The Kingmaker

I Am a God

War among mortals

Denied chance to be human

Divine, I stand

 There is something wrong with Kagami Taiga. His behaviour, notably his temper, is not normal. Tetsuya has seen many oddities within the formidable walls of the Palace of the Red Lion Kingdom. He just knows—can sense it—that something is going on with the fraudulent Crown Prince. It makes him dangerous.

It is not merely Kagami's sporadic outbursts of violence that unsettle Tetsuya. The Crown Prince has a darkness within his heart that is difficult to fathom and surpasses explanation.

Tetsuya can deal with any type of human, but somebody who has lost their mind is unpredictable. He has to be more careful and smarter with his next moves. He has learnt that the hard way. As he replays the events in his mind, Tetsuya cannot shake off the memory of the piercing pain as Haizaki's knife found its mark. Everything had been prepared to the last detail; his perfect, unscarred skin was meant to be the focal point of his strategy. But fate had other plans.

There was a woman, and she laughed at him. Or did she?

The strain of seeking to remember who she was, or even if she had been real at all, makes Tetsuya's head hurt. But the memory refuses to come back, leaving him to confront the nagging doubt about her existence and her role in the ensuing insanity.

Whatever or whoever she was, she was the reason why he did not have any strength to fight Haizaki. Had he been fully conscious, he could've evaded the knife and used it on Haizaki instead. He could have easily made it look like an accident.

Despite everything, somehow it has worked in his favour. Whilst he was recovering, he heard the Queen Consort asking the physician, Nijimura, how he was faring. Feigning unconsciousness, Tetsuya stilled his breath and listened, drinking in every word of their hushed conversation.

Kagami Masuyo, overcome with worry, feared for his life. The Azure Dragon, as the smallest and most vulnerable kingdom, cannot afford to fail in safeguarding a subject of the powerful Red Lion kingdom. It may seem trivial on the surface, but the fragile pride of each realm hangs in the balance.

Much like children, who easily cry over the simplest things, but also much worse than children. At least those little humans can easily forgive each other. Sadly, that ability dwindles as we grow up.

Tetsuya cobbled together bits and pieces of conversation and deduced Nijimura's role.

Despite being offered the prestigious position of chief physician within the palace, Nijimura declined. Rather, he chose to commit his life to helping the common people, driven by an immense desire to lessen the agony of those who could not afford to receive top-notch medical attention.

"Those folks are a waste of your talent. Do not misunderstand me. I have great affection for our subjects, but don't you think you would be more well-known if you were the official physician of His Majesty?"

"Please accept my sincere apologies once more for saying that I'm not looking for recognition," he replied earnestly. "I genuinely care about the people who depend on me more. I do not, by any means, suggest that I have no concern for the welfare of His Majesty. He is receiving care from a number of qualified doctors, so I know He is in good hands."

Kagami Masuyo breathed harshly. "I would compel you, but I shall honour my vow to respect your choice. You're lucky my family owes you so."

"Thank you for understanding, Your Majesty."