Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock-Chapter 269: The Fifth Story

Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock-Chapter 269: The Fifth Story

Lucion’s enemy, the mastermind behind this entire situation, finally appeared. Whether he was Lucion’s teacher or knight, he sacrificed himself in Lucion’s place, pushing him further toward corruption.
Heint wanted to close his eyes, unable to bear the sight unfolding before him, yet he couldn’t look away. Instead, he cried out desperately.
“Divine Beasts! Please, tell me what to do!”
He knew they were attempting to imprison Veronia, but even for a moment, he wished they would tell him. Should he unleash the light as it was, or was there another way?
Ratta approached, trying to say something, but Heint couldn’t hear either the voice of the divine beasts or Ratta’s words.
Frustration washed over him as he grabbed his hair.
“It’s useless.”
Veronia tried to speak but coughed up blood instead.
Still, Heint stepped closer to Lucion.
“…I’m sorry, Lucion.”
There was only one way to slow the corruption.
With a hand filled with light, he rushed toward him.
“Get lost.”
Lucion’s voice was dry and devoid of emotion.
A thick, tainted violet darkness surged beneath Heint’s feet.
Heint barely managed to roll forward, avoiding it just in time. As he stood up, momentarily stunned, his expression hardened.
“You…”
Lucion was serious.
He had truly attacked him.
Gritting his teeth, Heint drew his sword.
Clang.
If Lucion resisted this much, there was no other choice.
With a mere gesture from Lucion, the entire building trembled.
Another night was approaching.
Heint infused his sword with almost all of his light and aimed it boldly at Lucion.
Ratta’s eyes wavered.
Grrr.
A low growl rumbled from her as violet darkness enveloped her. She stepped between Heint and Lucion.
“Ratta…?”
Heint hesitated, halting his sword mid-swing.
—Lucion.
The darkness surrounding Ratta dissipated, revealing her in her adult form. She rushed at Lucion, exhaling a smoky breath.
Thud!
Lucion crashed into the wall. Ratta leaped onto him, baring her sharp teeth.
—Lucion, please, listen to Ratta’s voice.
Although Lucion’s darkness writhed in response, it curled back, retreating like a tail at Ratta’s desperate cries.
—Lucion…!
But the sorrow in his eyes was like a raging storm over the sea—wild, unrelenting, and showing no signs of calming.
—Ratta is Lucion’s guardian.
Violet darkness surged from Ratta’s forehead.
—Ratta was born to protect Lucion, and she will protect him, no matter what it takes.
Bang!
At that moment, the door burst open.
“Ratta!”
Hume rushed in, clutching a black orb in his hand.
“No! Ratta, you can’t! If you take on the corruption, you’ll die!”
The darkness screamed as it surged violently.
Hume shoved the black orb forward and threw himself at Ratta, grabbing hold of her.
“Ratta. You can’t do this.”
—Let go, Hume! If Lucion falls completely into corruption, no one will be able to stop him! I have to do this!
Ratta struggled against him, her eyes filled with desperation. But then, she suddenly burst into tears.
—I couldn’t protect Russell. He vanished right before my eyes… I couldn’t stop Lucion either. Ratta is weak. So insignificant.
“…”
For a moment, Hume’s grip loosened.
He blankly looked around, finally taking in his surroundings.
Russell was nowhere to be found.
Not anywhere.
He had only begun to hear the voice of the darkness after grabbing the black orb.
“Ratta is in danger. Stop her!”
Without hesitation, he had charged toward the black fox in her true form. But… was this really Lucion?
His disheveled hair, blood-stained clothes, and the nauseating, ominous scent surrounding him—
For a moment, Hume felt his breath hitch as his gaze met Lucion’s.
Eyes filled with wounds deeper than any physical scar.
It was Lucion.
The Lucion who had once been as warm as the morning sun.
How had he ended up like this?
“It’s alright.”
Asha walked forward slowly.
Hume’s eyes trembled.
“I, the Coordinator, am here for this moment.”
“What?”
Veronia, who had been watching Hume with an almost welcoming expression, flinched.
Even as the holy relic’s light intensified and the force imprisoning him grew stronger, Veronia couldn’t hide his shock.
“Asha…?”
How could he not recognize her?
Asha.
“The first Ravien. The traitor who abandoned Ravien.”
Asha gazed at Veronia without a trace of emotion.
“…You’re alive?” Veronia’s voice trembled with emotion.
“You were the one who abandoned us.”
Asha’s voice was cold.
“No! I never gave up on you! I would never abandon you!”
“Press on with the light as it is,” Asha instructed, turning her head toward Heint.
“Understood.”
Though he didn’t fully grasp the situation, Heint charged straight toward Lucion.
“…Again, you guys.”
Veronia, emanating his darkness, glared at the darkness that had manifested before him.
Only the darkness could conceal Asha.
“No, Asha asked for help, didn’t she? You are merely a traitor.”
“Why should we listen to you? You never had the right to lead us from the beginning.”
“You’re a fake!”
The darkness sneered.
“Divine Beasts, you may focus now,” Asha said, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgment before stepping toward Lucion.
“Remember this, traitor.”
At Asha’s reproachful words, Veronia flinched.
“There is no future for a servant of darkness who betrays the king and dons his mask.”
Asha knelt before Lucion, gently clasping his bloodstained hands.
A deep sorrow welled within her, bringing tears to her eyes.
“Lucion-nim, please wipe away those tears now.”
A black wind surged as the corruption passed from Lucion’s hands into Asha’s.
“No! Asha, stop!”
Veronia screamed.
As the darkness faltered momentarily, light pierced through him. Yet, he barely noticed the pain, too fixated on stopping Asha.
But Asha didn’t even spare him a glance.
She simply smiled, as if comforting Lucion’s grief.
“Your sorrow is the sorrow of all who follow the darkness.”
Her duty as the Coordinator was to judge the vessel and prevent its corruption.
“Lucion-nim.”
Feeling the corruption within Lucion gradually subsided, Asha gently called to him.
“…”
“Sorrow is natural, but you must not be consumed by it. Do not worry. I will always protect you.”
‘Asha…’
Lucion’s lifeless, empty eyes slowly regained a glimmer of light.
There was so much he wanted to say, but Asha seemed to have no time left.
“As Ravien, this is my final gift to you, King of Darkness. May happiness always be with you, noble king.”
Asha pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Lucion’s hand.
The clock, which had struck twelve, began to turn backward, and a small leaf-shaped mark was etched beside its face.
‘Please don’t do this.’
‘I beg you not to.’
Lucion wanted to speak, but he couldn’t even lift a finger.
“Hume.”
She turned to Hume, calling his name softly.
Hume released Ratta and stepped toward her.
Asha pulled him into a firm embrace.
“You are not alone. I will protect you.”
“Asha?”
Hume’s heart ached strangely.
Watching Lucion’s corruption had pained him deeply. Seeing Ratta desperately trying to stop it had hurt just as much.
Yet now, he felt an unfamiliar, suffocating sensation in his chest.
“May happiness be with you.”
Crash.
A strange sound echoed as Asha began to crumble away.
It was like watching the sandcastle they had once built together at the Sea of Death collapse in an instant.
“…Ah.”
Hume trembled as he watched Asha turn to dust.
Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
“Uuaaaah…!”
His anguished cry, strangely enough, reached Veronia.
-Hume.
As the barrier of light enclosing Veronia solidified, Troy finally managed to speak.
Watching Lucion silently shed tears, Troy felt immense pity and uncertainty.
He wanted to comfort him—to stroke his head gently—but he couldn’t move.
-Go.
Troy urged Hume forward.
-And tell Lucion… Veronia’s next target is the Sea of Death.
“Can you hold on…?” Hume asked, wiping his tear-streaked face.
-I don’t think I can last much longer.
At Troy’s strained response, Hume turned to Heint with urgency.
“Let’s go, Heint-nim.”
—…Lucion.
Ratta stumbled forward, shrinking back into her small black fox form. She reached out and took Lucion’s hand.
Only then did Lucion finally begin to sob.
—Lucion, I’m sorry… I…
Clutching Ratta’s tiny paw, Lucion broke down in tears.
‘I’m sorry.’
—Ratta… ugh.
Ratta could no longer hold back her emotions and began crying again.
‘I’m sorry, Asha.’
Everything was in ruins.
He had lost Russell.
And now, Asha.
“Black magic was created to control darkness with one’s own will and prevent corruption.”
He had betrayed Russell’s teachings.
He had failed to control the darkness.
He had nearly succumbed—almost becoming a corrupted warlock, surrendering everything to his emotions, just like in the previous world.
But what was he supposed to do?
His guiding light, his unwavering lighthouse—Russell—was gone.
‘Teacher is now…’
Lucion’s thoughts halted as Hume lifted him into his arms.
Even now, there were two black threads.
One connected him to Veronia.
The other still tied him to Russell.
* * *
As soon as Shaela and Kran saw Hume carrying Lucion, they both ran toward him almost simultaneously.
A strong scent of blood emanated from Lucion.
“L-Lucion…”
Shaela covered her mouth, her voice trembling.
The fact that Lucion hadn’t collapsed outright was astonishing. His complexion was ghostly pale, his eyes rimmed with red. His once-white clothing was now soaked in blood, a grim testament to the horrors that had unfolded inside.
“We need to treat him immediately!”
Kran clenched his fists.
What on earth had happened there?
The sudden surge of corruption had kept everyone from getting close.
“I’ve performed emergency first aid,” Hume said quickly.
Before bringing Lucion out, he had used Sunbeam, preventing the worst.
“Sister.”
Lucion’s cracked lips barely formed the word.
“Don’t speak, Lucion,” Shaela scolded gently. “Hume, get him to the carriage. We’re leaving now.”
She silently cursed herself for believing Lucion could make it here using Shadow Movement without issue.
“My knight hasn’t arrived yet…”
Lucion’s eyes darted around anxiously, searching.
But Bethel was nowhere to be seen.
A creeping fear surged through him.
Something was wrong.
Shaela immediately turned to Heint. He met her gaze and shook his head in quiet confirmation.
So something had indeed gone terribly wrong.
“Young Lady,” Hume pleaded, his voice tight. “Please, even for a moment, may the young master rest alone in the carriage?”
Seeing Bethel approaching in the distance, he spoke desperately.
Shaela hesitated but ultimately nodded.
“Alright. Lay him down.”
Though she sensed something was amiss, she chose not to ask.
“Thank you.”
Hume bowed slightly before gently placing Lucion inside the carriage.
“Bethel-nim is safe, young master. I…”
“It’s okay.” Lucion interrupted, his voice hoarse. “I’m just… exhausted. I just need a little rest.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Hume lowered his gaze, unable to meet Lucion’s eyes as he closed the carriage door.
Ratta emerged from the shadows and curled up against Lucion’s chest.
She didn’t say a word.
She simply accepted his trembling touch.
His hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
[Lord Lucion.]
Bethel’s voice reached him softly.
And at that moment, he could no longer hold back his tears.
He wept bitterly.
[It’s okay. …It’s not your fault.]
Bethel had understood the moment she saw Lucion’s tear-streaked face and the absence of Russell. She gently patted his shoulder.
Her own tears threatened to spill, but she swallowed them down.
Lucion’s grief must have been far beyond anything she could comprehend.
“I’m sorry, Bethel.”
[I heard… from Russell.]
Bethel belatedly took in his disheveled state.
How desperate must he have been?
“Bethel.”
[Yes.]
“I ignored my teacher’s teachings… I let myself be consumed by rage and hatred.”
Lucion’s hand, which had been stroking Ratta, stopped, and he confessed his mistake with such sorrow, like a child.
“Asha… died because of me.”
—No! It’s not Lucion’s fault! Ratta knows!
Ratta turned and pressed her blood-stained paws against Lucion’s trembling arms.
—You’re not at fault, Lucion! You were just too sad… It was your sorrow that overwhelmed you!
She shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to will his self-blame away.
“If I hadn’t fallen into corruption… if I hadn’t drowned in grief… Asha wouldn’t have had to die.”
[Lord Lucion.]
Bethel’s voice was firm now.
[No matter how many times I say it, it wasn’t your fault.]
This was what Russell had meant.
That it was better for one to disappear than for both.
Since he was going to disappear anyway, he had asked her to stop Lucion.
But Russell had been wrong.
[
‘Russell… you underestimated Lord Lucion’s grief.’
]
Lucion, who hadn’t fallen into corruption even when facing King Norvion of Neubra—the very man who had tormented all of Cronia—was now crumbling after Russell’s disappearance.
[If I had Asha’s power, I would gladly—]
“NO!”
Lucion shot up abruptly, his voice raw and desperate.
Pain exploded through him from the sudden movement, and he let out a choked groan.
“Please… don’t say that,” he gasped. “Don’t sacrifice yourself for me in the name of protecting me.”
[Then should I just watch you die?]
“Yes.”
At Lucion’s cold, cruel response, Bethel flinched.
[Lord Lucion… I… I can’t do that.]
“Then what about me?”
Lucion clutched at his clothes.
“What about me—the one left behind? The one who has to watch everyone disappear…? If I’m the only one left again…?”
Bethel placed her hand gently over the back of Lucion’s hand.
At her touch, his heavy eyelids drooped.
She wanted to say something—to comfort him—but his quietly trembling hands and shoulders made her hesitate.
“…I know.”
But it was Lucion who spoke first.
“I know that I’m the one left behind. But Bethel… I don’t want that.”
[I’m sorry. I pushed you too hard. You must have said things you didn’t mean because of your grief.]
“Bethel.”
Though on the verge of breaking down, Lucion gathered strength in his eyes, forcing back his tears.
“The time for despair is over.”
[…?]
“Because my teacher hasn’t disappeared.”
A spark of determination flickered in Lucion’s gaze.
* * *
‘Lucion.’
The black figure called out to Lucion.
He still wore a mask, but Lucion remained indifferent.
It seemed Hume had given him the black orb while he was unconscious.
‘Look at me.’
‘Who the hell are you?’
Lucion asked sharply, his gaze cold.
‘This is the fifth time. Just once more, and it’ll be over. Why are you so tense?’
The black figure shrugged and said.
‘Am I… the King of Darkness?’
‘Lucion… That story—’
‘Are you the king whose crown was stolen by Veronia?’
The black figure hesitated, then said, ‘Russell has disappeared, hasn’t he?’
‘…!’
Lucion froze at those words.
‘How do you think I knew, Lucion?’
The black figure took a step closer to Lucion.
‘Think about it. You’re starting to get the picture now, aren’t you?’
Though the thought seemed absurd, Lucion spoke the name.
‘Lucion… Cronia.’
His own name.

.
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Chapter 269: The Fifth Story