The imperial palace had never once caught fire. Whether from invaders or rebellions. Was there ever a time anything burned like this, breaking through the thick magical barriers protecting it? Some said the dead dragon had resurrected. Others claimed the Moon God was angry, signaling doom for the imperial family.
Miragen didn’t particularly deny it. Whether the dead dragon had revived or doom had come, wasn’t it somewhat true? Escaping from the palace was close to a miracle.
She had gone mad and staged a protest when she heard that Robert had died. After a moment of clutching her aching chest, Miragen quietly gazed out of the carriage.
“If it weren’t for the Order’s help, I wouldn’t have made it out. How should I express my gratitude?”
“There’s no need for gratitude. It’s all as the Saintess said, once we reach the North, say it directly to her.”
I had already noticed that my older brother was no longer the same person from the past. The memories of Robert weighed heavily. The Kaitel I met back then seemed anything but odd. If I hadn’t realized that, I’d be a fool or an idiot.
My head was pounding. I didn’t really believe Robert was dead, but if those rumors turned out to be true. I’d hesitated several times, wanting to reach out, only to give up. He should be alive. I could only trust that he was.
“As for the person currently in the palace—”
It was none other than the Pope himself. The Order worshipping the Moon had decided to take refuge in the North. Since the Saintess was there as well, there was no hesitation in their escape. The Pope was cautiously inquiring about the presence dwelling within the Crown Prince’s inner self.
It seemed he no longer wanted to hide entirely. Letting out a small sigh, Miragen nodded and replied.
“It’s probably the dead dragon. To ignite a fire that could burn the palace, it would have to be that powerful.”
While the palace had never been breached, there had been several rebellions. However, the palace remained intact thanks to the magical barriers protecting it. The fact that it was broken meant the Moon God’s shield had been shattered. Who else could have done such a thing but the dead dragon?
“Ah.”
The Pope quietly sighed, but nothing changed. There was likely only one solution to this reality. Capture the dead dragon. But how? With divine power waning, nothing felt certain. The only one who might help was Robert Taylor, but since the Order had no full grasp of his powers, anxiety loomed over them.
“There were probably demons in this squad. Robert mentioned it, so when we reach the North, we might get a clearer picture.”
“I hope everything goes well…”
Everyone in the carriage knew how slim those chances were.
#
“For now, we must advance straight to the capital. There’s not much time left to delay.”
“There’s not much left now.”
I had come to realize that the energy from the relic embedded in my chest was influencing me more intensely. Adele nodded in agreement. Adrian also recognized that my words, even if dangerous, were not wrong.
The dead dragon would definitely be resurrected. Perhaps it had already happened. Given that three days had passed since I awoke, I could no longer use rest as an excuse to stay here. We would move through the dimensional gate at the Moon Tower, but the movement of the soldiers would be postponed as much as possible.
First, Adele, Adrian, the lieutenants, and I would move, followed by the soldiers heading to the capital to clean up.
Since I had already discussed this, all those who needed to leave had done so. The remaining individuals were all prepared for the battle against the dead dragon. We had to prepare for the confrontation. It seemed that neither Adele nor Adrian had any intentions of objecting to my actions.
The only problem was Miragen, but even that had been somewhat resolved with yesterday’s urgent message.
“Her Highness the Princess is on her way here, right?”
“Yes. I contacted the Pope earlier.”
It was quite promising to see the Order from the capital coming this way. By now, did the label of ‘traitor’ have any real significance? However, the Order’s view of us was important. It was ridiculous to already be thinking about the future after capturing the dead dragon.
What could I do?
If we failed to capture the dead dragon, there would be nothing left. No one to survive or endure. We would be charging headlong towards the end. Thus, it was best to think as positively as possible. Capturing the dead dragon was my role, and I also had to deal with the remaining demons.
At least it was fortunate that confronting the demons wouldn’t be as difficult as it had been in the past. The realization I had while facing the Moon Goddess, and the insights I honed in the mental space, had surely taken me a step further.
It couldn’t even be compared to the past when I merely prided myself on reaching the end of the sword. If I were to meet the Minotaurus again, I would be confident enough to end it in one go. Of course, that was just my personal feeling. In the gazes of Adele and Adrian, there was a significant mix of worry.
I was sure that a few words wouldn’t resolve that. Still, I didn’t know what would happen if I remained silent, so I slowly opened my mouth in the now quiet room.
“Aren’t you worrying too much? Anyone would think they’re looking at someone who’s about to drop dead.”
“It’s natural to worry; I’ve already died once. Right in front of you.”
With that, I had nothing to say. I lightly grabbed the shoulder of Adele, who was trying to blame herself alone, and smiled a bit.
“Such a thing won’t happen again. How about we make a promise, just in case?”
As I intertwined my pinky with Adele’s, she flinched and tried to pull back. Naturally, I didn’t let her go. As I lightly twisted our fingers together, only then did she relax. Adele, staring at our linked fingers, scrunched her brow slightly.
A startled Adele attempted to step back. Naturally, I wouldn’t let her go. I twisted her fingers lightly, and only then did the tension release. Adele, who was quietly gazing at her bound fingers, frowned slightly.
Of course, she wouldn’t be pleased. She knew better than anyone that such a forced promise had no power. Yet, I wanted to set it like this. I thought it would give me some motivation to do something. It was merely my way of steeling myself.
“…Doing this won’t bring the dead back to life.”
“Grand Duke.”
When Adrian scolded me, Adele finally sighed and turned her gaze toward me. I was reminded of the first time we met. To be precise, in this life, that is. Back then, all I read in her gaze was mere interest, but now all I saw was worry, which was quite funny.
As I slowly brushed my cheek, she tilted her head, looking just like a puppy, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Who else would know the Grand Duke like this? If only there had been a bit more time, I would have shared various thoughts, but if there had been leisure, I might have left a more reliable promise.
As I dropped my hand, Adele seemed to guess what I was trying to do. The shadow that had briefly crossed her face faded in no time. I had to leave. Now, heading to the capital to face the Dead Dragon.
I hoped to meet Miragen and go together. Suddenly turning my head toward a presence I felt in the distance, I saw Miragen and the Pope clearly coming this way. There was no danger as I scanned the surroundings, so I would simply depart and face the Dead Dragon.
“It’s better to set off together—”
“No, it’s better that I go alone first. I doubt the Dead Dragon will reveal itself right away.”
The Dead Dragon would deal with the demons first, then show itself. We had already wasted quite a bit of time. The capital might have completely fallen by now. To spare even a few lives… indeed, it was best for me to go first. Gripping the sword Miragen had given me, the blue blade glimmered.
It was definitely different. At this point, I wouldn’t fall to a demon. Adrian and Adele were looking at me. I understood what they felt about sending me off. Thus, I would definitely return alive. I wouldn’t die. I was tired of dying repeatedly.
“I’ll be back.”
With heavy steps, I moved forward. No one answered. I thought that if I opened my lips, my emotions would burst, so I kept silent. I pushed through the calm, crossing over the silent corridor and passing by the soldier who was watching me.
At the portal that Adrian had used, no one was waiting. Perhaps it was because Adrian had come alone. Since the entire Order had crossed over, no one knew when this portal would collapse. I gazed at the swirling blue light of the portal and gently closed my eyes.
There was no one around. Perhaps it was because Adrian had come alone. No one knew when the portal would collapse, given that the entire Order had crossed over. I closed my eyes, staring at the blue shimmering portal.
As soon as I crossed over, I would head straight for the Imperial Palace and deal with the demons first.
I mentally refined my plan. It was something I had thought about countless times since I was in the conceptual space, things I could accomplish at the level I had reached. When I opened my eyes, my heart, which had been pounding, had calmed down.
I took a deep breath. Taking a step forward, I threw my body into the portal, my cold mind accompanying me.
And then, when I opened my eyes.
Before me spread the ground of the church. It was a space I had been to with Adrian once; in one corner lay a broken piece of Rosario. As I knelt to touch it, a strangely familiar emotion bubbled up. Had Adrian used this?
With a chuckle escaping my lips, I tucked the piece into my pocket. Thinking of it as a talisman, and now, right before battle, I could do anything to calm my heart. My hand fidgeted around the sword uneasily.
“It’s okay.”
In the end, everything would turn out fine. There was no tragedy in the future ahead. All the tragedies I had experienced across a hundred lives were probably orchestrated by the Dead Dragon. The path I was walking now was one I took to erase all of that. Repeating that it was okay brought my senses to a sharper state.
There were sounds captured by my ears.
The sound of something burning; as I emerged from the underground, what I saw was twilight. It was a time when night could have already descended, yet the sun, refusing to set, devoured the moonlight. The darkness filled with stars vanished, leaving only the sky stained with blood.
Gazing at the burning flames and the completely devastated church, I drew my sword.
“…101st.”
I wanted to die. I had resolved to end everything completely. Wasn’t everything I had wished for meant for eternal rest? The corners of my mouth twisted into a natural smile. I thought that death was indeed the only way to conclude life as a comedy. I had always moved towards death.
But now it’s different.
Looking at life, there were too many people to protect. I could no longer choose to die alone. If the me from when I first reincarnated saw my life now, wouldn’t I have called it a tragedy? The light emitted from the drawn sword reached towards the sky. The radiance covered the red sky, momentarily reclaiming the blue light.
It was a signal to the Dead Dragon that I had arrived. Now they would surely know that I had returned to life.
A hundred tragedies.
All of that was merely a fragment necessary for one conclusion. It was time to move forward.
Toward my, or rather our, 101st ending.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
