Chapter 106 |
Urgent footsteps echoed.
There was a woman running, not caring about the gazes of the people around her, breathing heavily.
Blue-silver hair.
The Third Princess of the Ephania royal family, known for their White Dragon lineage.
It was Sigrid Ephania.
She was holding back tears welling up in her eyes.
The reason was simple.
She was about to reunite with the love she had been waiting for all this time.
‘Arthur, Arthur.’
On that day, when she inherited her memories and opened her eyes,
she too, like Mary, had waited forlornly at the promised place for Arthur.
Sigrid loved Arthur more than anyone else.
But Arthur did not appear.
No matter how much she searched the Empire, she couldn’t find him.
She realized then that there was a problem she didn’t know about.
In her memories, Arthur was always a man who forged ahead.
Supporting him was her role as his wife.
So Sigrid endured and pushed Mary to stand up.
She believed Arthur must have had a plan.
She waited, hoping for the day she would meet him again, while carrying out her tasks.
And today.
Finally, Arthur had appeared.
It was indeed Arthur.
He had shown up because she had been doing her best with her tasks.
She was passing through the empty arena passage, heart aflutter,
when she saw a figure standing there.
A robed figure with golden hair peeking out.
It was Arthur.
It had to be Arthur.
“Arthur!”
She called out his name as she ran towards him.
Freeze!
Her steps halted.
The hair color was golden, yes.
But under the hood, it wasn’t Arthur’s face.
The figure had an androgynous face that could be mistaken for a woman, very different from Arthur except for the hair color.
Only the physique was similar; it was someone else.
Sigrid’s face hardened.
At the same time, a cold fury began to show on her face.
She wanted to immediately cut down the one who dared to impersonate Arthur.
“Who are you…”
“Sigrid Ephania.”
At that moment, the figure addressed Sigrid.
The voice was strangely neutral, making it hard to tell if it was male or female.
“Arthur has a message for you.”
“A message from Arthur?”
Sigrid snapped back to her senses.
Something had indeed happened.
With that realization, Sigrid regained her composure and bit her lip.
“There is someone else moving besides the three of you who have inherited memories.”
Hearing that, Sigrid’s eyes slowly widened.
This wasn’t a guess.
Only she, Mary, and Arthur would know that fact.
“Wait, what do you mean? There’s someone else besides us?”
“Arthur isn’t certain. There are too many variables this time, making it difficult for him to judge.”
Sigrid fell deep in thought.
This was something she had been contemplating recently as well.
‘With Ebelasque and Charlotte, the butterfly effects have been excessive.’
It was almost too much to be just butterfly effects.
“So Arthur is currently looking for that person. Pay attention to those who react to me instead of Arthur. That’s Arthur’s message.”
Finally, Sigrid understood Arthur’s intent.
“…Just one question. Arthur used to say something to me when we were alone. Do you know what it is?”
Sigrid asked for final confirmation.
The fake Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke.
“He said to tell you there was no such thing.”
“Ha, haha.”
Sigrid laughed out loud.
“That’s right. Arthur wouldn’t tell anyone what he said to me when we were alone.”
Sigrid was sure of Arthur’s existence.
“I understand what Arthur meant.”
If Arthur was looking for someone, she would find them too.
“Is there anyone Arthur is paying special attention to?”
In her mind, the first person that came up was Kraush.
She had seen Kraush break the aurora stone just moments ago.
What puzzled Sigrid was that the aura she sensed from Kraush was clearly at the entry level of a master.
But even a master couldn’t break the aurora stone, no matter how bright it glowed.
What she felt at that time was the power of a curse.
Realizing that, Sigrid guessed that Kraush had used a skill to swallow some sort of curse and played a trick.
Recognizing this, Sigrid felt confused.
‘Even with the butterfly effect, the timing was too early.’
Although Kraush was highly skilled in dealing with curses, it was mainly for self-protection.
Not at the level she had just witnessed.
Initially, she wondered if Kraush had also inherited memories like them.
But even if that were true, it made no sense for Kraush to reach the entry level of a master in just a few years.
His memories would only involve curses and wars, far from actual combat skills.
‘I know that man’s level the best.’
He was inherently a halfwit.
No matter how hard he tried, his inherent lack of talent made it impossible to break through his limitations.
“Charlotte Balheim, he said.”
Sigrid’s eyes widened.
“Did Arthur really say that?”
“Yes.”
Charlotte Balheim, an unprecedented genius of Balheim.
Upon hearing that, Sigrid felt like the pieces of a confusing puzzle were falling into place.
Charlotte was someone who never received any divine skills until her last moments.
A human legend herself.
She stood at the peak with just her sword.
But what if she received a skill just before dying after defeating the Sword Emperor?
The gods often extended their hands to humans at their final moments.
Arthur too had gained the regression skill through such a process.
‘Then it’s not impossible for Charlotte.’
The extremely talented Charlotte would have been pursued by the gods for a contract.
Naturally, they would have made generous offers.
This could also explain Kraush’s growth.
Even Charlotte, who couldn’t prevent the destruction, died after fighting the Sword Emperor.
In her death, she would have realized.
Even someone as proud as her couldn’t do it alone.
‘So she chose that man.’
That woman had subtly looked after her kin, Kraush, before.
Moreover, Charlotte knew the utility of Kraush’s skill.
To fight against destruction, a cursed one was essential.
So, just as Arthur chose the three of them,
Charlotte might have chosen her brother.
The woman, known for her erratic behavior, would only have accepted her brother as a companion.
‘Yes, from the moment she came to the academy, there have been suspicious activities in Balheim.’
If all of that was to help Kraush grow, it made sense.
‘And there was that thing Charlotte mentioned before she died.’
Sigrid recalled a conversation she had with Charlotte before she fought the Sword Emperor.
It wasn’t a meaningful conversation.
Sigrid and Charlotte didn’t get along well.
But Charlotte had mentioned something.
“I found it at last. Tell my brother to come get it. I won’t let him live like that anymore.”
Sigrid didn’t know what it was.
Charlotte had killed the Sword Emperor and died of exhaustion.
But she had intended to pass something to Kraush.
‘It might have been an elixir that could radically enhance growth.’
An elixir that could drastically change Kraush’s halfwit life in one go.
Back then, Charlotte might have indeed known about such things.
Combining that with Charlotte’s guidance and teachings,
Kraush’s current growth would be possible.
‘And the sword he carries, Rain Thunder Prime, is proof.’
The sword at Kraush’s waist was undoubtedly Rain Thunder Prime.
It was the sword Charlotte used until her last moments in her previous life.
Hearing rumors of a direct descendant of Balheim going to the Demonic Bastion,
she suspected it might be Charlotte.
But it turned out to be Kraush.
It must have been Charlotte who sent and informed him.
Only Charlotte knew how to obtain Rain Thunder Prime.
‘Charlotte doesn’t know about Arthur’s and our regression.’
So her actions might have seemed unrestrained.
To those who had regressed like Sigrid, her actions were clearly odd.
Sigrid crossed her arms, emphasizing her ample chest with a displeased look.
‘And she acted like she was meeting me for the first time?’
She didn’t expect Charlotte to be that cunning.
Dying alone, she must have realized something.
Sigrid showed a menacing glare.
Then a thought flashed in her mind.
“…Then we should bring Kraush to our side.”
The fake Arthur turned to Sigrid.
Meeting his gaze, she smiled slyly.
“Arthur is concerned about that man too, right? He is essential for the future. Charlotte must think so too.”
She imagined the moment of taking Kraush from Charlotte.
The only person who could trample her pride as the Third Princess of the Empire, Charlotte Balheim.
Even with her inherited memories, Sigrid felt a deep sense of envy towards Charlotte’s talent.
She envisioned Charlotte’s devastated face after having her well-nurtured brother taken away.
The thought brought her an unprecedented thrill.
Excitement mixed with malice made Sigrid lick her lips.
“I know that man the best. He was with me until the end, whether he liked it or not.”
Though they were sworn enemies in the past, they hadn’t seen each other in this life.
Approaching him as a princess wouldn’t be difficult.
“And I also know the two women who were involved with him.”
The woman who served the Flame Emperor.
The Saintess of the Holy Kingdom of Freeman, Astria Stigma Freeman.
Even if she didn’t know if those women would get involved with Kraush again, it would be better if they did.
Bringing those women into her faction would naturally bring Kraush along.
“How about it? It’s not a bad idea, right?”
“I am merely conveying Arthur’s message.”
As if he had no personal opinion, Sigrid gave a cold smile.
“Then tell me where Arthur is. I wish to see him and ask directly.”
“He will reveal himself soon.”
“…Ha.”
Sigrid frowned.
She wanted to crush the fake Arthur right then but held back.
Arthur must have a plan.
She didn’t want to ruin his grand scheme.
“If Arthur didn’t say much, it means he’s leaving it to my discretion. Fine, I’ll handle it.”
Click!
At that moment, Sigrid heard footsteps.
Turning her head, she saw a black-haired woman running towards them.
Holding a spear, her face was shadowed with sorrow, unlike before.
Yet, her voluptuous body remained unchanged.
It was Mary Diana.
“Miss Sigrid.”
She called Sigrid’s name after a long time and shifted her tearful gaze.
“And…”
As Mary was about to call out to Arthur with tearful eyes,
she saw the face under the hood and froze.
Then she showed a bewildered expression.
“A-Arthur…”
“He is not here.”
The fake Arthur answered, and Mary collapsed with a devastated look.
“No, that can’t be.”
At the same time, tears streamed down her face.
The once strong Mary, known as the New Spear, was nowhere to be seen.
Over the past year,
Mary had been locked in a dark room, only thinking of Arthur.
Her mental state had weakened, having always focused solely on Arthur.
The past year in solitary confinement was a living hell for her, feeling like she had lost everything due to a single mistake.
Her mental state had nearly reached its limit.
If not for the thought of seeing Arthur, she would have broken down long ago.
Sigrid looked at her pitifully.
Mary Diana, who once stood by her side as the New Spear, was gone.
What remained was a royal pawn with only the Heavenly Martial Body.
Sigrid had no intention of keeping a dog in her bed.
But she could feed and care for it as a hunting dog.
‘It’s annoying that Sizelry holds her leash.’
Mary was still her pawn.
“Don’t worry, Mary. You’ve suffered a lot, but Arthur will be here soon.”
As always, Sigrid gave Mary a very kind smile.
“Miss Sigrid.”
“We’ve done well so far. So let’s do our best with the task Arthur gave us.”
Mary barely regained her senses at her words.
“Y-yes. Mary Diana, as Arthur and Miss Sigrid’s spear! I will do my best!”
“Yes, that’s the Mary I know.”
Seeing her smile brightly with tear-streaked cheeks,
Sigrid gave an order as the princess.
“Mary Diana, as your princess, I command you.”
Mary immediately knelt on one knee.
“You will face Kraush Balheim in the second part of the exam.”
Sigrid had an eye for people.
Charlotte had nurtured Kraush to a level beyond her expectations.
He would certainly face Mary in the second part of the exam.
Unfortunately, her plan to rebuild Mary’s image as a magnanimous princess who even accepted a royal assassin had failed.
Kraush had taken all the attention.
If Mary had only focused on regaining her strength without imprisonment, she could have easily shattered the aurora stone.
But that time had passed.
“Win. No, show him a decisive gap. Make him feel jealous of your prowess.”
But her opponent was Mary Diana, the New Spear.
Even if her aura output was insufficient, her spear skills remained.
There was no way she could lose to someone who had merely gained some serendipity.
“I accept the command of the Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.”
Seeing Mary regain her composure and return to her knightly demeanor, Sigrid smiled seductively.
Anticipating Charlotte’s face when she lost Kraush.
Caw-
At the same time, outside the arena window,
a crow, hidden and silent, flew away.
They had no idea.
End of Chapter
