The Last Legendary Weapons Master: Rise of the strongest player-Chapter 20: Slaves of the Crown

"Alicia... calm yourself." Moon’s cold voice cut through the air, her ominous gaze locking onto her.

Alicia immediately sat down stiffly and nodded rapidly.

"Y-Yes!"

Seeing this, Raiden sighed and turned back to Ethan.

"The younger among us are forced to confront the curse, while the stronger elders are used by House Ardyn and certain noble families in wars against the other kingdoms... and the very strongest serve as guards or attendants to important figures."

The more Ethan heard, the darker his expression became.

"The young fight the curse... the adults fight foreign wars... and whoever remains serves as personal shields..."

"Our land lies at the very border of the Cursed Lands .. making us its first prey."

Irritation flared visibly across Ethan’s face, until he finally burst out:

"No matter how I look at it, the Hearts are being completely exploited by the ruling family! As if we’re nothing but weapons they wield at will!"

At his reaction, every Heart present revealed a look of bitterness.

"You’re right," Moon said .. only deepening his confusion.

"The Hearts can use the Player System. That alone allows us to grow far stronger far faster than ordinary humans. By that logic, we should be the strongest force in this kingdom... so why do you obey such orders?"

As he spoke, Ethan felt something dark lurking beneath the name Heart.

"If the Hearts chose to rebel — who could possibly stop them!?"

He wasn’t stupid.

He was already reaching conclusions... conclusions he hoped were wrong.

The Hearts confirmed his fears.

"We cannot do that," Moon said, meeting his gaze with her crimson, flame-like eyes. Then she continued, her voice heavy:

"Because we are all cursed."

Ethan’s face hardened completely.

The others averted their eyes, revealing a strange helplessness whenever the topic arose.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ethan asked, clenching his human fist .. his mechanical hand nearly crushing the stone beside him.

"We cannot rebel, nor disobey... because we are cursed. You must have seen it in your Player System .. The Cursed Blood of the Hearts."

At last, the secret behind what troubled Ethan most was revealed.

And he wished it hadn’t been.

"Curses come in several kinds. The worst are marking-type curses like yours. There are also Soul curses... and Blood curses."

"All Hearts, without exception, carry the last kind — a curse that prevents us from refusing the ruling family’s orders. And if we rebel... they can kill us with ease."

Moon’s words made Ethan leap to his feet.

"Following orders like livestock without the ability to refuse or even protest... as if we’re—"

"Slaves."

Ethan ground his teeth, anger and disgust burning in his eyes as he looked back at Moon.

"Where did we even get this damned curse?"

Moon fell silent for a few seconds before answering.

"It came from our ancestors."

The ancient heroes...

"In the distant past, they made an agreement with the first king of this kingdom .. an oath binding their descendants to absolute loyalty to the royal family. We cannot betray them... nor oppose them."

"Our forefathers bore this curse. Our parents did... and so do we." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

This was the Blood Curse .. inherited from generation to generation, making it one of the worst curses imaginable.

Hearing this only fueled Ethan’s rage.

’Those damned ancient heroes... failing wasn’t enough .. they even left me their curse after dying?!’

His mind boiled.

He had become a slave ... shackled, unable to act freely. Many of his plans were already ruined.

’ That bastard Ishizaki... he must’ve known this, yet still made me a Heart...’

Ethan’s expression darkened further as anger simmered violently within his chest.

The cursed developer. The Night Lords. The ancient heroes...

It felt as though everything in this world sought to curse him.

As though the entire world stood against him.

He clenched his teeth, then sat down, covering his face to hide his frustration.

Deep within his heart... he swore:

They would all pay.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" Ethan asked coldly.

The others showed sympathy .. they had reacted the same way when they first learned of the curse.

Raiden answered this time.

"For now... this is enough. You’ll learn the rest once we return home."

"What you need now is to raise your level quickly and regain your strength. If you remain like this... you won’t be allowed to stay among the Hunters any longer," Moon added, pointing out something important.

"Being expelled is the worst thing that could happen to you. A Heart’s worth lies in strength... and the weak are devoured alive."

Ethan nodded in response.

He never intended to remain weak.

He possessed all the potential — but first he had to deal with his troublesome curse.

"The Hearts are powerful... so there must be high-tier mages among you, right?" he asked.

They all nodded.

"One of the current elders .. the Forest Witch. She’s a King-rank sorceress... equivalent to a level beyond sixty," Raiden said, which eased Ethan slightly.

The power system of the world of Ordeil was unique.

It was divided into ranks .. varying slightly between classes but generally similar:

Beginner, Apprentice , Skilled , Advanced, Elite, Saint, King, High King, Emperor... and finally, God.

The Player System granted to the Hearts allowed them to climb the ranks simply by leveling up.

Every ten levels corresponded to one of those ranks .. with the sole exception of the Emperor rank.

As for the God rank... it could only be obtained by defeating its bearer. Only one God-level could exist per class.

"A King-rank witch won’t be able to cure a curse like mine... but she can at least suppress it, right?" Ethan asked, directing the question to Moon.

He understood that he would never grow properly if the curse kept tearing him apart every night.

Moon took a moment to think, then nodded hesitantly.

"It will be difficult... but possible."

Hearing that, Ethan let out a breath of relief.

"Suppressing the curse will help you greatly. And having a Maiden will make your growth easier too," Raiden added.

Ethan frowned.

"A Maiden?"

Raiden nodded, though the others looked uncomfortable at the term.

"The Maidens... they’re the ones who create these flasks for us. And a Heart who has a Maiden supporting him levels up faster."

That statement seized Ethan’s full attention.

After all... he suffered a heavy restriction when it came to leveling.

His ability [Class Change at Will] allowed him to fight using any class, unlike others who were bound to one class for life.

Raiden, for instance as a tank could only develop hp , endurance, and strength.

All other attributes — intelligence, faith, arcane, dexterity — were locked to him.

The same applied to everyone else depending on their class.

Ethan was different.

He could develop everything.

But every level cost him twice the souls compared to them.

Having such a Maiden would certainly help — if it meant reducing the burden.

"Tell me more," Ethan urged.

Raiden complied.

"The only ones who can serve as Maidens are the daughters of the current king of House Ardyn .. the princesses. And there are many of them."

He sighed in annoyance.

"But most of them are trash. They treat us like slaves because we can’t disobey them."

Their harsh treatment meant only a few Hearts received their services.

Fortunately... Ethan was one of them.

"You have one. And not just any Maiden — one of the few who don’t treat us cruelly. I wouldn’t exaggerate if I said she’s the kindest among them."

For the first time in a while, Ethan saw a faint light within the darkness surrounding him.

"This Maiden you’re talking about... what’s her name?"

Raiden answered with a smile.

"Lucille... Lucille Ardyn."

...

...

...

Far from the Cursed Lands...

Within the safe walls of the Kingdom of Ardyn .. secured through the relentless efforts of the Hearts ..

A carriage rolled steadily across the green plains, drawn by spirited horses.

Unlike the dead, desolate Cursed Lands... life flourished here.

Plants grew freely. Animals roamed everywhere.

Though the sky was dark .. the eclipse veiling the sun .. the land still radiated vitality.

The energetic horses pulled a luxurious carriage engraved with golden patterns and the sigil of House Ardyn.

Around it rode a group of knights, guarding it closely .. for it carried someone of great importance.

Inside sat a young woman, gazing at the cold night sky with quiet boredom.

Her eyes shone sapphire-blue with stunning clarity.

Her long silver hair fell gracefully, adorned with thin side braids.

Her beauty suited her status... and amplified her popularity.

She wore a blue dress that enhanced her unique charm.

During the journey, one of the knights approached.

"We are nearly at Heart territory, my lady," he said respectfully.

The princess inside smiled.

"Then I’ll be able to see him soon."

Her sweet voice carried unmistakable anticipation as she thought of someone in particular.

While Ethan and his companions waited for night to end so they could return home...

Princess Lucille Ardyn was approaching as well.