Chapter 16- Curse of the Heroes!

After making sure the giant Nightstalker had been burnt to ashes I stopped the flow of mana and my strength had left me as I crumpled to my knees. I was both mentally and physically exhausted. If it wasn't for me forcefully tempering my Heart's Yang Meridian I would also be littered with injuries. I made sure no more surprises were in my general area and closed my eyes as I fell into a deep sleep.

"...Prince Glen!" I was awoken to the sight of Harold screaming and shaking me. The grogginess of sleep still hadn't left me as I started to observe my surroundings.

Harold was staring at me with a concerned face while checking my body for any severe wounds. Garrison was standing behind him with the seven guards that had left with him. The chubby noble, Cade, was standing off to the side while squinting his eyes. I soon realized that I was lying on a bed in a small stone room.

"Phew, thank goodness you're safe! How are you feeling?" Harold gave a sigh of relief as he patted me on the shoulders. Garrison gave a nod and said a few words to the subordinates behind him. They all came forward with faces full of discomfort and awkwardly bent down.

"We're sorry we doubted you!" The one who had been rude to me before spoke for the rest. They all got up and thanked me then left. From their stiff movements I guessed that they weren't used to bowing to children. Then again, that should be most people...

"Don't mind them I made them come and apologize for their previous rudeness, by the way we found this in a big pile of ashes near you. I thought it was the mana core of that monster before, but it isn't entirely. Do you perhaps know what it is?" Garrison came forward and presented me a shiny black sphere with pulsing red veins running around it. It seemed to absorb the light around it as I took it in my hand and studied it.

"No, I have no idea what this is. I need further study, also how long have I been asleep?" I truly had no idea what the black veiny sphere was, but I was greatly intrigued by it so I had decided to study it at a later time. I slowly got to my feet and started to warm up my rested body.

"Two days." The one who had answered my question was Cade. I had almost forgot about his presence in the room since he stuck to the back and kept out of the conversation.

"Ahem, I'm sorry to be rude here, but I need to speak to Third Prince Glen alone." Case spoke again and this time infused a bit of mana into his voice.

"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience Third Prince Glen, or do you prefer to be called by the name from your past life?" Cade waited till everyone had left and then threw a rather unsettling apology. I reacted by summoning a ball of multicolored flame and jumping back to gain some distance.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you since King Oliver has ordered me to bring you home."

Cade tried to ease my worries by bringing my father into this. However my wariness never faded.

"Heh, so if father ordered you to kill me you would?"

"Yes." Cade's nonchalant answer sent a shiver down my spine. He seemed to be staring at me with questioning eyes as if trying to peer into my mind and expose my secrets.

"Do not be alarmed though. The Queen played no part in exposing your identity. It was more along the lines of your actions. I mean who would believe that a child merely at the age of six could defeat a mana beast that was about to go through its second mutation!" Case gave a light laugh at what I assumed should be a joke. However the fat on his face rippled too much for me to pay attention to his joke.

"What is it that you want?" Cade was getting nowhere fast, so I needed to make him continue. He never showed his ability when fighting the Nightstalker horde, but if we're just judging mana quantity it wouldn't fall far behind Harold.

"Well, I want to congratulate you on being reincarnated into our world. As well as congratulate you for becoming a monster's evolution catalyst."

"Elaborate."

"I would've even if you didn't ask, anyways think of yourself as a huge treasure in the eyes of monsters everywhere. If they can obtain you they have hopes of evolving beyond what should normally be capable. However that's not all, your mere existence in this world will spur monsters to evolve into creatures of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. For example that giant Nightstalker that plagued you." Cade stopped himself and let me take in all of what he had just said. What he said would not be what any reasonable person would think, but it fit in with everything that just happened. If I had not just gone through the ordeal from earlier I wouldn't even trust the noble in front of me.

"How do I stop them from finding me?" I urged Cade on with pleading eyes. I don't want my life to be cut short by the whims of a even more powerful monster. Although I'm curious about how Cade knows of the existence of reincarnations and what they cause, I am more worried about my own life.

"It's your blood."

"Blood? You mean like my bloodline?"

"Precisely. Now anymore questions before we get down to the actual business at hand?" Cade put more questions into my head than answers, so I took full advantage of his knowledge.

"You say that these monsters are attracted to my blood right? I don't entirely get why that is though. Also how do you know so much about reincarnated people while mother is clueless?" I finally extinguished my flame while sitting down on my bed. However my senses never dulled. If I felt even the tiniest bit of intent to kill I needed to be next to the most flammable thing in the room to protect myself at a moments notice.

"I see you are still wary of me... well, as for why monsters are attracted to your blood even I have no idea as to why. Now about your mother, you should understand that she had been moved here several years ago to protect her from being assassinated. She would have no inkling of a hypothesis that was formed after she left." Cade stopped to look at my expression and gave shot a grin in my direction as he saw my face contort slightly.

"Don't worry, in fact those assassins that I just spoke of were all eradicated by his highness King Oliver! I mean why do you think he wouldn't come and visit every once and awhile? He brought to justice those that needed to be brought and personally executed traitors of all sorts!" Cade held his head up high as he spoke praises of father and I was enlightened to the absence of father.

"I presume that you have no more questions?" I nodded my head to answer and Cade continued, "Now that you know your existence is harmful I have one of three options for you to choose from. One, you allow yourself to be killed by me and I say that you succumbed to you injuries from fight the giant Nightstalker thus ridding the reason for monsters to swarm over our kingdom. Two, you stubbornly continue on towards the royal capital and risk the destruction of not only yourself, but everyone in the kingdom. And finally, we can drop you off at the nearest village and pronounce that you have died."

"You can fool the kingdom by saying that I have been killed, but mother wouldn't believe you. Also wouldn't the third option become obsolete if I simply travel back to the royal capital alone?" I pointed out some of the glaring flaws in Cade's plan. Although I was enticed by the idea of cutting off my ties with the kingdom, I hesitated due to the bond built with my mother.

"Don't worry about the Queen, she is currently asleep and with some of my magic I can even erase you from her memories. As for your travels I simply don't care, however if you decide to come to the royal capital I can insure your death." Cade held a light smile on his face, but it looked extremely sinister to me. I didn't doubt any of his words as each struck me into a deep thought.

"Is there a hope of not having monsters constantly attracted to my blood?"

"Unless you have a method that can change your body and blood, none. I'll give you until tomorrow for you to make your decision. If it is for the best of the kingdom then I'll try my hardest." Cade said firmly and turned to leave.

"Wait! How did you find out all this information about the reincarnated?" I stopped Cade from leaving and asked something that had been on my mind since the beginning of the conversation.

"A neighboring kingdom had apparently birthed twins both of whom had genius talent and learning ability. The kingdom flourished for a couple of years while using their ideas, but that peace didn't last because soon the kingdom was overrun by waves of monster hordes. Even several monsters on their third mutations showed up. The kingdom branched out for help, but we realized that the monsters were ignoring our kingdoms and went straight to them so we simply ignored them as well not wanting to decrease our manpower. That kingdom was quickly erased and all that remains is the paradise that the monsters created from its ruins." Cade was narrating the story while pacing back and forth then he stopped and looked me in the eyes, "The event has come to be known as the Curse of the Heroes. Because the heroes of legends were people who brought about great change in their time. Back then kingdoms were seldom and sparse due to the fierce monsters that roamed the lands. Although the heroes might've spurred further evolution of the monsters, they at least fixed it and changed the times from humans continually struggling to where we can finally have some monetary peace. Heroes are no longer needed for change what we need is stability. And if you weren't the child of the King I would try every means to kill you if it helped to further that goal!"

Cade swiftly left after he finished and left me there to soak in what he had just said. I simply stood there calming my swirling thoughts while I debated my options. The first one was definitely out; I'd rather not willingly be executed. The second option would be better for mother's heart and I could probably have better protection under the influence of the royal family. However I feel that my cultivation would stagnate if I followed along with the second option. The only thing stopping me from pursuing the third option would be my mother.

Sighing I staggered out the door to the outside. When I came outside I found myself in the middle of a burnt down husk of what was once a village. Ashes and burned down houses were the only thing that remained. People were moving about slowing with somber expressions looking for anything that remained from the fire. Some cast glances of fear when I passed by while others threw gazes filled with hate and malice. However no one acted on that anger.

"Prince Glen!" I hear Chad's voice and see him running towards me. He had changed out of his armor and was wearing rugged cloth covered in ash. Behind him was the boy who was similarly covered in ash running over with a big smile.

"Hey." I was too caught up in my thoughts that I simply brushed past them merely returning a greeting.

"Hey are you ok?" Chad came up to me and grabbed onto my left arm and held me back. His face had turned serious and he urged me for an answer.

"I'm sorry, I am just thinking. Do you know where mother is staying?"

"The Queen is staying in a carriage that way." Chad pointed to his left while the boy walked up in front of me. It looked like he wanted to guide me, so I thanked Chad and left while I followed the boy.

We passed weeping mothers and fathers that clutched their fists tightly as I walked. My mentality didn't waver at their unreasonable hatred. Something of this degree wouldn't effect me. It only further increased my understanding that human nature is fundamentally fickle.

"Here..." The boy suddenly spoke and I saw a wooden carriage surrounded by knights. Jared smiled and waved as he stood in his position. He made no move to come up and greet me, so I thanked the boy and walked into the carriage.

I was greeted by mother's sleeping face and Claire sitting nearby on a stool. She was intensively watching the Queen for any abnormalities. She didn't even notice that I had entered until I spoke up.

"Thank you for watching over mother, but could you give me some time alone?" Claire jumped a little when I spoke and calmed down after looking at me as she left with a bow.

I was left along in the cramped compartment of a carriage with mother sleeping soundlessly beside me. I sat down on the stool near where she slept and repeated the words Cade told me when I had awoken in my head. Slowly night fell and the two moons rose in the night sky. However I still sat there silently waiting for the night to pass and for the next day to come.