Chapter 293: You Bastard, Live On with Guilt for Me
Hajrudin naturally wouldn't forget.
It was a certain day thirty-one years ago. Hearing that his royal father had rarely returned to Elbaf, he went to Orst Castle to pay his respects.
But just as he arrived at Orst Castle, he discovered that the guards inside had all been dismissed.
At the same time, he heard his royal father's angry roar.
"Impossible... Loki, you must have been deceived!"
"Not only hiding the news that that man didn't die, but also letting him into the country... what kind of situation will this plunge us into..."
In Hajrudin's memory, Harald had always been a gentle father.
Whether toward him, this 'second son' with overseas Giant bloodline, or toward that elder brother born with terrifying eyes, known as the 'Cursed Prince', he was mild and affectionate.
But right now, he heard his royal father's rare, angry, and even panicked roar.
What was contained within that roar?
Relief? Sorrow? Disbelief? Despair?
Hajrudin wasn't sure—it was truly a tangled knot of emotions.
But following closely behind—
"If I hadn't let Rocks into the country, if I hadn't heard the 'truth' he spoke of, this country would truly be finished—Father!"
He heard another voice.
It was a hoarse voice, coming from his elder brother.
"Stop deceiving yourself, Father!"
That elder brother, who wasn't particularly close to Hajrudin but wasn't a stranger either, displayed an earnestness equal to Harald's at this moment.
"You've already seen Rocks' letter. You know his character—that man wouldn't deceive you, even if you have already severed ties with him."
"This is his final 'loyal advice' to you, his old friend. That contract on your arm is a conspiracy that will drag Elbaf into the 'Abyss'."
"The so-called wheel of the world is nothing but the tentacles of the Abyss reaching above the sea's surface."
"He has gone to his death, but he hopes you can use this opportunity to escape the Abyss' control... You are still in the shallow sea. There is still a chance of salvation!"
As Loki spoke to this point, his words also seemed to carry sorrow and anger.
"No, I cannot believe it!"
But Harald still seemed unable to accept it: "Staking everything on a 'person' whose return is uncertain—that kind of thing... that bastard Rocks..."
He gritted his teeth: "If I order that to be done, Elbaf's chance to become an 'affiliated nation' will completely disappear—the world will view us as enemies, and Elbaf will no longer be accepted by anyone."
"Then let me do it!"
Then, Hajrudin heard Loki's angry roar.
"I believe in Rocks—he has already accepted me as a member of the 'Rocks Pirates'. This is my captain's final 'captain's order'!"
It was the first time Hajrudin had heard Loki speak to their father like that.
"I will go kill the people of the World Government—Admirals, kings of affiliated nations, anyone is fine... I will sever this so-called connection between this country and the world. I will create that disaster... I'm very good at this anyway!"
"When the time comes, you can appease the citizens' anger with my life!"
He said this.
And at that moment, Hajrudin also understood what kind of major event the conversation between his father and brother actually concerned.
He knew that recently, Elbaf had been gradually intersecting with the 'world' under Harald's efforts—many orders and diplomatic processes from affiliated nations were already underway, and even more Giants had joined the Marines. The entire country seemed on the verge of integrating into the 'wheel of the world'.
But now... Loki actually seemed to believe Harald had been deceived, and was planning to personally sever this newly formed 'connection'.
As for Loki's words, Hajrudin could naturally understand what lay behind them.
He knew that since the moment his elder brother was born, he bore a 'curse' on his body.
It was said that shortly after his birth, he caused the death of his biological mother. At the same time, the entirety of Elbaf encountered rare abnormal weather—'fires', 'snow disasters', and 'cold waves'. Because of this, he was called the 'Cursed Prince'.
He possessed the exact same 'ancient Giant atavistic bloodline' as Harald, and even strength and vitality that were abnormally powerful even among ancient Giants.
When he was just born, he once climbed out of the Underworld bare-handed.
During his childhood, he conquered the most ferocious beasts in the Underworld, known as the 'Lords of the Mountain', and set them loose on villages.
He was once despised and feared by the entirety of Elbaf because of this.
Just as he said—he was someone skilled at bringing 'disasters'.
But—
"Shut up!"
Hajrudin heard Harald roar, angrier than ever before.
"Loki, how many times do I have to tell you—you are not a monster! That 'power' you possess, sufficient to shake the world, is your talent!"
"The sins you committed in the past, I have already repaid for you—now you are only my son, the prince of Elbaf, the 'treasure' this world gifted me!"
"Using your life to appease the citizens' anger... if you dare say another word of that kind, I will not forgive you!"
His words fell.
The castle returned to silence.
Then—
"Hm?" ×2
"Hajrudin, come in."
The arguing father and son, with their powerful Observation Haki, had discovered Hajrudin's presence.
"..."
The slightly nervous Hajrudin stepped into the main hall.
He saw his father and elder brother, as well as the letter his father handed over.
"You are also a prince of Elbaf—so you should read it too."
Harald said this.
So Hajrudin did as told and looked at that piece of paper, which was tiny relative to a Giant's body.
He saw the bold, unconstrained, heroic handwriting on the letter.
[Hey, you stupid big lug]
[Let me be clear first, this great one hasn't forgiven you—for trying to kill this great one for the World Government, I won't still consider you a friend]
[I'm telling you these things only because this little guy Loki is pretty good. I have already acknowledged him as the final crew member of the 'Rocks Pirates']
[But it really is funny... I barely survived God Valley, only to hear you're being played like a fiddle by the Government]
[You've only signed a 'Shallow Sea Contract' for now, right?]
[While you can still turn back, I'll tell you the truth of the world, and introduce you to an incredible guy called 'Star Lord'—that is the 'partner' I chose]
[Wait for the era of his return. Only then is it the era for your 'Elbaf' to rejoin the world and change it]
[If you're willing to believe me, eat that 'national treasure' your Giant race holds—its power is sufficient to erase the 'Shallow Sea Contract' on your body and preserve Elbaf until 'Star Lord' returns to this sea]
[You bastard, live on with guilt for me]
The contents of the letter were very concise, even making one strongly suspect it was written while drunk.
But simultaneously, in the content below the letter, Hajrudin saw the truth of the world—truths that could be called unbelievable even for the Giant race.
The 'God' behind the World Government, the Great War that occurred during the Void Century, even the origin of the Treasure Tree Adam, and Rocks' final choice to go to his death.
"R-Royal Father, this..."
Hajrudin at that time naturally doubted the authenticity of what was written.
But then he saw Harald and Loki's expressions.
He also saw his royal father staring with a deeply complex expression at that bizarre mark on his arm.
So Hajrudin understood—what was written within was most likely all true.
"Royal Father, you..."
But before Hajrudin could finish—
Harald spoke first.
"Listen."
This powerful king of the Giant Country looked at his two sons.
"Loki, you go eat that 'national treasure' in the treasury."
"Hajrudin, you and your elder brother will manage and protect this country together."
"I will ask Elder Jarul to come over later and tell him about this—if you encounter matters you cannot resolve, consult him."
He instructed like this.
"W-W-Wait—what do you mean by this!?"
Before Hajrudin had even reacted, Loki had already risen to his feet.
Those eyes, wrapped in bandages and hidden since childhood, seemed to stare fixedly at Harald.
"Idiot old man, didn't you hear clearly? Rocks said he wanted you to—"
His words weren't finished either.
Because—
Zzt!
Intense Conqueror's Haki descended upon the grand hall.
That overwhelmingly terrifying spirit, which could hardly find a rival even across the entire sea, rendered both Loki and Hajrudin unable to speak.
"I said, listen!"
This Giant king stroked the scar on his forehead.
That scar was where he had broken off his own horns—he had done it at Mary Geoise after the God Valley incident, upon hearing that Rocks had died at God Valley. Those two horns symbolizing the ancient Giant race were both his farewell to his past and his old friend, and his determination to have Elbaf join the 'wheel of the world'.
But the thing that made Harald want to laugh was...
He knew Loki was right.
Even if they had severed ties. Even if their paths had diverged.
He still knew. He still trusted.
"I know—Rocks, that bastard... he wouldn't lie to me!"
Harald clenched his fists.
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