After a few months, he was in his office carefully observing the sword he stole from Seri when Gilyn put down documents in front of him. He looked up with a blank face, "What's this?"

Gilyn coughed awkwardly and turned away, "T-This is at the request of the other officials… They believe his Majesty should get married and father children to carry on his lineage. These are the files belonging to suitable candidates."

​​

Simon's eyes blazed with anger as he glanced at the papers. He placed Seri's sword on the desk and abruptly threw the documents off. Simon glared at Gilyn who still had on a serious expression, "Don't bring this trash to my office again."

"B-But your Majesty… You should have a son to-"

Simon stepped close to Gilyn and glared without fear. It was the same glare that the previous King would wear when he was angry. Gilyn flinched at this thought and felt his heart rate increase. Simon spoke in a low and seething voice, "I will NEVER have children. I will NEVER be married. If I see this again, I will cut off whoever's hands delivers these documents."

Gilyn watched as Simon stormed off carrying Seri's precious sword in his hands. Simon stomped through the Palace as he tried to stuff down his anger. Before he realized it, he found himself in front of his mother's portrait. He froze and looked into those bottomless eyes. Her voice rang in his ears, "You are just like your father."

Simon let out a malicious scream and punched the wall. A crunching noise rang out as his fist collided with the bricks cracking them along with his knuckles. He panted in anger as he grit his teeth.

Why wouldn't he get married? It wasn't just because he thought of Seri every day.

It was because he refused to have children.

Every night he was haunted by his father's face. Even though he was dead, Simon still wasn't freed from him. When he looked in the mirror, he saw his father reflected.

What if he truly did become his father? He didn't want any child to be born to that man…. To him…

No. He had a duty to stop his genes from being passed down. He had a duty to stop the lineage from producing another man like that as well. This was why he was so determined to find his eldest brother.

He couldn't allow him to produce an heir either.

This family line must end.

-A few days later-

One of the officials in charge of finding the rebels rushed into Simon's office, "Your Majesty! I have urgent news!"

Gilyn and Simon looked at him. Simon nodded, "What is it?"

"We found the rebel camp! We found the disavowed Crown Prince!"

Simon stood up taking his sword in hand, "Let's leave as soon as possible."

Gilyn stopped him, "Your Majesty. We can't let you go. What if something happens to you?!"

Simon looked at him with cold eyes, "I will end my father's descendants with my own hands."

Simon had been fighting alongside his army each time they set off after the Rebels. His own people hailed him and called him a hero. He was a King that would be willing to die beside a commoner. For this, he was beloved by the army and the citizens.

However, this was not the truth.

Simon fought alongside them because of his hatred for his father. He desired revenge. However, he wouldn't be satisfied until he killed his eldest brother who was beloved by his father. The eldest was the one entitled to the throne, so many people still followed him because of this. If Simon wanted to destroy everything, he would have to destroy his brother.

Simon set off with the army and encountered the Rebels. They quickly began to fight. Simon ran through the village killing those who attacked him as if they were ants beneath his feet. He soon discovered that the rebels were far worse people than he originally thought.

His eldest brother wasn't there, but they did find that the village was a hotspot for the new practice that the Rebels used to make money: Human trafficking.

As Simon fought, he broke into a hut used by the leader of the village. He found a cellar and soon descended with careful eyes. As he walked through, he heard a child's scream and cries. Simon broke out into a sprint to find the source.

There was a large man who had not heard the commotion from above. He decided that he would sample the new child brought to them. It was a small young girl who had watched her parents killed before her as they tried to stop the Rebels from stealing their beautiful daughter.

She was only six.

She was thrown into this room where the man ripped off her clothes. Even though she was young, she knew exactly that something bad was going to happen. She started to scream and push the man away. This made him angry and he soon began to beat her. She sobbed as she screamed for help.

Her heart knew that her cries were in vain…

…Yet, the Gods were listening.

The man was ripped off of her and thrown to the ground like he was a bag of rice. She trembled as she saw a gorgeous man calmly stomp down on the man's knees.

*SNAP*

She flinched as the larger man on the ground bellowed out in agony. The handsome man coldly broke the other's kneecaps with such a weak-looking stomp. His eyes turned to her and she trembled as she tried to appear smaller in the hope he would overlook her. He stepped towards her as she prepared to have her knees broken as well. Except…

He knelt down with a gentle smile.

His voice was as soft as a gentle breeze, "Are you alright?"

Her mouth dropped slightly as she nodded.

He looked at the man writhing on the ground, "Did he try to hurt you?"

She gave a stiff nod.

He tossed down a sword at her feet. The sudden clang made her flinch. She looked at the sword with a confused expression. Simon smiled at her, "What is your name?"

"C-Calli…"

"Well, Calli. I am going to give you two choices. One, you can get revenge on him by stabbing his heart with your own two hands. Or I can let him go with only two broken knees. Which one would you prefer?"

The girl was startled and looked at the man on the ground who had heard the ruthless remarks. He shivered and shook his head quickly when her eyes met with his. She clenched her fists as she glared at this man with growing hatred. However, she hesitated.

She was just a child. How could she kill this man? She had never killed before.

Simon's smile grew crueler, "If you don't want him to get away with it, you must kill him yourself. Otherwise, he will just find another unfortunate soul to torture."

She reached forward and grabbed that sword. She stood up with fire burning in her soul, growing larger with each step she took towards the pig squealing in fear. The pig tried to crawl away in a panic, but it was no use. As if she was possessed, she plunged the sword forward.

A sadistic glint passed through Simon's eyes as he watched the girl stab the man with hatred in her eyes. In her, he saw himself. He stepped forward and placed his jacket over her. She turned back to him as she trembled with the blade in her hand. He reached his hand out to her and she glanced at it in confusion.

His voice was enticing, "Would you like to come with me?"

She took his hand with a firm nod.

-----

Simon brought her to a nearby village to buy her proper clothes. She looked at the feminine clothes with a frown. Simon knelt down and spoke calmly, "What is it? You don't like anything?"

She glanced away hesitant to speak.

He nudged her, "Tell me."

"I… I don't like girly things…"

"Oh?"

Seeing that he didn't seem upset by this as her parents had been, she felt her courage grow. She took a deep breath, "I feel like… I feel like I am a boy."

Simon had never heard this before and didn't know what to say. He hid his confusion, "And what do you mean by that?"

She continued, "I don't feel like a girl… I want to dress like a boy. I want to be a boy."

She expected him to yell or laugh, but he only smiled in his reassuring way. He gave a nod, "Then… What should I call you?"

The child blushed, "Cal…"

Once Calli shared her desire to be a boy, Simon didn't shame her for it. Instead, he began to treat her as if she was a boy just like she wished. To Simon, Calli became Cal. Cal also decided he wanted to thank Simon for this new life by dedicating everything he had to him. So, Cal asked to be taken as Simon's disciple.

Simon not only accepted but gave him the title of a Prince as well. No one dared to question his birthright either. Cal proved to be just as adept, cunning, and strong as his master. By age 10, he could even defeat adult men.

This was partly because Simon trained with his new disciple every day. He trained the boy just as he did with Seri. The memory of training Seri filled him with nostalgia and a warm feeling. Gilyn would watch as Simon began to smile more and more every day with the child.

He was beginning to resemble his mother again.