episode_0026

[When the time comes, the trumpet will sound, and on the day the Son of Man descends personally from heaven, the dead will rise first.]

『Feanor, A Story.』

WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

“Wow~, listen to that. The excitement is no joke, isn’t it?”

Bradamante looked down at the crowds, exclaiming in admiration.

As she stood on tiptoes and vigorously waved both hands, even more enthusiastic cheers erupted from wherever her gaze touched.

WAAAAAHHHH!!!

“She’s a complete superstar.”

Danoa shook her head in amazement.

With her tomboyish, girlish appearance and uniquely lively personality, Bradamante was exceptionally popular with the crowds, regardless of her rank within the Knights.

She mumbled this in a voice so low no one could hear, but Bradamante, who possessed the most superhuman physical abilities among the knights, supernaturally caught her words.

“Hehehe~ Jealous, aren’t you? You’re jealous of me, who monopolized popularity even among women, all while being the face of the Knights, aren’t you?”

“Is that something you say to a married man, kiddo?”

“What?! Hey, you–”

“Just shut up, you idiots.”

Interrupting Bradamante, who was about to flare up, the ruffian Rinaldo looked at the two and snarled fiercely.

Seeing that, Bradamante frowned and said,

“If you’re going to vent your anger, do it inside. Why come all the way out here and act like a child?”

Veins popped out on Rinaldo’s brow.

“What?”

“Oh, come on, it’s true. Aren’t you ashamed to hear something like this from your younger sister, especially as an older brother? You’re taking out your anger on us because you got beaten up by the Commander, aren’t you?”

Her gaze went to Rinaldo’s cheek.

On Rinaldo’s face, still remained a clear bruise mark from getting thoroughly beaten by Orlando for trying to rape a palace maid.

As if he recalled that memory, killing intent slowly rose in Rinaldo’s eyes.

*Clank-*

“You…”

He put his hand on the greatsword strapped to his back, just as he was about to draw it immediately.

“Stop.”

Nemo, who was receiving the cheers of the crowds from behind Kara and Orlando, reprimanded Rinaldo.

“Millions of citizens are looking up at us. As a hero, aren’t you ashamed to fight even in this place, Rinaldo?”

“Hehe~ look–”

“And the same goes for you, Bradamante.”

As Nemo’s gaze turned to her, Bradamante immediately backed down and became silent.

Although he had been demoted from Vice-Commander and now held the position of Fourth Knight, in the past he had been practically the teacher who had raised most of the knights present.

That being the case, even Bradamante, who bounces all over the place, and Rinaldo, who has a temper, had no choice but to meekly obey his words.

‘That dog-like old geezer.’

Because.

*Flinch!*

“……”

Because even Orlando, standing directly behind Kara, had been his disciple, having received teachings from Nemo when he was young.

Rinaldo, instinctively knowing that if he didn’t listen to Nemo and rampaged further, it wouldn’t just end with getting beaten like earlier, immediately lowered his gaze.

As he received Orlando’s gaze, which felt sharper than ever, the bruise marks he’d gotten from the earlier beating began to throb.

Seeing the ruffian-like Rinaldo quiet down, Orlando turned his gaze forward again.

Looking forward again, Kara, with her white hair flowing, receiving the cheers of the crowds, came into view.

WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

As she waved her hand elegantly and leisurely, she looked down at the plaza with a faint smile.

‘Hero of Verdure.’

Though it was now destroyed, she was a great High Elf, chosen by the World Tree, who had forever remained in the history of the former Elf Empire.

Because Kara had inherited the star that was her soul, her appearance, having also inherited the unique traits of a High Elf while awakening her power, was enough to evoke admiration even from Orlando himself.

Orlando quietly approached her side, naturally waving his hand as he spoke.

“You’ve gone through a lot of hardship.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. As a hero, it’s something I naturally have to do, isn’t it?”

Kara, still receiving the cheers of the crowds, replied lightly.

Her tone was ordinary, no different from usual.

But because they were comrades-in-arms who had spent a long time together, Orlando immediately noticed the subtle difference in her words.

It was a feeling of relief.

A sense of liberation, relief, and joy that she could soon lay down the weighty responsibility she had carried for so long.

Such emotions coexisted within her.

“You seem quite happy.”

“Do I look that way?”

“Yes.”

Looking at Kara’s expression, which, though very subtle and difficult for others to notice, was undoubtedly brighter than usual, Orlando said,

“Now that I think about it, you said you’d retire once this is over, didn’t you?”

At those words, Kara quickly turned her head and looked at Astolfo.

Fortunately, Astolfo didn’t seem to have heard Orlando’s words just now.

“It’s fine. I adjusted the sound with my aura so only you could hear it.”

“…You could do something like that?”

“Of course.”

As he was a Grand Master in name, performing such a skill with aura was a very easy task for him.

“So, if you retire, what do you plan to do immediately?”

At those words, Kara, for a brief moment, envisioned the future and made a happy smile, but then immediately made a bitter expression and spoke.

“Will I even be able to retire? The Impurity family won’t stay still right away.”

“Is that because you were designated as my successor?”

“Yes. There’s no way the people of that family, the embodiment of lust for power, would leave me alone.”

“That… that’s true.”

It was a fact known to all citizens of the Empire that the Impurity family lived madly for prestige and lust for power.

“As long as they’ve tied me into an engagement with Astolfo, things probably won’t resolve as easily as I think.”

At those words, Orlando looked at her, keeping his mouth shut.

Just as she said, as long as she was already tied into an engagement with the next family head, it was clear she wouldn’t even be able to retire freely.

Whether he liked it or not, Orlando, who had grown tired of seeing the political struggles within the imperial palace, knew very well that retirement would be even more difficult for her.

‘I don’t know what her circumstances are, but.’

For a long time, she had wanted to throw away the title of hero so badly.

While pretending outwardly that it was nothing, and showing a more heroic appearance than anyone else, the person who disliked becoming a hero more than even the ruffian Rinaldo, and wanted to give up, was none other than Kara.

For the past 20 years, though she didn’t show it outwardly, Orlando had known from her occasional inner thoughts how much she wanted to lay down the position of hero.

Various troublesome things would happen, but he wanted to help Kara’s wish come true.

“After this is over, if you truly intend to declare your retirement, I will help with all my might.”

“You, Uncle?”

“Yes.”

Orlando made a bitter expression.

“Although the title of Knights Commander looks like a dazzling, gold-rimmed position on the surface, this is a place where only sacrifice is demanded.”

For a long time, he had been suppressed by the responsibility of his given position, dedicating his youth solely to the Empire’s safety.

Of course, that didn’t mean he regretted the time he had dedicated so far, but he didn’t want to see young Kara suppressed by such heavy responsibility for her entire life.

‘For this child to bear, this position is cruelly heavy.’

Recalling his past hardships, Orlando looked at Kara and continued.

“So, if you intend to retire, tell me in advance. I’ll stake my honor, defy the opposition of great families, and help you retire.”

At those words, small tears welled up in Kara’s eyes.

“Uncle…”

“Don’t cry. Aren’t the citizens watching?”

“Ah…!”

Kara quickly wiped her tears.

Quietly watching that, Orlando made a faint smile.

‘Indeed, this position doesn’t suit this tender child.’

Although Kara was old enough to not be called a child, to Orlando, who was over a hundred, she still looked like a very young child.

After watching Kara for a moment, the teleport gate installed at the capital’s gate began to activate.

A super-long distance teleportation device, connected to the teleport gate installed at the nearby front line of Numenlora, the stronghold of the Death Legion and the capital of the former Elf Empire.

Looking at the portal, crammed full of expensive magic stones and ready to send tens of thousands of soldiers to the edge of the Western Continent, Orlando drew his sword.

It was the beginning of the final war, a war to end the long one.

***

Evening.

The numerous crowds had long since disappeared, and the endless procession of the Imperial Army had vanished beyond the teleportation portal a long time ago.

Even after the afterglow of the festival had faded, just as many people still moved vibrantly through the streets, people gathered in groups, praising the majesty of the heroes from earlier, even though the Imperial Army and heroes had long since left the city.

“Did you see Sir Bradamante earlier?”

“I did. She’s far more beautiful than what I heard from rumors–”

“Thank you very much, Sir Joshua.”

The old man, holding the hands of two children in both his hands, expressed his gratitude.

“Thanks to you, these children could see the heroes’ faces to their heart’s content.”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you!”

Maria and Mikhail each waved their hands, showing bright smiles.

Seeing that, Joshua, with a faint smile, looked at the old man again.

“By the way, where do you plan to go now?”

“Hmm, I’ll probably stay somewhere for about a day, then I’ll head back. I don’t have enough money to afford the capital’s prices.”

“Is that so.”

Meanwhile, he saw the security patrol nearby rushing somewhere busily.

Their profusely sweating appearance seemed to indicate something urgent had happened.

“Did a murder happen nearby or something?”

“It seems so.”

Just then.

*VWOOOOOOOOMMMMM─────*

Feanor’s Lighthouse.

From the lighthouses installed throughout the city, guarding the capital from evil, a massive trumpet sound began to echo.

“This… isn’t this the sound of the lighthouse?”

At the trumpet sound of the lighthouse, which he had never heard since visiting the capital, the old man’s expression was filled with doubt.

“I hear that such a sound is made when a malfunction occurs in the lighthouse.”

“A problem? If a problem has occurred in the lighthouse, isn’t that a big deal?”

As the old man’s expression began to grow serious, Joshua calmed him down and said,

“It’s fine. It’s a lighthouse that has never once extinguished its light since the capital was founded, isn’t it? As it is an old object, it sometimes causes minor malfunctions, so there probably won’t be any major issue.”

“Hmm, is that so.”

“More importantly, Sir.”

“Hm?”

“My acquaintance runs a small inn. How about staying there tonight? If you mention my name, you’ll be able to get enough food and a good place to sleep for a small amount of money.”

“Oh, is that so. I’m only indebted to you. Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

After the conversation, as it was slowly nearing midnight, the old man took the two tired children and left for the recommended inn.

“Goodbye!”

“See you later!”

With cheerful voices, the two little children said their goodbyes.

Looking at those two children, he also waved his hand in return.

***

Tiphereth Imperial Palace.

In front of the firmly closed palace gates, statues of heroes who achieved deeds that would forever remain in the history of the Shahlnu era were erected at regular intervals.

*Tap-*

He stroked the firmly closed palace gates with his hand.

On the palace gates was a giant mural, drawn on palace gates the size of houses, summarizing the major events of the Shahlnu era.

Starting with the founding of the Empire at the very top, events remaining in the Empire’s history were engraved according to the flow of the times.

*Tap-*

At the very bottom, along with the remaining blank space, the figures of the twelve heroes were drawn.

The sight of twelve brilliantly shining stars, protecting the continent from the army of infinite corpses.

-The eternity of starlight is the eternity of the Empire-

A phrase of destiny: as long as heroes exist, the Empire will be eternal.

Looking at that phrase, I let out a sneer.

“Eternal, huh.”

The firmly closed palace gates opened.

*CREAAAAAK───*

*THUD─ THUMP───*

“……”

The knight with pure white hair looked at the empty passage beyond the palace gates.

*Step- Step-*

He slowly moved his steps towards it.

“…We’ll see about that.”

*Clink-*

*Shing──*