"Yes."

"That can't be possible..." the young Noah says, as he clutched his left chest, where the engraved seal with an IX is. "I... I'm what?"

"You possess the souls of the eight kings of Feuersturm, Your Majesty." Julian says. "This is a fact. As your potential showed, it is possible that you can read Antiquorum already. This is a knowledge pa.s.sed only to the Head Mages of the palace, the Ortfalcons. My predecessors had pa.s.sed the spell to sustain your body... taught to my ancestor by the first king, Octavius."

"Then... the seals..."

"That is the sign that they are in you." Julian says. "Can you see that small clock hand?"

"Yes." Noah answers. "I thought it was odd. What does that mean?"

"It points to IX. the ninth. It means your soul is the current possessor of the body." Julian exclaims. "The time the clock hand turns to either I, II, . . . VIII, other souls will possess your body."

Noah froze. "Wh-what?"

"The clock hand tells who the possessor of the body is." Julian says. "The last possessor of the Opus was the Eight king, and based on the knowledge pa.s.sed towards me, the most frequent possessor was the first king and the second king. There was not much record of the rest waking up years ago. They were centuries old, after all."

"Then... this body..." Noah narrowed his eyes. "Isn't mine anymore?"

Julian closed his eyes. "It is yours, King. What happened is a blessing. You are, as your father predicted, another incarnation of Octavius."

"The first king?"

"Yes."

"The kings who can use the opus all had to go through this." Julian says. "A great power and a great burden."

Noah stared blankly.

"A certain warlock named Nathaniel inflicted the curse nightmare. The first Warlock."

"The first Warlock?"

"This is knowledge pa.s.sed with the age of a thousand years. The tale of Octavius' battle and the first Warlock; Octavius wanted to win the war against Zweite, and so he wanted to possess the magic of the Opus, but the Warlock of Zweite did not want Zuerst to get the upper hand. And thus, even when Octavius acquired the Opus, the warlock still manage to inflict the curse. This was supposed to be a secret, but for years it didn't remain so. Slip of tongues made it to common folk and n.o.bility. But they do not know what it does to the body. They think it is a disease."

"It's a curse." Noah says. "A curse my ancestor got from the first Warlock..."

"Yes, it is. The first king's battle with the Warlock made him cursed, but he gained the ability to use the Opus, an ancient scripture. This had benefited Zuerst tremendously. It is a gift. You must thank Octavius, or we would have been a slave to Zweite."

Noah stared at his palms, small to his sight. He clenched his fist and opened his hand as it revealed a small fire and a small magical circle forming. He closed his palm, and the fire subsided. He was still bedridden, but the power easily took over his body. He did not need any medium to transfer his power, unlike his father, who used the royal scepter.

Months have pa.s.sed ever since the death of his family. He cannot stand still, and the country is in grief over the loss of losing such good rulers. Many had visited him, but were not able to cross the magical barrier. He could only hear their voices. Apparently almost all of the seven countries of Zuerst decided to pay their respects. Except for one.

Verteidigerin. The battlefront country.

None had said their condolences to Feuersturm. Julian had taken these to consideration and considered Verteidigerin hostile. Noah also was informed that his name, Noah Ecclesiastes, changed to Alexander Octavius.

"Can I be alone for a while, Julian?"

"Yes, but not for long. You have a scheduled study regarding the Economy of the country and History in about an hour from now. A swordtraining after the next. Lessons of music and dances as well. And then, Magic."

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Noah nodded. "I understand. I want to be alone for a while."

Julian nodded. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Julian exited the room. Noah embraced his leg, and buried his face on his knee. It took him several minutes of breathing slowly to stop his tears from falling. He rose his head and lifted his arm.

He could feel mana coursing through his veins.

Noah smiled.

"I am no longer 'Noah,' huh?"

'you are not.' a voice had said. 'you are 'me' now.'

Noah felt his head go blank, and then a pitch-black darkness followed as he fell to the void.

**

"It is now the time for your studies, King."

Julian entered the barrier with books on his arms. He observed the child, sitting on his bed still, looking at his hand, and as if observing his body.

"Your majesty?"

The child's gaze s.h.i.+fted towards Julian. And it was evident how his gaze looked colder, sharper.

"Why is this vessel underdeveloped?" A piercing mumble. "This is an unstable vessel. What were you doing, Ortfalcon?"

"Noah...?"

"How despicable. Do you not know who I am?"

Julian's eyes widened as he bowed swiftly, his hand on his chest.

"G-glory upon the Feuersturm Empire, Your Majesty, Alexander Octavius Ein Feuerkrieger."

"Raise your head. I have no need for such formalities. What in the world is this?" Thundered the king. His voice was that of a child but it spoke of authority. A ruler's aura. "This vessel is indeed a user of the Opus, but that should suffice in his coming of age, as per the magic's conditions. Enlighten me. What caused this instability?"

"A warlock altered the curse, Your Majesty." Julian says.

"That cannot be possible. You lie." The king says. "Such curses like the nightmare can only be controlled by its castor. Nathaniel is nothing but gone."

The boy's eyes flickered, as if amused. "Or is he... ressurected? Incarnated, like I?"

"Yes." Julian says. "It is considered a possibility. That the first Warlock is incarnated into a man of the Unsterblich family."

"Oh?" The boy smirked, "that is intriguing. By and by, can you enlighten me more about the circ.u.mstances of this boy's birth, and the said 'incarnation' of Nathaniel?"

**

The first king chuckled. "Ah... a murder. This is very much unlike that Warlock."

"Your Majesty?"

"What tragedy this vessel had to go through." He says, embracing the 'body' of the small Noah. "He suffered so much. Ah. But he shall be a great ruler with my guidance. His name will contradict the events that shall occupy the future. There will no such thing as rest. Or maybe... an end to the forged peace of Zweite, such the dream of Roderich."

Julian stared in awe.

"We must teach this child to be a brilliant ruler. Make his ascension delayed for at least five years. We must display his intellect and the glory he can bring to the Empire before he should be crowned. This child must be reknowned."

"But who would run the Kingdom, My King?" Julian asks. "The country cannot be without a king for years."

A boy flashed a smile; his lips curved into a smirk, and in his sharp sapphire eyes, Julian saw a king of old, wits displayed laced with cruelty.

"Do not worry." The king answers. "I am Alexander Octavius. There is no such person who can disobey me."

Julian gulped. He felt an overwhelming sense of astonishment and a feeling of authority he had not felt even from the late king. He felt adrenaline and the sense of power. He trembled.

"Yes, Your Majesty."