Proclamation

A lingering thought refers to a fragment of soul that separated because the soul’s attachment was too strong.

Originally it returns to the Netherworld together with the soul, but exceptionally it sometimes dwells in objects.

In this case, the lingering thought should normally be negative.

“How strange.”

But the lingering thought contained in the scale had a very clear color.

A peculiar form that held attachment yet wouldn’t harm the possessor.

Pernok wrapped spiritual power around his fingertips and touched the scale.

The mass of lingering thought absorbed Pernok’s spiritual power and popped out like a round ball.

Soon thin arms, legs, and a face were generated on the pure white ball.

If it hadn’t been a mass of lingering thought, it would’ve looked exactly like a snow fairy.

[Puha!]

The creature exhaled refreshingly as if stretching.

[Huaaah… Hm?]

The creature’s and Pernok’s eyes met.

[What are you looking at?]

The creature who said that tried to enter back into the scale but hesitated.

Turning its head, the creature tilted its head at Pernok.

[You, can you see me?]

Instead of answering, Pernok tried to pinch the creature with his fingers.

But his fingers passed through as if sweeping through empty air.

[What, what? Can you see me?]

This time when he wrapped spiritual power around his fingers, the creature was caught firmly.

When he brought it before his eyes, the creature opened its eyes wide in surprise.

[Huh!]

The spiritual entity possessed intelligence and emotions.

Since it wasn’t a common case, Pernok also looked at the creature with interest.

“Your name?”

[Who are you! How did you catch me!]

“Do you need a slight shock?”

When Pernok stirred up spiritual power, the creature startled and shouted.

[Bamont!]

It’s a familiar name heard somewhere.

Pernok, who’d been thinking carefully, asked with a puzzled expression.

“Bamont Al Illumina?”

[Right! I’m Bamont!]

Illumina’s 2nd King Bamont Al Illumina.

Though he was the 13th prince, he boldly overcame countless hardships and made Illumina prosper.

He led Illumina’s golden age and was called the Military God.

‘King Bamont’s lingering thought?’

Pernok shook the lingering thought this way and that with a surprised expression.

‘The person who accomplished great history contained a lingering thought in his own object? Fragments of memories are mixed in too.’

It’s not a complete soul, just a separated fragment.

Naturally, even memories weren’t intact, so the Military God’s dignity was nowhere to be found.

[You, what are you! How can you see me?]

“Seeing you keep making the same sounds, intelligence has regressed and only attachment remains…”

[What are you anyway!]

“Shut up. Before I make you disappear.”

When Pernok applied force to the scale, Bamont covered his face with both hands.

When he finally grasped the infinite soul size that person possessed, he made a fearful expression.

He might truly disappear with just a finger flick.

“Emotions remain.”

Whether it’s better to keep this noisy thing alive, or threaten it appropriately to extort what he wants and kill it.

For now, he decided to conclude toward whichever side was more beneficial.

“If you answer what I ask, there’ll be no forcible suppression. How long have you been inside this scale?”

[…..]

“Answer.”

[…I, I don’t know. It’s been very long. It was cold and dark, but you woke me up.]

“You mean you couldn’t even wake up without me?”

[Y-yes.]

“Are you aware you’re the 2nd King?”

Then Bamont shook off fear and shouted proudly.

[Right! I’m the very Military God, Bamont!]

But when Pernok applied force to his fingers, Bamont drooped his shoulders again.

“You were close with the first king?”

[Uncle Ulysses?]

“Right, your uncle. How much do you remember?”

[He was an amazing person! Magnificent enough to select the strongest seed and pass on the throne! Even someone from the maternal family like me got a chance and became king!]

Come to think of it, he’d heard the first king Ulysses selected the 2nd king based purely on ability.

Though Bamont was the 13th prince, if he inherited the throne, he must’ve been on close terms with Ulysses.

Just in case, he asked.

“Do you remember that person’s tomb?”

[Uh… I feel like I remember something… Ah!]

Bamont jumped onto the scale.

[Apply force here like me and jump five times! Then if you manipulate the balance, a message Uncle gave will come out!]

A structure that makes tomb clues appear by pressing down specific weight in a special way.

But since he didn’t know what form the clues would appear in, it was difficult to touch carelessly.

If clues bulky enough to make pockets bulge appeared, other royals’ gazes would obviously concentrate.

Thinking he should look at it alone in a secret place where no one was around, Pernok took the scale.

“You must’ve been close with Ulysses.”

[Of course! Uncle always entrusted the sword to me! I protected the kingdom and expanded territory… and… so….]

Bamont, who’d been proudly chattering, suddenly became gloomy.

[…I should’ve gone all the way to that wide sea. After Uncle died and I inherited the nation, I was desperate just protecting the people.]

Bamont’s territorial expansion ability was superior to anyone of that era.

To the point he was even called the Military God.

But even the Military God couldn’t recklessly expand territory indiscriminately.

When people flocked in, he devoted himself to completing the territory as Illumina’s.

‘So that was it.’

Pernok seemed to know why Bamont’s lingering thought existed.

Bamont believed that for Illumina to demonstrate power among great powers, they had to develop the southern coastline.

Considering that today’s Tyr Kingdom gains much profit from maritime trade.

If Bamont had conquered the coastline at that time, Illumina might have become a new great power.

But people of that time focused on horsemanship rather than ship technology.

Bamont’s innovation wasn’t accepted, and Illumina maintained a form trapped between great powers.

Perhaps Bamont’s attachment is maritime conquest.

“You wanted to seize the coastline?”

[Yeah!]

At the appearance of speaking like an innocent child, Pernok nodded.

‘Though it’s fragmentary memory, he can pull out things from long ago like clues. Moreover, since he was closest with the first king, elements that could secure an advantage in the competition might pop out.’

This lingering thought can only be seen by Pernok, who handles spiritual power.

In many ways, its utility value was high.

“I’ll conquer it for you.”

[Really!?]

Pernok nodded to the mass of lingering thought rejoicing like a child.

“If there’s power contained in Ulysses’s tomb, it’s possible.”

[Uncle’s power? What’s that?]

“You don’t know?”

[Mmm… I don’t remember.]

Is the lingering thought’s memory only this much?

It was somewhat disappointing, so he was about to put the chatty lingering thought back into the scale for a moment.

[But Uncle put something important in there.]

At the continuing words, he released the force.

“Something important?”

[He said we must have it to not collapse!]

“What is it?”

[It should be written on the scale….]

“You mean it’s not the path leading to the tomb?”

[…Yeah! It’s about the meaning of power! But don’t worry! If I get near the tomb, I can immediately tell where Uncle is resting!]

“Hmm….”

[But why are you obsessed with Uncle’s tomb? I have good things too.]

Bamont also has something hidden?

Pernok met Bamont’s gaze.

“You don’t have a tomb.”

[Hehe, I buried it separately! I didn’t want to give it to pathetic guys without qualifications!]

“What did you bury?”

[Uh… what was it….]

Bamont tilted his head.

[…There’s something like that. I think I’ll know when I see it directly.]

The lingering thought’s memory seems to extend only this far.

But he was interested in the treasure the Military God hid.

“Where did you hide yours?”

[I wrote it on the scale!]

“Are there multiple clues inside this?”

[Of course! I packed and pressed them in full!]

Bamont alternated the scale in a new way.

Pernok memorized the sequence and gripped the scale.

“My introduction is late. My name is Pernok. I’m searching for the tomb to become the new king.”

[Huh! You were a candidate!?]

“Is there a problem?”

Bamont, who’d been staring at Pernok, grinned.

[No! You overflow with qualifications! Conquer the coastline for me!]

When he gained the Scale Tribe, would that mere sea be a problem?

“It’ll take some time, but I’ll achieve the dream you couldn’t fulfill. In return, cooperate with me completely.”

[Hehe, I like guys overflowing with ambition! I’ll help you to the end! Don’t worry!]

Bamont jumped onto Pernok’s shoulder.

At the appearance of leaving the scale, Pernok asked puzzled.

“You can move without the scale?”

[Originally impossible, but it became possible because you woke me up!]

Bamont absorbed the spiritual power Pernok sent.

Until the attachment disappears, he can be kept nearby even without possessing the scale.

[That far is okay even if separated!]

At the words that roughly 10 meters of separation is fine, Pernok wore a peculiar smile.

‘It would be fine to use it for infiltrating through walls and eavesdropping on information.’

In many ways, it’s a mass of lingering thought with high utility.

It will disappear immediately upon conquering the coastline, but until then, it’s worth keeping around.

‘The first king’s tomb and the Military God’s legacy.’

Smiles formed naturally as unexpected gains seemed to come in succession.

Pernok smirked and came out holding the scale.

Vans, Yuliana, and Porla’s gazes pierced Pernok.

And their lips’ corners twitched as if sneering.

‘King Bamont, huh. He seems to have heard the Military God’s legend, but that has no chance of winning.’

‘The clue about the tomb is recorded by the wisest king. The rest merely stored their traces like decorations.’

‘A scale? You chose that because it’s after the first king? How simple.’

Royal families who participated in the competition until now had brought King Bamont’s collection because he was close with the first king.

But they obtained nothing from it.

They judged that King Bamont was distracted by territorial expansion and didn’t leave arrangements for descendants.

Actually, people who became king until now mostly obtained clues from the 4th King’s collection.

Since Pernok brought King Bamont’s scale leaving aside the 4th King’s collection, it was worth laughing at.

[Staring unpleasantly and making a fuss.]

Bamont sneered at the royals and swept through them.

His gaze stopped at Vans, but he wasn’t greatly surprised.

[If you’re careful of just that one, you’ll find Uncle.]

When Bamont was sitting on the scale looking at the royals’ appearances pathetically, Phillena approached with a solemn expression.

“Have you all brought your ancestors’ spirits?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“At last, you’ve gained complete qualifications to participate in the competition. The policy passed down to competitors through generations of ancestors is just one thing. Only prove your qualifications and make the nation prosperous!”

Phillena spread both arms before the four people and shouted.

“Whoever makes this crown’s light shine shall become the new king!”

“Glory to Illumina!”

Pernok also bowed his head slightly and followed the formality.

[Why is the most worthless one acting like a king?]

Bamont placed his hands on his waist as if in a bad mood and burst into anger.

Pernok let out a laugh at the harsh evaluation and slowly withdrew.

* * *

Phillena proclaimed the four succession candidates.

At the words that from today onward, those who’ll become the new king appeared, other nations heightened their alertness and the people cheered greatly.

And the royals moved in perfect order.

They were desperate to find clues in cooperation with supporters.

Pernok had already secured two clues through Bamont.

First, the message first king Ulysses gave when passing the throne to his nephew Bamont.

[I sealed a great evil in this deep darkness.]

An explanation about the power sleeping in the tomb.

And the other is Bamont’s own treasure left for descendants.

[Under the earth where life’s greenness sprouts, I leave the kingdom’s proof.]

Both were riddle games, but Pernok didn’t care much.

It was enough that he sent a letter to Kelt and entrusted these decodings to him.

From the beginning, Pernok’s purpose was the disposal of all dishonest people existing in this royal family.

And releasing the half-living’s resentment.

“You can’t think of sitting comfortably and borrowing forces’ power.”

The throne war’s intention is clear.

Until the last one person survives, it means fight each other under the pretext of the tomb and either merge or subjugate.

This situation where they use each nation’s information, authority, military power, and financial power yet focus only on the tomb.

Complacent.

The sight of blood clots who don’t know war prancing around relying only on forces felt pathetic.

Pernok unfolded Rio’s letter that arrived today.

[I heard news that the competition began.

All nations are moving and focusing on the tomb.

As competition overheats, they’ll concentrate only on the death struggle between royals.

At last, the situation we desire has arrived.

All preparations are complete. Please give the command.]

If the royals’ power comes from those supporting them, just cut off that source.

From the beginning, Pernok divided Ruin and Rio to provoke confrontation among great powers.

Today, when the throne war begins.

Pernok wrote the first button in one sentence and sent it.

[Begin.]

When royals were desperate for the small tree called the tomb, Pernok aimed for the golden opportunity to carve down the massive mountain called great powers.