The moment I heard the name “Moon Goddess,” my emotions became complicated in many ways.
Perhaps this reincarnation felt like something I was already saying to myself.
I could at least remain calm because I resembled Adrian and I already knew to some extent that this reincarnation was related to the Dead Dragon.
“…I thought you would be angry, but you’re calm.”
“It’s more important to wake up than to vent my anger here. If what you said earlier is true, you are the Moon God, but how can I believe that?”
“I think knowing about your reincarnation is reason enough. If you still can’t believe it, isn’t my appearance proof?”
I knew I couldn’t help but believe. The moment I saw that face, I linked it to the Moon Goddess, and I realized that doubting here would only lead to a stalling conversation without any other gains.
Perhaps… I should believe if I want to make progress in this conversation. The face of the goddess without her hood was something I couldn’t get used to, no matter how much I looked at it. I instinctively knew she wasn’t Adrian, yet she bore enough resemblance to him.
Feeling my gaze upon her, the goddess smiled softly, just like Adrian would, and quietly opened her mouth.
“I know you probably have many questions, but I can’t wake you up right now. If you awaken so suddenly, it will be quite painful, and even if you fight Kaitel, it will be difficult to fight properly.”
“I know about Kaitel as well.”
“It’s embarrassing, but I’m aware that people worship me. Of course, even though I was defeated by the Dead Dragon and have been hidden, I was already aware of why the people of the Empire were searching for me.”
However, the reason I couldn’t appear until now was that the goddess, who had just lifted her hair, quietly stared into the void.
On her forehead was a black symbol that looked ominous at a glance. At the same time, the Moon Stone within me reacted, and the goddess seemed to sense it as she looked at me, her lips moving.
“I was defeated by the Dead Dragon a thousand years ago and was sealed away, having lost my power. The fact that I could seal the Dead Dragon was merely due to luck.”
“Didn’t you seal it by defeating it?”
“The injured Dead Dragon fled to another dimension, and it simply turned out that being trapped in that dimension was what was known as sealing. All I did was take a little ‘measure’ in case the Dead Dragon returned.”
As the goddess said this and pointed to my chest, I realized that the ‘measure’ was the Moon Stone that had seeped into my body.
Wasn’t it a relic created by the Dead Dragon? That question soon led the goddess to start explaining.
It began.
“The Moon Stone is a relic of the Dead Dragon, but considering the Dead Dragon fled to another dimension, I infused my power into it. Even if the Dead Dragon returns through the Moon Stone, someone will be able to stand against it.”
“So, does that mean it’s me?”
“Exactly. Although the Dead Dragon played a significant role in you acquiring the Moon Stone, it couldn’t seep into your body because of my power.”
With each explanation, my desire to say something to the Goddess grew stronger.
Sure, the Reincarnation was due to the Dead Dragon, but the fact that my mind hadn’t completely crumbled and I could vividly feel pain… Well, isn’t that implying the Goddess had orchestrated it?
I almost wanted to curse the God and everything, but the resemblance Adrian bore dampened my anger. It felt like a sin to yell at that face.
In reality, hadn’t I done enough wrong? Adrian probably has a very high chance of coming to the North. The fact that I wasn’t dead right now was definitely one of the miracles invoked by Adrian’s Divine Power.
“I’m not really curious about Reincarnation anymore.”
Reincarnation? Of course, it was one of the most important things amidst the countless pains I endured.
However, digging into that Reincarnation now wouldn’t change anything. The fact that the Dead Dragon was engulfing Kaitel instead of me, and that countless deaths were tied to the Dead Dragon, was already common knowledge.
It wouldn’t provide any more benefits than confirming Arwen’s research was not incorrect. Then, what’s crucial here is figuring out why I’m still alive,
and the reason for being called here. An explanation of whether this mental space was arranged from the beginning or not.
“What happened to Adele?”
It was a question I had asked multiple times. The Goddess, seemingly pondering my feelings, eventually shook her head and gave a bitter smile.
Yeah, she probably isn’t normal. She directly died in front of me, so it wouldn’t be strange if she felt nothing. She could either be self-reproaching, breaking down, or if not, acting stiff to seem unaffected.
“…Adele Igrit relied heavily on you emotionally. From the moment she regained her memories, you became quite a special presence for her. As for what feelings the women accompanying your Reincarnation hold, well, you know best.”
I scratched my cheek under her penetrating gaze. It wasn’t intentional; it was unavoidable. I needed someone to lean on, and we formed a connection.
Just like how I did with Adrian in this life, it was the same with Adele and Miragen.
It was just like that with Lazen too.
“If Adrian had arrived in the North just a little later, we wouldn’t have seen this. If Adele Igrit hadn’t poured all her magic power into you, if Adrian hadn’t rushed to the North’s main base upon hearing news of you… If you hadn’t dealt with all the demons, many things would have collapsed.”
A miracle.
The goddess explained why I was still alive like that, and I couldn’t really refute it.
It was a miracle that you only see when all the gears mesh perfectly. I couldn’t deny that. I understood my situation.
I was still alive thanks to Adrian’s timely arrival in the North, but the situation was still not enough for me to wake up.
In such times, the goddess probably wished for just one thing from me: to listen to her story and conclude this situation. In other words, to kill the dead dragon.
“So, what should I do now?”
As I asked while sitting down, the goddess, quietly smiling, opened her mouth. She looked like Adrian but had an enchanting expression that Adrian would never make.
“I’ll tell you from now on.”
#
The wind in the North was colder than ever. Even in autumn, the biting cold wind blew like winter, making the soldiers shiver as their cheeks stung.
It wasn’t just the cold from the weather. Just the news of Robert Taylor’s death was probably enough to bring another bitter chill down upon this entire region.
“So, what happened?”
When all the lieutenants gathered with gloomy expressions, Lothos, with bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep, spoke up.
Though I had heard the news that the saint had arrived, I didn’t know what happened after that. The fact that we had to stay in the North for a week to organize a rebellion was weighing on my mind.
It felt like the blood in my heart was drying up. If time had passed like this, the capital should have started reacting by now, but the silence was unsettling.
I didn’t deny that something could only start once Robert Taylor woke up. The expression I saw on the grand duke’s face the last time was one I hadn’t seen despite spending so much time together.
…If someone still insisted on advancing after seeing that, there would be something wrong with them. The only silver lining was that nothing had happened yet, and thanks to the saint, Robert was still hanging on to life.
It was the fact that Robert’s breath was still hanging on.
Although he hadn’t woken up yet, everyone just thought that since the Saint was by his side, he would soon get up.
“There’s still no sign of him waking up.”
“…Is that so? What about the Grand Duke?”
“It’s a mess. He’s been here every day, not even eating, and at this rate, he’s going to collapse right next to him. If someone saw it, they’d think they were married or something.”
Married, huh? That hopeful delusion needed to be put aside for now. Anyway, that was just fancy talk; the Grand Duke wasn’t in great shape either.
The Saint was holed up in the room with Robert, and it was clear that leaving them like this was only going to end badly for both of them.
Even though there was a notion of needing to come up with some sort of countermeasure, staring at the collapsed Robert while trying to restore their spirits was just daunting.
What should be done? The expressions of the lieutenants who spoke up were all dark, and it was even gloomier that the only one who could make a decision was just oneself.
The last time he saw Adele, she looked like she was about to die. Just a slight touch, and she would collapse like a puppet with its strings cut, or she would burst into tears looking at Robert’s face.
It had happened so many times before with her having a glum look and collapsing. The Saint, upon seeing Robert Taylor’s condition, had sat down on the spot, showing that having a lot of luck in love wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It became a headache in many ways.
If Robert doesn’t wake up, two people are going to fall apart…From what the rumors say, maybe three. It seemed uncertain, but if it’s true that the Princess in the capital has a connection with him…
“Looks like there’s going to be a funeral procession.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. If Robert Taylor just dies like this, the capital might just explode.”
The Saint, the Princess, and then the Grand Duke from the North. Who would even survive if the three of them decided to take someone down?
Of course, all of this depended on everyone finding their energy again; with a sigh that came out involuntarily, Lothos rubbed his forehead and then had to lift his head again at the presence that he felt from afar.
There shouldn’t be anyone running around the hallway right now, so what’s the deal?
Bursting through the door was another soldier, panting heavily once again. It was the same soldier who had brought the news that the Saint had arrived, so Lothos recognized his face right away.
This time, without thinking, he asked, and Lothos’s expression hardened immediately.
“Lord Robert has just woken up!”
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