Episode 53. Opening Your Eyes
Only then did Gerard look around.
The castle dwellers, the Knights of Lacrahan, and even the Imperial Guard.
Many people surrounded them, gazing at them with bated breath.
“Crazy...”
Gerard muttered to himself, then let out a ragged breath and finally composed himself.
“Yes. I guess I’ve become sensitive due to fatigue.”
He cocked an eyebrow at Lacrahan, feigning kindness.
“Shall we talk again later, Grand Duke?”
“Of course, Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Lacrahan bowed politely.
“I hope your first day in the North is comfortable.”
Lacrahan turned, his cloak making a rustling sound.
It was a cold movement, unlike his usual friendly and polite greeting.
His knights followed Lacrahan and dispersed swiftly.
Lacrahan looked up at the top of the west tower, where Bercheria stood.
The fact that Bercheria had been kept at the top of the tower, of all places, was deeply troubling.
It wasn't like Gerard had to be trapped there the entire time until he returned, but the thought of this situation being unpleasant for Bercheria was a source of bitterness.
If all had gone according to plan, they would have finished their wedding vows and been together by now.
"Ha."
Lacrahan shook his head again at Emperor Gerard's foolishness.
If only he had been a threat, he wouldn't have felt so empty. How could people be so unwavering?
It had already been ten years since Lacrahan settled in the north after the war.
From there, he kept watch to ensure that no one who might pose a threat to the Empire crossed the border, and whenever the Emperor desired, he dispatched knights to be used where he pleased.
Seeing him remain vigilant, Lacrahan hadn't expected Gerard to have changed much since then.
But just as trees grow rings as they grow, and rice bows its head when ripe, he believed that people would make at least some progress over the course of ten years.
But Gerard seemed completely unfazed.
Lacrahan glanced at Wyatt, who was behind him, as he led the Emperor and his entourage into the castle.
Lacrahan briefly stepped back to allow their procession to pass.
The Emperor had brought numerous personnel with him for his few days in the North.
Lacrahan, still fiddling with the ring in his pocket, gazed intently at the Emperor and his entourage.
Just by looking at their belongings and their attire, he could guess what they were doing.
As he observed them with such detachment, a woman caught his eye.
She looked about the same age as Lady Morgan, and there was nothing special about her appearance.
However, a strange feeling emanated from her, particularly in her gaze.
She walked with a composed air, but her searching gaze betrayed an indescribable malice.
Lacrahan remembered the woman's face and turned away. As Lacrahan turned and disappeared, Gerard slapped Lyone's hand away from his arm.
Lyone only gave Gerard a quick glance, as if this wasn't the first or second time she'd been in this situation.
"Dylan!"
At Gerard's voice, Dylan, who was standing right next to Groovy, ran to him.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Gerard covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Dylan.
"Remember what I said earlier?"
"Yes."
"Take care of it. I'll return to the palace as soon as your work is done."
"...What should I do?"
Gerard thought of his treasure vault.
He'd been so happy thinking about it when he'd come here, but now the mere thought of it made him irritated.
"Damn it. Just let her live."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Dylan turned and gestured for a few knights waiting behind him to follow him.
As he was about to disappear with his knights, Gerard called out to them urgently.
Dylan came closer and put his ear to Gerard's ear, and Gerard said subtly,
"But keep her face alive. Understood?"
Dylan carefully lifted his head and looked at Gerard, who had turned around, then quickly withdrew his gaze.
“Huk, huk.”
Bercheria was running on a sandy beach she had never seen before.
Her breath was puffed out, and her feet felt heavy as if iron blocks were tied to them.
Turning back urgently, she saw a horse galloping towards her from afar.
“Haa haa.”
With every step, sand flew in all directions.
“What’s wrong with my shoes?”
Bercheria looked down at her legs, running with all her might.
The blunt, wooden shoes were shaped like something she’d never seen before. She opened her hand and looked down, seeing a long, unfamiliar hand adorned with rings.
“What is that? It’s not my hand.”
“Stay there, Bercheria!”
She turned at the sound of her name and saw the man on horseback, who had just been far away, now following close behind.
A gust of wind blew, her wavy blond hair tangled with her face, and swaying in the air.
She shouted at the man on horseback,
“What are you? Who are you?”
Though she was vividly aware of every sensation, these weren’t Bercheria’s words.
She had heard them once, in the memories of the Awakened. It was the dialect of a coastal city northwest of Periat.
As was his habit, Lacrahan patrolled the outskirts of the castle before bed. He spotted a woman emerging from the quarters where the Emperor's entourage was staying.
It was the middle-aged woman he had observed during the day.
She muttered something incomprehensible and glanced around.
After confirming the silence, not a single rat scurried about, she walked straight toward the western castle.
Her movements were as effortless as if she had been to Lacrahan's castle before.
Lacrahan followed her, ignoring any signs of movement.
"Is she from the north? I've never seen her before."
Lacrahan, who knew the northern geography better than anyone, took full advantage of this to construct a castle of extraordinary structure.
He blocked all roads with walls, and the entrance was only accessible by a gate across the river.
The only way to reach the castle was a narrow, single path, flanked by high hills.
It took more than ten minutes of walking along this path to finally reach the northern entrance of Lacrahan Castle.
Due to this geographical feature, those not permitted by Lacrahan could not enter the castle without permission.
Leaving was no different.
The other side was border territory, making it easy to be killed without warning, and the only ways out were through gates and portals.
However, no matter how much he searched his memory, he had never accepted a woman like that.
The woman, who had been searching the castle for a long time, finally found what she wanted, and the clanking of utensils ceased.
"Found it! "
Hearing a hoarse voice from within, Lacrahan quickly hid in a recess in the wall.
Soon after, the woman emerged, holding a sharp object.
Lacrahan sighed, watching her back.
"Damn it, Gerard."
She was headed to the top of the castle, where Bercheria stood.
Lacrahan felt anger welling up inside him.
Sure enough, their destination was Bercheria.
Why was everyone so anxious to catch that poor woman?
What had she done wrong?
It was already pitiful that she was unable to live a proper life because she was chosen as an Awakened God. But now, he was imprisoning her, abusing her, and not satisfied with that, trying to take her life.
Lacrahan followed the woman up the stairs, holding the sword at his waist in his hand.
He held onto a hopeful thought until the very end, but her destination was undoubtedly Bercheria's room.
As if prepared, the woman opened the locked door and disappeared, as if sucked into the darkness.
Only then did Gerard look around.
The castle dwellers, the Knights of Lacrahan, and even the Imperial Guard.
Many people surrounded them, gazing at them with bated breath.
“Crazy...”
Gerard muttered to himself, then let out a ragged breath and finally composed himself.
“Yes. I guess I’ve become sensitive due to fatigue.”
He cocked an eyebrow at Lacrahan, feigning kindness.
“Shall we talk again later, Grand Duke?”
“Of course, Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Lacrahan bowed politely.
“I hope your first day in the North is comfortable.”
Lacrahan turned, his cloak making a rustling sound.
It was a cold movement, unlike his usual friendly and polite greeting.
His knights followed Lacrahan and dispersed swiftly.
Lacrahan looked up at the top of the west tower, where Bercheria stood.
The fact that Bercheria had been kept at the top of the tower, of all places, was deeply troubling.
It wasn't like Gerard had to be trapped there the entire time until he returned, but the thought of this situation being unpleasant for Bercheria was a source of bitterness.
If all had gone according to plan, they would have finished their wedding vows and been together by now.
"Ha."
Lacrahan shook his head again at Emperor Gerard's foolishness.
If only he had been a threat, he wouldn't have felt so empty. How could people be so unwavering?
It had already been ten years since Lacrahan settled in the north after the war.
From there, he kept watch to ensure that no one who might pose a threat to the Empire crossed the border, and whenever the Emperor desired, he dispatched knights to be used where he pleased.
Seeing him remain vigilant, Lacrahan hadn't expected Gerard to have changed much since then.
But just as trees grow rings as they grow, and rice bows its head when ripe, he believed that people would make at least some progress over the course of ten years.
But Gerard seemed completely unfazed.
Lacrahan glanced at Wyatt, who was behind him, as he led the Emperor and his entourage into the castle.
Lacrahan briefly stepped back to allow their procession to pass.
The Emperor had brought numerous personnel with him for his few days in the North.
Lacrahan, still fiddling with the ring in his pocket, gazed intently at the Emperor and his entourage.
Just by looking at their belongings and their attire, he could guess what they were doing.
As he observed them with such detachment, a woman caught his eye.
She looked about the same age as Lady Morgan, and there was nothing special about her appearance.
However, a strange feeling emanated from her, particularly in her gaze.
She walked with a composed air, but her searching gaze betrayed an indescribable malice.
Lacrahan remembered the woman's face and turned away. As Lacrahan turned and disappeared, Gerard slapped Lyone's hand away from his arm.
Lyone only gave Gerard a quick glance, as if this wasn't the first or second time she'd been in this situation.
"Dylan!"
At Gerard's voice, Dylan, who was standing right next to Groovy, ran to him.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Gerard covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Dylan.
"Remember what I said earlier?"
"Yes."
"Take care of it. I'll return to the palace as soon as your work is done."
"...What should I do?"
Gerard thought of his treasure vault.
He'd been so happy thinking about it when he'd come here, but now the mere thought of it made him irritated.
"Damn it. Just let her live."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Dylan turned and gestured for a few knights waiting behind him to follow him.
As he was about to disappear with his knights, Gerard called out to them urgently.
Dylan came closer and put his ear to Gerard's ear, and Gerard said subtly,
"But keep her face alive. Understood?"
Dylan carefully lifted his head and looked at Gerard, who had turned around, then quickly withdrew his gaze.
***
“Huk, huk.”
Bercheria was running on a sandy beach she had never seen before.
Her breath was puffed out, and her feet felt heavy as if iron blocks were tied to them.
Turning back urgently, she saw a horse galloping towards her from afar.
“Haa haa.”
With every step, sand flew in all directions.
“What’s wrong with my shoes?”
Bercheria looked down at her legs, running with all her might.
The blunt, wooden shoes were shaped like something she’d never seen before. She opened her hand and looked down, seeing a long, unfamiliar hand adorned with rings.
“What is that? It’s not my hand.”
“Stay there, Bercheria!”
She turned at the sound of her name and saw the man on horseback, who had just been far away, now following close behind.
A gust of wind blew, her wavy blond hair tangled with her face, and swaying in the air.
She shouted at the man on horseback,
“What are you? Who are you?”
Though she was vividly aware of every sensation, these weren’t Bercheria’s words.
She had heard them once, in the memories of the Awakened. It was the dialect of a coastal city northwest of Periat.
“Ah!”
As Bercheria fell to the ground, every grain of sand entering her mouth was felt. Even the roughness in her throat as she coughed. Did this make sense?
'I shouldn't be able to experience the Awakened's experience this deeply. What is this?'
The memories of the Awakened were something she could view objectively, like reading a book. Now, it was as if she was experiencing it vividly.
"What kind of person dares to murder Bercheria! Are you in your right mind?"
The man's face on the horse was shadowed by the backlight, a dark mass indistinguishable from the rest. A whip descended from the horse and struck the Awakened's back.
"Ahh!"
"If you feel wronged, at least let it rain."
Another whip swung, and her lush blond hair scattered through the air, falling to the ground with her collapsing body.
"Haahaa."
A sharp knife was placed on the nape of her neck as she exhaled heavily.
"You crazy bastard!"
A drop of warm blood trickled down her neck as she tried to stand.
"Don't raise your head. Because if you move even a little, your head will be blown off.”
Bercheria lowered her head and exhaled. She could make out what he was saying, but the man’s voice was indistinguishable over the sound of the waves. Both his face and his voice were faint, as if a filter had been deliberately applied to prevent her from seeing. Bercheria spoke in a voice that seemed to have given up everything.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“...”
“Why on earth would a human try to kill a god? What do you gain from it?”
The man abruptly dismounted and approached Bercheria. The sensation of the blade pressing against her neck became even more vivid.
“The next Bercheria.”
“...What?”
“What we want is the next Bercheria who appears after you disappear. She will make a very pretty prey.”
“What nonsense! How dare a lowly human dare to attack the goddess of the weather...!”
“You’re not human.”
“What?”
“The order to kill you—it's not human.”
“What the hell...! Keuk!”
Bercheria's head was severed and rolled across the sand. The two eyes of the Awakened One, whose head had been cut off, were staring straight at her.
'No!'
She didn't want to see it, but she couldn't. Golden eyes, dimmed, were wide open, staring at Bercheria. Nausea erupted, and a cold sweat broke out. Never again. It was a horrible feeling she never wanted to experience again.
'This is a dream. Open your eyes.'
She didn't want to stay here for even a moment longer.
'Please open your eyes!'
Bercheria mustered all her strength to lift her eyelids.
"Gasp."
In a flash, the moment her eyes opened, a blade was plunging down onto Bercheria, who was lying on the bed, with a hiss, a snake-like sound.
***
Lacrahan stood pressed against the wall of the darkened hallway, listening to the sounds emanating from within. He silently took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
As was his habit, Lacrahan patrolled the outskirts of the castle before bed. He spotted a woman emerging from the quarters where the Emperor's entourage was staying.
It was the middle-aged woman he had observed during the day.
She muttered something incomprehensible and glanced around.
After confirming the silence, not a single rat scurried about, she walked straight toward the western castle.
Her movements were as effortless as if she had been to Lacrahan's castle before.
Lacrahan followed her, ignoring any signs of movement.
"Is she from the north? I've never seen her before."
Lacrahan, who knew the northern geography better than anyone, took full advantage of this to construct a castle of extraordinary structure.
He blocked all roads with walls, and the entrance was only accessible by a gate across the river.
The only way to reach the castle was a narrow, single path, flanked by high hills.
It took more than ten minutes of walking along this path to finally reach the northern entrance of Lacrahan Castle.
Due to this geographical feature, those not permitted by Lacrahan could not enter the castle without permission.
Leaving was no different.
The other side was border territory, making it easy to be killed without warning, and the only ways out were through gates and portals.
However, no matter how much he searched his memory, he had never accepted a woman like that.
The woman, who had been searching the castle for a long time, finally found what she wanted, and the clanking of utensils ceased.
"Found it! "
Hearing a hoarse voice from within, Lacrahan quickly hid in a recess in the wall.
Soon after, the woman emerged, holding a sharp object.
Lacrahan sighed, watching her back.
"Damn it, Gerard."
She was headed to the top of the castle, where Bercheria stood.
Lacrahan felt anger welling up inside him.
Sure enough, their destination was Bercheria.
Why was everyone so anxious to catch that poor woman?
What had she done wrong?
It was already pitiful that she was unable to live a proper life because she was chosen as an Awakened God. But now, he was imprisoning her, abusing her, and not satisfied with that, trying to take her life.
Lacrahan followed the woman up the stairs, holding the sword at his waist in his hand.
He held onto a hopeful thought until the very end, but her destination was undoubtedly Bercheria's room.
As if prepared, the woman opened the locked door and disappeared, as if sucked into the darkness.
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