Arthur was summoned by his father to his office. Even though he was mentally exhausted, depressed, and still shaken from everything he had learned, he knew there was a bigger threat looming over the empire. The rebellion. The situation could no longer be ignored, no matter what he was going through personally.
"Arthur… I heard Erwin rebelled against the throne?"
Caelus coughed as he spoke, his voice noticeably weaker than before. It lacked the authority it once carried, sounding shallow and strained.
"Yes, he now has control over about half of the empire, and what's worse is that a lot of our soldiers of higher ranks are still in the western region fighting the monster tide. He took advantage of this, he had clearly planned everything"
"I see… I should've killed him that day"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"If you want my help, tell me everything honestly"
Arthur was in a conflicted state. He was dealing with an identity crisis, unsure of who he truly was, and at the same time, he feared whatever plans the original Arthur might have set into motion. Despite all that, he had still chosen to act. He had decided that suppressing the rebellion was his responsibility, something he should do regardless of his personal struggles. He was prepared to ignore his mental condition and step forward.
Until—
Caelus told him everything.
The truth about Erwin. About Melissa. About the massacres. About the countless innocent lives that had been destroyed in the name of power.
Arthur stood there, unable to process it immediately. For days, he had begun to respect Caelus as a ruler, as someone who had unified the entire continent through sheer brilliance and strength. But now, he understood the truth behind that achievement.
"You're a demon"
"I know"
"You don't deserve to live after all this. Do you know how strongly I want to kill you? My own father?"
"Son I—"
"Don't even try to defend yourself"
Arthur spoke firmly
"Anyways, this isn't my battle. You're on your own"
"Arthur, you can't do this"
"You're asking me for help? You're asking me to help a mass genocider and rapist?"
Arthur's anger surged uncontrollably. He was already furious over the betrayal of the original Arthur, but this revelation pushed him even further. It wasn't just betrayal anymore. It was disgust.
'Like father like son'
"It feels my actions are truly coming back to me"
"Please son… I did all this for the Drakenhart family, I don't care if I live or die, please just save the Drakenhart family… Erwin will ruin everything"
"All the people I had killed, all families I had destroyed, the battles I had fought for years, would be for no reason"
"I'm leaving, and I'll advise you to kill yourself, it's better than getting tortured to death by them. Not like you can win in this pathetic condition"
Arthur turned and left without looking back. He ignored his father's words completely. His decision had already been made the moment he heard the truth. Caelus was not truly his father, he just met him a few days ago. And now that he knew what kind of person he really was, there was no reason for him to fight for him.
That evening, Arthur sat alone on his bed, his mind still restless. The room felt suffocatingly quiet until the door suddenly opened and Seraphina and Darius walked in.
"Brother you need to go and stop the rebellion!"
Darius urged, his voice filled with urgency.
Seraphina remained silent for a moment, observing Arthur carefully. Something felt off. Arthur was not the kind of person who would ignore such a large-scale threat. There had to be something deeper behind his behavior.
"I have made my mind, Darius. If you want to, you're welcome to participate in the battle. Don't drag me with you"
"Why brother? After all that love father gave you, you want to betray him when he has grown weak now?"
Arthur hesitated for a brief moment. He considered telling them the truth about Caelus. About everything he had just learned. But he stopped himself. Unlike him, they had grown up admiring their father. Shattering that image now would only break them.
"Get out"
His words stunned both of them.
"I said get out right now"
There was no room for argument.
Darius and Seraphina exchanged a glance before leaving the room, both of them confused and unsettled.
Arthur remained seated, staring down, his thoughts spiraling again.
'I don't understand what I'm supposed to do… why is everything so difficult in my life?'
Darius stood before Caelus shortly after, fully equipped in armor, ready for battle. The weight of responsibility rested heavily on his shoulders, but his determination was unwavering. He dropped to one knee.
"Father, please forgive my brother. I don't know what has gotten into him. But, please don't worry. I will personally lead the army and suppress the rebellion"
"I'm confident in you, Darius."
Caelus placed a hand on his shoulder. His voice carried encouragement, but his eyes told a different story. There was doubt. Concern. Even fear.
He knew Erwin's strength better than anyone. He knew how long Erwin had been preparing for this moment. And in his current condition, Caelus himself could not participate in the war. Without Arthur, victory was no longer certain. In fact, it seemed unlikely.
"I won't let you down, father"
Darius's eyes burned with determination. He wanted to prove himself, to show his worth to both his father and his brother. It had always been his dream.
But whether that determination would be enough…
Remained uncertain.