How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World-Chapter 449: King and Slave (3)

The expedition team couldn’t help but feel bewildered as they watched King Morgan sitting confidently on the throne, despite the reenactment of events having ended.

Just moments ago, he had called himself a slave and disappeared—so why was he now seated on the throne?

He was no longer dressed as a slave but adorned in regal attire befitting a king, exuding an air of majesty. A crown even rested upon his head.

Realizing that Morgan was not merely a “wandering spirit” but a “conscious specter” with self-awareness, Deimos quickly regained his composure.

Regardless of the circumstances, the fact that King Morgan was seated on the throne meant he had retained his consciousness. In other words, he could be reasoned with.

With that in mind, Deimos bowed his head slightly and greeted him with utmost respect.

“…A child of Luminous humbly asks—are you King Morgan, ruler of the Kingdom of Gerios?”

[Indeed. I am Morgan Yurc Bia III, the last king of the Gerios Kingdom. Though I perished as a slave—Arthur Michelle.]

Morgan answered in his signature, dignified tone, as if to confirm that the events they had just witnessed truly occurred.

[…A child of Luminous, you say…]

Morgan shifted his gaze away from Deimos, staring into the distance as if someone stood there.

He fixated on that spot for a while before eventually shrugging and speaking in a disinterested tone.

[Well, I suppose it’s not my place to meddle. Nor do I particularly care.]

“……”

Deimos found Morgan’s words puzzling but refrained from speaking carelessly. If he said the wrong thing and irritated Morgan, it would not end well.

Despite his human side, Morgan was once a feared conqueror-king.

In an era where most records were lost due to the demonic war 3,000 years ago, he was one of the few to leave behind extensive records.

Conqueror-kings were often tyrannical by nature, and given that Morgan was from 3,000 years in the past, his way of thinking was likely quite extreme.

Thus, it was best to remain respectful and avoid prying too much.

[So, why have you set foot in my kingdom? It has been about twenty years since my descendant arrived here.]

“…Twenty years? The Gerios Kingdom used solar years?”

Rather than answering Morgan’s question, the archaeologist Benphis mumbled in confusion.

Like Earth, this world also followed a twelve-month, 365-day calendar, commonly referred to as the solar calendar.

Ancient civilizations often used different timekeeping systems due to a lack of astronomical knowledge.

However, the Gerios Kingdom naturally spoke in terms of decades.

Even old-generation elves typically measured time by saying, “A few winters have passed” or “I have witnessed several winters,” making this phrasing quite unusual.

[How dare you respond to my question with a question? Do you not fear for your life?]

Evidently, Morgan did not appreciate the response. However, he remained smiling, as if amused.

He then flicked his finger with a subtle motion.

“Kh…! Guh…! Kugh…!”

Suddenly, Benphis began choking himself, his hands gripping his own neck as if under an unseen force.

The expedition team, including Deimos, watched in horror as the scene unfolded.

It was clear that Morgan had cast some kind of spell.

Siiing!

A knight, sensing danger, hurriedly drew his sword. A clear sign that he was prepared to resort to violence.

Yet, Morgan remained unfazed, his smile unwavering as he spoke in a calm voice.

[Do you dare unsheathe your weapon before me? Sheathe it at once.]

Clang!

The knight instantly returned his sword to its scabbard.

His eyes widened in shock as he stared at his weapon—he had not done so of his own will.

His body had moved against his volition.

But Morgan was not done yet. He pointed at the knight and gave another simple command.

[Kneel.]

Thud!

The knight, clad in heavy white armor, fell to his knees.

Once again, it was not by his own choice. Morgan’s command had seized control of his body.

“Aagh!”

The impact was severe.

The ground cracked beneath him, and the loud thud echoed through the hall, evidence of the sheer force with which he had struck the floor.

His knees had likely suffered significant damage.

Meanwhile, Benphis was still choking himself.

His face had turned from red to a deep blue—if left alone any longer, he would surely suffocate.

Seeing the chaos unfold, Deimos hurriedly began chanting a divine spell.

“O Luminous, grant them freedom!”

Flash!

The moment he finished his prayer, a brilliant golden light burst forth, enveloping both Benphis and the knight.

Fortunately, it seemed to work—Benphis finally released his grip on his throat, and the knight collapsed backward in exhaustion.

Though both were shaken, it appeared their lives were no longer in immediate danger.

‘I should have expected this the moment the wandering spirits appeared…’

As mentioned before, when wandering spirits manifest to recreate past events, it indicates a powerful lingering resentment.

And the source of that resentment was none other than King Morgan himself.

The stronger the lingering resentment, the greater the influence it exerts upon the present world.

Just as malicious spirits can possess people and take control of their bodies, Morgan could dominate others with mere words.

Just how powerful had he been in life?

And just how deep was his resentment to wield such an ability—the power of “Command Speech”?

Despite his human side, King Morgan was once the conqueror who ruled the entire western continent.

He had survived a brutal era of bloodshed and carnage long before the demonic war. He was, in every sense of the word, a monster.

[Luminous’ light… It has been a long time since I last felt it. He was quite the amusing one.]

Morgan muttered to himself, watching Deimos’ divine spell with interest.

Astonishingly, he spoke of Luminous—the deity worshiped by many—in a dismissive tone.

Under normal circumstances, such blasphemy would be grounds for punishment.

Hearing those words, Deimos couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

But then, he recalled Morgan’s terrifying ability—how he could steal control over others with nothing but his voice.

For now, he had no choice but to suppress his emotions.

“…Luminous is the guiding light of all. Even one who once ruled the West must not speak of Him lightly.”

[The guiding light of all, you say? Luminous was truly… Ah, damn it. I can’t speak of it.]

Morgan, who had been speaking in a bemused tone, suddenly furrowed his brows and cut himself off.

For the first time, his ever-present smile faded, replaced by an expression of irritation.

Deimos had doubts about the response, but he had no time to dwell on them as King Morgan immediately began speaking.

[In any case, the Kingdom of Gerios has been using solar power since early on. Exploring the seas naturally led us to observe the stars.

Does this answer your question?]

“Khak! Khak! Guh…”

The answer was given, but his mind remained unsettled. Fear of having lost control of his body left his face pale.

King Morgan, however, seemed completely unconcerned as he scanned the expedition team once more.

Their expressions were now even more guarded than before.

[Now, will you answer my question? For what purpose have you come here?]

“…We risked our lives to seek the truth.”

[The truth?]

Hearing that word, King Morgan adjusted his posture, showing clear interest. Anyone could see he was ready to listen.

Maintaining his composure, Deimos began to explain how they had come all the way to the Kingdom of Gerios.

He started with the appearance of The Chronicles of Zenon and its transformation into a prophecy, then continued to the origins of the demon mentioned in its final chapter.

As the explanation went on, King Morgan’s expression changed in real time.

At first, he was intrigued, then focused, then surprised, and finally… satisfied.

After the long explanation, the last expression he displayed was one of admiration.

[Hahahaha! So my descendant played a major role in purging all those demon worshippers?

And it was recorded in a book? This is utterly absurd… yet immensely satisfying! Hahahahaha!]

King Morgan not only burst into loud laughter but also clapped his hands in delight.

The problem was that this single act had a massive effect on their surroundings.

Rumble—

The entire palace shook as if struck by an earthquake.

Worse still was the impact on the expedition members.

“My ears…!”

“My head is pounding…!”

“Ugh…”

The sheer force of his laughter alone made them feel as if they had been struck in the head with a hammer.

It wasn’t just chilling—it was outright painful.

Even an evil spirit’s wail would at least carry malice that could be understood, but King Morgan had none of that.

He was simply laughing in admiration, and yet their heads throbbed from it.

Had Deimos not quickly unleashed his holy power, someone might have lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, King Morgan continued to laugh wholeheartedly.

[Hahaha, how fascinating. To think that intelligence, not power, is what rules the world. By the way, what was that descendant’s name again?]

“I-It’s Isaac Duker Michelle.”

[Isaac, huh… The descendant who once visited me was named Clark. Was it him who passed down this knowledge?]

As King Morgan stroked his chin in thought, Deimos cautiously posed a question.

“F-Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I have never heard of anyone named Clark Michelle.”

[What? You haven’t?]

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Michelle family is actually a newly established house. The current head is Hawk Duker Michelle, and they hail from the Minerva Empire.”

[Hmm… That makes even less sense… Could it be that he died somewhere before passing on what he learned?]

Finding the inconsistencies puzzling, King Morgan rubbed his chin for a while, lost in thought.

The expedition members waited in silence for him to speak again.

Any reckless action now could truly cost them their lives. His words held the power to dominate souls, rendering them helpless.

Winning his favor and resolving the situation step by step seemed the wiser course.

Despite the tension and the desert’s relentless heat causing sweat to pour down their faces, even the slightest movement felt impossible.

[Well, never mind. If the outcome is good, that’s all that matters. I can always speak with him when we meet later.]

Deciding to drop the matter, King Morgan dismissed his thoughts easily. Intelligence, after all, had never been his strong suit.

[So, you came all this way to learn whether the truth is that demons originated from humans?]

“Yes, that is correct.”

[Then speak no more. You saw my servant with your own eyes. Demonic beings are an intermediate stage between humans and full-fledged demons. That is the truth.]

With absolute certainty, King Morgan revealed the truth to the expedition. The Chronicles of Zenon had been proven accurate.

But that wasn’t enough.

If demons had truly originated from humans, what was the exact process that led to their transformation?

Every event has a cause and effect.

The expedition had been assembled precisely to uncover the detailed circumstances.

Deimos opened and closed his mouth several times before swallowing hard.

Even asking a question felt daunting.

But he had to.

Now was the perfect opportunity to resolve the doubts raised by what they had just witnessed. It was a risk worth taking.

First, there was the matter of the Michelle family.

This one truth alone could completely overturn the family’s reputation.

“Then… the relationship between the slave we saw earlier and yourself… may I ask for clarification?”

[He is my beloved son and son-in-law. And… a human who made the wrong choice.]

“Then… does that mean the Michelle family is responsible for bringing demons into the world?”

Based on what the spirits had shown, the slave—Arthur Michelle—seemed to be the culprit.

Currently, the Michelle family was both the descendants of King Morgan and Arthur Michelle.

Their lineage was complex, but one thing was certain: they were the descendants of a royal house that had committed the worst crime in history.

King Morgan had willingly taken all the blame and sin upon himself, but sins do not simply vanish.

The greatest victims in all this were undoubtedly the demonic beings.

If the truth about the Michelle family were to be revealed, no one could predict how the world would react.

[It is true that the Michelle family was the cause of demons appearing in the world. I won’t deny that.]

To their surprise, King Morgan nodded and acknowledged it without hesitation.

The Michelle family’s crime had now been confirmed.

But his next words only deepened the mystery.

[However, we did not create demons themselves, nor did we intentionally throw the world into chaos.

Red hair and golden eyes were obtained through the sacrifice of hundreds of souls. But in the end, they were still only human.] freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

“…”

[Now, let me ask you an interesting question.]

King Morgan’s question was—

[Who, exactly, evolved humans into demons?]

His words struck them with immense shock.

[And furthermore…]

He planted doubt in something they had always taken for granted.

[Did each race originally exist on this land to begin with?]

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