Cursed Heir System: Revenge Against the Gods

Alan leaned back in the carriage with one hand behind his head casually, looking at the dorsal side of his hand, where the blessing seal—a fire ember-shaped seal—came into view with a slight glow.

He'd claimed this seal after killing that bandit in the tavern, deciding to pass it off as his official blessing to avoid suspicion. Fire Whip wasn't flashy, but it was believable enough to blend in.

He tilted his hand slightly, studying the mark as if searching for answers. "So… if I kill someone, I take their blessing?" he murmured under his breath. The question barely reached the ears of the man seated across from him—Sir Yulder, Anna's former knight.

The blonde knight still bore the bandages and bruises from the tavern brawl, yet had insisted on accompanying them, offering to help Alan understand his new duties as Anna's official knight. Unlike Alan, he got heavy damage from that fight, Anna was still healing him.

Moriko sits beside Alan and looks out the window while enjoying the view, while her golden eyes faintly reflect on the glass. For someone who had only ever known shackles and cages, the gentle rattle of carriage wheels on the road was almost a lullaby.

They were en route to the Holy City, Terrenase—where the new bishop's coronation and the first public appearance of the four royal candidates would be held. Alan traveled in a modest carriage, partly because he didn't know how to ride a horse…

Anna was traveling with the duchess in a lavish carriage.

And Janine, of course, would descend from the skies on her mountain wyvern like a legend.

*So if I kill the champion? Can I get their legendary blessings?* Alan said to himself in his mind, thinking about his blessings absorption.

If he's right on this assumption and could absorb more than one champion skill, he'd be a destructive force. But killing a champion is not child's play. He personally got beaten by a champion who's not even using five percent of her total strength.

He sighed inwardly as he tightened the glove on his hand.

"Sir Alan? Is something troubling you?" The blonde knight asked in concern as he leaned slightly.

Alan shook his head and leaned back with a forced nonchalance. "Just wondering how I'll survive a week-long trip cooped up in here," he said, his voice light but evasive. "And drop the 'Sir,' Yulder. 'Alan' works fine. The title feels… wrong, somehow."

Yulder chuckled, a warm, amused sound that softened the lines of his battered face. "You've earned an honor most nobles would kill for, and you act like it's a burden," he said, his smile genuine. "Not many would shrug off a knighthood so easily."

Alan's blue eyes studied the blonde knight for a moment, and he asked, "I took your position; don't you feel anything against me?"

Yulder's smile didn't waver as he leaned back while holding his chest where he got injured. "Not at all, Alan," he said, his tone steady and sincere. "In fact, I'm happy that you're the one to be protecting Lady Anna. Not only did you save her in the tavern but also proved your worth by fighting Janine head-on."

Alan's expression remained neutral; his gaze drifted to the window where the trees and hills rolled by in a blur of green and gold.

Yulder's words were meant as praise, but they felt hollow. He knew the truth: everything he did was just for his own sake, even manipulating Anna. Worthy? Hardly. But he let the compliment slide.

The journey to Teranese took over several days, the carriage wheels grinding along the winding roads, stopped by nights spent around crackling campfires under starlit skies.

Night faded into a pale gold dawn as the caravan finally entered the Terranse city, unfurled in majestic grandeur—its skyline pierced by cathedral spires, great white walls gleaming under morning sun, and streets alive with preparation. The city was already decorated for the momentous week ahead: the Bishop's anointing, the Champion reviews, and the public presentations of the four monarch candidates.

Moriko pressed her face to the window with awe, wide eyes. Colorful banners fluttered above the crowded markets, vendors called out praises of meat skewers and glazed fruit, and fire-dancers spun ribbons of heat near the temple plaza.

"I want that!" she gasped while pointing at a tray of candied nuts held high by a shouting boy. "And that one, those meat things! What are those?!"

"Sit down, kitty," Alan said, pulling her back with a sigh.

She groaned, childlike in her disappointment, but obeyed, flopping into the seat beside him. Sir Yulder chuckled from the other side of the carriage. "Let her enjoy the view, Alan. First time in a city like this, isn't it?"

"She's not here to sightsee," Alan replied flatly, but his gaze still on Moriko continued to stare longingly at the food stalls flying past the windows.

Alan glanced out the window, his blue eyes remembering the city's towering spires and bustling streets. He'd seen Teranese before as Alane. The temples loomed like marble titans. The city was a nexus of power, home to the thirteen temple headquarters.

As their carriage turned, the ancient red-stone spires of the Fire Goddess's temple came into view, carved with flame-shaped windows that burned in the sun.

Soon they reached the towering gates of the Concerda Grand Church, the center of holy authority in Lavrios. Even castles look like dwarfs in front of this building, its spires piercing the heavens.

Moriko tilted her head back, her golden eyes wide as she tried to take in its grandeur. "It's… huge," she whispered with awe.

Moriko stuck her head out again, awestruck. "Is this place... for humans?"

Alan tugged her gently back inside. "Don't gawk," he muttered. "They'll think you've never seen stone before."

"I haven't," she whispered under her breath.

The carriage came to a smooth halt.

The carriage door swung open as Anna stepped out, her crimson gown flowing elegantly, her silver hair shining in the light.

Her heart quickened as she saw Alan standing at the carriage door in his Nocelle knight's robe. He held out a hand to her like a gentleman more than a knight.

"My lady," he said, voice level, unreadable. "Allow me."

"Thank you," Anna murmured as she took his hand and stepped down onto the cobblestone path, her cheeks flushing slightly at the contact.

"It's my duty," he replied without meeting her eyes. Behind her, Sharra dismounted without pause or acknowledgment and began barking instructions to the servants. Church officials were already approaching with scrolls and ceremonial documents.

Alan turned briefly to spot Moriko, her nose pressed against the church gate bars, staring hungrily at food being sold by pilgrims. With a quiet sigh, he stepped away from the caravan, pulling a few silver coins from his pouch to buy her a skewer of grilled meat to keep her from causing a scene.

As Sharra turned to Anna, she said, "They'll want to bring you inside for the official greeting. I'll be back shortly."

Anna nodded, her voice soft. "Yes, Mother." As Sharra moved off with the officials, Anna stood surrounded by her guards and servants, she looked at Alan as he handed Moriko the skewer.

Anna's lips curved, ever so slightly as she stepped towards him.

But her moment of quiet was shattered.

"Oh, Anna! It's been days, hasn't it?" a familiar, grating voice called, dripping with false charm.

Anna's stomach twisted remembering the voice of some disgusting playboy in honour.

She turned to see Paul Petersen, the Fire Champion, walking toward her. His orange hair was slicked back, his formal noble attire accentuating his broad shoulders. His broad smile was all charm, but his amber eyes gleamed with something that Anna knows.

The guards let him through without question, recognizing his status as a Champion and his known ties to House Nocelle.

"Hello, Paul," Anna said with a forced smile and kept her voice composed. "It's… nice to see you."

Paul's grin widened as he closed the distance while eyes roving over her with unabashed interest. "You look radiant as ever, Anna," he said with a smooth, syrupy time that could charm other ladies instantly. "I was just thinking how fortunate I am to see you before the ceremony. Perhaps we could steal a moment to catch up?"

He leaned in just enough to make Anna want to step back, but not enough to warrant offense.

He stepped closer as his hand reached for her hand. "A candidate like you deserves a proper escort, don't you think?"

Anna's smile faltered for a moment, her crimson eyes flickering toward Alan, who was still distracted with Moriko. Her heart raced with discomfort coiling in her chest as Paul's hand inched closer, his charm a thinly veiled attempt to encroach.

But before his hand could close, another hand clamped down on his hand and stopped him cold.

Gasps rippled through the nearby guards and onlookers as Alan stood there with his grip steady on champion's hand, his blue eyes locked on Anna. "Don't touch Lady Anna," he said in a low, polite tone, like a blade sheathed but ready to draw.