Ch.84Cherished Wish (3)

The second head of the family, Lea Feita, was a fervent follower of Lorian.

She held infinite pride in her lord, who was both a founding contributor and her one and only master. Therefore, when Lorian became a target of the empire she had devoted herself to, she felt her blood boiling with rage.

Her husband, the Founding Noble, became a target for subjugation, and the child she had struggled to bear met a miserable end. Lea Feita dared not pretend to understand the intense hatred Lorian must have felt. She could never forgive the empire that had tainted her lord’s final years.

The noble darkness of the empire. The shadow blade of the first emperor. One day, Lea Feita’s god commanded her.

The Founding Noble was alive. He would be reincarnated in the distant future and would need Feita’s power. She was entrusted with making preparations for that time.

She made a solemn vow to herself.

“Of course, Your Grace. My god. When your immortal husband returns, he will purify this corrupted world by eradicating all those ungrateful beasts who turned their backs on his grace.”

[I hope that Feita will become Nes’s strength when he eventually appears. I want them to become his hands and feet, to help him.]

“Yes, I swear that all who carry on our bloodline will become the limbs of the Founding Noble, and the power that destroys those abominable beasts.”

After Lorian’s sudden death, House Feita experienced a brief period of confusion. Vermin-like relatives with greedy eyes coveted the ducal family’s interests.

Lea Feita beheaded them all and displayed their heads as a warning. The succession of the family headship proceeded swiftly. Standing proudly in the family hall, she made a stern declaration.

“Feita will retreat into the shadows, away from public eyes. We will quietly build our strength and maintain absolute humility until the promised day arrives.”

While maintaining the position of a ducal house, they would take an inconspicuous seat at the back. They would lower their profile toward a distant future when the disgraceful history would be forgotten.

But unlike the loyal Lea, humans are arrogant creatures. One never knows when some weak-willed dog might dare defy the first head’s will, make peace with enemies, and profit from it.

After careful consideration, Lea decided on intense indoctrination as her policy. To ensure no one could oppose their long-cherished desire for revenge, she would train all newly born family members.

Any child inheriting Feita blood would be raised under “education” at the main house. From among those who completed this education, the most excellent and loyal sapling would be selected as the junior head.

The child appointed as the junior duke would receive direct education from the family head and debut in society as a well-mannered adult. Through this education, the hatred passed down through generations would swell like a tough balloon filling with water. They would remember their goal while watching humans who had forgotten the first head’s achievements living in carefree happiness.

…

This was the content recorded in the loyal second head Lea Feita’s memoir, continuing from Lorian Feita’s records.

◇

“Wait a minute. Let’s say Feita misinterpreted their mission. So, whether it was a misunderstanding or not, they’ve been doing all this to help ‘that’ Founding Noble.”

“As the Marquess said. They’ve all gone mad. There’s no way a human could live for 500 years.”

“Uh… um…?”

“Above all, it was the subjugation of the first protagonist and the saint. That’s not a force an individual could handle. Unless it was Irefi Justitia.”

“Ah, no. The Founding Noble couldn’t have been that weak…?”

“Marquess, you must have played the game too. They got their happy ending. There was no room for any Founding Noble to interfere.”

“Well, there wouldn’t have been…”

“I suppose I must accept my fate to live as Zikharun. Such a life is as good as death to me. So if you’re going to kill me, I ask for a clean death, out of Korean compassion.”

Looking at Zikharun who had lost all hope for life, I was reminded of an unborn child. His eyes, devoid of light, showed no will to live.

“Let me ask you first, what is Zikharun’s mission?”

“That’s…”

Just as Zikharun was about to speak without hesitation.

The sky suddenly turned the color of sunset. More precisely, it spread a brilliant golden light to the horizon.

For the first time, I felt an eerie sensation. A sense of crisis comparable to when I faced Irefi’s Heaven and Earth Splitting technique rang alarm bells in my mind.

“So they’ve finally made their move? Troph.”

“W-what? What on earth have you people done?”

“This is what would have happened if I hadn’t been defeated when I encountered the Marquess in the Great Cavern.”

“Stop being cryptic. This is serious.”

Despite my stern threat, Zikharun had long since abandoned his will to live. Without showing the slightest reaction, he had no attachment even to the truth. Zikharun casually laid out the facts as if they were nothing.

“The local induction of the Chainlich Phenomenon.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Why else do you think the 4th Emperor caused the Blood Calamity? Even now, isn’t it forbidden for imperial family members except the current Emperor to have children? The Astelnerca bloodline is far from ordinary.”

“Are you saying they forcibly induced the Chainlich Phenomenon using Lost Blood? And they planned to use Charle the same way?”

“That’s correct.”

Zikharun claims it’s a localized phenomenon, but it’s not normal for the sky beyond our view to be covered in golden light. This could threaten the empire’s very existence.

“Damn it!”

I dispersed the Conqueror’s Sword I had assembled with dark arts. Now was the time to figure out how to put an end to this phenomenon.

Zikharun stared at me blankly, like a child who had lost their guardian. The question that came from his barely parted lips contained exactly what I expected.

“Are you going to let me live?”

“You seem awfully eager to die, but you should live instead. That would be a better punishment. Just don’t get in my way.”

“Listen, Marquess. I…”

“Enough. Just tell me the mastermind’s location. Consider it payment for your life.”

“Ha…”

Zikharun tilted his head toward the golden sky. A short sigh escaped from his hopelessly parted lips.

In a subdued voice, he softly recited.

“Mad Spirit Butterfly.”

A red energy flickered in his ruby-like eyes. The hazy energy soon took the shape of a butterfly and fluttered about.

A spirit art that guides to a place from memory. It’s a technique I’ve often seen in content where NPCs clear the path while following butterflies.

“This should be familiar to you, Marquess.”

“Almost nostalgic at this point.”

“Ha! I suppose it would be.”

He heartily agreed. Despite being adversaries, our shared predicament created a subtle bond. That must be why I added unnecessary comments.

“Hey, Zikharun.”

“What is it?”

“You said earlier that Feita’s true mission and Zikharun’s mission have something in common.”

“That’s right.”

“Whatever it is, don’t be bound by it. Take action. Who knows? I might be able to fulfill that mission for you.”

“Nonsense.”

“Believe it or not, it’s your choice.”

“Hmm.”

There’s no time to waste. I’ll postpone hearing about Zikharun’s mission until another opportunity. At the end of this butterfly trail, the enemy leader will be waiting.

Lorian Feita and Netionpiece both lived lives full of mistakes. If the threads of their fate were real, they would surely form a tangled, knotted mess.

They were complete fools.

‘A life like earphones in a pocket.’

If Netionpiece had left just half a day later on the afternoon when she parted with Lorian.

The couple would have filled their 17-year gap with tender love.

If the old man hadn’t despaired at Empress Yernia’s death.

Asar, raised with the care and education of the Founding Noble, might have grown into a completely different person.

Even if there had been no actual crime, Asar couldn’t have openly targeted them.

“There’s no couple that caused more trouble across eras. Just wait until I clean up this mess.”

I’ll plant the old man’s tombstone right next to Lorian’s.

And I’ll engrave a letter of apology in terrible handwriting using Ever-Changing Forms.

“We were the couple who wielded the world’s largest shovels.”

I’ll write it big enough for all to see.

In the distance, I heard Zikharun turning his back and trudging away.

His footsteps headed in a puzzling direction. As if with a clear purpose.

◇

“What’s happening?”

Miren’s round golden eyes flew open. The sudden transformation of the sky into a golden hue was bizarre.

The energy consuming the blue like ink dissolving in water was ominous. The city bathed in gold gave the impression of an apocalyptic world put to rest in twilight.

“My lady, you look troubled.”

“Young Lord Estern.”

A sculpturally handsome man approached with a worried expression.

His name was Philliah Estern. He was a man with strange tastes whom she had met at her debutante ball.

“How could anyone feel good about such an eerie phenomenon?”

“Hmm…”

Similarly, Raden Meoric and Arnel Chester, whom she had also met at the debutante ball, followed in succession.

Since the debutante, Miren had occasionally received invitations from Philliah and Raden.

Though she couldn’t accept due to her many responsibilities as a junior marchioness.

Today, she had finally been granted some personal time. Since Miren couldn’t be in two places at once, she decided to invite both Philliah and Raden together.

Arnel, who might feel left out if not invited, was also included, though things had become awkward between them.

What should have been a pleasant gathering had turned into a day contaminated by a terribly ruined routine.

‘Am I the only one who sees it…’

Only she knew.

How many souls were swirling beyond the golden sky.

The will to invade this fragile world by breaking through the unstable wall was surging.

Her trauma resurfaced. The calamitous day when she had to lie in a coma for eight years due to Chain Disease tormented her.

“Everyone needs to evacuate…”

“What are you saying, my lady?”

Miren flinched at Philliah’s question. She had prided herself on overcoming her past, but facing reality, she was in this sorry state.

If not for Raden’s urging, she would have probably continued trembling on the spot.

“I’d like the noble lady to clarify her suspicions.”

“The Chainlich Phenomenon is about to occur. We need to find shelter, whether in a building’s basement or anywhere else…!”

Crack.

Calamity always arrives like an unwelcome guest. It bares its fangs mockingly, as if to say that human wisdom is useless.

Crack-!

A fissure appeared in the golden sky. The crack, starting as a very thin line, spread rapidly, gaining momentum.

The breaking sky announced to the world.

A dimensional gate had opened.

Beings from another world had come to purge this weak mortal realm.

Accept the unreasonable disaster.

“Sister Elfi… Brother Nepy…”

Unconsciously, she sought the two people she relied on most. She looked like a snow rabbit peeking its head out in the dead of winter.

Like an isolated snowy field in a blizzard, no one responded.

Eventually, a hole opened in the sky.

It was the grand opening of the Chainlich Phenomenon.