episode_0156

it’s tough.

pain.

Now. I want to stop.

“Saint! There are injured people here too!”

“…..Yes. I’ll go right away.”

Iris finished treating the injured person in front of her with an exhausted expression. However, she got up immediately and ran to the next patient without even taking a break.

It doesn’t take that long to run.

A soldier who was so badly wounded that he could barely be said to have one arm and one leg attached came into view.

“Ugh…!”

“Please bear with me for a moment..!”

I placed my hands on his body and recited a prayer to calm him down as much as possible, and then slowly began to treat his body.

“Oh my…phew…thank you…my lady…”

As the pain subsided, the soldier fell into a deep sleep, perhaps overcome by fatigue.

After Iris finished cleaning up after him, she wiped away the cold sweat and stared blankly at the sky.

“…..It’s hard.”

A week has passed since the Demon King was defeated.

Even though she, the root of all evil, was gone, peace did not come.

As the irresistible disaster collapsed, its fragments scattered everywhere, sprouting seeds of misfortune.

A war that should have originally ended with the fall of the Demon King.

But the reality was not so easy.

Disaster-level monsters that were oppressed by the Demon King are awakening everywhere.

From the demons who attack day after day in the name of revenge, to the followers of the Demon King who were hiding within the country, to the black magicians.

It has become routine for small threats to lead to major disasters.

But above all, if we were to list the reasons why this war will not end now, everyone would agree.

Dark Knight Tyros, Commander of the 1st Legion.

A mysterious knight wearing black armor all over his body.

His power exceeded everyone’s expectations.

The Demon Realm where the Demon King disappeared. The Emperor did not miss this opportunity and sent the Empire’s soldiers along with the Elven Nation’s archers and the Water Nation’s warriors to deal with the remnants.

An all-out attack carried out by gathering powerful warriors from each race.

The Emperor had no doubt that he would sweep away the remnants of the Demon Tribe.

But what he came back with was a terrible defeat.

The troops who marched out with great pride ended up losing their lives to a single knight.

Of course, there were other demons and forces beside him, including the Demon Tribe, but it was clear that he was the decisive factor in their defeat.

If we judge by force alone, he is a being that can be placed on the same level as the Demon King.

His presence alone was holding the plot of this war together.

The warrior party lost their lives.

The black sword disappeared like the wind.

The worst Lich. Now that the Great Sage’s life is in danger after being attacked by Melum.

There was no one who could deal with him.

Except for one person.

.

.

.

“Are you really crazy!!!”

Emperor of the great Karaz Empire. Varus de Magsitia.

When he slammed his hand down with a loud noise, everyone around him became tense and broke out in a cold sweat.

But just one person.

The woman in front of him just looked at him with an indifferent expression.

“The war will end if you just catch that monster! But why are you refusing orders!”

“I told you before. If you want to move me. Bring the corresponding price.”

“Countless citizens of the empire are dying every day! Don’t you feel guilty?”

The emperor, whose anger was rising to the top of his head, looked at her with resentful eyes, but the woman only smiled faintly.

“What does that have to do with me?”

“What..?”

The woman continued speaking, looking at the emperor with a puzzled expression as if she really didn’t know.

“I don’t understand why you’re trying to blame me for the dogs dying because they’re weak.”

“Hey you bitch!”

The emperor finally lost his temper and raised his voice and screamed.

But the woman spoke in a calm voice, as if she had no regard for the emperor.

“I heard that there are tears of a goddess in the main hall. They are said to be quite beautiful?”

At the woman’s peaceful words, a vein appeared clearly on the emperor’s forehead.

“Idiot! You have to go to the temple and get it! Don’t you know how valuable the saintess is in this situation-?!”

The emperor’s words were not continued.

Because a golden sword was shining fiercely in front of his neck.

“Wouldn’t that be better than fighting with me?”

“Do you…..know who you dare to point your sword at?”

“A senile old man?”

Varus, who no longer wanted to hear her words, shouted orders to the surrounding guards.

“Get this woman out of my sight right now!!”

But despite his absolute command as the Emperor of the Empire, no one could move rashly.

Because I knew very well what kind of monster the being in front of me was.

A woman with flowing golden hair. The strongest in the empire. A being called invincible.

Athena looked down at the emperor with an interesting smile, as if something had occurred to her.

“Come to think of it… If I become the emperor, I’ll take all the imperial treasures.”

Her ominous words made the emperor shiver without realizing it.

“….Are you planning a rebellion?”

“I lived without thinking much about it for fear of bothering the warrior.”

Athena’s eyes, burning fiercely, seemed to take Varus’ breath away.

“Now that warrior is dead?”

“………”

Athena watched the emperor’s frightened appearance for a while, unable to resist and dripping with cold sweat, then she let out a snicker and put down the sword in front of his neck.

“Phew. Why are you so scared?”

Only after her lifespan had diminished was Varus able to breathe normally.

“Anyway, bring me the Goddess’s tears. If you want to find peace in the empire.”

Athena finished saying what she wanted to say and turned away without any regrets.

Just before she left the room, she looked at the Emperor’s crown and muttered to herself.

“Well. If you get tired of playing with jewels..then maybe it’d be nice to play king.”

.

.

.

A long palace hallway.

As Iris rushed to the emergency room to treat the next casualty, she came face to face with a familiar face.

She has brilliantly shining eyes and exudes overwhelming spirit.

“Athena…”

“Iris?”

Looking at her, Iris couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

Athena. A person he once admired.

But now, he is such a resentful person.

“This time too…are you just going to watch from behind?”

If only she had helped.

Perhaps the empire was enjoying peace at the moment.

His comrade might not have died.

….Maybe I didn’t have to suffer like this.

But despite having the strongest power, she didn’t provide any help.

As if I was a spectator, I just watched people die behind the scenes during every battle.

As if their deaths were nothing.

Although Iris spoke to her in a voice full of reproach, Athena simply shrugged and approached her.

“Well. It’s not like it’s anything I care about.”

“How could that be…-”

“Iris.”

As if she wouldn’t listen any longer, Athena spoke in a low voice, leaving Iris unable to say anything.

Athena looked down at Iris, who was trembling beneath her, impassively.

“I don’t really like humans. They’re so weak, yet so needlessly greedy.”

“You’re human too.”

“Well, that’s true. But that’s what Iris is.”

Athena let out a faint laugh and continued speaking.

“I am strong. Unlike others, I am not a weak being who only needs help from others.”

“…….”

“You should live for yourself too. What will you get in return if you try so hard for others?”

Athena tapped Iris on the shoulder and began walking forward again. Iris, who was suppressing her surging emotions and looking down at the spot where Athena had just been standing, spoke to her in an extremely tearful voice.

“Poor person. If you knew what love is, you wouldn’t have gone astray like this.”

Towering-

Athena’s footsteps stopped.

Athena slowly turned her head back to look at Iris.

“Phew..! Ahaha!”

He started to laugh out loud, something he had never done before.

After a while, Athena, who had been laughing so loudly that Iris’ eyes were furrowed, approached her again.

“Haa..Iris.”

He reached out and grabbed Iris by the neck.

“What the heck?!”

Iris reflexively tried to sway her body as her breathing was suddenly blocked.

Athena’s brute force lifted her off the ground without a hitch.

“Love?”

“Ugh…haak…ugh..”

“Iris. Listen carefully.”

Iris is in pain, struggling with her feet not touching each other.

Athena spoke, not caring at all.

“The illusion of love that I once hoped for was shattered when my father cheated on me and my mother abandoned me for money.”

“Gasp…gasp…”

Iris’s pure white face, where no blood flowed through it, gradually turned red.

As Iris’s resistance gradually weakened, Athena threw her body to the side.

bang-

Then, Iris fell to the ground with a loud impact. Athena looked down at her with her still emotionless eyes.

“Ugh..! Hah…haak…!”

“I’ll tell you clearly, Iris.”

Athena placed her foot on Iris’s chin, who was breathing heavily, and lifted her head so that she was looking up at her.

“Who I love. Even if I die and wake up, that won’t happen.”

Never.