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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Ludmilla in the morning,
Zebeline in the afternoon.
That was the agreement, wasn’t it?
Why were the princess of the Empire and the saint of the Holy Kingdom entering together?
He glanced at the little messenger who had delivered the summons to the princess and the saint.
Oblivious to her partner’s bewilderment, the little girl sucked on a lollipop with a vacant expression.
“Ahem…! What’s going on, Edanant? Why did you summon both me and the Saintess at the same time?”
The princess with flowing blonde hair inquired with a composed expression.
She subtly extended her left hand, likely to flaunt the engagement ring she had forcefully obtained.
Under normal circumstances, he would have chuckled at the princess’s adorable display of affection.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford such a luxury at the moment.
Not with the saintess shooting daggers at him from beside her.
“You must have missed me terribly to summon me to the drawing-room. You could have just visited me at the guest palace.”
This time, the saintess with beautiful silver hair spoke, her cheeks flushed.
She raised her left hand, probably to show off the engagement ring she had acquired using her lifelong wish.
He cautiously observed Ludmilla’s reaction.
What would happen if she found out that he had given his mother’s last keepsake to Zebeline…?
She would undoubtedly unleash the Calamity of Tyranny that had threatened the Hohenberc marquisate.
He gulped, recalling the precarious situation from before.
“Saintess, Edanant summoned me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re mistaken again, Your Highness.”
The princess and the saintess clashed fiercely.
He pinched the Luinong’s soft cheeks as he observed their confrontation.
“Eek…! W-Why, why are you doing this!”
He vowed never to entrust simple errands to this adorable yet clueless fairy ever again.
He made this resolution after witnessing the calamities unfolding before his eyes.
“Edanant.”
“Edan.”
Ludmilla and Zebeline, their gazes locked in a heated battle, called out to him simultaneously.
He donned the leather gloves he had prepared for such a situation.
“What can I do for you?”
You must have gotten me a matching couple ring, right?
Ludmilla and Zebeline’s gazes, filled with anticipation, seemed to convey this message.
They were probably hoping to prove their affection for him through matching couple rings.
That was why he had prepared the gloves.
After all, unexpected situations always arose when least expected.
“…Hmm?”
“…”
The princess and the saintess faltered simultaneously.
They couldn’t determine if he was wearing an engagement ring because of the leather gloves covering his hands.
Was he wearing it or not?
The only way to know for sure was to remove the gloves.
He maintained a composed demeanor, ignoring their scrutinizing gazes.
If he showed even a hint of nervousness, his deception would be exposed in an instant.
“It’s gotten quite chilly now that it’s early autumn, don’t you think?”
Good.
Even he was impressed by his own natural acting.
He extended his hands towards the crackling fireplace in the drawing-room.
Ludmilla and Zebeline sighed in unison.
“Eh? It’s not cold at all. The fireplace is right next to us.”
“I’m cold. I must be sensitive to the cold.”
Luinong, oblivious to the tension, tried to lighten the mood.
He shuddered exaggeratedly, echoing Rue’s words.
???????
Having experienced a series of bizarre events, Ludmilla finally realized that the Red Dragon of the Empire was actually the Calamity of Tyranny, reduced to a puppet by the Earth Mother.
It was all a lie.
The revered image of the Red Dragon, hailed as the Empire’s guardian, was nothing but a sham.
Ludmilla had always taken great pride in being the Red Dragon of the Valtarian Empire.
Therefore, after realizing the truth, she began to exhibit signs of deep self-loathing and instability.
“Are you alright?”
“…Y-Yes, I’m fine.”
Edanant approached, limping slightly.
It was the aftermath of being beaten by Ludmilla when she had transformed into the Apostle of Tyranny.
It wasn’t just his leg.
His face was covered in bandages, and his arms and legs were in casts.
Despite his battered state, Ludmilla couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of him.
Even in this situation, where she had to carefully consider her next move, she found herself laughing whenever she saw Edanant.
“Where’s the First Saintess? She was here just a moment ago…”
“It seems the Pontiff sent a personal letter from the Holy Kingdom. He probably sent it as soon as he arrived.”
The Holy Kingdom.
Ludmilla frowned at the mention of it.
Perhaps it was because she had awakened as the Apostle of Tyranny.
The mere thought of the “Earth Mother” worshipped by the Holy Kingdom filled her with instinctive contempt.
Ludmilla, who had once faithfully worshipped the Earth Mother as the One True God, just like her loyalty to the Valtarian imperial family, now considered Gael her enemy.
It might have been due to the influence of the Calamity God’s divine power coursing through her veins.
Edanant was concerned by her change.
“Don’t tell me the First Saintess is also…”
“Just like the Calamity of Tyranny, she’s most likely the Calamity of Famine, sealed by the Earth Mother.”
Although they were sworn enemies, they were both born from the same myth.
If the Red Dragon was a Calamity of Harmlessness, then the White Dragon must be one as well.
The Calamity of Famine.
Ludmilla’s lips trembled at Edanant’s words.
“I can’t believe it. To think I was an apostle of a Calamity God… Am I no different from those wicked cultists who attacked the Valtarian Empire?”
“…Ludmilla.”
The princess muttered, staring at her own hands.
An apostle of a Calamity God.
A wicked group that slaughtered innocent people and performed large-scale human sacrifices.
Countless lives had been lost.
The homes of the citizens had been destroyed in the attack on the Imperial Capital.
It was only natural for Ludmilla to feel shame and self-loathing after realizing that she was an apostle of the Calamity of Tyranny.
She had always possessed an exceptionally strong sense of pride, which made her pain even more unbearable.
“If you hadn’t stopped me… the Hohenberc marquisate would have been devastated. If the Calamity of Tyranny had been fully resurrected, countless citizens of the marquisate would have been harmed. That’s what I fear. If I can’t control the Calamity of Tyranny, which constantly urges me towards destruction, it will lead to a horrific loss of life.”
“…”
Ludmilla’s greatest desire had always been the peace and safety of her people.
Peace and safety.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she had always fought for those ideals.
She bit her lip, her fear evident.
The thought that the Calamity of Tyranny might run rampant and harm innocent people filled her with terror.
Ludmilla’s shoulders trembled helplessly, a testament to her vulnerability.
“Whether it’s the divine power of the Creator God or the Calamity God… I believe all power is a double-edged sword. I’m also an apostle of a Calamity God, but haven’t I saved countless lives?”
“We’re not the same. You can control the Calamity of War freely… but I was completely consumed by the Calamity of Tyranny.”
Edanant, listening intently, reached out his hand.
Ludmilla hesitated for a moment before taking his hand.
She felt the coldness of metal against her skin.
It was the engagement ring on Edanant’s ring finger.
Fortunately, the ring he was currently wearing had a blue diamond.
If it had been the glass-like diamond he had given to Zebeline, he would have witnessed the return of the Apostle of Tyranny right then and there.
“I’ll always be by your side, Ludmilla. If you ever lose control again, I’ll stop you. That’s my role, isn’t it?”
“Hmph… Those are bold words coming from a womanizer who’s two-timing me with the First Saintess.”
Edanant’s face flushed with embarrassment at her accusation.
Ludmilla giggled, her cheeks turning crimson.
“You…”
“!”
The princess with flowing blonde hair took a step forward and pressed her soft lips against Edanant’s.
It was a sudden kiss.
Edanant’s eyes widened in surprise.
Ludmilla, her eyes closed, deepened the kiss.
She licked his dry lips, savoring his taste.
Then, she bit his lip playfully, sending a jolt of pleasure through him.
Edanant stiffened at Ludmilla’s bold advance.
However, he soon responded to her kiss, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
???????
The gray, which had been rapidly expanding its territory like a ravenous beast, began to slow down.
A change had occurred.
It started right after the resurrection of the Calamity of Tyranny.
Perhaps it had deemed the Calamity of Tyranny sufficient as the “axis of evil” to sustain the world.
The Black Cardinal, who had been observing the gray-tinged, frozen world for a while, sighed and wore a meaningful expression.
His gaze remained fixed on the world consumed by gray.
“It seems it’s time to resurrect the Calamity of Famine.”
“How ironic. To think the Holy Kingdom, which worships the Earth Mother, would attempt to resurrect a Calamity of Harmlessness, the antithesis of the One True God.”
He knew.
It was blasphemy against the One True God’s teachings.
But what choice did he have?
The future of his descendants was at stake.
Therefore, he had to prevent the entire continent from being consumed by the gray, just like the Demon Realm.
Even if it meant committing the grave sin of forcing the First Saintess into action.
The Holy Kingdom had long been preparing a ritual to summon the Calamity of Famine.
Until now, the ritual had been postponed due to the Pontiff’s opposition.
However, they were now past the point of being picky about their methods.
“Thank you for making this difficult decision, Maximilian.”
“…”
“I’m curious. Why are you so determined to protect Edanant? He’s an outsider who stole your brother’s body without permission. To you, he’s the enemy who not only destroyed your brother’s soul but also stole his physical form.”
“…I’m aware of that.”
It was impossible for Maximilian to harbor no resentment towards the outsider.
That was probably why he had so readily accepted the deal with the Holy Kingdom.
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