Ch.27691. Now I’m Curious About Your Identity…(2)

“If you win the martial arts competition, do you have anything specific in mind to request?”

Ruelda quietly approached and asked.

Corin, who had been sitting silently in a corner of the garden, said nothing and simply observed his surroundings.

A pure white butterfly fluttering over yellow flowers, now flying toward him.

It landed on his finger without permission.

Watching its small fluttering wings, Corin spoke in a casual tone.

“Would it really be okay if an uninvited guest like me won your tournament?”

“If you achieved it through legitimate means, what would be the problem?”

“How righteous.”

Corin clicked his tongue.

“Even if it hadn’t been you—if it had been young Lyurik or any other imperial citizen—I wouldn’t have minded. Didn’t they honestly prove themselves? Therefore, that glory depends on their effort and will.”

“You speak eloquently, but reality isn’t so simple.”

With a soft chuckle, Corin rose from his seat.

“One of the promises I made with Kariel was the liberation of my soul. But you can’t grant that, can you?”

“……”

“Right now, we’re no different from specters or wandering spirits. We have physical form only because… there’s a suitable vessel for it.”

Though it’s temporary anyway.

“It seems you’ll maintain your form without issue until the finals.”

“Yes. As you’ve guessed.”

“Do you intend to interfere with us then?”

Corin smirked and denied it.

“I have neither obligation nor loyalty to do so. And… that’s not what he would want either.”

“Then… does Kariel truly intend to face us alone?”

“Who knows. Still… you should prepare well according to what I’ve leaked. Otherwise… problems beyond the islands will arise throughout the Empire.”

“……”

Corin had warned that Kariel would intervene on the day of the finals.

Also, concerned about response forces concentrating against him, Corin planned to manifest the spectral armies he had previously shown as warnings in various locations, to disperse military forces throughout the islands and empire.

“Your consideration is just another part of Kariel’s scheme and plan, isn’t it?”

“Something like that.”

Even without Corin’s warning, the Empire would have prepared for this.

But since Corin openly told them, they would be even more vigilant, regardless of whether they believed him or not.

That meant the Empire’s core forces that might otherwise concentrate on Kariel himself—countless elites too numerous to count.

Above all, the Nine Heroes.

If he wasn’t going to face them all alone, this approach was inevitable.

…Perhaps.

Even this could be a deception.

Whether they knew it or not, they had to prepare.

That’s just how it is for those who must protect something.

“Aren’t you… angry? Being used according to that child’s will?”

“Not really. We made a fair contract, and the rest? I’m just going my own way… wherever that leads.”

And Kariel probably had even that in mind.

He’s someone who knows the future and can arbitrarily pull it closer.

He’s already beyond the limits of even a Demon King.

Despite not even being a Demon King himself.

Though I suppose even Demon Kings aren’t omnipotent in the middle realm.

“Great hero of this age. Your tragedy is that you caught the eye of the gods. And… that your son not only caught their eye but became their favorite.”

“……”

“Your second son is no exception.”

In a way, that statement shook Ruelda’s foundation.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Protect him well. Perhaps, conversely, that child might end up protecting all of you.”

Though Corin doesn’t know the future, he has a sense.

His intuition as a key figure in this world… has foreseen that possibility.

One exceptional figure after another.

Both Kariel and his brother.

‘That brother is probably equal to or greater than the man before me.’

In that sense, the hero before him is truly pitiful.

Surely in the past, with such achievements, he would have lived enjoying all the rewards he deserved.

Yet for some reason, this man seemed unable to abandon self-sacrifice until his death.

He would probably be tested until his dying moment.

If he overcame all those tests, he would be appointed to a prepared place of glory.

‘That doesn’t seem to be my path at all.’

Corin mused inwardly.

He gestured slightly as if telling Ruelda to go.

The butterfly clinging to his hand fluttered busily.

After Ruelda departed with a silent nod of farewell, some time passed.

“By destroying one Demon King, I will be liberated.”

That cursed bastard who once cut off my head.

“That’s why I became a Demon King in the first place.”

I hope.

When we meet again.

Throughout our reunion.

I will kill him, kill him, and kill him again.

Completely erase his existence.

Annihilate him.

That is my wish and my grudge.

And.

At last, I have obtained permission from the Demon God.

“My hatred is yours alone.”

So I have no reason to be angry with or hate anyone else.

My waiting has always been to kill you.

“Damiel.”

The Demon King of Tyranny.

Our connection, our karma.

Let’s end it once and for all.

“So, have you come here in person to receive it?”

Kariel?

“……”

“Security would have been tight. There must be watching eyes even now. Yet you still intrude?”

Though Corin spoke calmly, there was no one responding or reacting anywhere.

Even the butterfly that had been flying around until just now was now hovering near other flowers, as if looking for them.

“Oh, I see?”

As if he had heard something.

Corin’s lips curled into a smile.

“So, is this goodbye as of today?”

……

“I just told your father otherwise, so this would make me a complete liar.”

What a shame. Truly.

After muttering those words, Corin remained quiet for a while before vanishing.

As if.

He had never existed in this world to begin with.

====

“……”

The imperial palace at the center of the islands and its surrounding areas were clearly divided into forests, various palaces, annexes, and other domains.

It wouldn’t be strange to get lost or wander if one wasn’t familiar with the paths from frequent visits or didn’t work in the area.

So Aristetis wandering as if lost might have seemed normal, but…

“Did I… come too far?”

That was the problem.

“Hello?! Is anyone there?!”

The forest path was one thing, but her sense of adventure had kicked in, and before she knew it, the day seemed to be fading.

Oh, oh? Just like that.

It was obviously just an illusion caused by the dense trees, but.

Human minds don’t always work that way.

“Hueng!”

In a way, since coming to the Empire, she had faithfully continued her role as a food parasite.

Unlike the battle-maniac Lyurik, she hadn’t even gone near the Empire’s equestrian competition.

During that time, she had freely explored the islands or soothed her heart by meeting minstrels, dancers, famous musicians, and performers.

“Ugh….”

Thanks to her relentless physical training, she wasn’t whining helplessly about being tired.

Just as she was about to rejoice at leaving the forest, when the surroundings brightened and an unexpectedly magnificent black structure appeared, she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

“Uh, um….”

Is, is this it?

At times like this, she could only resent her poor sense of direction.

“Hmm?”

Then an elderly man in black clothes spotted her and approached with the broom he was holding.

His facial features and expression were so still that it was doubtful whether his eyes were even open.

His white hair barely left traces on his bald scalp, but that was all.

“What brings you to this place?”

“Well, I got lost while wandering… hehe!”

Aristetis’s face burned with embarrassment, but she secretly rejoiced that she no longer needed to wander.

“It’s quite curious to have visitors overlap on the same day.”

“Ha, ha… is that so?”

How would Aristetis know that?

Still, she followed him awkwardly after he suggested she pay her respects while she was here.

And only after being informed of where she was did she realize she had come to a rather preposterous place.

‘The emperors’ cemetery.’

More precisely, it was a place that served as a cemetery, mausoleum, and columbarium for imperial family members.

It even included the ancestors of the nation that had carried the name Berk, going back much further.

The Enzul family that continued the lineage in the current era.

The founding kings and ancestors who established the nation of Berk from the kingdom stage, long before them.

Several families had firmly maintained positions to guard this place as their duty and direct responsibility, but.

Even that had become nominal since the Demon King of Wisdom’s invasion.

“Currently, only this old body remains. If I were to disappear… I would worry about what follows… but that’s for His Majesty to resolve, so I focus on my duties without separate concerns.”

“Ah, yes. I see….”

She was served hot water, but whatever herb was added made it terribly bitter.

Wouldn’t it be nice if they added some flower petals?

Not that all flower teas are sweet or subtle… but at least they wouldn’t make her throat constrict from bitterness.

“There are exceptions, of course. I just remembered because a guest who visited earlier was looking for that person.”

“Exceptions?”

What was he talking about?

Having let it go in one ear, Aristetis had just been nodding faithfully with a “heh~”.

“Even His Holiness the Pope rests here.”

“The Pope?”

“Yes. He chose to remain on the land where he passed away.”

The old man became momentarily somber.

“With his ailing body, he came to anoint the Child of Revelation and bless him, willingly risking death.”

“Child of Revelation?”

“It’s an expression referring to Lord Ruelda’s firstborn. He was once called that, and he was famous for being welcomed even in foreign countries despite being sent as a hostage in place of the imperial princess.”

“Uh….”

Is this about Kariel?

She had learned some things since coming here, but everyone was so hush-hush that she couldn’t openly ask.

“Then what happened to him now?”

“……”

Aristetis asked curiously, half-intentionally.

“They say he lost his brilliance and divine favor after staying outside the Empire for too long.”

“…Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Pardon?”

“Such rumors just began to circulate.”

And along with those rumors, there were actual tests and evaluations of Kariel that weren’t visible.

“Strangely, when expectations crumble, people tend to get angry.”

And there must have been those who incited this.

“But this is something we nobles keep quiet about. For citizens… when those above say something, they tend to accept it. Especially if they’ve heard such talk openly before….”

“Hmm.”

“He had already dedicated himself in place of the imperial princess. That alone should have been enough to fulfill his role….”

Because he was misunderstood and failed to meet expectations.

At some point, he became a target.

This too must have been someone’s intention.

Otherwise, how could the tide have turned so quickly?

“In the end, since Lord Ruelda’s second son was born, the imperial citizens’ expectations completely shifted.”

“That sounds pitiful.”

“Indeed it is.”

The old man shook his head sadly.

“The Empire, intoxicated by the ideal of heroes, has no particular aversion to elevating those greater than themselves.”

However.

“…But they also have no hesitation in resenting someone if they betray those expectations.”

And such expectations serve as both a shackle and a duty for nobles to enjoy their honor, responsibility, and rights.

“In territories and cities without a lord, mayors are elected by vote… so for nobles, developing the ability to gain popularity and promote themselves is as natural as breathing.”

Or sometimes a specific lord intentionally forms such villages and towns.

Those places, guaranteed freedom and prosperity, had to pay double taxes, but nevertheless, many people wanted to nest there.

It must be because it’s a time of peace.

In times of war or unrest, people would naturally prefer to be near a lord’s castle, surrounding villages, or nearby settlements where the lord stood firm.

“Heeh….”

For Aristetis, these were headache-inducing stories that were hard to take in.

But she still listened and remembered.

It’s just that she didn’t want to understand.

“Would you like to visit?”

“Yes, yes! After hearing about it, I feel like I should pay my respects too.”

Of course, she was only vaguely guessing from context who they were going to visit.

By the way, the Pope.

I wonder if the Pope goes to heaven when he dies? To that place commonly mentioned in the Irenis faith?

====

“It’s quite late.”

After touring several sites, the visitor chose this place as his final stop.

The Pope’s grave was remarkably small.

It was just a stone slab lying flat.

The years of birth and death.

And instead of his papal name, only his baptismal name was written in small letters—a truly simple grave.

“……”

<I ask the one who has returned: Can you now save the poor lambs? Both yourself and those who are not you.>

The inscription on the stone slab strangely felt like it was questioning him directly, but that was probably just his imagination.

“I’m not such a remarkable being, so I’m sorry….”

After saying that, Kariel exhaled a troubled breath.

“Thank you.”

For your existence, which ultimately allowed me to stand here now.

The one who guided young Kariel to the Demon King of Wisdom.

The one who desperately tried to protect him from the malice of the World Tree even after death.

“……”

Like before, he could no longer find those who he believed were spirits and his only friends.

“……”

At least.

The dedication they showed me.

To the extent that.

I am not shameless enough to forget it.

That’s all.

“……”

After a while.

As footsteps approached.

“Huh?”

Aristetis tilted her head.

“What’s wrong?”

At the old man’s question, she scratched her cheek with her index finger and smiled as if it was nothing.

‘I thought someone was here.’

The two arrived at the Pope’s grave.

Suddenly.

Seeing yellow flowers neatly placed there, Aristetis tilted her head.

‘Were there such flowers around here?’

She wondered.

And.

Not long after.

Geornia, who was in the space where Elhermina was staying.

Witnessed a small figure rising from a dark corner.

“……Kariel.”

“……”

He naturally bowed his head in respect.

In this place were Geornia and Elhermina, who lay unconscious on a bed.

And.

…Kariel, who had intruded without warning.

Just the three of them.