Chapter 19 – Soulmates and Conflict
Frederick looked at Xavier, his expression transitioning from shock to a jagged kind of disbelief. The Emperor's mind, still stuck in the information he just got was struggling to bridge the gap.
"Wait… what did you just say?" Frederick's voice trembled. "Xavier… who exactly are you?"
Xavier didn't hesitate. He didn't even look at the man who was technically his father in this life.
"You're blind, Max," Xavier said, his voice cutting like a razor. "When Merin saw me in the void… he recognized me immediately. He didn't need a name or a crown to know who was standing in front of him."
Frederick froze, the name echoing in his mind. "…Merin?"
Then, the final piece of the puzzle clicked. "Wait… Merin… you mean Igna? That's his real soul-name?"
Ignes nodded calmly, his red eyes steady. "Yes. That is my name." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Dukes with a sudden, sharp intensity. "But do not use it outside these temple walls. Names have power, and that one carries a resonance you aren't prepared for. You might bring a kind of trouble to this world that no army can march against."
He leaned back, his white hair shimmering in the dim light. "I can protect this place. I have done it before. But… I prefer peace. I have had enough of war to last ten thousand lifetimes."
The room fell into a heavy silence, until Xavier broke it. His voice was cold, direct, and filled with a dark, practical frustration.
"Then kill them all, Merin. Why let them live?"
Xavier leaned forward, his golden eyes burning. "If you had simply slaughtered them when you had the chance, you wouldn't need to be this careful now. You wouldn't need to hide."
Frederick frowned, looking between the two of them. "Are you his friend… or his enemy? The way you two act… it's like you care for one another and hate each other with the same breath."
Ignes laughed softly, a melodic sound that lacked any malice. "No, Frey. Did you forget? The Sword God himself sent an oracle saying I am to marry him."
He looked at Xavier, a smirk playing on his lips. "So why are you asking if he's a friend or a foe? It's obvious, isn't it? He's my soulmate."
William immediately reacted, his face twisting in confusion. "…Is that so? Then why did you spend years telling everyone you didn't want this marriage? Why did you go to the border, Xavier? Everyone thought you went to the battlefield specifically to avoid him."
Ignes let out a long, theatrical sigh. "Will… you're thinking too seriously. You're looking for a tragedy where there is only a headache."
He gestured vaguely toward his father. "Have you never seen Dad and Mom argue? Sometimes Mom gets so annoyed she goes back to her parents' house for a week just to breathe. It's the same for us."
He continued casually, as if discussing a minor disagreement over dinner. "In our last world, we argued. We were young, we were stressed, and for a long time, we didn't have the clarity of our full memories. We ended up hurting each other for no reason at all."
He shrugged. "And when the Sword God sent that oracle about our marriage… we both had a 'reaction.' I stayed in my lab to avoid the conversation, and he ran to the battlefield to hit things. That's all it was."
Alexander sighed, rubbing his temples. "Igna… did you really have to bring your mother and me into this example? In front of the Emperor and the other Dukes?"
Ignes looked at his father with wide, innocent eyes. "Dad… Will is single. He wouldn't understand the nuances of a long-term bond. The best example of 'annoying love' is clearly you and Mom."
The Dukes couldn't help themselves—the tension snapped, and they burst into laughter. Ignes had a strange, magnetic charm; he could turn a conversation about ancient souls and divine oracles into a lighthearted family roast.
Alexander sighed again, though a small smile touched his lips. "…Fine. Then what was this world-ending argument about? Have you finally reconciled?"
Ignes looked at Xavier. The playfulness vanished from his eyes. "…No. That's actually what we were arguing about just a moment ago."
Silence reclaimed the room. Then Xavier spoke. His voice was calm, but it carried a weight that made the floor seem to tilt.
"You'll understand eventually," Xavier said, looking at the Dukes. "Imagine fighting all of his enemies. Every single one, from A to Z. Imagine doing it every hour of every day, year after year…"
He looked directly at Alexander.
"And imagine that through all of it… he refuses to kill a single one of them. He just defeats them and lets them go, leaving me to clean up the mess when they inevitably return."
A pause.
"Do you know how many enemies a soul like his collects? It isn't hundreds. It isn't thousands." Xavier's eyes darkened until they were almost black. "It's billions. Trillions. An infinite line of shadows wanting a piece of his light."
He looked at Ignes, his expression a mix of adoration and pure, exhausted fury. "And even after all the blood I've spilled to keep them away from him… I haven't even touched a fraction of the enemies he has."