Ch.346114. If That’s the Case, I Hate It Too! (3)

Clang!

The sword fell from Iriel’s hand.

“……”

“……”

Günter closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

Without hesitation, he sighed.

“What… an insolent and senseless fellow.”

“I’ve been thinking all along.”

Suddenly, Günter raised his eyes again at Iriel’s voice, tinged with self-loathing.

“Brother, you’ve always been one step ahead of me, but in truth, you were looking even further ahead, weren’t you?”

“……”

“This was all part of your plan, but I’ve come to believe that in your schemes and plans, there was no hatred, no resentment, no malice.”

If it had been otherwise.

“That would be a story that would make Mother too sad, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

“I cannot trust you, but I can believe in one thing—that you care for Mother.”

That’s why, even if you deceive me, you won’t bring about tragedy.

“…You.”

For a while, neither Günter nor Iriel could continue speaking.

“Yes. It seems dealing with demons has greatly developed your intuition in that regard.”

“…Brother.”

“It’s your complete victory, Iriel.”

The instincts of a ruler, a leader, are very important.

Do intelligent people always govern well or rule effectively?

Have wise people always made the right choices?

Does knowing the answer mean that answer is always within my grasp? Or that it will come to fruition?

The conclusion is, no.

How did Mother come to claim the crown of Lutania?

Even if unwanted, it was ultimately given to her.

And that bestowal…

…is ultimately our fate and destiny given to us.

And only the heavenly mandate that must be fulfilled is of great importance.

And that’s a realm that can’t be grasped by head or heart.

‘As long as one doesn’t become clouded by desire and immersed in wickedness.’

The courage and decisiveness to move forward even knowing it’s a place of death.

To be a ruler is to ultimately reach out even while accepting regret and loss.

‘You had that in your grasp.’

In chaotic times, I might have been more suitable and fitting as a ruler.

…But I am inherently a being without hope or wishes.

Therefore, I am the possessor of a combative fate that can only constantly doubt everything, treat others as enemies, and be hostile.

But you’re different.

You don’t despise others.

You naively believe without doubt.

You tried to follow me in doubting the world and others.

…Yes, it couldn’t have been easy.

Because your nature was placed in a realm opposite to mine.

‘If my philosophy of rule was to reign through fear and suppress deception with wisdom.’

You have the talent to achieve even greater results without having to do so.

One’s innate nature doesn’t easily change, even if one dies and is reborn.

‘So what you needed was a mindset to suppress and defeat malice. Yes, that’s what I wanted to instill in you.’

And yet, in the end, that very disposition ultimately ruins my final grand plan.

“What a foolish fellow.”

In that moment.

Günter drew the sword hanging at his waist.

“Hyuh—!”

Crack!

It happened in the blink of an eye—he reversed his grip on the sword and thrust it into his heart.

“—!”

The sword instantly pierced through his back.

Even on the battlefield, he wasn’t even wearing basic armor!

‘He intended to die from the beginning—!’

As Iriel’s head was spinning, a knight approached him, grabbed his hand firmly, and raised it high toward the sky, shouting:

“The traitor Günter is dead! The leader of the rebels has died here! Long live Prince Iriel! Long live!!!”

The voice was so loud that Iriel thought his eardrums would burst.

And the impact clearly spread throughout the entire battlefield.

“What are you doing—!”

“It’s by the Crown Prince’s order.”

At the whispered words contrary to the shout, Iriel’s body suddenly froze.

This voice, could it be…?

The knight who always followed Günter.

His versatile personal guard, truly like a shadow, loyal.

Why would she…?

“……”

Though she seemed to be suppressing her voice, rough breathing escaped through her helmet.

Pressing her lips together and breathing through her nose, she seemed determined not to cry—at that tenacity, Iriel finally lost his composure.

‘Wait.’

What about Eileen… my sister?

With no time to lose his senses, Iriel looked around.

But…

“…Why did things turn out like this?”

Eileen, who had somehow made it here in a disheveled state, wore a perplexed expression, as if unsure what face to make after witnessing such a miserable sight.

And then.

“……”

Iriel caught sight of a young man with amber eyes who somehow resembled her yet didn’t.

Involuntarily feeling a chill run down his spine, Iriel swallowed and took a deep breath.

‘W-what kind of look is that….’

“Yes. It’s absurd, but… Günter. This bet is your victory.”

Kael stretched his arm through the red curtain.

When the dark shape hanging from his arm suddenly swept around, Eileen startled and shouted, asking what he was doing.

But regardless.

“…Clear the area.”

He gestured to Eileen, who reluctantly approached Iriel and whispered this to him.

The surroundings were filled with cheers and confusion, anxiety and frustration.

The contrast between joy and sorrow was stark.

However, some seemed to read the atmosphere, or perhaps wanted to give time for mourning.

Or maybe they sensed that rumors of a royal death would spread needlessly, but everyone was subtly clearing the area.

As the leaders of the rebel groups were dragged away like dogs in chains.

Now here, in this place, there was only a young girl, two young men, and… one young man lying docilely with a sword thrust through him like a corpse.

“Foolish fellow.”

Then.

The dark shape emanating from Kael’s arm.

As soon as it touched Günter’s body, like ink spreading on white cloth, it instantly began to flow into Günter’s flesh.

“Explain what you’re doing—!”

“Kael… shouldn’t you explain what this is before doing it?”

“……”

Kael suddenly chuckled.

Come to think of it, he wondered why he felt an inner kinship with Günter.

‘I too am quite lacking when it comes to explaining things to others.’

From the beginning, he didn’t feel the need or meaning to do so.

For us, there is only oneself.

Therefore, being told what to do by others.

‘Is absurd.’

Cough!

The one coughing up blood was none other than Günter.

“B-brother?”

“…Ugh.”

He looked like he was in enough pain to die.

His pale complexion showed it.

The traces of bleeding had already stained the surroundings red, but even that was seeping into the ground, leaving only mysterious traces.

Normally, losing that much blood would mean death.

From the beginning, the sword had pierced his heart so cleanly that his breath was cut off immediately.

No, his breath remained, but death was imminent.

He was literally a living corpse.

And yet.

“…See? I told you I’d return it to you.”

Kael burst into laughter at Günter, who declared this while coughing and lying down.

“What a damn cunning bastard.”

“……”

Eileen and Iriel wondered for a moment whether the relationship between the two was close or just crude.

During this, Günter opened his eyes wide.

“Kael. Wait. I, still… my… contract. It’s not… broken.”

“What?”

“……”

Finally, Günter gritted his teeth.

His expression changed chaotically, as if receiving some kind of notification from someone.

“…Damn it.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a trap.”

Apparently.

“The opponent was several moves ahead of me.”

More precisely.

He failed to notice the opponent’s intentions.

Or rather, could he have?

Who would have thought that at this moment.

…It would be the final snare he had prepared.

How could I have predicted it?

Suddenly, black chains extended from beneath Günter’s body and wrapped around him.

“?!”

Kael immediately grabbed his body.

“Hey, hey!”

Eileen reflexively grabbed Kael’s other arm.

“Huh?”

Iriel… had his ankle grabbed by Eileen before he could even reach out.

And at that moment, they were all sucked into a sticky, dark red realm without warning.

“…?!”

The world transforms, as if into a giant cylinder.

Through the spaces between, all things in the world flow in, brush past.

Amid the mixture of wails and screams, cries and cheers tangled together.

After a moment that felt like eternity.

The four were thrown onto some desolate land.

A dark, murky land that seemed as if not a single point of light could penetrate it.

“Ugh….”

Eileen opened her eyes, holding her head.

Before her eyes, a bright red scene unfolded.

“Huh…?”

Too red to be called a sunset, the sky was dyed so deeply red.

Involuntarily, it was enough to make one nauseous.

The air, beyond being murky, was like needles stabbing the entire body, beyond discomfort to the point of pain.

As if the entire world was filled with malice and hostility, trying to imprison, restrain, and crush us.

Moreover.

Look up there.

…What is that giant tree?

More than that, even the giant tree seems to be split and cracked, looking abnormal.

What covers the sky completely are none other than its fragments and debris.

They covered the red sky more densely than stars in the night sky.

[How could I possibly acknowledge this.]

“Huh?”

A voice echoed.

[Elhermina is dead.]

I did my absolute best to burn down the world that killed her, which I hated, and finally concluded everything.

But.

[She’s alive, and she and Kariel had a child together? Yet, despite having a child, they abandoned it? Left it behind?]

“…?”

“W-what is this?”

Iriel looked around.

Some voice was coming from somewhere, and its tone, terribly suppressing rage, sent chills down his spine.

Eileen, for her part, couldn’t help but be bewildered at the sudden mention of her mother’s name.

“……”

“This has… become troublesome.”

As Kael widened his eyes and surveyed the surroundings, Günter, who had been watching from his lying position, finally raised himself as if there was no other choice and forcibly pulled out the sword embedded in his chest.

“Urghh!”

Günter shuddered at the sensation of pain and flesh being cut.

“N-no, brother! Is that… okay?”

“Don’t make such a fuss, Iriel.”

While Günter remained calm, Iriel was pale with fear.

But regardless of the four adapting to the situation.

Still, that unknown voice continued to be heard.

[Elhermina is dead. This is a fixed, confirmed fact. I accepted this. Yet you would make it false? Do you seek to insult and deceive me? Kariel… you goddamn bastard….]

“What? What’s going on?!”

From all directions, an immense killing intent pressed in without form or shape.

Like a rain of arrows, the killing intent materialized and slashed at their entire bodies, making it difficult to even breathe under the unknown pressure.

“Surus.”

At this moment, Kael uttered an unfamiliar word.

“……”

Eileen’s expression quickly regained stability.

Kael chided her.

“I told you to always recite it, didn’t I?”

“…How am I supposed to recite that all the time?”

“I manage just fine.”

“That’s because you’re a blockhead.”

“……”

Apparently, Iriel, who had turned pale, couldn’t gather his wits due to the pouring killing intent, so Eileen and Günter each supported him on one side while the other struck his side…

“Ugh! B-brother!”

“Stop being disgraceful and pull yourself together. Aren’t you embarrassed in front of your half-siblings?”

“No, you’re the one who—!”

“Hah!”

Only Kael, who understood the situation, could only watch the scene with a bitter smile.

At this point, Günter sighed briefly.

“It seems I made a contract with a more formidable demon than I anticipated.”

…

The resentment and hatred that had lost its way eventually subsided.

But everyone driven to this place sensed it.

This was merely a brief respite before a fierce storm would rage.