< Chapter 96 - Masterpiece #3 >
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Princess Daphne looked out the window.
The garden, covered with snow that fell last night, was very clear and beautiful.
Probably the last snow of this winter.
Although not as severe as in the southern part of the city bordering the sea, the cold weather is starting to go away in the central royal capital as well.
“Then you’ll catch a cold.”
But is winter still winter?
Prince Dion said as he closed the wide open window as soon as he entered the room, and Princess Daphne smiled.
“Have you forgotten that you haven’t had it since you were five?”
“Since you caught it when you were five, that means you can catch a cold too. Shouldn’t you be careful?”
When Prince Dion spoke with a rather stern expression, Princess Daphne eventually chose to give in as she always did.
“Yes, that’s right. As always, you’re right.”
“Of course.”
Seeing Princess Daphne smiling brightly while adjusting her clothes, I thought that it was a good idea to just give in.
‘And what… is it all for my sake?’
Like most people, Prince Dion thought and acted according to his own priorities.
Just as people who value money strive to earn money, and as people who dream of ideals strive to achieve their ideals, Prince Dion worked hard for Princess Daphne.
The center of the world.
The most precious thing in the world.
‘As your older sister, I sometimes worry.’
Because I liked my older sister too much.
But Princess Daphne decided not to think too deeply about it.
To Prince Dion, Princess Daphne was not just a simple older sister; she was the one who would inherit the Kingdom of Cailun and the monarch to whom Prince Dion would be loyal.
‘There’s no reason to dislike it, right?’
He is a kind and obedient younger brother.
Let’s work together and work hard in whatever we do in the future, little brother.
Prince Dion frowned as Princess Daphne smiled and swallowed her words.
“What, is there something strange?”
“No, not at all.”
And then he laughed again, and Prince Dion’s expression became even more worth seeing.
But that was only for a moment.
Prince Dion, who soon regained his composure, cleared his throat and spoke.
“By the way, Sister, have you heard the news?”
“If it’s news, I hear dozens of things every day, but if we’re talking about it now, it’s about the two of you, right?”
“Yeah, I’m talking about news from the South.”
For the past few days, the capital has been in an uproar over the events that have taken place in the south.
The Resurrection of the Ancient Black Dragon Malekith.
Not only now, but even three hundred years ago, Malekith had never directly attacked the center where the royal capital was.
But his notoriety, which had gripped the entire South with terror, was widespread throughout the continent.
‘Because it’s rare to find an evil dragon with god-like powers.’
Its power and majesty.
A divine being that poses a direct threat to humans.
As news spread that the bastard’s resurrection was imminent, anxiety and fear spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
If it had been a normal day, it wouldn’t have been this bad, but just a couple of months ago, the entire capital had been hit by a catastrophe.
There were many people who were afraid, not only among the common people but also among the nobles.
“We must support the South!”
“The fight against him must end in the south. He must never be allowed to reach the capital!”
The one who spoke the loudest was the Duke of Valois, the leader of the noble faction.
When the Duke of Antarius and his gang, who were the leading figures of the royalist faction and are now called traitors, disappeared as traitors, the political situation in the royal capital naturally tilted towards the nobles.
And during this time, Duke Spencer, who belonged to the dove faction, was also forced to take a few steps back from politics when it was revealed that the First Sword Rune Proud, whom he had regarded as his adopted son, was a traitor who had joined hands with demon followers.
As things unfolded this way, it was inevitable that the nobles, especially the hawks led by the Duke of Valois, would take control of the royal capital.
‘It was really just before the troops were dispatched.’
An expeditionary force led by the Royal Magic Corps was prepared. It was almost like a quasi-wartime operation.
But fortunately, just before the expeditionary force set out.
A piece of good news was delivered to the royal capital.
“Malekith is defeated! Malekith is dead!”
Although it was extremely welcome news, everyone in the royal capital could not believe it for a while.
That’s understandable, because the news was so sudden and embarrassing.
‘Because it was something that even the founding king could not do.’
The founding king, Lion D. Cailun, and the great hero of the South, Carlos.
Malekith was someone that even the two heroes could not completely destroy.
However, everyone was shocked when Malekith lost his life immediately after his resurrection.
‘If you look at it objectively, it doesn’t make sense······but it’s still surprising.’
Four out of the five heroes of Paragon took part in the battle that day, so their strength must not have been lacking.
Iron Man Landius, the strongest warrior in humanity, acknowledged even by the ‘Voice of Heaven’, and the Sword Demon Kamael, who is said to be on par with the Sword God.
With the addition of Archangel Lena and Necromancer Belkian, it would not be an exaggeration to say that this was the strongest party in humanity.
‘Honestly, my heart is pounding.’
A gigantic and powerful ancient dragon resurrected after three hundred years, and humanity’s strongest party faces it.
Moreover, the fight was truly mythical.
A giant, god-like monster whose mere presence causes fear in all who look upon it.
A flash golem over 100 meters tall.
Dozens of lightning bolts pouring down from the sky, earthquakes shattering the earth, and rough waves that make it impossible for even the Sirens to swim.
There were dozens of reports about the fight that day, and while they naturally differed slightly, there was one thing they all had in common.
A sword of light measuring over a hundred meters long that destroyed Malekith’s dragon breath from the front.
The blade of the sun pouring down, cutting through the dark sky.
As I read the report, it was hard to tell if it was part of a myth or a report on the progress of a real incident, but everyone was saying the same thing.
That it is not a delusion or a dream.
All of this happened in real life.
‘Iron Man Landius.’
The heavenly voice, as always, spoke only the truth.
The strongest man in the world.
The strongest among all humans living in this era.
‘And two people.’
The young heroes who brought true doom to Malekith, recorded at the end of the report.
‘I was really surprised at first.’
Because the names of these two people came up so suddenly.
I knew he had left the capital, but I never thought he would be fighting Malekith in the south.
Moreover, reports that followed revealed that this was not simply the final blow in the fight against Malekith.
‘It’s basically the same as setting the stage.’
Uther and Cordelia.
The two gathered the heroes of Paragon in one place.
By finding Ascalon and uniting the seven southern houses, he was able to turn the situation around in his favor by successively identifying and defeating Malekith’s subordinates who were secretly operating.
‘How on earth did they lure the Sirens?’
Although the method was unknown, it was clear that the Queen of the Sirens had personally stepped in to help the two.
‘It’s the same as the royal road.’
No, in some sense, it was an even greater performance than the king’s.
‘This is already the third time.’
The two people of destiny saved the kingdom of Seilun.
Once in the wild land.
Once in the royal capital.
And this time, one in the south.
Even the heavenly voice that had always taught them was clearly bewildered – no, surprised – by the two people’s activities.
‘Because it was the first time you showed emotion in your voice.’
A heavenly voice I’ve heard since childhood.
Sometimes there was one, sometimes there were many, but there was one thing in common.
The fact is that it was always a kind and affectionate voice.
But that’s why I couldn’t feel any emotions.
But this time it was different.
The heavenly voice expressed its conspicuous surprise.
Feelings other than affection.
Proof that even the heavenly voice has emotions.
‘What the heck happened?’
Two people with destiny who surprised even the voices of heaven.
‘Can you see the future?’
So is it possible to be active like this now?
And if that’s really the case, if the future is visible in the eyes of two people.
‘It’s dangerous.’
It was not Princess Daphne’s own thoughts, but Prince Dion’s.
Prince Dion always felt anxious about everything he could not control.
‘It’ll be okay.’
It may have been too vague a thought, but Princess Daphne did not feel threatened by the two destined people.
Rather, they were no different from the blessings of the kingdom of Seilun given by heaven.
‘I wish Dion could trust someone other than me.’
Moreover, aren’t these two people the benefactors who saved their lives?
‘Heavenly voice, please take good care of Dion.’
Princess Daphne, who prayed to the heavenly voice once again, smiled faintly at the gaze of Prince Dion, who was looking at her with his eyebrows narrowed.
He seemed surprised when I suddenly started praying while talking.
“Anyway, what happened down south again?”
“therefore······.”
The change in the situation in the South due to the migration of the Dwarf Workshop and the collapse of the balance between the seven southern families due to this incident.
“There are two of you this time too?”
“Because two people tried to emigrate, and two people handed Ascalon over to the Marquis of Orphan.”
Princess Daphne smiled awkwardly at Dion’s shining eyes, saying that she could not let her guard down, and then looked up at the ceiling again.
‘But everything will be okay, right?’
Although the South seemed likely to become somewhat noisy in the future, it was not something that would shake the entire kingdom.
Moreover, there had already been three consecutive incidents that could have threatened the survival of the kingdom. Could it be that another incident would occur here?
“So, you two need to know where you’re going and what you’re going to do. Do you understand?”
Princess Daphne nodded slightly at Prince Dion’s words and picked up a report that was on the desk.
It was a report that recorded the two people’s most recent activities.
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Princess Daphne’s thoughts were not wrong.
The celestial voices had emotions.
And they too were surprised by the events that occurred one after another.
It was not only Malekith’s existence that existed, but also the power of the Paragon heroes who stopped Malekith exceeded their expectations.
The celestial voices were not equal.
There were also ranks among those who conveyed their voices to Princess Daphne, and differences in power and ability existed.
The highest of them.
That is why she feels a much greater sense of discomfort than other celestial voices.
She looked down at the ground once more.
I retraced the two people’s actions to find the cause of the feeling of discomfort that kept coming up in my head.
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Maximilian, who was returning to the empire, changed his route and headed towards the Forest of Eternity.
Because the voice on high wanted it so.
A voice from up high that I’ve heard since I was a child.
The voice always showed me the way.
Where to go, what to do, who to meet and who to kill.
A voice from on high told us to head to the kingdom of Seilun.
So Maximilian did so.
Following the voice from on high, he traveled throughout the kingdom to find ancient relics and cultivate his own power.
Ultimate Two – Holy Sword Barisada.
The most valuable and powerful ancient artifact obtained during my journey through this kingdom.
But that’s why Maximilian didn’t know.
That there was more to the plan of the voice on high.
Not only Barisada, but also the Dragon Sword Ascalon was to be given to Maximilian himself.
A voice from on high looked at the Eternal Forest through Maximilian’s eyes.
Something has changed here too.
Just as the one leading the heavenly voice felt a strong sense of discomfort, the voice on high also felt a strong sense of discomfort.
What could have happened?
What is the true nature of this discomfort?
And what on earth is the basis for the activities of these two fateful people?
“I will follow your orders.”
A voice from on high told Maximilian to enter the forest, and Maximilian followed the order as usual.
Maximilian de Avis.
A being born with the greatest talents and brightest potential among humans.
But why is that?
What I have doubts about is.
Why do I keep feeling uneasy?
The voice from on high paused for a moment.
I looked at the forest where the two people’s traces remained through Maximilian’s eyes.
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Cordelia had a dream.
A young child squatting and a wide screen spread out in front of him.
And the two people kissing on the screen.
The man was Jude and the woman was Cordelia.
But it wasn’t a time to look back on what had happened over the past few days.
Uther’s sword pierced Cordelia’s chest.
Blood running down Cordelia’s chin and tears running down Uther’s cheeks.
Two people sharing a last kiss.
What happened?
I don’t think there was a scene like that in the original.
If Cordelia becomes a mine, wouldn’t her connection with Uther be effectively lost?
Of course, we may have encountered each other and fought, but I don’t think we’ve ever had such a desperate relationship.
It rained.
Cordelia, who had returned from Mine to human form just before she died thanks to the power of the Holy Sword Barisada, caressed Yuder’s cheek once again.
He left his last words with a ragged breath.
“Sorry.”
Cordelia laughed while crying.
He died quietly in Uther’s arms.
It rained.
The sound of the rain drowned out Yuder’s cries.
Young Cordelia, who was watching the screen, burst into tears because she felt so depressed.
Strange story.
A story I don’t want to see.
So Cordelia thought of Uther.
The current Yuder.
I really, really like Uder, who is shameless, sly, and dark-hearted, but who never fights with Cordelia herself and who always moves forward together in the same direction.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
When I opened my eyes to the affectionate voice, I saw Yuder’s face.
Cordelia was caressing her own cheek, just like Uther had done in the video.
But it was a completely different situation.
It didn’t rain, and Yuder didn’t cry.
Cordelia was smiling as always and pinching her own cheek.
“I had a scary dream.”
When I opened my eyes and saw Yuder, my memories were blurred.
I couldn’t remember what I saw in my dream or why I cried in my sleep.
But I clearly remember that I had a very scary dream, a dream I hated.
What could it be?
What is that story that doesn’t appear in the original work?
Surely this isn’t some sort of precognitive dream?
Not something that has already happened in the past, but something that will happen in the future.
So, it’s a story that you couldn’t see in the original.
For a moment, I was really scared.
I was so scared that I burst into tears again.
“Cordelia?”
“Hug me. Hug me tight.”
Cordelia hugged Uther’s neck and spoke to him in a squeezing manner. Uther didn’t know what was going on, but he held Cordelia in his arms.
He comforted her by patting her back.
“Was that a really scary dream?”
Instead of answering, Cordelia closed her eyes tightly in Uther’s arms. And then she thought.
It can’t be a precognitive dream.
Because Cordelia herself has already become an angel.
Because I won’t be a mine anymore.
“Dreams you have during the day are dog dreams.”
Cordelia forced herself to smile as Uther spoke awkwardly.
Because I liked how Yuder tried to comfort me somehow. Because like Yuder said, dreams were just dreams.
“Are you calmed down?”
“Yeah, it’s okay now.”
Cordelia smiled broadly and wiped her face with the towel that Uther had handed her, then looked straight ahead.
In the distance, the Baikal Forest, Cassius’s hideout, was visible.
“It’s a little late, but should we eat breakfast before we go?”
“Yeah, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
Cordelia answered cheerfully, even if it was forced, and sniffed her nose before sitting near the bonfire that Uther had lit and looking at him once more.
Ultimate Two – Yuder holding a frying pan instead of the Holy Sword Barisada.
Our family’s black-hearted swindler.
But as I kept looking, the image of Yuder in the video came to mind.
What happened to that Uther who cried after Cordelia killed herself?
What kind of future awaits that Yuder?
That yudher-
“Hey, Yuder.”
“uh?”
“I really like it.”
“Ahem, me too.”
Uther smiled awkwardly and looked embarrassed at the unexpected confession, and Cordelia pursed her lips.
It was just a dream, it was a Yuder who didn’t even exist,
Still, I looked at the bonfire, hoping that the Uder in my dream would be happy.
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< Chapter 96 - Masterpiece #3 > End
