Ch.120Wedding Ceremony

“Let’s go for a walk together, shall we? …Hm? Let’s go for a walk, Casler.”

A situation different from what he remembered.

Ran grabbed Casler’s hand and led him away, not even giving him time to be surprised.

As they opened the door, Garendal, who had been picking flower petals outside, looked at the two and asked.

“Hero? Lord? The ceremony is right around the corner, where are you going without preparing?”

“…Garendal.”

That strange feeling he just had.

Just as Casler was about to open his mouth to question it, Ran beat him to it and playfully shouted.

“I said I hate roses!”

“Such ignorance…! When you marry into the Blood Clan, you should follow their customs…! No, more importantly, didn’t I ask where you’re going?”

“To pick other flowers.”

“What? Wait a minute—!!”

Ran ran toward the outside of the fortress, avoiding Garendal’s outstretched hand.

“Why are you taking the dress with you?!”

“Just because!!”

“Oh really!! What if it gets dirty!! My Lord!! I absolutely hate the Hero!!”

“Hah! I’m not too fond of you either!?”

Just as Garendal said, in Ran’s other hand—the one not holding Casler—was a pure white dress, firmly clutched.

Thump,

Bang!

As if formalities didn’t matter, Ran and Casler ran cheerfully.

“It is an honor to see the great Lord… No, where are you going?!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Blood Clan… Huh? How dare you run away when a Dragon is speaking to you?!”

“Eek!! T-the Hero is going berserk!!”

Everyone they encountered frantically reached out to stop them, but Ran skillfully evaded them while calling out brightly.

“We’re just going for a walk!!”

“B-but the pre-ceremony preparations are about to—!!”

“It’s fine!! Casler’s okay with it too, right!?”

When she turned slightly to ask the question, Casler found himself nodding without thinking.

It couldn’t be helped.

From the moment Ran first came looking for him until now, he had never once won against her.

“Hurry! Faster, Casler!”

“…Alright.”

After bypassing countless people, they arrived at a small garden in the corner of the fortress.

Usually, there would be dedicated caretakers, but they had all moved to manage the main garden for the wedding, leaving just the two of them alone.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Ran walked along the path between the flowers toward the tree in the center, and Casler followed behind her.

“We’re here. Wait here for a bit?”

As Ran carefully let go of his hand, Casler quickly tightened his grip.

“You’re not leaving… not leaving me behind, are you?”

“Of course not. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and just wait there for a moment.”

With those words, Ran disappeared behind the central tree with soft footsteps.

He focused his senses, worried that she might vanish, but he only heard rustling sounds, suggesting she hadn’t left.

Finally reassured, Casler leaned against the tree and crossed his arms.

‘…This isn’t how I remember it.’

On that day before the wedding, Ran had chosen to have tea time with Casler rather than suggesting a walk like now.

-I used to hate tea. But after you recommended it, I find myself thinking about it sometimes.

A brief conversation.

After the tea time, she was supposed to change into her dress and meet him again at the main ceremony.

Of course, they never did meet.

-Everyone must evacuate!! T-the Dragon Elder has suddenly gone berserk!!

The Dragon Lord, with his catastrophic power, had suddenly gone berserk and annihilated the Blood Clan’s territory and fortress entirely.

Casler, who had distributed his power among ten thousand clan members, didn’t have enough strength to stop him, and Ran was also overwhelmed facing him alone.

-【Someone… someone is controlling me…!!】

-Fine. Just let Ran go.

-【Aah…!! I’m sorry, I…!!】

Rip!

Casler, who faced him alone, had his heart torn out by the Dragon Lord using a strange power, bringing him to the brink of death.

And then—

Rustle.

As his recollection continued, Ran, who had returned without him noticing, tugged at Casler’s collar.

“Casler.”

A voice calling his name affectionately.

Casler naturally turned his head and simultaneously gasped.

“Ah……”

The Ran before him was wearing a pure white dress instead of her usual shabby traveling clothes. She smiled brightly and asked.

“How do I look…? Not strange, is it?”

A bride under the brilliant sunlight.

“Aah…”

Staring at her with a blank expression, Casler found himself shedding tears without realizing it.

-I… I really want to wear a dress someday.

-Not the usual kind, but a pure white wedding dress.

-Of course, you’re my husband!

This was the dream she had always wished for.

-I was always alone, you know.

-I was abandoned in the Empire, entered the Hero Training Facility, and struggled just to survive.

-Opening my heart meant death, making friends meant death, just… death everywhere. The only reason I could endure that place was the wedding scene I witnessed when I was first abandoned.

-I hoped that someday I too could be as happy as that bride in the dress.

But it never came true.

Even such a small wish—to wear a dress just once—was not granted to her.

-【Someone… someone is controlling me…!!】

-Fine. Just let Ran go.

-【Aah…!! I’m sorry, I…!!】

The answer lay at the end of the memory he had just recalled.

After having his heart stolen by the berserk Dragon Lord, Casler, realizing recovery was impossible, accepted death and closed his eyes.

It couldn’t be helped.

Unless all clan members disappeared and he reabsorbed their power, Casler didn’t have the strength to overturn this fate.

His power was far too insufficient to nullify the “death” decreed by the Lord’s dragon language.

So Casler closed his eyes.

Death at the end of a long life.

Thinking this too was Ran’s gift, yet still wishing they could have been together a little longer, quietly and fleetingly.

But he failed.

-Wa…ke up… Casler.

Opening his eyes to the voice, he saw the woman he loved enter his vision.

For a moment, he was happy.

He thought the Creator had granted his wish to be with her in his final moments.

-Ah… thank goodness…

Until he saw the woman tearing out her own heart to give to him.

-…Ran?

The Blood Clan’s recovery rate was far superior to Ran’s, even with her transcendent-grade artifact.

-Ran…!!!

After recovering, Casler urgently rose and embraced her as she collapsed.

Ran, who had taken on the dragon language’s curse in his place.

Even her transcendent-grade artifact couldn’t heal her as its light faded.

-Why!! Why would you do this?!

Amidst his anguished cry, Ran held Casler’s face and smiled faintly.

-Garendal… the Blood Clan asked me to take care of you… I, I love… you……

With blood gushing out and tears flowing down, Casler didn’t hesitate to rip out his own heart and push it into Ran’s chest.

But it was useless.

Since all Blood Clan members had already perished, the extracted heart returned to Casler.

-No, no…!! Please, no…!!!

-It’s okay, Casler.

Ran grabbed Casler’s hand as he tried to pull out his heart again, and whispered softly.

-…It’s warm. I thought it would be cold… Maybe because… *cough*! Maybe because it’s from me. So… stay with humans for a while.

-Ran!! Please!!

Ran’s eyes grew increasingly cloudy.

-Until this sadness… fades away. Being alone is… lonely…

Casler knew.

She was restricting his power because she worried he would rush out for immediate revenge.

Since the berserk Dragon Elder’s power wasn’t of this world, she acted hoping Casler wouldn’t be in danger.

So she used all her strength to place her hand on Casler’s heart.

【The Primordial Hero – <Ran(Ex+)> places a restriction on the Blood Clan Lord – <Casler(Ex)>.】

His power rapidly weakening,

His hair turning blonde,

His eyes changing to blue like hers.

【Setting the name of the restriction.】

Looking at Casler, Ran recalled their first meeting and murmured.

-…Cold Heart.

The name of the restriction being set.

She embraced Casler with her blood-soaked, badly torn dress.

-The dress…. thank you.

Fearing Casler would be sad, she couldn’t even tell him she had wanted to wear it.

-I was… happy… because of you…

-Ran!!!

And so she breathed her last.

And now, once again.

“Casler…? Does it look that strange?”

She stood before him as if resurrected, fulfilling the wish that had once crumbled.

“Why aren’t you answering…!! I knew this wouldn’t suit a rough woman like me—”

The dress suited her so well it was dazzling to the eyes.

Before Ran could finish speaking, Casler approached and embraced her tightly.

“Beautiful… you’re so beautiful.”

“……Really?”

In the small garden where flowers bloomed beautifully.

“Casler… tell me you love me.”

“…I love you.”

“……Me too.”

Under the tree planted at the center, the two lovers in their dress and tuxedo held their own simple wedding ceremony.

2.

Flora was bewildered for three reasons as she watched Casler’s past.

First:

-【Someone… someone is controlling me…!!】

-Fine. Just let Ran go.

-【Aah…!! I’m sorry, I…!!】

The wailing Dragon Elder.

A dagger with the mark of <Eclipse> was deeply embedded in his back.

Second:

After Casler released the third restriction,

【Warning】

【<Germination> is mutating.】

【<Powerless Goddess (???)> responds to the wish of the Primordial Hero – <Ran(Ex+)>.】

Something akin to consciousness bloomed from the Primordial Hero, who had been merely a fragment of memory.

And finally, third:

Although this was a space only those who could manipulate memories could enter,

“From now on, move exactly as I instruct.”

The Black Wolf had intervened and found her.