58 – Original Sin (4)
I…
Throughout my life, I have had exceptionally bad luck.
From the moment I was born, the one who brought my mother’s death.
As a result, I received my father’s hatred since infancy,
And I have always remained a wandering soul without a place.
Even after that, every time I tried something,
Luck never favored me.
The person I held in my heart ended up with someone else,
And the friend I trusted more than anyone took a different path from me.
And at this very moment…
Once again, I
Have become acutely aware of that fact.
“…”
“These guys… can’t they back off right away? How dare they assume who this person is!”
Napolea spoke in a cold voice, pulling out her weapon in front of me.
At this moment, there were a group of people around us, wearing black masks to conceal their identities.
These people had been chasing us since we left the mansion.
Each of them possessed considerable skills,
And it was not difficult to see that they were individuals who had confidence in their own abilities to some extent.
We were greatly outnumbered in this situation.
It would be impossible to deal with them with just Napolea alone; at least Galad would need to join.
And,
In this kingdom,
At this moment, there was only one person who could muster such forces.
“…Is this a message from General Laphaely? I had a feeling. Truly a disappointing outcome.”
“!”
“Damn it!”
Seeing their sudden reaction with just one word, I continued to speak in a calm voice.
“It’s not too late to go back and report to the General. It’s still too early for what you think. The future you envision will only bring about greater chaos than now.”
“…”
“Hmm…”
Upon hearing my words, they began to exchange nervous glances and hesitated.
It is human nature for one to become uneasy when their hidden truth is revealed.
Even if the other side were holding a sword, it would be difficult to move easily when their position is subdued like this.
At that moment…
“Gah!!”
“!”
Suddenly, Napolea let out a scream and collapsed.
Due to something invisible, she instantly lost consciousness.
And then…
“That is actually what I want to say.”
“…”
In an instant, another voice, different from what I had anticipated, was heard.
A figure slowly began to reveal itself among them, who had previously completely concealed their presence.
When I saw his face, my impression inwardly became wrinkled, but for now, I suppressed such emotions and spoke in the calmest voice possible.
“…I did not expect you to personally come, General Raphael. But with this, the conversation will likely proceed faster.”
“Yes… that is also why I came.”
Raphael retorted in a cold voice.
Although I could not grasp the exact details, it seemed that Raphael had switched sides to the Duc d’Oclevanne based on the situation.
As I also knew the reason, I once again spoke to him in a serious tone.
“I will say it again. Please go back quietly. There is no such sweet fantasy as you imagine, no matter what kind of candy Voltaire may have spread there.”
“That is impossible. This may be a great opportunity for you, but it is also a great opportunity for me. I have no intention of handing over power to the incompetent ruler who no longer even tries to protect the throne. That is my stance.”
“So? Are you saying that now you should give power to the commoners?”
“Of course. Haven’t you seen it too? I am talking about the formation of a citizen’s nation across the sea colonies. If we break the boundaries of social class and let truly capable individuals lead the country, if we can succeed in bringing about reform… then this country will undoubtedly continue to flourish even more.”
“Sigh…”
Raphael brought up the familiar topic once again.
In response to this, I sighed heavily and spoke to him.
“I will say it again. Reform is a delusion. What you are trying to do is nothing more than opening another door of chaos. What the general should do is to abandon these empty thoughts and join me in correcting this country.”
“You won’t know until you try, honestly. How many competent kings have there been in the 1000-year history of the Franz Kingdom? The prosperity of the nation has been twisted by each ruler, and in the end, it is the people who shed tears. If we miss this opportunity, the vicious cycle will continue in the future.”
With those words,
Raphael slowly drew his sword.
“…So, you finally want to shed blood like this again?”
“In order to achieve a revolution, sacrifices are necessary. Even if I am branded as a traitor and sold, I willingly choose this path. So that the people who make the greatest sacrifices can rule as the true owners of this country.”
A sight that showed that there was no longer any point in persuasion.
I knew from the beginning that he was a stubborn person.
If he were the type to be persuaded by words like this, he wouldn’t have started this conflict in the first place.
Looking at him, preparing for battle, the emotion I felt was…
Regret.
“I regret it… It’s not easy to find someone as talented as him…”
Raphael stood among the strongest three within the kingdom.
To kill such a formidable figure was simple, but to find one of equal skill was no easy feat.
Still, I couldn’t let my efforts thus far be for naught.
So at that moment, I made my choice.
‘Has it been five years? …Since I’ve fought someone this worthy… That fellow Nelson was quite strong as well.’
With that thought,
I began to gather magical energy with a familiar sensation.
The power nestled deep within me started to stir, a feeling on the move.
It wouldn’t take long; I had no intention of delaying the ordeal any longer than necessary, certainly not enough to affect the Tripartite Council.
In that judgment,
I concentrated a massive amount of magic into a single point, large enough to erase him in one blow, while constructing the magic circle.
Then…
-Thump.
“…Huh?”
An unexpectedly bizarre sensation hit me.
The throbbing that resonated within was…
The magic that had been gathering at my fingertips scattered, just like that.
Throughout the long years of my life, I had never once experienced it.
But now,
I knew.
The identity of this heartbeat.
And at the same time,
What it signified.
The sound that, in this moment, resonated so vividly
From the very depths of my being.
Tiny, yet profound,
The throb of a heart.
*
Before me stood Eli, her expression cold.
In her presence, Raphael felt a deep tension.
Raphael, who prided himself on possessing the finest skills within the Kingdom of Frantz.
Yet, even he could not be certain about the true extent of Eli’s abilities standing before him.
Eli, who had been the Prime Minister of Frantz and the supreme commander of its forces until a few years ago, was now merely playing the part of a politician. But considering she had wielded power comparable to the top warriors on the continent, Raphael knew this would not be an easy challenge.
‘Even with the considerable force we’ve brought, we will not be defeated. But… we will undoubtedly have to endure significant losses.’
With the acceptance of potential damages, Raphael readied himself for battle.
But contrary to his expectations…
Ellie, who seemed to be gathering magical power, let it loose.
Then, the emotions visible on her face.
It was… a deeply mournful expression.
As if she was suffering from something.
Lafael immediately pulled in his magical power without hesitation.
“It’s an opportunity. I must attack while she hesitates.”
If he continued to drag on the conversation for no reason, it would only cause more damage to his subordinates if she regained her composure.
From the moment he started this, he had already resolved to completely abandon any sense of shame.
His only goal was victory.
In order to achieve his ideals, the only thing he had to do was eliminate the author, who could only be the biggest obstacle.
Disregarding the ignominy that lingered in a corner of his heart as a coward.
Lafael put all his strength into it,
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Attempting to stab his sword into her abdomen.
However…
-Thunk!!!!
“….Huh?”
“…”
Along with the sound of the sword piercing, red blood spurted out.
Then, Lafael’s face began to stiffen.
The scene that met his eyes,
It was the direction of the black flying towards the abdomen.
It was the sight of Elly, who forcibly turned her heart in the opposite direction.
“What… what… how…”
“…”
Instead of evading, Elly stabbed her own heart with her own hand.
Raphael was bewildered by this incomprehensible sight,
but she remained silent about it and fell helplessly to the ground.
Elly’s body started to cool down, spewing blood.
And in the approaching embrace of death,
Elly smiled futilely and thought for the last time.
“…So this is… the original sin… my goodness.”