How?
by Afuhfuihgs
The capital’s streets were even more bustling than before with preparations for the coronation. Old tiles, signs, and outdoor tables were all neatly tidied up. It was an event to herald the start of a new era. The coronation had to be as splendid and memorable as possible. That wasn’t just the thought of those involved with the Imperial Family, but a common wish of everyone awaiting the coronation.
A good start had the effect of bringing about vague positivity for the future. Pouring money and effort into preparing the coronation was the same principle as waiting up all night to see the sun rise on New Year’s Day, making that one day special.
Having killed the Immortal and returned to the capital, Luna and I literally took a good rest. It wasn’t that my body or mental strength were exhausted, but at Luna’s suggestion, resting made me feel like I was recovering something. I took naps, and we toured the streets together, filling my head only with joy and happiness, free from other thoughts.
While we were resting, the story of the Immortal’s death and the giant World Tree that suddenly appeared in front of the City of Pleasures spread throughout the continent. Even the letters from Navier and Aria, who occasionally sent letters and food, contained content about the World Tree, so there was probably no one who didn’t know about it.
Even now, various stories related to the World Tree are circulating. There was a story that the Tower Masters of several Magic Towers had visited Ludwig to directly confirm whether it was a real World Tree, and there were doomsday prophets lamenting that the growth of the World Tree was a sign of the end.
The most famous rumor that people believe is that the sudden appearance of the World Tree is related to Bella, who will become the new Emperor. That the will of God reached the heavens to bless the new Emperor with the World Tree… Well, they interpret it nicely by linking the World Tree and Bella in that way.
Of course, that rumor was diligently spread throughout the continent by Modest at the instigation of Eunice and Raelan. The effect of the rumor, which cleverly mixed truth and lies, was even greater than expected.
Expectations and goodwill towards the Emperor, who hadn’t even held the coronation yet, skyrocketed, and vaguely hopeful stories poured out endlessly throughout the continent.
The Church, which had been in a symbiotic relationship with Bella from the start, subtly lent its strength to the rumor so that people could feel it was real.
– Isn’t it all to bless a new era?
– There is no birth without a reason. It’s all God’s plan.
Since the place that most of the continent considers its religion lent its strength in that way, everyone had no choice but to interpret it positively.
There were scholars and people related to the clergy who questioned what relationship the World Tree and the new Emperor had, but… in a situation where a good atmosphere was flowing throughout the continent, presenting opposing opinions only earned intense antipathy.
While the coronation preparations were steadily progressing, a letter suddenly flew to me. It was sent by Bella, who hadn’t been in contact until now. The letter read:
‘If you receive this letter, come to the Imperial Palace immediately. Show your identification tag, and you will be guided accordingly.’
I scratched my chin while rereading the contents. The death of the Immortal was known, but there had been no movement from Roel until now. It might be a trap. But Bella, knowing that Roel’s plan would fail, wouldn’t betray me, her only hope, it seemed.
Just in case, I explained the situation to Luna and met with Raelan and Eunice, who were staying at Modest’s secret hideout. When I showed them the letter I received from Bella, the two of them, after a moment of consideration, decided that it would be good to go to the Imperial Palace.
“There must be a reason why she sent the letter only to you, not to us. She must have something secret to discuss alone, or there’s something only you can do. If she’s the smart Bella we know, she wouldn’t have forgotten that this isn’t a situation where she can betray us. There’s nothing to worry about, really.”
Eunice nodded at Raelan’s words and said,
“When you meet Bella, be sure to tell her about our plan. And if you can, find out about her purpose for opening the labyrinth.”
I nodded at Eunice’s advice and immediately left Modest’s place and headed to the Imperial Palace. The streets leading to the Imperial Palace were so crowded with people because the coronation preparations were in full swing.
I arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Palace and showed my identification tag to the knight. After confirming the identification tag, the knight let me inside with a polite attitude and assigned me a guide. The person who followed me as a guide was a girl who looked a few years younger than me. She seemed like a newly selected maid.
I didn’t want to burden her by asking unnecessary questions, seeing her nervously shut her mouth and guide me without any explanation. I swallowed my questions and quietly followed the maid. We passed through a corridor displaying works of art and arrived in front of a large door.
It didn’t look like a door that one person could open alone. After waiting for a while with the maid, the intricately carved patterns moved like a machine, making a deolkeongdeolkeong- sound, and the door opened.
It seemed like the guidance ended here; the maid was waiting for me to enter, fixing her gaze on the floor. I entered with a word of thanks.
A large room appeared. It was large enough to be used as a banquet hall. As if preparing for the coronation, a huge curtain was covering something in the center. Behind the curtain, people who appeared to be maids were busily moving and doing something.
As I waited quietly in that spot, a large shadow finally moved from beyond the curtain. At the shadow’s gesture, the maids who had been moving busily lowered their gazes and quickly passed me and went outside.
As silence descended with the sound of the door closing for the last time, a low voice was heard from beyond the curtain.
“You’ve come.”
It was Bella who was beyond the curtain. She didn’t show her face, but thinking about it, there was no need to see her face. I glanced around and said,
“Is there a reason you called me?”
Instead of an answer, I heard a sound like she was organizing something. Was she intentionally ignoring me, or couldn’t she hear me? As I pondered between those two possibilities, Bella’s voice was finally heard.
“Roel isn’t here. At this time, he’s always at the training grounds. It’s just you and me in this room.”
“Is that so.”
Seeing that she sent all the maids out, it seems she has something to say only to me.
“Can you tell me what happened in the meantime? I heard that you met Ian in the Great Forest as expected.”
“…Shall I transmit my memories to you?”
“No, I want to hear it directly from your mouth.”
I have Memorize magic that can vividly convey memories as if they were experienced. Bella, who is an experienced user, couldn’t possibly not know that the method of transmitting memories is simpler and more efficient. But she’s asking me to explain it directly…
I scratched my forehead. It’s not a particularly difficult request. And it’s not like I don’t have time.
I let out a faint sigh and slowly explained, recalling the moment when I headed to Ludwig with Luna. I appropriately summarized the story and finished the explanation. The last part was that I killed the Immortal, and we all safely returned to the capital.
Silence returned with the end of the explanation. There was no noise coming from beyond the curtain, as if she was lost in thought. Finally, Bella broke the silence.
“Even without the Immortal, Roel will somehow find a way to save everyone.”
“…I suppose so.”
Killing the Immortal was meant to buy time from the beginning. It was to prevent Roel from carrying out his plan to absorb everyone into himself and to buy time to participate in our plan; it wasn’t a way to stop Roel, who was fighting for everyone’s salvation.
“There’s something I want to ask you.”
With those words, the curtain that had been separating us rose to the ceiling. Our gazes tangled for a moment. Golden eyes were staring straight at me. For some reason, I felt like I was at a loss for words at that gaze.
I couldn’t help but evaluate her as beautiful. Such an impression came naturally, as if I were looking at a work of art. Whether she was rehearsing for the coronation… Bella was wearing makeup, layers of clothes with splendid and beautiful patterns, and sitting on a golden chair.
She looked like a beautifully decorated doll.
I asked with a bitter smile.
“What is it you want to ask?”
Bella’s gaze, which had been looking at me, moved slightly upward. Bella, who was looking at something I couldn’t see, murmured softly.
“…Can Roel be happy?”
It was a puzzling question. Of course, he can be happy. Roel is the protagonist, after all. In the first place, the novel ends with a happy ending. If there were no setting errors, it would end as the original story did: ‘Roel lived happily ever after with his beloved lovers.’
It was an easy answer. But I couldn’t bring myself to speak easily. It didn’t seem like Bella, who knew the ending of the novel, would ask a meaningless question. But sooner or later, the answer I could give now was fixed.
“…Of course, it’s a happy ending.”
As I spoke, I realized that I was wrong. And Bella also noticed that fact. She smiled. I suddenly thought that smile resembled someone.
“How?”
Bella asked. And in that figure, I saw the figure of my mother who abandoned me.
The question that my mother, whose happiness she had dreamed of ended because I was born as someone else’s child, sometimes asked in a hollow voice flowed from Bella’s mouth.
“How can he be happy?”
I couldn’t answer that question this time either.
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