Episode 112
The sudden roar silenced the cheerful chatter. Murmurs spread among the nobles, wondering where the sound came from, what the tremors were.
As the nobles stood up in a flurry of worry and confusion, the First Imperial Knights, led by the Crown Prince, appeared and shouted,
“Monsters have appeared! We’ll help you evacuate immediately!”
“So it has begun. But why now…?”
The Empress’s smile vanished, her face as cold as ice. She glared at Sylvia and then left.
Sylvia, who had been tense, watched the Empress’s retreating figure, puzzled by her sudden change in demeanor. Then, she gave an order to her spirit,
“Silape, follow her.”
The translucent wolf nodded and followed the Empress. I was wondering if I should stay and observe the situation, but Sylvia grabbed my arm and pulled me along.
“Let’s go, Lady Witten.”
“Pardon? Go where?”
“They said monsters appeared. There’s no point in staying here.”
I didn’t understand Sylvia’s words. To evacuate when monsters appeared? She had just been angry at the Crown Prince for not entrusting her with anything.
I whispered to Sylvia,
“What are you talking about?! If monsters have appeared, then His Highness and Cesar are…”
“I know. But I’ll only be a hindrance if I go there. It’s best to have Silape follow the Empress and order the other spirits to help His Highness and Cesar exterminate the monsters.”
A Spirit Summoner without a spirit to protect them had to defend themselves. But Sylvia, despite her talent in Spirit Arts, had never wielded a sword.
That’s why she was retreating. Because she would only be in the way.
A flicker of frustration crossed her face, but she seemed resigned.
“Then you evacuate, Sylvia. I’ll go to Cesar.”
I could protect myself. And divine power was effective against monsters. I might revert back into a bird or have my identity exposed, but I had no choice.
They hadn’t specified the number of monsters, but the evacuation of so many people meant a large number of monsters had appeared. I had to help.
But Sylvia held onto my arm tightly, refusing to let go.
“W-what are you doing, Sylvia?!”
She dragged me along towards the place the First Imperial Knights were guiding the fleeing crowd, as if determined not to let me go, even in the midst of the chaos.
I had to go.
I bit my lip in frustration, and Sylvia smiled sadly.
“I know how you feel… But Lily, you’ll get seriously hurt. So let’s go.”
Sylvia didn’t know the extent of my power. She might think I would be a burden.
“Sylvia, I…”
As I was trying to persuade her, a familiar face caught my eye. The person helping to evacuate the crowd…
“Wait a moment.”
I walked over and called out to him,
“Tower Master?”
He seemed to have heard me despite the commotion, as he looked at me with a calm smile.
“We meet again. I didn’t expect to see you so soon, with things turning out like this.”
“Why are you here?”
“I was asked to help prevent any casualties. It’s more of a deal, actually.”
Then the Tower Master must know what was happening at the hunting grounds.
“Then instead of doing this, please stop the fight inside! Monsters have appeared there, too, and Cesar will be in danger!”
He would surely help his disciple. Even in the original story, he had personally visited Cesar, worried about his path to ruin.
But his answer was a firm refusal.
“That’s not my concern. My only task is to guide people to safety, to prevent them from being attacked by monsters.”
“But…”
“It means I can’t interfere with what happens there, regardless of the outcome.”
My heart sank. His words meant that Cesar could die.
“But the Crown Prince…”
I stopped mid-sentence, about to mention the original story.
The Crown Prince had claimed the throne, but Cesar, who had sided with the Second Prince, had died.
‘Has nothing changed? Despite all my efforts? Even though my feelings reached him?’
“Lady Witten!”
I heard Sylvia’s voice calling me. She seemed to be telling me to come back with her eyes.
Both Sylvia and Cesar didn’t want me to get involved in this dangerous situation.
But fate had changed because of my intervention, and yet, Cesar was about to disappear from my side again, just like in the original story.
I had made precious friends while staying here, and I finally had a place to call home. And I had met someone whose absence made me feel empty, whose disappearance would break my heart.
“I’m sorry.”
Sylvia paused at my apology.
I smiled, meeting her gaze, and she reached out and then withdrew her hand. She must have realized she couldn’t stop me.
The Tower Master warned me,
“If you go now, they will surely discover your true nature, and your freedom will be taken away.”
His words weren’t a lie. His gaze was serious.
“Is that what you want?”
The answer to his question had been decided from the beginning.
“If freedom means watching him die, I don’t need it.”
Without hesitation, I crushed the jewel Cesar gave me.
Sylvia watched Lily disappear, her heart sinking.
She couldn’t stop her. Who could stop someone with such a determined look in their eyes, apologizing as if saying goodbye?
And yet, she was staying here. A wave of helplessness washed over her.
‘It’s the same again… There’s nothing I can do.’
She had struggled and trained, but she was still weak. She couldn’t go, knowing she would only be a burden.
Seeing Lily, without hesitation, go to protect the person she loved, Sylvia felt ashamed of herself.
“Why are you so gloomy? You’ve done everything you could.”
Sylvia lifted her head at the sudden words of comfort. She saw the Tower Master, a gentle smile on his face.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no need to despair. You know your limits. That’s why you’re doing what you can, within your abilities, without becoming a hindrance.”
“That’s not enough. I’m still weak.”
A fragile young lady protected by others. A kind person who forgave even mistakes.
Those descriptions had brought her a sense of peace. She had enjoyed receiving love and being surrounded by her people.
But she realized that they were also descriptions that made her seem weak. Sylvia wanted to grow into someone who could protect others, not someone who needed protection.
“What did the Crown Prince tell you?”
Sylvia had been told to evacuate and not look back, even if she was worried about the Empress.
She had been angry at first, but knowing her limits, Sylvia had intended to follow his instructions. Of course, she had sent her spirits to the hunting grounds to attack any monsters and to follow the Empress, but…
Just then, a chilling wind blew. Silape was sending a signal.
There was no time to be gloomy. She had to go where the signal was coming from.
As Sylvia turned to leave, the Tower Master smiled and said,
“It seems like you’re also quite the stubborn child, disobeying your lover’s instructions. Would you call that helplessness?”
Sylvia smiled and replied,
“You’re right. I’m not very good at listening to him either.”
“Be careful not to get caught up with the monsters.”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
Sylvia left without hesitation, heading towards where her spirit was. The Tower Master sighed, watching her.
‘How similar their encounters were.’
But he knew there would be those who would love them, even their flaws, and looked up at the sky. The clear, blue sky was becoming hazy with a dark energy.
The Tower Master clicked his tongue and considered the situation.
With the bird’s intervention, fate would change once again. And now, after the monsters were dealt with, the power struggle in the Empire would also come to an end.
His disciple’s blood-soaked fate would disappear.
But that fate also involved the bird’s sacrifice, her freedom taken away, her fate sealed.
The Tower Master smiled bitterly, looking at the High Priest of the Holy Kingdom, who seemed to be waiting for something, showing no intention of evacuating.
They were also staying here, sensing something. They weren’t afraid of mere monsters.
‘His disciple had better protect her.’
That bird’s fate was also as precarious as his disciple’s.
Of course, the answer would only be revealed when the soul, hiding safely and observing everything, appeared before the bird.
The soul was still hidden, watching. Even he had only recently noticed its presence, so cautiously was it observing its surroundings.
The die was cast. All that remained was the final act.