Aftermath (2/2)

A moment later, Kanus is wiping the blood from his blade, and he's thinking about what to do next. He has no servants available in the palace anymore to clean up this mess…

He can't wait for his bodyguards to wake up and lock Haalfrin away, since Haalfrin, who has far better magic resistance as a 3rd circle mage, would certainly wake up first and murder everyone in sight. This means he'll have to take care of everything himself.

Fortunately for Kanus, he's spent some time learning many things his little brother deemed useless. From Kanus's point of view, though, mages live longer than normal humans for a reason. A longer life should be capitalized on. Obviously, the advantage of having more time means that you can learn more things.

Among other things, Kanus has learned how to crack certain enchantments, he's learned to bake bread, how to make paper… With that head full of all sorts of pointless knowledge, some of it is bound to be useful someday.

So, Kanus picks Haalfrin's limp body up, activates his body enhancement spells, and he slings the boy over his shoulder. Then, he runs at full speed down to the dungeon. This sleep spell is supposed to last for a few hours, but with how abnormal Haalfrin has proven to be, Kanus doesn't want to take any chances.

Within a few minutes, Kanus makes his way down to the empty dungeon, all the while making sure to not trip on the thousands of bodies littering the floor and the chaotic, broken debris all over.

Upon arriving at the dungeon, Kanus looks around frantically for a cell that can hold the monster. Fortunately, since he had planned on capturing Haalfrin anyway, he knows a cell had already been prepared before. Unfortunately for Kanus, he had his subordinates prepare the super secure cell… meaning he doesn't even know where it is or what it looks like.

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Fortunately for Kanus, some of the pointless knowledge he learned over his lifetime includes the plethora of advanced techniques used to hold mages.

A normal human can just be put behind bars with a simple key. The only thing to consider here is whether or not the lock can be broken or picked easily.

Mages, on the other hand, are troublesome to hold. There is currently no mana sealing cuffs that can stop mana from circulating in the body, though it can stop it from going out. This means that Haalfrin can use body reinforcement, but he won't be able to make any fireballs or external spells.

So, King Kanus looks around the cells for a few minutes, then finally throws his hands up in defeat. "I know how these high leveled mage cells are made anyway," the king mutters as he uses his magic to start digging a hole in the ground.

After another few minutes, there's a hole just large enough for Haalfrin to fit. Kanus then reaches for some mana sealing cuffs, puts them on Haalfrin's wrist, then dumps his body in the hole. He levitates the boy's unconscious body for a few moments and orients him so that his head will be above the surface.

After Haalfrin is in position, Kanus uses his magic and starts refilling the hole. After Haalfrin is completely immobilized in the hole, Kanus uses his magic and slowly enchants the ground to harden it.

With Haalfrin completely unable to move his body, his body-strengthening magic won't do much good.

…Still, to be safe, Kanus digs through the cabinets and finds ingredients for sleeping elixirs. He can't afford the price of that madman to getting away.

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Kanus spends about half an hour brewing potions in an enchanted bowl… and just when he's about to finish his first bottle, he feels a powerful black energy overtake his soul. His hands jolt, spilling his bottle of sleeping elixir on the ground.

The king looks up and sees the short figure of a woman materializing in the black mist. On her back are 2 huge wings looming over him – blocking out all the torchlight in the dungeon.

"You…," the crow goddess growls through gritted teeth, "Do you realize what you've done?"

Unlike the bandits from earlier, Kanus doesn't immediately cower. It's not that he's too brave to be intimidated, but it's that he's well practiced in hiding his emotions.

Goddess Freyya steps forward with a hateful glare on her face as she glances at Haalfrin every couple of steps. When she reaches forward with one finger outstretched, Kanus senses danger and steps back.

Instead of being reduced to a puddle of blood or some other gruesome death Kanus was expecting, the goddess just pokes him in the chest over the heart, then asks coldly, "Do you realize why Das never promised you an extra-long life?"

Kanus's voice is caught in his throat, and he shakes his head slowly instead of verbally answering. If he had opened his mouth, his voice would've betrayed the true terror in his heart.

Freyya shows her teeth and says, "Das has always promised a longer lifespan as a payment or favor to his followers… But you… When he bought you over, he only gave you information on another's death… but not your own."

She pauses for a second and smiles evilly. "He could never lengthen your life because… your life doesn't belong to him. In the book of the dead, your life is written under my name."

Freyya looks down at Haalfrin, then back at Kanus. She then opens her mouth and gives one final warning. "Beware, foolish king. Your life will never be peaceful from this day forth. You'll never grow old, and you'll be hounded by your enemies all your life… And when the struggle is too much for you, you'll die miserably and painfully on a blade, and no one will be there to help you."

Freyya looks up and adds casually, "Das isn't the only one who can foretell life spans." She narrows her eyes at Kanus and puts a finger on her chin. "You could die today, tomorrow, a month from now, but I won't tell you… Heh, heh… No point in spoiling the surprise."

She points down at Haalfrin and laughs, "Ironic...? You'll easily get the fate that this one craves. My boy must be jealous."

Even after she disappears in a puff of smoke, Kanus still hears her laughter ringing in his ears. Unable to escape her tormenting voice, Kanus kneels down on the ground and clutches his ears. At last, his calm façade is broken, and his eyes have a hint of madness in them.

Alas, the only thing Kanus wants to do is curl up in a ball and hide. Having his death announced so clearly, Kanus suddenly becomes aware of his incipient mortality, and his heart is clutched by fear.

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Once Haalfrin is fully secured and more guards are called into the palace, Kanus retires to his room and doesn't speak to any of the temporary servants assigned to the palace from the surrounding noble houses.

Everybody assumes that Kanus was traumatized by the slaughter, but that has nothing to do with his reclusive mood. Instead, he's consumed with depression, knowing that his reign will be cut short, and his lifetime of scheming will mean nothing to Fate's whims.

After being questioned by the guards, the story finally gets out.

Apparently, the famous Sir Haalfrin was consumed by cowardice upon being summoned to the Threshold. In a fit of fear, he attempted to resist his orders, and he ended up slaughtering the entire palace, as well as the 2 Brancotte representatives.

In the end, the evil Haalfrin was only subdued thanks to the Threshold soldiers' sacrifice.

And, just like that, the songs singing Haalfrin's praises being sung to children and in taverns are silenced, and his praises are replaced by ridicule and contempt.

In just one night, Haalfrin's name became among the most infamous and hated names in Alastan History… for how despicable do you have to be to have so much power, yet still chicken out in the face of war? Worse yet, how could you drag down thousands of lives to destruction out of your own irrational fit of cowardice?

By the next day, the Brancotte Emperor and the Threshold Commander both receive word of this story… and Haalfrin's fate is finally sealed.

The Emperor doesn't care too much about this change of events, but the Threshold Commander is genuinely disappointed. He'd not only lost 2 good men pointlessly, but he also had held high hopes for Haalfrin. He'd read the reports on Haalfrin's deeds and potential, and he was genuinely looking forward to having Haalfrin work for him.

Even more, Commander Fisco had felt Haalfrin was a kindred spirit of sorts, knowing their similar exploits in their youth.

Alas, Fisco convinces himself he was wrong about the boy, and he chooses to forget about him.

The criminal Haalfrin only spends a few days under constant sleeping elixirs until some of the Empire's men show up to escort him to his new home – the greatest prison in the Empire.