Ep 115. Long Time No See. (4)

  For a while, Serenis tio listen to Karas’ rather unremarkable tale.

  Irospect, it was an obvious story.

  Having led a life of the weak with tless hunters after his life.

  Eventually meeting someohat he could not overe.

  And choosing to follow them over tinuing their miserable life.

  ‘…That’s right. It’s an obvious tale.’

  As a monster rose in fame, they were bound to attracreasingly skilled hunters. Had Karas not joihe empire, a particurly skilled hunter would doubtlessly have succeeded in g his life.

  In the feathered monster’s perspective, the empire was but a means of survival, the emperor his savior.

  ‘But, more importantly…’

  The dragonlord’s worried gaze soon fell upon the youngling at her side.

  “Raizel. Were you…aware?”

  “? About what?”

  “That Karas was a member of the empire.”

  “Sure I did. He’s the ohat tore off my wings.”

  “…Huh?”

  Serenis felt as if something had struck her in the head.

  A long silence had to pass before she could process the youngling’s words.

  And wheuro her senses, Serenis’ worries were practically flooding her mind.

  Though, Raizel wasn’t too fond of all the worried stare she was receiving.

  “Blegh…why’re you looking at me like that?”

  “I…I’m sorry, child. I didn’t…realize…”

  No matter how hard she tried, Serenis couldn’t help her voice from shaking.

  But as she pondered whether she should kill Karas right then and there, Raizel gently put her hand over the dragonlord’s trembling shoulder.

  “Calm down. I got back at him already. I could care less now.”

  Raizel threw Karas a brief gnce. And, as expected, the steel dragon couldn’t feel anything in particur.

  Once upon a time, merely thinking about the onster had made her want to tear him apart. She was sad, frustrated, and never doubted for a moment that he deserved to die for what he’d doo her.

  But the professor standing before her was no lohe mohat had wreaked havoc upon her life.

  Someone else had already taken that monster away from him.

  After calming the dragonlord, Raizel returned her attention to Karas.

  “Why’d you split ways with the emperor anyways?”

  “…?”

  Hearing an oddly normal question from the steel dragon, Karas initially wore a heavy frown. There was no way Raizel would ask such a sensible question to him; he thought he was hearing things.

  But when he soon realized he’d indeed heard what he’d heard, the professor cautiously began his answer.

  “Why, you ask…I suppose it was due to our wants following Caldon’s recmation. While I wished to put a stop to Akeia’s quest, Lavnore wished for it to tinue. With the empire divided into fas, Akeia lost the following war against the union, and…during the empire’s colpse, I naturally returo Mire.”

  “…”

  Raizel nodded her head with a dazed expression.

  She had no clue what Karas was saying. But she had so little clue that, instead of asking for crification, she merely took it as is and decided to go with it.

  Unfortunately for her, the dragonlord wished for crification.

  “…Could you expin that further? Union? Caldon? Wasn’t Caldon a desert to the east?”

  “…”

  Karas awkwardly cleared his throat, fag the dragonlord as he answered.

  “Serenis. What I’m about to tell you is a piece of history no book dares to carry. Be sure to never speak of it to others – ESPECIALLY not to Patrick or the other enforcers.”

  “…Alright.”

  After a brief sigh, Karas began to tell his story.

  “It’s as you’ve said: Caldon is presently a gia to the east. But oury ago, Caldon was Way’s rgest and most powerful kingdom. At the same time, Caldon was an obstacle for the east’s elves that sought to make Way their own – and the try ultimately fell victim to an elven ploy that led to the death of its God-king, its monarchy being repced by elven rule.”

  “…I…see. But how does this the emperor?”

  “Lavnore is a Caldonian. Or, was, rather.”

  “…Oh.”

  “Being a Caldonian himself, Lavnore sought audieh rulers of neighb nations to seek help in reg his try – but when his efforts proved fruitless, he turo amassing military power on his own. He wished to drive out the elven influence, even at the cost of waging war against his own try; this was the birth of Akeia, and it was around this period that I joihe empire’s ranks.”

  “So…the empire’s sole purpose was…to retake Caldon from the elves?”

  “Precisely. And once Lavnore resorted to violence, Akeia said growth. The empire absorbed the north’s smaller nations with ease, and, as you know, Lavnore himself absorbed the dragonkin’s strengths.”

  “…Right.”

  “Deeming Akeia’s power suffit, Lavhen proceeded to challenge Caldon’s elves directly. And by challenge, I mean…the empire invaded Caldon Kingdom.”

  Karas shook his head. A sarcastic chuckle escaped the professor.

  “A single week was all it took for Lavo quer Way’s superpower. However, the elves poisoned Caldon’s nds during their war efforts. The nd’s ination spread untrolbly, ing the kingdom to the desert it is today…and marking ao Caldon’s long history.”

  “…”

  “Caldon’s fall brought about great ge throughout the ti. The tries that had once refused Lavnrew wary of his influence, and before long, baogether to form a union under Archmage Astinel. versely, Akeia had grown far te, and began to divide itself into fas – notably, there were those like me who wished to termihe empire’s quest, and those like Lavnore who wished to tiheir campaigns. But even its divided state, the empire still entered war against the union, and…was ultimately defeated. This marks the end of what we only refer to as the Empire Age.”

  Raizel, who’d listened about halfway until giving up, rolled her eyes as Karas’ story finally came to an end.

  “Bh bh, whatever. Long story short, you got greedy, ate too much, and your stomach exploded when someone poked it.”

  “…That’s…quite on point, actually.”

  After Raizel’s question was answered, Serenis quickly followed up with her own.

  “If you joihe empire’s ranks so early…then you must know of the emperor’s strengths far better than others. Could you speak of him further?”

  “…”

  Karas briefly sed the paterior, pting on his answer.

  Although it wasn’t the same structure, the stru was unmistakably simir. Its decorations and yout were practically the same.

  “I was told that Lavnore passed away during his csh against the union…but judging from your question, Serenis, I’m guessing he’s still alive.”

  “…He is. And I pn to put ao his acts food.”

  “What of me then? Should you not put me to the stake as well?”

  “…”

  Serenis silently turo face the youngling beside her.

  And, after watg the steel dragon quizzically shrug back at her, turned back to face Karas with a light smile.

  “You already regret your as, do you not?”

  “…I beg your pardon?”

  “Having killed those you kill…having warred against our kin. As far as I tell, you already regret what you’ve done.”

  “…I’m not sure if I’m worthy of havis.”

  “You are. And because you have threts – because you’ve repented – one of our children has already fiven you.”

  As soon as Serenis finished her sentence, Raizel’s expression torted beyond words.

  “I did not FIVE him!! I already took some revenge, and…and he was a dumbass that did whatever that scum emperor said, so I just let it slide at that!”

  “Pray tell, what else would you call that, if not granting fiveness?”

  “…”

  Watg the snickering dragonlord and the pouting steel dragon, Karas lost himself in thought.

  Once, he’d regretted letting Raizel live.

  Once, he’d thought that the emperor could’ve been right all along. That perhaps things would’ve beeer off had he chosen to kill her when she was a hatg.

  But now, looking back…

  Saving her seemed to have been the correct decision after all.

  “Now, now…Lavnore’s survival is ly delightful o me, either. So…”

  After clearing his throat tain the dragons’ attention, the professor tinued in a more serious tone.

  “I suppose it’s time to tell you…why Lavnore is sidered the worst mage to ever be born.”

  ? ? ?

  With every strike, a burst of fire followed suit to melt the earth beh them.

  Upon every ssh, an even worse heat would push him away.

  But the revealed faderh the ied hood was heless peaceful.

  ‘Starfire, as they would put it…’

  A normal person would’ve been reduced to ders thousands of times by now. Even for a transdental figure, this heat wasn’t something he could st very long in.

  For the figure before him wasn’t a mere transdental figure. That wasn’t even a human to begin with.

  “…I pity you, Aymeia.”

  Wheruck out his sword once more, its bde glowed in a blinding white light.

  And when his o struck the mass of fire, the fmes thinly dissipated like broken gss.

  In the midst of dang embers, the kneeling star deity’s figure once again came to view.

  “Though I do not know what brought you forth…I suppose this will be your st walk outside, Aymeia. Or rather…”

  The glowing bde sshed the air once more, straight towards the star deity’s head.

  With heaving breaths, Aymeia jerked her body to the side. But she couldn’t avoid the strike pletely, the on digging deep into her shoulder.

  Though she grasped the bde with what strength she had left, the bde mercilessly dug deeper towards her heart.

  “…Dragonlord.”

  Splitting flesh and bohe on then began to sink into her heart – until it eventually reached the surface of her shard.

  Aymeia’s grip began to loosen around the bde buried within her.

  ‘Dragon…lord…’

  Once, she’d been referred as such.

  …Or did she? Was she referred to as such?

  ‘What exactly was I called…?’

  A disordered array of memories threw the deity’s scious into a chaotic mess. The pain of her memories was so great that she was starting tet about the on sinking into her.

  Aymeia was her hat much, she knew.

  But at the same time, she possessed memories of being called by another name.

  Even as her heartbeat diminished, her memories tio pgue her.

  - ‘I’m sorry, [?????]. I’m afraid I must entrust this burden to you…’

  Blurred memories became clearer and clearer. The faces she’d long fotten slowly began to return.

  She’d watched them leave from afar.

  She’d been sad. Disappointed. Resentful, even.

  Not towards those who burdened her, but towards the self that failed to stop the others from leaving.

  She’d let them go, knowing they’d die.

  She’d remained silent, knowing she’d be left alone. For that was the st burden they’d ever entrusted to her.

  To take care after the remaining children. They’d entrusted the future to her.

  They were…

  They…

  …

  ‘Who…were they?’

  She couldn’t remember. It was someone important, but she couldn’t remember their name.

  She’d hidden herself within the ice, striving to preserve their legacy within.

  It was all…

  …

  ‘…What was I doing?’

  Whose legacy?

  What legacy?

  Before Aymeia could finish her disahoughts, her assaint jerked his bde out of her body, catg the bloody white shard that spilt out of her.

  “Struggle as you may, this is the limit of those depe on their divinity.”

  Aymeia gripped at her ag chest. Her limp body colpsed onto the pool of blood before her.

  ‘…The heart…’

  In her distant memories, she’d found the blue orb in a sea of blood.

  It was more brilliant than any object could ever be.

  And its brilliance had saddened her beyond words.

  She’d held onto the orb’s former owner, g for days on end until she’d return to her senses.

  She’d burheir body in her fmes, determio carry what they’d entrusted her.

  She’d finally bee the lord she’d wished for. A…

  ‘…Did I regret it?’

  I wanted you to see me.

  I wanted you to approve of me. I never wished for you to die.

  If I’d known that that’s what it would take to bee the kin’s lord,

  Then I never would’ve wa.

  ? ? ?

  After firming the divinity shard in his hand, the man briskly turned away from the dyiy. With slow steps, he began to return to the keep.

  His biggest obstacle had been removed.

  Now, he just o destroy this shard through the emperor. Eliminating the remaining demons would be a trivial task afterwards.

  “Rather disappointing for such a feared divinity. All that’s left is to-“

  He didn’t make it very far.

  He instinctively came to a stop, his body paralyzed in inexplicable fear.

  His body grew as tense as it possibly could – in respoo the heat radiating from behind him.

  ‘…How? That’s impossible. Her divinity’s been removed.’

  When he slowly turned back around, his nemesis was once again standing on her feet.

  Grippiorn body, Aymeia stared back at him with lightless eyes.

  Even though she’d bled enough to die on the spot, the star deity refused to stay down. As if her wounds didn’t cause any damage whatsoever.

  And shrouding her once more were streaks e fmes, burning even brighter than they had before.

  “…Give it…back.”

  ‘…Did I always use fire?’

  She had. Though she couldly remember when she’d began to…

  No. In fact, she always had.

  Her fmes had been the only magic she knew how to wield. Ever since she was born.

  But because her magic was so g in parison to her mother’s, she’d despaired time and again. She’d despised herself for not having the strength to protect those she’d beerusted with.

  ‘…That’s right. It was mother’s…’

  Another blurred memory cleared itself within her.

  With a recolle of her mother’s voice, the fmes shrouding the deity began tain their flow.

  None of these memories beloo her. But they were her memories just the same.

  “…Dragonlord. I was their lord...”

  The only kin to i the first lord’s legacy.

  A dragon that was entrusted with the kin’s future, and a dragon that died to preserve what had beerusted.

  ‘Did I…die?’

  It didn’t matter.

  As a dragon of the valley, she merely o fulfill her duty.

  And it began with reg the shard that was stolen from her.

  “…Give it back. That’s not something for you to toy with.”

  ? ? ?

  “Haha, wow! She’s really going at it.”

  Watg from afar, Felicir let out another bout of ughter at Aymeia’s unseemly revival. Though, it struck him odd to tinue calling her Aymeia like this.

  “You he human to die to take over, did you? That’s too bad, though…I hate to break it to you, but that shard is not your mother’s heart.”

  ‘In fact, your mother has your mother’s heart. I’d know.’

  Divinity of stars: the most problematic of all twelve shards throughout. Uhe others, this particur divinity had posed a serious problem in the past.

  The human body couldn’t house it.

  A human that would take the divinity of stars ed more than a week. A flood of starlight would explode out of their bodies, disiing them whole without a trace.

  After dozens died in the same manner, Felicir had frantically sought for a solution. He could her throw it away, nor destroy it – but he was successful in finding a solution towards the end.

  ‘If the human body ’t house it, then we just need a non-human body to house it.’

  But as someone who sought to build a world ruled by humans, enlisting a demon as the divinity’s holder was not an option for Felicir.

  And so, he’d begun experimenting oing a third option.

  The Reaper had mixed tless subjects with the dragonkin’s blood – ahrown out most of them. Sacrifiumbered ihousands before he came upon a successful spe.

  The only subject to prevail against the odds, preserving their iy despite the dragonlord’s blood within them.

  The girl that would house the divinity of stars with ease, leading a quiet life with her given name ‘Aymeia.’

  ‘It would’ve been nicer if she was a little less insane.’

  Although she eventually came to be called the deity of stars, Aymeia had hardly done anythiy-like.

  Instead, the girl behaved more and more simir to the dragonlord during his life. She eventually trapped herself into a frozen cavern just like he had, o e out again of her own accord.

  Felicir had reminded Aymeia on numerous occasions. Of whose memories it was that pgued her, of the life she could lead outside of her frozen cavern. Of the illusory duty that she burdened herself with.

  But no matter how often he’d remihe deity of stars would soon fet what she was told.

  She’d always return to her frozen cavern to spend her days in silence, waiting for a fateful enter.

  Praybird