[30]
The atmosphere in the Imperial Capital was somber.
With Johanna failing an important mission and Delun missing, it was hard for any vitality to return.
However, children like them found it difficult to deeply consider such external problems.
After enduring the gloomy mood for several days, Ely finally couldn’t hold back and raised her voice slightly.
“I’m bored…!”
“…”
“Aren’t you bored?”
“…”
Canya gave Ely a somewhat disdainful look but ignored her as Ely continued to grumble.
“My mom won’t even play with me! Should we go see His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Sister.”
“Yes!”
“Sister, you’re immature. Very.”
“…!”
When the still chubby-cheeked younger sibling started talking about maturity, Ely was so shocked she opened her mouth wide.
Regardless, Canya continued her scolding.
“Sister, you need to grow up. That’s how you’ll gain patience.”
Among children, there is no greater topic than “who is more mature.”
As Canya initiated the quarrel, Ely immediately pushed Canya’s shoulder.
Ely pushed Canya, Canya retaliated, and then Ely pushed again.
Just before their fight escalated to grabbing each other by the hair, they heard movement nearby.
“…!”
“…!”
If they were caught fighting by Saria, they might have to sit in a chair with their hands raised against the wall again.
Ely and Canya temporarily ceased their conflict and distanced themselves from each other just as Jimy appeared at the end of the corridor.
Seeing the usually elusive Jimy, Ely ran over first.
“Grandpa~!”
Ely jumped up as she approached, and Jimy effortlessly picked her up with one hand.
Ely laughed joyfully and asked,
“Grandpa, where are you going?”
In response to Ely’s question, Jimy sighed with relief and replied,
“Ah… Delun is coming back, so I’m going to greet him.”
“Delun? The guy who always looks grumpy and angry?”
“Haha, that’s right. Thankfully.”
Jimy smiled, having just learned that Delun, whom everyone thought had perished, had returned safely.
For the first time in a while, the bright laughter in the Imperial Capital made Ely and Canya happy, and they followed suit.
Leaving the two kids calling out “Grandpa, Grandpa!” behind, Jimy departed the palace with Matthew.
Not long after,
Delun appeared beyond the Gate near the Imperial Capital.
Though Delun had suffered severe injuries and his complexion was still pale, he limped along.
Despite this, Jimy and Matthew lightly patted Delun on the shoulder, celebrating his successful return.
Reuniting with faces he thought he would never see again, Delun smiled calmly.
“I have something to tell Luna.”
“Alright, let’s go then.”
Respecting Delun’s wishes, Jimy immediately returned to the Imperial Capital with Delun.
Eventually, Delun arrived at the Imperial Palace and sat down with Jimy, Matthew, and Luna.
Delun began speaking.
“Anthonyus requested that we settle everything within three years at the latest.”
“…”
“And…”
Delun relayed Anthonyus’ message directly to Luna.
Luna quietly listened to Delun’s story.
Three years. Anthonyus was buying more time than Luna had expected.
His strong willpower was playing a crucial role in giving the Empire the upper hand in the situation.
“…”
Since Anthonyus had delivered the final deadline, Luna no longer needed to dwell on complex considerations.
First, she needed to establish a continent-wide defense system to counter the ‘Demon King’ within three years.
Additionally, she needed to prepare a viable strategy to neutralize Speira within two years.
“…”
To successfully unify the continent, it was necessary to expose Speira as a hybrid, even if killing her outright wasn’t possible.
This was a battle of public opinion. Therefore, engaging in all-out warfare with the Sacred Country to hunt Speira would be unwise due to the excessive loss of life it would entail.
Ideally, they should lure Speira out of the Sacred Country. If that failed, they might need to deploy elite strike teams deep into the heart of the Sacred Country.
But if, after two years, no meaningful strategy to counter Speira was ready…
Luna herself would have no choice but to act.
Even at the cost of long-term losses, she would need to personally travel to the Sacred Country and tear Speira apart.
As Luna organized the situation and refined her plans, Delun conveyed Anthonyus’ final message.
“He said… the contract with Ray will be fulfilled.”
“…”
Luna stared silently at Delun for a moment before speaking.
“Is there anything else you need to tell me?”
“…”
After pausing briefly, Delun sighed and changed the subject.
“Where is Sister?”
“…Obelisk.”
*
“Understood.”
Johanna replied.
Looking at the seemingly calm Johanna, Resina scoffed.
“That’s what I expected. You answered too easily. Isn’t it obvious?”
Floating in mid-air, Resina descended with a mischievous smile in front of Johanna.
While Johanna found Resina’s unpredictable tone and attitude very irritating, she didn’t bother to argue about it.
Maintaining her composure, Johanna glared coldly at Resina, causing Resina’s lips to curl further.
“Humans inherently either excessively fear or dismiss things they cannot see, so explaining concepts like the ‘end of the cycle’ wouldn’t resonate with you.”
You don’t remember your past lives.
You’ve never dreamed of life after death.
Being ignorant of reincarnation means you can nod indifferently when faced with the ‘end of the cycle.’
To Johanna, life isn’t a repetitive concept. The life she lived in this moment was everything to her.
Thus, to obtain the secret technique capable of matching Speira, Johanna could readily abandon her future life.
Directing her attention to Resina, who kept trying to lecture her, Johanna got straight to the point.
“What do I need to do to get the Soul Weapon?”
“You must confront your history.”
Resina tapped her chest and slowly wiped the smile off her face.
“Do not falter. If you let your guard down, you’ll dissolve without resistance.”
“…”
“It’s best to heed my advice. It comes from personal experience.”
“…Personal experience?”
“Of course. Otherwise, how could I have split my soul and left part of my essence here to meet you?”
Resina shrugged as she gathered mana in her palm.
“Since you keep urging me… Alright, child. Let’s begin the first gate.”
“…First gate?”
“This will be the first gate you must pass through to obtain the Soul Weapon and the most arduous procedure.”
“…”
“Remember, child. You only get one chance. Failure doesn’t necessarily mean death, but there won’t be a second opportunity. If you fail the first time, you’ll have to give up on the Soul Weapon and find another way. Understand?”
“…What do I need to do to pass?”
“Now you sound cautious. Unfortunately, there’s not much advice I can offer. Hmm… focus on your ‘desire’… the ‘yearning’ you wish to fulfill above all else. Your yearning will help guide you so you don’t lose your way.”
“…It’s vague. Explain more precisely.”
“Just try it yourself. No amount of verbal explanation will truly resonate.”
Crack!
Suddenly, Obelisk began to shake.
It wasn’t an earthquake. As Resina concentrated vast amounts of mana into the core of Obelisk, vibrations occurred as a reaction.
With the sudden concentration of large amounts of mana into its core, multiple functions of Obelisk malfunctioned or stopped altogether.
Although Luna, currently in the Imperial Capital, sensed the changes in Obelisk, she did not interfere with Resina’s use of mana.
Confirming Luna’s non-intervention, Resina smiled faintly and began enclosing the space where she stood with Johanna in a barrier.
“In ancient times, sages were said to be able to observe their inner selves through prolonged spiritual cultivation. Now, we’re going to take it a step further.”
“…”
“I’ll facilitate your spirit, currently bound by your body, entering your soul. Face your history and your true essence.”
“…”
“Child, do not break. Do not lose yourself in the chaos. If you collapse, it puts me, who am relaying your spirit and soul, in danger as well.”
Resina gently stroked Johanna’s cheek with a soft voice as a warning.
Immediately afterward,
A gale swept in, and Johanna’s vision turned a brilliant white.
Whooooooosh!!!!!
*
“…”
After the gale passed,
Johanna opened her eyes to find herself alone in a white space.
Everything visible was white. There was no sense of distance.
Even her own body seemed to blend into the white paint and disappeared from view.
“…”
Johanna clenched her fists tightly while concentrating her mind.
Smoke rose in the white space, forming the shape of her fists.
Slowly regaining sensations from memory, Johanna gradually took on a more human form.
Once she had formed a misty outline, Johanna looked around again.
Everything remained white… or so she thought.
Suddenly, a small human-like figure with fur resembling a monkey appeared nearby.
Johanna stared blankly at the monkey-like human for a moment.
The monkey-like human, who had been squatting and pretending to pick up food, glanced up when Johanna’s gaze met his.
Their eyes locked.
…
…
…I was hungry.
White snow fell from the sky.
It was too cold for hunting to go well.
The population of the tribe had decreased.
I’m still young. Too young to hunt.
But staying put meant being abandoned or eaten.
So, I went hunting anyway.
I slipped and fell on the ice. I got hurt. Deep cuts. Blood.
When we returned from hunting, I had a fever. I was hot. My head ached, and I was starving.
Even sleeping didn’t relieve the pain.
My consciousness blurred. That was the end.
“…!!!!!”
A fleeting memory of someone’s short and insignificant life surged through Johanna’s mind.
Caught off guard by suddenly experiencing someone else’s memories, Johanna instinctively stepped back… then stopped.
“…”
You will face your history.
Resina had warned her of this.
Now, Johanna understood what Resina’s warning meant.
This was a small world. A small world etched with the history of souls unknown to Johanna.
This was the kind of resting place she would have reached after finishing her life.
“…”
From the depths of the white space, shadows began to ripple.
One by one, the inhabitants of this small world emerged, taking form.
This was their sanctuary.
The paradise where those who have died come to reflect on their lives.
And what Johanna intended to do… the end of the cycle.
Was to bring an end to this small world itself.
“…”
Only now did Johanna truly understand what Resina had warned her about.
The inhabitants of this world would never welcome her.
They were the guardians of this world, and Johanna was the invader seeking to destroy it.
To her, this place was both her homeland and her battleground.
