The old man looked at Prince George.
"You can stop here. I have arrived," he said.
Prince George was skeptical. He had heard that finding the seer was extremely difficult. Some claimed he lived in the mountains, while others said he resided at the edge of the village. Yet no one truly knew what he looked like or whether he was real.
Prince George had expected his search to take time; he did not anticipate running into the seer the moment he entered the village.
"Stop the carriage," the prince instructed. Although he had his suspicions, he was never one to act recklessly.
Once the carriage stopped, the old man stepped down. Out of curiosity, Prince George glanced outside and was shocked to find that they had stopped at the edge of the village, near a path leading up the mountain. He felt that the ride was too fast moreover he did not think the carriage was headed this part.
"Thank you, sir, for the ride. This humble man appreciates your kindness. If you are willing, I will give you two days to come and find me up the mountain," the old man said with a respectful bow before departing.
Prince George did not instruct the carriage to move immediately. Instead, he watched as the old man disappeared into the path leading to the mountain.
Although the man had said little, his words carried an unspoken invitation. If the prince changed his mind, he was welcome to seek him out, but only within the next two days. If he arrived on the third day, the man might no longer be willing to help him.
"Return to the village," Prince George instructed the coachman.
Although he partially believed the old man was the great seer, he was not willing to act hastily. Now that he was in the village, he might as well investigate before taking further action.
If, in two days, he found nothing suspicious, he would go to the mountain.
After returning to the village, he stayed at an inn and sent his most trusted men to gather information. Indeed, there were more than five men pretending to be the seer, but Prince George quickly saw through their tricks. Amongst them the old man he met was the most convincing.
Two days later, he decided to return to the mountain to find the old man. Though he was still uncertain, the man seemed to be his best option.
The prince brought two guards with him, wary that he might be walking into a trap.
He walked for an hour before arriving at a cave at the foot of the mountain.
"Welcome, Your Highness. You may enter the cave, but come alone," the old man’s voice echoed from within.
"Your Highness," his guards protested, afraid to let him enter an unknown cave alone.
"It’s fine. Stay at the entrance and keep watch," Prince George instructed.
He was not a coward. If he truly intended to seize the throne, he needed to take risks and act with boldness.
Stepping into the cave, Prince George quickly realized it was a temple. The decorations told him it was a sacred place where the people of Nixel once worshiped the old gods.
"Has Your Highness made up your mind?" the old man, seated near the altar, asked. His eyes remained closed, as if he cared little for Prince George’s presence.
"Great One, can you truly help me claim the throne?" Prince George asked. He knew this man was not interested in playing guessing games.
Upon hearing his question, the old man opened his eyes.
"If you do not trust me, there is no need for you to be here. You may leave," the seer said coldly.
Prince George felt irritated by the man’s attitude. Though he addressed him as "Your Highness," he showed no sign of respect.
"If I did not trust you, I would not have left the royal capital and journeyed here," Prince George replied. No matter how he felt, he did not let his emotions show.
The old man nodded at his response.
"What do you seek?" he asked.
"I want the throne. I want the Great One to tell me; will I succeed in usurping it?" Prince George said. He had come this far; there was no point in pretending otherwise. Moreover, the man already knew what he seek. He just wanted him to say it.
"You have a great ambition," the seer remarked. "But the throne belongs to your brother. It is a divine arrangement; it cannot be easily changed."
Prince George smiled at these words. The seer had not said it was impossible. "Difficult" was not the same as "impossible." It only meant he needed to plan carefully and act with patience.
"Great One, do you have any advice?" he asked.
"My advice is for you to accept your fate. No matter how many schemes and plans you devise, you will fail. Your brother will always survive because the throne is his by destiny," the seer said.
When Prince George heard this, he frowned. But upon reflection, he knew that stealing the throne would never be easy. Though he was proud of his intelligence, he understood that failure was a real possibility.
"What if I refuse to accept this fate?" Prince George asked. "What if I am unwilling to yield?"
"Do you truly desire the throne that much?" the seer asked.
"I am better than my brother in every way," Prince George answered. "No matter how much I help him, only his name will be sung in praise for generations to come. How can I accept that?"
"You want the throne so much?" the seer asked again.
"I do," Prince George answered without hesitation.
"Are you willing to sacrifice everything to obtain it?" the seer asked.
"As long as I can have the throne," Prince George said. "I have heard that the Great One can help a man change his fate. I wish to change mine."
Since so much had already been said, there was no point in further pretense.
"The ritual to change a person’s fate is not easy," the seer warned. "The price is heavy." For more chapters visıt novel-fire.ɴet
"I will pay any price, as long as the throne becomes mine," Prince George declared.
The seer studied him in silence. Though he said nothing, Prince George noticed his lips moving slightly, as if he were murmuring an incantation.
"I can help you," the seer finally said. "But apart from the sacrifice you must make, you will have to promise me something once you take the throne."
"Tell me, and I will do it," Prince George promised.
"The worship of the old gods has been outlawed. Those who still honor them are forced to worship in secret. After you become king, you will allow them to worship openly," the seer said.
Prince George hesitated. He did not answer immediately.
For two generations, the kings had suppressed the worship of the old gods. If he reversed this, he might lose support from powerful factions, and such a decision could lead to unrest in the kingdom.