Ch.203Epilogue.(2)

Time has passed a lot.

When she met the Emperor’s eyes, that was the first thought that crossed Livga’s mind.

His eyes, beyond weathered by time, were so deep they didn’t match his appearance. So deep that looking into them felt like being drawn in. It was almost like looking into Olivia’s eyes.

What had he experienced all this time? After the Demon God disappeared, nothing particularly noteworthy happened on the continent. There were minor conflicts, but most never even approached anything close to war.

This was because the commanders and soldiers who had witnessed the power of the Returners during the Great War spread rumors throughout the continent. It was only natural that the leaders of each country became cautious.

“What… have you experienced to…”

Livga couldn’t help but ask such a question.

Those eyes seemed to have experienced far more than just seven years.

“Many things happened, but I was primarily engaged in research. Ah, I ask for your understanding regarding my manner of speech. It’s partly habit, but… above all, it wasn’t I who relinquished the imperial position.”

The Emperor closed his eyes with a mischievous smile. A moment later, his head shook slightly.

“It’s been a while, Saintess Livga.”

“…Princess?”

“Please don’t call me princess. I… am no longer part of the imperial family.”

Aria said this while bowing her head. Indeed, the depth of her eyes differed from the Emperor’s. But that didn’t mean her aura was any less intense. Rather, she exuded a clarity that was incomparably more distinct than when they had last met.

Livga knew what to call beings who emanated such an aura.

“You’ve reached the end.”

Aria shook her head with a bitter smile.

“…It wasn’t something I achieved entirely on my own.”

Of course she would have received the Emperor’s help, but that didn’t negate the fact that it was an impressive achievement. Not all apprentices of Grandmasters became Grandmasters themselves.

Yet despite this, the only emotions visible on Aria’s face were guilt, debt, and endless self-loathing.

“…”

Livga felt sympathy for Aria. That’s why she stepped back to clear the path to the gravestone.

Aria didn’t immediately approach the grave. Only after much hesitation did she begin to move forward with slow steps.

Then she stopped.

“…”

Aria said nothing. Even when facing Olivia’s gravestone, her eyes were filled with hesitation.

Words she couldn’t bring herself to utter swirled in her mouth.

She remembered the time when she had desperately clung to the question of why they weren’t given a chance.

She had been stupid. Foolish, thinking she was the best in the world.

She never truly intended to kill Olivia. Even when she sent six Returners, it was the same. She was confident that even if Olivia performed unexpectedly well, she could never handle all six.

She had planned to somehow knock her unconscious, bring her back, and then ask.

Why, after 13 years together, had she betrayed them? Were they the only ones who respected and cherished her? She wanted an explanation for those terrible acts, and if she received an apology…

She thought she might be able to forgive her, just a little.

But she realized that not everyone thought like her only after things had gone beyond the point of no return.

[But they are different.]

Only then did she understand why the Emperor had said such things.

When she heard that the Master of Dark had used Hydra’s poison, when she heard that Eryas had tried to devour Olivia, Aria finally realized she had been turning a blind eye to reality.

They had no intention of forgiving Olivia, let alone continuing any dialogue. No, honestly, at that time, she hadn’t even noticed anything strange about those idiotic words.

‘…No.’

There’s no way she couldn’t have noticed. She simply didn’t want to accept that she was wrong. She didn’t want to doubt. So, so…

She turned a blind eye.

She made a mistake unlike herself.

Of course, she knew now. She knew that Aurelia and the Emperor had dulled her thinking. They had prevented her from thinking properly. Even so, Aria couldn’t let go of her self-loathing.

Insight that sees through everything, intellect that encompasses all knowledge.

Despite having these, she had turned away from reality.

‘I couldn’t accept that I was wrong.’

[Olivia]

Her hand, reaching toward the engraved name, froze. After hesitating for a long time, it waved through empty air.

She shouldn’t be forgiven. Even if Olivia had forgiven her, she didn’t think she could shake off the self-loathing.

Just thinking about when Olivia died as the Demon God…

Her breath catches, feeling like a blade is lodged in her throat. Nausea rises, and her chest burns wildly.

At such times, she wonders if someone like her deserves to be allowed life. Of course, every moment is painful, and reality turns to hell whenever she recalls the past…

But compared to real hell, this place would be nothing.

Seven years.

That’s why she had wandered for seven years.

“I’ve been thinking about how I could be forgiven.”

Aria chuckled bitterly.

“But no matter how much I think about it… I can’t find the answer here.”

Even if she advanced medicine by hundreds of years and saved tens of millions of lives, she couldn’t bring Olivia back. It would be meaningless. After all, an apology only has meaning when given face to face.

So.

So what should she do?

There was actually one way. That was also why she had come to Olivia’s grave.

Because she wouldn’t be able to come here anymore.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I’m… sorry for everything.”

Livga watched as Aria was about to disappear through the magic circle. Her back looked especially small and pitiful. Like someone about to vanish to a distant place.

That’s why she had to ask.

“Where, where are you going?”

“To a place where I can atone.”

“We’ll meet again… right?”

Aria shook her head with a faint smile. Livga looked up at her with blank eyes.

Tzzzzzt!

The next moment, with a flash of light, Aria’s figure disappeared.

*****

The place where Aria reappeared was on the opposite side of the continent.

The southernmost tip, the continent’s only volcanic region. An extreme wilderness where people couldn’t live, let alone animals wanting to approach, due to year-round flowing lava and volcanic ash.

The Emperor, who had read Aria’s resolute gaze, let out a low laugh.

[It seems you’ve finally made up your mind completely.]

The reason Aria came here was simple. It was to meet with Eryas, the Dragon Lord who resided in this volcanic region, and settle things.

[Both I and Aurelia merely sealed parts of our memories and then released them. Have you resolved to be hated? Or do you think that since you’ve already committed unforgivable sins, one more doesn’t matter?]

That’s not it. She simply thought that since she had tied the knot, she should be the one to untie it.

[Is that really all?]

“…”

She couldn’t deny that personal feelings were involved.

Aria dismantled the barrier engraved at the lair entrance without hesitation.

‘…Resolved to be hated.’

Is it right for her to punish those whom Olivia had already forgiven?

No, can that even be considered “forgiveness” in the first place? When the forgiven parties don’t even feel guilt?

At the very least.

They should feel guilt.

Reflect on past mistakes and regret them.

At least pretend to shed tears—isn’t that what it means to be forgiven?

“…What do you think?”

Aria muttered this while clasping her hands behind her back.

Eryas wanted to ask, about what?

After invading his lair without warning, restraining his body that had been peacefully hibernating, what?

What did she mean by “what do you think?”

[Princess…! You have truly gone mad!]

“I won’t deny it. Even objectively speaking, I’m not in my right mind right now.”

[…What?]

“So, don’t complain when I judge your actions.”

The humiliation of being tied up with his belly exposed… instead of exploding with boiling emotions, Eryas kept his mouth shut.

Aria’s gaze was ominous. She truly looked like someone who had lost her mind.

And above all, Aria’s power was overwhelming. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t win against her alone.

“Seeing you hibernating so comfortably makes me even more intolerant. I suppose the others aren’t much different.”

Saying this, Aria pulled something from thin air. A viscous golden lump.

[Ah….]

He unconsciously let out a gasp of shock, then was shocked again at hearing such a sound from his own mouth.

As the lump drew closer, his entire body grew stiff. His thoughts slowed just as much.

[Are… are you going to kill me?]

“No. I’m just going to revive your memories. The countless past memories you don’t remember.”

Saying this, Aria pushed the lump into Eryas’s head without hesitation. It contained numerous memories of “death” that Eryas had forgotten.

In thousands of cycles, how many times had Eryas died?

[Aaah… AAAAARGH!!]

Agonized screams echoed throughout the lair. Probably because it far exceeded simply replaying memories.

He must be swimming in the pain of death even at this moment.

[Grrrk…! Ggggh…!]

Tears, mucus… there was no longer any dignity of a magic lord in him as he dripped all kinds of fluids from his entire body.

Just a big lizard. Nothing more, nothing less.

Amidst the screams that seemed about to shatter, Aria let out a cold sneer.

It was a fitting appearance for one with the title of Mad Dragon.