A sleep that one could never awaken from. She did hear that it would usually happen as an aftereffect of an accident, such as drug addiction or experiencing a major blow to the head. Searching through her memories, she slowly opened her mouth.
“Oh… I have heard of people showing such symptoms.”
“That’s right. The doctor said he’s in a comatose state.”
I’ve never taken on a job like this before. Sonidor thought as she sipped her tea. However, if it involved no risk of retaliation and a hefty sum would be promised, it seemed like an opportunity to make good money. The amount of money involved seemed quite substantial, perhaps even worth a dozen times as much. She wavered as she was tempted by the lure of money.
“If it was diagnosed by a doctor, did you also hear the reason for why they collapsed?”
“Why is that important?”
“If it’s because of trauma, my intervention won’t have much effect.”
“That won’t matter then since he just suddenly collapsed one day and has not woken up.”
If that was the case, then it was definitely within Sonidor’s area of expertise.
At the man’s words, Sonidor pondered for a moment. If they had suddenly collapsed for no reason, they must have suffered some sort of shock or traumatic event from which they didn’t want to wake up from. Then, it was just a matter of connecting the patient’s consciousness with her own and creating a dream to instill hope in them. However, the odds of success could not be guaranteed. There had to be a reason why they never woke up. It wasn’t going to be an easy task. It could take months, or even years.
“Hmm, it’s quite difficult.”
“I have heard of your reputation. I heard that you cured Countess Vizutier of her insomnia. If you can cure someone of a disease that prevents them from sleeping, perhaps you can awaken someone from eternal sleep.”
Since when did such rumors… She rubbed the back of her neck, blushing in embarrassment.
“I’ll pay you however much you’d like.”
“I’ll do my be… Oomph!”
Covering Sonidor’s mouth, Terry asked suspiciously.
“There’s no guarantee of success. Even so, will you be okay with that?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
See! It doesn’t matter! Sonidor removed Terry’s hand and rolled her eyes.
“You’re our last hope. I’ll grab at straws if I have to.”
*note: grab at straws means to try all methods possible
The expectations he held were too low, even though he had called them their last hope. To be compared to a flimsy straw. Even though I’m being compared to a straw, I’m confident that I can do well. Sonidor sipped her tea with a sour expression as her ability was once again being underestimated.
“I’ll use that straw until it becomes tattered and is torn to shreds.”
Hearing the man’s words, she almost spat out her tea.
“You’re our last remaining hope, are you not?”
What did I just hear? I’ll have to work myself until I collapse and die if I don’t do my job correctly? If I comply with the request, it means I’m putting my life on the line?
This kind of crazy…
Terry patted her on the back as she coughed violently. As if satisfied with her reaction, the man took off the hooded cap he’d been wearing. A vaguely familiar middle-aged man smiled with his narrow eyes. He had the gaze of a hawk aiming for its prey, so sharp that it could send chills down one’s spine.
Sonidor and Terry simultaneously held their breaths and stiffened their bodies. It wasn’t a face that they knew, but his silhouette somehow felt familiar. They had seen it many times before: the slightly faded blond hair, the impeccable posture he held despite his age, and the chillingly intense blue eyes. If asked where they had ever seen him, it would be on the distant throne on National Foundation Day, the Harvest Festival, or the Martial Arts Competition.
“I want you to wake up my son.”
The emperor said as he put down the teacup.
I-It’s His Majesty the Emperor. Really? Is he really His Majesty the Emperor?
Sonidor kept glancing out the window to check the weather in disbelief. In the first place, it couldn’t have been a dream since she was in her office. She briefly considered poking her eyes out and shouting, “I didn’t see anything!” Just why did His Majesty come to such a shabby place like this? Rumor had it that he killed his wife and children except for the mild-mannered crown prince because he didn’t trust them and that he was not yet cured of his paranoia.
It was at that moment that she quietly muttered out the thought that she would have no words even if she were to be dragged away and executed for contempt.
“Hm…”
“I-I wasn’t thinking anything!”
“This is the first time I’m tasting such a peculiar tea.”
Sipping the tea, the emperor furrowed his brow as if it was strange.
Terry, did you spit in the tea like you did with me? Sonidor turned and gave him a suspicious look and he shook his head as if he were crazy.
It was definitely a tea with a peculiar taste. Astringent and sweet, sweet and bitter, bitter and sour, like a collection of all sorts of tea leaves. It had been sold for cheap and bought in bulk. It was not the type that nobles would enjoy during their teatime, so there was no way it would suit the palate of someone from the imperial family. However, the emperor continued to drink the tea as if he liked it.
“Can you do it?”
The emperor asked again. Since he had already revealed himself, it meant that her neck and body would be perfectly split apart and rolling on the ground if she did not accept the request. Sonidor could not see what kind of expression she was currently making, but she could make a guess. She was probably pale with fear.
He had only one son. Sonidor’s hands began to tremble as she held the teacup. Tea brewed from cheap tea leaves. Was this going to be the last meal of her life? Thirsty, she drank it down in one gulp and set it back down on the saucer with trembling hands. The sound of clattering rang.
“I-I see that His Highness the Crown Prince has fallen into a deep sleep.”
When did His Highness the Crown Prince fall into a coma! This is the first time I’m hearing of this!
“Perhaps the Descencian tribe’s curse is starting again.”
The corners of the emperor’s lips curved up menacingly as he recalled something from 500 years ago.
The artisans were not despised by the empire’s citizens for no reason. To understand why they were resented, one would need to look back to the time of the invasion 500 years ago. At that time, the emperor of the Arche Empire, Lucan V, learned that the southernmost island of the continent was a landfill for mana. When he learned of this, he gathered all the mages he could find and invaded the island.
Using their mana under the best possible conditions, they slaughtered the natives. The dense forests were completely destroyed and burned down by falling meteorites before crumbling to dust. Blood stained the earth red and desperate cries drifted through the air. Gazing in despair at the scene, the greatest sorcerer of the Descencia tribe cursed in a blood-curdling voice.
- Your descendants will be born but will not be blessed by the heavens, and when they die, they will not be embraced by the earth but will forever wander the lands.
Lucan V dismissed it, seeing it as their last resort, but the empire was soon thrown into chaos. All of the newly born members of the imperial family were born with weak bodies and on the day they came of age, they collapsed and could not wake up. And so, the years would pass until the young man became an old man before dying.
Eventually, the imperial family of the Arche Empire could no longer expect any more descendants and their lineage was cut off. Eventually, they had no choice but to adopt a system where once a year, a new emperor was chosen through the recommendations of nobles. However, there was a great deal of resentment from the people who had revered the emperor as a god. The people, who had believed in absolute monarchy and hereditary rule for thousands of years, rebelled and demanded that they would rather establish a new noble lineage.
At that time, the most trusted Duke of Heilon had his surname changed to “Arche” and inherited the Arche Empire, which has remained so ever since. The emperor who currently rules the Arche Empire was also a descendant of the Duke of Heilon. Though he was now a member of the imperial family.
The emperor was saying that the curse that was thought to have been completely broken might have resurfaced after 500 years. Sonidor was not so stupid as to not know what that meant.
“My son has been weak both physically and mentally since he was young. On the day he came of age, he could not wake up from his eternal sleep. As a fellow member of the Descencian tribe, what are your thoughts?”
She flinched.
It was also the first time she heard that the crown prince’s body was weak. Surely, this is top secret too. Is he telling me this because he’s going to kill me anyway? Every time he casually informed her of these things, she felt like her lifeline was getting shorter and shorter. She began to grow visibly pale the longer the emperor spoke.
“I-I am an outsider when it comes to curses…”
*note: it means that it’s not her area of expertise
Sonidor lengthened her words as she thought to herself. Could the curse have started again? If this fact were to be known, perhaps artisans would lose their place in the empire even more. Perhaps they would be used as sacrifices to quell the people’s resentment. In the Arche Empire, artisans were in such a position.
I feel like I’ve stepped in shit again, but can I even escape outside the empire?
Just as they had abandoned their true guest, the rest of the hooded men came back into the office. If they were guarding the emperor, they must be knights. The emperor’s escort knights. It was clear that they were the “Raizel Guards”. They were known for being the empire’s most skilled individuals and each of them were said to be the equivalent to an entire army.
The Raizel Guards! Terry’s frightened eyes began to sparkle with a different kind of meaning. He looked like he was ready to ask for an autograph. That obsession of his that knew nothing of time and place made Sonidor grow weary.
Stop it, you crazy idiot…
“I’ll ask you one last time. Can you take this request?”
The emperor gave her a choice. Did she want to die by being hanged or drowned?
If she didn’t do it, she would die and though she’d die of overworking if she did accept, she would at least have a small chance of survival. Sonidor looked like she had been forced to swallow food that she didn’t want to eat. Until now, she would just kick out a client if she didn’t like them, but if she were to kick the emperor out, she would have to kick him out of this life.
“I can grant you a title if you want.”
Being granted a title as an artisan was indeed an incredible offer, but she shook her head. She didn’t want such a troublesome and life-threatening position.
“Oh, no. I’m fine. I mean, it’s quite all right.”
“You can speak comfortably. Is there something else you want instead?”
“To have my head preserved in place…?”
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