Standing atop the staircase leading to the emperor's palace, I gazed down upon the steps that were littered with countless corpses. The night sky, which should have been cloaked in darkness, was instead stained red by the flames rising from the ground.
I gazed at the hellish scene beneath me with a bitter smile as I watched my friend climb out of the inferno and up the blood-stained steps. Perhaps, deep down, I had known for a long time that this day would come.
Even though the rebels had breached the palace, I felt a strange sense of relief washing over me. Here I was, the last knight defending this palace, while my friend was the leader of the rebels trying to overthrow the tyrant emperor. And yet, my mind was as clear as day.
"Ah, finally," I said as I drove my sword into the ground before me and forced a smirk.
Our pain and anguish were mutual. I was duty-bound to defend the palace, and he had to overcome me.
Clad in silver armor adorned with his family crest, a blue wolf, he ascended the steps. His usually playful face was now twisted with seriousness as he halted before me.
"Surrender," he pleaded, his voice thick with suppressed emotions. "You know the atrocities the emperor is committing, don't you? Lay down your weapons and surrender now, and I will guarantee your life, I promise."
His voice even carried a tinge of desperation. But there was only one response I could give.
I let out a chuckle and waved my hand dismissively. "You know that's impossible, right? Let's not waste each other's time."
"Cain. Please," he whispered desperately.
"What use is a dog that can't even guard its own house? You should back down this time, for once."
As he strode toward me with unwavering resolve, memories of our first encounter flooded my mind.
I think it was the day he had been summoned by His Majesty and entered the palace for the first time. That was ten years ago. Back then, I had been practicing at the Imperial Guards' training ground when he approached me.
"My name is Halo. I'm the eldest son of Duke Leston. I've heard that among my peers, you're the best in the empire. Care to let me experience the Imperial Swordsmanship?" Halo had said.
He had been rather rude, so I dismissed his request initially, but he still stubbornly stuck around. He had even said something about being curious about the skills of the guard dog of the imperial family.
And yet, despite our different backgrounds—I, a mere slave who had joined the imperial guards for the sake of a full belly; he, a noble who had grown up sheltered—we had somehow gotten along well. Our spars had naturally progressed into a friendship.
"Looking back, you've always been a rebel at heart, Halo. I knew you'd eventually lead a rebellion successfully."
"How can you still say that at this moment?" Halo retorted.
"Why not? I'm about to die anyway, so I might as well say what I want. It's still better than insulting someone who's not even a friend by calling them a dog, right?"
"I don't even expect you to surrender. Just run away. With your skills, you could break through the encirclement and escape."
"But I can't do that."
"Why the hell not?" Halo's tone was laced with frustration, as he seemingly couldn't understand my rationale.
I gestured toward the palace, where the emperor was, and replied, "As long as the emperor lives, how can I flee? If you really want to save me, subdue me, go into the palace, and kill the emperor. That's the only way."
"Why go to such lengths..."
"Are you about to say 'when that emperor has never truly trusted me'?"
If I were to describe our great emperor, I'd have to call him the bluest-blooded son of a bitch there was.
When he was young, he was called a genius; it was even said that he was destined to be the greatest ruler the Orias Empire had ever seen. Even when the former emperor had passed away unexpectedly and the current emperor ascended the throne, the people still held high hopes.
And yet, despite ascending to the throne amid the people's blessings, the emperor's reign was now ending in disgrace—overthrown by rebels and facing judgment. Even the reason for his dethronement was unprecedented.
The emperor made a deal with the devils and is plotting evil schemes!
What was even more surprising was that the absurd rumor had turned out to be true. I wonder how much of a genius one would have to be to consider selling their soul to the devils. Maybe the devils offered a really high price in exchange for the soul of someone with royal blood.
"How little faith must His Majesty have in his subjects for him to toy with their souls? Quite a remarkable fellow," I muttered.
The black magic that had ensnared me when I stepped into the palace for the first time was truly formidable. Even now, the overwhelming urge to unleash violence upon my closest companion spoke volumes of the insidious influence of the emperor's magic on my mind.
Suppressing the urge to kill, I drew my sword from the ground. Perhaps the emperor's time was truly coming to an end.
I struggled to answer that question, unsure if it was due to the fact that I was drowning in my own blood, or simply because I had no answer.
But one thing was for sure. I said, "At least I'm less miserable. So, I guess I'm happier than before."
With that, my vision gradually began to darken. I felt the cursed mana that had sustained me fading out..
"...Do you have any last words?" Halo asked; his voice sounded hazy.
I closed my eyes, and answered softly, "Nothing, really."
This marked my final decision after twenty-nine years of living as someone else's slave.
***
That punk's words kept echoing in my ears.
"Is this really the path to your happiness?"
Happiness. What was happiness?
Did the word "happiness" suit someone like me, an orphan who had been a slave all my life? I wasn't sure.
Slaves, guard dogs bound to the imperial family by their very souls, didn't have the freedom to be happy.
But still, there was something I sincerely wished for: to live as I pleased. To do anything I wanted, even if others called me trash.
I wished to live as Halo did, to walk in his shoes—seeking out the family who had mistreated and abused me in my youth, seeking vengeance, and even daring to challenge the very core of the mad emperor.
What was so special about happiness? Being able to do whatever I wished, that would be happiness and freedom.
But wait, what's going on? I'm definitely dead. Shouldn't I be free from such trivial thoughts if I'm dead? But what is this unusual warmth I've felt for a while... Could it be that these demons are heating the fires of hell for me?
Now that I think about it, going to hell seems unjust. I didn't sell my soul to a demon! The deal was made by the emperor. Why should I be damned because of that blue-blooded motherfucker?
"Master, it's a boy."
"The third young master finally has a son!"
Suddenly, my vision cleared.
Many faces peered down at me, but among them, a middle-aged man held me in his arms, tears streaming down his face.
"My son. My son..."
For a while, the man shed tears before passing me over to someone else. I looked up to see a familiar face before my eyes.
"Our youngest grandson," he said.
It was Halo... Well, I couldn't say for certain, but that was what I imagined Halo would look like when he grew old.
Halo continued, "Wow, what a sharp gaze this newborn has! How fascinating."
Wait... Huh? A youngest grandson? A newborn?
What are they saying? Are they all collectively possessed by demons, speaking such nonsense so eloquently as if nothing is wrong here?
That was when a strange sound came out of my mouth.
"Waaah!"
'Waaah'? Why am I making these sounds...?
***
Thus, I was reborn. From a lowly guard dog born as a slave, to the youngest grandson of the heroic Duke who had saved the empire.
Or, to put it more precisely: I was now the youngest grandson of my friend, Halo.