Only God
Chapter 73 - 67 I’m Going to Lose You

Chapter 73: Chapter 67 I’m Going to Lose You

Dertulian remained kneeling on the straw, his hands clasped together, the entire person maintaining this posture, quieted down.

He had never seen God, not once.

Yet, he had never been this close to God.

The rain was still falling, as if it had no end.

In the darkness, the sound of footsteps tap-tapping came from outside the cell, as if someone was being supported by another, approaching the cell.

Dertulian opened his eyes, his hands still clasped, and looked toward the cell door.

The sound of the rain mixed with the footsteps.

A torch slowly neared the cell door, and by its light, Dertulian saw a figure in a robe, while another person was assisting him.

"Dertulian."

King Yarlessto, holding a torch, spoke slowly.

His tone was inscrutable.

Supporting Yarlessto was his Queen, who looked at Dertulian with worried eyes, fearing the person inside might harm her husband.

"Go out first; I’ll be fine by myself,"

King Yarlessto said softly to his Queen.

The Queen nodded slightly and, after helping King Yarlessto sit down, left the prison.

Inside and outside the cell, only Yarlessto and Dertulian, the brothers, remained.

"Do you know what you’re doing?"

King Yarlessto articulated, his voice laden with anger.

Dertulian lowered his head, saying nothing.

"You led the slaves to revolt against me!"

"How dare you?!"

Amidst the sound of rain, King Yarlessto gazed at Dertulian with a look of disdain, Dertulian’s silence fuelling his rage further than before.

"The statue has fallen, our father’s statue has fallen. What are you doing? Do you wish to destroy our glory?"

"Answer me, Dertulian!"

"Answer me!"

Dertulian silently listened, not saying a word.

His silence was as if he were admitting to all the accusations to his own brother.

After the interrogation, King Yarlessto took a deep breath, the stabbing pain in his side temporarily suppressing his anger.

I promised father.

Yarlessto reminded himself.

He stared at Dertulian, who hung his head low, and then said slowly:

"The nobles want to judge you, to execute you, Dertulian. The leading noble is the most outstanding sage in the kingdom; people call him Wise Man Boran. With his accusations, you will certainly die!"

King Yarlessto watched him, looking for any sign of movement,

"And I... your brother, am willing to give you a chance. I am willing to endure endless vilification from those nobles, willing to let the songs praising me turn into slander.

Many have testified that you are the Dragon Slayer. Such a grand deed, if only you admit your fault, I can forgive you on this basis."

At this moment, Dertulian lifted his eyes, meeting Yarlessto’s gaze.

King Yarlessto saw the look in his brother’s eyes, years of blood ties letting him immediately understand what Dertulian was thinking.

He was thinking about whether those slaves could be pardoned.

"Impossible, Dertulian!"

King Yarlessto said angrily in refusal:

"I know what you are thinking, but let me tell you, it’s not possible. Someone must bear the public’s rage. And I am merely taking you out of this rage."

Upon hearing Yarlessto’s words, Dertulian averted his eyes.

"You do not accept these conditions?"

King Yarlessto, understanding what Dertulian’s gesture meant, scoffed coldly:

"Do you think this is a negotiation, Dertulian!

Do you think you are on equal footing with me?

I am your King, and you are but a prisoner!"

Dertulian remained silent still, letting the words fall upon his ears.

King Yarlessto’s anger flared up due to his silence.

What was he doing?

Treating his words like nothing more than wind passing by his ears?

Pain began to manifest in King Yarlesto’s side, fueling the raging fire within his soul.

Yet, he continued to endure, to suppress that frenzied fury.

"Dertulian,"

"Have you heard the sorrow of the Logos Kingdom? Ever since you proclaimed that ’God has departed,’ the kingdom weeps day and night. Your actions nearly destroyed the happiness of all the people of Logos."

"Yes, nearly, but not utterly. There is still a chance to make amends.

All you need to do is admit in the trial that all you said were insane ramblings and mistakes.

All you need to do is allow those slaves to take on the anger. Let go, let go of your beliefs, and you will not die.

Just promise me, accept my arrangement, and as I promised our father, I will still make use of you, protect you, remember, I am all you have left."

King Yarlesto dropped his regal demeanor, speaking to Dertulian in a gentle tone, his words heartfelt and earnest.

Dertulian occasionally glanced at Yarlesto but offered no response.

He remained silent.

Yarlesto’s anger flared up in an instant, his pain peaking, and his face contorted under the reflection of the firelight.

The pain reminded him of that nightmare.

The Sapo King’s curse seemed to still echo in his ears.

["You will fight against Dertulian, swords drawn against each other, and you must die by your brother’s hand. You will be blinded by desire, and you will not die a good death, for my God has granted my curse."]

King Yarlesto felt furious, a tinge of panic flashing amidst the towering inferno of his rage.

In the dream, his brother, Dertulian, slowly ascended the long steps, coveting Yarlesto’s King’s Throne.

There was not a trace of brotherly affection in his eyes, only greed, darkness, and hatred.

King Yarlesto recalled that nightmare, and at this very moment, it felt perilously close to becoming reality.

Why did his own brother rebel, why claim: God has departed...

There was only one reason.

"Do you aspire to replace me, Dertulian!"

An excited King Yarlesto exclaimed,

"You wish to sit upon my Throne! For that, you would destroy the glory of the Logos, destroy the happiness of its people."

"My brother,

You are so very greedy!"

King Yarlesto abruptly stood, enduring the side pain, he paced the cell, his whole being exploding like thunder, burning in fury.

The scenes from the nightmare stirred murderous intent, and with anger fueling it, the intent thickened.

"I will not try to persuade you, you greedy creature. Ten vipers combined are nothing compared to one ten-thousandth of you."

"To judge you, let those nobles judge you, to have you die, I have done enough for you, I did not break my father’s promise, it was you, you who betrayed me!"

Dertulian heard his brother’s cries of anger, only watching him, seeing his hands tremble.

"All poems will curse you! Defeat you! Because you want to destroy everything of the Logos, you are a viper, a dragon, I trusted you once, even now I had hoped you would change your mind. But now I see, you do not deserve my efforts, you desire my King’s Throne, so far as to want to kill me."

When King Yarlesto finished speaking in anger, his rage spent entirely, the heart throbbing in his chest suddenly felt empty, as if nothing remained.

Yarlesto’s cheeks were wet, his tears born of anger, betrayal, and the difficult choice to break his father’s promise.

He looked at Dertulian, the brother’s silence bringing pain, as he simply stared straight into his eyes.

Yarlesto longed for Dertulian to say something, anything, but not to remain silent and watch him cry. God, please let him speak!

But Dertulian remained silent, he just stood up.

He walked step by step toward Yarlesto, wordlessly reaching beside him, outstretching a hand beyond the cold prison bars.

Through the icy bars, he embraced his brother.

Yarlesto froze, Dertulian’s embrace engulfing him, holding him just as he once had held their father.

He said nothing, yet his silence was answer enough.

Dertulian’s embrace shook Yarlesto to his core.

Yarlesto trembled, his wails loud as his anger silently slipped away, leaving only sadness in the hollow recesses of his heart. He knew not why he was so sorrowful, the tears falling relentlessly amidst the sound of rain.

Yarlesto said, his voice trembling,

"Stay away from me..."

"Dertulian, I am about to lose you."

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