Chapter 612

Chapter 612

The wine filled two glasses on the table.

The Emperor and the Duchess.

The two rulers shared the glasses and smelled the fragrance. Dusk Bringar spoke first.

"This brings back memories."

"It's the Everblack Western Mountain wine you used to enjoy."

"No need for formalities. It's that wine made in the borderlands between the duchy and the empire."

"That's right. It's a bottle from this summer's production."

Dusk Bringar lifted the glass, observing the red wine against the sunlight.

"The borderlands were all burnt to the ground; impressive that wine was still produced."

"The war between our nations has stopped, and more than a year has passed. They managed to restore the farms quickly."

"Hmph, fruit grown from soil soaked with blood and ashes..."

Dusk Bringar took a small sip of the wine with her crimson lips, then swallowed it down her slender throat.

"I thought it might taste of blood, but it's merely sweet. Oh well."

"Do you like it?"

Not just the taste of the wine.

It was a question of whether she was satisfied with the aftermath of the war between the empire and the duchy as well.

The Everblack Empire had poured substantial support into the recovery of the Bringar Duchy. Generous compensation was paid, and manpower and materials were provided.

This wine, once again produced in the borderlands between the two countries, was a symbolic token of that.

"..."

Dusk Bringar remained silent.

No matter how sincerely the Everblack Empire apologized, the resentment in her heart would not disappear. Lives trampled upon and honors shattered could never be returned.

However, she had no choice but to accept that apology.

A king must live not for yesterday's vengeance but for tomorrow's glory. Not for the sorrow of fallen soldiers but for the joy of the living people.

Other fallen kings gathered at the World Guardian Front were in the same predicament as Dusk Bringar.

Emperor Traha, and the Everblack Empire, had quietly approached them, forcibly washing away past grievances and offering an undeniable peace.

There was a reason the Emperor visited a few days early before the festival.

Negotiations with the fallen kings gathered here at the front had mostly concluded.

While the World Guardian Front fought desperately against monsters, the world's politics were being reshaped from the ground up.

"I will make Ash the next emperor."

The Emperor, holding his glass and savoring the aroma, murmured softly.

"To do so, I intend to bear all the darkness that remains in the empire myself."

"..."

"Ash is brilliant. But he is pure. Whether that purity can translate into popularity, I don't know, but that alone won't be enough to govern the world."

Soft.

Unbearably soft.

From the standards they uphold to the ideals they seek to protect...

"Anyone who tries to negotiate is human, and as humans, we must protect them all."

The Emperor chuckled.

That softness, that purity, that great causeeveryone is enchanted by them and fighting together here. But that's only effective as long as there is a common enemy.

Once the monstrous crisis is over, the world will once again descend into a free-for-all conflict. The Emperor wanted to prepare for that time.

"That child... doesn't know darkness. Purity might be necessary to protect the world for now. But for the century to follow, darkness is required."

"..."

"I will enter that darkness instead. I will bear all the hatred and resentment Everblack has sown and bury it with me."

Dusk Bringar smirked and gave a piercing look.

"All these stories, aren't they for after we've saved the world from destruction?"

"Preparing for the future is also the responsibility of a monarch."

"Defeating the present foe is also a part of that responsibility. The monsters are no easy enemy. Especially, the next one... even more so."

The next foeBlack Dragon.

Dusk Bringar bit her lip at the thought, then looked back at the Emperor.

"As long as Ash is the commander here at the front, his life will continue to be in danger. Perhaps worry about that first?"

"That's why I've given the Glory Knights to Ash."

The Emperor nodded gravely.

"With that order, they will protect Ash. Even if it means engulfing him in darkness."

"..."

Dusk Bringar sighed and shook her head.

"They're not knights. They're demons who would plunge anything into darkness for the sake of the empire's light."

Imperial demons.

Another name for the Glory Knights. And at that mention, the Emperor burst into a hearty laugh.

Thud.

Dusk Bringar placed the empty glass on the table and grinned with a wise smile.

"I have lived too long, Traha."

"..."

"Live a long life. Live long and bear the darkness of the empire in place of Ash, as you said. Bear as much as you can."

Traha sensed it.

That here, now, was a turning point of fate.

For the world, and for the dragon-blooded duchess before him, who bore the guise of a girl...

"Instead, I will... as you said, stand by his side, guarding that bonfire."

The world is dark.

Once this autumn passes, winter will be upon us. The rain will be cold, the wind chilly, and the frost will bite into the flesh.

Winter night is coming. The lord of the night- Night Bringer will personally draw its curtain.

Like setting a controlled fire to stop a blaze. If darkness is needed to stop darkness, then yes. She will willingly become that spearhead.

Her past mistakes... the imperial demons, if necessary, she would use them all.

To protect this small bonfire.

Dusk Bringar resolved, and without having to say it aloud, Traha could read her intent.

From then on, the two rulers silently exchanged glasses.

"I'm reminded of the day I first met Day-Bringer, the previous Duchess."

Inhaling the scent of the last glass, Dusk Bringar whispered low.

"That day was also an autumn festival."

"What was the scene like at the festival a century ago?"

"How would it be any different from now? Drinking, dancing, singing, and..."

Hesitating for a moment before adding more, Dusk Bringar chuckled.

"So this is how my last festival goes."

"What do you mean? It's just the beginning."

The Emperor stood up, extending an arm.

"Let's go. The festival goes on day and night for the next three days. Go, laugh, and enjoy. No, you must."

"..."

"I'll escort you for a change."

Dusk Bringar, looking up at the Emperor with sharp eyes, sighed deeply.

"I'd much prefer your son to you..."

"Hahaha! I hope you find your conscience before we head out."

"Fine. A case of making do with what you have, I suppose."

After lightly draping a travel cloak over her negligee and slipping her feet into comfortable sandals.

The Dragon Lady walked out with the Emperor's escort.

And they slowly started walking towards Crossroad, where the festival was in full swing in the afternoon.

***

"Everyone seems happy."

At the roof of Etti's Honey.

Dressed in a gown, Hecate, wearing a large-brimmed hat pushed down, and with a white parasol slung over her shoulder... had spread a mat and sat on the rooftop.

"..."

She gazed at the cityscape with a distant look.

People laughing, chatting, drinking, being happy.

"Yes, I chose this form to protect such a scene."

Hecate's lips, which had been faintly smiling, slowly lost their mirth.

"But, still..."

In the square not far off, Lucas, amidst a group of heroes, was seen engaging in a drinking contest.

His opponent, a silver-furred werewolf, jovially gulped down several beers in succession before finally reaching his limit and tumbling backwards.

Cheers erupted all around, and Lucas stood up, raising his empty glass to the sky before tumbling down sideways himself.

People burst into laughter, and a brown-haired priest rushed to Lucas, casting a healing spell on him.

A platinum-blonde knight quickly began doodling on Lucas's face with a pen, while a pointy-hatted mage prepared a hangover cure beside them.

Watching this scene, the dark-haired lord- Ash, clutching his stomach with laughter, flinched as other heroes approached with evil grins.

Being dragged away as the next participant in the drinking contest, Ash screamed. Everyone chanted Ash's name, mixing all sorts of alcohol in his glass.

Watching such joyful and happy moments of her old classmates, Hecate buried her face in her arms.

Between her dress's long sleeves and white gloves, bandages inscribed with magic runes were briefly visible.

Smelling the odious scent of blood emanating from her body... Hecate murmured softly.

"...I kind of want to be a little spiteful."

--TL Notes--

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