The Overlord of Blood and Iron (WN)

“Y-Your Majesty!”

A servant came looking for Kang Chul-In. It was after Kang Chul-In had just heard the shocking statement.

“I’m experiencing all kinds of things today.”

He was half out of it. It just wasn’t fair. What kinds of sins had he made in his past life for this to happen? He wanted to stomp his feet in frustration because a lizard that was seven thousand years old just brought up marriage.

“Are you telling me to...”

That was as far as Kang Chul-In got.

“Your Majesty!”

“...!”

“Something bad has happened!”

The servant shouted again.

“Something bad?”

Kang Chul-In’s gaze moved from Desdemona to the servant.

“What thing? What this time?”

“I-It’s...”

The messenger caught his breath and reported that something bad had happened.

“Tactician Kwak’s condition isn’t normal!”

“What?”

Kang Chul-In was very surprised because Kwak Jung was very crucial to the kingdom. In fact, Kang Chul-In probably liked him most out of all his subordinates, although he beat him up from time to time.

“Why? Did someone send an assassin or…”

“That’s not it!”

“Then what is it?”

“I-I think you’ll have to come and see for yourself!”

“Where is Kwak Jung? Let’s go! Now!”

Kang Chul-In quickly began to move.

“Hey!”

Desdemona screamed, but he ignored it.

“Where are you going!? I’m not done, you bad bastard!”

Of course he would go. Right now, Kwak Jung’s condition was more important than the proposal of a lizard.

***

“Why is he like this?”

Kang Chul-In’s reaction wasn’t too far off from Timothy’s after he saw Kwak Jung.

“I-I don’t know the reason either…”

Timothy looked at Kwak Jung with concerned eyes.

“Uhh... uhhhhhbuhbuh…”

Kwak Jung was still acting strange.

“Vilhelm… he… and Aoxin… uhhh… uhh…”

A few familiar names came out, but it was impossible to understand what he was saying.

Drip, drip.

He was even drooling, so they were concerned that Kwak Jung had actually gone crazy.

“We can’t even call a doctor…”

Kang Chul-In muttered, not knowing what to do. Kwak Jung probably wouldn’t get better even if they summoned a doctor. No, he definitely wouldn’t. The purple light coming from his eyes showed that it wasn’t a medical disease.

Is that the problem?

Kang Chul-In looked at the White Fan on the table. He thought it could be the thing that caused Kwak Jung to become like this. After all, Superior Epic items like the White Fan chose their owner. Kwak Jung might be suffering from the side effects of forcing the White Fan to become his.

“Nilus, call Nilus!”

He judged it to be a magical side effect and called for Nilus.

“Your Majesty, why did you ask for me?”

Nilus bowed. He always faithfully came as soon as Kang Chul-In summoned him.

“Kwak Jung’s condition is strange.”

Kang Chul-In pointed at Kwak Jung.

“I think it’s a side effect of using the White Fan.”

“Hmm…”

Nilus narrowed his eyes and observed Kwak Jung slowly.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think this is a health issue either. However, magical aftereffects based on artifacts have slightly different symptoms.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Normally, it’s painful because the path of mana is twisted. Of course, there are cases when experienced magicians touch dark magic and become crazy, but…”

“Not like this?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s true that I don’t understand tactician Kwak’s condition exactly, as I focus more on attack magic rather than internal magic. Moreover, magic is split under so many fields.”

In other words, he was saying that it was hard for him to diagnose Kwak Jung because he was a war mage.

“How about asking Her Majesty Skadi?”

“Skadi? But her magic ability is…”

“Wouldn’t the knowledge be left behind? The greatest professor of the magic academy in the kingdom is actually not me, but Her Majesty Skadi.”

“...!”

“Also, I remember hearing that Her Majesty Skadi was skilled in both fortune-telling and magic.”

“Ah...!”

Only then did he remember where Skadi was from. Skadi was a gypsy of eastern Europe, so she had grown up experienced with occult-related things.

“Someone, call for…”

Just when Kang Chul-In was about to order his servant to bring Skadi, she was entering Kwak Jung’s office with rushed steps.

“T-That’s...!”

Skadi pointed at Kwak Jung, shocked.

“I never would’ve imagined… that tactician Kwak was a prophet...”

“Prophet?”

Kang Chul-In was flustered.

“Skadi, what are you talking about?”

“Your Majesty, it’s most likely that tactician Kwak is experiencing a kind of ‘unconscious observation’ right now.”

It was hard for Kang Chul-In to understand.

“So…”

Skadi began to explain.

“I’m a gypsy.”

“I know.”

“Sometimes, outstanding prophets come from gypsies like this.”

It was hard to believe, but it was also hard to guarantee that there weren’t any supernatural phenomenons on Earth, so Kang Chul-In decided to focus on what she was saying.

“I was also one of these prophets. Actually, when I was a normal human, my foresight was horrible, but after becoming a Lord, my ability began to flourish. Do you remember? The reason why I left myself to you was…”

“It was because you predicted your own death. You also said you could smell the scent of a prophet next to me.”

Kang Chul-In remembered when he first met Skadi clearly.

“That’s correct.”

Skadi nodded.

“But after I lost my position as a Lord and lost my abilities, I wasn’t able to sense the smell again.”

“And you’re saying it’s Kwak Jung?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Hmmmm…”

“The purple light coming from tactician Kwak’s eyes are the symptoms of a prophet.”

“I see…”

There was nothing Kang Chul-In could do but acknowledge her words. He had to know something to refute what she said, but he was a fool when it came to occult-related things. Since Skadi said so, he would just have to believe her.

“But Kwak Jung is a prophet? Just how…”

“The ability to observe the future appears suddenly. And it doesn’t really seem like that much of a surprise.”

“We shouldn’t be surprised?”

“Look there.”

Skadi pointed at the documents that were stacked up like mountains.

“Tactician Kwak’s workload for a day is extreme”

“...!”

“From what I heard, it’s seven times more than what you do.”

“That’s…”

“Normal people can’t do that.”

Kang Chul-In was about to say it was because Kwak Jung was smart, but Skadi didn’t seem to agree.

“Also, the strategies that he showed last time were closer to foresight.”

“So…”

“Yes, in the last war, he called himself ‘Electric Brain’ all the time. It’s clear he just thought his ability to read battles was outstanding.”

Skadi was saying that Kwak Jung was a prophet and saw the future subconsciously.

“If you’re right, what do we have to do?”

“It’s best to leave him alone.”

“He doesn’t look too good, though.”

“That’s… nothing can be done about that.”

“...?”

“The lives of prophets are short. Even if it’s long, they are weak and sick.”

An image of a weak Kwak Jung flashed through Kang Chul-In’s head.

.........................

-Cough!

-K-Kwak Jung!

-Your Majesty… I think I don’t have much time left…

-Get yourself together!

-It was an honor… to serve...

.........................

A human’s imagination made the impossible possible. In the scene he saw, the weak Kwak Jung was dead. Kang Chul-In shook at his own imagination.

A weak Kwak Jung? People changed, but not like that. It didn’t fit him.

“Prophecies take away life force?”

“Yes.”

“Hm…”

“I don’t know why, but prophets suffer from extreme aftereffects from the prophecies. The greater their observation, the worse it is.”

“No.”

Kang Chul-In shook his head.

“Who dares to become weak without my permission?”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“He has to stop now.”

“But…”

“I don’t need prophecies.”

“...!”

“I don’t need something like that to be confident.”

He was already living his life twice with Soul Backup, and he didn’t want to use Kwak Jung’s life to see the future.

“I’ve always used any means possible to achieve my goals. The results were more important than the process, and I did horrible things.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Of course, I still think the same.”

A villain was forever a villain.

“However… I don’t want to throw away my family, subordinates, and my people to accomplish my goals.”

“...!”

“I’m not saying I’m giving up my passion, but rather that I can do it even without using methods like this.”

This was Kang Chul-In’s resolve. It was something he could say after becoming a Lord through many mistakes. As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Chul-In lifted Mitra up.

“Y-Your Majesty!”

“If he can’t come to attention, we can make him.”

Mitra was a holy sword that couldn’t destroy light nor harm humans. Kwak Jung wouldn’t die even if he was cut with it.

Wake up, Kwak Jung!

Kang Chul-In swung Mitra powerfully.

Chrwak!

The blade of light swept through Kwak Jung.

“...!”

His shocked eyes burst open.

“Ack!”

He screamed.

“Kwak Jung, are you okay?”

“Y-Your Majestyyy?”

Kwak Jung looked at Kang Chul-In with soft eyes, unlike his usual self.

“Will something happen? Just what…”

“V-Vilhelm and Ao Xin will…”

“...?”

“Die.”

“...!”

“I saw it.”

Kwak Jung was prophesying Vilhelm and Ao Xin’s death. Just what had he seen? Why was he so sure?

“Your Majesty…”

“Speak, Kwak Jung.”

“Someone who regressed from the nonexistent past will now kill Vilhelm and Ao Xin.”

“...!”

“I’m sure of it.”

Kang Chul-in froze like he had been hit in the head with a hammer.