Chapter. 14. One Empire, Three Legends (47)
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“….”
Crack. Crack.
Shoot ahhh.
“….”
Wiggle, wiggle.
Scratch, scratch.
The sound of winter rain and burning firewood. People gathered in front of that warmth and low light.
“Good….. A total of 7 people, excluding 1. Except for retirement-, all 6 people have gathered. “First of all, let’s give a round of applause in celebration of being able to see everyone again in this crazy imperial capital.”
“Uhm… That’s right. “It’s great to see everyone so healthy again.”
“Yes? I can only say that it was really luck… Hahahahaha….”
Clap clap clap clap.
“stop.”
The professor, pressing his throbbing brow, looked around at the group gathered in front of him one by one, along with some simple refreshments.
.
.
.
.
.
What on earth happened to this?
“Let’s… sort things out. To the clerk.”
“yes.”
As the professor spoke, one of the group sitting around, Idrasil, came to the center.
Idrasil, a stalking half-elf with a sense of duty. This guy has a great habit of recording everything that catches his eye.
“First of all, we all went together until we dispersed from the castle city. “When did you disperse from there?”
Palak.
“capital. Immediately after entering All Amperia. The wizard team consisting of Otman Notum Aldrich heads to the Palace of the Flower Empress. The professor went to the empress’ palace. I hid Lucilla in the Castle City using elemental magic and followed the professor over the castle wall…” “
Let’s get over there. After that, a battle broke out and I handed over the 1st prince and went to the empress’ palace and then to the imperial castle. The wizard team was leaving the flower empress’s palace when they were caught by the royal knights and ran away. Idrasil must have followed after me. Right?”
“yes. We were providing support fire from a high castle tower. At that time, the professor was at the main gate of Hwangseong. A group of wizards were moving near the east gate. Lucilla ran into the castle alone-”
flinch-!
“…Miraculously, I followed the professor and entered the imperial castle.”
“Yes… miraculously. It’s truly like a miracle… Oh my, I don’t understand this number 1. “Do you need some explanation?”
“Uh… I had a feeling… that would happen? confidence? assurance? “Is that the feeling you get when you find something at the bottom of the market that will definitely increase in price 10 times within 10 years if you buy it?”
Woowoouk –
Lucilla’s ‘I don’t know either?’ The wrinkles on the professor’s forehead became deeper as he frowned.
okay. It was really a normal process that anyone could understand until the Hwangseong came in at the beginning. But from there, things started to take a turn in an absurd direction.
The story that followed was literally like a novel, or at the level of a fairytale comically exaggerated by street clowns.
I disappear like an illusion before the eyes of Idrasil, who followed me.
While wandering inside, I found Lucilla among the fragments of the collapsing imperial castle. I evacuated to the underground warehouse in front of me, where there was a lot of weapons from the ancient empire.
Among them, there was the sword of the first emperor, who was known to have disappeared, and this merchant girl seemed to be possessed by the sword, put it on her back, escaped from the imperial castle, and wandered around the capital, which was in chaos, to find the sword’s owner.
and. If this was a play I paid money to see, would I have thrown in a handful of coins as a tip? Like a buckshot with all my might.
I don’t even know where to start, but this is a documentary, not a story.
What happened next was even worse.
“At first, you didn’t even know that guy was Gainax?”
“Yes…. It was just a shimmering golden energy that said, ‘This is the guy!’ ‘This guy!’ It seemed like he was just shouting, so I was wondering if you wanted to catch him and try to become emperor…”
After I destroyed the auror of that guy who was encroached by the power of the empire, I looked at that Gainax guy’s expression. He shared the joy of liberation with his mother, looking like someone who had been trapped in a cave all his life and had now seen the light. He had a face that looked like he wouldn’t even spit in the direction of the empire, let alone the emperor. Also, how did you persuade him to give me the knife?
“Is that the result?”
“Yes… He said he brought food for a few days and even a change of clothes, and he said he would stay in the coach seat until I get on that carriage…”
I wonder how he survived this chaos outside the window with the winter rain falling. An old carriage was standing on top of it, and a driver wearing a thick cloak was rubbing his hands while glancing in this direction.
“Eh-chwiing!”
As the driver coughed and his nose ran down, he quickly wiped it away with the hem of his cloak. It’s a familiar face.
“Muto… did you say that? Duke of Glenn? “The duke’s servant?”
“yes. I also thought he was just a coachman… but he’s the next heir to the dukedom. Originally, the Duke of Glenn raised his heirs like that…”
Somehow. I thought it was strange that in a place where the cursed dead were falling like rain from the sky, there was something like a squire next to the hero unit Duke Glenn. I guess they brought him here because he was a decent guy.
Of course, because they come from a family that has been an imperial judge for generations, their education is of a different class. It’s about education for the Glenn family, and it’s not important to us. What is important now is the person who invited Lucilla, putting a lot of pressure on her by having a nominal servant like that.
“…You sent Gainax away and stayed in that secret passage with Idrasil and the Empress?”
“Yes…”
“Did you talk about something?”
“Well… the secret passage is a facility for the royal family, so it has the function of a safe house in case of an emergency, so there is also a space to rest. The Empress said I looked very tired and suggested that I make a cup of tea to take a breather…” “
And?”
“Well… the story about the elders of the family, how I joined the warrior’s group, the story of how I lived as a merchant, and… the story about Teldrat’s suitor. A little, a little, a lot… a lot. ….”
Lucilla’s face, which was stuttering little by little, began to turn red. Since Lucilla is a quick-witted person, there is no way she wouldn’t know where the Empress’s attention is focused.
“….In front of Gainax, the emperor’s sword smashed the symbolic lion decoration. “What did you say in front of Gainax, who looked like he had been struck by lightning?”
“Wow! Hey Edie! Do not say! I was in my right mind back then-”
“[Go, free man Gainax. “Now, as you said, take control of your own destiny.”
“Yaaah. and. What is Gainax’s answer to that?”
“[I’m a merchant… so I guess I’ll have to pay the price.]”
“Kyaaaa~ I’ll kill you. Hey, Lucilla Aedran B. Let’s pretend there has been no rudeness so far. yes? “There are more than one or two things we have done to each other’s past, so let’s call them teachers.”
“Uwaaaa#^^*@(@#!!! Ha, don’t do that!”
“Let’s see. There isn’t even a temple in good condition in the capital. Should I officiate? I’m a saint, so I guess it’ll be okay. ”
“Uuuuuu!!!” Lucilla
‘s face turned bright red and she looked at me, then at the carriage outside the window, and eventually lowered her head. It
was bad, it was bad. It made a big mark in the story of Teldrat’s suitor. That’s right. In fact,
the story of the women from Teldrat was a story of raising a man who fell into crisis or did not recognize his own worth with their own hands.
Crisis. The capital of the empire, which had lived well and lived well, collapsed and became a hotbed of curses. .
This is the woman who led the new emperor’s hand to raise the sword, telling Gainax, who was trying to escape under the pressure of the ghost of the past empire, to do whatever he wants now without worrying about the past. As a result, Gainax cut down the evil star and opened a new sky.
“… .Okay. Incomprehensible No. 1, let’s understand that the power of the self-prospering empire found a daughter-in-law for the new emperor and let her fulfill that role.” “
Please! Please don’t say that!”
“Why. You don’t like it?”
“….”
Gainax’s reaction was complete, and Lucilla herself didn’t seem to dislike it very much.
Well, I saw the timid and dull appearance of a man with a good body and a large masculine appearance, and at my word, the man got up and ran. If I went out and saw a bastard cutting down a star with a single sword, it would have hit me right in the heart.
If I ever stop by Teldrat in the future, I’ll have to ask the Aedran matriarch to treat me well
. Okay, enough for Lucilla.
“Next. I don’t understand. No. 2. The forest troll who lived and died with me and 400 horses turned out to be an ally of an ancient empire?? Miss Notum. What do you think about the fact that it is the title of an unusual play?” “
Guh-uh. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s like this because it’s not that big of a deal.”
If you think about it, you can see that there are many traces of witchcraft left throughout the empire
. The walls of All Amperia were strengthened with anti-magic and ancient magic, making it difficult for Aurors to enter.
He held a sword dripping with blood and stood next to the emperor. Magic golems of enormous size that stopped knights who were going crazy and wanted to go to the palace, and even built bridges with their own hands for those who had the royal family’s seal.
The imperial castle, like a fantasy, changes places with a single gesture of the emperor. It’s not even a fantasy, but practical enough to hand Lionel to Lucilla when she needs it.
As a wizard, I could not feel any magical energy, so it could be considered a mixture of the emperor’s power and magic.
It doesn’t seem like he’s an ordinary person who leaves dark footprints here and there in imperial facilities that are hundreds of years old.
“You’re probably next to me right now. King Seonjo. Just ask me. “What happened?”
As if it wasn’t over yet, the magic imprint was still shining faintly on Notum’s forehead, and Notum kept scratching his forehead as if he was bothered by it.
“Uuuum…. There was a lot of fighting when this country was created. I am acquainted with the star-eyed emperor. The emperor received a six-legged horse that he cherished like a child and they became friends. Agtak, who was born unable to walk well, learned to eat a horse and was able to run as fast as a horse. He was so grateful that he fought on the side of his friend, the emperor. “That’s it.”
Do trolls have a language-based culture? You mean here too?
“And that’s one of the three ancestral spirits attached to you? So, the ancestral spirit that gave you strength was able to wield the imperial golem and other facilities without mercy?”
“Geuuu.”
….If that’s the case, I’m saying that without Notum, solving the Empire and the Witch quest would have become quite difficult. You have to find Notum, who was nothing more than a talking troll in Roderick’s Forest, and bring him here to complete the standard clear route? Isn’t this too far-fetched?
Regardless of the level of difficulty, this is an area of irrationality. It’s unreasonable. Rather than saying that Notum is a necessity, it would be better to think of it as a process that was naturally skipped thanks to him.
‘Because Notum didn’t have an ancestral decree from the beginning. Notum was chosen by the ancestral spirits. If there is a chance of acquiring a magic character while coming to the empire without Notum…’
Sorcery. Different races. Primitive feeling. Empire Quest….
Sigh!
“Haunuman! “I guess that’s why Haunuman is on the Empire quest path!”
If the emperor’s power had drawn me in, it would be better to think that the real start was the fall of the balloon caused by that letter dragon…. The place where the crashed balloon landed is Haunuman. A place where heterogeneous grassland tribes live, belonging to the imperial territory but not completely belonging to the empire.
Among the opponents, there was a pair that openly used witchcraft. The guy who used his magic shield to link his tribe’s vitality and made a fuss about it. Haunuman, a grassland tribe decorated with primitive patterns, could often see greenskins.
If it were the standard route, the procedure would have been to recruit a witchcraft-related NPC, have an ancestral spirit related to the ancient empire reside in that person’s body, and gather together to make an oath.
Of course, in my case, thanks to Notum, who I can confidently contribute to as the best output in Greenskin history, I was able to secure the Ancestral Territory in advance and play an ignorant game in Haunuman.
‘Maybe I was recruiting someone from the shield-wielding tribe I met after the game that I sent to Roderick? Now that I think about it, the way the leader’s daughter looked at me seemed like she was asking me to take her with me.’
Anyway, this solves one more problem. As expected, thanks to Notum, which I trust and use, the Haunuman line that returned unnaturally has been logically connected.
“finally. Incomprehensible number 3. Aldrich… came in earlier and told us everything, so let’s move on. “Nothing’s wrong with Otman, right?”
“Hmm… I feel kind of left out. There is none. We suppressed the Witch’s Tower and prevented the curse from spreading together with the oaths… After the work was finished, we worked hard to put out the fire in the capital. “Thanks to the rain starting, I was able to rest a little earlier than others.”
“Good… then I heard most of what happened when I wasn’t there.”
organize.
Lucilla – Teldrat’s suitor who became a true legend. After a long journey, he raised the despairing first prince of the empire and gave him the sword that opened a new destiny for him. It is assumed that instead of the sword handed over, he will receive the key to the gate of the newly built imperial palace.
Notum – Oath of the ancient empire. If the ancestral spirits agree right away, the entire castle wall of All Amperia can be destroyed with the magic contained in it, and various magic golems ranging from 5 meters to 10 meters can be used within the capital.
Aldrich – God.
Sigh!
“evil! Why are you hitting me! “God is a fan of people!”
“Oh well, it’s not God!”
“Ma…. Wow! It is said that they removed all the curses and other things that the person who was a saint had, and inherited the divine status created purely by the soul of a saint! What is it if it is not the power of God, created by the soul that was originally a piece of God?”
“How many times have I told you that it’s not that big of a deal? It was just… enough to replenish my exhausted vitality and put the broken dishes back together. The power possessed entirely by one person. That’s about it. In terms of strength alone, I am much weaker than before. Since there are no evil spirits to trade vitality in the crevices of the soul, even simple black magic cannot be used. Now I’m just a slightly healthier old man than other old men of the same age. Even now, my mother…. is a spirit wandering around me thanks to my bringing it to the capital. “It’s too much to send them away one by one.”
Aldrich said and gently swept the empty space. Through the dim firelight, I could see a faint light shining on his fingertips. A colorless light that resembles a wave of waves rather than light.
Seeing Aldrich’s face become awkward, the professor stared at him quietly and then opened his mouth.
“then. Are you going to live for them from now on?”
“…I’m not going to make an excuse for leaving because I wasn’t helpful. I’m sorry. I can’t ignore them. From the eyes and faces of those who lived with blank faces contemplating pain, to the face of Neria, who had filled me for 52 years. I can see the pain of my mother living as a witch. I… want to help them rest with the power I inherited from my mother. I think I’ll spend the rest of my life with that. Although I don’t feel ashamed, I have to say I’m sorry…”
.
.
.
.
There was silence among the group as they reflected on the weight of those words for a moment.
“…That’s good. “Isn’t it a happy ending?”
As always, isn’t the role of a leader to say what needs to be said in situations like this?
To Aldrich, who was looking around the group with eyes full of regret, the professor opened his mouth as if it was no big deal.
“Congratulations Aldrich. “In the end, you finally got rid of all the trouble in your heart that you had been holding on to all your life.”
“It’s shameless to end up like this, just getting help… Thank you, I really appreciate it, everyone. As a warlock, I don’t believe in gods or miracles, so I’ll give all my thanks to those who brought me here…”
Okay.
Clap clap clap.
Applause once again rang out in the dark room. Applause of congratulations and encouragement that expresses indescribable emotions through actions, different from the first.
“You worked hard, Master. I learned well. Thanks to this, I was able to learn about spirits and meet ancestral ghosts.”
“No, Notum, you have unimaginable talent, so even if it weren’t for me, you would have definitely been able to make that talent bloom.”
“…The time I lived without meeting the ghost old man was several times longer than the time I met him. During those years, all I held in my hands and swung were rocks and wooden clubs, so the old ghost was wrong. learned. I realized it and things have changed a lot. This all happened after meeting the ghostly old man. thanks.”
Notum’s thick hand wrapped around Aldrich’s shoulder and a bright smile appeared on his green face, revealing all his fangs.
“Congratulations, Aldrich. In fact, every time I saw your mana, which was as solid and heavy as heavy water, I thought it was amazing, but at the same time, I was anxious that the water that was stagnant and could not flow would lose itself. “Now that the water has found a way to flow again, it’s definitely something to celebrate.”
“Otman. “You…”
“Hehehe. Even if you don’t say anything, you know everything. What am I? Aren’t you a person who lives with the flow? If I’m lucky, someday I’ll be able to reach my own sea. Until then, I plan to just move on. “The clear stream of water in a small valley is good, but if possible, it would be better to ride on a strong river to leave at least a trace on the riverbed.”
As their wrinkled arms hugged each other, the glass bottles in each other’s robes met and rattled, causing both old men to burst into laughter.
“Master Aldrich….”
“Lucilla. You have a lot to feel sorry for. You should always see yourself as yourself. I have always seen Neria’s lost life in your shadow. Neria was such a bright child too. Neria was such a lively child too. If she were alive, I think she would have grown up to be such a bright and energetic young lady. “You shined so brightly, but I couldn’t even face you properly.”
“Even if you say that, it doesn’t mean that Mr. Aldrich hasn’t always taken good care of me. I don’t have a grandfather, so I thought about how it would feel if I had one. Baby, it’s not like we’re going to be separated forever, so why are there so many tears? hmm! iced coffee! hmm! Congratulations… Congratulations, Mr. Aldrich!”
Lucilla, deliberately trying to hide her tears, speaks brightly and lies in Aldrich’s arms.
“Elves don’t care much about separation. In the end, you will return to dust and be reunited with your mother tree. But…. Borka and you. If there is anything I learned from watching human breakups. People don’t mourn breakups. “It seemed like he was grieving and trying to come to terms with the breakup.”
“That… is an interesting opinion.”
“The reason Lucilla is crying is because she remembers that you won’t be there on the journey ahead. Notum expressed his gratitude because he knew that there would not be many days to express gratitude in the future. As humans live a short life, it seems like they know a lot about how to cherish the moment. Even though I am new to the world, I don’t know how to sympathize with them as much as they do…”
Palak. Palak.
“The moments of you that remain with me. “I will cherish it and think about it carefully.”
“It was a message from an elf… I received a precious gift. “I hope you return to the forest safely, Idrasil.”
With a blunt face, he opened a notebook full of grime and wrote about Aldrich. His embarrassed face, his hand grabbing the professor’s collar, and Idrasil smiling while sharing a sedative with Otman.
Aldrich had to struggle to swallow the emotions welling up between his wrinkled eyelids at the unexpected gift.
And then it’s your turn. The professor, who had been watching the whole scene, approached Aldrich.
“It’s a moment that every party goes through eventually. A party member leaving your side.”
“No matter how many times I apologize to you-”
“There are so many different ways. As we are humans, the longer we interact with each other, the more the parts that annoy us become stand out. There are people whose discord piles up and scatters like a broken vessel. There are also cases where an unfortunate accident with the highest probability leaves only a cold grave behind and divides people into those who survive and those who do not. Like us now, we achieve our goal at the end of our journey. Leaving in blessings in search of a new life. “It’s very rare, but there are some that look the best.”
“Professor…”
“I think our party is moving towards its most ideal form. A total of seven. Two out of ten. Retire by achieving what you want and finding a happy life. “Wouldn’t the moment when this number reaches seven be a happy ending for all of us?”
The professor’s calloused hand touched Aldrich’s wrinkled hand.
“Please stop by the temple occasionally and contact me. If there is someone who claims to be a heretic, all you have to do is say, ‘The priest who communicates with this communication has a direct line to the saint.’ There will be more than one priest who will come out barefoot. “I can do that now.”
“Hehehe, it’s really up to you until the end. It’s just you…”
That’s the end of the final greeting.
Aldrich stood up and bowed deeply to everyone in the group.
“I will leave here the first words of gratitude that will last the rest of my life. Unforgettable experiences and unforgettable memories. I am truly grateful for being the friends I will remember in the last moments of my life. Thanks to you, I was able to achieve a wish that I thought would never come true and set out to find a new goal. Now traveling around the world. I want to live the life of a person who guides the lost like these people….”
Pop. Suddenly….
“I will cut my shame and empty my seat at the professor’s warrior party….”
Tears eventually fell from the dry eyes of the old man, who was bent down almost to the floor.
The remaining five party members applauded enthusiastically, as if encouraging him for his future.
Clap clap clap clap –
Muto, the servant and heir to the dukedom who was just watching from the outside, blushed and clapped at the story he had unintentionally overheard, then cautiously knocked on the window as if a thought occurred to him.
Knock knock.
“I… I’m sorry for disturbing the atmosphere that warmed my body as it froze in the winter rain. The entire Saint’s party has received an invitation from the Duke and Gainax. I would like you to attend the coronation ceremony not only for celebration, but also for the future of the empire. Well… if you go now, I, who was watching in front of you, will be beaten to death by the Duke… How could it not be possible?”
“Heung! Uhmmm. Growing old and disgraceful… Yes, coronation. That was it. Uhm….”
“Uh…. I did everything I needed to do. Are you going to see it? Still, you are the adult in the group. “After seeing Lucilla go, you can have a farewell party with the set and then leave.”
“It’s a coronation. Oh, that’s what it meant. but. If the situation is chaotic, the law is to stabilize the imperial family first and prevent the aristocracy from being shaken. Yes, Lucilla umm…. I guess I should go see this.”
“….to? uh? uh??”
“That guy has been waiting for a long time too, but now that he’s spoken, let’s leave. I have something to talk about with that friend from Gainax. “If I wait any longer, the guy who plays the coachman will freeze to death.”
“Excellent judgment, saint! I’ve prepared a few more carriages elsewhere, so if you don’t have enough, you can take them there. Ah, Aedran Hwang…. Lady, you must ride here. “Is there a need for a separate ceremony?”
Was he quick-witted or was he just waiting for this moment?
A person with a good sense of humor…. Thanks to Muto, the heavy and gloomy atmosphere became brighter.
“Oh, oh, I… My dress is all torn, and the clothes I’m wearing now are only for merchants, and my face isn’t even ready yet-”
“Aren’t the survivors gathered in the capital now all survivors of the city? We have plenty of experts ready, so all you have to do is show up. Let’s get on. hurry!”
From the tone of voice that seems sly but takes control of the situation to the hand gestures. Meanwhile, the carriage carrying Lucilla advanced through the half-emptied streets of the capital, and mischievous smiles appeared in the eyes of the group watching from behind.
“Let’s go too. “They say I waited a long time.”
“Okay…let’s go.”
slam!
With the sound of the coachman’s reins hitting the horse’s back, the carriage carrying the rest of the party followed suit.
Aldrich decided to fully enjoy this trip, which would be his last event with the group.
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