When Cermin woke up, he could not believe that the person beside him was Ronin. So what he glimpsed before was not part of the dream…..

He sat up in shock, reeling in disbelief.

Ronin had carried him easily like a little baby, and not just that, but he was not affected by that person who pretended to be his ex-girlfriend, Bai Lianhua.

And looking at the injuries he had on him….. Did he really got into a fight with that person?

Everything was a bit blurry now, but he did recall someone in a tattered black dress laying beside him in a pit on the ground. It looked like they were slammed into the earth.

Did Ronin really do that?

That can’t be. He’s just a Commoner, and…

Ronin woke up, groaning. “My head…. Ah… He took over again.”

Cermin frowned, and approached him, placing a hand over his forehead. “You’re feverish. You need to see a doctor.”

He also noticed that Zeriav was guarding them by a tree, with a distant look on his face. Like he was waiting for something, just observing.

“What happened?” Cermin asked. “I was just pulled into this cave and now I’m back here and…. and….. and you’re hurt! Oh, god, how can I let this happen to you!?”

“I’m supposed to be the hero that protects everyone. Why…..”

Ronin put his best ‘concerned’ face, and placed his hand over Cermin’s shoulder.

“Your Highness, I want you to calm down and listen to me as I explain everything. I will be revealing a truth that may cause you to despise me.”

Cermin blinked. “I don’t understand, what—”

“You have been attacked by a daemon. A powerful one that preys on the mind. If you remember Lovushka from school, that’s him. He became a daemon too and attacked you.”

Cermin knew Lovushka vaguely, but he was less concerned by that. “I remember now. He encased me in this orange goo. Then I was stuck in the illusion inside that goo.”

“Was he the one that hurt you? How come you didn’t…”

Ronin pretended to look nervous and apprehensive. “This is the part I worry about telling you the most, Your Highness.”

“After gaining these marks, I suddenly had skills I never had before. Or at least couldn’t remember having… It was all so confusing to me too, but…”

He looked at Cermin gravely.

“I think the Lord of Darkness is possessing me.”

Cermin’s eyes widened, and turned to Zeriav, remembering his allegations.

But ‘Zeriav’ stayed quiet, and simply said. “Let him explain, Your Highness.”

“Wha….. What skills? How can you tell? Why… How could this happen… I…”

He was breaking down, so Ronin had to draw a rune used to calm minds. ‘Serenity’, a delicate 8-petalled flower.

“This is what happened, Your Highness. I remember being so angry about that daemon Louvushka hurting you. And when I got so angry, I suddenly transformed…..”

Cermin remembered the carnage around him. He can’t believe that any of that was Ronin’s doing, not the Ronin he knew who was bullied and hurt for being a Commoner.

“I can’t remember how, but I managed to defeat the daemon. But it was like I was possessed, my body was not my own.”

“And then, I heard his voice. The Lord of Darkness was within me, and told me that he lays claim to you, so he will be possessing my body to protect you.”

Ronin was aghast. “The Lord of Darkness….”

This must be the villain who hid on the shadows, destroying his life.

So if he could possess Ronin….

It was possible that he could possess Cermin too. All that trouble he encountered from the Academy was the doing of this Lord of Darkness.

“I’m so scared, Your Highness.” Ronin said. “My body was not my own, and he can take over any time….. But he told me that he will never harm you. He wanted to keep you getting stronger.”

Cermin frowned. “Why?”

Ronin pointed to his chest. “So he can kill you once you become powerful enough, and take over your body permanently. He was waiting for your Flame to reach its peak.”

(A version of the truth, huh? Not bad.) Zeuxis said in his mind.

Cermin clenched his fist from anger. But he was also very scared.

This was all so fucked up. This villain will be using his best friend’s body just to keep him safe in order to make him the perfect vessel.

He felt like retching again, but shook his head.

“I….. I’m sorry that you have to be involved in this, Ronin. If only you never became my friend, then you wouldn’t have been possessed by the Lord of Darkness, or suffered any of this…”

He was tearing up again, and Ronin maintained his act.

Cermin was eating up his lies so quickly that it was a little….. pitiful.

“So if I suddenly go into a rage like that and attack just about anyone… Please know that it’s not me, Your Highness. It’s not me. It’s the Lord of Darkness.”

He hugged Cermin back, clinging to his sleeves.

‘Time for your lines’. Ronin told Zeuxis.

‘Zeriav’ went on cue, approaching them.

“I made a promise with Ronin that if he does kill you while being possessed by the Lord of Darkness……” He looked forlorn. “I will have to end him myself. Because we both know you can’t.”

Cermin shook his head. “No… You can’t kill Ronin…..”

“But he have to if I hurt you, Your Highness.” Ronin cried fake tears. “I can’t bear it if I hurt you….. You’re my closest friend and I cherish you too much.”

The three boys wept while hugging each other, two of them just putting up on an act.

As Prince Cermin came to accept this fact, he and his companions had to continue traveling in search for some medicine and potion to heal themselves.

Not to mention that he wanted to reach the gods and ask them to help his ‘possessed’ friend.

As they walked past endless hayfields on the borders of Himmelgard and Azurra with forlorn expressions, eating some of the rations they bought along the way….

He asked Ronin. “Then… What were you able to do when the Lord of Darkness possessed you? Just so I would be ready when he does.”

“Well….. He made me able to become stronger and summon geysers, earthquakes and lava.” Ronin listed out all his current skills so Cermin would associate it with the Lord of Darkness.

It was similar to method acting. He gave some truths so his performance would be believable.

“I also have the ability to make people be blinded by darkness…. transform myself and others….”

He didn’t add the One Word Command skill because that would reveal his trick on making the inn workers let them stay for free. He could hide that with natural charisma and persuasion.

He didn’t need to add the Communication Crystal too, as that was something he claimed to have as a normal Coal Heartstone Commomer.

Ronin then slashed himself on the palm with a knife.

Cermin was terrified. “Why did you do that!?”

“I’m just showing you the final skill that the Lord of Darkness gave me.” Ronin said, and drew the rune of a hound on his palm.

Soon, the blood coalesced….

And turned into a tiny puppy. Just one tiny demonic dog that was just half the size of a newborn baby.

The daemonic hound blinked at Cermin with its several red eyes, and with its tongue loling.

Then—

“ARF! ARF!”

“AHHHH!!!! IT’S A DEMON DOG!”

It barked so loudly to him, baring its teeth!

It went to chomp at Cermin’s hand, but Cermin managed to dodge it in time. He was so scared that he summoned his Sword of Solaire.

“He’s harmless, Your Highness. They won’t hurt you as long as I’m here, and they’re the Lord fo Darkness’ pets.” Ronin assured him.

“But it tried to bite me!”

“It was just trying to be friendly.”

“It tried to bite my hand off and it was trying to be friendly!???”

Ronin was not expecting Cermin to be so scared by dogs.

He then recalled another memory of Ou.

“You boys just hide for a while when my friend visits, ok? He’s scared of dogs and not used to them, so behave, ok?”

The stray dogs that the little Ou kept did as told and sat there.

Eventually, the friend arrived with a large smile on his face and—

They reached a gate with a signage written in another script, and so Ronin had to translate it for his companions.

“We’re here. The Kingdom of Azurra, known to be one of the kindest and most beautiful kingdoms in the Celestus Realm.” Ronin explained.

Zeuxis suddenly added:

“Also known for its beautiful people with perfect appearances, and pure, smooth skin as their Azurrian milk. The best milk in all of Magecia from a certain city, the city of Calegana from.”

Cermin’s eyes widened. “You have been to this place, Zeriav?”

“Oh, yes. I have been here.” Zeuxis made a frowning expression as they stepped past the gates.

Ronin raised an eyebrow. ‘You did?’

(The Marquis I used to work for as a guard had bought several beauties here. Most from the Baron of Calegana.)

He turned to a certain castle standing atop a hill. Crows circling around it.

Just then, they heard a scream.

“My bride! The Crow Baron took my bride too! Oh, may the gods save her from that Daemon!”