[V11C23] The Gluttonous Boy King

In a bygone era, the world was brimming with mana, and the creatures known as monsters roamed the earth.

These monsters took many forms. For example, imps who loved to prank humans, beautiful mermaids with the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish, harpie women with the wings and legs of birds, fanged horses that dragged people into the water, and so on…

There were also the tiny spirit-like creatures known as fairies.

Some theories argued that fairies were just another type of monster, but regardless, they shared the commonality of being entities that fed on mana. Like the dragons and spirits of modern times, all were classified as magical creatures.

Their existence as magical creatures meant they gradually disappeared as time passed, along with the diminishing mana of the world.

Rumors persisted about surviving monsters or fairies in regions with high mana concentrations, but the authenticity of such claims was uncertain.

Nevertheless, their existence was still passed down through legends and stories.

Even in modern language, phrases such as ‘fairy-like’ were still used to describe a petite and cute woman, and ‘mermaid’s singing’ to describe an enchanting song.

The Lorelei of Heilbach was one such monster that appeared in the Heilbach region of the Empire, taking on the form of a beautiful woman.

While some researchers classified her as a type of fairy or a subspecies of spirit, the Lorelei was often referred to as a monster because she was clearly harmful to humans.

The Lorelei took residence in a river, bewitching humans with her beautiful songs and causing their ships to run aground.

Annoyed at this nuisance, a mage decided to seal the Lorelei in a book and offered her as tribute to the emperor of the time.

The emperor ended up taking a liking to the Lorelei’s voice. He taught her many songs and stories, and enjoyed listening to them more than anything else.

“――Sing for me again, monster. Your song is more valuable than any jewel adorning my throne.”

The Lorelei was initially resentful at the humans for sealing her. But after hearing the emperor praise her with such innocence and sincerity… She gradually found herself drawn to his audacity.

She even found small joys in singing for the emperor day after day.

However, her happiness did not last for long.

Her beloved emperor was assassinated, and ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’ was declared the demonic creature who led him to ruin. She was sentenced to be burned.

The new emperor set fire to ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’. However, the immense mana contained within the book prevented it from burning no matter how many times it was put to the flame.

From within the inferno, the Lorelei sang about her hatred of humans, causing the new emperor to fear for his life. Thus, ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’ was sealed away as a forbidden tome.

More time passed, and ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’ was eventually transferred to Ridill and stored deep below the Ascard Library.

From within her seal, the Lorelei contemplated her options.

The detestable assassin who murdered her beloved emperor was no longer in this world. And yet, her fury remained.

――”I need an outlet for this rage.”

That was her reason for seeking freedom.

She would once again manifest in this world, filling it with songs of loathing and wrath.

To do so, the Lorelei gradually accumulated all the mana she could. The amount available within the seal was equivalent to tiny grains of wheat.

And so, she gathered those meager crumbs, waiting for the right moment.

The moment when a gullible, incompetent, and foolish human would set foot into the Forbidden Archives.

＊　＊　＊

——”…The monsters of the First Forbidden Section were making a fuss about the inexperience of the new contractor, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity… This is just too much…”

As the man accused of being gullible, incompetent, foolish, and inexperienced, Cyril wanted to retort. However, his inexperience was a fact, so he couldn’t assert himself too strongly.

Cyril fell silent, so Sophocles responded in his place.

“It seems those songs from earlier depleted all the mana she had been storing.”

Cyril internally swore to strengthen the seal so that such a thing could never happen again. Then, he glared at the glass case containing ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’.

Lying the center of the glass case was a book about twice the size of modern standards. Its leather cover was dyed in a deep shade of blue.

Blue paints and dyes were luxury items, even in modern times, so when considering the era in which the book was crafted, it must have been incredibly expensive.

Meanwhile, Thule was poking the glass case in human form.

“So do you actually know something about Gluttonous Zoe? Or was the invitation we heard in the First Forbidden Section just a lie to lure Cyril in?”

——”……”

The Lorelei ceased her sobbing and fell silent.

She had indeed mentioned something about a ‘gluttonous king’. Cyril and the others had descended to the Deepest Forbidden Section because of the possible relationship to Gluttonous Zoe.

If that was a lie, then they had come all this way for nothing.

As Cyril continued staring at the glass case, Raul walked up and spoke in his usual tone.

“I don’t think she’s lying. The monsters here can’t lie about their contents. Right, Sophocles?”

“Indeed, they are as much books as they are monsters. Such restrictions were imposed on them along with their seal.”

With that in mind, Cyril approached the glass case and spoke to the Lorelei.

“Please, disclose the knowledge written within your pages.”

The Lorelei remained silent for a long while, until finally replying in a sulking tone.

——”Will you listen to my song?”

“I will. I promise to submit an impression essay.”

During his time at Serendia Academy, Cyril had always excelled in music appreciation class.

Upon hearing Cyril’s words, the blue leather cover emitted a faint glow.

——”Very well. Carry me to the lectern, with courtesy.”

Cyril waved the Key of Knowledge on his right middle finger, unlocking the glass case. He carefully removed the cover and lifted ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach’.

Once the tome was removed from its pedestal, white chains appeared at the lower part of the tome’s spine. Each link in the chain was a cluster of magical symbols, which combined to form a sort of sealing barrier.

The chain between the book and the pedestal was just long enough for it to reach the lectern.

Cyril gently placed the book on the lectern in the center of the room, then Sophocles interjected.

“Well then, I shall keep silent for a while, since I cannot comprehend the contents of forbidden tomes… Not at all because I feel lonely to be excluded from the conversation or anything. Make sure to call for me once you are finished, okay? Okay?”

After a slight rant, the attention-seeking Sophocles went silent. The black gem of the ring clouded over, losing its luster. He had temporarily deactivated his consciousness.

“…I’m opening the book.”

Cyril carefully flipped the cover of ‘The Lorelei of Heilbach.’

The sailor saw her.
Behold, on that rock, the beautiful maiden there.
Such beauty, such beauty.
Such beauty…
His whispers transformed into bubbles, as the sailor’s body sank into the depths.
The Lorelei of Heilbach smiled as she placed a kiss on his waterlogged corpse.

This was the song written on the first page. Though originally written in an ancient dialect of the Empire, the Lorelei had transformed it into words that Cyril could comprehend.

——”Now, turn my pages.”

Particles of white light gathered above the book to create a faint outline. They eventually condensed into the form of a woman with light blonde hair, wearing a white dress.

She was unnaturally beautiful. One could discern at a glance that this was no human.

The woman had no whites in her eyes; they were completely blue, like sparkling gemstones or a shimmering pool of water. Those eyes were inviting Cyril into the world of her story.

——”Page 168. Let me tell you the story of the Gluttonous King.”

When engrossed in a book, people sometimes become so immersed that they don’t hear the sounds around them.

The Lorelei’s song was just that. She had the power to draw the listener into the world of her story with just a short verse.

Following her instruction, Cyril turned the pages.

Page 168. The story begins.

＊　＊　＊

This is a story from a time when the Empire was still a gathering of small countries, before their unification.

A king of one such country had passed away, leaving behind a single son who ascended to the throne. Their new king was incredibly young, just a six-year-old boy.

“——Long live His Majesty! Long live His Majesty!”

Ministers and nobles, aiming to manipulate politics as they pleased, flocked to the young king and whispered sweet nothings.

Anything the young king wished for, they would grant it.

“——That man criticized me. Execute him, burn him at the stake.”

“——That girl spilled tea. Execute her, off with her head.”

“——That old man cursed in front of me. Execute him, tear him apart.”

The young king was naive and desired many things.

But they didn’t necessarily have to be rare, valuable, luxurious, or delicious.

He always wanted the things that were precious to someone else.

“——I want it! I want it! I want the doll that girl is hugging!”

“——I want it! I want it! I want the scrap of bread in that boy’s hands!”

“——I want it! I want it! I want the necklace left behind by that boy’s parents!”

The young king constantly begged for other people’s treasures.

At times, he even desired the hard piece of bread cherished by a homeless orphan.

And whenever he obtained the precious things of someone else, the young king would laugh with glee.

The cruel boy, who endlessly devoured the belongings of others, came to be feared by his subjects as the Gluttonous King.

One day, the young king observed a father and son strolling through the park, and his response was…

“——I want it, I want it. I want a kind father.”

His ministers answered his desires by killing the son and offering the father to the king.

However, the king soon realized the problem.

“——No, no, this is not it.”

The man was not his real father.

Until now, the boy king had obtained everything he desired. A real father was the only thing outside his reach.

“——I want it, I want it. I want a kind father. I want it, I want it, I want it!!”

Thus, the boy king delved into the forbidden arts: dark magic.

In order to retrieve his deceased father, he summoned the gates of the underworld.

The forbidden spell corroded the land and lured in nearby monsters. Countless citizens died, and their country fell into great chaos.

However, right before the gates of the underworld swung open, the king was captured by rebels.

Leading the rebels was the father who had lost his son, all because of the king’s wish for a father.

“——Punish the Gluttonous King!”

“——Executing him won’t be enough to quell the anger of the people!”

“——Confine him for life and exploit his soul for every last drop of power!”

The rebels imprisoned the boy king in the Tower of Sinners, providing him with only moldy bread and a cup of muddy water every other day.

“――I’m hungry! I’m hungry!”

His cries of despair were a blissful melody for those he had stolen from.

Everyone threw filth at the Tower of Sinners, followed by showering him with insults and mockery.

Then, five months after the boy king’s imprisonment, on the night of a full moon…

The boy king was emaciated, seemingly on the verge of death. That was when a mage approached him.

“——Behold, sinner. This is your punishment.”

The boy king thought he would be executed. Perhaps burned at the stake, beheaded, or torn apart.

Anything would be fine; he just wanted a quick end, to be put out of his misery.

Because his stomach was growling, and he was in unbearable agony.

“——You will not be granted an easy death.”

Along with the words of condemnation, the mage raised the gem in his hand. That gem reflected the candlelight of the dim tower, turning a deep red.

“——Gluttonous King, you shall be turned into a tool so that you may serve your country in death.”

The mage looked down at the gem in his hand with a cruel smile.

Thus, the boy king was ruthlessly exploited as a catalyst for magic, with his name erased from the annals of history.

Only the derogatory term “Gluttonous King” and his pitiful fate were passed down through the generations.

＊　＊　＊

The Lorelei’s narration provided a strong sense of immersion.

Once Cyril regained his senses, he felt the back of his head tingling, and all the blood in his body dropping to his feet.

Cyril questioned the Lorelei in a hoarse voice.

“Ruthlessly exploited as a catalyst for magic…? What specifically does that entail…?”

——”The story in my pages ends here. I can only tell you this much.”

There seemed to be a hint of amusement in the Lorelei’s voice. She probably knew exactly what happened to the Gluttonous King.

Cyril glanced down at the Key of Knowledge worn on his right hand.

(Could it be… the ancient artifacts are…?)

If the story was implying what Cyril thought it did… Perhaps they had touched upon a terrifying secret from the darker half of history.

As Cyril clenched his sweaty palms, Raul spoke up in an unusually quiet tone.

“Hey, Lorelei. In your story about the Gluttonous King… does it mention a black dragon?”

——”…No. Such a thing is not documented in my pages.”

“I see…”

Cyril turned around and stared at Raul, who seemed lost in thought with a stern expression. His usual grin was nowhere to be seen.

“Wait. What does a black dragon have to do with anything? …What do you know that I don’t?” Cyril asked.

“Oh right, I guess they didn’t tell you yet. You know how there’s a prophecy about a dragon disaster, right?”

Raul crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

Meanwhile, the ominous foreboding caused Cyril’s heart to thump abnormally fast.

The legendary black dragon was said to be the counterpart of the white dragon. It may have been the strongest dragon of all time, but it had already been defeated by the Silent Witch. What relation could it possibly have to the current situation?

“We’ve hidden it from the general public, but the real prophecy was something like this: The worst dragon disaster in the history of Ridill will happen in the near future. It will be deeply connected to… Sazandol, Silent Witch, and Black Dragon.”

Cyril went speechless. Behind him, the legendary white dragon Thule, counterpart to the black dragon, silently narrowed his eyes.

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