episode_0121

Disloyalty.

The last member of the Imperial Guards assisting the Monarch, and the seed of disaster that would hasten the world’s destruction.

Not much information was revealed in the settings, but by combining various pieces of information and making deductions, it was as follows.

It was a star.

A star that shone dazzlingly in the night sky.

However.

‘Dangerous.’

The problem was that it couldn’t be controlled.

A body inherently imbued with starlight. Perhaps it was the ultimate consequence of power that couldn’t be wielded responsibly. The brilliant colors the girl possessed weren’t a blessing, but a curse that ruined her life. Light became nothing but tragedy.

‘The child chosen by the star.’

The girl had stood out since she was young.

The authority to arbitrarily borrow the power of the stars. While countless geniuses had hit walls and despaired, with only a select few ever reaching the stars, the girl was born holding such a star within her from birth. Even looking through the continent’s history, there was no precedent for such a birth. She was, quite literally, a constitution loved by the stars.

However.

She was too young to handle such immense power. The ability she gained at an age when her body, mind, and heart were not yet fully developed would frequently cause her to rampage, burning the surrounding area white. Because of this, only a white wasteland remained wherever the girl stayed.

It was no blessing. It was merely a terrible curse, cloaked in the name of love. A fate thrust upon her against her will strangled her.

-It hurts. I want to stop. I’m scared. My body feels like it’s burning. Get out of my body.

Despite such pleas, the star’s ferocity continued.

The girl eventually had to resign herself. At the time, she was merely 10 years old. Two villages where she had stayed had burned down, and dozens of people had died or been injured. The silver-haired monster trembled amidst the ashes of what she had burned. It was a particularly harsh winter, with heavy blizzards.

Right at that moment.

Someone extended a hand to the girl.

-Interesting… she’ll be useful in many ways.

It was none other than the Monarch.

The old man recognized the girl’s power of slaughter and sought to make her the last member of the Royal Imperial Guards.

From then on, the monster’s life plunged into a full-blown hell. The Monarch repeatedly subjected her to violence and brainwashing, attempting to tame her, but the star’s power was not something that could be refined simply by suppression. Ultimately, the girl, having made no progress, was confined deep underground. Devices to suppress her rampages, thousands of mana-vacuuming scrolls, and chains restraining her limbs bound the monster. The girl’s fate was utterly helpless.

Subsequently.

Years passed relentlessly. The monster’s confinement continued for over 13 years, and the continuous abuse and brainwashing during that time broke her. There was no longer any meaning left in her life. Only despair that tormented herself, and a terrible reality existed.

Eventually, the girl, having accepted hatred, resentment, and pain… finally awakened with a desperate scream, unleashing her final rampage of life. The fully exploding starlight pierced through the underground and incinerated the empire.

Blaze!

As if returning the pain she had received directly to the world. Burning. Burning. Burning again. She dyed every landscape she cursed white.

Thanks to this, the ‘Usurpation War,’ which had not ended by then, concluded in an instant. The suddenly raging starlight had consumed everything. The Monarch who had tried to tame the girl, the administrators who had attempted brainwashing with endless torture, other criminal organizations involved in the war, and even the innocent residents at the bottom.

All were cleanly erased from the map.

-Disappear, all of you.

The star’s burning continued endlessly. Only after reducing 10% of the empire’s territory entirely to ash was the girl stopped by the continental alliance, including the protagonist’s party. Dozens of swords and myriad spells pierced holes in her slender body.

At the moment she exhaled her last breath. Tears streamed down the monster’s cheeks.

-This power… I never even wished for it from the beginning. -Why did the star choose me? -Why did that damned star have to be me?

Her silver pupils lost their light along with futile resentment. Around her, only the remnants of the girl, shattered, fluttered in the winter wind.

Was authority truly a blessing? Or was it merely a curse to satisfy a god’s greed? It was an episode that made one think in many ways. There were also many evaluations that it was quite fresh. Usually, the ‘star’s choice’ is expressed as an unparalleled blessing in life, or an ideal of miracles, but in this narrative, it highlighted how such merciless power instead brought misfortune.

Anyway.

Even with time, it was a vivid story. The episode itself left a powerful impression, and especially because the girl was one of the most unfortunate characters in the work. Because of this, she was often mentioned when uploading information videos. About the monster of the stars.

‘Such a monster… is now right in front of me.’

I gently gazed at the girl before me. Long, flowing silver hair. Her unfocused eyes showed no light. Traces of torture remained across her pale skin, and dozens of hoses were inserted, periodically administering sedatives. Chains coated with magic were tightly wrapped around her arms and legs.

It was a terrible sight.

“I had expected it, but…”

Reality was more horrific than a mere human’s imagination.

I lightly moved my hand. *Slice.* The iron cage that imprisoned the girl. I cut through the thick pillars as if they were tofu, then removed the devices and restraints that suppressed her slender body. My touch became cautious, wondering if it might hurt her. The girl merely sent a helpless gaze without any particular resistance.

*Clank…* As I removed the last remaining chain, the girl, who had been hanging from the wall, collapsed. I caught her body so it wouldn’t hit the floor. The weight in my arms was light. It felt as if there was nothing but bones. Indeed. In that harsh life, she probably wasn’t even properly fed. I supported the staggering girl.

“Please stay still. Absolute stability is needed right now.”

Traces of violence endured over a long period. There were many scars that made me frown just by looking at them. I swiftly picked up the girl, whose consciousness was hazy.

“From today, I will be responsible for your well-being.”

“Responsible…?”

“Your new master.”

You might wonder. Why I would extend a hand instead of a sword, even when faced with the seed of a future disaster. Of course, if it were a wise choice, killing her right here might be better. After all, my objective was to prevent destruction from the start.

However.

I found myself hesitating for no reason. My opponent was still a girl. Her rooting as a disaster was a future more than five years away. I questioned whether it was truly justified to kill a helpless lamb based on an uncertain future. Although I had rolled around in the depths and taken on evil during that time. It didn’t mean the loss of my humanity. I withdrew my killing intent. Instead. I wrapped the injured monster in a faint warmth. I decided to observe for now.

“Shall we get out of here first?”

My steps slowly moved away. As I was heading out of the iron cage, someone grabbed my sleeve. It was none other than the girl in my arms. Her trembling gaze seemed to fear release from her confinement. Her already hoarse voice spread into the cool air.

“No… if I go out.”

“What’s the reason?”

“If I go outside, someone else will get hurt. That’s why he said I had to stay here…”

“Who told you that?”

“……The man.”

By ‘the man,’ she must mean the Monarch. Was it the result of prolonged brainwashing and abuse? The girl seemed to fear the outside world. No… more precisely, she feared others being hurt by her existence. Had they trained her not to escape?

“It’s alright.”

In truth, the Monarch’s words weren’t entirely wrong. He had merely instilled extreme fear. There was no denying that she was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. This problem could be resolved on my end. It might be difficult since her ability usage was still clumsy, but it seemed possible to quell her rampages as they occurred. Although it would be a taxing task, requiring daily management. I simply smiled.

“You’ll be fine with me.”

“……?”

A look of incomprehension. Such conversations could be had later. For now, I resumed my stopped steps.

“Do you have a name?”

“Disloyal…”

“That’s a name you’ll discard from now on. If there’s nothing else, it would be good to make a new one.”

From today, I will give you a name. I gave her, who had only been referred to as a monster until now, a serene designation. That was.

“Neria… Neria Lightni.”

Her current name.

Seven letters, referring to her life for the first time.

“Shall we go, Miss Neria?”

“……”

No particular response came back. I considered even that a memory and simply walked out of the iron cage. Outside, white snowflakes were fluttering.