Why did it end up like this?
In front of the pond, clearly visible from the Princess’s mansion, I was staring blankly at the carps.
The carps were flipping around, coming towards me as if to say, “Look at us!” It seems they mistook me for the gardener who feeds them.
I thought about throwing a rock just to avoid disappointing them, but the woman next to me, who wouldn’t stop talking, pulled out some bread from her bag and tore it into pieces, scattering it for the carps.
Is it okay to feed them bread?
“You seem very interested in carps. That nature-loving side of you is quite nice.”
Nah, not really that interested.
It just looked like watching the carps was way more fun than listening to you.
In a relative perspective, I guess I could say I’m interested. At least more than your story.
“Even these carps could be manifestations of the Gods. The gentle breeze that envelops us, the warmly shining sun, the refreshing flowing river. The Gods reveal themselves through all of this.”
“……”
“However, we often fail to notice it. Look at this cat.”
Somehow, a well-groomed cat was purring next to the priestess, acting all cute.
“Such a cat could actually be a sign of the Gods visiting us. Do you perhaps remember a time when the Gods visited you, Sir Daniel?”
Should I say I remember that?
When Rin pierced my heart, I couldn’t feel a thing. Was her sword a God? I entertained that odd delusion for a moment.
“No.”
“I see! That can’t be helped! The Gods are indeed mischievous, only allowing us to gain insights after everything is over. But the exhilarating feeling when truth starts to settle in your mind and the past aligns is indescribable.”
“……”
“Especially the Goddess of Time! She never makes mistakes. Though it may seem right at the time, eventually, you realize everything was correct.”
How much longer do I have to listen to this woman’s chatter?
But hey, I did learn something.
The mark Ares has is a symbol chosen by the Sun God for the savior.
I’m not sure how reliable that is, but I’ll keep it in mind for now.
“Oh! I’ve been talking too much! Do you have any questions, Sir Daniel? I’ll answer anything to the best of my limited knowledge.”
My first impression of her was that she was a serious woman. I almost asked how she ended up like this, but I just bit my lip and thought for a moment.
“I know there are several names that refer to you.”
The woman nodded, her previously chatty demeanor replaced with a vague smile that lacked clarity.
“Too much praise, indeed.”
“The solitary observer, Jeongjeongdo (前程到), and one more…”
The Earliest Step.
Emphasizing the last part slightly, her eyes twitched just a bit.
“I’ve heard that the first two names are ones that others use, but the Earliest Step is one you introduce yourself with.”
“……”
At this point, she must already know what I’m getting at. But since she wanted me to say it, I complied.
“What do you know about the Earliest Apocalypse?”
She intentionally introduces herself as ‘the Earliest Step’, as if filtering out those who might know something similar to that name.
In response to my question, she slowly clasped her hands together and prayed to the Gods. The sound of her pocket watches clinking and the fish splashing for more bread filled the otherwise quiet conversation with the Divine.
After a brief prayer, she pulled her hands away and smiled brightly.
“I’m sorry! I was so pleased to receive an acknowledgment of this name that I offered a prayer of gratitude.”
“In that case…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The priestess nodded vigorously, making eye contact with me.
“If you and that boy Ares are the chosen saviors, then the Earliest Apocalypse is the main enemy we must stop.”
“……”
“But how did you know? Did the Gods themselves tell you?”
How did I know about the Earliest Apocalypse?
I can’t exactly say it was a direct experience, can I? I can’t let her know about Rin.
From what I see, if Rin finds out she’s the Earliest Apocalypse, she’ll rush in to kill her.
Even if I mention that dying awakens the Apocalypse, she’d definitely try to bind her by some other means.
‘That would be too harsh on Rin, who is already fighting alone to not be consumed by power.’
If I were to end her story, I would take responsibility myself. Only I, having died at her hands, could pass judgment on her without any blame.
While I was quietly thinking, the priestess sighed with a vague expression.
“I want to share everything, but it seems you’re not so inclined. How unfortunate.”
The priestess next to me grabbed the tail of the cat that was still rubbing its head against her, and when the cat squealed in surprise and struggled, she immediately let it go.
“Hmm?”
It felt like the cat’s tail grew a little. Moreover, its once neat fur looked unkempt, as if it hadn’t been groomed for a while.
“I heard you’re planning to rebel against Prince Oliver. Then there must be various challenges you need to overcome.”
I thought it was a random comment, but waving to the fleeing cat, the priestess continued.
“He may seem foolish at times, but in some ways, he can be excessively cunning.”
The priestess, slowly rising with a smile, looked down at me.
“Show us the Savior’s abilities. If you ensure that Prince Oliver cannot ascend to the throne, I too will reveal everything I know.”
It caught me off guard seeing her so assertive after seeming friendly. She winked at me and added,
“Of course, it’s fine if you fail. If I assist you, the prince will ultimately face defeat. So, just relax and unleash your strength, consider it practice. I’m cheering for you with all my heart.”
After placing her hand on her chest, bowing, and reiterating her departure, the sound of her pocket watches gently echoed her leaving.
*
“Who would have thought the Goddess of Time would side with us? This is an outcome I never imagined!”
“Isn’t that a lie?”
I asked Tana, feeling doubtful about Elise’s words, but Elise confidently denied it.
“I’ve heard about her not only through my brother but also many high nobles. She’s not someone who throws around empty words.”
“I think so too. When we talked, it didn’t seem like she could lie.”
There’s an intense obsession with the divine in people like her, who are bound by excessive faith and law, almost like madness. Such individuals wouldn’t risk tarnishing their divine name by lying.
While they were easier to deal with, once they went off the rails, they could be as mindless as a sword flailing about, driven by their beliefs without a clear purpose.
“So for now, we start by preventing Prince Oliver from ascending the throne.”
Though she claimed the priestess of time would help, I couldn’t put all my faith in just her. More importantly, I had to uncover the crime of killing the princess, Ilina de Frisia, who was Elise’s sister.
“First, let’s discuss Princess Ilina. Just exposing that Prince Oliver is the ugly murderer of his own sister would lead us to victory.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Just yesterday, when we mentioned Princess Ilina, her expression was noticeably dark, but now it was different.
She had firmly decided to track down the true culprit who killed her sister.
As Elise gestured, Bertia handed us a bundle of prepared papers and began explaining one by one.
“First, the illness of Princess Ilina is unknown. None of the numerous doctors and nuns who visited could handle an illness they had never seen before.”
We started reading through the densely written symptoms of Princess Ilina while listening to Bertia’s explanation.
Suddenly, a woman kicked the door open and entered.
Like Elise, she had her brilliant blonde hair flowing and she wore a dress clearly dripping in luxury.
Strangely resembling Elise, she quickly walked over, lifting her long skirt slightly.
“Ainis?”
The Second Princess, Ainis de Frisia?
I once sent someone to protect Elise just in case.
Though I kicked her servant out in a rather rough manner, I was sure Elise could explain everything without a hitch, right?
Naturally, I expected Ainis to approach Elise, but she stood right in front of me, glaring fiercely.
“Are you the one teaching our Elise strange things?”
“……Yes?”
The sudden visit and the lack of decorum made it clear she was genuinely angry.
“What on earth did you do to her for our girl to call you ‘Master’ and follow you around?”
“……”
“I mean our cute Elise! Our lovely Elise! She can’t even be held anymore because she has already become someone’s possession! Not even a bath together for ages!”
Without realizing, I glared intensely at Elise, sitting across from me.
“Ugh!”
That crazy girl was starting to feel that again.
