“The royal family took the lives of your daughter and wife, what is that...”
The Crown Prince, who had been asking as if he didn't understand, paused for a moment. The Count, who saw that, bitterly pursed his lips.
“I see you’ve just remembered. My daughter was the first noble to fall victim to the abolitionist system your father created.”
Oh, come to think of it...
A few years after the sacrificial offering system was established when it was discovered that all the virgins offered as sacrifices were commoners, and the anger of the people of the empire reached its peak, an imperial edict was issued to the nobles.
Each family was required to offer up one daughter.
'At that time, the first person to step forward to become a clerk was Count Gus's daughter.'
I remember being quite surprised, as she was the heir to the Gus Count family, unlike other nobles who prepared to have illegitimate or adopted children to avoid sacrificing their precious legitimate daughters.
'In the end, I ended up in the same situation.'
I was mocking him for a moment, but then be stopped and felt something strange.
'But wasn't the Count very active in the abolition of the system at that time?'
Although there was no set order as to which family would give up their daughter, the Count voluntarily went to the Emperor and begged.
He asks that his daughter be the first of the noble families to have the honor of becoming the goddess's tomb.
'But why now...'
The Count seemed to notice his doubts and burst into empty laughter.
“Yes, it was something I did voluntarily. I could have adopted an orphan like other nobles and made a stand-in, but I didn’t. I sent my daughter.”
“...”
“That child was my only bloodline, and that’s why I raised her with even more care. I chose and gave her only the most precious things, from her clothes to her shoes, even her hairpins. I prayed that she would continue to live preciously like this and that no hardships would come to her life. That’s the kind of heart I had in raising her.”
“But why...”
Why did you make such a choice when she was your precious and beloved daughter?
I couldn't understand it for a while, so he just stared blankly, and then the Count suddenly shouted.
“It was the same for everyone else! I wasn’t the only one who treasured my child. Everyone else, my people, had to send away their precious daughter.”
“...”
“Some of the women who were targeted for the massacre were forced out by their families who wanted compensation, but most of them volunteered. For the parents who were starving for three days without being able to find food, for the young siblings who had to wear thin clothes even in the middle of winter because they had no money to buy clothes, for the poor sisters who had to work until their tender hands were sore to share the burden of making a living despite their young age!”
“...”
“How do you think the parents feel when they see the back of their daughter willingly going to die? How do you think the brothers and sisters feel? Do you think their pain will be less than that of our nobles?”
A sneer appeared on the Count's lips.
“Regardless of social status, all parents in the world feel the same. They too must have shed tears of blood and sent their daughters away for their own reasons. How could I play tricks in front of them? If I were to adopt an orphan like other nobles and have them take my daughter’s place, how could I face them?”
“...”
“I sacrificed my only bloodline with a heart that was ripped out. For the sole purpose of the peace of this empire. With the sole thought of freeing my people from suffering. That was all I wanted as I sacrificed a child who was more precious than my own life. But...”
He was sobbing and clutching at the floor, but then he laughed.
“Nothing changed. Even though the maiden of the land withered away, the disaster did not stop, and the people of the land lost their lives for various reasons due to the continued abnormal phenomena. As if things were not bad enough, my wife, who was in shock and suffering from the death of her only daughter, eventually followed in her daughter’s footsteps.”
It was a mixture of all sorts of emotions, closer to sobbing than laughter.
The pain of killing his daughter with just his own hands, the frustration of causing his wife's death as a result, and the emptiness of the never-ending disaster.
The Crown Prince and I just stared at him without saying a word.
I couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain the Count had been suffering through.
“Even after losing everything that had made up my life, I foolishly clung to Hethel and hung on. I had given everything I had, so now I beg her to stop this disaster, to end the suffering of my people. But...”
He continued speaking weakly, then glared at the Crown Prince with sharp eyes.
“I learned that the system of closing the temple was a way for the imperial family to avoid responsibility. That system of closing the temple, which ripped out my heart and took my soul, was a play by the Emperor to avoid the wrath of the imperial people!”
Anger? Resentment? Hatred?
No, no words can describe the emotion that consumed the Count's eyes.
I was so immersed in the terrible emotions he was radiating from his entire body that I could barely breathe and just clutched my chest.
I couldn't see his expression because I was taking a few steps back, but the Crown Prince's shoulders were noticeably stiff as if he felt the same way as I did.
But the Count's anger did not end there.
“Do you know that feeling of emptiness? The feeling of not being able to say a word of protest when the Emperor I was loyal to took the lives of my daughter, my wife, and my people?”
“...”
“I resented everything. The royal family that took everything from me just to avoid responsibility, the endless disasters, and... Hethel, the cause of it all.”
“...”
“I didn’t dare to rebel like that, so I just filled my days with resentment. I was about to let everything go. It was Ibis who saved me.”
The emotions that had filled Count's eyes suddenly subsided, and were replaced by utter awe.
“My great goddess saved me from death with her amazing powers, and instead of throwing away my life in vain, she gave me the mission to help people and save the world. She gave me new motivation when I had lost everything and lost my meaning in life from the gods and Emperors I had served my entire life. That’s how I was reborn as a servant of the goddess. And my choice was not wrong.”
He pointed to the congregation surrounding us with a confident expression.
“Now, look. Those who suffered under Hethel are now wearing such happy faces in the arms of Ibis. Who made those who were starving and destitute under Hethel fat like this? Who made them laugh like this? It was none other than Ibis! In the end, all that has tormented us was a tragedy that occurred because we served the wrong god!”
Haha, his appearance was almost mad as he laughed out loud.
I couldn't even open my mouth at that sight, but he suddenly stopped laughing and stared at the Crown Prince with an expressionless face.
“Of course, I know that it is not your fault. Neither the disaster nor the abolition of the system were things that you could have corrected with your own will. I know that it was all your father’s and Hethel’s fault.”
“...”
“But in the end, the root of all this is the imperial family who worshipped the wrong god and left the fate of the empire in the hands of that god. So, as a member of the imperial family, think of yourself as receiving all of their sins.”
Take their sins for me?
Feeling an ominous sense of something meaningful, the Count picked up the sword lying around and rushed at the Crown Prince.
“It’s dangerous, Your Highness! Get out of the way!”
I came to my senses at the sight of the shining blade and shouted urgently. But the Crown Prince did not move at all.
It seems that he was greatly shocked by the Count's words.
The Crown Prince had naturally expected the abolition of the gun system, but hearing it firsthand was a different story.
'What are you doing! Conscience is conscience, and you have to save your life first!'
As I was stamping my feet, not knowing what to do, I soon discovered something white that had fallen at my feet.
'A whistle?'
Delton had handed over what he had made to the Crown Prince, but it seemed to have spilled on the floor while he was fighting the assassins.
I hurriedly picked up the whistle and put it in my mouth.
Beep beep beep
Even the Count, who had been running without regard for water or fire, stopped and covered his ears at the sharp noise that seemed to rip his eardrums.
But the Crown Prince still didn't move an inch.
'Oh my, that annoying person.'
I quickly picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor and blocked the Crown Prince's path.
I didn't know if I could take on the Count since I had never received any swordsmanship training, but I thought I would at least buy some time.
'Please come quickly, Delton.'
I called out to Delton inwardly as if reciting a spell, then came to my senses and stared at the Count who was rushing at me again.
But where should I stab?
'Stomach? Heart?'
Ah, I still wasn't confident.
Even though it was a country far from kind, it was still difficult to harm people.
'I don't know. Let's just block it for now!'
I squinted my eyes and watched the movements of the Count who was rushing towards me.
And then, capturing the moment when the Count raised his dagger high, I quickly extended my sword.
The result is.
“Oh, I blocked it!”
It was a huge success.
I've never even held a sword before, but I was able to block the Count's blow in one go.
'Maybe I have a talent for swordsmanship? My posture is pretty good too.'
I was excited at the thought that I might have discovered an unexpected talent.
But that was only for a moment.
“Ugh, what kind of power...”
The Count pressed down on my sword with terrible force.
I tried to hold on with all my might, but it was no use.
Clang.
The sword slipped out of my hand without any strength and fell to the floor.
It was at that moment that I, having lost my only weapon, was staring at the sword rolling on the floor with a blank expression.
“Even without that, it was your turn after the Crown Prince... Yes, if you want to die so badly, I’ll take care of you first.”
The Count, with the corners of his lips drawn up bitterly, raised his sword high again.
'Hey, how many times has my life been threatened today? When the Crown Prince told me to go, I should have just gone without looking back!'
I scolded myself for being so stupid in the past, but it was already too late.
I shut my eyes tightly as I watched the sharp blade slashing straight down at my neck.
But at that moment.
Puck-
The Count fell out in vain.
At the same time, my body was helplessly pulled backward by a strong force and settled down.
Solid and stable...
“Your Highness, what did you do to be out of breath like that! You were just absent-minded until now!”
I screamed as I looked at the Crown Prince, who was breathing heavily while hugging me.
It was a scream of relief.
The Crown Prince, who had been asking as if he didn't understand, paused for a moment. The Count, who saw that, bitterly pursed his lips.
“I see you’ve just remembered. My daughter was the first noble to fall victim to the abolitionist system your father created.”
Oh, come to think of it...
A few years after the sacrificial offering system was established when it was discovered that all the virgins offered as sacrifices were commoners, and the anger of the people of the empire reached its peak, an imperial edict was issued to the nobles.
Each family was required to offer up one daughter.
'At that time, the first person to step forward to become a clerk was Count Gus's daughter.'
I remember being quite surprised, as she was the heir to the Gus Count family, unlike other nobles who prepared to have illegitimate or adopted children to avoid sacrificing their precious legitimate daughters.
'In the end, I ended up in the same situation.'
I was mocking him for a moment, but then be stopped and felt something strange.
'But wasn't the Count very active in the abolition of the system at that time?'
Although there was no set order as to which family would give up their daughter, the Count voluntarily went to the Emperor and begged.
He asks that his daughter be the first of the noble families to have the honor of becoming the goddess's tomb.
'But why now...'
The Count seemed to notice his doubts and burst into empty laughter.
“Yes, it was something I did voluntarily. I could have adopted an orphan like other nobles and made a stand-in, but I didn’t. I sent my daughter.”
“...”
“That child was my only bloodline, and that’s why I raised her with even more care. I chose and gave her only the most precious things, from her clothes to her shoes, even her hairpins. I prayed that she would continue to live preciously like this and that no hardships would come to her life. That’s the kind of heart I had in raising her.”
“But why...”
Why did you make such a choice when she was your precious and beloved daughter?
I couldn't understand it for a while, so he just stared blankly, and then the Count suddenly shouted.
“It was the same for everyone else! I wasn’t the only one who treasured my child. Everyone else, my people, had to send away their precious daughter.”
“...”
“Some of the women who were targeted for the massacre were forced out by their families who wanted compensation, but most of them volunteered. For the parents who were starving for three days without being able to find food, for the young siblings who had to wear thin clothes even in the middle of winter because they had no money to buy clothes, for the poor sisters who had to work until their tender hands were sore to share the burden of making a living despite their young age!”
“...”
“How do you think the parents feel when they see the back of their daughter willingly going to die? How do you think the brothers and sisters feel? Do you think their pain will be less than that of our nobles?”
A sneer appeared on the Count's lips.
“Regardless of social status, all parents in the world feel the same. They too must have shed tears of blood and sent their daughters away for their own reasons. How could I play tricks in front of them? If I were to adopt an orphan like other nobles and have them take my daughter’s place, how could I face them?”
“...”
“I sacrificed my only bloodline with a heart that was ripped out. For the sole purpose of the peace of this empire. With the sole thought of freeing my people from suffering. That was all I wanted as I sacrificed a child who was more precious than my own life. But...”
He was sobbing and clutching at the floor, but then he laughed.
“Nothing changed. Even though the maiden of the land withered away, the disaster did not stop, and the people of the land lost their lives for various reasons due to the continued abnormal phenomena. As if things were not bad enough, my wife, who was in shock and suffering from the death of her only daughter, eventually followed in her daughter’s footsteps.”
It was a mixture of all sorts of emotions, closer to sobbing than laughter.
The pain of killing his daughter with just his own hands, the frustration of causing his wife's death as a result, and the emptiness of the never-ending disaster.
The Crown Prince and I just stared at him without saying a word.
I couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain the Count had been suffering through.
“Even after losing everything that had made up my life, I foolishly clung to Hethel and hung on. I had given everything I had, so now I beg her to stop this disaster, to end the suffering of my people. But...”
He continued speaking weakly, then glared at the Crown Prince with sharp eyes.
“I learned that the system of closing the temple was a way for the imperial family to avoid responsibility. That system of closing the temple, which ripped out my heart and took my soul, was a play by the Emperor to avoid the wrath of the imperial people!”
Anger? Resentment? Hatred?
No, no words can describe the emotion that consumed the Count's eyes.
I was so immersed in the terrible emotions he was radiating from his entire body that I could barely breathe and just clutched my chest.
I couldn't see his expression because I was taking a few steps back, but the Crown Prince's shoulders were noticeably stiff as if he felt the same way as I did.
But the Count's anger did not end there.
“Do you know that feeling of emptiness? The feeling of not being able to say a word of protest when the Emperor I was loyal to took the lives of my daughter, my wife, and my people?”
“...”
“I resented everything. The royal family that took everything from me just to avoid responsibility, the endless disasters, and... Hethel, the cause of it all.”
“...”
“I didn’t dare to rebel like that, so I just filled my days with resentment. I was about to let everything go. It was Ibis who saved me.”
The emotions that had filled Count's eyes suddenly subsided, and were replaced by utter awe.
“My great goddess saved me from death with her amazing powers, and instead of throwing away my life in vain, she gave me the mission to help people and save the world. She gave me new motivation when I had lost everything and lost my meaning in life from the gods and Emperors I had served my entire life. That’s how I was reborn as a servant of the goddess. And my choice was not wrong.”
He pointed to the congregation surrounding us with a confident expression.
“Now, look. Those who suffered under Hethel are now wearing such happy faces in the arms of Ibis. Who made those who were starving and destitute under Hethel fat like this? Who made them laugh like this? It was none other than Ibis! In the end, all that has tormented us was a tragedy that occurred because we served the wrong god!”
Haha, his appearance was almost mad as he laughed out loud.
I couldn't even open my mouth at that sight, but he suddenly stopped laughing and stared at the Crown Prince with an expressionless face.
“Of course, I know that it is not your fault. Neither the disaster nor the abolition of the system were things that you could have corrected with your own will. I know that it was all your father’s and Hethel’s fault.”
“...”
“But in the end, the root of all this is the imperial family who worshipped the wrong god and left the fate of the empire in the hands of that god. So, as a member of the imperial family, think of yourself as receiving all of their sins.”
Take their sins for me?
Feeling an ominous sense of something meaningful, the Count picked up the sword lying around and rushed at the Crown Prince.
“It’s dangerous, Your Highness! Get out of the way!”
I came to my senses at the sight of the shining blade and shouted urgently. But the Crown Prince did not move at all.
It seems that he was greatly shocked by the Count's words.
The Crown Prince had naturally expected the abolition of the gun system, but hearing it firsthand was a different story.
'What are you doing! Conscience is conscience, and you have to save your life first!'
As I was stamping my feet, not knowing what to do, I soon discovered something white that had fallen at my feet.
'A whistle?'
Delton had handed over what he had made to the Crown Prince, but it seemed to have spilled on the floor while he was fighting the assassins.
I hurriedly picked up the whistle and put it in my mouth.
Beep beep beep
Even the Count, who had been running without regard for water or fire, stopped and covered his ears at the sharp noise that seemed to rip his eardrums.
But the Crown Prince still didn't move an inch.
'Oh my, that annoying person.'
I quickly picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor and blocked the Crown Prince's path.
I didn't know if I could take on the Count since I had never received any swordsmanship training, but I thought I would at least buy some time.
'Please come quickly, Delton.'
I called out to Delton inwardly as if reciting a spell, then came to my senses and stared at the Count who was rushing at me again.
But where should I stab?
'Stomach? Heart?'
Ah, I still wasn't confident.
Even though it was a country far from kind, it was still difficult to harm people.
'I don't know. Let's just block it for now!'
I squinted my eyes and watched the movements of the Count who was rushing towards me.
And then, capturing the moment when the Count raised his dagger high, I quickly extended my sword.
The result is.
“Oh, I blocked it!”
It was a huge success.
I've never even held a sword before, but I was able to block the Count's blow in one go.
'Maybe I have a talent for swordsmanship? My posture is pretty good too.'
I was excited at the thought that I might have discovered an unexpected talent.
But that was only for a moment.
“Ugh, what kind of power...”
The Count pressed down on my sword with terrible force.
I tried to hold on with all my might, but it was no use.
Clang.
The sword slipped out of my hand without any strength and fell to the floor.
It was at that moment that I, having lost my only weapon, was staring at the sword rolling on the floor with a blank expression.
“Even without that, it was your turn after the Crown Prince... Yes, if you want to die so badly, I’ll take care of you first.”
The Count, with the corners of his lips drawn up bitterly, raised his sword high again.
'Hey, how many times has my life been threatened today? When the Crown Prince told me to go, I should have just gone without looking back!'
I scolded myself for being so stupid in the past, but it was already too late.
I shut my eyes tightly as I watched the sharp blade slashing straight down at my neck.
But at that moment.
Puck-
The Count fell out in vain.
At the same time, my body was helplessly pulled backward by a strong force and settled down.
Solid and stable...
“Your Highness, what did you do to be out of breath like that! You were just absent-minded until now!”
I screamed as I looked at the Crown Prince, who was breathing heavily while hugging me.
It was a scream of relief.
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