Ending Maker Episode 465
SS #39 Built Vine Heroes Begins
The development of events was relatively minor.
It was a blank note I found during a battle that was the trigger.
A blank notebook with only a few doodles on the first page.
The reason I picked up the notebook in this mansion filled with death everywhere was because the cover of the notebook was so wonderful.
The cover, with its ornate gold leaf pattern on a green background, looked extremely luxurious at first glance.
‘What a pity.’
The place where the note was found was a study room full of books.
It was no exaggeration to call it a small library with such a large collection of books, and it was truly the study of the Viscount Baranga, who was famous for being a bookworm.
Kamael didn’t know much about Viscount Baranga.
I had only heard through passing rumors that he was a great lover of books and had even written a few himself.
“Kamael.”
At the call, which had a tired look on his face, Kamael turned around, holding the note in his hand.
Landius had a bitter expression on his face, his shoulders hunched.
“It seems like there are… … no survivors.”
From crossing the border to now.
These were two people who had not found even a single survivor.
Kamael furrowed his brows.
The territory of the Baron Baranga was a border region even within the small kingdom of Paragon, closer to the border than the royal capital.
But if even in these changes, no survivors are found, then what kind of situation is the royal road in?
Kamael remained silent for a moment, then looked out the window at the setting sun and spoke.
“Let’s get ready to rest around here today.”
The nights on the battlefield were always dangerous.
Especially in places where undead like zombies and ghouls run rampant.
Moreover, in a situation like now, it wouldn’t be strange if high-level undead like vampires appeared at any time.
The first priority was to hide and find a safe place to rest.
“… … There’s a place I’ve been looking into. Let’s move.”
“okay.”
Normally, he would have put down what he was holding in his hand and followed Landius, but by coincidence or fate, Kamael followed Landius with the note still in his hand.
When I felt awkward, I would put my notes on the floor instead of keeping them in my arms.
And a few hours.
Kamael, who was standing guard in an abandoned house outside the village, took out a note from his bosom.
It was a great note even when viewed in the dark.
And maybe that was why Kamael felt a strange urge to write something.
The abandoned house where we stayed for the night also contained a quill pen and ink, although old and usable.
It looked like something the landlord used to keep ledgers.
Kamael, holding an ink-dipped pen in his hand, thought for a moment, then began to write down a sentence.
November 3rd.
Entered the Baranga Viscounty with Landius.
Just like the border area, it was full of undead.
No survivors were found.
After finishing my investigation during the day, I looked for a place to hide for the night.
What on earth happened in the kingdom – no, in the capital?
Kamael, who had been listing only facts as if he were a Knight’s report, flinched for a moment at the last sentence he had written impulsively, but it only lasted for a moment.
Instead of drawing a horizontal line across the sentence, I continued with the next sentence.
Given the circumstances, the situation inside the kingdom was likely to be more serious than here.
However, it seems that Landius intends to continue on his way to the royal capital.
I think so too.
Just like Landius, I am also a knight of Paragon.
Kamael, who was writing in one stroke, stopped for a moment again.
Because I thought maybe I was being too fancy.
But soon he shook his head.
It wasn’t about showing off, it was my honest feelings.
Moreover, this isn’t a phrase you would show to anyone.
Kamael nodded again and silently picked up his pen.
Maybe it was because I was able to get the thoughts I had been holding in my heart out, but writing was fun.
* * *
November 5th.
I met Lena Einsberg.
A disciple of Bardo Einsberg, the palace magician.
Kamael stopped writing the short sentence.
It was because I remembered the sight I had seen just a couple of hours ago and my heart ached all over again.
Bardo Einsberg was not just a palace magician.
He was a respectable man, a master of the Knights Templar, and… …a really good man.
Kamael closed his eyes for a moment and recalled old memories.
A picture of Bardo with a kind smile and a little girl, Lena, smiling shyly next to him.
At this, Akmun Kamael picked up his pen again, but he had difficulty continuing his sentences.
* * *
November 11th.
I met Belkian.
And we finally have a rough idea of what happened to the Paragon Kingdom and what the current state of the capital is.
Belkian said:
The devil has descended upon the capital.
It is clear that even among the demons with titles, he is a powerful being of the Great Demon class or higher.
Maybe the Demon Prince has descended.
The royal road would already have become a land of death.
There will probably not be a single survivor left.
It was a terrible story.
And after hearing all of Belkian’s stories, Landius asked in a calm tone.
“Lord Belkian, is there a reason you are heading to the royal capital?”
Belkian was not escaping from the capital.
Rather, it was while we were heading to the royal road that we encountered them.
So Landius’ question was valid.
Landius did not have any suspicions that Lady Belkian might be the culprit behind this situation.
I don’t think of Belkian that way either.
There is one reason why Landius expressed his doubts.
The Paragon Kingdom is already finished.
The demons have descended upon the capital, and there are no survivors to be found.
But why was Belkian heading to the royal capital?
Unless, like us, we were moving forward with only a glimmer of hope, not fully understanding the situation.
“Because there is one possibility that I don’t even want to imagine.”
Belkian took off his plague doctor’s hat that resembled a bird’s head and continued speaking with a tired face.
“The gates of hell may be opening in the capital. No, perhaps they have already opened. And if the gates of hell really have opened… … it’s not just the Paragon Kingdom. The Kingdom of Cailun, and furthermore, the entire continent including the Argon Empire… … could become like the Paragon Kingdom.”
So, we need to check.
Is the gates of hell really opening?
What is the devil doing in the royal capital?
After hearing Belkian’s story, Landius turned to me and Lena, and we both nodded.
“We will do it together.”
Landius spoke on behalf of both of us, and Belkian nodded heavily.
* * *
November 19th.
When we finally arrived at the capital, we knew for sure.
The Demon Prince, the greatest of the great demons, whose power is just below the great lords of Hell, has descended upon the royal capital.
And now, just as Belkian had feared, he was opening the gates of hell.
There wasn’t much time.
Belkian estimated that there were less than ten days left until the gates of Hell would open completely.
It was such a pressing time.
It was clear that it would take at least a month – no, more than two weeks – to return to the Kingdom of Seilun, deliver the message of danger, and lead the Kingdom of Seilun’s troops back to the capital.
And by then, demons would have poured out from the wide open gates of hell.
So there was only one way.
We who are here now are closing the gates of hell.
I will stop the gates of hell from opening even at the cost of my life.
It was a reckless thing.
It was close to throwing one’s life away.
But it was something that had to be done.
“Don’t ever think about leaving me alone.”
Lena spoke as if she was a player, and Landius narrowed his brows.
Fran laughed, and Belkian remained silent.
And we all looked at Landius.
At that gaze, my friend, who had been my hero since childhood, nodded.
“Let’s go to the royal capital. No, let’s go to the royal capital.”
Did you finally pay attention to the fact that Belkian was there too?
At the sight of Landius hastily changing his speech to formal speech, Rena muffled her voice, Fran burst into laughter, and Lord Belkian let out a small laugh from under his plague doctor’s hat.
And I laughed too.
I decided to follow behind Landius, who was coughing hard with a red face.
* * *
November 21st.
We are still alive.
November 23rd.
We’ve entered the depths.
The moment of decisive battle is not far away.
November 28th.
The Demon Prince, who had regained his full strength, emerged from the depths and sat alone on the throne of the royal capital.
Behind him was the gates of hell, about to take full form, and we, who had escaped the depths and were hiding near the royal capital, had a gut feeling.
There is no more time.
Tomorrow will be the day of the final battle.
We were all exhausted from the fierce fighting that continued without even a proper rest, but we all knew that the situation was such that we could not even dream of perfection.
Among those present here, there may be some who are afraid, but no one has the heart to back down.
A small star was twinkling in the pitch-black night sky.
Althea.
A star of hope that never loses its light, no matter how dark or deep the night.
Tomorrow was the day of the final battle.
The chances of victory were slim, and the enemy was too powerful.
But no one expressed despair.
Rather, he talked about hope and what he wanted to do after winning.
“I plan to continue my research.”
“I’m going to travel. I’m going to travel the world.”
Belkian said, and Fran spoke.
And Lena said.
“I want to live a normal life.”
A life where you grow old normally, meet someone you love normally, have children, and live the rest of your life with that person.
Fran laughed heartily at Lena’s story.
Belkian also gave a small smile.
It wasn’t that I was making fun of Lena’s modest dream.
Because when Lena was telling that story, and specifically the part where she said she wanted to meet someone she loved and have children, she glanced at Landius.
Because her white and pretty cheeks were redder than the bonfire.
But I knew.
Let me tell you what kind of guy Landius is.
“Lena is pretty and kind. I’m sure she’ll meet a good person.”
Yeah, that’s the kind of guy he is.
Lena’s face became openly gloomy, and Fran criticized Landius for saying such a thing.
Even Belkian shook his head.
But I didn’t blame my friend.
I felt sorry for Lena, but I suppressed the laughter that was about to come out of me and spoke in a teasing tone – but with just enough emotion that only Landius could barely notice.
“Yes, Lena is kind and pretty. I’m sure she’ll meet a good person.”
For a moment, it seemed as if Lena was glaring at me with resentment – no, she was glaring at me, but I maintained my composure as if nothing had happened.
Although Lena was very cute and lovable.
Lena was like a younger sister to me.
Kamael tried to correct the sentence several times, but soon shook his head and started writing the next sentence.
Landius said he would track down Archbishop Manuela.
Manuela.
The culprit behind all this.
A devil’s lackey who tricked the queen into summoning the Demon Prince.
The one who turned the entire Paragon Kingdom into hell had already escaped.
That’s why Landius – no, we all knew.
Even if we block the gates of Hell and defeat the Demon Prince, this situation cannot end as long as Manuela lives.
So I’m thinking of joining the Order of the Holy Cross.
Tracking down Manuela was never easy.
It wasn’t something that could be done with just one person’s strength.
So, we borrow the power of the organization.
He joins the Holy Cross Guardians, takes the position of captain, and helps Landius in both material and spiritual ways to find Manuela.
To use an analogy, Landius is the leader in the world of light, and I am the leader in the world of darkness.
The night was deep.
We all went to bed.
* * *
December 7th of the same year.
A monastery located on the border of the Kingdom of Seilun.
Lying in the hospital bed, Kamael quietly turned the pages of a notebook that had become a diary at some point. He smiled a small smile that only Landius could barely recognize before thinking.
‘It’s a bit… a pity.’
I think it’s pretty well written.
This is a vivid story from the scene.
That no one sees this.
“Ahem.”
Kamael, who was so embarrassed that only Landius could barely recognize the thought that came to his mind, flipped through the notes again.
‘Since I’ve already written this… … Should I describe it a bit more?’
The place where the diary was written was the Paragon Kingdom.
In other words, it was a battlefield where you never knew when or where the enemy would come.
So there was no time to worry about sentences, and no room for detailed records or descriptions.
Since I’ll have to stay in the hospital for a while, why don’t I take this opportunity to polish up my sentences a bit?
And please expand the description further.
There’s nothing to do right now anyway.
Kamael glanced back at Landius, who was sleeping soundly, stretched out on the bed, before making up his mind.
I carefully raised my upper body and grabbed the pen.
* * *
December 29th.
After leaving the monastery, Kamael looked down at the green-covered diary and the red-covered ‘book’ and became lost in thought.
How did things turn out like this?
At first, I was just thinking about polishing the sentences a bit more.
As I was writing, it had already become a hero novel, and I was embarrassed to see familiar names appearing in hero novels – especially my own name – so I changed the names half-jokingly.
How did this end up being a single volume?
No, but rather, why did the story change from the events in the Paragon Capital to the time when he was training as a knight with Landius?
“hmm…….”
Anyway, I guess it’s okay since it’s something to do.
Kamael tried to think that way.
* * *
February 5th of the following year.
The ‘Five Heroes of Paragon’ were still gathered in the Kingdom of Cailun.
This was because it was necessary to not only treat the injury, but also convey in detail what had happened in the Paragon Kingdom.
Kamael hid the green notebook-diary he had almost submitted on impulse deep inside his luggage, then headed to the post office run by the Cailun royal family with the purple-covered book in his hand.
At first, I just planned to write a diary.
Then I just added some description.
I just changed the name because I felt embarrassed while using it.
When I came to my senses, the hero novel was complete, and as I read it, I thought it was a shame.
So Kamael headed to the post office.
After putting the purple-covered book in the envelope and sealing it tightly, he carefully wrote down the recipient’s address, showing his embarrassment so obvious that only Landius could see it.
A publishing house in the Kingdom of Seilun.
A place that published heroic novels that I read to pass the time while working as a knight.
What would Fran say if she found out?
No, if Lena finds out more than anyone else.
Kamael gritted his teeth.
And I thought.
Since I’m just going to send it anyway.
I also used a pseudonym, so no one will know that the owner of this manuscript is Kamael himself.
Didn’t you disguise yourself when you came to the post office?
Okay, that’s it.
All I had to do was send it off, drop it cleanly, and just throw away my regrets along with it.
Liberation from suffering.
Kamael, who had been encouraging himself, sent the purple book to the publisher.
And one month later in the morning.
A letter came back from the publisher.
