[Side Story – Coronation [7]]
Diorica visited the Imperial Capital on behalf of her house.
Though she could have put up resistance and sent someone else, Diorica did not refuse the head of the household’s request outright.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Capital, Diorica unexpectedly reunited with Saria, someone she believed she would never see again.
“…Lady Saria.”
Since Saria was no longer a part of the Alstein Dukedom, Diorica addressed her with an unfamiliar title.
Diorica found it incredibly awkward to face Saria.
Even now, standing before her, Diorica was uncertain what expression she should wear.
Recently, Diorica had risked much to intervene and halt Saria’s execution.
Luna had positively evaluated this act as a gesture of goodwill.
However, Saria, as the one who suffered harm, might feel differently.
Saria’s tendons and core were damaged, requiring extensive rehabilitation, and the ones responsible were from the Alstein Dukedom.
It wouldn’t be strange if Saria harbored hatred or resentment toward them.
After reuniting with Diorica, Saria remained silent, gazing out the window at the scenery outside.
Amidst a bitter discomfort, Diorica struggled to speak.
“How have you been these past days…”
“Once again,”
Saria cut off Diorica mid-sentence and continued while still looking out the window.
“I wasn’t there for you.”
Diorica swallowed hard.
Knowing Saria’s past, Diorica sympathized but found it difficult to mourn alongside her for the death of the main culprit behind the empire’s downfall.
Thus, Diorica could only offer formal condolences.
“My apologies, Lady Saria.”
“Your time is coming soon.”
“…?”
“The child of your niece.”
“…”
“I want to be by their side. I just… wish to do so.”
“…”
Diorica had to suppress another sigh.
During his lifetime, Ray had requested that Saria not be bound by familial obligations and live her own life.
Yet, Ray irresponsibly chose death after making such a request, ultimately trapping Saria in an inescapable quagmire.
Diorica couldn’t mourn Ray’s death together with Saria.
Diorica glanced at the same view Saria was staring at.
Since the sky turned red, the flow of time felt less perceptible than before.
Realizing that quite some time had passed, Diorica spoke up.
“Lady Saria, it’s about time we get ready.”
An important schedule was approaching, so preparations needed to be made ahead of time.
Finally turning her head, Saria faced Diorica and revealed a faint sign of discontent.
“Call me as you used to.”
“Call me as I used to…”
For Diorica, it was a difficult request.
But since there was no one around to hear, Diorica nodded.
“As you wish, Aunt.”
Saria rose from her seat with a sorrowful smile lingering on her lips.
*
Under the crimson sky,
The coronation of the Empire took place.
It was an overly modest and quiet coronation for an imperial event.
The nobles attending the ceremony struggled to erase the grim expressions from their faces.
Before long, the protagonist of the coronation appeared in the imperial palace—a young child at the age where innocence still reigned.
This child was the protagonist of the coronation and also the starting point of all this tragedy.
With her dyed hair removed, revealing long silver locks, Lea stood as Luna knelt before her.
“Now you are… the master of the empire.”
Luna kissed the back of Lea’s hand.
Under the crimson sky, the coronation felt like an adult’s play-acting prepared for Lea.
Despite the haughty nobles gathered around, Lea didn’t appear particularly joyful.
Lea moved as instructed by Luna but frequently looked around.
However, the older brother Lea was searching for didn’t show up.
Lea fidgeted with her fingers, hesitating whether to ask Luna about her brother.
As time continued to pass…
Even though the ceremony was simplified, finishing it within a few minutes was impossible.
During the coronation, the attending nobles shared similar thoughts.
‘There are fewer participants than expected.’
There were certainly forces on the continent who could never accept a new emperor.
They were groups that would inevitably be purged even if they groveled—forces that could never coexist with the usurpers occupying the imperial capital.
Their absence at the coronation was anticipated.
However, even among those considered to be in the gray area, a significant number of factions did not send representatives to the coronation in the imperial capital.
This was quite perplexing.
Even if they weren’t planning to accept the new emperor, it was common sense to send someone to gauge the situation.
Not attending the coronation was a declaration of non-recognition of the new emperor and, ultimately, an indication of hostility toward Luna.
At a time when the sky has turned red and the continent faces unprecedented extinction-level danger, why would they choose such an extreme stance?
Unless they’ve all gone mad at once, this means…
There exists a ‘center of gravity’ that has united the forces absent from the coronation.
Detecting a subtle disturbance during the coronation, Luna muttered quietly.
“So, it’s not just you.”
The blind faith Luna possessed, along with her mysterious talent, caused temporary ripples beyond the starlight.
Now, beyond the starlight, things hostile to Luna aren’t merely beings classified as “Apostles of the Dark God.”
Just like 600 years ago.
*
Speira arrived in the South following Aidoia’s advice.
Having heard about the events unfolding in the Imperial Capital, Speira still struggled to regain her composure days after arriving in the South.
She wondered if regaining her senses would yield anything worthwhile, so Speira continued to drift aimlessly through time.
If the instigator behind the fall of the Imperial Capital had been an Apostle of the Dark God, she would have risen filled with burning hatred.
But having heard all the stories from Aidoia about what happened in the Imperial Capital, Speira couldn’t even determine what emotions she should feel.
Speira needed time to wander.
However, the world didn’t allow her even a moment to wander.
!!!!!
A massive explosion rocked the vicinity of the Papal Palace.
The entire Papal Palace collapsed, and the aftermath of a colossal battle began to rage fiercely.
Even after the clashes between Lord-tier powers subsided, the sound of something crumbling continued to echo in the ears.
While the troops gathered in the South fell into confusion, moving aimlessly,
Aidoia advised Speira to evacuate first.
However, amidst the roaring sounds in her ears, Speira lifted her head and looked up at the sky.
Like slowly pouring red dye into clear water, a faint red hue began to spread across the sky—a scene Ray had casually warned about.
After standing motionless for a moment, Speira started moving her legs.
“I’ll take a walk.”
The direction Speira headed towards was where the collapsed Papal Palace lay.
Aidoia walked alongside her without stopping her, content with offering advice. The choice belonged solely to Speira.
Speira thought deeply as she moved her feet for the first time in a long while.
Human life finds meaning in pursuing something.
To rise again in this adversity, Speira needed to embrace a new goal.
But what should she pursue?
Resentment and revenge… the inheritance of swordsmanship… the mission bestowed upon her as a noble…
There were many things to hold onto, yet none resonated with her heart.
The terrifying sense of emptiness that enveloped Speira dimmed even the fierce hatred she once held.
If there were even a sliver of hope to turn this terrible reality around, she would have dedicated her life to grasping it.
But the hope Speira dreamed of was nothing more than an impossible delusion.
“…”
The world had already twisted beyond repair; yearning for the past would be futile.
However, Speira wasn’t so dull as to not realize this while wandering until now.
Facing a world that had changed drastically in the blink of an eye, Speira eventually let out a dry laugh.
“Ha…”
It was difficult to find the will to continue living.
But if one were to give up on life, something must still be held onto.
Looking inward, Speira reviewed the memories of the past that lingered in her mind.
Meeting Johanna and Ray brought vitality appropriate for her age into Speira’s life.
But before that meeting…
Speira was originally a refined existence destined to reach the peak.
Speira was meant to pursue the peak and abhor weakness. That’s how she was refined.
However, meeting Ray changed Speira.
For the first time in her life, facing an insurmountable gap in talent, Speira let go of the obsession she had thought would last a lifetime, and Ernst did not reproach his granddaughter for this choice.
But now, all that remained for Speira was… the past obsession she believed she had already let go of.
“Ha ha…”
Straightening the distorted world is impossible.
However, being helplessly swept away by this twisted world and crawling on the ground was unacceptable.
Rather than enduring such humiliation, she’d rather twist with the world.
She would become the agent of distortion herself and ascend to the peak to look down upon everyone…
The last remnants of Speira’s pride screamed desperately.
“Alright.”
With a face soaked in despair, yet with fervor in her eyes, Speira twisted her lips upward.
“I’ll accompany you.”
Speira had already reached the ruins of the Papal Palace.
Inside the completely collapsed Papal Palace, which had sunk underground, there was no trace of life.
However, Speira could perceive what existed within.
What was inside were mythological weapons forged from human flesh and fanaticism, and the traces of countless consumption items consumed to purify the continent.
And a miracle rested upon the scattered remains of the consumption items.
ZZZANG!!!!
Through the remnants of the shattered Sacred Maiden, the power of a transcendent entity touched the earth, reactivating the dormant Sacred Sword.
Light erupted from deep within the ruins of the Papal Palace, and shortly afterward, the radiant Sacred Sword shot upward toward the ground.
Looking at the floating Sacred Sword, Speira’s lips curled further.
The process and conditions for the Sacred Sword choosing its master had completely reversed.
How much bleeding must the transcendent entity beyond have endured to bring about such an extreme miracle in the real dimension?
Though she couldn’t know the extent, Speira could clearly sense the urgency of the entity that caused this miracle.
KWAH!!
With a fierce grip on the Sacred Sword, Speira opened her eyes.
“Let’s see.”
Her two eyes, capable of piercing through the hidden aspects of the world, met the fragment of El-Lam reflected beyond the Sacred Sword.
“Why does fear make you choose me so hastily?”
