Chapter 45
“We don’t know who you are, but thanks to you, our lives have been saved! Please, at least take a moment to rest and allow us to thank you!”
At this, Marcel nodded eagerly to the prince, clearly pleased at the chance.
‘Is that really necessary?’
Mikhail didn’t see any real need for it, but seeing how exhausted Marcel was, he thought it would be better to leave Marcel somewhere safe and continue alone.
‘In that case, I’d better stop by briefly and leave Marcel here.’
If Marcel, worn out and off his guard, ended up getting hurt by a monster, Mikhail wouldn’t be able to face Marcel’s fiancée. Given that he’d dragged Marcel here against his will, Marcel’s safety was of utmost importance.
Soon, Mikhail stopped resisting and climbed the ladder into the fortress at a slow pace. Inside, waiting for them, were an elderly woman who looked like a priestess and six or seven groups of families, each huddled together.
“Thank you so much. You saved our lives.”
One of the family members stepped forward and bowed deeply to Mikhail. Behind them, the elderly woman in priestly robes, wearing a displeased expression, gave a snort.
“Who are you thanking? If you ask me, they reek of being in league with those bastards.”
Oh no. There was nothing on them that would identify them as from Osbrandt, so how had she figured it out? Mikhail, startled, shrank into his robe, but the old woman came closer and yanked the robe off Mikhail’s head.
“……!”
Thanks to his quick reflexes, Mikhail managed to bow his head in time to hide his face, but his distinctive light hair, typical of the central-southern region, was clearly visible.
“See? Didn’t I tell you? What are people who see us as worth less than beasts doing here?”
As the old woman grew agitated, the other residents quickly stepped between her and Mikhail, apologizing.
“We’re sorry, hero! Given the situation, the older folks are a little wary of anyone from Osbrandt. Please accept our apology.”
But the old woman only raised her voice further and made a scene.
“Apologize? What for! They don’t even know the crimes of their ancestors, living brazenly with their heads held high! Look at what’s happening now—never have anything to do with those traitors!”
‘Traitor.’
That single word echoed in Mikhail’s ears like a cold curse, and he reflexively stepped back. The old woman shouted, her face full of righteous anger.
“What? You don’t like being called a traitor? I suppose no one ever told you what vile things your ancestors did to seize this land?!”
Mikhail, frozen and unable to speak, was saved when Marcel quickly intervened.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. According to what we’ve been taught, both sides fought over succession rights…”
As Marcel recited the version he’d heard all his life, the old woman snapped back.
“Ha! How shameless. So that’s what they teach you. Then do you know why your sacred beast died? What do they tell you about that?”
What did they teach about that…? If it’s a legend, it’s a legend. Who actually thinks the sacred beast was real?
Marcel looked at her in confusion. The old woman, sensing victory, pressed on.
“Because your kind betrayed us, you lost the goddess’s blessing and the sacred beast took its own life.”
What kind of nonsense was this? Marcel, steadying Mikhail by gripping his shoulder tightly, asked,
“Please, tell us the story in detail. We’ll leave as soon as we’ve heard it.”
The old woman’s tale was both long and short.
Long ago, there were two kingdoms that worshiped Erudite, the goddess of knowledge and civilization, as their principal deity. The goddess loved the ruling families of both kingdoms as her own children, blessing them with a pair of sacred beasts so that, united, they could uphold faith together.
Of the two sacred beasts, which looked identical, one took the form of a black bird and the other a white bird. Even from afar, they looked like an affectionate pair. When either kingdom was threatened, they would separate to protect their own realm, but during times of peace, they would wander the kingdoms together, spending warm and happy days side by side.
Then, due to Osbrandt’s betrayal, the head of the Transis family lost his life. The story went that, because Osbrandt had forsaken its faith, Osbrandt’s sacred beast, Emil, could no longer protect it and thus spit out its own heart and died.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.