– Tap, tap.
Camilla slowly opened her eyes to the sound of droplets falling.
It was quiet.
So quiet that she could clearly hear the sound of her own heartbeat and the flow of her blood.
It was dark.
So dark that she couldn’t see anything right in front of her.
However, this didn’t pose any difficulty for Camilla.
Her senses, enhanced by her mastery of mana…
“Huff…”
Not only illuminated everything around, but began to provide all the information to Camilla.
In fact, it granted her a sense of omnipotence.
Camilla instinctively understood.
“Old lady. Even if it’s just my toes, I did touch it, right?”
With a playful smile, Camilla stretched out her right arm.
At the tip of her outstretched hand, she felt something cold and rough, fitting for the silence and darkness.
“Gasp!”
Camilla grasped it tightly and pulled it out.
– Whoosh!
Then, she swung it toward the thick darkness.
With just that one action, a thin line etched through the entirety of the cave that trapped Camilla in the deep dark.
– Crash!
Soon, light scattered across Camilla’s entire body.
“Ugh! It’s disgustingly bright.”
This marked the end of her secluded training.
*
The first thing Camilla did after completing her secluded training was, perhaps predictably, visit her territory.
After all, even though she had entrusted Ellen to her loyal right-hand man, Sebas, while she was training, problems could have arisen in her absence as the ruler, Camilla.
In reality, though, the overwhelming desire to go back and just sleep was strong.
“…Maybe I should’ve stayed a bit longer?”
She felt a headache brewing at the thought of handling business, but Camilla forced a smile and headed toward her castle, Ellen.
Still, since it had been a while, she could feel a rather refreshing sensation.
But.
That feeling didn’t last long.
“Hey. You loser. What the hell happened here?”
“…Lord.”
With quivering pupils, the old, wrinkled man gazed at her, but his loyalty was genuine.
“Answer me properly. Why are your eyes so wide open?”
He wasn’t welcoming at all and seemed to be afraid of the situation instead.
“…Well, that’s…”
Sebas slightly parted his lips, avoiding Camilla’s gaze.
His demeanor clearly showed he hesitated to speak plainly.
Suppressing her growing anxiety, Camilla approached where Sebas stood.
Even at that moment, her mind raced, contemplating the worst-case scenarios.
‘A rebellion in Ellen? Has news come from the capital? Damn! I should’ve returned faster!’
“…Huh?”
However, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the situation Camilla thought would be the worst wasn’t the case.
It was just a situation she couldn’t even fathom.
“What’s this?”
Mountains of documents piled up before her.
On them, names that were all too familiar to her.
She couldn’t not know them. There was no way to be confused.
“…Old lady?”
Cheon Ha-rang. Thanks to her, Camilla had realized her shortcomings and spent a long time in seclusion.
As Camilla’s previously heated thoughts began to cool down, she displayed a face of cold steel.
“Hey. You loser.”
“…Yes, my lord.”
“From now on, tell me everything that happened while I was gone.”
“I will obey your command.”
Iron Blood spoke, and the loyal man followed.
Thus, the short yet long tale of what transpired while Camilla was in seclusion began.
And as that story slowly reached its conclusion.
For the first time in her life, Camilla experienced a sense of mental fog.
“Wow. Old lady. What the hell are you doing?”
You say the sky fell? Really?
And, what?
You’re opposing the empire and teaming up with the demon race?
That cowardly old lady?
Could this really be true?
For a moment, doubt flickered due to Sebas’s ridiculous explanation, but it quickly vanished.
‘No, it must be true.’
Sebas wouldn’t lie.
So, what should she do about this?
Her contemplation was brief.
“Geez, I’ve got a mountain of things to deal with right after coming out.”
Sighing dramatically, which seemed out of character, Camilla strapped her great sword to her back.
“Prepare the carriage… No, I’ll go alone.”
“…Are you leaving?”
“Loser, I got used to handling things while I was in seclusion, so it’s fine, right? Well, I’ll be back.”
With a nonchalant addition to her statement, Sebas seemed to have a lot to say but only bit his lip.
Clearly wanting to dissuade her.
Yet, despite wanting to stop his lord, he couldn’t say anything.
Camilla, whom he had watched since before ascending to the position of head, wore an expression that was inexplicably sad.
So, he merely nodded.
“Yes…”
“I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”
With that, Camilla left Ellen again to find Cheon Ha-rang.
“Should I meet that loser hero and the impure saint before meeting the old lady?”
She needed detailed information.
*
In an instant, the sky crashed down, leaving a city completely shrouded in darkness.
Lucius stared blankly at the scene, frowning.
It was dreadful.
Considering the usual Cheon Ha-rang, this was an incredibly horrific sight.
The sky, which should have been a blue hue, was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a thick darkness.
Beyond that, the sun, which was supposed to warmly illuminate them, was dishing out only oppressive heat.
As if to fill the void in the sky, violent storms surged from the ground, creating relentless waves that made this place utterly uninhabitable.
“…”
For a moment, Lucius was at a loss for words.
It wasn’t because he had a significant reason, but rather because he had no idea where to start fixing things.
No, even beyond that, he couldn’t comprehend that Cheon Ha-rang was capable of this.
Lucius, he had returned from the future.
It meant he had yet another chance to change the future through an unknown power.
However, he had never experienced a situation like this.
In the first place, Cheon Ha-rang was a demon king?
Originally, it should have been a more robust, white-haired man.
“…Where did everything go wrong?”
What butterfly effect had taken place?
Where did it all go wrong?
As sudden dizziness struck him, Lucius felt his body begin to collapse.
“…Are you okay?”
Thanks to the saint, Elia, who supported him, he managed not to fall.
“Saint…”
Lucius greeted her with wide eyes, appearing somewhat surprised.
Why was she here?
Well, her presence here wasn’t surprising since she had come with him, but shouldn’t Elia be conducting purification in this area?
As he voiced his thoughts, Elia pointed beyond the city.
“…Camilla is coming.”
*
“…This place is.”
The spot where he met the hero and the saint.
The location where he sensed that unpleasant presence.
Divine Slaying Sword Technique
Furrowing her brow, she drew her sword.
First Impact
And yet, even without taking a proper stance…
Despite not adopting the correct starting position…
Cheon Ha-rang’s sword soared up to the heavens, beginning to strike down the high sky.
Falling Sky
But as he felt no special presence, Cheon Ha-rang clicked his tongue and moved his feet once more.
“…Not here either.”
This was the fourth Falling Sky.
Passing by the saint and hero, along with their companions, the sky continued to fall.
Yet, he still couldn’t find that guy.
At this point, a single question began to rise in his mind.
Does that guy even exist?
Recalling the words of the nameless one from the past, it did make some sense.
He stated that gods are fictitious beings born from the beliefs of humans, formed through earnest desires and righteous hearts, becoming the hero and the saint.
But isn’t it a bit strange?
The presence I felt was undoubtedly real.
Perhaps that nameless guy was simply unable to locate a god.
Though, now that it mattered little to search for a god.
He wasn’t someone I harbored hatred toward, nor did I plan to meet and do anything.
However, what he had requested from Lili and the children was enough motivation for him to do this.
…Also, to clarify my suspicions.
You never know, right?
That nameless guy could have been lying, or the nameless one might have been misled, miscommunicating false facts.
“…Tch.”
A sigh escaped from his disappointing self.
Yes, he was still running away.
He was still struggling to believe the nameless one’s words.
“No.”
That wasn’t entirely incorrect.
This was reasonable.
Initially, it should have been a couple of strange points that were convincing, yet this was way too bizarre.
“Well, I’ll just have to talk to him to be sure.”
After stating that, he moved his feet again.
From far away, the presence of the hero and saint was slowly drawing nearer.
Thus, where Cheon Ha-rang passed, the calamity of the fallen sky occurred, yet remarkably, there were no casualties.
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