The Bastard First Prince Doesn't Want to Die

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 178

Aro was silent as we headed towards the shrine. It was strange to see her, usually so talkative, with her lips pressed tightly together. Her cheeks seemed hollower than when I'd first met her, and her face was shadowed with worry.

Suddenly, she stumbled, nearly falling. I instinctively reached out and steadied her. She felt lighter in my arms than before.

"Hop on," I said, crouching down in front of her. She wordlessly climbed onto my back, a feather-light weight. I adjusted my stance and continued towards the shrine.

"Uncle," she finally spoke, after we'd walked a few steps.

"What is it?"

"Aren't I heavy?"

"Are you kidding?"

A silence stretched between us after my reply, broken only by the rustling of leaves underfoot. Just as I was starting to feel awkward, she spoke again.

"I didn't realize the energy outside the village had become so heavy."

The fog had thickened, the air hung heavy, and a chilling wind swept past us. With each gust, I instinctively scanned our surroundings. This path, once so familiar, now felt alien and unsettling whenever I ventured beyond the village boundaries.

"You can feel it too, can't you, Uncle?"

I hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then, remembering she couldn't see me, I replied, "Yeah."

"Aren't you scared?"

"I don't know."

The energy of the Demonic Realm had definitely intensified. It wasn't just a weight pressing down on my shoulders; it felt like a force trying to drag me down into the earth, thick with malevolence. At least, that's how it felt to me.

"...My grandma," Aro began, her voice laced with fear and unease, "she always said the outside world is a dangerous place."

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say. Just then, we reached a patch of dense fog, so thick it obscured everything beyond. It was more like a cloud than fog, similar to what I'd seen before.

Without hesitation, I stepped into it.

As we pushed through the dense fog, the shrine gradually came into view. Its hazy outline emerged from the mist, then the stone pillars and dark blue-green roof tiles materialized sharply in the dim light.

I stopped, taken aback by what I saw. I gently lowered Aro to the ground and took in the scene before me.

The shrine was eerily desolate, as if it had been consumed by something sinister. The patterns etched into the pillars were faded and worn, yet they still exuded a strange, unsettling aura. The wooden and stone structure looked like it had succumbed to the ravages of time.

An unnatural presence emanated from within. The surface of the wooden pillars supporting the roof was scarred, as if gnawed by some unseen creature, and patches of black moss clung to the wood.

A tattered rope, tied around the pillars as if binding them together, further fueled my unease. Faded scraps of cloth were haphazardly attached to the rope, twitching and swaying in the wind, making the shrine seem almost alive.

In just a few months, the shrine had deteriorated into this unrecognizable state. It was hard to believe.

"Uncle."

I had unconsciously taken a few steps forward. Hearing Aro's voice behind me, I turned to see her approaching cautiously, her expression anxious. She grasped the edge of my sleeve.

"This place is scary," she whispered.

I slowly nodded in agreement. The air around the shrine was heavy, oppressive. It felt like a force holding us back, preventing us from moving any further. Even I was struggling to overcome the overwhelming energy. A chill prickled the back of my neck, raising goosebumps on my arms.

"...Was it always like this?" I asked, glancing at Aro, wondering if my memory was failing me. She shook her head. My recollection was correct.

I approached the main gate of the shrine. Surprisingly, the thick wooden doors slid open with ease.

I sensed movement within. It seemed the worst hadn't happened. Relieved, Aro stepped eagerly into the shrine.@@novelbin@@

I could hear the voices of the village chief and Sannyeong in the distance. As I looked around, trying to pinpoint their location, Aro followed close behind me, without asking if I knew the way. It was then that I realized she knew about my ability.

I followed the sound of voices down the hallway and stopped in front of a door. I could hear the village chief and Sannyeong talking indistinctly on the other side.

"Village Chief," I called, knocking on the door. A reply came from within.

"I told you... I told you not to let anyone in."

It was the village chief's voice, but it didn't seem to be directed at me. The chief sounded angry, yet her voice was weak. Sannyeong's flustered voice followed, offering an explanation.

"It wasn't me who brought them..."

"Do you think... I would believe that?"

The village chief couldn't hide her anger. Her voice, weak with age, scolded Sannyeong.

Interrupting the chief's outburst, I asked, "May I come in?"

"Get out...!" the chief shouted, her voice cutting off with a choking sound. It sounded like something was caught in her throat. The chief coughed for a long time, the severity of the coughing suggesting her condition was critical.

Suddenly, the door swung open. It wasn't me; Aro had taken it upon herself to open it. She strode in.

The village chief's appearance was as I had expected—no, even worse than I had imagined. I was speechless.

She was half-reclined on a worn-out futon in the middle of the room. Her body was emaciated, and her skin had a bluish pallor. Her face was gaunt, like someone nearing their last moments, the deep wrinkles even more pronounced. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and her eyes were unfocused, as if she were no longer present.

If it weren't for the slow blinking of her eyelids, I would have mistaken her for dead.

"Grandma..." Aro whispered, approaching and kneeling beside the chief, taking her hand. The chief didn't react, seemingly unaware of the touch. I looked at the chief's hand. It was rough and dry, like bark, a stark contrast to Aro's own soft hand.

The chief's eyes slowly shifted, focusing on Aro, who was holding her hand. The wrinkles around her eyes twitched. Then, with a weak arm, she pushed Aro away.

"Village Chief," I called from the doorway. The chief slowly raised her head, but her unfocused gaze passed right through me, as if I had vanished from her perception.

Then, a flicker of recognition appeared in her eyes, and she spoke to me, her voice a breathless whisper, as if she were suffocating. "Why... are you... here..."

Unlike the harsh tone she'd used with Sannyeong, her voice was barely audible. She managed only an exclamation before breaking into another fit of coughing. Her frail body shook violently with each cough. The choking coughs echoed through the room. When the coughing finally subsided, she struggled to catch her breath.

"Is it right for you to be here in this condition? You should return to the village," I said.

The chief didn't respond. Sannyeong looked at the chief with a somber, depressed expression. As the chief tried to sit up, Sannyeong quickly and gently pushed her back down, whispering, "Please, just lie still."

The chief didn't resist, lying back down, exhausted. Aro, still kneeling beside the chief after being pushed away, couldn't hide her anxiety. Sannyeong, on the other hand, seemed resigned. I was certain they both knew what was coming.

"A favor..." the chief murmured, her lips barely moving. "I have... a favor to ask..." She raised a trembling hand towards me. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should take it, when she continued. "I have... a mission..."

As she spoke those words, Aro's face darkened, and Sannyeong frowned, as if she had witnessed something disgusting.

"...Don't talk nonsense. Don't talk nonsense," Sannyeong said, her face now ashen like the chief's, not from illness, but from shock. What was so shocking?

Ignoring Sannyeong's words, the chief continued, "There are people... I need to find..."

A fervent desire flickered within the chief's raspy voice. Was it possible for her eyes to shine like that? I was briefly curious about the desire that had persisted within the old woman for so long, what it was that had not faded over the years.

"Don't listen to her," Sannyeong said, frowning. She abruptly stood up, grabbed Aro's arm, who was kneeling on the floor, and forcibly pulled her up.

"Get out, now!"

Unable to resist Sannyeong's push, Aro stumbled towards the door. Sannyeong glared at me with resentment and anger in her eyes. I could tell it wasn't directed at me personally, but it was still a rather disconcerting reaction.

"You didn't hear anything," Sannyeong growled at me. "My mother, the village chief, didn't say anything today. Do you understand?"

I glanced at Aro, who simply looked dejected.

"I'll say it again," Sannyeong reiterated. "Today, you didn't hear anything, and you weren't even here."

I gave a dry laugh and nodded. Then, I took the stunned Aro and hurried back to the village.

And the village remained peaceful, as if nothing had happened.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]