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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Elizabetta and Rue were enjoying a picnic in the garden with the other Luinongs.
A basket filled with sandwiches.
A blanket spread out on the lush grass.
I watched the beautiful villainess gracefully sipping her tea as she enjoyed the antics of the adorable little fairies.
Our eyes met, and the empress, her beautiful golden hair shimmering in the sunlight, smiled faintly.
Dressed in a pure white dress that resembled a wedding gown, she captivated me with her ethereal beauty.
“Edanant.”
Her smile, as radiant as ever, was like a masterpiece come to life. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of awkwardness under Elizabetta’s captivating gaze.
She truly possessed a beauty that rivaled the heroines of romance fantasy novels.
Despite the broken engagement with House Hohenberc, Elizabetta continued to receive countless marriage proposals from prestigious families within the Empire.
It was hard to believe that she was considered a “divorcee,” a status often looked down upon in the marriage market.
“Edan! Did you come to see Rue?”
“Of course.”
The little fairy with lime-colored hair came running towards me.
I scooped her up in my arms, lifting her high above the ground.
“Hehe! So high, so high!”
Rue, clinging onto my hands, squealed with delight, her arms and legs flailing in the air. The other Luinongs, witnessing the scene, gathered around me, eagerly awaiting their turn to be lifted.
It seems like it’ll take a while to hold all of them.
However, I had decided to indulge them since I didn’t know when I would return from the Sanctuary.
“It’s nice to see the father playing with his children after such a long time.”
“…Well, I suppose you could say that.”
Father.
If someone were to witness this scene, they would definitely misunderstand.
And the empress, watching me play with the adorable fairies, would be mistaken for their mother.
Perhaps aware of this thought, Elizabetta clapped her hands, her gaze following each Luinong as I lifted them into the air.
“Argh, this is so frustrating! How do you even make this?”
“Humph! Edan, you’re such a fool! How many times have you failed at this simple task?”
After entertaining the Luinongs,
I found myself learning how to weave flower crowns from them.
It was surprisingly difficult.
Every time I tried to intertwine the flowers, they ended up tangled like a messy ball of yarn.
“Eek! I feel sorry for the poor flowers…!”
“He’s going to turn this beautiful garden into a wasteland!”
The discarded flowers, crushed and mangled in my attempts to create a crown, piled up like a mountain.
The Luinongs, who had been offering their unsolicited advice, seemed to have reached their limit of patience as they began to hop around in frustration.
Damn it.
To think I’m being lectured by these adorable yet clueless fairies.
I couldn’t help but wonder if my intelligence had plummeted to a level below that of a dolphin.
“Finally!”
After thirty minutes of struggling, I finally managed to complete a flower crown.
Of course, it paled in comparison to the exquisite craftsmanship of the Luinongs’ creations. However, Elizabetta graciously accepted the crown, tilting her head forward.
“Thank you, it’s beautiful.”
“This is my first time making a flower crown… It’s much harder than it looks.”
My hands reeked of grass and flowers.
Elizabetta, who had witnessed my clumsy attempts from start to finish, chuckled softly and placed the crown on her head.
I was once again captivated by her beauty as she adorned the flower crown woven with various blossoms.
“My sister told me. You’re going away… Is it dangerous?”
“Yes. It might take a while.”
Elizabetta’s emerald eyes were filled with worry as she inquired about my departure.
I gently stroked Rue’s hair, who was tilting her head in curiosity, and responded.
It is dangerous.
We were about to challenge the Holy Kingdom… No, perhaps even the entire continent.
I had faced countless dangers in the past. However, the perils that awaited us at the Sanctuary were far greater than any challenge I had ever encountered.
I might not return.
Unable to guarantee my survival, I hesitated to answer Elizabetta’s question.
“…Is that so?”
Perhaps sensing the gravity of the situation,
Elizabetta bit her lip, her expression somber.
She rose from her seat and brushed away the stray blades of grass clinging to her dress.
“I won’t stop you. I won’t hold you back. I don’t want to hinder you, Edanant. Just…”
“…”
“Come back safely. You must return. That’s all I ask.”
“Of course.”
Her emerald eyes flickered with anxiety.
However, Elizabetta forced a smile, trying to mask her fear.
It was only natural for her to be worried.
Unlike me, Elizabetta wasn’t accustomed to farewells.
“Wawawa!”
“The pretty princess is hugging him!”
The Luinongs, who had been observing Elizabetta with curious eyes, suddenly gasped in unison.
Elizabetta had unexpectedly embraced me, her arms wrapped tightly around my back.
It was like a scene straight out of a fairytale.
The curious Luinongs squealed and hopped around excitedly.
“Come back safely, my hero.”
The empress, her beautiful golden hair cascading down her back, whispered in a seductive voice. She then rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips against mine.
A brief and fleeting kiss.
It was a light peck, like a bird pecking with its beak.
It felt intentional, as if she wanted to leave me wanting more. The soft touch of her lips conveyed her complex emotions, a mixture of longing and apprehension.
“You dared to steal this empress’ first kiss… You better come back!”
“…I believe I was the one who was stolen from.”
“You already kissed my sister last time! This, this is my first kiss!”
“…”
Elizabetta, flustered and embarrassed, resorted to childish excuses.
Cute.
I wanted to tease her by pinching her cheeks.
However, I decided to save that for our reunion. After all, the stronger the longing, the sweeter the reunion.
“I, I’ll give you a kiss too!”
Rue, who had witnessed the empress’s unexpected kiss, tugged at my clothes and exclaimed.
What is she planning?
I knelt down, meeting Rue’s gaze.
I had indulged Elizabetta’s whims, so it was only fair to do the same for Rue. I watched as the little fairy prepared herself, her body trembling with anticipation.
“Edan… You’ll come back, right?”
“Of course.”
Perhaps remembering Maximilian’s abrupt departure, Rue, who had experienced the pain of separation, looked at me with tearful eyes.
“I, I always believe in Edan…! I, I’m… Edan’s best friend!”
“We’ll always be best friends.”
The little fairy, her face beaming with a bright smile, approached me.
And she kissed me on the cheek.
It was a kiss filled with affection.
Touched by her heartfelt gesture, I gently stroked her hair, offering comfort and reassurance.
I promise to return.
I made a solemn vow to my best friend, who always believed in me despite my shortcomings.
???????
The Seven Strongest, representing their respective races and factions, were unique individuals driven by their own sense of justice and beliefs.
Compromise was not an option.
They sought only to overpower and subjugate their opponents.
Perhaps their reason had been eroded by the overwhelming power they possessed.
Most of the Seven Strongest were nothing more than madmen who craved war and refused any form of negotiation.
Appealing to their sense of reason and proposing an alliance was a fool’s errand.
“This is a holy war for the One True God. Therefore, prepare yourselves to die for this righteous cause.”
A young man with fiery red hair approached.
The androgynous-looking man addressed the assembled forces, declaring that the One True God had sanctioned this holy war and urging them to fight to the death.
He wore dazzling platinum armor.
And a crimson velvet cloak bestowed upon the guardian knights of the Holy Kingdom.
As the young man issued his commands, the surrounding knights snapped to attention. The young man, clad in magnificent armor, was the fifth-ranked individual in the Holy Kingdom.
“…Cirel.”
Cirel Veillard.
One of the Seven Strongest and the current captain of the Holy Kingdom’s guardian knights.
Maximilian, who had once trained alongside Cirel under the tutelage of Ilkeron Nebiakus, the Black Knight Commander, shook his head in disapproval. Cirel glared at him with fury in his eyes.
“How dare a traitor who failed to protect the Second Saintess show his face here! If Master hadn’t instructed me otherwise, I would have struck you down where you stand!”
“Hmph, looks like the perpetual runner-up has gotten all talk and no bite.”
A furious roar echoed through the air.
Maximilian responded nonchalantly, turning away from the enraged knight.
“W-What?! How dare you, you traitor!”
Cirel, his anger reaching its peak, gripped the hilt of his sword.
The surrounding knights rushed to restrain him, preventing the situation from escalating further.
“As expected, those Holy Kingdom fanatics are all the same.”
A seductive woman, seated elegantly with her long legs crossed, scoffed in disdain.
Foolish zealots who blindly follow the teachings of their god.
That was how the archmages of the Magic Tower viewed the Holy Kingdom.
The Magic Tower.
It was a powerful faction that had produced countless archmages, including the Sage, a member of the Saintess Party.
And the mistress of the Magic Tower, wielding influence comparable to the Emperor of the Valtarian Empire and the Pontiff of the Holy Kingdom, was none other than the woman before them.
Dressed in a revealing gown that left little to the imagination, she captivated the attention of the surrounding knights, who struggled to maintain their composure.
“The outside world is truly unbearable. If it weren’t for the unprecedented event of the Calamity’s resurrection, I would be in my workshop, engrossed in my research as always…!”
Querisa Neserhane.
The Master of the Red Tower and the head of the Neserhane family, renowned for producing generations of skilled archmages.
And one of the Seven Strongest.
The news of the Calamity’s resurrection had forced the Magic Tower and the Holy Kingdom, two factions locked in a centuries-old rivalry, to form a temporary alliance. It had also led to the gathering of the Seven Strongest at the Sanctuary.
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