372 – The Last Wolf
My dizzy head suddenly cleared up. The blurry vision and the rapid breathing became normal. Of course, it is not a process of healing wounds. How can the lower part of the body disappear and the wound that cut off both arms recover?
This is only the last spark. Just as a fire burns brightest right before it goes out, my body burns for a while.
‘It’s tough enough to be sleazy.’
After laughing for a while, I blankly looked up at the sky. No matter how much he casts a strengthening spell, he avoided instant death even after receiving the shock of colliding with each other. Thanks to that, didn’t you talk embarrassing stories to him? I knew my lifeline was tough, but this is too much.
But it’s strange. I was about to die without saying anything, but when I confessed it, I felt relieved. It makes me happy to think that the enemy who gave me the end will remember the path I walked.
“Are all the tribes following you the same?”
At those words, I turned my gaze to Krasius Carl and let out a big smile.
“Yes. All of them, like me, were prepared to die and cannot coexist with the Empire.”
The madmen shook their heads when told to go to the Empire if they wanted to live, and refused to go into hiding at all. Fools who said they would die as nomads instead of living under the same sky as the Empire. And in order for a new world to be created, trash that must disappear.
As the head of the scum, I led them. I gave them a chance to vent their anger one last time.
“They’re stubborn because they’re the ones that remain until the very end. If they say it’s OK to surrender, they’ll ask me to surrender first.”
How funny it was that people who would die fighting would say such things whether I surrender or not.
“The Empire is generous to those who surrender.”
“I know. I did this because I know.’
At the low voice, he burst into laughter again and replied.
What you just said is Krasius Carl’s consideration. If, just in case, they were shaken by the news of my death——if they would give up their stubbornness and surrender to the Empire, I would treat them well.
From noble mtl dot com
“I think I’m going to kill myself rather than surrender, but thank you for opening the hole.”
That’s why I said it honestly. His resentment for the Empire is deep, so he would break his neck rather than lower his head, but he said thank you for opening a way for him to live.
It’s frustrating at the same time. If you lower your head just a little, your safety and authority are guaranteed, but why can’t you do that?
‘That’s not what I’m talking about.’
Come to think of it, I am in a situation where I want to die fighting the empire first. It must be a lack of conscience to want other guys to surrender on such a subject. Just as I had a grudge, they must have had their own grudge.
‘Hanira.’
I turned my gaze back to the sky. I fought not only to follow him and achieve our ideals, but also to resolve the grievances I harbored.
The collapsed ideal was achieved albeit clumsily at the cost of my life and the lives of those guys. We couldn’t make our country, but at least it made it possible to escape from the imperial threat and enjoy prosperity.
But what about Han? Is it not our ideal, but has the grudge I harbored been resolved?
‘It failed.’
No matter how positively I thought about it, I couldn’t do that. My resentment eventually disappeared with my death.
It’s a shame. The compatriots, the consensus, and the noisy guy couldn’t handle his personal affairs. No, if it was my personal matter, he would have gone over it thinking he couldn’t help it.
‘How should I look at her mother?’
But it is not an individual matter. As a son, the failure to repay his mother’s grudge cannot be taken lightly.
The imperial army that trampled nomads like insects, the mother who was humiliated by such imperial army, and the one who taught me love, a life that deserves to be cursed.
And even the person who took care of me, who was just her nephew, as if she were her own son when her mother passed away from illness.
‘This is true.’
It’s a mess. I collapsed without being able to punish the Empire for insulting her mother or fulfill the dream of the one who considered me as her son.
I realized it only after death was right around the corner. I thought I had washed away all my regrets and lingering feelings, but I couldn’t. I was full of regrets in the first place, and I was living because of those regrets. It’s just that I couldn’t solve it, so I tried to ignore it.
From the moment he fell, from the moment his compatriots lost hope, the goal of punishing the empire has forever been an unattainable goal. Because I can’t avenge her mother’s grudge.
Maybe that’s why I was more obsessed with the ideal. An unblessed birth, a life that failed to support someone who was like a father, and an inability to live up to the consensus of his fellow countrymen.
In order to turn away from all of this, I ran to make a small excuse to my mother, whom I will meet someday.
“Krasius sword.”
“Why?”
“How did you see me?”
I could see Krasius Carl’s expression wrinkled at the sudden question. I understand. How absurd it must be for a dying chieftain to say something that catches the clouds by himself. Even how it looked, of course he must have been a bastard.
But I want to hear it. He is the only one next to me, but I have a strong belief that I will be more accurate than anyone else’s gaze.
“…There is a saying that tiger fathers are bastards.”
Having said that, Krasius Carl let out a deep sigh and spat it out in annoyance.
“Wolves or dogs.”
“Ha.”
I burst into laughter.
“Highly praised.”
I closed my eyes while looking at the knife that distorted my expression even more at those words. He said all he had to say and heard all he wanted to hear. My life has also burned the last flame, so it’s time to leave.
I wonder if he will die. What will the afterlife look like?
I wish it was one world where there is no heaven or hell. If they are separated, my mother will go to heaven and I will go to hell.
If it’s divided, there’s nothing you can do about it
There is only one afterlife
If I see my mother there
I couldn’t repay your grudge, but I tried
I will say that I tried my best to keep my compatriots safe.
So please, to this poor son
You said you had a hard time
I said I worked hard alone
Only once
***
Dorgon closed his eyes and did not open them again.
At the same time, the slight smile on his face left me wondering if he had gone while having a good dream.
– Are you done?
‘Yes.’
I looked at Dorgon’s face and answered the voice that resonated in my head.
‘It’s over.’
– …Yes, that’s right.
The eternal blue sky muttered in a subdued voice and spoke again after a long time.
– I used to be like a single god. All races on the continent lived a nomadic life until the concept of settlement arose, and I was their sky god.
It was a sudden boast of himself, but he quietly listened. It’s not just words to brag about.
– As time passed and settlers appeared, the number and territory of nomads decreased. The more I did, the weaker my strength naturally became.
I know that. When he first met the eternal blue sky, he said, ‘It is only a matter of time before the nomadic god will fall due to the appearance of Jung-min.’
– Although I am weaker and weaker, the nomads still served me. Those children were the only ones who served me, and they were the only ones I responded to.
Usually, ‘It seems like they don’t even serve nomads anymore.’ Said, but he remained silent. Before I knew it, the voice of the eternal blue sky was mixed with water beyond the submerged level.
– I’m not saying these kids did well. Just as these children were harmed by the inhabitants of the settlement, the inhabitants of the settlement must have suffered as well. Because they shed blood for so long that I can’t even remember who persecuted them first.
That’s right. The history of conflict between sedentary residents and nomads is too long to question who struck first. They must have fought before there was a country on this continent.
– …But if I turn away from these children, no one will care… Can I ask you a favor?
‘Yes, please tell me.’
– If possible, would you burn this child’s body? Even nomads like makeup…
‘I see.’
– Ah, that, it doesn’t matter what you do before makeup. Even among nomads, it was often advertised as the corpse of an enemy.
I nodded at the words of the eternal blue sky that I hurriedly added, fearing that I might reject them.
It’s not a difficult request. Even the Empire prefers cremation rather than burial, so even if they hadn’t asked for it, they would have burned it in the end.
‘Okay. I’ll do it, so don’t worry.’
– Oh, thank you.
I put aside the slightly relieved voice and continued to stare at Dorgon’s corpse.
It is common to propagate with the corpse of an enemy. It’s the fastest way to show words against authority, like cutting off the head of a traitor.
But strangely, I don’t want to do that. I just want to burn Dorgon’s corpse normally.
‘Sympathy?’
No, that’s not it. ‘This guy was actually a good guy too.’ I have no intention of beautifying it. Whatever the case, Dorgon was a clear enemy of the Empire.
However, the thought of hatred has disappeared. Dorgon paid the price for his bond with his death, his death at my hands, and thanks to that, my lingering feelings disappeared. I have no intention of defending Dorgon, but I have no reason to hate him.
‘I could have been like that.’
There is no advocacy or hatred, so only an objective view remains. Dorgon’s end could have been my end. Even if I was a little wrong, I would have been like that. Thinking like that, I wanted to let it go without any fuss.
…But come to think of it, isn’t this virginity?
‘Tsk.’
Let’s say I sympathize. He’s a dead bastard anyway, so as a winner, can’t he do that much?
He let out a slight sigh and drained all the mana in his body. The battle was over, so I had to return, but the horses were dead before I knew it. It must have been caught in the sky slash and died.
So I spat out my mana and sent a signal. If a large amount of mana suddenly moves in an empty field, is it not strange to anyone to see it? The other side will also send someone when the battle is over.
‘It’s over.’
It was only then that I realized it. It’s really over now.
5 Years of bad relationship, 3 years of regrets are over. The peace they longed for came.
‘It’s over.’
I gently lifted my head and stared at the sky.
Perhaps because the two sky slashers collided, the sky was torn in the shape of a cross.