operations. Magic cores were trash to priests, but ambrosia to him.
And such a strong Survival reaction suggested benefits beyond just body and cores.
Thus, choosing Esua served both core-gathering and curiosity.
When the Skeleton King selected Esua, the Emperor summoned servants with a gold-laden chest.
"This was meant as compensation for taking the child. Now unnecessary, but accept it as gratitude for saving my life and the Crown Prince's."
The uncle immediately refused:
"The child merely fulfilled his duty as a protector. Esua requires no material—"
Mid-sentence, the Skeleton King rolled toward the Emperor.
As he tried to leap back into imperial arms, the uncle panicked:
"...W-we'll save all gifts for his future! Our deepest gratitude, Your Majesty."
About time, brat.
Satisfied, the Skeleton King crawled into the knight captain's embrace. The uncle stared at him like observing a strange creature.
Does he truly understand speech?
Thus began the journey to Esua.
The carriage ride proceeded smoothly, but...
The Skeleton King studied the nervous Esua knights eyeing him.
"Young master, do you need anything?"
"Just command us!"
They feared he'd return to the Emperor, especially with the golden lion token in his hand - an imperial pass gifted before departure.
The uncle grimaced, recognizing the palace access medallion, then tore a blue-white ornament from his robe into the Skeleton King's other hand.
Smirking at his new treasures, the Skeleton King mused:
'Unplanned, but balancing both sides brings advantages.'
He now had connections to both powers.
But the real issue lay elsewhere.
"The papal faction might target this child."
At the uncle's words, knights tilted their heads.
"Why would they attack an Esua boy?"
"Because he's a Saint candidate. Saints could supersede the Pope."
They stiffened.
"But His Holiness and Majesty are our faith's highest authorities. Even a Saint surpassing them seems..."
"The gods decreed a prophecy - the Saint will become God's son."
"...!"
"Meaning..."
"The next papacy."
Every face froze.
The Pope - 10th-circle holy magic user, ruler of all clergy. With demonkind's rising power, his influence spanned nations.
Once, a single papal recall order had withdrawn all clergy from a besieged kingdom, leaving it to fall silently.
No ruler dared antagonize him after that lesson.
Yet this unshakable position might change?
Chaos would engulf the continent.
"So Verit pushed for their own Saint candidate? To keep the highest authority?"
"They tried suppressing the Saintess initially too."
"True... Her being female and having concrete goals like defeating the Skeleton King made the Pope overlook her."
"No. He ignored her after she failed to kill the Skeleton King."
Cough-cough-hack!
"Young master Isaac! What's wrong?"
"Has he caught a chill?"
The Skeleton King coughed bloodily.
Fuck! Stop stabbing my pride!
As knights gulped, someone asked:
"So Lord Rayleigh... Do you believe Isaac is the Saint?"
The uncle snorted.
"The gods don't play favorites. They'd never grant both Saintess and Saint to one house."
"Ah, reasonable."
The Skeleton King's eyes rolled.
Those gods are fairness incarnate? Fucking biased, petty bastards.
"Then who harmed the Saintess and young lord?"
"The Skeleton King. He bears grudges against gods."
The Skeleton King glared indignantly.
First I'm wrongfully imprisoned in a baby, now framed for killing my vessel's parents?
"The culprit must be the Skeleton King. No other possibility is acceptable."
Hey!!
The Skeleton King gaped at his uncle's Jekyll-and-Hyde transformed eyes.
Typical Esua bloodline.
Hate me that much? Framing me before I've done anything!
But then—
The carriage halted.
They'd reached Esua's domain, where gate guards began inspections.
Something felt wrong.
"Can't you recognize our young master's face and crest?!"
"Halt!"
At the shouting, the Skeleton King flinched. The uncle opened the window.
"What's the matter?"
"These guards refuse entry despite seeing Esua's crest... Urk!"
When guards opened the carriage door, the uncle gripped his sword. The Skeleton King raised a brow at familiar demonic energy.
'Wait. These guys...'
The guards leered at him.
"Of course you can't enter."
"We must eliminate the child carrying the Saintess' blood!"
"Demons!"
As holy knights drew weapons, the uncle bared teeth crackling with holy power.
"See? Didn't I say demons would come?"
"This proves Young Master Isaac's extraordinary—"
The Skeleton King's eyebrow twitched.
Fine. New demons mean free magic cores. Let's all get along—
"Hear me, inferior humans!"
"Our glorious King, the Skeleton King, ordered the Saintess and Saint's eradication!"
"......"
The Skeleton King grinned savagely.
'First, I'll slaughter these tactless fucks.’
