Episode 76
"Lady Serena, we have arrived."
"...Thank you."
We've finally arrived. At the place I absolutely didn't want to reach, the place where everything would become certain.
"Please don't follow me. I'll go alone."
"Then, your luggage..."
"Never mind. Just leave the luggage as well."
"Excuse me?"
The maid who faithfully served me in both the previous iteration and this one tilts her head in confusion. Well, even I would probably react the same way if someone told me to leave my luggage in the carriage.
But these are meaningless objects to me now.
"L-look, the smoke..."
"......."
The maid, who had been looking at me strangely, points to smoke rising in the distance and tries to say something.
Leaving her behind, I began walking with heavy steps.
'...This place, it's always been dear to me.'
Walking toward where the Starlight mansion stood, I stopped for a moment to look at the surroundings.
'Originally, just coming here used to calm my heart...'
This was the place with my only happy memories, the memories that helped me endure my childhood filled with terrible abuse and training.
Frey and I used to play hide-and-seek constantly on this path leading to the mansion.
"Serena... where are you...?"
"Hehe... I wonder?"
Thinking such thoughts, I closed my eyes briefly, and when I opened them, young Frey and I were playing hide-and-seek.
"I can't find you... please come out quickly..."
When young Frey couldn't find me hiding in a tree on the path to the mansion for quite a while, he started to tear up.
"I don't like men who give up easily."
At those words, young me speaks teasingly with a smile in her eyes. Why smile when he can't even see me? I was quite young back then too.
"...Huh."
But young Frey was shocked by those words and his jaw dropped. His trembling eyes showed he was quite anxious.
"I-I'll definitely find you, so just stay there, okay? Understood?"
"Yes, please find me. If you can't find me by today, I'll disappear forever."
My, the joke went too far.
"No... you can't disappear... hic..."
See, Frey started crying. I should tease him moderately if I want to play longer...
"...Lady Serena? What are you doing instead of going quickly?"
"Ah."
When the maid's voice came from behind, young Frey and I disappeared from before my eyes.
"...Sigh."
Memory recreation is quite difficult after all. It breaks with even the slightest lapse in concentration.
'That tree, it's still there.'
Still, I was able to bring out quite a fond memory. Back then, Frey couldn't find me until sunset.
Thanks to that, Frey got scolded by his mother that day.
"...I'm sorry, Frey."
I still feel quite sorry about that. But back then, I really had no choice.
Of course, I wanted to tease Frey and see his reaction, but I also wanted to avoid being discovered by him for as long as possible.
Because if he found me, the play would end... and I would have to go back home.
And then the terrible times would repeat.
"Hoo..."
"...Ah."
I was flinching at the terrible memory that surfaced when my owl came flying from afar.
"You managed to find me. By chance, the letter..."
"Hoo...! Hoo...!"
"...Ow."
As I reached out with a smile toward the friend who had been with me since childhood, suddenly the creature started pecking at me.
"Please stop. It hurts."
This child, who had never disobeyed my commands let alone rebelled, is desperately attacking me. Thanks to that, blood is flowing from my hands covering my face.
"Hoo..."
But even so, as I hardened my expression and walked forward, the creature completely collapsed to the ground.
"...Go to the carriage."
Staring at the owl, I spoke with a stern expression and leaped over it.
"...Phew."
Since I can no longer hear crying sounds, it seems to have gone to the carriage. Or maybe it's still lying on the ground.
If I looked back, I could tell which one is true, but I won't look back.
Because if I look back, my heart will surely weaken.
"The entrance... is no different from before or now."
Walking silently forward, and forward again, I finally arrived at the entrance of the Starlight ducal mansion.
"...This is where I first met Frey."
Being led by my father, the former head and secret lord of the Moonlight family, the memory of my first visit here is still vivid in my mind.
You, shy about meeting your fiancé for the first time, hid behind your mother, then peeked out with a face full of curiosity.
Until then, I didn't have high expectations of you.
Unlike your pure self, I, who had my feet in the dark places of the empire, knew the purpose of the engagement.
"Serena! Let's play!"
"...I don't know how to play."
"Don't say that! You can play while doing what you normally do!"
"Is that... so?"
At first, it was simple jealousy.
I hated you, who always looked happy with your pure and bright face, so different from me who was steeped in darkness.
"W-what is this...?"
"These are the ducal family's administrative documents. I play while organizing these."
"And this...?"
"This is the advanced course for defensive magic circles. I find playing by studying this the most fun."
So I threw tantrums at you, who had done nothing wrong.
Seriously, what child would play house with such things?
"Serena! Look! I finished everything!"
"...Huh?"
But a few months after meeting you, you started adapting to my tyranny disguised as playing house.
No, not just adapting - you overcame it. You completed the tasks quite admirably, if not quite at my level.
Back then, I thought you were a genius like me. And at the same time, I thought you were the only person who could understand me.
"What... what is all this?"
"Ah, I got caught. Hehe..."
But one day when I accidentally entered your study and found papers piled like a mountain, I learned that was half right and half wrong.
"You... why on earth..."
"If I don't know this... I can't play with you, right?"
The mountain of papers was densely filled with traces of practicing the difficult tasks I had given.
You had memorized entire related bodies of knowledge for months just to play with me.
"...I should have distanced myself from you back then."
Lost in various thoughts, I find myself almost at the mansion.
But the closer I get, the closer the ending I absolutely didn't want to face also approaches.
Your letters that never return no matter how many I keep sending.
The owl that desperately tried to stop me.
No, the conclusion that can be inferred just from the pillar of acrid smoke visible before my eyes.
"...Ah."
Entering the Starlight mansion's courtyard, various people come into view.
Half have dark expressions, half are crying.
Watching this scene briefly, I stepped onto the lawn where I used to run and play with you.
"L-Lady Serena..."
As soon as I entered the courtyard, someone spotted me and spoke with a pale face.
"I, I'm... that is to say..."
It's Aris. She was an information agent used by the secret lord.
Judging by her pale face and blank expression, she doesn't seem to have fully grasped the situation yet.
Well, in this situation, anyone would have trouble grasping what's happening.
Ah, I see someone who has grasped the situation all too well.
She's scratching her arm wildly with a rock.
"It's my fault... it's my fault... because of my misfortune..."
Looking closely, it's the person named Lulu that Frey mentioned in his letter. He said she was a pitiful person branded with the mark of misfortune.
Apparently, she seems to think this incident is entirely her doing. Seeing her arm stained with a pool of blood below, her guilt must be quite great.
"..........."
All the commoners have dark expressions with their heads bowed. Frey would have been shocked and told them not to do that. It's clearly pictured in my mind.
My, thinking about Frey makes my heart grow heavy too. I should pass by quickly.
"The courtyard... is filled with tears..."
But with each step I take, my heart grows only heavier.
Professor Isollet sobbing while clutching a letter, Kania emitting thick dark mana with head bowed, and Ferloche beside her cursing the sun god while radiating holy power.
Irina laughing in a half-mad state and Arianne crying while holding her.
And the imperial princess sitting on the ground with a letter in her hands, wearing a blank expression.
'...Really, it's messy.'
One of the things I hate most is messiness.
So I must somehow organize this messy situation.
"It should be... here..."
Thinking that, I began rummaging through the envelopes scattered on the ground.
"Sigh..."
It didn't take long to find the letter left for me.
Because there was only one letter left in the envelope, and on its surface was written:
- To my first love.
"...Frey."
Emotion overcoming reason is something I thought would never happen except when Frey was in front of me... but that wasn't true.
Tears are already flowing from my eyes.
- First, a warning. Give up any thoughts of starting a rebellion.
"Pfft."
Reading the first sentence while tears dripped down, I ended up laughing at Frey's silly joke.
As always, his habit of trying to defuse a serious atmosphere remains.
- Let's get to the point. Since it's game over, I need to somehow clean up the aftermath. I'm going to tell you the best possible routes from now on.
"Sigh."
Reading the next content with those thoughts, I let out a short sigh.
Frey must not hate the world. Leaving countermeasures for this distasteful world.
'...Even so, it's useless.'
- ...That way at least three generations can all survive. If you don't like this method, escape the empire and go to the western continent. With your talent, you can somehow manage there...
"Useless as expected."
Thinking that, Frey's methods were all useless. At best, they would only temporarily extend life - mere escapism from reality.
- If none of these methods appeal to you... read Aria's letter. That is the last hope.
Reading through such futile strategies for a while, I smiled when I saw the final words.
Because what that phrase indicated matched the conclusion I had reached coming here.
- Ps. Even if you read Aria's letter... don't use that plan you're thinking of. That's an order.
"Indeed... you were a genius."
Reading the postscript absentmindedly, I murmured with a sorrowful smile.
It was the first time I'd had my memories read by someone else. My fiancé was indeed a genius.
"I'm sorry, Frey..."
But still, he was a bit below me.
"...The absolute obedience spell is already broken, you see."
Saying that, I turned my gaze to the place I had been avoiding.
"...Ugh."
Then, Frey's ragged corpse came into view.
"Eugh, euugh..."
Seeing the imperial princess flinch and raise her arm the moment I looked at the corpse, it seems she was the one who confirmed the kill.
"..........."
And the only one who knows that fact seems to be Professor Isollet. I'll exclude Mr. Ferloche since he's been acting strange from earlier.
- Crunch!
"...Ugh."
Ah, my teeth cracked.
I thought I was calmly observing the situation internally, but I must have been grinding my teeth without knowing.
Thanks to that, blood is flowing from my lips and a stinging pain is rushing in from my cracked teeth, but now isn't the time to worry about such things.
I must quickly end this messy situation.
"...Ms. Aria."
"Y-yes?"
"I'll read the letter for you. Please hand it over."
Thinking that, I extended my hand to Ms. Aria.
"H-here you go..."
Ms. Aria, whose eyes were swollen from crying, handed me the letter with trembling hands.
"No, not that one... the letter with the strange characters."
"...Ah."
After I finished speaking, Ms. Aria took out a letter carefully folded in her pocket and handed it to me.
"...My beloved sister. You have two choices."
Finally receiving the letter written in Korean, I began to read its contents slowly.
"Live as a fugitive, or live as a guardian. One of two choices."
The letter Frey left for Ms. Aria showed clear traces of his deliberation.
"...Fearing you might discover the prophetic book, Father and I never taught you these characters. But given how things have turned out, it can't be helped."
Ordinary people might not see it, but I can. Traces of agonizing over each character, pressing down for minutes deciding whether to leave this letter or not.
"...According to what the previous hero said, something called a [side story] exists. To explain it in terms you'd understand... think of it as a virtual scenario that's uncertain to actually occur."
But ultimately, he left this letter. It must have been painful for him too. Having someone inherit his destiny.
"Anyway, according to that uncertain scenario... when I die, the only person in this world who can wear the hero's equipment hidden in the basement's secret space is you."
Ms. Aria stopped crying and started wearing a blank expression after hearing those words.
"Of course... since you don't have the 'hero's power' or the 'system'... by the time you can wear it, the entire continent will be burning."
"Ah, ah..."
"But if all the people of the continent combine their strength... and if you run around as a 'guardian' somehow maximizing good deeds... perhaps it will end with only half the continent burning."
I took a breath after saying that much. The content that follows is very important.
"Of course, choosing that path will open an incredibly difficult road. You won't have to commit evil deeds like I did, but... the probability of dying midway is quite high, your mind will always be exhausted, and you'll gain nothing but hollow honor."
"...Ugh."
"And even if you succeed, you'll only prevent destruction. Rebuilding the world will take hundreds of years. Furthermore, everything I've said now is an uncertain future. Because it's the story of a side story, not the story of 'Blacktail Fantasy 2'."
By then, I understood why Frey wrote such despairing content.
"Still, will you choose that path?"
"I, I..."
"...Remember this. Not anyone else's will. You must decide directly with your own will."
He wanted to give his sister the opportunity to choose.
"Brotherrrrrr... sob..."
Ms. Aria, having heard my words, began clutching the letter and weeping bitterly.
Yes, she seems to have understood the content exactly... Now it's time to end everything.
"Ah, ah..."
Leaving Ms. Aria weeping bitterly, I headed toward the imperial princess who was pale and collapsed on the ground.
"I, I was wrong... I was wrong..."
"Lady Klana."
"I was wrong... hic... I was..."
Her eyes, which used to shine gold, were bloodshot red, and her elegantly decorated hair was thoroughly disheveled.
Seeing her clutching a crumpled letter tightly enough to draw blood from her hands, she must have already read all the truth from that letter.
"...You didn't have to violate the body like that."
Though I didn't intend to say harsh words to her, somehow strange words started flowing from my mouth.
"There was... there was no need to confirm the kill."
Then, Lady Klana looked around at the expressions of those present with a terrified expression.
"...Fine. What's the point of arguing about it now."
Before my eyes, Lady Klana provided the catalyst that led to Frey's death and damaged the corpse.
However, she made Frey die because in the previous iteration, Frey had pierced her heart. And damaging the corpse was likely because of Frey's actions in the previous iteration.
So I understand it rationally, but...
"Agh...!"
"...Your Highness the Princess?"
Suddenly Lady Klana grabbed her head and started groaning.
"W-what... is this memory?"
"Ah... ah."
"Frey......."
At the same time, voices came from behind, and when I carefully looked back, quite a few people were grabbing their heads.
The commoner students, Ms. Kania, Ms. Irina, and everyone except me were complaining of pain.
"Th-this memory is..."
Watching that scene quietly, Lady Klana started muttering with a blank expression.
"No way... then, to save me back then, Frey..."
"...Your memories have returned, I see?"
"S-Serena..."
Only then did I understand what this situation was.
With the subject of memory loss gone, everyone's memories had returned to normal.
Except for Ms. Kania and Ms. Irina who already had their memories back, and me.
"........Haha, ha."
Thinking that, Lady Klana's eyes died.
That appearance was somewhat chilling, like looking at a lifeless doll.
"Lady Klana. Pull yourself together. Lady Klana."
I shook Lady Klana like that, but the princess just let tears trickle from her eyes and laughed.
It seems the princess has broken completely.
"........"
And the same was true for everyone else behind.
People who were already not in their right minds completely broke down after recalling memories with Frey.
"Lady Klana."
Quietly watching that scene, I sighed and sat down next to the princess to begin speaking.
To finish the last thing I must do.
"Look at Professor Isollet over there. She's quietly stroking her own sword."
"...Ah?"
"Someone who until just now had only a blank expression is now even smiling while stroking the sword Frey gave her as a gift. Do you know what this means?"
When I spoke coldly, the broken Lady Klana started trembling violently.
"...It means she'll soon stab her own stomach with that sword."
"Ahah..."
When I spoke mercilessly to her, fear returned to Lady Klana's dead eyes.
It seems the shock therapy worked.
"Look at Kania over there. The black energy is about to swallow her whole. Beside her is Ferloche scratching the ground until her nails are all torn, and Irina who has gone mad."
"S-stop..."
"Ms. Aria's eyes died after recalling the truth about her mother's death. Not only that, but her mana is flowing backward. If left like that, before long..."
"Please... stop..."
But I continued provoking her.
"In this situation, what should Lady Klana do?"
"I, I don't know..."
"Why don't you know? You're a leader who leads everyone. If you don't know, who will?"
"I... have no qualification to be a leader..."
Then Lady Klana started muttering with dark eyes.
"I just... want to die. I want to die like this and disappear. So, so..."
"No."
I declared loudly enough for Lady Klana, and everyone around, to hear clearly.
"If Lady Klana, and all of you, collapse here, my plan becomes useless. So... stand up again."
"Your... plan...?"
Saying that, I took out a small medicine bottle from my pocket and began speaking.
"There is still hope. Ask Ms. Aria for details. She will make the decision."
"Ms. Serena...?"
"Then, I will show you my final scheme."
Having said that, I uncapped the medicine bottle I was holding and poured the liquid inside into my mouth.
"............"
And briefly, silence fell.
'Frey, I'm sorry...'
In that silence, I quietly closed my eyes and sank into thought.
'...But no matter how I think about it, this is the only way.'
Recently, while reading the Moonlight family's confidential documents I obtained secretly... I recalled a shocking memory.
Only then did I understand why I came to love you so blindly, and why I could never give you up until the end.
I owe you a debt I couldn't repay even if I dedicated my entire life.
You probably accepted the fact that you had only 10 years left to live quite naturally by the time you entered the academy.
But how is that possible?
It's too much to attribute to the result of continuously sharing your life force with Kania, and how did you know 'exactly 10 years' in the first place?
The answer lies in your manipulated memories.
Yes, the memory you remember as your 'first evil deed'... the memory related to my curse of subjugation.
"Cough!!"
"M-Ms. Serena!?"
Ah, the effect is starting to show.
Did you always live like this, coughing blood? Goodness, it must have been terrible.
"Serena...? You... what did you just do?"
"Haa... haaah..."
"...What's that magic circle appearing all over your body?"
Lady Klana started looking at me with a blank expression as I collapsed to the ground.
"I took deadly poison. The magic circle is the curse on me."
".......What?"
"With Mr. Frey who was blocking my curse dead, my weakened curse is reactivating. In a few minutes like this, I'll become the 'Secret Lord's' puppet. That's why I'm committing suicide."
When I rapidly explained to Lady Klana, her expression, which had remained blank, started to distort.
"W-what are you saying... Frey blocked your curse? Secret Lord? You... you're dying?"
"Yes... to make the final scheme I set up succeed... this is the only way."
"That's... that's nonsense!!"
Eventually Lady Klana, with tears in her eyes, rushed at me.
"D-don't die... please don't die..."
"Cough... ugh..."
"You, you're dying because of me too? Because I... because I made Frey like that... you too are because of me..."
"...Lady Klana, and everyone else. Listen carefully to my words from now on."
Interrupting Lady Klana who was in panic, I began speaking while barely holding onto my fading consciousness.
"Don't let Frey's death and... my sacrifice be in vain..."
"No, no... no no no... no...!"
"Bury our two deaths in your hearts... and use them as a guidepost... to move forward. Don't give up. Understood?"
"Nooooooo!!!"
I had many more things I wanted to say, but it seems too much now. It's too difficult.
"...Just one thing, let me ask one thing."
My, a black cat has thrown a question at me. It can't be helped. I've grown fond of that person.
"Why... why would you go that far? What's so good about this hopeless world that you'd do this?"
Quite a cute question. Thanks to that, a smile naturally forms.
"...It's the world Frey wanted to protect."
Ah, those words might become my last testament.
This is troublesome.
The last words I wanted were to ask to be buried next to Frey...
.
"S-Serena?"
As Serena, held in Klana's arms, went limp after coughing up blood, Klana who didn't know what to do started speaking incoherently.
"This is a lie, right? This... this is all a scheme you devised, right? Right...?"
The people watching Klana fell into heavy silence, realizing the depth of Serena's final words.
"Serena... Serene... ugh..."
After rambling for a while, Klana buried her face in Serena's embrace and began muttering.
"I, I... I killed Serena... I killed Frey... ugh..."
"Imperial Princess Klana!! Urgent news!! Time is of the essence!!"
"...Huh?"
Klana, who had been crying while struggling for a while, suddenly trembled when a messenger rushed into Frey's courtyard.
"Y-you're safe... thank good... h-huh?"
The messenger who sighed with relief seeing her froze after belatedly grasping the situation before his eyes.
"...I-I don't know what's going on... but I'll deliver the news first."
The messenger who had been staring blankly for a while quickly started delivering the news, realizing this was an emergency.
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, as well as the First Prince and the First and Second Princesses have just been assassinated."
".......What?"
When Klana asked back with round eyes, the messenger answered with a hardened expression.
"This means you are now the Emperor of this empire."
".......Ah."
While everyone including Klana was bewildered by the shocking news, the messenger continued with an even darker expression.
"And the Demon King has declared war."
"........!!!"
At those words, Klana and everyone froze, and from that moment, time suddenly began to accelerate.
The sun kept rising and setting, the moon appearing and disappearing. People hurried back and forth at rapid speed.
"Sigh..."
And in the center of it all, Frey's soul with a somber expression began muttering in a depressed voice.
"......This is the worst."
The trial was heading toward its end.