Those people really are audacious…
Lying on his bed, Kashchey thought to himself.
At times, he found the thought processes of the short-lived species utterly incomprehensible.
To incite a riot in Chernobog under the banner of the Reunion Movement?
What is that supposed to mean? Shifting all the blame onto me?
Everyone knew that, throughout Ursus, the one place where Infected were treated the best was within the domain of Duke Kashchey.
So if a so-called "terrorist organization fighting for the Infected of the world" suddenly emerged, whose reputation would suffer most?
Kashchey's.
The thought left him irritated.
He despised when others forced the troubles they created onto his shoulders. That was one of his constant frustrations.
In recent years, in order to advance his idolization project, he had deliberately revealed fragments of his incarnations to the public.
Weighing the pros and cons, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks—at least in his eyes.
But the disadvantages could not be denied.
Across all of Terra, especially in the eyes of the upper echelons of many nations, Kashchey had become infamous—one of the better-known immortals.
And not with a good reputation.
"Have you heard? They say there's an immortal in Ursus with a vile temperament, one who takes delight in toying with people's emotions."
"Yes, I've heard that too! He even uses false identities to play cruel tricks on mortals. The Pegasus of Kazimierz and the Sarkaz of Kazdel were both caught in his schemes."
"Nonsense! Do you people even understand the weight of Ursus's symbol? Lord Kashchey has his reasons for everything he does! Outsiders like you could never understand."
"Fine, fine. We outsiders will never grasp the greatness of your Duke Kashchey, is that what you want to hear?"
This gave rise to another problem.
Those who knew of Kashchey's existence grew increasingly paranoid.
"Today my bodyguard suddenly advanced in skill. I suspect he has been possessed by that Ursus immortal. Requesting an inspection."
"Today my wife suddenly asked me for money to buy some extremely expensive jewelry. I fear she may have been possessed by that Kashchey fellow. Requesting an inspection."
For a time, Casters skilled in psychic Originium Arts became highly sought after.
Many such sorcerers secretly thanked Kashchey; he had raised their profession's value overnight.
But this was an absurd waste of resources—most of the time, people were simply frightening themselves.
After several years of this hysteria, most people gradually grew accustomed to Kashchey's presence.
And once accustomed, their vigilance dulled.
It was like driving vehicles across the wilderness every year, all while knowing natural disasters might strike. Most thought: Surely I won't be the unlucky one to encounter it.
Or like fearing food poisoning so much that one insists on using the most professional, most costly equipment to inspect every meal.
That would simply be excessive.
Besides, according to the collective investigations carried out across different factions, those who were actually possessed by Kashchey were invariably people with weak wills.
On this land, there were very few who both knew of Kashchey's existence and simultaneously doubted their own strength of will.
As for Ursus itself, among nobles and officers even slightly close to the inner circle, it was common knowledge that Duke Kashchey was capable of possession.
So, if something strange happened and no one knew who was responsible—who would be the first to fall under suspicion?
That's right. Kashchey.
Even without evidence, Kashchey would always be listed as the prime suspect.
Even if people dared not voice it aloud, they could at least think it in their hearts, couldn't they?
They could never be certain whether Kashchey was truly behind it or not, but as long as the possibility existed, it was safest to assume he was.
And unless Kashchey could somehow prove his innocence—unless there was undeniable proof he was not the culprit—the suspicion would remain.
After all, his powers made him far too suspicious by nature.
But the truth was, the vast majority of these things had nothing to do with him.
Some acts were so vile they even disgusted Kashchey himself, and yet they were pinned on him all the same.
Running and maintaining the Duchy of Kashchey already consumed an enormous amount of his energy.
That kind of precise, delicate governance demanded the utmost of any ruler.
He rarely had the capacity to interfere in the workings of the rest of Ursus.
But only a very small number of people truly understood this.
And among those few, some pretended not to understand at all.
Because they knew—if this immortal went unchecked, then one day the Ursus Empire might well become nothing more than the divine kingdom of Kashchey.
---
It was precisely through such endless rumors and slander that most immortals throughout history had been hunted down.
So why, then, did Kashchey still enjoy his title and position as Duke to this day?
Because Kashchey's status was simply too unique.
His centuries of groundwork had not been in vain.
He was a being whose influence reached deep into the culture of Ursus itself—still alive and enduring.
In many Ursine works of literature, he even appeared as a positive figure.
And to most people, he possessed one trait above all: he could not be killed.
More importantly, his wisdom had brought immense benefit to the Ursus Empire.
Coupled with the Memory, which gave him his sharp political cunning, he naturally gathered a circle of allies and vested interests around him.
These were the foundations that allowed Kashchey to stand openly in the world as an immortal.
---
"Eliminate all those who defy me? Impossible. There are too many involved. A massacre on that scale would only spark terror, ruin my image in the eyes of bystanders, strip them of their sense of safety, and leave them fearing me. A thousand years of effort could collapse overnight. I'd be forced to flee."
"Seize control of their leadership? No. They must already be on guard against me. And my strength is spread too thin—recalling it all just to deal with something so trivial would hardly be worth the cost."
"Then perhaps simply tell Count Boris, the mayor of Chernobog, and let him handle it himself."
"Whatever happens, the [Sarcophagus] must not be compromised."
Inside Kashchey's mind, dozens of black serpents argued with one another.
In truth, it was nothing more than Kashchey holding a particularly intense session of self-debate.
He was well aware that he did not rival those geniuses whose cunning bordered on the demonic.
Most of his accomplishments came not from sheer brilliance, but from his inexplicable Memory and his unique power of linking consciousness.
Kashchey had always been brutally honest about his own strengths and limitations.
---
"Uncle, are we really going to stage a rebellion under the banner of the Reunion Movement? Isn't that basically trea—"
"Silence! Don't call me uncle. Address me as Captain!"
"Yes, Captain."
"We are not traitors! We simply want to restore Ursus to the glory of the late Emperor! Do you understand?"
"But… to spark riots in Chernobog under Reunion's name, isn't that too reckless? Our spies embedded within Reunion warned us that Kashchey seems to take this so-called heir rather seriously… And besides, our Internal Affairs orders are forgeries. If Kashchey truly moves against us, we won't stand a chance."
"…You really have studied yourself stupid. Did you honestly think that a mere captain like me, together with those so-called nobles outside, would dare oppose Duke Kashchey head-on?"
"Then… what do you mean?"
"The phrase 'Duke Kashchey is the embodiment of Ursus' will' is not mere rhetoric."
"And tell me, in today's Ursus… how many people do you think are yearning for war?"
"We are nothing more than the representatives being pushed to the front."