"Don’t bother, nephew," Maxim said with a weary sigh. "We’ve done all we could... but to no avail. The most we managed was delaying the effects. We even asked priests from the Holy Empire but the curse... it was unlike anything they’d ever seen. Too strong. Unprecedented."
He paused for a mont then shifted the topic with a curious look in his eyes.
"Speaking of the Holy Empire... I never expected you to have a subordinate from there. She seems exceptional... perhaps even one of the hundred candidates for the next Saintess?"
Lucien blinked, caught off guard.
’Co to think of it, Clara ntioned sothing like that. Could she really be one of the candidates? If that were true, she was far more special than I thought.’
Lucien just hoped the Holy Empire wouldn’t co searching for her... or worse, bring trouble to his doorstep.
But Lucien didn’t linger on the thought for long.
What mattered now was that Maxim was on his side and that ant Lucien had to help him.
He pulled out the crystal and held it up.
"Uncle Max," he said. His tone was confident. "Just touch this. You’ll see... your curse isn’t that big of a deal."
Maxim raised a brow, glancing between Lucien and the glowing crystal in his hand. He couldn’t help but sigh.
’Looks like he found this in so mine and convinced himself it’s a miracle artifact. Haa... my nephew still has that childish streak.’
He wasn’t convinced in the slightest. But rather than argue, he decided to play along. Better to show Lucien that not all things could be fixed... That so burdens were just too heavy.
’This will be a good lesson for him,’ Maxim thought as he reached out.
Slowly, he extended his index finger toward the crystal.
Then...
The mont his fingertip brushed against the crystal, sothing unexpected happened.
A radiant light burst forth.
Maxim’s eyes widened. "...!"
He barely had ti to react as the light wrapped around him like a gentle embrace.
Comforting yet powerful.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
The light began to seep into his body, sinking deeper with every passing second.
And then he felt it.
A cleansing force coursing through him.
The curse was being stripped away.
His constant fatigue evaporated.
The weight on his shoulders lifted.
Strength returned to his limbs like water filling a dry well.
Without a word, Maxim dropped into a cross-legged position on the ground.
He closed his eyes.
Steadied his breath.
And focused inward.
He was searching his body, trying to understand what was happening.
Lucien who was standing a few steps away, watched the scene unfold with calm satisfaction.
"Told you so," he muttered under his breath. A soft smile played on his lips.
Channeling Divine Energy in his eyes, he peered deeper into Maxim’s body.
What he saw confird his hunch.
The radiant light wasn’t just for show.
It was actively devouring the dark aura clinging to Maxim from within. It moved like a living force, tearing away the corruption strand by strand.
And it didn’t stop there.
The light pushed deeper, expelling sothing even more malignant hidden within Maxim’s core. Sothing that had taken root long ago.
Lucien glanced at the crystal in his hand once more.
Type: Artifact
Rarity: Legendary
Description: a crystal that purifies anything it touches (But can’t purify the host’s corrupted mind)
"That’s very effective," Lucien thought with his eyes gleaming. "So curses can be cleansed after all..."
After a while, Maxim slowly opened his eyes. His breathing beca steady.
The glow had faded but sothing in him had clearly changed.
He stood up in silence, still absorbing the mont. For a ti, he said nothing.
Just savoring the feeling.
Then... his lips trembled and tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.
"It seems... I was the childish one," he muttered softly. "Doubting my nephew, who only ant well. And he was right all along..."
He turned to Lucien. His eyes were filled with raw gratitude.
Then suddenly...
He laughed. A loud, joyful sound echoed.
He stepped forward and grabbed Lucien by the shoulders with both hands.
"Nephew! I had no idea your father left you sothing this priceless! I can only be grateful. With this... I can return to my forr glory! And that ans I can finally support you! GAHAHA! It must be fate that brought to the borders!"
He bead with pride and excitent. The old fire in him fully reignited.
Even with his Perfect Calculation skill, Maxim couldn’t pinpoint where the artifact had co from. The only reasonable conclusion he could reach was that Lucien had inherited it from his father.
But then, his tone turned serious.
"Listen closely... don’t show this to anyone. Not a soul. Sothing that can purify an unknown, unbreakable curse like mine... If word gets out, even the capital might descend into chaos."
Lucien nodded.
"Don’t worry, Uncle. I’m not the type to flaunt my treasures."
Lucien smiled faintly.
Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to go around flaunting his treasures.
With a thought, he activated INSPECT on Maxim and was greeted with a pleasant surprise.
Maxim’s Favourability had jumped from 60 to a whopping 90.
He was right to trust him.
As for the misunderstanding where his treasure ca from? Lucien chose not to bring it up. No need to spoil it.
anwhile, Maxim suddenly broke into motion.
He bounced on his heels.
Threw a few quick jabs into the air.
Then started running in place like an eager youth testing a new body.
"Who would’ve thought the day would co when I could move freely again. Without pain or restraint! Hahaha! I’m truly blessed to have a good nephew like you!"
He couldn’t stop laughing. His joy was overflowing like a dam burst open.
Lucien stood by, watching with quiet amusent. He didn’t interrupt.
He knew Maxim had lived long under the weight of this curse.
Burdened by helplessness.
Resigned to fate.
The sudden freedom must have felt like waking from a lifelong dream.
Hope and ambition were burning bright again.
Eventually, Maxim slowed down. But he was still grinning from ear to ear.
"Nephew," he said, catching his breath, "I can’t put into words how grateful I am. But since you’ve treated like family... I’ll do the sa."
He chuckled and added, "I’ll give you a treasure in return... but we’ll have to wait until my escorts arrive."
Even in his excitent, his voice was full of sincerity.
"Oh right," Lucien tilted his head, "why did you co alone, Uncle Max? And where are your escorts?"
Maxim let out a hearty laugh. "Haha! I rushed ahead. I was too excited to see how you were doing. I thought things might be overwhelming for you... but who would’ve guessed. You’ve matured so much in just six months!"
He spoke with genuine pride before continuing. His tone shifted to sothing more mischievous.
"I was in Coalheart territory before this. Stayed there for a while. Don’t worry, nephew. I made life difficult for them."
A glint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
"They thought they could deceive , those snakes. Tried to report lower taxes than what they actually owed. But with my skill, I knew sothing was off the mont I reviewed the numbers. So I demanded more than usual and got it."
He grinned.
"Of course, that ant my escorts got tangled up with paperwork and logistics. They’re still there finalizing things."
He spoke animatedly.
He completely transford from the weary man Lucien had first seen.
The fatigue.
The resignation.
It was all gone!
In its place stood a man rekindled with purpose.
Lucien watched him with quiet approval.
’I guess this is the real him...’
And he couldn’t deny a bit of personal satisfaction too. Knowing that Maxim made life even a little harder for the Coalhearts brought him no small joy.
Maxim shrugged. "So I left them behind and ca here first. But who would’ve thought your priestess would knock out the mont I arrived! GAHAHA!"
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"By the way, Uncle Max... how did you know Clara was from the Holy Empire?"
Maxim smirked knowingly. "Her robes for one and her strength. So young yet already that skilled in light magic? That’s rare. And if you pay attention to how she carries herself... dignified... disciplined. She moves like soone trained in the Empire’s traditions."
He crossed his arms with confidence.
"I’ve been to the Holy Empire. I’d bet my beard she’s from there."
Lucien nodded thoughtfully. Maxim is very observant.
They continued talking, the conversation flowing more freely now. For the first ti in a long while, Lucien felt a strange sense of ease.
Maxim wasn’t just anyone. He was wise, insightful and clearly knew more about the kingdom than Lucien ever realized.
Their talk beca a crash course in the politics and inner workings of noble houses. It was sothing Lucien sorely lacked.
It was a refreshing change of pace.
Then, Lucien’s expression grew more serious.
"Uncle Max... why hasn’t the king stepped in?" he asked. "Even when other noble houses clearly go too far?"
The question hung in the air.
Maxim fell quiet. He didn’t answer right away.
Finally, he exhaled and spoke.
Slowly and carefully.
"That... I don’t fully know either," he admitted. "But every ti I’ve t the king, there’s this feeling. Like he knows more than he lets on. It’s not indifference... I’m sure of that."
He looked off into the distance as if searching for the right words.
"It’s like... he’s watching everything play out... letting things unfold deliberately. As if he’s waiting for sothing. Or guiding the kingdom toward a goal only he understands."
Lucien frowned, disturbed by the thought. A new layer of suspicion took root in his heart.
Lucien fell into deep thought. His mind stirred with unease.
The king’s silence... his strange detachnt... it all felt too calculated.
But before he could dwell further, Maxim suddenly spoke as if a mory had just resurfaced.
"Ah! I almost forgot. There’s going to be a grand celebration for the king’s upcoming birthday. He’s inviting all nobles to attend... even the border lords. That includes you."
Lucien blinked, caught off guard.
That was a first.
The king had never done sothing like this before. It felt... deliberate.
’What is he planning?’ Lucien wondered. A sense of unease creeped back in.
Maxim placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Nephew," he said with a grin, "why don’t you co with to the capital?"
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