Chapter: 206
*
“Wh-what?!”
“How rude. Is that drool I see on my food?”
“What the—!! What on earth is this—!!?”
Isabelle trembled as she pointed her shaking finger wildly at Elpheira and Ivan.
“What the heck is going on? Mhm, I see, it’s an illusion. E-Ecdysis, just hit me once!”
“Calm down.”
“Calm down?! Am I out of my mind? A-Ahn! This isn’t how my uncle usually is!! What is going on? What, what, what?!”
“There are circumstances.”
The last words of an old friend asking to take care of his daughter who suffered from anorexia, and ultimately making a poor elf a war refugee (since a war erupted in Kalion, Elpheira is technically a refugee), are all that’s happening.
She declared that she wouldn’t put anything in her mouth unless she was fed directly, but is there truly no other way?
“Unfortunate. Very unfortunate! Un-fortunate! Ahaha!”
Elpheira suddenly took out a fan from somewhere and opened it with a grand laugh. She was a textbook example of a villainess that could be drawn in a picture, and Eugene found himself admiring her unwittingly.
“You, you, you—.”
“You’ve come down with a degenerative disease, Isabelle. Calm down a bit—.”
“Can’t! Calm down!”
Inside Isabelle, her good side was falling into panic while the dark side started regressing into toddler-like behavior. In other words, the Isabelle regime had declared a surrender.
She boasted of being a dark chef, but all she was doing was “Capturing with the gochujang she worked hard to prepare during the vacation.” In other words, she just cooked a lot and for a long time.
Was this the consequence? Half-hearted schemes unable to cross the line will ultimately crumble helplessly.
Ah, was my resolve lacking?
Well, in times of crisis, extraordinary measures are required.
For now, it seems necessary to feed that ear-horned one.
“Big brother, Isabelle’s eyes are rolling back!”
“May the goddess sing of her wrath.”
“And Ecdysis’s eyes are also rolling back!”
Ivan sighed heavily as he observed the crazed Hero Party.
“Have they more or less eaten enough?”
“Uh? Well, this doesn’t seem like the mood for more food, does it?”
“Then let’s clean up and hold a meeting. This isn’t a conversation fit for during a meal; it’s better this way.”
“I’ll take just one more bite! Ah!”
“You can supplement your nutrition with mana. Elpheira.”
Ivan pressed Elpheira’s mouth shut again and rose from his seat. Elpheira clicked her tongue in frustration.
“Follow me.”
*
“Let’s have a little discussion of history.”
Ivan began scribbling on a sheet of paper spread out on the table.
Isabelle and Ecdysis, who were roughly seated at the table, were still dazedly glancing at Ivan and Elpheira.
After all, it’s a topic they can’t help but focus on. Ivan finished his notes without paying them any mind.
– Tumor of Taesan
– Abiditas of the Dragon
– Pernich of Malice
“So then, the two of the Seven Dragon Lords killed by the Hero Party ten years ago, and Abiditas who died four years ago. A total of three of the Seven Dragon Lords have died.”
Even in their dazed states, they couldn’t simply overlook this story. It was a tale of their fathers, a history that was hard to brush aside.
In the atmosphere that barely settled down, Ivan continued.
“Thus, there are four remaining Seven Dragon Lords.”
– Dominator, Tanashimor
– Veil, Lamerics
– Great Rift, Olegha
– Golden, Nekinon
“Of these, the only one whose position is unambiguously known is Olegha, who has not moved an inch beyond the northern Demon Realm since the war began.”
This information belonged to military secrets inaccessible to civilians. It was presumed that most of the Seven Dragon Lords were either dead or had self-destructed.
In the past, a single Seven Dragon Lord had trampled over two nations. At a time when no one thought to oppose them before the Hero Party appeared.
Even after they defeated the Demon King, if news spread that most of the Seven Dragon Lords were still alive, the public chaos would be uncontainable.
All the leaders of the United Kingdom willingly concealed information regarding the Seven Dragon Lords. As long as the Hero Party remained alive, those beings would never intrude below the Demon Realm.
Those who believe themselves to be gods would never gamble their own longevity. As long as the power to kill a god exists in the United Kingdom, the Seven Dragon Lords without a nucleus like the Demon King would not unite.
Reversing the statement would mean that—
“They now have no reason to endure any longer.”
At Ivan’s words, the crowd swallowed hard. A foul odor of iron and gunpowder filled the pauses between his words.
The peace of today felt like wandering on thin ice.
“Maximilian has disappeared, Jill Ber and Veolgrin are dead, and Einar cannot leave Drovian. Particia has lost her sacred power, which means that aside from Enrique, no predecessors of the Hero Party are left to fight directly.”
And even Enrique cannot face the Seven Dragon Lords alone; her specialty does not lie in direct combat.
Thus, this means that there is no one left in the United Kingdom who can directly face the Seven Dragon Lords.
And.
“Eugene, continue with the explanation.”
“Just before the sacred power vanished, the Lord conveyed His last revelation.”
Would it be right to call it a revelation? Eugene still did not want to casually refer to it as God.
Malice, madness, or amusement. Such emotions were the only ones strongly felt, even coming with a mocking tone that seemed to ridicule the fact that all of this was just a game.
What does “service termination” even mean? What about the quests?
It simply refers to a grand game board that observes the soldiers they created in their own system. Like a classic tabletop game where you roll dice and move pieces.
However, no better description came to mind than calling them gods.
“A few weeks ago, I consulted with the Saintess about the revelation I received. This was when Ivan was still unable to awaken. The Saintess interpreted the revelation….”
A religious war ensued, putting Particia in danger.
In the revelation, the star-like heroes faced peril, with Einar falling into crisis.
In the ominous prologue of ruin, caused by Enrique’s implications.
In the revelation of the morning star, Maximilian’s existence was heralded.
“In other words, the Lord hinted at the deaths of all the predecessors… or crises equivalent to them. It’s a crude story, but since the Grand Duke Etarique and Lord Grykencos received a similar revelation before they fell….”
“Does that mean something unavoidable will happen in the future?”
“Yes, one could view it that way.”
Ecdysis lowered her head solemnly. They were all parents of everyone present in the room. It merely spoke of not just “a counterbalancing force against the Seven Dragon Lords,” but also the deaths of their parents.
Thus, the party could only bite their lips in a sticky mix of fear and despair. There had never been a case where a prophecy went awry.
“Lift your heads.”
Ivan struck the table heavily. After gathering everyone’s attention, he slowly continued speaking.
“I differ from Particia in opinion. It is still too early for despair.”
“Y-Yes? Brother, brother. But…?”
“Just as the Saintess has her own methods, I have mine. Eugene. Does the approach to quests, that is to say, prophecies, have to be self-fulfilling?”
At Ivan’s words, Eugene flinched and fell silent.
That’s right. Quests do not merely present a result and purpose. They simultaneously suggest numerous auxiliary and secondary objectives that indicate the quest’s direction.
To be precise, quests are not prophecies. They are more akin to “achievable scenarios.”
Not a future that will inevitably come to pass… but merely a naming of the probabilities of an impending disaster.
He received a quest to defeat Ivan and survive when he first encountered him. And at that time, even without doing anything, the quest had canceled itself.
In other words, it means that the outcome is not predetermined, regardless of the actions or judgments of those involved.
In the intense shock, Eugene opened his eyes wide while looking at Ivan. Ivan nodded in agreement.
“Right. Most problems get resolved by eliminating their causes. Before a situation escalates, we will preemptively remove potential causes.”
Ivan placed his hand back on the notes on the table.
“What existential threat is there in the United Kingdom that is equivalent to a death in the previous Hero Party?”
There is none, if we exclude the Seven Dragon Lords. At the very least, a threat equivalent to them had to appear.
It might be possible to encounter insurmountable large-scale raids like the case of Jill Ber. However, unlike Jill Ber, who couldn’t hold any power within Tylesse and got swept away in political strife, the remaining members are the keys from each nation.
There would be no reason to face an army alone. Thus, the approach of this “certain crisis” is predictable.
The method the Hero Party used to handle the Demon King. That is, assassination.
A core strike composed of small elite forces. To assassinate the Hero Party, at least an opponent at that level must appear.
There is none other than the Seven Dragon Lords.
“Other than Olegha, the whereabouts of the remaining three are unknown. And….”
“The remaining predecessors of the Hero Party are three as well…?”
“Correct. I do not see this as mere coincidence.”
Einar, Enrique, Particia. The remaining Hero Party members are thus three.
Tanashimor, Lamerics, Nekinon. The remaining Seven Dragon Lords are also three.
As if the world is tailored by malice, they perfectly mirror one another.
Light shone in the eyes of the members of the Hero Party who gazed at the notes along with Ivan.
“We will now preemptively strike and eliminate these three.”
Once all the Seven Dragon Lords are dead, who would dare to threaten the Hero Party?
There would be no one capable of doing so within the United Kingdom, and the demons of the Demon Realm would lose the minimum motivation needed to wage war.
Yes, this is the only strategy that can promise lasting peace.
Disregarding deficiencies in abilities, let’s not debate possibilities and impossibilities.
What is necessary… is simply resolve.
Just as it has always been.
“I will now prepare to identify the locations of the Seven Dragon Lords. Eugene, tie in with the Saintess’s plan and assist her. A multi-faceted approach may be necessary.”
“Yes, Big Brother.”
“Ecdysis. Contact the homeland and gather the situation.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Isabelle.”
“Yes.”
Ivan paused for a moment before speaking heavily.
“Gather your thoughts. I cannot be sure of Maximilian’s… your father’s condition.”
“I have already prepared my resolve at the Grand Duke Etarique’s funeral.”
Maximilian killed Jill Ber. Though I can’t be certain of his current state, at least it’s clear he didn’t help Jill Ber.
So Isabelle quietly closed her eyes.
“Father would want that.”
“Yes. He would. If it’s Max.”
That star-like man…
If that man, who has endured the curse of the Demon King and the Seven Dragon Lords alone, has continued to endure these ten years.
Even before death, he would smile. As he always has, brightly and say this.
“I’m glad.”
In the peace built atop countless bodies of righteous men, he was the one who would instead say to the survivors, “I’m glad you’re alive.”
While enduring all the curses alone, even at moments when his soul was defiled.
“I’m grateful that I alone get to bear this pain.”
Such was the man who would say so with a smile. So, should they ever meet again in the future, he would surely say the same.
“I’m glad to have stopped here.”
Without being angry or despairing at his own death and corruption. Holding only hope within.
Ready to bid farewell to an old friend. Just as it has always been.
Ivan quietly nodded his head and then gently patted Isabelle’s head, whispering.
“Brave.”
Even though it was familiar to him, it wasn’t to her. How many days did she spend in pain until that resolve was forged? To kill her own parents. The man who everyone admired and who she herself respected.
Thus, Ivan gently stroked the crying Isabelle’s back as he closed his eyes.
“Brave.”
At least in the realm of the mind, the Hero Party is just as capable as they ever were.
*
On the way back to the orphanage, Elpheira walked silently behind Ivan for a long time.
Before long, she had reached the outskirts of Frechenkaya. When she caught sight of the orphanage wall after passing familiar paths, she suddenly stopped.
Tentatively turning to Ivan, who was walking ahead, she carefully opened her mouth.
“Ivan.”
Stopping in the shadow beneath the dim streetlamp, Ivan slowly turned his head.
“I… I haven’t eaten for ten days because the food tasted terrible.”
“Hmm.”
Elpheira kicked the ground beneath the streetlamp and continued to speak.
“I was hungry, but just putting something in my mouth was revolting. I simply couldn’t eat anything. It felt like chewing feed… no, it was more like mixing sand and excrement to eat.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes. So… during that time, I had a thought.”
Elpheira’s eyes turned to Ivan. In the shadow, her darkly glowing blue eyes met his.
“What would that man be like, the one who stabbed the being directly and severed its life?”
What would the world look like to such a man once he rises again?
It made her feel so sad. That the destruction of Kalion… was the result of a man, not even an elf, who threw himself in and sacrificed his life while fighting desperately and shattering his own body.
If what he gained from all that was only this—a curse without any compensation—then how could one endure such unreasonable despair?
So as Elpheira sat there, grieving in solitude until Ivan would awaken, the time felt unbearably harsh for the starving elf. Weeks passed where she fainted, sipped a drop of water, started eating soup only to throw it all back up, then faint again, and wept endlessly.
“Don’t try to do it alone. We… gathered to fight together, didn’t we? We gathered to save the world together, didn’t we?”
“Elpheira.”
If everyone shared the burden of their curses, it would certainly ease the load a bit.
But that would merely result in adding four more despairing souls.
Despair has a threshold. There exists diminishing marginal utility. No tragedy can be more horrific than death. In other words, there is clearly a limit to the suffering one person can endure.
Thus the statement that despite carrying many curses, it is objectively more reasonable for a single person to bear the brunt than for everyone to share in the suffering.
If you have already sullied your soul by killing the Seven Dragon Lords, would stacking on more layers of filth make much of a difference?
Maximilian had killed the Seven Dragon Lords with such a mindset. And if any one of the Hero Party had recognized the curse they would face first and killed the Seven Dragon Lords, anyone would have taken the same course of action.
For that is the most rational path.
And he killed Abiditas. His soul was already stained, and since that day, he had fundamentally changed. Therefore.
“It’s late.”
Without elaborating on such matters, he smiled and gently pushed her toward the entrance of the orphanage.
“Let’s have breakfast together in the morning.”
Elpheira gazed at his dry smile for a long time, then quietly nodded and turned away.
From behind her, wet sobs could be heard.
