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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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The arrival of the Sword Saint, fallen into the role of a king’s assassin.
The appearance of Maximilian, the Hero of the Ages.
The intrusion of the Warmonger, previously recorded as an unidentified ghost.
The shocking news that the heroes who had led the Third Racial War to victory had devastated the Immortal Fortress in a fierce battle struck the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
It was unbelievable.
Countless nations were aghast at the chain of events.
However, the Immortal Fortress, now reduced to ruins, spoke to the truth of the Saintess Party’s internal conflict.
The Boemon Kingdom had suffered nearly devastating damage due to the battle between the strongest figures.
‘Maximilian…! Even Maximilian appeared!’
Ludmilla clenched her fists, swallowing a groan.
The Hero of the Ages.
The strongest hero in history.
The hero and the Warmonger had clashed at the Immortal Fortress.
The Valtarian Empire’s intelligence agency reported the situation that had unfolded at the Immortal Fortress.
Upon receiving the report, Ludmilla frowned, realizing that the hero and the Warmonger – the brothers of the Hohenberc family – had engaged in a fierce battle.
“What was the reason for the battle at the Boemon Kingdom? Do we have any details yet?”
“We haven’t been able to uncover that information.”
They hadn’t even figured out why the Saintess Party had disappeared in the first place.
And now the missing Saintess Party had suddenly appeared at the Immortal Fortress, sparking internal conflict.
It was natural for countless nations, including the Valtarian Empire, to be thrown into confusion.
They needed to uncover the truth.
And they needed to find out why the Saintess Party had split apart.
Ludmilla’s first concern was Edanant’s safety.
He must have been seriously injured after a head-on confrontation with the Hero of the Ages.
‘Even if he wasn’t injured… the emotional shock must be immense.’
Although Edanant had always expressed his complaints and dissatisfaction with Maximilian, he had never shown any true hatred towards him.
They were brothers and comrades.
That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to sever their ties completely.
It was evident from the fact that Maximilian, who had driven the Hohenberc family to the brink of ruin with the broken engagement with the Platinum Princess, still remained as the heir of the family.
“Edanant…”
Ludmilla let out a heavy sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, expressing her complex emotions.
She wanted to rush to the Boemon Kingdom right away.
She wanted to hold Edanant, who must be in despair, and comfort him.
However, Ludmilla was currently tied down by the immense workload she had to handle.
She couldn’t leave the imperial capital, no matter how anxious and impatient she felt.
“Mila sister!”
Crash-!
The door burst open with a heavy thud.
Only one person would dare to barge into the Second Imperial Princess’s office without knocking.
Except for the saintess of the Holy Kingdom, who had recklessly barged in not long ago.
“You may leave now.”
“Understood.”
The intelligence officer bowed and left.
At the same time, a woman with flowing golden hair approached and slammed her hand on the table.
“Maximilian appeared! What happened?!”
“I was just listening to the report about the incident at the Boemon Kingdom from the intelligence officer.”
The imperial palace was in an uproar upon learning of Hero Maximilian’s appearance.
It was natural for Elizaveta to rush to Ludmilla in a panic as soon as she heard the news.
‘She must still be hung up on Maximilian… It can’t be easy to let go of a love she’s cherished for over a decade.’
Ludmilla assumed that her younger sister had barged in to find out about her former fiancé’s whereabouts.
However, Elizaveta’s reaction was different from her expectations.
“Does Edanant know? He went down there for a while, right?”
“He probably… knows.”
“I need to go down and see Edanant! He must have been shocked to hear that Maximilian appeared!”
“……”
Elizaveta, who still had lingering feelings for Maximilian while simultaneously harboring genuine love for Edanant, jumped to her feet, expressing her concern.
She seemed quite determined.
As if she were about to hop on the first train at dawn and head down south.
Ludmilla, bewildered by her younger sister’s reaction, crossed her arms.
‘Should I tell Liza that Edanant is the Warmonger of the Saintess Party? No, it’s better to discuss it with Edan first… It’s Edan’s decision to make.’
If Elizaveta were to find out the truth, it wouldn’t end with a simple panic.
She might even faint on the spot.
After much deliberation and contemplation, Ludmilla chose silence.
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He couldn’t say it.
That he would take their place,
That he would become the symbol of evil to prevent the world’s end.
He was a coward.
He had plenty of opportunities to speak up, but he hesitated until the very end.
‘I thought of Father. I thought of Ludmilla and Zebeline… I thought of Rue and Elizaveta. The thought that I might have to sever all the connections I’ve made so far… I hesitated until the end.’
Those were just excuses.
He was simply afraid of saying goodbye and ultimately couldn’t step forward.
He covered his face with his hands and let out a groan.
Then he slammed his fist on the table, mocking his own patheticness.
“Edan, are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
A gentle voice rang out along with a light knock.
After granting permission to enter, a silver-haired girl walked in with a faint smile.
“Rue is still asleep.”
“I see.”
As if anticipating his question, Zebeline immediately informed him about Rue’s condition.
Edanant nodded and let out a sigh of relief.
A lot had happened today.
Everything must have been a shocking experience for Rue.
He felt guilty as her guardian.
He was worried that the events might have left an incurable scar on the innocent heart of the little troublemaker.
“I apologize to you as well, Saintess. You got caught up in our sibling rivalry.”
“I’m fine. If anything were to happen, Edan would protect me.”
Zebeline responded to his heartfelt apology with a bright smile.
Then she approached him and gently embraced him.
He could hear her excited breaths.
They were so close that he could even hear her swallowing nervously.
And every time her soft silver hair brushed against him, her delicate scent stimulated his senses.
“You’ve been feeling guilty ever since you parted ways with the hero, haven’t you? Blaming yourself for not reaching out when they left.”
“……”
“I can tell just by looking at your expression, at the guilt in your eyes.”
“…You’re quite perceptive, Saintess. Do you have some sort of clairvoyance?”
When he asked with a bewildered voice, Zebeline burst into a playful laugh.
It must have been a lame joke.
But the saintess seemed to find it amusing, as her laughter continued for quite a while.
“Their plan to resurrect the Disaster God of Death is a suicidal act that will only lead to failure. I’ll stop them no matter what. Even if I have to… become a demon king who wields war.”
“……”
He was willing to become a demon king.
To become a new source of threat to humanity.
As the saintess of the Holy Kingdom, such a statement was surely unacceptable.
He wouldn’t be surprised if she immediately reported it to the Holy Knights.
However, Zebeline didn’t release her embrace.
She maintained her gentle smile, filled with compassion for the foolish man struggling with his conscience.
“It’s alright, I’ll never leave your side… I finally found you, there’s no way I would abandon you after all the hardships we endured to reunite.”
Once again, Zebeline spoke kindly, as if recalling a past he couldn’t remember.
Where on earth had they met?
She clearly knew him.
But he didn’t know her.
He thought she might be the apprentice priestess he had met on the battlefield, but the idea was incomprehensible.
The transformation of the apprentice priestess who had treated wounded soldiers into the saintess of the Holy Kingdom was too drastic for him to accept.
And yet, it seems he slowly began to connect the dots.
“I think I finally understand. Where we met, and who you are…”
“You’ve always been a handful, Edan.”
He raised his hand.
And he stroked Zebeline’s head.
He could feel the soft texture of her silver hair.
Perhaps this was how it felt when he had comforted the apprentice priestess who had secretly shed tears in the middle of the battlefield.
He endured the throbbing headache and tried to recall the distant memories.
“That’s why… I won’t leave you alone.”
Zebeline lowered her head.
Then she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, a kiss filled with warmth.
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Maximilian’s steps, as swift as lightning, suddenly came to a halt.
What happened?
Regnas, noticing his change, spoke up.
“Max?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Maximilian had a habit of maintaining his usual stoic expression, as if afraid of revealing his inner thoughts.
He only showed a faint smile to his beloved Beatrice.
But today was an exception.
Maximilian’s expression was as heavy as a dark moon.
Upon witnessing it, Regnas realized that Maximilian was in an unusually troubled state.
“Edanant will try to become a demon king himself.”
“I think so too. Edan is a kind person who takes on hardships for his comrades. His words may be harsh, but…”
The reason Maximilian, Beatrice, and the other companions had excluded Edanant from their plan was that they didn’t want to burden their comrade, who had always been willing to sacrifice and devote himself, any further.
He had done enough.
Despite being an outsider, he had always been sincere in his efforts to save the people within.
We hope he will become a hero.
It’s enough for us, the protagonists, to bear the burden of disgrace.
“What would happen if Edanant became a demon king?”
“A demon king would be born, one that would dwarf even Death.”
“A being stronger than the Immortal Demon King? It’s hard to imagine. Of course, I acknowledge Edan’s potential… but to surpass the Immortal Demon King?”
“……”
Maximilian didn’t respond to Regnas’ subsequent words.
He simply resumed his steps.
“…May I stop by the Hohenberc family for a moment? I won’t take long.”
“Yes, of course.”
They had plenty of time.
They had hurriedly left the Boemon Kingdom as soon as they informed Edanant of their plan.
Was there a change in his heart?
Or did he need a space to untangle his complicated emotions?
Maximilian, who had always relied solely on logic and reason, was rarely showing his emotions.
Regnas, surprised by his change, readily accepted Maximilian’s proposal.
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