Ch.318EP.67 – Parting Does Not Mean Farewell (4)/Afterword Added

Louise.

A child who deserved to be loved yet was shunned by all adults, a child whose heart was already filled with darkness.

His small friend, the young Margrave.

And…

“In the ‘original future,’ Modred was ultimately destroyed. However, though destroyed, Modred was never defeated. The last of the Modreds, the child Louise, ultimately succeeded in sealing away the ominous being from this land once more.”

…A child who had to face a cruel end.

“……”

Ihan had no idea what his expression looked like right now, but one thing was certain—it couldn’t be good.

“Hoho, don’t worry. It’s merely a future that will no longer come to pass.”

Perhaps she noticed something in Ihan’s expression.

The nun gently whispered that he didn’t need to make such a face.

Hearing this, Ihan calmed himself for a moment.

If the nun said so, then it must be true.

And then,

“How did that powerless little kid stop the archfiend?”

He couldn’t help but ask.

About the ‘ending’ of the ‘predetermined future.’

Despite this troublesome question, the nun answered willingly.

No, more than just answering…

“Seeing it for yourself would be faster than my explanation.”

“What?”

“Look into my eyes.”

“…?”

“Hurry.”

“……”

Ihan looked directly into the nun’s eyes, which glowed with light.

If the nun instructed him to do so, there must be a good reason.

Sure enough…

Woong.

“—.”

…In an instant, Ihan saw many things through the nun’s eyes.

It was,

“…You killed them too easily.”

A sight that could only be described as nauseating.

* * *

In less than a second, no, in less than three seconds, what Ihan saw through the nun’s eyes was a possible future—what might have happened without his help or that of other reinforcements.

Fwooosh!

Modred, Wales was burning.

[KAaaaa!!]

Hundreds of thousands of monsters devoured humans like dessert.

[Uuuuu.]

The souls of people who, even after their miserable deaths, ultimately fell and became wraiths.

A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.

Literally, it was a horrific scene no different from hell descending upon the mortal world.

And in the center of this scene…

– [Kyahahahaha! Ahahahaha!!]

The figure of Inanna, laughing with insane delight.

As if truly pleased with the cruel and terrible hell she had created.

– [This is the end of those who defy me. But I am too merciful. I didn’t even annihilate the souls of those blasphemous creatures, hoho.]

– ……

– [Last of the Modreds. Isn’t it enjoyable? Seeing the humans who persecuted you, who tried to kill you, end up like this? It must be incredibly satisfying, right?]

– ……

– [Hmm, you’re no fun. Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s better if the child who will become my vessel is docile. …Now then, I’ve gathered enough sacrifices, shall we begin?]

Inanna smirked as she looked at the countless sacrifices, the humans, who would strengthen her vessel.

As if her heart was already racing at the thought of obtaining a vessel and becoming the new ruler dominating the entire southern region.

So Inanna placed her soul into the child’s body.

Into the body of a child born with the freshest and most superior talent among the Modred bloodline.

And then,

– [Huh…?]

Inanna realized her mistake only after everything had already ended.

– [H-how is this possible!?]

– You… bad.

– [!!]

– I… don’t like you…

– [H-how!!!]

If Inanna made a mistake, it was that she knew Louise was a medium born with Modred’s greatest talent, yet considered it insignificant.

Furthermore.

Dong-.

Doong-.

– [W-what is this sound now!!!]

Not knowing about the existence of a holy relic that could weaken Inanna’s power also proved to be a fatal blow.

– ——.

A nun whose name was forgotten was ringing a bell while bleeding, even though both her legs had already been torn apart.

With her life, with everything she had.

The holy relic, the Song of Stars, honored its user’s will and continued to pressure Inanna.

It was a miracle created by the child’s determination and talent, along with an old woman’s resolve and sacrifice, and the result of that miracle was.

– Louise may hate adults, but won’t do bad things. Because that’s…

Whoosh!

– Wrong, and makes people sad…

And so the child sacrificed herself.

Although she couldn’t use holy magic, she could use an alternative method—she sacrificed her spiritual sight and performed self-sacrifice, creating a ‘miracle.’

– [Aaaaargh! T-this can’t be! T-this shouldn’t…]

Inanna’s soul gradually collapsed inside the child’s body.

It didn’t disappear completely. But with this level of collapse, it would remain quiet for at least a thousand years.

Louise had achieved the historic feat of sealing a High Demon, and the child thus,

Crack.

Began to harden like stone.

Whether it was the price for creating a miracle, or a curse left by the High Demon.

– Mommy…

Yet the child smiled.

Looking at something that had come to take her, reflected in her eyes.

With such a bright smile…

Dong, dong-.

And the nun continued to ring the bell until the end.

Wishing for the child to go to a peaceful place, hoping that if she were reborn, she would not experience such misfortune.

Dong, dong-.

The bell continued to ring like that…

“That child ultimately sacrificed herself. But Wales became a land overflowing with archfiends and monsters, which is why the entire region of Wales had to be sealed.”

“……”

“Why do you look like that?”

“…It was you, Elder.”

“……”

“You sealed it, didn’t you? To prevent the archfiends and monsters from escaping to the outside. You rang the bell until you died, no, even after death.”

“……”

“…Really, why go to such lengths?”

Ihan was dumbfounded, no…

‘There are people like this in the world.’

He felt respect and admiration.

Reverence for someone who accomplished what he could never do, who saved the world through a sacrifice that no one would ever acknowledge.

Ihan couldn’t help but laugh hollowly, thinking that he could never do something like that.

-A great person.

She was an incredibly magnificent person.

* * *

In his previous life, Ihan knew that historical great figures were admirable people, but he couldn’t truly empathize with them.

They were merely things of the past, and how could one empathize with what one had only read about?

But now, at this moment, having seen and experienced this person’s life not through text but through his eyes and senses, Ihan finally understood.

Ah, so this is why they’re called great figures.

Something that others could never do, no…

“Someone had to do it. So I chose to do it myself. If I didn’t practice what I preached, who would take action?”

…A person who does what anyone could do, but no one does.

“Don’t praise me like that. In the end, my future self failed. It’s only thanks to your presence that such a tragic future won’t come to pass this time.”

“What about you, Elder?”

“……”

“Why don’t you try to be happy? Isn’t this, isn’t all this too strange?”

While it was admirable, Ihan wondered why she didn’t try to be happy.

In a way, she had been given a second chance.

She could have made a new beginning.

…Yes, as the nun said, it might have been a disaster that no one could prevent.

But.

“The unfortunate future wouldn’t necessarily have come. Just like how Louise’s sacrifice has been erased.”

“……”

“You should have trusted me, no, trusted people more. Instead of going like this…”

Ihan felt anger rather than sadness.

Because she seemed so foolish to him, not trusting him and living and departing like this.

Where was this anger coming from?

Was it directed at her because she reminded him of himself in his past life, living foolishly and ultimately dying?

Or was it…

“-Don’t feel regret. This isn’t an eternal farewell, after all.”

“!”

Regret over an eternal farewell?

As if understanding his emotions, the nun smiled brightly again.

Whether grateful for his feelings, or finding them endearing.

The nun wore a smile brighter than ever before.

“There’s no such thing as an eternal farewell. It’s just a temporary parting; we’ll meet again someday. Don’t you think?”

“……”

“Hoho, don’t cry. A fine man shouldn’t cry.”

“…I’m not crying. I don’t even feel like crying.”

“Not crying with your eyes doesn’t mean you’re not crying.”

“…Hah, I can never win against you in words.”

“Whohoho.”

Afterward, the nun spoke of many things.

That she was never unhappy.

That her life had more happy moments than unhappy ones.

Her many connections and precious memories.

Listening to those lullaby-like words filled with sincerity rather than empty consolations, Ihan quietly nodded or agreed.

“Please take the bell with you. It likes you.”

“That’s the tenth time you’ve mentioned that.”

“If I don’t emphasize it this much, I don’t think you’ll take it.”

“Why wouldn’t I take something so good? I’ll definitely keep it.”

“I’ll pretend to believe that lie.”

“I’ve never told a lie in my life.”

“Hoho, you’re already lying.”

“No, I really…”

“……”

“Hah, how am I supposed to make you believe me?”

“……”

“…Elder.”

“……”

“…That’s too much.”

Sigh…

—How could you leave without saying goodbye?

…How disappointing.

Ihan murmured the last words in a whisper and looked up at the ceiling.

The ceiling, still filled with holy power, was shining brightly like the Milky Way in the night sky.

…Brightly indeed.