The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 522: Back to the Light

If only.

Because in reality, the Imperial Crown Prince had never been great at comforting anyone.

And if he were being totally honest, he had been scared shitless the entire time because he wasn’t sure how to deal with people currently experiencing what looked like post-traumatic stress disorder.

He had seen this before, during his time on the frontlines and as he got to know several retired military personnel. But with how common it was for everyone to carry such a burden because of the brutality of their fight for survival, it was usually something they dealt with only after staying alive.

And that was if they managed to survive long enough to even think about their experiences.

After all, the survivors usually had a timer on their lives, just waiting before contamination took what remained of them.

While it was cruel, they had no choice for the longest time.

If they stopped fighting to process their pain, their traumas would only turn into renewed, all-too-real horrors.

And no one wanted that.

So, as if spurred on by the need to keep moving, they learned to push through and keep fighting.

However, Luca was different.

While he’s always been generous, his wife had been stingy when it came to his past. But one thing was obvious to the prince who knew just how enamored Luca was with what corruption translated to.

He wasn’t afraid of that.

Since he had known him. Luca had never been fazed by stronger opponents, natural disaster, tests, pain, and even a full-blown apocalypse.

What had rattled him was something else entirely.

Hurting others. Damaging structures. Imprisonment. Death. And well...money.

That—In different orders, and sometimes, all at once.

It was usually those concerns that by now had become impossible to ignore. Because even when they were spared the gruesome details, they could tell just how horrifying Luca’s past must have been.

And that was how he came up with his last-ditch plan.

Also, because he couldn’t think straight when his own body was reacting to Luca’s anguish.

Yes.

Anguish.

To someone connected to him as deeply as Xavier was, it was obvious that this wasn’t rage.

The energy around Luca wasn’t angry. It was grieving.

And Xavier couldn’t let that continue.

He couldn’t let him grieve and suffer like this. Not alone.

And if he was right, he’d have to convince him that no one was hurt. Moreover, for someone with a past like his, he ought to convince him that no one would be hurt.

Maybe that way, he’ll allow him to enclose the space just long enough for him to calm down.

It wouldn’t be easy. While it hadn’t been confirmed with any test, he was well aware that his wife’s spiritual rating was likely higher than his.

But he had to try.

What he didn’t expect...was for his words to work just like that.

___

Meanwhile, in the fading dark, the little boy in Luca’s arms was still trembling.

Luca could feel it—the pitiful shivers, the way his tiny fingers clung desperately to his shirt, the quiet, broken sobs of someone who had never been comforted before.

And Luca’s own tears slid down his cheeks unnoticed.

Because he didn’t know what else to do.

He didn’t know how to make it better.

The light above them grew brighter now, swirling, cool and steady, like a beacon cutting through a storm.

And then he heard it.

Faint at first, but clear and steady.

Xavier’s voice, slipping into this fractured space like a calm hand.

"Luca... here’s a revive pill. Hold on to it. It’s alright. Whatever happens, we can fix it."

Luca blinked through his tears, still holding the boy.

"If anyone else is hurt, or even dead, we’ll figure out a way to heal them. We have enough money."

That made him pause.

The little boy hiccupped against his chest, as though he’d heard it too.

"And if there isn’t enough money to buy more revive pills, I’ll get you more money. Whatever it takes."

The black tendrils that had been crawling closer hesitated.

The suffocating pressure eased, just slightly, and the little boy’s sobs faltered.

Luca looked down, seeing himself, that smaller, sadder version of himself, staring up at him with wide, tear-streaked eyes.

And with a faint, shaky smile, he reached for that condensed light.

Sure enough, it was a revive pill.

One that he slipped into the little boy’s tiny hands.

"There," Luca whispered. His voice cracked, but he smiled anyway. "From now on...there’s no need to be afraid. I promise. We’ll earn so much that you won’t have to be scared of hurting someone ever again. We’ll have enough to keep on fixing, healing, and reviving anyone."

The boy sniffled, looking down at the pill as though it were a priceless treasure.

Luca kept talking, his voice thick with tears.

"And...those abilities you hate so much now? They’re going to be useful. Someday. Really useful. And people...people will love you."

"But not because you have abilities. They’ll love you even if you give them nothing. And even if you break things, they’ll still love you."

"They’ll help you. You won’t be alone anymore."

He pressed his forehead to the boy’s.

"And even when you feel lonely...even when you feel like you can’t hold on anymore...just remember that you’ve never really been alone. D-29, your friend, has always been guarding you. You just didn’t know it."

"Everyone’s waiting for you. So..."

His tears fell freely now, as the little boy finally looked up at him.

"...don’t worry," Luca whispered, his voice soft and certain.

"We’ll be fine. We’ll live better now."

The little boy nodded weakly, his sobs fading, the darkness around them crumbling like ash.

___

Back in the medical bay, the oppressive energy finally dissolved.

The air cleared like morning fog, leaving only a faint hum of power as Luca sagged forward, exhausted, into Xavier’s arms.

His small hands clung to Xavier’s sleeve as he mumbled softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"...Really? Thank you...my husband."

Truly, someone was waiting for him.

Well...more than just someone. A few key people, and an entire battalion of others who were still reeling from the news that the pillars of House Kyros had collapsed, prompting a full evacuation.

Ollie, for one, kept asking over and over if his brother was going to be alright, while Kyle, ever patient, kept reassuring him that he would be.

And really, Kyle thought, the best gauge of that was how the dungeon spaces were still holding steady despite the violent shaking they’d felt earlier.

If anything, his bigger concern now was whether the Empire itself was going to be alright.

And more importantly...whether the Imperial Crown Prince would survive to see another day.