* * *
His mind snapped back into focus, and his vision cleared.
The voice was familiar, yet the tone was strange.
A sense of déjà vu gripped him.
Hadn’t something like this happened before…?
‘Sean.’
Raizen turned his head immediately.
And then—something truly strange occurred.
The moment he turned, a single person entered his sight.
Amidst the panicked crowd, the boy stood still, staring directly at him.
Though his face was obscured by the effect of an anti-recognition artifact, Raizen was certain.
He knew exactly who that person was.
Raizen faintly smiled in his direction before turning back to survey his surroundings.
“Ugh… ughhh…”
Crown Prince Hamuel was barely managing to stay upright.
The royal knights stationed below the podium struggled to make their way through the confused masses.
If not for the priests directly beneath the platform, the scene above would have been utterly chaotic as well.
‘Karon Luavis ran away…’
Crown Prince Hamuel—one of the last people Raizen ever wanted to run into.
A man who always dredged up his worst nightmares with blunt words, using them to feed his petty insecurities.
It didn’t matter anymore.
But that didn’t mean his old resentment had completely vanished.
Raizen had never wanted to see Hamuel again in his life, and he certainly had no intention of offering him help.
And yet—
Raizen approached him anyway.
“Your Highness.”
Hamuel immediately looked up at him.
He was trying to appear calm, but his eyes trembled endlessly.
“Are you alright? I will escort you.”
Hamuel licked his lips, hesitating for a moment, then nodded.
“F-Fine. If you insist on doing so…”
He had apparently already forgotten how he had instinctively grabbed Raizen’s arm in fear just moments ago.
Privately, Raizen had hoped Hamuel would push him away, suspecting him as the seed of disaster mentioned in the prophecy.
But that didn’t happen.
He sighed inwardly but masked his thoughts as he supported Hamuel.
“I will take you to where the royal knights are stationed.”
“…Alright.”
Raizen descended the podium with Hamuel in tow.
Up close, the situation below was even more chaotic.
People had collapsed in shock, some sat frozen in disbelief, and others were desperately trying to flee, only to crash into each other.
Through the disorder, Raizen steadily led Hamuel forward.
“……”
“……”
No words passed between them.
Hamuel, whose legs had nearly given out moments before, now regained his strength.
Slowly, he withdrew his arm from Raizen’s grasp, putting distance between them.
Then, the Crown Prince spoke.
“You… this situation doesn’t faze you at all, does it?”
Of course. People don’t change so easily.
It was so predictable that Raizen didn’t even feel like scoffing.
“I’m not sure what you mean, Your Highness.”
“You…!”
Hamuel bristled, about to say something, but instead, he clicked his tongue with a small “Tsk!”
Then, his voice dropped, subdued.
“I… I…”
“…….”
“No, forget me—look at the others. Everyone is in a daze. What came from the Pope’s mouth… that wasn’t his voice. It was the voice of God. The real voice of God… The scriptures were true after all.”
The scriptures say this:
Even if the god of Sinoa loves and watches over humans, they cannot help but fear
His existence.
Just as animals instinctively recognize and tremble before those stronger than themselves.
That is why the god of Sinoa does not rule over humanity directly and instead remains in the heavens.
“Are you surprised that someone cursed like me could hear the voice of God and still be standing?”
“That’s not it!”
Hamuel shouted, his face flushed red.
“I mean, I—what I’m saying is—!”
“…….”
“Forget it! Why am I even talking to you?!”
“Understood.”
Hamuel ground his teeth audibly, but Raizen ignored it.
It seemed like he had something to say, but Raizen wasn’t the least bit curious.
Not that he couldn’t guess.
The Imperial Palace was the heart of all rumors, and recently, the Duchy of Pantheon had seen plenty of gossip-worthy events.
It was likely the New Year’s banquet that played a major role in changing the Crown Prince’s mind.
Whether it was because of the light Raizen had shown that day or because rumors spread that all the accusations against him had been fabricated by the opposition—he couldn’t be sure.
‘I thought he’d keep believing whatever he wanted, but I guess he’s developed at least enough intelligence to discern the truth.’
So, was he planning to apologize?
Raizen didn’t care what the Crown Prince did, but if possible, he’d rather he didn’t.
Getting involved with Hamuel was bound to be… troublesome.
“Your Highness!”
“Your Highness, are you alright?!”
The voices of the Imperial Knights rang out from nearby.
Raizen had assumed Hamuel would rush toward them immediately, but instead, the prince suddenly lowered his head.
“…Th-Thank you.”
“…….”
“And… I… I…”
“…….”
“You fool!”
Hamuel spat out those words and turned away, heading toward the approaching knights.
Raizen stood there for a moment, blank with surprise, before letting out a small chuckle.
The boy averted his gaze briefly.
He had thought he wouldn’t care no matter what Hamuel said.
But hearing those words of gratitude… it didn’t feel all that bad.
For some reason, Sean’s face came to mind.
‘That voice earlier—it was definitely Sean.’
Just like at the New Year’s banquet, Sean had saved him again.
“Ah, wait a moment!”
Hamuel’s voice called out again, just as Raizen thought he was leaving for good.
When Raizen lifted his gaze, the Crown Prince hesitated before asking,
“Is… that guy doing well?”
“…That guy?”
“Your… y-your brother.”
Why was he asking about someone else’s brother while blushing?
Raizen furrowed his brows for a split second before flashing a bright smile.
“Yes. He’s doing incredibly well.”
Hamuel was the one flustered this time by Raizen’s curt response.
But Raizen simply offered a polite bow and left first.
“…Hah. Did you see that just now? He actually frowned.”
“…What?”
“I mean, no matter what he heard before, he never reacted at all…”
Hamuel stood there, watching Raizen’s retreating back, dazed.
∗ ∗ ∗
The chaos finally settled once the Emperor personally intervened.
He announced that the Imperial Family would soon release an official statement regarding today’s events and encouraged everyone to enjoy the rest of the Manifestation Week.
‘Easier said than done.’
Not only had the voice of God been heard, but an ominous prophecy had been declared.
This incident would spread across the entire Empire before long.
The townhouse was in a state of emergency.
The Duke of Pantheon had been summoned by the Emperor and had yet to return, while the Duchess busied herself restoring order.
Security had tightened, and the servants who accompanied them were not allowed to leave without a valid reason.
And I was with Raizen.
I clasped his hands tightly, channeling my energy.
A soft blue light spread from our joined hands, wrapping around his body.
Only after confirming that the light had fully seeped into him did I let out a breath of relief.
But Raizen’s expression remained grim.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
I knew he absolutely wasn’t, but I had to ask.
Raizen, who had been looking down slightly, met my gaze and gave a faint smile.
“Honestly… I don’t know.”
At least he wasn’t completely crushed.
If he had lost all hope, he wouldn’t have accepted my purification in the first place.
‘But… why does he look so drained?’
I’d never seen him like this before.
Raizen had always carried an unyielding determination, a sharp defiance that made his presence feel suffocating.
It was one of the things that made his expression all the more severe.
But now, that intensity was completely gone.
‘If anything, he should be even sharper than before—not like this, completely broken.’
This was the same man who, in the novel, had learned that divine power no longer existed in the world and then went on to unseal the Demon King in sheer madness.
‘What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?’
After hesitating for a moment, I placed a hand on his shoulder.
Then, feeling awkward just standing there, I slowly patted him.
“Sei.”
“Hm?”
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
Raizen lightly grasped the hand patting his shoulder and asked.
His crimson eyes, always indifferent, seemed fragile at this moment, as if they could shatter at the slightest touch.
“You said you were scared of me at first.”
His voice had a rare urgency, snapping me out of my thoughts.
The way he kept pressing for an answer—it was clear that whatever happened at the Manifestation had shaken him deeply.
‘I don’t even know what the hell happened myself.’
That was something I’d have to figure out later when I had time alone.
And even then, there was no guarantee I’d find an answer.
But right now, I knew exactly what I needed to do.
“No. I’m not afraid.”
That was a lie.
I was still afraid.
But whereas before, I had feared Raizen himself—now, I feared the uncertainty of his future.
“Really? Even though I might be the seed of catastrophe?”
‘Yeah, well… you are.’
Raizen Pantheon, as written in ‘From Transmigration to Hero’, was exactly that.
‘But so what?’
“Hyung.”
“…….”
“No one knows what kind of tree that seed will grow into.”
* * *
