Ch.17256. Do Not Rest Easy, Warrior. (3)

Yes.

I still remember it clearly.

The scene from that day.

That miraculous scene.

Because it made me who I am today.

The darkness that claimed to be human.

That miraculous battle it showed against the pure white lord.

That resilience, that struggle, refusing to fall despite the clear difference in power.

That wonder no warrior had ever dared to show.

She.

Heba stood still, watching that scene with bated breath, watching and watching.

====

[Is this the right direction?]

If we fly too high, the sun will scorch us.

The midday heat is unbearable, and as the afternoon sun sets, all the day’s heat dissipates, leaving us feeling abandoned in the silent frost.

It was good that we passed through the golden sand desert and reached the barren, red-colored wasteland.

But that wasn’t the end.

Perhaps because this is still a desert.

The heat beyond sweltering and the seriously empty natural landscape would have exhausted body and mind if we had to walk through this area.

Even flying on a dragon’s back is this difficult… I can only imagine the state of those who traversed this place on foot, wearing down their shoe soles…

“Probably.”

Normally, even if we couldn’t find a guide, we could at least have sought advice.

But since Elhermina said without any basis that we should go this way, everyone was proceeding on faith.

As we passed through the red desert that resembled a wasteland,

A small forest filled unnaturally with black woods came into view.

Around the forest, a red light was flowing out, and that energy was clearly ominous.

[Hey. Doesn’t something seem wrong?]

As the white dragon slowed down and pointed this out, Elhermina quietly answered.

“Nothing’s wrong. Rather… we’ve come to the right place.”

Suddenly.

A red light flashed from the black forest.

Having reflexively spread its wings wide to halt flight, the flash merely cut through the sky.

But if they had continued flying at the same speed, it surely would have engulfed them.

[This is no joke!]

“Can we just pass by?”

[Does it look possible?!]

Indeed.

Suddenly, a giant ram-headed monster appeared in midair.

Except for the ram’s head, the rest was covered in a black robe.

But its size was clearly alarming.

The fact that it appeared brazenly in midair was shocking.

“Hehehe! Special food falling from the clear sky! It pays to be wicked after all!”

The cries and voices of deranged beasts followed.

Then suddenly, as the ram head’s gaze surveyed the dragon and its riders, it caught sight of the woman in pure white.

“Huh?”

Did I see wrong?

Why is that one here of all places?

“Why are you here?”

Mines recognized it immediately.

This made things awkward for the ram head.

“Um, would you like to just pass by?”

The ram head threw out a suggestion that wasn’t really a suggestion, but…

“……”

Before he could respond, suddenly red flames engulfed his body without warning.

“Wh-what?! Whaaaat!”

Like flames using his flesh as a wick, the fire, which neither flew in from somewhere nor sprouted spontaneously, instantly burned his entire body.

“This is cheating! What is this?!”

And again, a red flash shot straight toward the dragon.

The white dragon quickly twisted its body to avoid it, but reluctantly lowered its altitude.

Elhermina immediately asked.

“Can we really not just pass by?”

[My instincts are screaming. Those were all warning shots. If they wanted to hit us, they would have already.]

“Really?”

It seems dialogue is necessary.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to give us time to calmly prepare our stance.

Still.

“The impudence of a beast head sneering disrespectfully is something I cannot easily overlook, no matter how generously I might try.”

Moreover, a demon? To us believers of the Irenis faith, such creatures should be exterminated on sight, annihilated, killed instantly.

“Haah.”

It seems we’re almost there anyway.

It’s always the case that obstacles appear just before things are about to work out.

The group, having dismounted from the white dragon, was staring at the black forest as if ready for battle at any moment.

And soon, what emerged from between the forest paths was…

“Delica?”

As Mines recognized her, so did Elhermina and Alesia.

The young girl was walking toward them without any apparent wariness.

“I must apologize for the unavoidable rudeness earlier.”

“……”

Saying such things specifically to Elhermina—was it provocation or stimulation?

However, Elhermina, who had tasted a humiliation that wasn’t quite a humiliation, showed no particular emotion.

Rather, it was Mines who stepped forward.

Was it because he didn’t know what to say? Even after stepping forward, Mines just silently looked at Delica.

“I don’t know how things will turn out later, but I thought we should avoid unnecessary conflict and misunderstandings for now. So, although it’s a bit forced, I arranged this meeting.”

“This meeting?”

Elhermina looked around.

“Our lord desires neither compromise nor negotiation. But… he’s someone who can do anything to get what he wants.”

“Lord, is it.”

Dike felt a suffocating pressure just from the magical remnants flowing from the distant black forest.

And he probably wasn’t the only one feeling it.

“Ugh!”

The white dragon, having transformed into human form, was trembling as if it had started to fully realize something.

“The venue may be humble, but wouldn’t conversation be possible?”

She was incredibly brazen and composed for a child.

This could potentially be a life-or-death negotiation depending on the situation.

And yet she blocked their path and even brought out a demon.

“We have an idea why you’ve come here. You’re looking for him, for Cariel, aren’t you?”

“……”

“We know his location.”

Unexpected, perhaps. Surprising, maybe.

Should they be on high alert, or should they be grateful for this unexpected fortune?

More importantly, what’s the intention? What purpose does this serve…

“He was also my benefactor when I knew nothing.”

Saying this, Delica cast her gaze toward Mines.

Her crimson eyes held a gravity and somewhat cynical air that didn’t match her age.

“And he understands more truths than anyone else.”

Delica also wondered, though she hadn’t voiced it yet, if he might be another version of someone she knew.

She couldn’t be certain because the situations and circumstances were so drastically different.

“There’s no need for lengthy talk. Say only what you wish to say.”

“We know parts of the future. And in the distant future, the Enzul family will fall, the bloodline of Radiance will split in two, and one of them will be incorporated into Enzul, newly inheriting the imperial throne.”

“……”

What incredible claims.

Among those who happened to hear this nearby, the one who was most violently shaken was none other than Dike.

“……”

“Teacher?”

And.

Geornia, who had been watching the black forest while suppressing her presence as much as possible, realized that the situation had truly reached a point of no return.

While Hamern supported the staggering Geornia and inquired about her well-being…

Dike calmly questioned Delica.

“The bloodline of Radiance? Are you saying that the bloodline of Hero Rueld will become imperial in the future?”

“…Yes. It happens in his grandson’s generation.”

“Unless you’ve directly seen the future, how would you know that?”

“I might not know, but there’s someone who has seen it. I… died before that.”

Cariel had said.

That his return wasn’t a regression from the future to the past.

But Cain, his subordinate, friend, and comrade… still believes so.

…Even her lord.

“Our lord lost his father to the son of Hero Rueld, specifically to the bloodline of Radiance.”

“…You mean Cariel?”

“No. Not him.”

Elimion.

The hateful one.

The unforgivable one.

And.

In a time of great chaos, the Second Knight of Radiance, who would be called the equal of Rueld, who was like a divine lord.

Because of him, the Empire would annex seven more countries.

He would also minimize the damage from the invasion of the middle realm by the newly ascended Demon King.

And to end this, while Rueld remained in the middle realm for defense, Elimion’s side would instead invade the demon realm, dismantling the very foundation of the demon realm.

Announcing the end of the demon realm like never before.

Just as the Demon King of Wisdom had done, for those who didn’t join Elimion and their alliance, the human alliance.

And for all who didn’t repent and convert to the Irenis faith… he was truly a calamity.

While Delica herself wasn’t directly killed by him, it would be fair to say she was indirectly killed because of him.

By even taking the position of Demon King in the demon realm, establishing the Ichiyul, burning even the demon realm tree, and turning the entire foundation of the demon realm into a wasteland.

That place truly became a space where no living being could survive.

…Unless they were fools thriving in hell or the netherworld.

Like the current Nine Heroes. Like the Great Heroes.

The Twelve Heroes who would become another legend later.

Their legend was more brilliant than Rueld’s.

For their enemies, it was an unprecedented misfortune and unhappiness.

“……”

Back then, we had just barely settled in the demon realm and were merely minor lords ruling a portion of it.

Both her lord and various comrades.

In the end, they struggled to survive.

And to seek revenge, they chose to go to the demon realm to gain power by any means necessary.

Even abandoning their humanity… they had prepared for such a choice, but look at the reality.

Before absolute power, everything becomes foam.

And even now, that future isn’t so distant.

He, Elimion.

Has already been born.

“Princess of Berk. You know well yourself. That due to the burden you carry, your lifespan isn’t that long.”

“What?”

Dike approached Elhermina’s side and asked.

“El. Is what that child is saying true?”

“Hey! Answer me straight! Is what that girl said true? Huh?!”

Bezetus, the white dragon, also rushed over as if about to pounce and asked, but…

“It’s nothing.”

Elhermina neither denied nor confirmed.

“Seeing as you’re not denying it, I guess it’s true.”

While responding as if he understood, Bezetus displayed a very displeased attitude.

“Then truly…”

Dike thought.

If Elhermina disappears, the opportunity would eventually return to Alesius.

And.

Though it’s unlikely, if even Alesius were to disappear.

Not only would the Empire be in danger, but the Enzul family would… truly be in peril.

It wasn’t without reason that the claim about the bloodline of Radiance succeeding Enzul and establishing an imperial family sounded plausible.

The current Emperor would… rather than passing the imperial authority to some inadequate and mediocre collateral branch, would certainly consider adopting a descendant of Rueld.

Or somehow merge the bloodlines in another way.

“First, let me correct a misunderstanding.”

Ignoring the restless reactions of the two boys and the young man,

Elhermina looked straight down at Delica and said.

“I have little interest in thrones or power.”

“What?”

“Has this girl suddenly gone mad? What are you saying?!”

No less surprised than Dike and Bezetus were those listening from behind.

Even…

“…Is that so?”

Even Delica was surprised.

Especially since she had directly heard about the many achievements of the woman who would later become Emperor and govern the Empire, despite her short reign.

“What I need are rights. Authority. Because with them, I can pursue my work. I can fulfill my duties, complete my responsibilities, and carry out my mission.”

“……”

Delica finally realized the source of her discomfort.

Why she couldn’t understand the princess, the future empress, no matter what.

This person sees power and authority not as ends in themselves but merely as tools necessary to fulfill her duties.

And her purpose is based on goodness and justice.

…That’s why it’s incomprehensible.

Without indulging in personal desires or cravings, she restrains herself, practices asceticism, sacrifices herself, and dedicates herself solely to service? And then dies?

‘What kind of person is this?’

Is it possible that such a peculiar person exists in this wide world?

And of all people, this person is a princess and will become an emperor?

The Empire, the Empire—what kind of good karma did it accumulate to encounter such a self-sacrificing ruler?

A ruler who doesn’t grind down citizens for their own achievements and fame?

Rather, a monarch who tears off their own flesh to serve the country? Is this even possible?

Can there really be such a king or emperor?

They may talk about the empire, imperial citizens, the people, the nation, the citizens, but…

How can someone with power, with strength, with privilege, unilaterally accept their own losses and dedicate themselves to the country?

It doesn’t make sense.

For a damn human, it shouldn’t be possible.

“Isn’t a country, an empire, ultimately the personal property of the imperial family?”

“Ownership doesn’t mean it’s disposable.”

As if seeing through Delica’s intention, Elhermina shook her head.

“One cherishes what is theirs. And passes it on intact to the next generation. And guiding them to value it as well. All of these are duties and responsibilities that the older generation must bear.”

“……”

So you, and your parents too…

Passed on that position to Elimion’s bloodline without hesitation?

“Ha.”

It’s lamentable.

If.

If I had been born in the Empire.

If I had been born in the Empire instead of Faislan.

…Would things have been a little different?

This miserable and base life.

This cursed life, soaked and crushed in pain.

‘It’s meaningless.’

Imagining “what if” is the most wretched and futile act.

“So to you, and to those who share your views… the bloodline of Radiance isn’t an internal enemy to be checked and defeated, a competitor in power struggles, or a necessary evil for maintaining the position of a great power?”

“They have already saved the world once. If there’s no just reward for that… it’s an ungrateful heart that has forgotten gratitude and appreciation.”

Valuing them in times of need, but neglecting, turning away, abandoning, mocking, and ignoring them when at ease…

“Once you start forgetting gratitude, it becomes a sin against history. Then who would risk their lives for the Empire, for us? Who would take pride in it? If we set such a precedent, it would continue in the future. Even those who criticize such people in the future would use us as an excuse to mock and desecrate them again. I, the princess, do not wish to sow seeds of sin in history and the Empire in such a way.”

“……”

It’s the right principle, leaving no room for rebuttal.

But most people ignore and betray such principles, such common sense, don’t they?

“I don’t know how well you understand our circumstances.”

And.

Dike, listening to these words nearby, immediately sensed.

That among the objects of that gratitude, not only Rueld but also Cariel was included.

The fact that she had embarked on this journey to find Cariel now.

It wasn’t simply because she was infatuated with him that she had undertaken such a reckless course of action.

“If we can be of help to each other, I am willing to accept this. But if you’re trying to drive a wedge between us and delude us with a clumsy tongue… know that there won’t be a next time.”

No next time.

That is, Elhermina seemed to have immediately perceived that the conversation up to now was a test, or even a scheme to use her to defeat the bloodline of Radiance.

“It’s not driving a wedge; I’m stating facts. But if you willingly gave it up and had such intentions… I suppose it could sound that way.”

I didn’t know that.

Delica knew better than anyone how much those in power cling to power.

How many powerful individuals she had manipulated into hanging themselves or drinking poison.

However, there’s no one harder to handle than a ruler who doesn’t desire power.

Because they are the ones who can crush us with power if we try to play tricks.

“The Empire is truly difficult.”

Does this mean we truly have to defeat Radiance with our own power?

It’s difficult. So difficult.

At that moment.

A clanking metallic sound echoed from the black forest.

A moment of silence descended.

The small structure of silence formed over the discomfort was shattered by the successive metallic sounds.

“Finally, she comes.”

Elhermina reacted as if she had been waiting.

A red-haired girl with red eyes, clad in black armor, emerged through the shadows of the forest.

Elhermina stared at her intensely.

The reason Delica could speak so freely was also.

Thanks to the presence of ‘her’ in the background.

Who was it that stopped them as they were traveling on the dragon?

…Who else.

-…

A face without expression.

A girl who calmly surveyed her surroundings with eyes that seemed somewhat vacant.

The armor might seem awkward, but on the other hand, it fits so perfectly that it feels like a part of her body.

And at the moment of her appearance, everyone except Elhermina entered a state of extreme tension.

“…!!!”

Th-this is no joke!

Dike was already dripping with cold sweat.

And Bezetus looked even worse than Dike.

Crouching his body tightly as if a four-legged beast about to raise its tail, with eyes wide open, he looked pitifully frightened.

And Geornia and Hamern, despite having seen her before, began to lose all color in their faces as soon as they faced her again.

“……”

Mines, on the other hand, was relatively calm.

And.

Saint Alesia, while feeling suffocated, was also overcome by an inexplicable sentiment.

‘Somehow…’

For reasons she couldn’t understand.

Her heart was pounding tremendously.

-…?

The girl who had been staring directly at Elhermina.

Suddenly she turned her gaze toward Alesia, stared at her for a while, and then abruptly tilted her head.

-əθrav?

Not long after, as an incomprehensible voice scratched through the space.

“??”

Delica’s expression, who had been watching Lutesia’s reaction, crumbled in the same way as soon as she heard her words.