episode_0060

At some point, the world was destroyed, and Ariel was standing not in a cave but inside a warlock’s hideout.

As soon as I came down the stairs, all I saw were two small warehouse rooms and a dead end street. However, I could vaguely sense a strange flow at that dead end road.

Perhaps because he had grasped the flow, he saw Venice passing through a dead end, and himself looking at it with interest.

Venice said she discovered it by accident thanks to intuition, but she was able to find it because she could feel the dark magic.

After digging into the warlock’s illusions, what was revealed was the true hideout of the warlock.

As you enter the door right in the hallway, you see Venice in the distance, wearing a black robe and mask, dealing with a warlock, and yourself watching quietly from behind.

Phuuk-

“Ker…Kuhhh…”

Venice approaches in an instant and penetrates the dark wizard’s weakness so that not even the sound of his footsteps can be heard. The person wearing the mask looks at it with interest.

At that time, I just thought he was an amazing and unique person. A wizard who, rather than firing a magic blade, holds it and swings it like a dagger.

“…….”

However, it is only visible now. I don’t know if it was the influence of the artifact or the influence of myself as I grew up, but black magic was rising like a haze from the dagger that was stabbed from the surroundings of Venice and from an angle that could not be seen from my own perspective.

And strangely enough, Venice’s face is clearly visible behind the mask. An amazing sight where you can see the mask, but also the face behind it.

Venice behind the mask neither laughed nor cried. He just looked down at the warlocks with an expression of infinite coldness and disgust.

Venice from this time. No, he must have been a warlock even before that. Seeing how black magic can be used so naturally.

Therefore, another question begins to arise.

Venice. Why are you willing to deal with fellow warlocks?

It is said that warlocks feel a disgusting sense of kinship with each other and are very close-knit. The whole empire knows that they are a race that does not even think about betrayal. It’s never changed until now.

Why… are you so angry, yet look at the same warlock with an expression full of disgust, and kill him without hesitation?

Although he gave such a cold expression to the same warlock, he smiled an infinitely warm smile to the children behind bars.

The expression behind the mask will never be revealed. It was a smile so warm that it even shook Ariel’s heart as she looked at that expression.

Afterwards, we dispatched other warlocks and rescued the victims. Before we knew it, we opened the huge door at the end of the hallway and entered.

As soon as the door opens, a strange magical power that can be said to be malicious is felt.

…for a moment. This feeling… I think I’ve felt it somewhere.

“Obviously… when I suddenly got sick…”

Ariel’s talking to herself did not continue. A black magic trap was triggered under Ariel’s feet as she was looking for a way into a dark cave, and Venice pushed her and got caught instead.

It was something I couldn’t understand because Ariel had always thought of herself as the most important thing in life.

“Oh my… Another bug has been caught.”

I still remember it. That disgusting warlock was slowly approaching, laughing at Venice and himself.

Venice was clearly fine at the time, but the face revealed behind the mask was frowning as if it was enduring pain.

I still remember. The emotion I felt at that time.

Anger and hatred that seemed to boil from deep in my heart. It feels as if I have become one with that angry Ariel.

“Quaaa-!”

In the end, the warlock was unable to resist the magic he sent and was disintegrated into small pieces.

I didn’t know at the time. I thought the anger and hatred I felt at that time was just irritation at the warlock who had damaged something I was interested in. But now I think I understand.

“Sure….I can…”

This situation was the same. If Venice was truly a vicious warlock like these, there was no reason for her to come out to deal with the warlocks after herself or fall victim to warlocks on her behalf.

And the disgust towards the same warlock, and even the warm smiles and apologetic expressions behind the mask he sends to the young children and victims.

After leaving the hideout, I look at Venice, who makes eye contact with the children and makes a small promise.

Looking at the sparkling eyes of children and the tearful thanks from residents, I felt like I was looking at myself as a child.

I think it started around this time because Venice evoked inexplicable emotions.

I wanted to know and understand everything about Venice.

Yeah… I was like that back then.

Looking at the infinitely pure laughter of children and the smile of Venice, which is even more pure than them. Ariel was smiling without realizing it.

But, who are you now?

Do you remember what you did to Venice?

“…….Huh?”

It felt like someone was saying something, but the words weren’t conveyed properly.

However, the tightness felt deep in Ariel’s heart begins to grow stronger starting from those unheard words.

Kwajik… Wajangchang-!

That time when I looked at Venice while holding on to the unbearable pain in my heart. The world shatters again, and a different background appears before your eyes.

Haha-hoho-

Even though it was always cold in the north, it was a warm day for some unknown reason. The residents of the Frost estate, where warm snow was falling, all chatted with happy smiles.

“Let’s go to a dessert shop. I heard it’s a recently popular pancake shop.”

“…pancake?”

ah. I finally remembered. It was the day when I came down to the estate with Venice and ate an amazing stew that I had never tried before.

There were strangely many hostile views towards Venice, so it was interesting that Venice was having a hard time.

Of course, I went to them separately afterwards and admonished them not to do that. Even those small memories were not bad memories for Ariel. No, I think it was a good memory.

“…hehe.”

At that time, Venice was happy and smiled like an innocent child even at the mere mention of going to eat pancakes.

And when the store owner said that all the pancakes were gone, he instantly fell down and burst into tears.

I remember it all. Because, just like Ariel felt right now, I felt an unknown sense of responsibility.

In order to bring back the ruined Venice, I will do whatever it takes to bring you pancakes.

Has there ever been a time when you longed for something so desperately? All you have to do is buy one pancake.

It wasn’t a long life, but it wasn’t at least not in Ariel’s memories, as she remembered everything from childhood to the present.

Anyway, after paying five times the price, the store owner quickly procured the ingredients and made pancakes.

After accepting it, he hurried over and approached Venice, who was looking sullen as if she had lost everything in the world.

“Thank you…!”

Venice loosens her droopy expression and smiles brightly, as if she has discovered a miracle.

Then, he inhaled the pancake until his cheeks were puffy and savored it, even shedding tears.

As I looked at that scene, an unknown sense of satisfaction filled me. At the same time, even the sense of duty of completing the task.

If only I could look at that expression, I feel like I would achieve it no matter what I sacrifice.

And that feeling comes back again. It’s as if the me from then and the me now are assimilated.

I may not have seen Venice, but I was smiling as I looked at it. That was something that even I didn’t know for the first time as I looked at that scene.

How could I… smile like that?

No, that would have to be the case. Even though she is obviously bigger than me, anyone would think that if they saw Venice smiling like a child.

okay. If only I could see that smile…

…By the way, do you remember the look Venice made because of your actions?

What did Venice look like the last time you saw it?

“….Who are you..!”

As someone’s voice began to be heard again, Ariel looked around with caution.

The voice I heard earlier was not an auditory hallucination. In this case, I heard it clearly.

At the same time, it feels like the world has stopped. Passersby chatting noisily and snow falling heavily.

Venice smiling brightly and offering pancakes, and myself smiling and eating them.

Everyone stopped in place as if time had stopped.

Jeok… Jeok.

At the same time, footsteps are heard from somewhere in frozen time and space.

Ariel turned her head to find the source of the footsteps, but was unable to say anything at the sight that was revealed.

“Hello.”

“You…you…”

“You know it well. More than anyone else.”

Long hair like white snow. Purple eyes that shine like jewels.

“Hello, ‘I’. No, ‘the devil.’ ”

Ariel Frost. A figure that is exactly the same as its own, but with unknown torn wings and faded brilliance.

As soon as he saw ‘me’ looking at him with hurt and empty eyes.

Ariel’s heart began to beat like crazy and she felt an inexplicable sense of guilt, feeling that something was very wrong.