The Reinhardt Empire is the strongest nation on the continent.
It also has the longest history.
The reason was simple.
This is because the ascendant protected the imperial family.
Over a period of 500 years.
However, some people may have doubts here.
Is it possible for even an ascendant to grant protection for such a long period of time?
Even if the ascendant is a being in the sky, he is ultimately human. Even if your lifespan increases, it does not mean you will live forever.
‘It’s because of the contract between the imperial family and the guardian.’
The reason the guardian protects the imperial family is by no means due to good intentions.
The imperial family was paying a price to the guardian.
It was a ‘living sacrifice’.
‘Every time the guardian’s body ages, the imperial blood is offered. So that the guardian can change bodies and live eternal life. Receive protection in return.’
It was the third princess who was designated as a sacrifice this time.
He was a friend of ‘Ban’.
-Brother Ban, can’t you just take me and run away? I think it would be fun to be with my brother.
‘Van’ ignored the help that Third Princess Esmeralda jokingly requested.
It’s not just because ‘half’ is ugly.
It was impossible for anyone.
However, what happened at that time left a huge scar on Ban himself.
‘Ban’ fell into a sense of self-destruction and began to think of himself as trash even more.
That was why.
The reason I felt disgusted by the guardian’s current prank was.
Even though I am not ‘half’, I sympathized with ‘half’.
“I don’t know what your intention is to imitate Her Highness Esmeralda, but please refrain. “No matter how supreme you are, I don’t think you have the right to insult the dead.”
“… … .”
The 3rd princess, no, the guardian looked at me quietly.
Even though he gained momentum, he didn’t get angry.
And yet, my soul seemed to scream from an eerie sense of oppression.
‘… Hey, did you mention it for no reason? Should I kneel down and pray now?’
however,
“Brother Van, are you angry because of Emmel? “This is a little touching~”
“… … .”
Still imitation.
No, it was a little different.
I quietly looked at the guardian, or rather, the being I didn’t know what to call it.
“Actually, I don’t even know who I am. “I thought she died because she was sacrificed, but strangely, her memories are still the same and she seems to still be alive as Esmeralda.”
‘what?’
I frowned.
‘Since she was sacrificed, there is no chance that Esmeralda is alive. But why is it like that?’
The Ascendants appear at the forefront of the scenario starting from the 3rd grade scenario ‘Prelude to Destruction’.
Therefore, I don’t know anything about the Guardian in detail.
No, I know, but that was limited to the appearance during the third year of Prelude to Destruction.
I didn’t know what state the guardian was in at this point.
‘… Could it be that two souls coexist?’
This is a ridiculous story.
The Guardian could not have made the mistake of allowing the souls of the sacrifices offered to him to remain alive.
still.
‘I need to check.’
It was an important issue.
When I think about what the Guardian will do in the future.
“What do you want to do for fun?”
“yes?”
“Didn’t I ask you to play for a moment? “I will make special time for you.”
“Ahahahaha. It’s an honor? Then, I will happily receive Brother Ban’s special time~”
Afterwards we spent time leisurely.
Just like ‘class’ and ‘friend’ did in the past.
Of course, it was only on the surface, and I fought my way through it fiercely.
‘I don’t know. ‘I can’t tell the difference.’
Esmeralda is already dead, but is she acting like she’s not a guardian?
There was no reason to act like that.
‘Is Esmeralda’s spirit really alive?’
I remembered the Guardian’s appearance during the Prelude to Destruction scenario.
perhaps.
‘The guardian may have kept Esmeralda’s soul alive on purpose.’
It was an assumption that could not be ignored.
Considering the true ‘purpose’ revealed by the Guardian during the Prelude to Destruction scenario, it was quite probable.
Above all, there was an important reason not to miss this possibility.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Please speak.”
“Do you regret turning down my request to save you before?”
“… … .”
“Don’t worry about it~ Emel is an adult and understands everything.”
The girl energetically put her arms around her waist.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“is it so. “What could you do?”
“It was like that back then. “If the same thing happens again, it will be different.”
“!!”
I looked into the girl’s eyes.
I don’t know if the person I encountered was really the Third Princess or not.
“So, if you ever need help in the future, please let me know.”
Why you should not ignore Esmeralda.
Not only that, but because the guardian is the main dark side of the 3rd year Prelude to Destruction scenario.
So it’s not because saving Esmeralda might help prevent the terrible disaster that the Guardian will cause.
“Regret once is enough.”
It’s for ‘half’.
* * *
‘Ugh. But isn’t it too much to get involved with a guardian? Should I just pretend not to notice?’
I immediately felt regret.
What can you say about me?
Honestly, if it wasn’t for ‘Ban’, I would have pretended not to know.
‘Strangely enough, I feel a sense of kinship with ‘Ban’. As if I were no one else.’
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t think of my past ‘half’ as separate from ‘me’.
It felt like the ‘half’ of the past was another ‘me’.
‘Why do I feel that way?’
It was a problem I had never thought deeply about.
I thought it was because we were in the same body, but is that simply the reason?
‘… ‘It’s strange when I think about it.’
What felt decidedly strange was this.
“Brother, I heard a rumor. Well, you were pretty great. We will continue to live up to the Ecclesia family… .”
“You don’t seem to have any skills at all.”
“W-What?! “It’s increased?!”
“If you need instruction, tell me. “I will help you.”
“… “Can I come visit you today?”
My brother Carl.
I see you grumbling.
‘Why do I feel friendly? I’m not really part of the family.’
It’s not just Carl.
To my father, Duke Huam, to my sister Mariam, and to my older brother Ron, whom I had only briefly seen before.
I felt a sense of familiarity that was difficult to explain.
As if they were a real ‘family’.
‘Is it because of the emotions imprinted on the body?’
I frowned.
I was so distraught that I headed to the library attached to my family during my spare time before dinner.
‘I need to investigate the case of the possessed person.’
Possession is not something that does not exist in this world.
The Guardian taking over the body of the Third Princess Esmeralda is also considered possession.
There are no cases like mine, though.
‘Strange. There is no record of the soul following the emotions of the existing body even if it enters another body. Although cases are rare in nature.’
It was then.
“You are studying an interesting topic.”
“!!”
I was shocked.
When I turned my head, a girl I had never seen before, but with a familiar face, was standing expressionless.
“It’s been a while, brother.”
“… “Leona.”
Leona Ecclesia.
The youngest of the five brothers in his class, and the one with the most outstanding abilities.
at the same time.
He was one of the 16 main characters in the ‘Scholar’ class in the Faculty of Liberal Arts.
* * *
“… … .”
“… … .”
We were silent for a moment.
The youngest, Leona, was naturally quiet, and I was.
‘Damn, I was trying to avoid it. ‘I can’t believe we met like this.’
I was watching Leona’s eyes.
‘You should never be attracted to aggro.’
Leona was a target of even more attention than the pearl artisans Catherine and Revel.
In terms of aggro risk, it was almost similar to a massacre horse.
‘Because he is actually a protagonist as dangerous as a massacre horse.’
It’s only a scholar class? A thought that may be surprising.
However, if you look at history, it is always those with a pen who actually cause big trouble.
“Why have I suddenly become interested in topics like possession?”
“I just met the Guardian and became interested.”
“You didn’t possess your brother’s body?”
I was shocked.
Leona shrugged her shoulders.
“just joke. “As a scholar, I know very well that such a thing is impossible.”
Even the Guardian, one of the world’s greatest ascendants, had to prepare a long process for possession.
In other words, it was generally impossible.
“Still, it seems like there’s something troubling. Are you confused about your self-identity because of the sudden change in your appearance?”
From Noble mtl dot com
As expected, Leona.
As per the setting, his insight was as sharp as his nickname ‘Sage’.
“similar.”
“It’s a useless worry. Who I am is just a matter of what I think. No matter how your brother changes, as long as we think of him as family, he is our family.”
It was a word that solved all my concerns at once.
Okay, now I’m halfway there.
“Then can I read the book now?”
“So, are you coming for dinner?”
“no. “I’m not interested.”
I nodded without offering any more advice.
Although her attitude was kind, unlike her ‘notorious reputation’, I know her true colors.
I shouldn’t have touched it any further.
still.
“thanks.”
“I was just reciting a passage from a philosophical theory about the self and existence.”
“No, it’s because they call me family.”
“… … .”
I meant it.
I, who had a poor family in the past, may now be hoping for the affection I did not receive from my family.
I felt like it would hurt if I was denied it.
“It’s a useless thank you for family members.”
Leona turned her head indifferently, and I also left the library.
* * *
There was something romantic about eating meals with family.
This is because I have not had a proper meal with my family since I was young.
‘It may seem like a somewhat childish romance for an older adult to have.’
Anyway, that evening wasn’t bad enough to somewhat fulfill my dream.
If you take a photo, wouldn’t it be okay to title it something like ‘Harmonious Family’?
That was why.
What I’m worried about is.
“What do you think about what I said?”
After the dinner was over, Ron, my eldest son, invited me aside.
“Be my right hand man, not Mariam. “You will become the second-in-command of the Ecclesia family.”
It was appeasement.
Because my reputation has increased.
‘It’s difficult.’
First of all, the succession battle of the Ecclesia family ends with Mariam’s victory.
Why I lined up for Mariam.
The problem is that Ron isn’t that bad of a character.
In the end, I had an ‘accident’, but it was something I had no choice but to do because I was in a corner.
“Do you know why I am suggesting this?”
“Isn’t it because I’ve changed?”
“I’m doing that because I care about you. “Because I don’t want you to be kicked out of the family.”
It’s not a threat.
I meant it.
Originally, Ron was one of the few people who steadfastly took the side of ‘Ban’ since he was ‘Ban Regi’.
‘Ah, I don’t want to get involved anymore.’
In fact, whether Ron and Mariam fight over succession or not, it’s just a matter of leaving it alone.
It will go according to the scenario.
However, it means ‘catastrophe’.
The Ecclesia ‘family’ will still be strong, but the ‘family’ will disappear.
There will be no more satisfying meals like today, and there will be no more brothers or sisters who care about their younger siblings in their own way.
Finally, I sighed and opened my mouth.
“Would you like to make a bet with me?”
Even though I don’t want to.
I felt like I had to show my greatness.