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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The clockwork device in my hand felt cold, a stark reminder of my return to reality. Status windows flickered before my eyes.
≪ You have successfully prevented the church’s destruction. ≫
You have successfully protected the church, a feat many desired but failed to achieve.
The souls of countless believers offer their gratitude.
You have single-handedly defeated the Seven Deadly Sins of the ??? Church.
The quality of the quest reward has increased.
Due to the increased quality, the rewards have been combined.
Reward: Eye of the Ash Grey Dragon
The status window vanished, replaced by a firefly-like blue light that drifted towards me. I reached out, and it landed in my palm.
The light faded, leaving behind an ashen grey pupil, vertically slitted.
≪ You have obtained the Eye of the Ash Grey Dragon. ≫
This is the eye of the Ash Grey Dragon, filled with a deep, unyielding resentment, its gaze forever fixed on the world it left behind.
It is said that those who possess a dragon’s eye will either be consumed by its power, or become strong enough to surpass it.
However, the dragon’s will within the eye might doubt your strength.
It may attempt to possess you if you fail to meet its expectations.
Effect: Temporarily grants the ability to use Dragon Speech.
Temporary side effects occur after use.
I stared at the status window, then brought my hand to my mouth, my mind reeling.
Dragon Speech.
Dragons, apex predators, the most powerful mages in existence. Mythical creatures, figures of legend, said to possess mastery over all forms of magic.
Their words, imbued with the very essence of reality, could bend the laws of nature, shaping the world to their will.
And I now possessed a fragment of that power.
The reward was far more valuable than I’d anticipated. I was momentarily stunned, then I looked down at the clockwork device in my hand, my grip tightening.
Dragon Speech was tempting, but I had other priorities.
I left the room, the artifact heavy in my hand. I had to test its power.
Ella stood outside the door, dressed in casual clothes, not her usual maid uniform. She’d been dozing, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
She looked at me, taking in my appearance, then rubbed her eyes and spoke.
“Leaving again?”
“Yes, I have somewhere to be.”
“…When will you be back?”
“It won’t take long. I’ll have dinner with you when I return.”
“…Okay…”
I left her, still half-asleep, and stepped out of the dorm. My destination was already decided.
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“…Almost there.”
Lost in thought, I reached my destination.
A beautiful garden, filled with colorful flowers, the air fragrant with the scent of blooming blossoms.
And in the center, a single tombstone.
It seemed out of place, a stark contrast to the vibrant life surrounding it.
But no one would dare question its presence.
It was the final resting place of Lady Sariel Reinhardt, the Duke’s wife.
“It’s been a while, Mother.”
I waited, hoping for a response, my words hanging in the air.
“I’m sorry I haven’t visited sooner. I’ve been… busy…”
I chuckled nervously, still waiting, but the silence persisted.
I continued, unwilling to give up.
Perhaps… just perhaps…
“Mother, I miss you today…”
Still no response.
I sighed, lowering my head, the wind unusually cold.
I looked down at the clockwork device in my hand.
As I willed it to activate, the world shifted.
The ghost of an earthworm, drowned in its flooded burrow after a heavy rain.
The ghost of a bird, struck by falling debris during a typhoon.
The ghost of a man, sitting peacefully on a tree branch, observing the world below.
Invisible presences, suddenly visible, revealed to me, to the world.
A flicker of hope sparked within me.
Perhaps… just perhaps…
Was Sariel still here? Watching over me? Worrying about me?
My heart ached with a desperate longing.
I turned around.
But all that awaited me was the cold, grey stone of her tombstone.
“…It’s no use, is it?”
For a soul to linger, it needed a reason, an attachment to the mortal realm strong enough to anchor its ethereal form.
That’s why I hadn’t expected to find her here. She’d died peacefully, her heart filled with love, her spirit at rest.
But I’d held onto a sliver of hope. A desperate, yearning hope.
And it shattered.
I sighed, pushing aside my disappointment, turning to leave, when—
“Brother…?”
“…Aria?”
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It had been a whim.
A sudden urge to visit this place.
Her brother, who had changed, become distant, cold. She remembered the day she’d tried to talk to him, only to be rejected.
I have nothing to say to you, he’d said. His expression, his tone, had pushed her away.
She’d been avoiding him ever since, afraid of seeing that same cold look in his eyes. Each encounter chipped away at the image of the brother she once knew.
Her father wouldn’t tell her what had happened. It was frustrating.
She needed to talk to someone, to confide in someone.
So she came here, to her Lady Sariel’s grave. She wanted to tell her everything, to pour out her heart, hoping, perhaps, that Lady Sariel would somehow hear her, like in the fairy tales she used to read.
But it was him, her brother, who stood before her.
And he was looking at her with that same cold gaze.
He turned to leave,
“W… Wait!”
“…?”
She’d felt a flicker of relief, then a surge of determination. She couldn’t let him go, not like this.
“C-Can we talk…?”
“I have nothing to say to you, Lady Reinhardt.”
His voice was chillingly cold, as if even talking to her was a burden.
But she persisted. She needed answers.
“…I don’t understand why you’re acting like this.”
He just stared at her, his expression unchanged.
Tears welled up, not from sadness, but from frustration.
She’d loved her brother. He’d been kind, unlike her strict father and older brother. She’d cherished their time together, playing in the fields after her lessons. They’d teased each other, but always with affection.
And then he’d changed. Become arrogant, greedy, indulging in luxury, associating with unsavory characters. The warmth in his eyes had been replaced by a cold indifference.
And now he was changing again, confusing her even more, becoming even more distant, the coldness in his eyes replaced by something darker, deeper.
His eyes were like obsidian, dark and captivating, yet threatening, as if they held a bottomless abyss.
She’d worried about him,
And he’d rejected her.
What had she done wrong?
The injustice of it all, the frustration, the unanswered questions, built up inside her like a volcano about to erupt.
And then, it did.
“I…!”
“…?”
“What did I do wrong?!”
“…What—”
“You’re the one who changed first, you idiot!”
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She was crying.
Aria, the noble lady who’d always maintained her composure, was now sitting on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
I wanted to rush to her side, to comfort her, but I forced myself to stop.
“…My Lady.”
“Why… why did you change…? Tell me… and maybe I’ll understand…”
“…”
“You were the one who changed first…”
“…”
“And now you’re mad at me…?”
Her words, her tears, silenced me.
I’d acted like a scoundrel because the Duke had ordered me to.
She’d treated me coldly because I’d acted that way.
And recently, I’d lashed out at her. It had been a childish outburst, a release of pent-up frustration, but it had been wrong.
I was the one who’d changed. I was the one who hadn’t explained myself. I was the one who’d been unfair.
I couldn’t hold back any longer. I rushed to her side and pulled her into my arms, holding her close, just like I had when she was a child, her tears soaking my shirt.
“…Huh?”
“I’m sorry, Aria.”
“…”
“I was wrong.”
“Sniffle…”
She closed her eyes and sobbed, her tears flowing freely, and I held her tighter, repeating my apology, my voice filled with guilt and regret.
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