Chapter 215: Long Live the Queen (3)
XuMzEIt was when Tates reached out toward her.RC8v
N58HhKnowing that he could kill her with his bare hands, Miruam closed her eyes and thought to herself.0wi1tZ
MfPuD8zI should have asked him.eDq
MNKkThe things that Lia Fail showed her; were they really from the future…? And what about the gaze of nostalgia that he often had when looking at her…? Why was he trying so hard to stop her…?WRD
xknC4yThere were many regrets in the choices she had made. She saw countless visions in her darkened sight but when nothing happened even after a while, Miruam slowly opened her eyes.vRv4b
Nwo“…”3td
tERcTates Valtazar was smiling with the Lia Fail in hand.fJH
YNom“…Are you not going to kill me?” she asked.0Gq
jFknI“There are a lot of reasons to kill you, but this is quite the monumental event.”DpBPUuv
Ew6mA0O“What do you…”LGffk
amIOziYShe was puzzled by him not killing her.SCzi
mpeLNow that she had given up on revenge, she was most definitely not an ally for Tates Valtazar and besides, she was even persuaded by his enemy, Korin Lork, which could be seen as betrayal.y5eFxEX
IK2PPlus, there were many things she knew as his ally.yq0tnA
TQsFrost Giant, the union of the Northern Kingdom, the revival of the World Tree… knowing just one of them was supposed to warrant death.l9ues
0r7Lz57“Even I was surprised to see the ‘change in your destiny’. Although the path was always different, your future had always had the same ending.”btf
T4O8dqE“What do you mean…?”nJBdZl
fSE4w“Well. Just think of it as a soliloquy of a grumbling old man.”kWSP8
hDB6w8He was acting in a clearly unorthodox way. She was pretty much going to be his enemy, so why?3GcAZ
pDZvm“What if I…”nSm
JLft“You can share everything you know all you want. Korin Lork would be aware of them anyway.”iQiKOIX
p9ZOaSuWith that, he walked back out onto the terrace. It was as if retrieving Lia Fail had been his sole objective from the start.gT1we
cos“We will be enemies the next time we meet.”acEk0oD
C7FrLeaving those words behind, he vanished from the terrace as Miruam dumbfoundedly watched him disappear.F5SB
BuT5F9………RaMb
nkNPRO……GPpGa7
1G8…Zofe
LjW“Not going to kill her?” Eochaid asked.jMB
pWMHe, who had been inspecting the “Primal Rune of T” at Merkarva until recently, was already at the royal capital sipping his glass of wine.Z5V3IVc
nY7eb9“Let’s leave her be as a commemoration. It was very unexpected to see her survive.”rdzcJc
iYhL“A story of love overcoming destiny, huh? A romantic story indeed, but she will become a fairly annoying enemy in the future.”jUZ
0pq2Tates remained silent with nothing but an indecipherable smile on his mouth. Eochaid had an idea of what this romanticist was aiming at but had more questions to ask.rNM
ThcYU“I thought it was about time to kill the youngest.”B8zRQu
SusZErin Danua.NC9p
hiKJluThe last King of Gods.NQ3
R68She had the rightful authority over Paradise, which was now concealed beyond the dimensions. All Tates could do right now was play petty tricks using Primal Runes to summon Paradise for a split moment but Erin was able to summon it without an issue as long as she wished for it.pj5
eue5AThis was the reason why Tates Valtazar needed to usurp the king’s throne through coronation.TjAz
Ni9YmHe needed to become the rightful heir to Tir na Nog and undo the curse of Goidels hidden inside, before bringing total destruction to the world and recreating it.npea1DO
29AuQpThat was why Erin Danua’s death was inevitable.Qzk0H
icll“That was the plan.”JblPeD
HSJ5p8t“And?”m5qpIfB
Nge60“As someone aware of my Precepts, he would have made a move at that very moment. Normally, I would have gladly taken the offer if it was anyone else but…”eoZ
RjaTates suddenly halted in his tracks. He then continued after turning towards Miruam’s palace.9eaI
fMqt7G“I want both of us to be fully ready and prepared for the final war. It will be a glorious battle.”S0X
R4Et“Haa… I’ve fought him before, but he wasn’t on the same level as you. If he’s only that, I can deal with him myself.”Pce
4KN“‘This time, it will be different.”BM3
U3QuqMkEochaid Bres shook his head, thinking how he was probably the only one who could see through the ambiguity of his words.K18oTH
dLXs“How frustrating it must be to know too much. If it were me, I would have killed them on the spot.”YOVX
eK7v2“Not very romantic is it? For a previous God King like yourself.”xroVV9S
RUROG2u“And you have too much of it. Do you think he will come looking for you? If he takes the Prime and hides himself, it will be a hassle to find him.”ZxxWr3
LBdVL9Eochaid raised his doubt.UYpYUV8
xYOMMEThey still didn’t have all the treasures and the Primal Runes required for the coronation. Eochaid just couldn’t understand how Tates firmly believed that they would bother looking for them.Wleeu1m
wehx2“He definitely will. Both he and I… are quite the romanticists.”dogE
Q8zQTates had a firm belief in the contender that fate had chosen for him. That good-hearted and brave man would surely come to him as always.033Uz
6WkBLHe will jump through all the hardships and trials and come knocking on his door.fEo
AiQThis time, it won’t be disappointing.DkqB
VPFDay4Despite Eochaid sighing from the side, Tates had no plans of changing the destiny he had decided for himself. He reached towards the sky and grasped at the rising sun in the distance.i6S0
pUTCome my destined contender.
My nemesis.
I will be waiting in the North.
Let us have a heated battle, scorching enough to melt the blistering winter.IGw8
mzYY***o3sHFB6
nGGVCpA“…”TlJYoYi
bddThe commotion on the other side of the world settled down, away from the eyes of the common crowd. In spite of me intentionally refraining from intervening in the fight to stay ready, the morning arrived without bringing trouble with it.Pi7
c6eBuG“The future must have changed.”szl
dmrNEt“…I knew there was a chance this would happen.”aNGAD
FKAhThere was a possibility of Valtazar not showing up.feGbfQ
8wnUnlike the last iteration, he lacked a lot of manpower, and all of his supporting factions were weakened except for the Old Faith.PhWh
uxk1Dun Scaith, Fermack Daman, and the Sword Fiend were all dead. It was safe to say that he had been weakened by more than half compared to the previous iteration.ftvza
I5rP4IA lot had changed so it was possible that he would give up on the attack. It was a definite possibility.zrVN0
2GQgi“But still… This should have been the best opportunity for him.”X9qwl
Kdv3AZTates Valtazar’s goal was the Advent of Paradise.LXT
WzzTo achieve that, he needed the eight Primal Runes that composed Tir na Nog, and the four Danann treasures to be qualified for coronation.LJxQ
F3BLMost importantly, he needed to assassinate the current King of Gods, Master.gIhTyK
n37W53OThe best chance to do all that should have been the opening of the entrance to Paradise with [Primal Rune of T] and the chaos it would create for the entire Academy…UWqYB3w
6SGv“Is it over…?”XgvbwdR
rhRYNvThere was a part of me that found this anticlimactic considering the tension I had been under the whole time, but what I felt the most was definitely a deep sense of relief.qaUVyUf
omtDfji“Are you okay?”blya4
ETzjaMaster concernedly asked.RG0lYS
mXwa8BRIt was exactly 2 years ago that she evacuated me, Park Sihu, and others.Rip
wcpYahnThe city was engulfed in flames and the Academy was encroached by chaos. In the end, we couldn’t fend off all the shadow demons; they poured down endlessly on the defenseless city filled with the screams of the innocent.wQAcE
OD7All I could see of Master back then, was her back.7aRmoeM
xhkuvThat was my last memory of her, and I thought I would never get to see her again.jmVB
Fvd9Yn“Master.”N5UXB
Hbh“What is it?”nDOB
Io2Llc“Can I hug you for a bit?”MZaOzH
OJhR“Uhht? T, that’s very sudden!?”gqOrG
PhKYMO5She appeared startled by my sudden request but I did not wait for her permission.Bzon0w
y2QEUj3I wrapped my arms tightly around her. The warmth of her body and the soft touch of her cheeks… proved to me that she was still alive and breathing.1qUOJZb
bH5itS“Sorry. Can I just… stay like this for a little?”UOj1mIa
xIhVN“A, aht… Uhh…”HPHvG
gxDVYWAfter threshing around for a bit, she soon wrapped her arms around my back in return.Ipf3
GrHUO“It’s okay… I’m here.”Ux4
fEt“…”Ya0
IitI was anxious.3Op540U
4wgDespite preparing as much as I could and achieving the most favorable scenario for us, I couldn’t escape the uneasiness inside.bjO71
PKUIf I were to fail; if it wasn’t enough… then Master would most certainly sacrifice herself for me again.P4C
3iRt0Having that happen twice was unacceptable. I couldn’t fail a second time.lZyP
0mkT9If I were to lose her again despite knowing the future and experiencing that tragedy beforehand… I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.gLm2o
DTGaM“Even though… Even though this isn’t the end yet… I feel so relieved.”tXA6
UGI1P6There must be a reason why Tates Valtazar didn’t show up. We weren’t yet entirely free from danger.jhj0a
SRv“I will protect you. With everything on the line if I must.”ReqvJZ
FhtI5That also applied to Marie, Alicia, Hua Ran… everyone.q7GtGP
jkJmI could lose anyone at any time so I couldn’t feel relieved just yet. I had to predict his set of movements and prepare myself at all times.12wA
XSte“Thank you. I am always grateful and sorry at the same time.”rbsS
Robtk“Why sorry…?”BMMbatO
Qpdu“For making you shoulder such a burden. But I’m also proud of you for trying so hard to save so many people.”LaeJR
UpaShe gently pushed me behind until she could look me in the eyes. Behind her was the sun rising to the top.B445zt
IafD4Master stared at me; not with her usual benevolence but instead… a look full of emotion and sorrow…G1Y
UOoH“I must be very blessed,” she said.CyQRhyA
bFgThAs the last Ard Ri left behind in this world; she defined as such the long life she had lived roaming the world and protecting Justice.xQHZc
fY3“I met you and was protected by you. This long wait must have been to meet you the whole time.”mmcqWR
EKIvATMShe laid her hands on my face and stared at me with red flowers blooming on her cheeks.vi2DOI2
HvqB“Originally I was supposed to have died by now, right? But look. I am still alive, standing right before you.ahfS1Xi
zmvg“Seeing the amount of joy and relief you showed just from my survival, and knowing how far you can go for me makes me feel sorry yet glad at the same time.078sl
9QhVbS“My beloved, dearest disciple. My dear Korin who vowed to walk the same path as me. I will pledge for you and I.”TTE5W
99Jix2Closing her eyes, she aligned her lips with mine with love and affection. When our lips parted, her smile was the only thing I could see.XJbzDV
MzEge“I will survive. My duty is to live with you and walk the same path as you. I will try my very best, to make sure you do not have to weep.5Lw
iAHMIF8“So… You must also cherish your life more than anyone else’s. Think about all the people who are pained when wounds appear on your body, and… think of me.bYZq
mSZH3“Korin, my love. Let’s try our best for each other’s sake.”Bo5MAQ
FEFVoivI was speechless.eFlDmm
oCw4RI… had already lost many people including her.eS9
PYJ0eThat was why I knew how tragic felt. I was always looking back at the ones that I couldn’t save despite having the knowledge to save them.wq8t
8V5This time, it’ll be different. This time, I will save everyone.rAQ
A8ZNThat was the reason for my vow; my Precept, and I was glad to put my life on the line for it. Doing that was my way of paying for my mistakes, and my punishment for losing the lives of countless people, oblivious to the great evil called Park Sihu.ZnSDFyc
5N3tMaster wasn’t tell me to stop. She was saying she would do the same thing as me.4ZyKyb
yNv3p“Thank you. Master, you always give me strength when I need it.”9G792vI
PoGYfjn“No ‘Master’.”ABdf
cY5RI“Sorry?”dO60
JnXkcLz“Try calling me by my name. I’m your comrade so… Yes. Please do call me by my name.”RkGGt8N
m5mCzOW“Umm… E, rin?”pS6Y
VlKErin gave a bashful smile at that single word.HBbYF
kC0p“Sounds good. It’s just my name and yet… It tickles my ears and makes my heart race.”w5x9
eXU7nk“Master?”VXy5
nDHnAs soon as I said that, she placed her slender finger over my mouth.WGUWkG
gVdASLk“‘Erin’.”8Rc
PDEbVUD“E, Erin…”nensXQe
DVEF“Yes. Korin?”687fNf
jkrnvShe gently called my name as if it was something incredibly sweet with a smile of joy on her face. After a while… she slowly brought her lips closer again.d1OjGYT
CJuKIlZIt was a short touch, to the point of being more of a peck.cgqh
uDGAnd yet that short moment felt so long… Even after parting our lips, neither of us were able to hide the redness of our cheeks.fTsk
78ULq“E, Erin…?”Eeu
h2OC“E, ehem…”tp5
Zw9gA5BEven though she was the one who had initiated it, Erin fidgeted with her lips as if she couldn’t believe she had done such a thing. Then, she suddenly shot out of her seat.4sT1IF
xCgQ6rt“F, fuu… This is not good for my heart. This is… really not good. Let’s stop here for today.”a0b
CwUdZ“Erin—”P2Cn
gI4t“Enough for today! Go back to calling me Master!”Fjrvv1Q
C911U“What do you—”YnPelnm
sOhs“I said enough, did I not?!”Kltm
hYpaJ49She gave a little flick to my forehead before fanning the heat away from her face.3LN
PqiJUS“Fuu, fuu…! I am exhausted! I’m going to return home and sleep!”Z8k
HklpBefore I could say anything back, she jumped down from the clock tower. It was jump without hesitation, and if it was someone other than Master doing it, I would have been worried that they were trying to commit suicide.oFXed
TH4fN“Uhh… Master. Let’s go together!”XoxpJrV
x4IgE2I jumped down as well. I could have normally climbed down the stairs but…Za92ZB
IAg“W, why are you following me?!”y8pU98l
S60“Like… We are going in the same direction, you know?”EgGM
wq1h“Ah… Kuhum…! Then, let’s go together.”5Fk
q1aja“…Okay.”7y3H
ccZWj“…”RhCpVY
lmLxAw“…”k5cv
xPcMTpLWithout another word, we awkwardly walked along the road while staring at the cloud in the sky.E0vtV
iVu***Kegp
YWksSAfter the Harvest Festival and the sudden visit from Valtazar, Miruam fidgeted with her chest pocket which was now a lot emptier than before.5vzlOo
uzoiThat was where she had put Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny.vswncYx
wnFIdThrough that stone, she had seen time after time images that were beyond her understanding.RfUNe4
ZiGfQ4『You stupid woman… I, I told you to wait.』ty79
gS6d『I really… wanted to bear our child. I’m… sorry. Blame your mommy…』KKSnKYa
NUG『You were my destiny. Now it’s already too late though…』lyji34
nS8uy“Huu…”xjVFs
6QeAlthough the stone was gone, she could vividly remember the images it showed her.Qcr
r4Qwa98How she was in sorrow; filled with nothing but remorse despite fulfilling her lifelong wish… as well as how he wept while seeing her die.nOQgScm
WyeeOriginally, she was going to keep it buried deep down.0PhJ
B87She was going to ignore and forget about it.mF71I
HiJyHkHowever, she just couldn’t forget it and when Tates visited her and she thought she was about to die… it floated back up as an unforgettable regret.dBs5zr
yZO“…25th of December.”i3TSa
LeAl0pThis year; that day.BXDM
W6tMswThe upcoming 25th.WTj
NiFkev“What should I… do?”a0aVs
ivM6She knew at this point that it would forever remain as a lingering regret if left unaddressed. As such, she felt a strong need to validate it.nN1GoET
czhUtgZ“Korin Lork.”FJO
AEUqlF3What is she supposed to do about that man…?cMBsq
o2zhykqMiruam deeply pondered by herself as the date drew close.ZSG8an
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