episode_0025

“Ha… … .”

“The earth will disappear.”

I shook my head as I looked at Jack, who was sighing so loudly that he literally felt like the earth was falling apart.

As expected, Jack, who had an ambitious dream, failed to achieve anything.

I haven’t heard the details yet, but I don’t think I need to.

It was purely by chance that I met Jack like this.

After breaking up with Estelle, I was wandering around for a while when I saw Jack trudging along with a gloomy look on his face, and I started talking to him.

“I have to watch fireworks with a black guy… … .”

Jack muttered like he was complaining.

As a result, the sympathy for Jack that had existed, even if only slightly, in my heart completely disappeared.

“Let’s stop worrying about the price and buy some food before the booth closes.”

It is natural to look at fireworks with a bit of patience.

You need to hurry because the booths are closing soon.

I urged Jack, who was hanging down.

“Ha… … .”

Jack continued to sigh, but more calmly than expected, he got up and followed me.

“… What are you going to buy?”

“I don’t know. Anything in moderation.”

I was walking along with a hint of surprise when I saw Jack asking for the menu, as if my previous situation had been a lie.

“What is it? I can’t see Student Council President Reinberg?”

“What? The closing ceremony starts soon?”

A noisy voice reached my ears.

Normally, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it, but I couldn’t do that today.

Because the person who came up in their conversation was someone I knew well.

“Ah. done. An agent came instead.”

“Again? This is everyday life, everyday life.”

I didn’t care about their tone of voice.

Because even Nara swears when he is not around.

What really bothered me was the content.

I didn’t hear the details, but I could guess what it was.

Reinberg student council president.

In other words, Estelle did not show up even though the closing ceremony was scheduled to take place soon, and a representative appeared in her place.

Looking at their reactions, it seemed like this wasn’t the first time this had happened, but I couldn’t ignore it.

─ “I guess I should go now.”

─ “Because I have to participate in the closing ceremony.”

Estelle said that when we parted ways.

He said he plans to attend the closing ceremony.

However, she did not participate in the closing ceremony.

“… … .”

Of course, considering Estelle’s personality, there is a possibility that it is simply a whim.

No, it would be safe to say that the possibility of that happening is quite high.

but.

I felt an unknown sense of anxiety.

A deep sense of anxiety that cannot be easily ignored.

‘… ‘I should at least check.’

“Hey.”

“Uh, yes?”

A student wearing a badge from the Reinberg Student Council, who seemed to be busy preparing for the closing ceremony, was stopped.

“Have you found out where the Chairman is?”

“Uh, that’s… It is still not understood. He wasn’t in the student council room or the dormitory… … .”

At that answer, I sighed inwardly.

“But who are you to do that─”

“Thank you. Then.”

“Yes? Hey, wait a minute… … .”

Estelle did not participate in the closing ceremony.

And, its location has not yet been determined.

I had a bad feeling.

***

Estelle was a beloved child.

The youngest daughter of an emperor called Seonggun.

It looks like an angel came down directly from heaven.

Extraordinary intelligence.

A little picky, but cute personality.

There was no way I wouldn’t be loved.

Young Estelle spent a happy childhood receiving lots of love from her father, mother, and those around her.

However, her happiness did not last forever.

One day, my mother suddenly died.

My mother, who was weak to begin with, suddenly collapsed due to an illness of unknown cause and lost her life not long after.

The emperor thought of the loss his beloved daughter would feel and gave her more things and showered her with more love and attention, but that could not fill the empty space in the girl’s heart.

Still, if it had ended there, if it had stopped there, the girl’s life would have been just fine.

However, the disaster did not end there.

Soon, even his father, the emperor, collapsed.

The fallen emperor completely lost consciousness and was unable to get up from his hospital bed.

Neither a famous priest nor a skilled doctor, nor anyone could wake the emperor.

So, Estelle became alone at a young age.

There were brothers.

However, they were only brothers in form, and they did not have any of the bond that brothers should have.

Not only were most of them far apart in age, but their mothers were also different.

The girl was truly alone, but she was not given the time to reflect on that loneliness.

Because a subversive movement began to take place within the imperial family.

Since the emperor was practically dead, it was only natural that a fight to take over the throne would begin.

Those who kept quiet when the emperor was fine revealed their hidden ambitions one by one as soon as the emperor lost consciousness.

Those who were originally not interested in the throne also fell for the trick of those who dreamed of a golden future and began to covet the throne.

Struggles for power were common in the imperial family, but this time the scale was different.

The problem was that the emperor lost consciousness without properly deciding on the successor.

Even if the succession is decided, there is always a fight for the throne, so there is no need to look at what will happen in a situation where the succession is not decided.

In addition, the fact that the emperor had many children was also a factor, and the quarrel gradually grew in scale.

It goes without saying, but the royal family’s strife does not end within the imperial family.

Outside the imperial family, powerful figures and nobles of the empire participated in the fight, supporting their respective imperial families.

Estelle, a girl who was intelligent beyond her age, read the uneasy atmosphere and also realized that the conflict would cause a great crisis in the empire.

The scale of the fight was a problem, but more than anything, the timing was not good.

Due to the war against monsters that lasted for a long time, the continent and the empire were devastated.

What if a massive battle for the throne breaks out here?

What if those in power within the empire participate in the fight?

What if the fight spreads to the entire empire?

The empire collapses.

Estelle ended up seeing that future.

The empire falls.

The empire that my father devoted his entire life to protecting and loving.

Innocent people will bleed and many will die.

Estelle did not want to see that future become a reality.

That’s why the girl decided to pull out her sword.

To prevent the empire from falling.

To prevent innocent people from shedding blood.

It seemed like an impossible task.

Probably everyone thought so.

Because the girl was so young and seemed to have nothing compared to her enemies.

But, that wasn’t the case.

He was talented.

Reinberg was more talented than anyone else in arcane magic, which was said to be the quality of the royal family and proof of legitimacy.

There was a background.

The emperor, who loved his youngest daughter so much, gave everything he could for her.

Some of the powers that had enormous wealth and operated directly under the emperor followed her will.

had the ability

Intelligent and smart, she understood politics at a young age and instinctively knew what to do and how to do it.

And, I had determination.

She was prepared to shed a lot of blood and ruin the lives of countless people.

Just like that, young Estelle pulled out her sword and swung it.

Many members of the royal family were driven out.

Many people lost their positions and power.

And many people died.

Blood flowed. And, blood flowed again.

Estelle didn’t stop.

She swung her sword constantly, and every time she swung her sword, someone died.

And each time, the imperial family and the empire gradually began to stabilize.

In return, Estelle became someone everyone hated.

The beloved princess became a hated monster.

A monster who cuts down even his own brothers in order to gain power.

A madman who places no value on human life.

Before she knew it, everyone around her was looking at her like that.

Estelle knew even before she started that she would be looked at like that.

And I thought that those gazes were something I would have to endure.

Even though she meant it, it was true that many people lost their lives because of her.

However, understanding it mentally and actually accepting it were two different things.

No matter how mature and dignified she was, she was still just a child.

Even though it was for the greater good, there was no way I wouldn’t feel anything because I was in a situation where I was hated by everyone.

I want to quit.

I want to give up.

I want to live a normal life like everyone else.

That thought came to mind several times.

But, that wasn’t possible.

Because she has already crossed the river of no return.

It was my fate to live my whole life in solitude, without anyone understanding me, and with being hated.

I can’t worry or complain.

If you show such a weak side, the bats that are holding their breath will try to take advantage of the gap.

Estelle had to accept that fact.

It happened one day.

“I will be your sword.”

A girl volunteered to become her tool.

I knew that face itself.

A knight’s disciple who belongs to her faction.

It was a person she would not normally remember, but Estelle remembered the girl’s face.

A long time ago, when the emperor was still alive, she was a girl who once became a hot topic among the Imperial Knights.

He was originally a commoner from a slum, but one day he was noticed by an imperial knight, and his talent was greatly appreciated, so he specially took him on as his disciple.

It was quite rare for a commoner, especially a girl, to enter the imperial court in such a way, so there were quite a few rumors going around at the time, and because of that, Estelle had also seen that face.

I didn’t know what happened to him after that, but seeing as how he survived in the imperial court where blood and wind were constantly pouring in, his talent may have been real.

Or, in fact, it was so bad that no one was worth worrying about.

Either way, Estelle didn’t care.

I didn’t have the slightest interest in the girl named Renee.

There were plenty of people who approached her with those kind of rude remarks, and Estelle knew well that she shouldn’t trust people easily.

This girl is definitely no different from them.

Estelle thought so.

Even if that was true, I didn’t think it would mean much.

The girl will die soon anyway.

But Estelle’s expectations were wrong.

Despite going through numerous battles and facing assassins, Rene did not die.

As time passed and the number of times increased, Estelle’s interest in Rene began to grow.

“Your Highness is not wrong.”

Sounds right… I thought.

“I will protect you.”

I thought he was just a person who was ahead of his words.

“I will be your sword.”

However, the girl, Renee, managed to make what she said into reality.

The insignificant girl survived to the end and did not run away even in an environment where her life could have been threatened at any moment. He never left Estelle’s side until the end.

For a few years.

Estelle made Renee her escort.

Even so, Estelle’s fight continued.

Just like before, it was an arduous fight with blood spilling out and people dying.

However, there was something different from before.

Estelle was no longer alone.

Because there was someone who supported her and was by her side.

Thanks to that, Estelle was able to endure it and not break.

And finally, she conquered the imperial family.

As a result, she became someone everyone feared, but Estelle was satisfied.

Because in return, we were able to protect the empire.

Because many people’s lives could be saved.

Even though the world called her crazy and a tyrant, it didn’t matter.

Because she wasn’t alone.

Because she had a friend by her side who understood her.

But.

A friend like that.

Now he was aiming his sword at her.

With cold, sunken eyes.