241 Cold War 3 (1/2)
To say that Kiho was shocked to hear that would be an understatement. ”He doesn't only want to take over me?” he asked, his heart beating loud and hard against his chest. ”But he actually wants to use my blood and flesh to revive his own body?”
He was distracted when he felt Tilly's bloodlust ooze.
Thankfully, Winter and Julian both hugged their mother. His wife instantly calmed down as she ruffled their sons' hair.
”I found an old coffin made of ice when I got lost in the Frozen Woods five years ago,” Lord Prescott said. ”When I opened it, I found bones that seem to belong to a human. I found an old piece of paper inside and when I touched it, I saw some images that made me realize who owns the bones. It was the Moon God.” He paused for a while before he continued. ”The other memories that I saw were too hard to understand. The only thing I remember is that the Moon God needs your flesh and blood for him to gain a human body, Kiho. In the past, he took over your body after Soleil Rosenberg died. But he failed to do so because of the Red Phoenix.”
”My brother?” Tilly asked in surprise. ”What did my brother do?”
”I'm sorry but I don't know the exact details, daughter,” Lord Prescott said. ”That's all I remember. Before I could dive further in his memories, I was stabbed from behind.”
He felt his wife flinch.
Lord Prescott smiled apologetically at his daughter. ”That's the reason why I told you to trust Kiho whatever happens, Tilly. Thanks to the Moon God's memories, I realized that your husband is the reincarnation of the Black Serpent. I heard from the Denvers before that they hate the Black Serpent, and that he doesn't deserve the Supreme. But my instinct told me that there's a deeper story between the Fire Mages clan and the Black Serpent.” He looked at him and Tilly back and forth. ”Whatever it is, I'm glad that the two of you decided to follow your heart.”
Tilly nodded. ”Of course, Father. We want to have a happy married life like what you and Mother had.”
”Father, I'm sorry,” Kiho said in a sad voice, making Tilly turned to him with a worried look on her face. ”You died because of me. I was also the reason why you had to go to the North, Father.”
”That's not true, Kiho,” Lord Prescott said while shaking his head. ”Don't blame yourself for that.”
”Father…”
”If you want to make it up to me, then promise me that you won't let your father succeed,” his father-in-law said. ”Promise me that you will protect your family.”
Kiho nodded eagerly. ”I promise, Father,” he said with determination. ”I promise that we will end this war and live happily in the end.”
”That's all I want to hear,” Lord Prescott said, then he turned to his daughter. ”Tilly, my precious daughter, father is sleepy.”
***
She knew it meant that he was ready to go now. Her father was able to meet her children, tell them about what he discovered in the North, and say goodbye to them. She knew that it was time for her father to finally rest in peace.
And yet, it still hurt to let him go.
”Father, have a safe trip,” Tilly said, then she smiled at her father. Even though her heart was breaking, she didn't want to send her father off with tears. ”Please hug Mother for me.”
”Of course,” her father said. ”Thank you for finding me, my precious daughter.
She swallowed the lump in her throat to stop herself from apologizing. After all, she knew that it wasn't the words that her father wanted to hear from her. ”Thank you for waiting for us, Father,” she said. ”We will live happily so please don't worry about us. Just make it up to Mother in the heaven, okay?”
Her father laughed softly. ”See you later, my precious Tilly.”
Tilly nodded, then she did the thing that would show everyone how much she respected her father– she knelt before Lord Prescott and bowed until her forehead hit the ground.
Even without looking around, she knew that all the people who served and followed her also knelt and bowed to her father. In the past, whenever she would kneel, her people would follow suit since they wouldn't allow their master to do that alone.
Of course, Kiho, Winter, and Julian also did the same.
”Live long, my precious children and grandsons,” Lord Prescott said before the flame that burned his physical body disappeared. But instead of turning into ashes, a red stone was left on the ground. It was her father's Mana. ”I will pray for your success.”
***
”DID THE North King's plan fail?”
Aku rolled his eyes at Kyro's question. He was drinking alone in his room after a long day of work when the Moon God joined him despite being uninvited.
Ah, gods could really be rude, too.
Right now, Kyro was using Elis Ripperton's body. After all, he couldn't stay as a spirit for a long time or else, the Sky God would get a chance to forcefully bring him back to the heavens. But since Kyro's spirit was strong, he also needed a strong body as a host.