Episode 253 Epilogue (1)
Former Abyss Corporation.
Pandemonium, the capital of the Abyss Islands, entered the coalition government.
The rubble of the Abyss Corporation headquarters, which had collapsed and become ruins, was filled with demon workers and Allied soldiers.
A strange alliance formed thanks to the circumstances of the Demon Tower, who still wanted to salvage something from the collapsed building and study it, the Allied Forces, who had to receive the beans from them anyway, and the Demons, who had to give them something of value and receive mercy.
“You found it?”
“Because I knew where you were imprisoned. “I was able to find it.”
King Henry I of Krafte heard the answer from the succubus Lea, who was floating in the air and flapping her wings, and stepped into the site of the excavation of the wreckage.
“Your Majesty the King.”
“Your Majesty the King!”
“Glory to Krafte!”
Heinrich recognized him, waved his hand to the saluting soldiers, and headed toward his destination.
And at their destination, they came face to face with the corpses of others who had all been bitten and so mangled that it was difficult to recognize them.
Although he was crushed and crushed under a pile of rubble from a collapsing building, just by looking at him, one could guess that he had already met his end before that happened.
Because it had no arms or legs and was so skinny as to be a mummy, only bones remained.
“This is Vassago, the former CEO of Grid. “After he rebelled against Bael and was purged, it was used as a biological magic extractor to supply energy to drones.”
Leah spoke in a calm tone and added softly.
“At one time, he worked as an agent in the Kingdom of Krafte under the name of Justin von Wittenfeld.”
“…okay.”
I knew it without even having to listen.
Although it was a mess and the eggs were broken, the glasses worn by Vassago’s corpse were familiar to Heinrich as well.
Heinrich looked down at the corpse of Vassago, or rather, Bittenfeld, and opened his mouth.
“I was quite worried about how I should take revenge and what I would say when I met him…”
-Did Bittenfeld go comfortably?
The great warmonger Charles II, the High King of Krafte.
Regrets don’t suit him.
Feelings of betrayal do not suit him.
So Heinrich remained silent.
Instead, I had suspicions.
Suspicion that his country may have been raised from the beginning by the needs of demons and with the help of demons.
The more I investigated based on Wittenfeld’s past actions and Krafte’s actions, the closer the suspicion became to certainty –
which soon turned into a burning desire for revenge.
The Great King and his Kingdom of Krafte, a military nation created by their arrogance and deception, turned their guns on them.
The nation of demons collapsed before the Allied Forces, and the demons who dared to fool Krafte met a miserable end befitting their evil deeds.
No, beyond misery.
“…It’s hot.”
Heinrich muttered softly and smiled empty-handedly.
If I found Bittenfeld, I was going to cut him to pieces with my sword, but I didn’t even feel like drawing my sword against this miserable corpse.
If the Great King had known of Bittenfeld’s betrayal and had come face to face with Bittenfeld’s dead body.
Perhaps he too lost interest in this indecent corpse and turned his attention to another opponent.
King Heinrich I laughed as he looked at the succubus, who was worried that she might vent her anger in the wrong place.
“…Okay, thank you for your cooperation, devil. “You may dispose of this body however you wish.”
“Thank you, His Majesty the King of Krafte!”
Henry I turned his back on Leah, who bowed her head.
Henry I’s face was stiff as he left the road again.
He got his revenge.
But this is a victory that cannot be announced.
Being labeled as a kingdom exploited by demons is a disgrace that shakes the very foundation of Krafte.
In the end, there is no such thing as exhilaration in revenge that only you know and that you could not achieve with your own hands.
Only a deep sense of emptiness remained.
Henry I walked through the rubble and stopped.
“hello.”
The now all-too-familiar white robe, silver hair and purple eyes that glowed mysteriously even under the fog that barely lets in sunlight.
Saint Queen Esiliste Liliane of Frangias.
Henry I bowed lightly to her.
“I heard you woke up. “Is your health okay?”
Eris smiled lightly.
“It’s okay now. “Thank you for your concern.”
Heinrich looked at Eris as if measuring her, but could not think of a good reason for her to come to him.
Although they fought together as allies, officially they were only fulfilling their obligations under a treaty signed by the Maharaja.
At least, compensation for Krafte’s great contribution to the war has already been agreed upon, so there is nothing more to talk about.
To begin with, Franzia and Krafte are closer to enemies than allies.
The White Queen smiled lightly and opened her mouth, perhaps reading Heinrich’s thoughts or simply not thinking about it.
“It has been decided to implement military rule, and now all remaining Allied countries will take steps to withdraw.”
“Of course.”
Naturally, the position of governor, who would directly manage the military administration in the Abyss Islands, went to Frangia. There is no need to consider the contribution from the beginning of the war, and the place where the gate was originally built was Franzia.
“Are you going back to Krafte right away?”
“That’s right. “The purpose has already been achieved.”
A bitter taste appeared at the corner of Heinrich’s mouth as he said that, and Eris looked at him with a smile and opened her mouth.
“The Germanian Empire and the Eastern Empire invited me and the Marquis de Lafayette.”
“…hmm. “It was probably an attempt to secure legitimacy since he was not a leading figure and the monarch did not run the government himself.”
“Everyone may have their own goals, but I think this will be a good start for the Allied Powers to continue their friendly relations in the future.”
“Maybe so.”
But why are you telling me that?
When Heinrich gave that look, Eris smiled slightly and opened her mouth.
“If you allow it, I would like to continue friendly exchanges with Krafte. “We are trading with countries with scarce goods, such as the Iberian Brotherhood and the Alpine Kingdom, and the Marquis de Lafayette said that we would both gain a lot if we proceed with an officer exchange program between Krafte and Franzia.”
Eris added while quietly observing Heinrich’s thoughts.
“Of course, full-fledged promotion will only be possible if Krafte responds positively, and it will also have to be submitted to the National Assembly.”
Heinrich stared at Eris and then opened his mouth.
“I’m sure you don’t know about our relationship.”
Henry still remembers the appearance of the Saint King when he and the Great King faced each other.
Although she had a personality that was worthy of being called the Queen of Saints, even she did not hide her anger at the great king’s words and actions that bordered on violence.
Heinrich thought it was understandable that she harbored hatred or revenge on Krafte, so he could not understand her intentions all the more.
“You don’t think that just because we joined forces and fought once, we became friends. “The common understanding is over.”
Eris shook her head lightly.
“Of course not. But depending on what we do in the future, maybe it could work?”
“….”
“We fought a war and shed a lot of blood. On the contrary, I think that the relationship between our two countries must be improved.”
“I think it is a noble intention, but there is no permanent peace between nations. Especially if there is a benefactor relationship.”
“Maybe so. Still, rather than doing nothing and waiting for the catastrophe to come someday, I want to try to prolong the peace that will end someday. If not, do you want to get revenge on us? “If that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do, but…”
Heinrich let out a laugh as he looked at Eris’s face, which looked as if she had no intention of hiding anything, let alone had evil intentions.
Revenge Revenge.
Krafte was clearly defeated by Franzia and lost quite a bit.
If you want revenge, you can take revenge.
However, even his just revenge on the devil who deceived him with clear malicious intent would have been in vain.
If one could harbor a desire for revenge on someone who behaves like that in a situation where it is okay to have malicious intent, wouldn’t that be a devil rather than a human being?
In the end, Heinrich smiled and nodded.
“great. Both countries shed blood one after another, but peace is good. “If we can help each other, there is no reason to refuse.”
“thank you!”
Heinrich also smiled lightly at the sight of Eris looking purely happy.
And then I just kept repeating to myself what I couldn’t say to her.
I hope that we will never meet as enemies until the end of our lives.
* * *
Lumière, the capital of Francia.
National Cemetery.
A place full of countless tombstones.
A tall, handsome man walked among the tombstones, wearing a stylish cavalry uniform and carrying a burden that seemed heavy at first glance.
After walking for a while among countless tombstones, the man immediately took out a beer bottle from his luggage, opened it, tilted it, and poured the spilled beer onto the tombstones.
The man began to walk at a brisk pace.
He pours out alcohol to wet the gravestone, and when the alcohol runs out, he takes out another bottle, pours out another bottle, and continues walking.
“Let’s go have a drink.”
At first glance, it looks like he is insulting the deceased, but there is no shame or impurity on the man’s face.
“Are you cool? “Fucking men.”
They just walk around briskly and pour out their drinks.
“Don’t be too upset. “He survived because he was so damn brave and good at riding horses.”
Jerome Morel soaked the tombstones of his men buried with alcohol as if they were having a conversation and then turned his back on them.
“Here we come again, kids. “Rest in peace.”
Then he followed the familiar path and sat down in front of two tombstones.
“Hello. friends.”
There is no answer.
However, as if he had heard an answer, Jerome Morel took out the last bottle of alcohol from his luggage.
This time, not the cheap beer that rough cavalry men would drink on the battlefield, but wine tailored to my friend’s sophisticated tastes.
Jerome Morel opened the cork with a familiar hand and lifted the wine with a chuckle.
“Now you won’t be bored alone anymore, right?”
Raphael Balian.
Jerome Morel, who poured wine on the tombstone with his old friend’s name on it, smiled and tilted the bottle to the side and poured wine on Nicolae’s tombstone.
“Nicola, you bastard. The guy who acted like he would only be loyal to Raphael threw away his entire body in a flash. Thanks to you, I was the only one who found it funny because I jumped in with the intention of dying. “It’s out of shape.”
Jérôme Morel slowly turned his gaze back to Balian’s tombstone and opened his mouth.
“Is it delicious?”
There is no answer for a friend who was executed and buried a long time ago.
“I can’t even remember when the last time was. “Who would have thought that I, who was 30 years old and thought I would fall before I became a coward, would still be alive and that that idiotic revolutionary government would be running well until now?”
Instead, Jerome Morel spoke up.
“You want to hear the story of this body? Of course it’s fucking awesome. It’s a completely different level from the days when I was catching minnows like the Duke of Lorraine. “I am George, the imperial cavalry general who destroyed the Krafte army and jumped into the middle of the enemy lines on Devil’s Island and came back alive after being unrivaled.”
Morel, who was showing off as much as he could, laughed.
“Hey Raphael.”
A poor mercenary leader, a friend who had refined tastes and was looking for good drinks, a business partner of such a mercenary leader, and himself who was so enamored with the cool look of the flashy cavalry uniform that he risked his own life to ride a horse.
“…We thought that if we didn’t succeed, we would have to fight until the end. however. I wasn’t very successful, but I also lost the political battle. Under the Marquis, whom I thought was my enemy, I fought through every possible battlefield until the end and won. … Isn’t it funny?”
My friend, who has always longed for success and power, saying he would throw away his Korean-American background and remain a hero, has no answer.
“I just felt like that. When I gained power that I didn’t have at the time, I couldn’t see. “Even those who seemed like assholes in our eyes turned out to be not as assholes as we thought as time went by.”
If only he and his friend hadn’t planned a coup or something.
If only I had been satisfied with the position I was in and had known how to trust and yield to others a little.
If that were the case, wouldn’t his friend, who possessed brilliant talent, have remained as this country’s brightest hero along with Lafayette?
Jerome Morel vaguely thought that it would be nice if such a world existed somewhere.
“Then let’s go. “I’m sure you won’t be bored because I buried you next to the guy you liked so much.”
Jerome Morel shook his butt, stood up, and said to his friend.
“Now that I have survived this far, I will see to the end. I will see to the end how far this country that the Marquis, who you did not understand and thought you were an idiot, can go.”
Then he smiled and turned his back.
“I’ll tell you until you get sick of it, so just wait, buddy.”
