Episode 73. The True Way to Protect Power
Gerard's prized white horse was a precious seed he had spent considerable time procuring.
In Periat, acquiring a white horse was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. If anyone in possession of one were rumored, everyone would flock to see it.
One day, Gerard felt it was absurd that he, the greatest Emperor in the land, had no white horse.
So, he began to search for the horse, spreading the word not only in his own land but also throughout the kingdoms of Der'Ansis and Contana.
After some time, it was Prince Laurent of Der'Ansis who brought the horses.
Hearing that the Emperor of Periat, Gerard, was seeking white horses, he traveled throughout his kingdom and acquired two precious white horses.
Even if a merchant from Der'Ansis had brought a white horse, the Emperor's prestige would have been diminished, but now, the Prince of the empire had brought one for him.
Gerard didn't think about letting his pride rise that day.
Thus, his connection with Laurent was established, and the white horse became Gerard's number one treasure.
This time, he took out his beloved white horse and rode it all the way to the north, specifically to flatten Lacrahan's nose.
But now... his white horse was surrounded and abused by ignorant northerners.
Gerard nervously descended the stairs and headed toward the stables on one side of the square.
"What are you doing!"
At his shout, all the servants gathered there lowered their heads.
And behind them stood his beloved white horse, foaming at the mouth, shaking its head repeatedly.
"You crazy bastards!"
Gerard's anger soared.
Gerard approached Jeffrey with a gloomy expression.
He pointed to his arm.
"Would you like one of those?"
"...Yes?"
"Your arm. It's probably useless anyway, since you only have a few fingers."
Jeffrey's face paled.
He snatched the sword from a nearby knight and swung it at Jeffrey.
Amidst everyone's shouts of surprise, the sword that should have sliced through the air and landed in front of Jeffrey was gone.
"What the!"
Hearing someone laughing, he turned around to see that the blade Gerard was holding had slipped from its handle and was stuck in the ground right in front of his buttocks.
"Huh!"
If Gerard had moved just a little more, the blade might have grazed his buttocks.
"Huh."
Laughter erupted from the crowd watching, and Gerard's gaze turned fierce.
"Who the hell...?"
"Huh."
"Poohaha."
Before he could question them, the square was already a sea of laughter. Even the horse, which had been foaming at the mouth just moments before, was tapping its feet excitedly.
"Hey, hey."
If only one person had laughed, he would have dragged them out and punished them, but with everyone in this state, there was nothing he could do.
Gerard looked at the laughing crowd and shouted,
"You ignorant bastards! You know how to get away with this!"
He shouted that in words, then left them all alone and went inside, grumbling.
“Damn the North.”
He must have stayed here too long.
He’d become ignorant himself if he stayed among these ignorant people.
His desire to return to the palace as soon as possible grew as strong as a chimney.
When Gerard returned without any results, Lyone, who had been waiting for him, flew in like a butterfly and gently rubbed his shoulder, saying,
“Your Majesty, Princess Kelita has awakened.”
Gerard’s eyebrows rose.
“Kelita?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Gerard nodded, his lips pursed.
He felt satisfied, as if he had just found a good excuse to return to the palace.
“Haa, haa.”
Her small, dirty feet sank into a puddle that had formed a circle.
The sudden rain had melted the snow, turning the forest into a muddy mess.
“Ugh!”
The weather was not conducive to running, especially without shoes.
Bercheria, who had been glancing back impatiently, gritted her teeth and took another step forward. Her pale face, as if she had never seen the light of day, was lacerated with cracked lips.
“Haa.”
She pulled up the rag-like clothes that had fallen from her round shoulders.
Her hands and clothes were a mess, covered in dirt.
Crush.
Her bare feet slipped, and her small body fell to the ground.
“Ugh.”
She inhaled, and the scent of wet earth wafted through her nostrils.
She had thought she could go a little further while walking, but now that she had fallen, she didn’t want to move a finger.
“Ugh.”
A heavier rain began to fall on her small body, breathing heavily.
Her once-glistening golden hair was soaked, clinging to the dirt, losing its luster.
“Haa.”
Bercheria gritted her teeth and lifted her eyelids.
Within them, mysterious eyes, resembling the sun, radiated a soft light.
"I have to go far away."
So she had to get up.
After being imprisoned for over ten years, barely escaping, she couldn't die so meaninglessly.
The tower, with all the windows boarded up, was filled with darkness.
Bercheria endured there for a long time.
"Further, farther."
Her childish speech was a natural side effect of her isolated life.
She struggled to stand up, white breath escaping from her lips.
"Hurry, run away to a place where Mother can't find you..."
With a thud.
Her body, dragging her legs as it moved forward, collapsed to the floor again.
She tried to open her eyes, but her body, weak from being confined in a cramped space for so long, couldn't hold on any longer.
Her heavy eyelids closed tightly. She couldn't even lift a finger.
As she crossed the line between the distant past and reality, a strange voice rang out.
"You unfortunate young lady, be careful!"
Bercheria, who had been escaping from the tower, was no longer as weak as she had been back then.
Bercheria clenched her fists as she watched the men carrying Groovy.
Groovy waved at Bercheria, telling her to hurry and run away.
"Ha."
"I'm fine, so just go. Got it? Hurry!"
Bercheria's expression hardened as Groovu moved further away.
Her power had returned, but the divine substance controlling it hadn't yet fully returned to her.
The reason Lacrahan had left his people behind and suffered this hardship following Bercheria was all because of the divine substance controlling her power.
That divine substance had been divided between Lacrahan and Bercheria, and that's why she was suffering.
So, I should just watch Groovy being dragged away like this?
Should I just sit here and wait for Lacrahan, who might come at any moment?
Is that how I preserve my power?
Bercheria lowered her head helplessly.
If her power went wild, she might finally lose her life.
The previous time her power went wild, the people in Lacrahan's castle were injured.
So what?
Was I supposed to just watch Groovy being taken away like this?
Satisfied that I was the only one who survived?
"No."
Bercheria raised her head, her eyes cold and sunken.
Gerard's prized white horse was a precious seed he had spent considerable time procuring.
In Periat, acquiring a white horse was as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. If anyone in possession of one were rumored, everyone would flock to see it.
One day, Gerard felt it was absurd that he, the greatest Emperor in the land, had no white horse.
So, he began to search for the horse, spreading the word not only in his own land but also throughout the kingdoms of Der'Ansis and Contana.
After some time, it was Prince Laurent of Der'Ansis who brought the horses.
Hearing that the Emperor of Periat, Gerard, was seeking white horses, he traveled throughout his kingdom and acquired two precious white horses.
Even if a merchant from Der'Ansis had brought a white horse, the Emperor's prestige would have been diminished, but now, the Prince of the empire had brought one for him.
Gerard didn't think about letting his pride rise that day.
Thus, his connection with Laurent was established, and the white horse became Gerard's number one treasure.
This time, he took out his beloved white horse and rode it all the way to the north, specifically to flatten Lacrahan's nose.
But now... his white horse was surrounded and abused by ignorant northerners.
Gerard nervously descended the stairs and headed toward the stables on one side of the square.
"What are you doing!"
At his shout, all the servants gathered there lowered their heads.
And behind them stood his beloved white horse, foaming at the mouth, shaking its head repeatedly.
"You crazy bastards!"
Gerard's anger soared.
"Who told you this? Who told you this?"
As he shouted, the people in the castle shook their heads in bewilderment.
"Why are you acting like that?"
"Isn't the Emperor a bit strange? He gets irritated easily."
Gerard continued to yell, his temper rising.
When it seemed like this wouldn't end, a man missing three fingers from the crowd raised his hand.
"Uh, Your Majesty, I did it."
At that, Larrie, who was nearby, jumped in surprise and tugged at Geoffrey's clothes.
In fact, Larrie's mistake had caused the white horse to foam at the mouth. She had been captivated by its appearance and had fed it food that horses shouldn't eat.
Even the white horse, which had happily accepted the food, had its own problems.
"What's wrong, Jeffrey! It wasn't you!"
Jeffrey gently placed a hand on Larrie's worried cheek.
"Don't worry. I like it much better when you worry like this."
"Jeffrey!"
Despite Larrie's protests, Jeffrey strode forward.
Gerard, his eyes gleaming with excitement, turned his head toward Jeffrey.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor. Please forgive me. I accidentally fed the white horse food that shouldn't be fed."
"What?"
Jeffrey glanced at the old, hunched stablehand and shook his head as if to tell him not to come forward. He then pushed away the hand of the lovely woman, Larrie, who was holding him. It bothered him that this had happened now that the Grand Duke was gone, but if Gerard had set his mind to picking a fight, he would have done anything.
The horse's frothing wasn't a serious matter. After all, some would occasionally froth at the thought of their own superiority.
This was just Gerard's way of nitpicking.
Jeffrey winked at Larrie and said,
Jeffrey unsheathed his sword from his waist, approached Gerard, and knelt.
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I seem to have misjudged your judgment. I will see to it that you take good care of me."
"Are you kidding me? Can't you see how messed up my horse is?"
"I will take responsibility and make it right again. If you will be lenient just this once..."
“Lenient? Forget that. Think of something else to repay me with. What will it be? I'll make sure to give it special attention.”
As he shouted, the people in the castle shook their heads in bewilderment.
"Why are you acting like that?"
"Isn't the Emperor a bit strange? He gets irritated easily."
Gerard continued to yell, his temper rising.
When it seemed like this wouldn't end, a man missing three fingers from the crowd raised his hand.
"Uh, Your Majesty, I did it."
At that, Larrie, who was nearby, jumped in surprise and tugged at Geoffrey's clothes.
In fact, Larrie's mistake had caused the white horse to foam at the mouth. She had been captivated by its appearance and had fed it food that horses shouldn't eat.
Even the white horse, which had happily accepted the food, had its own problems.
"What's wrong, Jeffrey! It wasn't you!"
Jeffrey gently placed a hand on Larrie's worried cheek.
"Don't worry. I like it much better when you worry like this."
"Jeffrey!"
Despite Larrie's protests, Jeffrey strode forward.
Gerard, his eyes gleaming with excitement, turned his head toward Jeffrey.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor. Please forgive me. I accidentally fed the white horse food that shouldn't be fed."
"What?"
Jeffrey glanced at the old, hunched stablehand and shook his head as if to tell him not to come forward. He then pushed away the hand of the lovely woman, Larrie, who was holding him. It bothered him that this had happened now that the Grand Duke was gone, but if Gerard had set his mind to picking a fight, he would have done anything.
The horse's frothing wasn't a serious matter. After all, some would occasionally froth at the thought of their own superiority.
This was just Gerard's way of nitpicking.
Jeffrey winked at Larrie and said,
“Don't you know His Excellency traded three of my fingers for my life? Nothing will happen to me, so don't worry.”
"I apologize, Your Majesty. I seem to have misjudged your judgment. I will see to it that you take good care of me."
"Are you kidding me? Can't you see how messed up my horse is?"
"I will take responsibility and make it right again. If you will be lenient just this once..."
“Lenient? Forget that. Think of something else to repay me with. What will it be? I'll make sure to give it special attention.”
Gerard approached Jeffrey with a gloomy expression.
He pointed to his arm.
"Would you like one of those?"
"...Yes?"
"Your arm. It's probably useless anyway, since you only have a few fingers."
Jeffrey's face paled.
He snatched the sword from a nearby knight and swung it at Jeffrey.
Amidst everyone's shouts of surprise, the sword that should have sliced through the air and landed in front of Jeffrey was gone.
"What the!"
Hearing someone laughing, he turned around to see that the blade Gerard was holding had slipped from its handle and was stuck in the ground right in front of his buttocks.
"Huh!"
If Gerard had moved just a little more, the blade might have grazed his buttocks.
"Huh."
Laughter erupted from the crowd watching, and Gerard's gaze turned fierce.
"Who the hell...?"
"Huh."
"Poohaha."
Before he could question them, the square was already a sea of laughter. Even the horse, which had been foaming at the mouth just moments before, was tapping its feet excitedly.
"Hey, hey."
If only one person had laughed, he would have dragged them out and punished them, but with everyone in this state, there was nothing he could do.
Gerard looked at the laughing crowd and shouted,
"You ignorant bastards! You know how to get away with this!"
He shouted that in words, then left them all alone and went inside, grumbling.
“Damn the North.”
He must have stayed here too long.
He’d become ignorant himself if he stayed among these ignorant people.
His desire to return to the palace as soon as possible grew as strong as a chimney.
When Gerard returned without any results, Lyone, who had been waiting for him, flew in like a butterfly and gently rubbed his shoulder, saying,
“Your Majesty, Princess Kelita has awakened.”
Gerard’s eyebrows rose.
“Kelita?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Gerard nodded, his lips pursed.
He felt satisfied, as if he had just found a good excuse to return to the palace.
***
“Haa, haa.”
Her small, dirty feet sank into a puddle that had formed a circle.
The sudden rain had melted the snow, turning the forest into a muddy mess.
“Ugh!”
The weather was not conducive to running, especially without shoes.
Bercheria, who had been glancing back impatiently, gritted her teeth and took another step forward. Her pale face, as if she had never seen the light of day, was lacerated with cracked lips.
“Haa.”
She pulled up the rag-like clothes that had fallen from her round shoulders.
Her hands and clothes were a mess, covered in dirt.
Crush.
Her bare feet slipped, and her small body fell to the ground.
“Ugh.”
She inhaled, and the scent of wet earth wafted through her nostrils.
She had thought she could go a little further while walking, but now that she had fallen, she didn’t want to move a finger.
“Ugh.”
A heavier rain began to fall on her small body, breathing heavily.
Her once-glistening golden hair was soaked, clinging to the dirt, losing its luster.
“Haa.”
Bercheria gritted her teeth and lifted her eyelids.
Within them, mysterious eyes, resembling the sun, radiated a soft light.
"I have to go far away."
So she had to get up.
After being imprisoned for over ten years, barely escaping, she couldn't die so meaninglessly.
The tower, with all the windows boarded up, was filled with darkness.
Bercheria endured there for a long time.
"Further, farther."
Her childish speech was a natural side effect of her isolated life.
She struggled to stand up, white breath escaping from her lips.
"Hurry, run away to a place where Mother can't find you..."
With a thud.
Her body, dragging her legs as it moved forward, collapsed to the floor again.
She tried to open her eyes, but her body, weak from being confined in a cramped space for so long, couldn't hold on any longer.
Her heavy eyelids closed tightly. She couldn't even lift a finger.
As she crossed the line between the distant past and reality, a strange voice rang out.
"You unfortunate young lady, be careful!"
***
Bercheria, who had been escaping from the tower, was no longer as weak as she had been back then.
Bercheria clenched her fists as she watched the men carrying Groovy.
Groovy waved at Bercheria, telling her to hurry and run away.
"Ha."
"I'm fine, so just go. Got it? Hurry!"
Bercheria's expression hardened as Groovu moved further away.
Her power had returned, but the divine substance controlling it hadn't yet fully returned to her.
The reason Lacrahan had left his people behind and suffered this hardship following Bercheria was all because of the divine substance controlling her power.
That divine substance had been divided between Lacrahan and Bercheria, and that's why she was suffering.
So, I should just watch Groovy being dragged away like this?
Should I just sit here and wait for Lacrahan, who might come at any moment?
Is that how I preserve my power?
Bercheria lowered her head helplessly.
If her power went wild, she might finally lose her life.
The previous time her power went wild, the people in Lacrahan's castle were injured.
So what?
Was I supposed to just watch Groovy being taken away like this?
Satisfied that I was the only one who survived?
"No."
Bercheria raised her head, her eyes cold and sunken.
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