16. Before the end – 04
At first, it seems that it was just a mind born of a whim.
– …Ahh.
lost. In the end, he was defeated. After a battle with humans who came to subdue him, he was eventually defeated. Although, it wasn’t just that he was treated kindly, so the four women were all spread out on the ground, but he didn’t have the strength to even lift a finger while looking at them, so in the end it would be the same as defeat.
Perhaps it was the aftermath of the fierce battle that had just occurred, the blizzard that had been raging in all directions had long since stopped, and the sky I looked up at was just high and clear. As if if I stretched out my hand toward the sky, it would slip right through.
Turbuck.
I hear the sound of footsteps walking toward me from somewhere. The reason why someone unknown was walking towards him was also very obvious. They are an expeditionary force that came all the way here to subjugate themselves. If so, couldn’t there be another reason to come this way other than killing yourself?
– … … .
To be honest, I’m not afraid of dying at all. No, it’s just a boring job. Because, by the rough count, she had already died about five times.
A calendar and a clock have something in common in that they are tools that tell the current time, but there are clear differences between the two. The calendar does not refer back to the time that has passed once. The calendar only looks at and directs the present and the future.
But watches are different. The time a clock can express is only twelve hours. At the end of the alternate ticking of the second and minute hands, the time indicated by the clock returns to the original point once it completes a complete cycle. Like a circle that expresses that neither beginning nor end exists.
Her situation is also like this. No matter how much she dies, no matter how much her heart bursts, she eventually returns to the starting point. Therefore, death is meaningless to her, and the pain of having her heart crushed is only a momentary pain. If this pain passes, she will go back to 10 years ago. With the man who put her to death.
He turned his head and checked the figure of the person approaching him. Who will it be this time? Was it the princess of humans, or the greedy and ugly priest, or was it the red-haired wizard who had a history of stretching out his hand and breaking his heart the other day?
Turbuck.
…not all. It was none other than a man with a sword in his hand who was approaching to plunge a sword into her heart. Although he is an insignificant man who lacks his physical skills compared to other women, a man with unknown power who had a history of cutting off her body one day.
‘…Cain, sir…’
– … ugh
When I think of that time, my head hurts for some reason. I don’t know why, but the memory of the time that man cut her down is just hazy. But now it’s also irrelevant. Because that man is about to stab her heart with the sword in his hand.
…Yes, if you’re going to poke, go ahead and poke. If you do, everything is over. Again, she will go back to the beginning and become the ‘Witch of Winter’, and she will have to go through those boring and boring 10 years once again. Even if you don’t want it, that’s the ‘history’ that has already been decided.
Having made up her mind, she squeezed the last remaining strength and managed to stand up. Because when I died, I had a strange feeling that I didn’t want to show that man my ugliness even if I died.
What the hell are you here for? wealth? honor? authority? But all will be useless. Because if you kill me, you’ll just go back to the past. After all, even if you kill me, you won’t be able to achieve what you want-
And before he knew it, he had arrived at a distance where he could make eye contact with her. And the moment they met his eyes, she felt her heart pounding for some reason. Something she didn’t even know was filling her mind. this the hell
– … bye. If there is such a thing as a next life, live a good life.
The last words of the man who wanted to punish the ‘Witch of Winter’ who brought the world to the brink of destruction were, to be honest, absurd. Saying good-bye to a woman who tried to kill him, is this something that is not selfish?
– …kick.
…But, at the same time, it was a good word. Everyone in the world calls her a witch and despises her, but the man who mourns her is the man who is about to kill her.
Even if the man’s words were arrogance stemming from his own superiority, it didn’t matter if it was cheap hostility toward the weak. Because no one in the world had ever said such a thing to her. Not to mention a thousand years ago, to the present day when she has become a ‘witch’ who is shunned by the world.
Ah yes, really not even once. She seems to have never experienced sympathy for herself.
– … … .
…I am a very bad witch. She has a history of taking the lives of countless people with a single gesture, and at the end of bringing an endless winter to the world, she must be an evil witch who will continue to kill many people in the future.
A man who kills such a bad witch, but rather cares about and cares for his enemies. What a stupid and foolish man this is. Compared to those sentiments, the pain of a sword stabbed in the heart was nothing.
– … This time, you are left.
At the last moment, instead of being angry at the man who had thrust the sword into her heart, she carefully stroked his face as if she were loving it. you can be proud It’s the first time I’ve expressed interest in a man like this.
– thank you.
I am short of breath. The pain is gradually fading away. Feeling the familiar sensation of time rewinding back into the past, she unknowingly had a wish at the last moment.
If a man like that had stayed by her side, she might not have become a ‘witch’ like this-
…I had such a futile dream. A vain wish that, of course, will never come true.
****
Aria’s daily routine at the Estelle duke’s house was unexpectedly not so easy. Although nominally the exclusive maid of the Duke of Sox, she wasn’t used to taking care of others except for the very basics, so the thing she was most confident in was, after all, using magic.
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Moreover, recently, after Kirie came to Estelle’s family, Arya had not hesitated to lend a hand to those who needed her help while wandering around the territory. As if saying that it is their duty and mission.
And today, Arya was going to go out to a place far away from the duchy and help people. It was rumored to the end, but there was news that a bridge had collapsed due to a recent large flood, so I thought that even myself would be able to help them.
Get dressed. Look in the mirror and try to make yourself look as neat as possible. Although she is a wizard herself, she is also Cain’s exclusive maid. As much as each action you do may have an impact on him, you should not show a disheveled appearance anytime, anywhere. Because this body has sworn to help him.
…Yes, from the time he was given the name ‘Arya’. and until now. All the way.
another angle, another angle.
The person who hurriedly caught Arya, who was rushing out of the Estelle duke’s house to dress up and go to the village, was also an unexpected person.
“…aria. Are you okay for a moment?”
“what. Ariel?”
At the main gate leading to the castle of Estelle’s family, Ariel was the one waiting for Ariel, neatly dressed in a nun’s uniform as usual. Although they normally maintain a somewhat amicable relationship, they weren’t close enough to have a personal conversation like this, so Arya tilted her head slightly.
“What are you doing? Do you have anything to say to me?”
And as if noticing Arya’s doubts, Ariel gently nods toward her.
“Actually, Cain was in a hurry to find Arya. Since it requires a magical part, he said he desperately needs Arya’s help.”
At Ariel’s words, Arya blinked her eyes as if she didn’t understand.
“…If you simply need a magical part, there’s Bianca-sama besides me. But why do you want me to…?”
“I do not know. Bianca has been very busy lately. And from Cain’s point of view, I wonder if he made that request because he felt that Aria was closer and more familiar than Bianca.”
At Ariel’s words, a small smile appeared on Arya’s face. No matter how much I listened to it, the words that Cain needed and relied on me couldn’t help but feel very good.
“…Hmmmm, then this is not the time here. Where is Cain now? Would it be all right if I ask for guidance?”
“A little distance from here, at the back of the forest. He left a message telling me to come to him when he finds Arya, so I’m guessing he’s probably there by now.”
To Ariel’s thoughtful answer, Arya nodded without any doubt. In fact, Ariel felt her heart ache slightly at that naive attitude, as if she didn’t know that what Ariel had just said was a blatant lie.
– The ‘Witch of Winter’ is your enemy, right?
“…This way. Trust me and follow me. aria.”
Ariel, trying to erase the words Kyrie had said to her one day, began to slowly walk away, leading Aria. To borrow Kyrie’s expression, towards the place where everything is ‘prepared’ to subdue Arya.
Ariel leads the way, followed by Arya quietly. In the first place, the two weren’t very close, so there wasn’t much conversation going back and forth, only the sound of footsteps moving and clothes brushing.
How many steps did he take toward the depths of the forest?
tall.
Ariel stopped involuntarily. It was because Arya, who had followed him without a word until now, sighed softly and didn’t take any more steps.
“Ariel-sama, it seems like you’ve come to a place where you don’t have to worry about other people’s attention. Could you please tell me the main point? Why did you lure me to this place?”
“…That, what the heck does that mean? aria.”
…Could it be that they’ve already been caught? But how? It was safe to say that there were no factors to be found out at all.
“I am Cain-nim’s exclusive maid. All I can say is that if I thought that I wouldn’t be able to keep track of Cain-nim’s schedule today, that would be a bit too much.”
Ariel frowned at Ariel’s thoughtful reply, as if it were a walk. Then, Arya is now-
“…You knew from the start that I lured you in. Then why did you obediently follow me?”
At Ariel’s question, she smiles as if she’s having a lot of fun.
“Yeah, isn’t it natural? Because.”
“…No matter what you did, you’re confident. Ariel-sama.”
thud-
Arya takes a step forward towards Ariel. And at that simple movement, Ariel unknowingly stumbled.
heavy. From the outside, it looks like a weak-looking white-haired woman, but in Arya’s steps, there was a power that no one in the world could easily handle.
Kirik-
The overwhelming wave of magical power leaking out of Arya resounded with an unpleasant sound of distorting space itself. Arya probably hasn’t even started in earnest yet, but to think that even the dregs-like mana leaking out of her body contained such enormous power.
…Did Kirie’s words that Arya had regained all her powers as a witch in the last two years were true?
“Why are you like that, Ariel? Seeing that you led me to this point, wasn’t it because you believed in something? Could it be that someone who was well aware of my strength only lured me in without any countermeasures? I wonder what grandiose purpose he had that lured me to a place like this-”
“Yes, of course, to subdue you. aria.”
And that was when Kirie, who had been hiding in the forest a step ahead of her, had revealed herself and uttered those words.
“It’s a bit unfortunate for Cain, but we have a purpose to subdue you. But he would never allow such a thing, so he decided to subdue you with force. Please forgive me for that, Aria. In fact, we didn’t want to act so savagely.”
At Kyrie’s words, Aria put on a dazed expression for a moment.
“…under.”
Soon after, he broke into a mad laugh as if it were really funny.
“Ahahahaha! what else do i say Are you guys going to subdue me? It looks like you still haven’t figured out the topic of the losers. Ariel Thiers and Kyrie el Denaris!”
“…..”
“…..”
Despite Arya’s ridiculed words, Ariel and Kyrie did not dare to answer. No, I didn’t even have time to answer. The wave of magical energy emanating from her was so strong that her feet couldn’t even move properly.
For a moment, Ariel felt an infinite sense of despair. Eight years later, even when all four of them were together, she was barely on par with that woman, but what could only two of them do?
It was only then that Ariel realized once again the true nature of a woman named Arya.
That woman is the Winter Witch. The absolute ruler of the people who drove the continent to the brink of destruction with only his single strength-
Arya continues to speak without stopping laughing, as if this situation is very amusing.
“great. If so, feel free to do it once. Subdue or duel, do as you please. I won’t kill you, thinking of the affection I’ve had for you all this time.”
“…of course. As long as you and the like can do it, that is.”