Ch.935Farewell to Emma

Ring of Returning Seal. The solution Ophelia suggested was a perfect collar that could resolve all my concerns at once.

If I sealed Kudsedra’s main body in the subspace within the ring, it would have no way to betray me even if it wanted to.

Since the Kudsedra summoned by the ring’s power would be merely a projection rather than its true form, if it rebelled, I could simply kill it and resummon it repeatedly.

And if I couldn’t kill it for some reason, I could just recall it back.

No, if it retained any intelligence at all, it wouldn’t even dream of rebelling. For a being trapped in the Ring of Returning Seal, the worst outcome wasn’t merely death.

So what would be the worst outcome?

Well, obviously it would be having the connection to the ring severed while still being trapped inside it.

Like if the sealing formula remained intact but the ring itself—the medium for summoning—was destroyed. That kind of situation.

If that happened, Kudsedra would face only one fate.

Becoming lost in subspace, living alone until its life expired. Spending its entire life just existing in an empty space with nothing.

The dragons were already cursing Elpinel after experiencing something similar for just eight hundred years—imagine what it would be like for an entire lifetime.

I don’t know exactly how long dragons live, but considering there were dragons in the original story that lived for eight thousand years, they must live at least that long.

To grow old alone in nothingness for eight thousand years?

It would be a miracle not to go insane. After about two thousand years, one would probably stop thinking altogether and become something like a mineral.

Since I’m not a dragon, I can’t be certain, but dying swiftly would be hundreds of times happier than that fate.

“Bellona’s ring…? Krrrrrr! Surely, surely you don’t mean to imprison me in there…?”

Perhaps Kudsedra knew this well.

When I extended the ring toward it, saying there were conditions for sparing its life, Kudsedra groaned while its enlarged pupils trembled violently.

Calling the Ring of Returning Seal “Bellona’s ring.”

…Bellona’s ring, was that the true name of this sacred artifact?

It was truly ironic that a holy relic of the Holy State would bear Bellona’s name.

After all, Bellona was the name of one of the four ancient gods, the goddess symbolizing death.

She was now just an old deity with no remaining followers, and even her death attribute had been taken by Ceres, goddess of earth and death.

Anyway, if it had been named something like “Alfodhr’s ring,” I would have immediately smashed it to pieces, but “Bellona’s ring” didn’t seem too concerning.

According to the original story’s setting, Bellona was definitely mentioned as one of the “dead gods.”

The god of death died—it seemed like wordplay when I read the setting, but anyway, since she was already a dead god, the possibility of this ring negatively affecting me was slim.

Of course, the “original story” wasn’t entirely reliable…

Still, while the story had diverged completely from the original, many background settings remained the same as in the original.

So I thought I could feel safe for now. If problems arose, I could just destroy it then.

With that judgment, I held the ring out to Kudsedra again and pronounced my sentence.

“That’s right. I don’t think I can trust you without something like this. Don’t take it personally. It’s all because of your Karma, isn’t it?”

What you’re thinking is correct, so prepare to be a new tenant.

“If you want to live, make me trust you.”

Or just die if you don’t like it.

“Gurrrrh……”

Kudsedra let out a long groan. With a face that looked extremely disgusted, as if being presented with food that tasted like vomit.

“…May I… attach one condition…?”

Condition?

“Are you in any position to set conditions?”

“Krrrr…. That’s… true, but….”

“Fine. I’ll at least listen. Go ahead and tell me.”

I smirked and shrugged my shoulders. With an attitude suggesting I’d decide whether to accept after hearing it.

—-

Kudsedra’s requested condition was simple.

If I was going to imprison it in the Ring of Returning Seal, I should set a clear time limit in advance.

In other words, don’t plan to seal it forever until its life expires, but release it freely after a certain period of time.

“…Sure, why not.”

After a moment’s consideration, I agreed to this.

If it had suggested a hundred or two hundred years as the time limit, I would have refused, thinking this bastard was planning revenge on Hestella after my death. But the time limit it proposed was a full fifteen hundred years.

That seemed long enough that releasing it wouldn’t cause any problems.

Even Rome didn’t last more than two thousand years, so what were the chances Hestella would still exist fifteen hundred years later?

And even if it did, it wouldn’t matter. If a country could be destroyed by a single dragon after two thousand years, it would be doomed to fall even without the dragon being released.

So there seemed nothing to worry about. The descendants fifteen hundred years later would handle it well enough.

—-

After concluding the negotiation, I released Cascador, who had been imprisoned in the Ring of Returning Seal, to welcome the new tenant.

“Kihihihihing!”

Perhaps the air of the world felt incredibly sweet when experienced again with its original body. As soon as Cascador was freed, it raised its two front legs high and let out a cry of joy.

“Feeling good? You look like you’re about to fall over backward.”

Honestly, it was a bit funny. It wasn’t human, but with its horse-like face showing its teeth in a bright smile, it was bizarre to the point of being ridiculous.

“Krrrrrr….”

Cascador turned its head to look at me, then quickly averted its gaze and gently scratched the ground with its lowered front hoof.

A perceptive action.

If it had lost its mind and tried to attack me, I would have had to turn it into horse meat with tears in my eyes. Instead, it obediently lowered its tail.

It must understand that it now had only one life left. It was highly intelligent, befitting a spiritual beast.

“Let’s see, what should I do with you now… It seems a waste to just let you go. Who should I give you to?”

I couldn’t give it to Millia or Nigel, and I was uncomfortable giving it to Lena, so I had to choose between Frider, Leonore, or Adamante…

“Yes, Adamante would be good.”

Adamante seemed the best choice.

Since Cascador had only one life left, a paladin skilled in healing and defense would be more efficient than a pure knight.

If Cascador got injured, he could heal it immediately, or he could cast a holy barrier to prevent injuries altogether.

“Remember that paladin who borrowed you once? He’s going to be your new master.”

So I decided to give Cascador to Adamante as a gift.

“This means goodbye between us. Sad? Don’t be too upset.”

It was finally time to say farewell to the mount that had survived the longest among all the mounts I had ridden.

“Purhihihihik…!”

Cascador wept profusely.

Perhaps it had grown attached to me in its own way—its display of sorrow at our parting was truly moving.

“There, there. Don’t cry. We can still see each other whenever we want, right?”

I stroked Cascador’s mane with my left hand to comfort it.

Even though I said goodbye, it just meant I wouldn’t be riding it anymore—we could still see each other anytime, so it should feel reassured.

“……”

Perhaps my comfort worked well, as Cascador immediately stopped its flowing tears and gently closed its eyes.

“Good, that’s better. You’re so obedient.”

[…What a farce this is. Stop teasing it, you conscienceless being.]

Perhaps displeased with this touching scene, Hersella once again spread groundless slander.

With a tone suggesting she knew perfectly well those weren’t tears of that meaning, asking if I enjoyed teasing an animal that couldn’t speak.

Really, always looking at things in such a twisted way.

Me teasing Cascador? And doing it while mixing in plenty of sarcasm?

Saying Cascador’s tears were just tears of joy and elation at finally being freed from my hands?

Did she think that made sense?

If so, that was…

‘Well, it’s fun, isn’t it?’

The correct answer.

What does she mean, does it make sense? Of course it does.

I’m not someone like Demian who goes around completely oblivious, and I can certainly distinguish between joy and sorrow.

I’d known Cascador was happy to be free of me from the moment I released its seal.

I was just teasing it because its reactions were amusing.

[How vicious. To think someone like this is a saint—this world is certainly deeply flawed.]

Hersella let out a sigh mixed with a hollow laugh.

‘You just realized that now?’

The fact that this world is somehow wrong is such an obvious truth that it doesn’t even need to be stated.

“Gurrr… will I… be in the same situation…? If I had known this would happen…”

Kudsedra, who had been watching the farce from the side, muttered in a voice tinged with despair.

With a tone suggesting it could already roughly guess its future just by observing Cascador’s attitude.

Well… it won’t be quite what you expect.

Whatever you imagine, it will be beyond that.

I slightly lowered my head so it couldn’t see and smiled in anticipation of what was to come.

[What a devilish smile.]

‘Yes. That’s your face.’

I countered Hersella’s sarcasm about my terrible expression by telling her to look in a mirror.