Episode 114. The End of Fate
Kassius wiped the sweat running down his chin.
The knights of Hiloshine were doing more than their share.
They were knights with divine power.
Those exhausted from the ensuing battle were falling back, and Meteo and the knights of Hiloshine were taking their place.
Dawn was breaking.
Kassius and the knights steadily advanced.
The agonizing all-night battle was drawing to a close.
Duke Cloud, trying to flee like a rat, was captured and dragged away.
"S-save me,"
Duke Cloud begged at Kassius's feet.
Until then, Cloud had been a stubborn nobleman who had dismissed Kassius as a slave knight.
If not for this situation, Duke Cloud would never have knelt at his feet.
Kassius opened his tired eyelids.
"If you ask for his life, wouldn't it be so unfair to those already dead?"
Cloud was also responsible for this war.
“I have my share of responsibilities, too.”
Kassius smiled bitterly.
“Accept defeat. And die a glorious death. Take responsibility for what you have done.”
The grimy Duke Cloud raised his head.
His strangely gleaming eyes met Kassius’s languid ones.
Cloud spoke to Kassius, who was drenched in victory and exhaustion.
“Defeat? I will not lose! I will rise again and cut your head off! I am Duke Cloud! I am not like you, a knight born from slavery... Ugh!”
Kassius grabbed Cloud’s neck.
Cloud, held in Kassius’s strong hand, groaned and scratched Kassius’s hand.
A raw wound formed on the hardened skin, leaving a red trail.
Cloud writhed. A scratch formed on Massius’ cheek as well.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Cloud squirmed like an insect.
Kassius’ chest heaved and then sank.
Kassius threw Cloud to the ground.
“...Kill them,”
Meteo said, approaching him without his knowledge.
“Leaving those guys alive will only lead to trouble.”
He had been planning that anyway.
This war of attrition would only end if the bat-like Cloud died.
Kassius swung his sword.
The enemy, seeing the commander’s utterly pathetic death, threw down their swords and fled.
Kassius wiped the blood that had splattered on his cheek.
“We should head to the castle like this,”
Meteo said, looking out over the horizon.
The ivory castle shone with a majestic light.
The red of the sun seemed to completely wash over the castle.
He felt strangely afraid.
Kassius nodded slowly.
“That would be good.”
Kassius gripped his sword.
He could almost hear Renisha’s whisper, telling him to come get her.
Kassius wiped the sweat running down his chin.
The knights of Hiloshine were doing more than their share.
They were knights with divine power.
Those exhausted from the ensuing battle were falling back, and Meteo and the knights of Hiloshine were taking their place.
Dawn was breaking.
Kassius and the knights steadily advanced.
The agonizing all-night battle was drawing to a close.
Duke Cloud, trying to flee like a rat, was captured and dragged away.
"S-save me,"
Duke Cloud begged at Kassius's feet.
Until then, Cloud had been a stubborn nobleman who had dismissed Kassius as a slave knight.
If not for this situation, Duke Cloud would never have knelt at his feet.
Kassius opened his tired eyelids.
"If you ask for his life, wouldn't it be so unfair to those already dead?"
Cloud was also responsible for this war.
“I have my share of responsibilities, too.”
Kassius smiled bitterly.
“Accept defeat. And die a glorious death. Take responsibility for what you have done.”
The grimy Duke Cloud raised his head.
His strangely gleaming eyes met Kassius’s languid ones.
Cloud spoke to Kassius, who was drenched in victory and exhaustion.
“Defeat? I will not lose! I will rise again and cut your head off! I am Duke Cloud! I am not like you, a knight born from slavery... Ugh!”
Kassius grabbed Cloud’s neck.
Cloud, held in Kassius’s strong hand, groaned and scratched Kassius’s hand.
A raw wound formed on the hardened skin, leaving a red trail.
Cloud writhed. A scratch formed on Massius’ cheek as well.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Cloud squirmed like an insect.
Kassius’ chest heaved and then sank.
Kassius threw Cloud to the ground.
“...Kill them,”
Meteo said, approaching him without his knowledge.
“Leaving those guys alive will only lead to trouble.”
He had been planning that anyway.
This war of attrition would only end if the bat-like Cloud died.
Kassius swung his sword.
The enemy, seeing the commander’s utterly pathetic death, threw down their swords and fled.
Kassius wiped the blood that had splattered on his cheek.
“We should head to the castle like this,”
Meteo said, looking out over the horizon.
The ivory castle shone with a majestic light.
The red of the sun seemed to completely wash over the castle.
He felt strangely afraid.
Kassius nodded slowly.
“That would be good.”
Kassius gripped his sword.
He could almost hear Renisha’s whisper, telling him to come get her.
Kassius raised his sword skyward.
“Advance to the imperial palace! Open the imperial gates! We will become the protagonists of a new era! Take up your swords and fight for your nation! Overthrow the corrupt Emperor and establish a new Emperor, a thousand years of glory for Hientri!”
“Whoo, wooaaaaaaaaa!”
The knights, forgetting the fatigue of battle, charged down the road.
Their heavily drooping bodies felt as if new vitality had been injected.
“Advance to the imperial palace! Open the imperial gates! We will become the protagonists of a new era! Take up your swords and fight for your nation! Overthrow the corrupt Emperor and establish a new Emperor, a thousand years of glory for Hientri!”
“Whoo, wooaaaaaaaaa!”
The knights, forgetting the fatigue of battle, charged down the road.
Their heavily drooping bodies felt as if new vitality had been injected.
Kassius and Meteo were behind them, racing ahead.
The attendant knights quickly brought their horses.
Kassius stamped his foot.
There is Renisha.
Renisha, waiting for them!
His heart was pounding, his breath ragged.
An inexplicable emotion welled up in his eyes.
‘Renisha!’
The same sun rose in Hiloshine.
A crow circled the sky and landed on the ground.
It wasn’t just crows.
Every bird of prey in the vicinity seemed to have come out.
The scent of blood permeated Hiloshine, making it no wonder.
It was like hell.
Haylin was now in Brixton's bedroom.
Isabella was curled up next to Brixton, her ears covered.
The child's soft cheeks were tense with fear.
Haylin gently stroked Isabella's cheek.
"Baby."
Isabella's puffy eyes barely opened.
Isabella turned her head and stared at Haylin.
The dust from outside and the stench of hell filled the air.
But it was also familiar to Isabella.
“Mom...!”
Isabella hugged Haylin.
The weight of the child allowed Haylin to breathe.
Haylin hugged Isabella back.
“Are you hurt? Does anything hurt?”
Isabella shook her head.
“What about Mom? Mom... Are you okay?”
Isabella’s voice wavered.
The child’s cries filled the bedroom.
Haylin closed her eyes.
Haylin had succeeded in protecting those she wanted to protect.
The knights Kassius had left behind were exceptionally elite soldiers.
Their experience on the battlefield filled in what they lacked.
The idea of using the terrain to wage war had also come from the knights, including Therion.
This was a valuable victory achieved by all of them together.
Haylin shed hot tears.
Hiloshine would rise again.
Much faster than before.
“...Lady Haylin.”
Therion came to find her.
Haylin turned her head, still holding Isabella in her arms.
Haylin stood in the doorway, his face weary.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s an old woman who wants to see Haylin. She said she absolutely must see you.”
The attendant knights quickly brought their horses.
Kassius stamped his foot.
There is Renisha.
Renisha, waiting for them!
His heart was pounding, his breath ragged.
An inexplicable emotion welled up in his eyes.
‘Renisha!’
***
The same sun rose in Hiloshine.
A crow circled the sky and landed on the ground.
It wasn’t just crows.
Every bird of prey in the vicinity seemed to have come out.
The scent of blood permeated Hiloshine, making it no wonder.
It was like hell.
Haylin was now in Brixton's bedroom.
Isabella was curled up next to Brixton, her ears covered.
The child's soft cheeks were tense with fear.
Haylin gently stroked Isabella's cheek.
"Baby."
Isabella's puffy eyes barely opened.
Isabella turned her head and stared at Haylin.
The dust from outside and the stench of hell filled the air.
But it was also familiar to Isabella.
“Mom...!”
Isabella hugged Haylin.
The weight of the child allowed Haylin to breathe.
Haylin hugged Isabella back.
“Are you hurt? Does anything hurt?”
Isabella shook her head.
“What about Mom? Mom... Are you okay?”
Isabella’s voice wavered.
The child’s cries filled the bedroom.
Haylin closed her eyes.
Haylin had succeeded in protecting those she wanted to protect.
The knights Kassius had left behind were exceptionally elite soldiers.
Their experience on the battlefield filled in what they lacked.
The idea of using the terrain to wage war had also come from the knights, including Therion.
This was a valuable victory achieved by all of them together.
Haylin shed hot tears.
Hiloshine would rise again.
Much faster than before.
“...Lady Haylin.”
Therion came to find her.
Haylin turned her head, still holding Isabella in her arms.
Haylin stood in the doorway, his face weary.
“What’s going on?”
“There’s an old woman who wants to see Haylin. She said she absolutely must see you.”
“...I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes.”
Haylin bowed and left.
Haylin patted Isabella on the back.
“It’s okay, since I see you’re safe. I think I need to go out for a bit.”
Isabella nodded.
She wanted to stay like this, but Isabella knew she couldn’t.
Haylin had a lot to do.
She couldn’t remain Isabella’s sole mother.
Isabella whispered, her voice thick with tears.
“Sing me a lullaby tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Read me a storybook, too.”
“Yes. I promise.”
Haylin stroked her daughter’s back for a long time, as she complained, something she never did before.
Haylin kissed Isabella’s cheek.
God.
Haylin called out the name of the god she had abandoned in her heart.
Thank you. Thank you for protecting Isabella.
Thank you for granting victory to this land.
Haylin's victory will become Renisha's victory, and it will become the foundation for rewriting the history of Hientri.
Haylin's heart swelled with majesty.
She was writing a page of history with her own hands.
Haylin realized she would never forget this moment.
The old woman who had come to see Haylin was named Grace.
Her eyes were bright and vivid, even on her wrinkled face.
Grace bowed her head before Haylin.
"It is an honor to meet you like this."
"...I am not worthy of such admiration. I am merely a substitute."
Grace shook her head.
"You are more than qualified to lead the victory of Hiloshine."
"...I heard you had something to say."
Haylin turned away, feeling awkward.
Grace nodded vigorously.
"This old woman possesses a remarkable ability. It's a secret technique passed down from ages past."
What was she trying to say?
Haylin blinked tiredly.
Her body, having not slept properly for days, was complaining of fatigue.
And hadn't she just shed tears alongside Isabella?
A sudden wave of fatigue overwhelmed Haylin.
Still, a strange feeling gripped her, forcing her to listen intently.
She felt she would regret letting her go now.
"Tell me the full story."
"...Our clan was called Shamans in Hiloshine."
"Shamans?"
"We were the doctors among the Hiloshine clan. With the advancement of new medical technology, we were weeded out, but we still managed to keep the tradition alive. I am the last of their descendants."
It was a story she had never heard before.
Haylin pulled up a chair and sat down.
Her heart was pounding, though she still couldn't figure out why.
Haylin clasped her hands together in nervousness.
Grace blinked her hazy eyes.
“The Shaman clan has passed down the recipe for Rosha’s Tears for generations.”
“Rosha’s Tears?”
Haylin muttered.
“Yes. They are said to be a miracle drug that can even bring the dead back to life. There were three Rosha’s Tears created in this century.”
“Three?”
“Yes. Two of them were given to Lottera, and I kept the other one.”
Grace continued slowly.
Rosha’s Tears. She had definitely heard of them.
Haylin swallowed.
Haylin wasn’t from Hiloshine.
And she didn’t know the secrets of Hiloshine.
That was what Renisha and Brixton knew.
And yet, Rosha’s Tears...
“One vial was used to revive the Princess of Shamdir.”
At that moment, Haylin jumped up from her seat.
‘I remembered!’
The remaining vial preserved in Lottera...!
“The remaining vial was used to save Emperor Laxus.”
Haylin’s lips trembled.
She felt all her fatigue disappear.
“What happened to the last vial? The one you said you were keeping?”
Grace placed what she had been hiding in her bosom on the table.
It was a dark brown glass vial.
“This is...”
“The last Rocha Tears produced in this century.”
Haylin clutched her chest.
“Perhaps this old man was saving it for today.”
“Can it save Brixton?”
“But there could be side effects. He could lose both eyes, or he could become unable to walk.”
Haylin swallowed and clutched the vial.
“It will take time to recover. You won’t be able to open your eyes right away.”
“But that’s okay,”
Haylin muttered, her voice hoarse.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Yes.”
Haylin bowed and left.
Haylin patted Isabella on the back.
“It’s okay, since I see you’re safe. I think I need to go out for a bit.”
Isabella nodded.
She wanted to stay like this, but Isabella knew she couldn’t.
Haylin had a lot to do.
She couldn’t remain Isabella’s sole mother.
Isabella whispered, her voice thick with tears.
“Sing me a lullaby tonight.”
“Yes.”
“Read me a storybook, too.”
“Yes. I promise.”
Haylin stroked her daughter’s back for a long time, as she complained, something she never did before.
Haylin kissed Isabella’s cheek.
God.
Haylin called out the name of the god she had abandoned in her heart.
Thank you. Thank you for protecting Isabella.
Thank you for granting victory to this land.
Haylin's victory will become Renisha's victory, and it will become the foundation for rewriting the history of Hientri.
Haylin's heart swelled with majesty.
She was writing a page of history with her own hands.
Haylin realized she would never forget this moment.
***
The old woman who had come to see Haylin was named Grace.
Her eyes were bright and vivid, even on her wrinkled face.
Grace bowed her head before Haylin.
"It is an honor to meet you like this."
"...I am not worthy of such admiration. I am merely a substitute."
Grace shook her head.
"You are more than qualified to lead the victory of Hiloshine."
"...I heard you had something to say."
Haylin turned away, feeling awkward.
Grace nodded vigorously.
"This old woman possesses a remarkable ability. It's a secret technique passed down from ages past."
What was she trying to say?
Haylin blinked tiredly.
Her body, having not slept properly for days, was complaining of fatigue.
And hadn't she just shed tears alongside Isabella?
A sudden wave of fatigue overwhelmed Haylin.
Still, a strange feeling gripped her, forcing her to listen intently.
She felt she would regret letting her go now.
"Tell me the full story."
"...Our clan was called Shamans in Hiloshine."
"Shamans?"
"We were the doctors among the Hiloshine clan. With the advancement of new medical technology, we were weeded out, but we still managed to keep the tradition alive. I am the last of their descendants."
It was a story she had never heard before.
Haylin pulled up a chair and sat down.
Her heart was pounding, though she still couldn't figure out why.
Haylin clasped her hands together in nervousness.
Grace blinked her hazy eyes.
“The Shaman clan has passed down the recipe for Rosha’s Tears for generations.”
“Rosha’s Tears?”
Haylin muttered.
“Yes. They are said to be a miracle drug that can even bring the dead back to life. There were three Rosha’s Tears created in this century.”
“Three?”
“Yes. Two of them were given to Lottera, and I kept the other one.”
Grace continued slowly.
Rosha’s Tears. She had definitely heard of them.
Haylin swallowed.
Haylin wasn’t from Hiloshine.
And she didn’t know the secrets of Hiloshine.
That was what Renisha and Brixton knew.
And yet, Rosha’s Tears...
“One vial was used to revive the Princess of Shamdir.”
At that moment, Haylin jumped up from her seat.
‘I remembered!’
The remaining vial preserved in Lottera...!
“The remaining vial was used to save Emperor Laxus.”
Haylin’s lips trembled.
She felt all her fatigue disappear.
“What happened to the last vial? The one you said you were keeping?”
Grace placed what she had been hiding in her bosom on the table.
It was a dark brown glass vial.
“This is...”
“The last Rocha Tears produced in this century.”
Haylin clutched her chest.
“Perhaps this old man was saving it for today.”
“Can it save Brixton?”
“But there could be side effects. He could lose both eyes, or he could become unable to walk.”
Haylin swallowed and clutched the vial.
“It will take time to recover. You won’t be able to open your eyes right away.”
“But that’s okay,”
Haylin muttered, her voice hoarse.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
With that, the Shaman Clan’s mission was over.
Now it was time to return to nature.
A smile formed in Grace's wrinkled eyes.
The palace was wide open.
It was as if it had been waiting for Kassius, Meteo, and their party.
The servants who saw them formed a line.
And at the end of the path, on a high balcony, was Renisha.
Renisha smiled brightly.
Renisha had kept her promise.
She was alive and waiting for him.
Kassius blinked.
Renisha dazzled him.
Her light threatened to consume him.
Renisha seemed at ease, as if she had found her place.
Meteo knelt.
"Your Majesty the Emperor...!!!"
That was the beginning.
The knights accompanying them all knelt in unison.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor!! May you enjoy a thousand years of glory!!!"
Agitated voices echoed throughout the palace.
Kassius and Renisha were the only ones standing in the middle.
Now it was time to return to nature.
A smile formed in Grace's wrinkled eyes.
***
The palace was wide open.
It was as if it had been waiting for Kassius, Meteo, and their party.
The servants who saw them formed a line.
And at the end of the path, on a high balcony, was Renisha.
Renisha smiled brightly.
Renisha had kept her promise.
She was alive and waiting for him.
Kassius blinked.
Renisha dazzled him.
Her light threatened to consume him.
Renisha seemed at ease, as if she had found her place.
Meteo knelt.
"Your Majesty the Emperor...!!!"
That was the beginning.
The knights accompanying them all knelt in unison.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor!! May you enjoy a thousand years of glory!!!"
Agitated voices echoed throughout the palace.
Kassius and Renisha were the only ones standing in the middle.
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