episode_0221

The great Karaz Empire.

The place now had a festive atmosphere.

A man woke up to loud cheering and came outside to find a disturbing sight.

A big smile on the faces of people gathered in one place.

A loud trumpet sound and lively music were heard.

The splendid carpet extending from the entrance of the castle seemed to welcome someone.

A sudden, inexplicable festive atmosphere.

Those who were slow to catch up were simply bewildered as to what on earth they were celebrating.

“What’s going on all of a sudden?”

“Hey, kid. Haven’t you heard from me?”

“News? What news are you talking about?”

The man answered with a bright smile on his face.

“The Demon King has been defeated. And the terrible war has finally come to an end.”

“Wh…what?! Is that true?”

“Yes. I just got a report from the palace. They said the warrior party is returning from the subjugation.”

Shocking news that will make your mouth drop open.

As the man looked around blankly, he saw a bustling scene with everyone cheering loudly.

“Really…the war is over?”

I just couldn’t believe it.

The fight with the demons is over.

These are demons who have been threatening the world for hundreds of years. How could we have defeated them overnight?

But what if.

If this is really true, there was no slope.

When a deep joy slowly begins to rise in a man’s chest.

“The warrior party has arrived!!”

At the words of one of the guards standing guard in front of the castle gate, a loud commotion began to break out in the surrounding area.

The lively cheers grew louder and louder, and children, old people, men and women all cheered with one heart.

The man who was blankly staring at the sight also began to feel his heart pounding.

‘This is not the time for this.’

They are heroes who accomplished the great feat of defeating the Demon King.

Those people have arrived, so I shouldn’t just sit there blankly.

He too should join the crowd and pay them tribute.

“Ma..Long live!! Long live the warrior party!!”

“Ahh..Athena..I respect you..!!”

“Warrior!! Please look here just once!!”

A loud noise, incomparable to what had been happening just a moment ago, was heard coming from the entrance.

“You’re here..”

The heroes who saved the world have arrived.

As the man ran out and looked at the sight before him, he was able to face them. No, they.

A sight that everyone warmly welcomes.

The appearance of brilliant heroes…

“….Huh?”

The man’s pupils began to shake violently.

The heroes who saved the world came to the empire.

but.

In this situation, we should be cheering with joy.

No one made a sound.

Jerk- Jerk-

Why is that?

They must have clearly returned victorious.

Their footsteps were heavy, like those of a defeated army.

“Who is that person..?”

A party of warriors enters with lifeless eyes.

A hero of sunlight walks sadly in front of them.

In her arms like that.

A woman as beautiful as a flower was sleeping peacefully.

“…..Is that true?”

The Emperor of the great Karaz Empire, Varus, spoke in a sorrowful voice.

“Yes.”

Godric, who is very polite and has a serious expression on his face.

His eyes were filled with deep sadness.

“……Heroes?”

“I only know that they went to a certain house. I couldn’t bring myself to follow them.”

“Yeah.”

Varus leaned back on his throne and let out a deep sigh.

“This can hardly be called a slope.”

no.

At least for them.

It would be an even greater tragedy.

*

A house in the empire.

A silver-haired woman. Dania looked at Athena with trembling eyes.

“…..Are you lying?”

“…..”

When no answer came from Athena, a tear fell weakly from Dania’s eye.

“Tell me it’s a lie.”

“….Sister..”

At Lily’s hollow voice, Dania’s face crumpled and she ran to Athena.

Crack-!

Dania strikes Athena’s cheek with all her might.

But ironically, it was Dania’s hand that was swollen red.

But Dania continued to slap Athena’s cheek as if it didn’t hurt at all.

“….Stop.”

Athena grabbed Dania’s hand, feeling as if her wrist would break if she were hit any longer.

“…….How could that be possible.”

Dania burst into tears and looked at Athena with eyes burning with anger.

“If you took Hera away from us without permission, you should at least make her happy.”

“…..”

“I didn’t say anything to you. When Hera talked about you, you showed the brightest face of anyone. Even though I hated you to death, I didn’t say anything.”

Athena lowered her head like a sinner, feeling as if Dania’s words were flying like thorns and piercing her heart.

“Do you know what Hera said?”

“…..What..?”

As Athena slowly raised her head, Dania squeezed her eyes shut and recalled Hera’s voice echoing in her mind.

– Sister. Athena… She’s not that bad. She’s just a little twisted.

– He may seem like a jerk on the outside, but he’s actually kind on the inside. He’s also pretty and rich. Hehe… Did I seem too perverted?

– Above all else… it’s incredibly strong! So much so that it could be said to be the strongest in the world.

Ugh-

“But why!!! Why couldn’t you protect me! I said I was the strongest!!”

Dania screams while grabbing Athena by the collar.

Despite her violent behavior, Athena was unable to respond.

“Why! Why! You couldn’t protect Hera! Why!!”

“I’m…sorry…”

At Athena’s voice shaking violently, Dania looked up at her, trembling.

Dania was momentarily speechless at the sight of her biting her lips so hard that they bled and shedding tears.

Athena’s appearance was something I could never have imagined.

Dania gritted her teeth and took a step closer to her.

Hera was sleeping comfortably in Athena’s arms. Dania stroked her cheek with a wistful expression.

“Hera………”

A single teardrop flowing from Dania fell onto Hera’s forehead.

Soon she fell to the floor with her chin down and hesitated.

He began to cry sadly, clutching his pounding heart.

No one who looked at her like that could encourage Dania.

They too. Because they had a hard time holding back the tears that were about to flow at any moment.

*

A forest on the outskirts of the empire.

Deep in this forest where lush trees grew everywhere, there was one special place.

A meadow hidden inside the forest.

A place where beautiful flowers and green grass grow. There was a house there that was like a cabin.

The house where Hera and Marie lived together.

In the vibrant, green, stretching meadows.

A woman with hair that looked like it was bathed in the sun was walking toward me.

With each step Athena took, the grass crunched, making a pleasant sound.

Where she finally arrived.

It was a place where a tombstone was placed, out of place in the beautifully spread out meadow.

As Athena approaches.

As if a guardian guarding a treasure, a girl sleeping next to the tombstone woke up, rubbing her eyes.

“…….Hello.”

Athena nodded once at the sound of Marie’s hollow voice, sat down next to her, and stroked the tombstone faintly.

“…….What should I do Hera.”

A month passed before I could accept Hera’s death.

One month. I tried everything I could during that time.

There was a time when Iris stayed up all night praying.

I tried using Mari’s mana, hoping that maybe I could save her if I obtained the perfect body of a dragon.

I have tried every herb available in the world.

In the end, he tried to revive Hera by using Ariel’s black magic.

But nothing could make Hera open her eyes again.

I went completely crazy for a week.

There were no more tears to shed, so blood began to flow.

I screamed day and night until I couldn’t hear anything.

And a month.

We all decided to give Hera’s body some rest before she returned.

It was just yesterday that Hera was buried here.

Everyone, including himself, cried so hard that he fainted.

“…..What if I ask you for a favor you can’t keep?”

I really wanted to die.

Who knows? If I die, I might meet Hera in the afterlife.

It was nonsense, but I wanted to end my life right away and sleep with Hera.

But if you do that, Hera won’t forgive you. She’ll definitely be very disappointed in you and angry.

Hera’s last request to them.

To live happily.

For someone whose every day was like hell, there was nothing more impossible than that.

No matter how much time passed, it seemed like this would never change.

With a sad smile, Athena left a kiss on the tombstone and sat down there.

“…Please appear even in my dreams.”

Looking forward to the day when death will come to him.

Athena slowly rested her head on the stone and fell asleep.

And so it is.

A year has passed.