God of Nothing

"It is done."

Aleph retracted his hand after what felt like forever.

"Well? How is it?" Vaynard asked. Aleph sat back in his seat to massage his nose bridge. He had been observing this man since he had arrived, rooting out any trace of abyssal mana in his system. It soaked right into his flesh, stubbornly clinging even against his command. Still, he eventually got everything out, as evidenced by several glowing crystals on his bedside.

"Your healers did an adequate job. It appears that the potions recipe I had Jodi distribute reached here as well. Along with some fast action from whoever found him, it is likely he would have been dead by now if it weren't for it."

"Then why isn't he waking up!?" He demanded.

"Calm down, Your Majesty." Aleph said pointedly. Although few people in the palace even knew of the king's survival, the room they were in still had a couple of important figures. He heard a scoffing from the side, but decided to ignore it for now.

"The blade is simply too powerful. Lady Iona was struck by a similar blade in Kyrios, and even with my disciple instantly applying first aid, her recovery still took several hours."

He stood now, addressing the other people in the room. Along with Carrack, there was the King's maidservant, the captain of the guards, and an older man that shared Vaynard's features.

"King Mios was not only struck straight through the heart, it is likely that he was left alone for more time than is reversible. I will try my best to cure him, but make no mistake: the little miracles we managed to scrape together may have saved his life, but until he awakes, we have no idea how much Erosion has taken from his mind."

Aleph observed their expressions, gauging their reactions. The guard captain was in tears, clearly remorseful for his ineptitude. Others, even the servants looked similarly guilt-ridden. The other one scoffed once again, clearly irritated about something.

"Who is this dog you let in, Vaynard? Dressing like a peasant in front of royalty. Our Mios must be in such a dire state, to be accepting help from mongrels such as this."

Ah, he thought. So that's it.

"Forgive me, Prince." He said evenly, hoping it would end the discussion. He was able to remind Vaynard of his future station, but this man seemed ready to bludgeon people with it if necessary.

"That is Lord Regent to you, commoner." He spat. 

He felt Vaynard rise from the King's side and move over to the other man. He stood before him unafraid, and completely bereft of his usual levity.

"Watch your tongue, Gunglain. Aleph had to kill two heralds just to stand before us. Have you no shame?" 

"Father's blood is strong. Whatever curse he is afflicted with, I am certain he will pull through." Gunglain said with conviction.

"His mind has eroded a great deal. It's not something your constitution can fix, which is likely why they used this method to begin with. Surely you've seen its effects on the battlefield?" Aleph tried to cut in. He was about to explain the king's affliction when he noticed something off. He stole a quick look over at Carrack, who he noticed was looking at something beyond the arguing siblings. He followed his gaze, and suddenly, his eyes widened. The king's eyes were open. One of the maids quickly came over, blocking King Mios' face from view.

The two were still continuing their shouting match, ignoring their surroundings and any semblance of secrecy. Aleph felt a bubble enclose the space from the outside, likely Iona casting her quieting spell once again.

Smack!

Aleph turned back to the pair just in time to see Vaynard strike his brother with a mailed fist, causing the much taller man to fall to the floor. To his credit, the man silently took it and stood back up, face bloodied and nose crooked, but otherwise unphased.

The mark Vaynard's fist left on Gunglain's face was repairing itself in front of their eyes, showing everyone in the room the potency of their family's ability.

"Vaynard." he said, this time almost a whisper. "Step down as crown prince."

"Wh-what?" Vaynard sounded hurt, as if he himself was struck by his brother.

"I've been ruling in father's stead since you were captured. I know the populace wants you to rule, but switching rulers like clothes would only destabilize the crown even more."

A flash of suspicion arose from Vaynard. For the first time since they started shouting, he stepped back and gripped his sword. "You… Do you covet the crown?"

"I want what's best for Mios, brother, same as you." He answered back, just as quietly as before.

The tension was thick for a while, but eventually, it was Vaynard who backed away. He stomped off the room, almost blowing the door off its hinges on the way out. The maids and guardsmen quickly followed suit, until eventually, all that was left in the room was the maid who was tending to the king, Aleph, Carrack and Gunglain.

"Sir Aleph." He said, this time with surprising respect. He bowed deeply, seeming like a completely different person from before. "Forgive me for making a scene."

Aleph raised his eyebrow, a bit taken aback by the sudden change in address. "...Where do you stand, Gunglain Mios?"

"As I said, I stand with the crown." He strode over to the table, fixing himself a drink. Then, he walked over to his father's bedside. "I heard you traveled with Vaynard a fair bit as you escaped the invaders. What do you think of him?" 

Aleph considered this for a second. They did travel together, but he spent a lot of it either struggling to survive or unconscious. Still, he thought he knew what Gunglain was referring to.

"Vaynard is headstrong and self-assured. He is quite fond of his position as crown prince, but I believe he genuinely loves the kingdom and its people. I've seen first-hand his willingness to remove himself from the limelight in order to help his people."

Gunglain, with his back turned to him, nodded his head in agreement. "Astute observations." He set the drink down to the bedside table, and helped the maid sit King Mios upright. It was a strange phenomena. The king stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging the people in the room. Gunglain picked up the drink he made once again, helping the maid administer it to his father.

"Vaynard is, in a lot of ways, exactly like my father. For good or bad, he would wear his heart on his sleeve, and his charismatic air would endear him to all who come across him."

He pulled out a napkin, cleaning out any stray liquid from his father's face. The king was quiet all throughout, save from little wisps of breath, and the occasional cough. Aleph himself hadn't seen it before now, but had heard of it being described by Iona. When Erosion had fully matured, those afflicted behaved just like walking dead, doing nothing more than stare blankly into space, waiting for their minds to be completely wiped. And once the body forgets even its basic necessities, then they die.

"...Has Vaynard seen him like this?"

"I've been making sure that he's away when father gets like this. Seeing it would break his heart. Our family can endure much, but I wish to save him from this." 

Aleph came over to check on the king once again. He tested reflexes, pressed his feet for any feeling, he even had him down some alcohol, searching for a reaction. Alas, the closest thing he got was the pitiful king turning to him, blinking a few times before looking back in front.

"He is too far gone, Aleph." Gunglain said to the side of him. He could hear the maid blowing her nose in the background, and even Carrack was sniffling. Aleph looked at the Lord Regent, and was surprised to see him shedding tears. He set the glass back on the table, allowing Aleph to finally see its contents. He saw a collection of herbs, some of which he recognized, but most of them were foreign. The few he did recognized though, were exceedingly poisonous.

"You…"

"I tried everything." He sobbed. "Every poison I can get my hands on. every draught, every venom, every demonic extract." He pulled something out of his pocket, something that shocked even Aleph as he saw it.

"I even took out his mana heart, and yet he still lives."

For a while, the only sounds he could hear were the sobs of a people without a king. Aleph could feel himself getting angry. It wasn't that his potions worked, or that his curse extraction did any good. The only reason the King still breathed was because of his cursed constitution!

Damn you, Erebos. He cursed inwardly.

He let them grieve for a while as he tried to slowly exit the room. Gunglain grabbed him by the arm, though, which stopped him in his place.

"Wait." He commanded. His voice was much softer now, but it gripped him far more ably than any shout. "Among the nobles, there are whispers of dissent. They believe me to be their puppet, but I've been trying to undo their machinations from the shadows. Even now, with very few eyes on us, I still need to keep up appearances."

Aleph stood and listened to Gunglain's next words. He said that within the kingdom, there was a growing number of nobles that wanted the war to end even if it meant their surrender. Of course, the royal family, as well as anyone who's fought at the front, knows that these demons have no concept of mercy, and doing such a thing would only lead to their death.

Even worse, he suspected traitors among the group and had been trying to root them out for the longest time. It was a reasonable conclusion. After all, someone had to have told the enemy of their operation to kill Deceit, or else Vaynard would not have been captured. Each statement just made Aleph even angrier. 

Assassinations, subterfuge, and sowing dissent. The Lord of the Void had never done any of these things on earth. It was a testament to how desperate he's become since the day of his defeat. Finally, he held his hand up, cutting the prince off.

"Prince Gunglain."  He said, immediately silencing the prince. "I understand your plight now. Know that I too stand with you in this fight. You may call on my services while I'm in town, so please be assured."

Aleph gripped the Gunglain's shoulder, in what he hoped was an encouraging touch. "As for the king… I'll see what I can do. For better or worse." He saw his face twitch at that last part, but the Lord Regent pulled him in for a hug all the same. These siblings always manage to surprise him.

"...Carrack is right." He replied. "You are dependable. I am glad you are the hero of the age."

"This hero business… It was your idea?"

"Haha, well–" he chuckled as he pulled away from the embrace, looking more like his brother when he laughed. "It was supposed to be Vaynard's role, it would have solidified his rule much more if he hadn't gotten captured."

Aleph was puzzled by this. "Then why not resume that plan once he returned?"

"For one, Vaynard vouches for you. And for another, becoming a hero is something the people decide on. Judging by how they welcomed you, I'd say they've chosen well."

"...Mmm." was all he could say in response.

__________________________________

Aleph exited the room feeling heavy and uplifted at the same time. It was a strange position to be in, feeling both encouraged and disheartened all at once. Such an occurrence have been increasingly commonplace since returning to his mortality.

Well, I just have to work harder, he thought.

He walked back to his room, feeling the dawn's morning light on his shoulder. He felt a bit bad, wasting all that time on the King, but maybe he could find a cure for–

"Master?"

He stopped in his tracks as he found someone waiting by his room. He stood and stretched, as if he had been waiting for him all night. He rubbed his eyes and gave Aleph a tired smile.

"Why are you up so early, Rayse?"