Chapter 132: Fate Intertwined (2)
NESXoFragments of the being who had once been the chairman fell on the ground.MZH
R3wuEfJTates was staring down at the corpse of the young man… or rather the remains, when Dumnorix spoke to him from behind.WEp
aZIED“Are you not going to chase after them?”nA0MsB
1RRTMinDumnorix suggested that they chase after Korin Lork and his group to finish them off for good.XVN
KU53“No. This will do for today.”8cyMFf
3nFZ3hg“Hmm?”afOpJSE
W5qThe first to react to his words was the beautiful young man with bright blonde hair, Eochaid Bres. He said after exaggeratedly flinging his long fluttering hair with his hand.TUXo
myN2BY“O King, lend me 500 shadow warriors, and I shall personally return with the head of the lady using the Domain on a plate.”i9rL
TNZwxv“Looks like you have taken interest in her, Eochaid.”f3uMWVE
CVD0gm“How can I possibly not fall for her nectarine-like skin and unparalleled skills with the sword? Of course, everyone around that destined contender were all wonderful-looking girls.”Y2O
3sdEochaid Bres did not conceal his greed. Although he was the most normal in terms of outer appearance, the madness inside him was by no means less than that of the King of Beasts, Dun Scaith.xI2
1WE“But no. We are heading back.”ga2Skc
TOIN“Hah~”E8ko
5bViV2OHe heaved out a sigh of lament. Despite being skeptical about his decision, Eochaid Bres did not put it into words out of utmost obedience.8o1gKu
lfxSTates said as if to reward him for his obedience.ssqm
V3fi“Destroying the world. That Precept engraved into my body is asking for suitable foes and risk. It looks like those women had their ‘fates intertwined’ with my contender, you see.”jRB4
ixlIt would be possible for him to kill them if need be, but that would incidentally reduce the significance of the final battle. His Precepts were demanding for that final battle to be ever so magnificent and mythological.7gnvK
QyWc“This time was just to say hello… Rather than a fight between warriors, it was closer to an assassination…”5hgiO1
XFiThe Precept related to the destruction of the world was very heavy. And its requirements were just as strong.4IMZms
0l2“There is no elegance in that.”EpZXb
QEAH****9DbWz1
QPbPzwC“…”BrCBg
Aufsut“…”P01Qp
A5stOWe silently stayed there in the middle of the Academy campus, at the place we were dropped off.dnm25
Xpa“Korin…”e22G7Xb
mLn50Marie said while walking towards me with her eyes on the hole in my chest. I stopped her and said to her instead.VTmt
b4foG“Please… look after Alicia first.”Ka0eSzs
Qg6DThanks to the amplification from my Precept just then, my regeneration ability had also been enhanced significantly. My organs were in a mess but it wasn’t lethal by any means.Ii8C
hmx“Uhk… Mr. Korin. I’m sorry…”09T1vZ
K2pThe one in our group with the greatest amount of injuries was Alicia. It was because she had taken in the brunt of Valtazar’s attacks unguarded, and the damage was nothing to scoff at despite Hua Ran being in the middle of the two.paSslq
va0“How are you guys… Senior Marie and Hua Ran?”kkDN
Mr6nKs“I, I’m fine!”344KQ
Tv4Ra“…No problem.”SN1c
Bq9u8T“Alright. That’s good then.”Apqt0HH
AyogFfmI carefully raised Alicia, whose body was covered in bruises, and brought her to Lady Josephine.ssNRxy
RAP“Professor. Please move Alicia to the infirmary first.”hyLX
ZYw“…Alright.”36CK
7u4Josephine looked just as grieved but she wasn’t someone who would prioritize her feelings over casualties.xC3nYI
Jsh“Hua Ran. You go with them.”DS7Ib
hmO0Jb5“I’m fi…”q5aLkB2
b5KOd“Go.”bkjNak
RIF2m“…”ZRMakr
SGbhcGFor a long time, she stood still without saying anything back. It was highly likely that she was chatting with Ran.5WoCM7M
yai“Okay.”zfMYT
Ven4“…Korin. What about me?”3UogNJJ
LveP7IK“Senior… Can you wait for Ren and Ron please? The kids must have been surprised.”meTyG
Rg00T“N, nn…! Alright!”uAPqE
fHPhThey all left after I practically chased them away. With everyone gone, I dragged my powerless body towards the bench and sat myself there, without paying attention to my bloodstained shirt.LRRIyw
S5WT“Haa…”FXsShVg
WCRI quickly went through everything that happened.toZ8
gSMGlConflict with the Tower of Mages – a terrorist attack at the Academy carried out by the Great Mage Adelene, and the mages of the Red and Black Cults. Admelech of the Red Cult was disarmed and captured with haste whereas Morushtan of the Black Cult was pretty much erased from the equation after I reported him to the New Faith.04Bv
G2agIt was unexpected that they would target the wolf siblings who were much easier targets than Marie but… none of them were hurt that badly thanks to Princess Miruam.jYi
qzsklRen’s poison was cleansed with the power of the Sun and Ron had gone through a surprising amount of change, even though he still looked like a young teenager.i88
DkTj4tTates Valtazar and his subordinates appearing towards the end was… something completely unexpected but…eYnyU
kSDNone of us were dead.lpjC
6lSVJMarie, Alicia and Hua Ran. No one was dead nor injured beyond cure.jf5HG
P7NEven after meeting the strongest final boss of ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱ everyone had been able to escape with their lives intact.r3r
4hhtFWe were lucky. It was a commendable feat – that’s what I wanted to tell myself but…TJrRCuZ
IqY8ZTv“Fuck…”1wR
ULdqXHA complete defeat.xurOI7I
LXTEWe were overwhelmed by one single person, Tates Valtazar.eHvhG
XVN6740%Q1o
fZtijjtThat was an unprecedented amount of increase in strength and yet even with that much support, I didn’t even stand a single chance.IkAH
fFXMixAll of the King’s Subjects were monsters but Tates Valtazar… was just in a completely different league.2BnrbT
zwxf“Huu…”JR3T
oskSoaEven though I should have already been used to failures and defeats…GzlFz42
UIHI might have unknowingly become arrogant and conceited by the constant victories and successes. It was just one loss and yet it was painful and difficult to bear.aYw
gV0DI should have expected it.zsUAzBo
Tjfu6UAfter killing Fermack Daman and snatching Claiomh Solais away, I should have long known that I had already garnered his attention.SQ1bv5G
QoIiIn many aspects it was a success but there was one big failure.Bi64Wu
gAn3IB6That was how significant the destruction of Eriu Casarr, the avatar of my Master, was to me.lo4wxU
X01lq****b8a
7WGA week went by after the Tower of Mages incident. The aftermath of the event caused by the mages of the Tower was enough to leave the Academy in chaos.DmYtnQ
p5ijMThose mages that were here for research, had not only tried to capture students to use as test subjects, but they even ambushed Senior Professor Josephine Clara and murdered Chairman Eriu Casarr.UMt2y
Sgr0hSlThe death of the chairman was a great shock to not only the Academy but also to the whole kingdom.zd6QwDt
WC3JEhHowever, the Tower of Mages officially denied their involvement in the matter. They refused to admit the terrorist attacks of the Red and the Black Cults, marking a long start to debates and discussions.PgAH
2tTqeThat was the same as the original plot of the game, and was exactly why the Tower of Mages was able to buy a year’s worth of time despite doing something as ridiculous as attacking the Academy.STy
7fF9KMy plan was to defeat Lord Adelene of the Tower of Mages to change this line of future but I couldn’t find Lord Adelene until the very end.OyTTbT0
evKThere wasn’t anything much happening after that.vMVR
yGlQWe had a funeral for Chairman Eriu, who was officially proclaimed dead, which was attended by all the representatives of each year level.Thewfzw
xcXMarie was the representative of the 3rd year students whereas I was the representative of the 2nd years. We read the pre-prepared lines in memory of Chairman Eriu Casarr and threw flowers into the coffin.0SOM72
pYlQ“K, Korin…!”2MlsYO
yWrnvWe were leaving after the funeral when Marie called my name after rushing her way across.jQb3gtj
sEwCjj“What are you running for?”R3r
sfS4O0I“Mhmm…! N, nothing much…! I was just wondering if you wanted to have something to eat…”hLA5Mut
MxbFor the past week or so, there hadn’t been much conversation between us. There were a bunch of things to discuss with her including what to do in the future, the directions we had to take, preparations for the enemy and how to deal with the captured mages, but for now…WM3W
OO4REs“Later. Not right now.”PJgfI
B1Cxqe9For now, for just a little bit, I wanted to take a rest.tB55f
T9s“Okay… I’ll see you later.”9MV1S4D
ucGdipDespite her dejectedly walking away, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to cheer her up.9v7U
crFhQ4“Student Korin.”Jspkx
JdQGH3After staying there by myself for who knows how long, a familiar voice echoed from behind. Speaking up to me was Josephine Clara, who had been attending the funeral until now.xGJ7UJ
F3mHShe walked up until she was right next to me. Constantly, she threw a glance at the black suit I was wearing for the funeral – or rather at my chest – which had been penetrated by the Spear of Light.iCVy
0kN“I’m fine. The hole’s been closed, and my internal organs are almost done healing back up.”4xxAf5
XfO“But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”V6q
WTb“I’m used to it.”Oecc6Gp
QPhNA“…She wants to see you.”yjl
7OxUIWhat she said next… was a bit unexpected. On the outside, I was still known as a disciple of Valtazar so it was hard to understand why she would want to see me face-to-face.CDJ40
WjMUi“…”XRrsk
m8rrFCFollowing Josephine into the crack in dimension she opened, I walked out and saw a large palace.hrOb0
Hz12OThere was nothing nearby. The cold and lonely world had nothing but darkness and void, and the enormous palace was the only thing worth noting.aQ0
7icB5Shadow Palace.CPjMlw5
izFThe palace that had once been the banquet hall of the gods; the palace of the King of Gods, Ard Ri… the Ruler of Paradise.0jFikjI
9fqcpGJosephine, the only outsider allowed to enter the palace, moved her hand once as the large gates of the palace started to open out wide.OQU
qOW42“Let’s go in.”Wjx
5zbyWe walked past the dried gardens and broken pavements of cobblestone.07T
h4mGLquThe only source of light leading us to the end was the fluorescent stones engraved into the surrounding walls, lighting up the red carpet beneath.KH0b4
A2UKeOn the way down the long path, Josephine remarked.2Bb
ATY3“100 years ago, the world was in greater chaos than it is now.”6JLQs9
hx6jvZShe then started talking to herself. Recalling the old memories of the past, she started her story.fZzHy0
eaEHD5“The Old Faith after modifying the doctrine as they pleased, started hunting witches and putting them on scaffolds.iyL
0NM“My Master… My oldest friend, who used to visit the village of witches to tell stories of her hunting monsters and magic, tried to save us.zsJ1K
nmX1L“And Tates Valtazar – he helped us alongside Master.eVp27a
9LMS“We defeated the inquisitors of the Old Faith and crushed the evil mages that were looking for human test subjects.”ghd18
nitjXThat was one of the events recorded in history.7Rgf7
rJGThe Witch Hunt, followed by the Revolution of Witches; the Religious Revolution and the fall of the Tower’s monopoly over magic education and the foundation of the Guardian Academy.gJJWB7X
5Q4“We were heroes. We saved many people and killed legendary monsters. I thought that we would stay together as heroes forever.”38Yt
CRHSj3OHowever, she was betrayed.58Qaj
KDBZQBy her senior brother whom she had been believing in the most.fwt
DElh6Q1And Erin, by the disciple whom she had been trying to inherit everything in her possession to.ZPvJS
ZXX“80 years ago, we defeated the traitor and for a very long time… was under the belief that he was dead. That was until you told us.”kjG
PvN4wdCHowever, he really wasn’t dead – he had been waiting for the right opportunity for 80 long years.N00FK
6CyPIe7Soon, we arrived before the audience chamber of the palace, where my Master would be waiting for me.Zr6
IQT“From here… you can go by yourself.”nrz
ZpvNi“…Is that okay?”HSB
9NmOS“I said no, but she was very firm with her will.”BOH2I6X
joP83It seemed that I had gained more trust than necessary. But still, I couldn’t believe how undoubting and believing she still was despite everything that she went through.wYX
CHdH4“Korin Lork.”UIN
BibRight as I was about to enter the audience chamber, Josephine’s voice stopped me on my tracks from behind.rzxIF
riv3S“Please don’t betray her. Having that happen twice… would be way too cruel.”zr7
MswWIPAt the end of the red carpet, sitting on the throne of the audience chamber with only a hint of its past glory was her.qqd
BokauCrystal clear aqua-marine eyes and lustrous hair that seemed to have been woven by melted silver. Waiting on the throne was my benevolent and beautiful master, Erin Danua.akxu39
k12fAG“…You are here.”UZgJd5O
zuqaThe Queen looked exactly the same as the Erin I saw in Nazrea, but she appeared rather lethargic due to having stayed exiled for far too long.3iuz
Ac3“Come here.”DMDu
h0jMv“I believe you are being way too careless.”Ta7
h2Vk“Am I?”5PDmVY
DXSOv“You need to doubt more and be more cautious. Even more so now that you have lost your puppet.”mxk
ixaQH“Right… Of course. More importantly, come closer for a bit.”Z3l
OJbsDI“…”GE9lT
OFvheHWhat was going on? Why was looking at me with such an intimate light in her eyes? Even though I hadn’t built any rapport with her in this life?tM2
rHc8I“Quick.”v68Qeg
R0KjFEdIn the end, I couldn’t ignore her urging me to come closer and moved my feet. Slowly, I carried my heavy feet one at a time.Gs1jpFc
QWGnZwP“Let me officially introduce myself. I am Erin Danua, the last Danann and Ard Ri. The Queen of Paradise.”A2kUk
lXpy“I’m…”K8dhrt7
XUz“A disciple of Tates Valtazar. A young hero who betrayed him and vowed to save the world… You’re not exactly that, are you?”QDxYDwV
oeEMJI was… lost for words.PHsj
B7Qu9So“Hn~”Ppd
sWmgddStanding up from the throne, she modestly sat down on the carpet in front of it. She then tapped on the floor next to her, as if telling me to sit down.2Sak36w
udFY1dCJust like what she did at Nazrea.284YKMK
siPyG“…”u6kVO
Mz3Unconsciously, I sat next to her when Master started caressing my hair.Hf6
8x7n5“You have worked hard.”4n8XX
DVA0『You’ve worked hard.』KuS
LlCi5A déjà vu.sMTR
6N3k3Don’t tell me…csoch
PMTVNG“Tates Valtazar. Do you know him?”U1B
y8X1hlk“…I know he was your disciple, and that he betrayed you.”ccTF6B
Iji8KggThat was the description provided in the game about their relationship, but there was more to their relationship than what could be explained by those few lines.2RvULC
s0PyG“He meant more to me than a disciple. I found that boy when exploring one of the lands left behind by the ancestors.”AUM
WEjRhBPThe land of druids and the hiding place of the Spear of Light, Areadbhair, Gorias. In that place was an ark built for the Danann.49uHRQM
edZFG“Cold sleep… Do you understand what I mean by that? There was a baby laying asleep for a very long time and… I was very happy when I found him.”bXhx4
wlgShe had found Tates when he was a toddler and had raised him up ever since like her real son. Her love for Tates was from a sense of kinship for the one and only other being of her kind.CfRkm
5NlxSq“I gave him everything. Love, spearmanship, treasures… I would have done the same if I had an actual son.38sQ
99aVc“That made me blind. I couldn’t see it – I didn’t notice the hatred the child harbored against this world, and his resentment.R2jA9
Dgi“That was my biggest mistake. The wounds and the seal he cast on me not only hurt my body but also shredded my heart to pieces.”qfD
0on8kmThe current humanity was the descendants of Goidel, whereas Tates was a Danann himself. After realizing the hidden truth of history, Tates Valtazar had vowed to take his revenge.1oJn4qe
QasoWhile remembering his fall from a hero to an evil villain, Master said with a sorrowful tone of voice. She blamed herself for it in grief and self-deprecation.dIO2cwU
8ke1Rvi“It was hard to make myself believe in anyone else after being betrayed. The disciple and one who should have inherited my throne meant so much that… I had to live with those wounds for far too long.”34FOS
bQJDwHer eyes turned away from the memories of the past and started to face me.VQF
RXs6m“Child. My disciple. Young boy from the future who tries to put everything on their shoulders.”CnUMJ
T62She saw through me. The regression, which I wasn’t expecting anyone to believe and had been hiding, was seen through.xbOU2
eBYovIf I wasn’t a disciple of Valtazar, and if I was a disciple of the future Erin Danua like I had introduced myself as at Nazrea… A disciple whom she hadn’t taught as of yet…vpF6I
KKh4RIPutting those clues and hints together, she must have realized that I had come from the future. And… she wasn’t an irresponsible person who could leave everything to someone who had come from the future.cZ1g0
QFvpuCaressing my hair, she declared her thoughts.aovlb4w
MLLA“Just because you know the future, doesn’t mean you must shoulder it by yourself.”ZbVjyJT
9RZwst“No… You can’t. I won’t let you do it.”FOh
sdXXpHIn the first place, I didn’t have any plans of meeting her in this lifetime. Because her life was one that always came to an end upon forming a connection with the player… because she was someone who always had to pay the price for her devotion and benevolence.6Sl89lX
EnVKShe, who always saved others, dedicated and sacrificed herself for the sake of others… always had only one future ahead of her.ZkRKV
3Z4a“You… are the Queen – the only queen of Paradise. If the Queen is gone, Valtazar will easily take the empty throne. Just like in chess, the king needs to be under protection.”lzV0
irfI tried to stop anything she could potentially say with logical reasons but…Rx8Jy3
rgIFgh“I have never once been a king. But I have been a teacher, and I have always been a hero.”zHU
N3d“You can’t do it this time. I won’t let it go like it did before. You have to stay here – you won’t be able to stop him.”HxsTqjm
IYnrEZPlease. Just please stay here without ever leaving this castle.A1q8Rfr
3pRaXiIn response to my desperate attempt to convey my thoughts with my eyes, she wrapped her warm hands around mine and said.sJLk
KpbBD“Us meeting like this is most definitely no coincidence.iLasQI
Hmqf“Fate is not something that blooms when you want it to, and it is one where you inevitably turn back to no matter what you do to leave it.ldF
u9khKC“We have met like this. We have reunited and although we may treasure each other, we cannot turn away from our fate.”6BH78UI
RQgVlL“No,” I replied. “We can change it. We can control our fate. We just have to have enough preparations and change history. That’s what I have been doing till now.”a5S
WHSlfZ“Yes, Korin. You will do your part very well, and that is all the more a reason why I must accept my own destiny.unK8jhQ
zleZ“Like how you are carrying the fate to save the world, I have my role in teaching, protecting, and believing in you.Wkcj
gfyLx8“Just like what Erin Danua from 300 years ago has done and like what the future me has done, I shall also trust you and support you on your way.”5eg
GqMMy eyes couldn’t help but shake looking at her unconditional yet firm gaze. As if she knew me very well, she stroked my forehead and came closer with a warm smile on her lips.uK2
uNTupsHer face drew near and soon, her lips landed on my forehead.zOQ
hwcb2AI“I will protect you. That is my duty… and the choice I have made for myself.”ukE2h
c51lLike always, she made the same decision.QPMPL
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