Pherenike - Chapter 51

And sometimes, unexpectedly, Pherenike appeared pitiable.

Realizing his pity for her was akin to a pauper outside the castle feeling sorry for a rich man inside, he hadn’t dwelt deeply on this irony, but it was there.

After all, in a world where even royal children could fall victim to raiders and become slaves in foreign lands, humans were just that – humans. No matter how noble one’s birth, there came a time when they realized, ‘We are all the same in the end.’

A sword was often the cruel instrument of this realization. Those unable to wield a sword in the face of an armed opponent always ended up abject and powerless. It didn’t matter who their parents were or what luxuries they had enjoyed. Once reduced to an object and traded, their value was measured like meat on a scale. Those without value suffered immensely, while those with value suffered longer.

This wasn’t just the misery of being a slave; it was the misery of ‘being human.’ Being human meant they could be subdued, exploited, even forced to perform feats they never thought possible. Was there anything more desirable than Pherenike Vassilios’s talent?

The talent to momentarily blind death itself?

Yet, despite her talents, had she been seen as just another human, she would have been leashed and exploited to exhaustion. Much like the unfortunate Althea lumps sold to the sanctuary, their lives and powers extinguished namelessly.

Perhaps it was better to be an unfortunate god than to be easily plundered.

“…No matter where, were you destined to be endlessly weary?”

Regret was regret. Dexikos mused quietly.

Having protected Pherenike from close quarters since childhood, he still wasn’t used to watching her from afar.

But it wasn’t just the distance that felt unfamiliar. Everything around him seemed hostile and envious of her.

Pherenike opened her Althea a bit and started healing the youngest and oldest of the sick gathered below the balcony.

Throwing Althea into the air. Dexikos chuckled at her inefficiency yet understood its visual impact on attracting the people. He hated stupid things like that.

Cheers grew louder, echoing praises and admiration throughout the streets. Dexikos, standing amid the surging crowd in order to get close to the balcony, suddenly noticed Pherenike’s complexion change.

“….”

He had spent years as her guard, forced by Deucalion’s tyranny, unintentionally becoming accustomed to observing her. He knew the stubborn prelude to her hiding something.

For instance, her lips would tighten, resembling those of a deeply distressed person, and her eyes would grow cold, like water poured onto a hot anvil.

At that moment, behind her, King Actor Nikandros, as if sensing her expression, protectively embraced her shoulder and supported her. As if he had seen that expression.

Pherenike naturally shrugged off his hand and straightened her posture. She offered a smile to the people before they disappeared from the balcony.

“Damned pair,” Dexikos heard Viano’s voice at that moment.

A sigh accompanied his glance towards the blonde man. This was the face he had been searching for.

“I thought you got left like a fool, where did you vanish to?”

“…..”

“What about Hagnon?”

Dexikos asked irritably, but Viano didn’t respond.

He just stared blankly at the balcony where Pherenike had vanished, his gaze icy as ever.

Viano, like Dexikos, was one of the noble boys who grew up as playmates of the Second Prince, and later became a lancer in the Paetusa army.

They all grew up under the same teachers, in the same group. Deucalion called everyone he studied with his friends, but not everyone could truly be equals in friendship.

Viano, in reality, had the status of a close friend to both Deucalion and Pherenike. He was a descendant of one of the nine noble families of Salonica, a nephew to the current head of the family.

In contrast, Dexikos was merely the son of a fallen noble, treated more as a toy than a friend when he first entered the palace.

Had Deucalion not recognized his orthea, the arrogant noble boys would have never acknowledged him as a human being. It was only after the prince acknowledged him that the others did as well.

Nevertheless, when Deucalion appointed Dexikos as Pherenike’s guard, the boys all envied him.

Actually, Dexikos himself saw the role as Pherenike’s guard a tedious and trivial task. It was somewhat dissatisfying although the significance was by no means small.

What was Pherenike Vassilios to their prince? From the cradle, the prince had promised his life to the daughter of General Vassilios. He grew up swallowing that promise like a fateful prophecy and loving it as his fated duty.