Read Novel Full Vol 13 Chapter 4 Part 5
Vol 13 Chapter 4 Part 5
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ED: LonelyMatter
Part 5
The beautiful flower fields no longer existed anywhere.
The smiling woman, the chirping birds, and the sweet fragrance of the flowers all were painted black.
Still, a ray of light guided Liz.
It shimmered in the darkness, reassuring her that she was here and that everything would be okay.
“…..Sorry.”
Her eyes, filled with grief, sadness, and melancholy, were so distorted that they looked like they were about to burst into tears.
“Rey, why are you apologizing?”
Liz wondered, and when she asked, she gave her a painful smile.
“I couldn’t tell you everything.”
“Don’t worry about it. By the way, the scenery seems to have changed again.”
A different place.
A different attitude.
A different look.
“I guess there’s no power left in him.”
“That’s…”
Rey’s body collapsed in front of Liz, who was about to ask a question.
She disappeared from under her feet as if swallowed by the darkness.
“It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
With a look of resignation on her face, Rey looked up as if to the sky, though the world was uncertain whether she was above or below. But if you looked at her profile, you could see that she had sunk into pessimism.
Her chest tightened.
Liz firmly believed that the First Princess Shrine Maiden Rey looked much better with a smile on her face than with a tear-stained face.
“You look better when you smile. So don’t make that face.”
Liz’s words made Rey’s eyes widen in surprise.
Then she smiled at her. But she remained sad.
“Don’t give up until the end.”
She finally smiled at Liz, trying her best not to make her feel uncomfortable, but it was clear that she was trying too hard. So much so that Liz felt guilty for asking, but still, she did not blame her, and Rey, arms outstretched, invited Liz into her own chest.
“We can still find a way to make a difference. There is still a way to save him.”
Liz’s shoulders shook in response to the words whispered in her ear.
“…I wonder if that’s really true; everything I’ve done has backfired on me.”
Whether she could save him or not, she did not believe she had the power to do so.
The confidence she had built up over the years seemed to be crumbling.
No matter how strong she got, no matter how much she closed the gap, when she reached out her hand, Hiro was gone.
“Rey… you take my place…”
It was probably a weak statement she should not have made.
It was always after she had said it that she realized and regretted it.
“I think you should save him.”
Words that sometimes become blades and, once released, never return.
But Rey still smiled at Liz as if to tell her how much she loved her.
The blade of words that hurt Rey―and yet she gently accepted and denied it.
“No, that’s not true. Especially if you don’t save him, there’s no point.”
Rey smiled as she brought her face so close to hers that their breaths almost touched.
“Light a flame in your heart. Never bend your faith. If you never let the flame go out, you can start over again and again.”
Rey rubbed her forehead against Liz’s.
“I trust you with everything.”
“Wait! I have so much more to tell you!
Liz didn’t want Rey to leave.
It would be too sad of an ending.
She promised to tell Hiro how she felt.
She would not allow her to leave without knowing the answer to that question. It was unforgivable.
“Thank you. But I will always be by your side. If you wish, I can always see you.”
The same soul, the same feelings, another self.
“I too think you look better with a smile on your face than with tears.”
Putting her hand on Liz’s cheek, Rey wiped the tears from the corners of Liz’s eyes with her thumbs.
“I’m not going anywhere. So please don’t be sad.”
Even if there were no memories left, their hearts would always be together.
“I’m glad it was you.”
With a big smile on her face, the first Princess Shrine Maiden Rey disappeared before Liz’s eyes.
The urge to scream rose from the back of her throat.
But Liz held back the tears. She swore not to shed a single tear.
Most of all, a warmth took root deep in her heart.
She put her hand to her chest and felt a steady heartbeat. Rey would always be with her.
She never left Liz’s life.
Now, to return, she tried to say goodbye to the dream world that would never come again.
But no matter how long it took, Liz never woke up.
“What does this mean?”
Stranded in a world of darkness, Liz is dismayed, but suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and turned around.
“Huh?”
A young man stood there with a fresh smile on his face.
A figure out of place in this world of darkness, a presence so dazzling it seemed madness.
He was brave, heroic, and utterly commanding.
――Leon Werth Altius von Grantz, the first Emperor of the Great Grantz Empire.
If there is a word to describe his appearance, it was “lion,” and if there was a word to describe his existence, it was “haughty and arrogant.
The ‘King,’ who was said to be closer to a ‘God’ than the ‘Five Great Heavenly Kings,’ crossed his arms and lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Time has finally begun to flow. The wheels that had stopped a thousand years ago.”
But soon, a pained expression appeared on his face, and he bowed his head to Liz.
“I’m sorry.”
Liz rolled her eyes at the sudden apology. She hadn’t expected the First Emperor to bow, and most of all, she was confused as to why he was here and why so many events were happening at once, and Liz was confused.
“About Rey… don’t worry too much, it’s what she wanted.”
There was no understanding, as Altius explained matter-of-factly.
Liz remained stiff with surprise, but still, Altius continued.
“She knew this would happen, so there was no need for you to worry about it, little girl.”
Seeing Liz’s lack of reaction, he smiled and ran a hand over the empty space.
“The reason I’m here is simple―I’m a residual thought left behind by the Flame Emperor.”
A mass of flame appears in the world of darkness. The writhing, serpentine flames coiled around Altius as if playing with him. Like a dog that has not seen its master in a long time, the flames rage around Altius, spitting fire violently.
“Back to business; I hope you will forgive me for giving you a hard time, little girl, even though it was Rey’s wish.”
Altius apologized again but quickly looked up and began to speak.
“A thousand years ago, there was nothing I could do. The power of the Five Great Celestial Kings was still too great.”
He said meaningfully and took out a piece of paper.
It was spotlessly white.
“It was the same one I had given him. I also put one in the Flame Emperor.”
“What does that mean?”
Liz was so curious that the question came out of her mouth involuntarily.
Altius shrugged and sighed.
“Thanks to this, my body is in shambles. I hope you’ll be grateful.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about unless you explain it to me.”
Liz tried to get to the point, but Altius smiled a little wickedly and put his index finger to his mouth.
“I’m not going to give you the answer. If you know the answer now, it might be useless. Just keep it in mind.”
Having said this without hesitation, Altius continued to pound his own chest.
“You need to let go of your doubts, little girl. Don’t be like me.”
Altius snorted in self-mockery, and there was a definite regret in his voice.
“I could not save Hiro. I regretted it to the day I died. So, little girl, make a choice you will never regret.”
Liz looked at Altius, who gave a small smile and thought that he was a bit like Rey.
“You must have faith in yourself. Then you’ll see the way―without having to make it.”
Altius raised his hand above his head―holding the blank paper from earlier.
“There is a path right there; don’t get lost, keep going. Keep going without fear. Keep going with your faith.”
It was an arrogant and irreverent line, typical of the first emperor of the Great Grantz Empire.
“If there is a threat, eliminate it; if anyone gets in your way, crush them; show no mercy to those who stand in your way; and don’t allow anyone to stand in your way.”
His unbreakable self-confidence, arrogant as it may seem, was, on the contrary, the strength of his heart.
Mightier than anyone, more arrogant than anyone, greater than anyone.
This was the ultimate bad boy’s qualification to be emperor of the Great Grantz Empire.
“It’s your path alone, little girl. Never stop and let anyone else take it.”
Altius, the only one in the world to reach the top, tried to show Liz.
The path that only the chosen few could take, the path that only a handful of people could walk.
――The royal road.
“Be arrogant or haughty; if you want the throne of the Great Grantz Empire, be more magnificent than anyone else.”
With his arms outstretched, Altius was the very embodiment of the world’s vanity.
He had gone through various trials and overcame various difficulties, which proved that he was a king.
There was no hesitation whatsoever. There was no sorrow at all. No fear at all.
His confident face and unrestrained body language were proof of an emperor.
And then――,
“He is my only brother-in-law.”
Altius, who bowed his head at the end, had the face of a brother-in-law.
He was not the emperor; he was not the king.
He was just a kind man who cared for his family.
“Please look after my brother-in-law.”
Altius’ smile turned into a particle of light that spread out into the world of darkness.
At the same time, the darkness disappeared, cut off by the overflowing light, and the world was repainted.
The dazzling light gave the feeling that they would never meet again.
And yet they vanished so easily.
They didn’t even give her time to be sentimental; they just said what they wanted to say and left.
They were just like someone else, and Liz’s heart was so full of jealousy about the fact that they were really close to each other.
They were really selfish sisters and brothers, including the brother-in-law. However, she did not feel any irritation.
It was impossible for her to resent them, even though she felt compassion for them.
Liz smiled because she had learned many important things from them.
“Thank you.”
She thanked those who were no longer with her.
She was no longer lost.
The only thing that had sprouted in her heart was her passionate feelings.
And so――,
“Leave the rest to me and watch over me from the Hero’s Palace.”
Since she had taken over her feelings, she could no longer stand still.
Then Liz suddenly realized that there was a piece of paper left at her feet.
It must have been left by Altius.
But she could not pick it up.
The moment she grabbed it, she was flooded with light――,
――Liz’s consciousness awakened.
Upon awakening, Liz felt a strange sensation around her eyes and touched her fingertips.
She rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes and realized she had been crying.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the familiar blanket appeared, and Liz got out of bed.
She looked down at her hand and saw that the white paper she had grabbed was gone.
She had no idea what had happened.
But the hesitation was completely gone from Liz’s face.
“Wake up, Cerberus.”
Suddenly, Liz picked up the white wolf lying on the bed and held her in her arms.
“!?”
The white wolf, suddenly awakened by a floating sensation, was confused and kept turning her head to check her surroundings. When she realized that Liz was the cause, she felt relieved and relaxed her limbs.
And then, as she was jolted awake, Cerberus shot her an angry look.
“This is no time to sleep――oh, heavy… hey, have you gained more?”
She looked down at the white wolf with half-open eyes.
Liz’s mouth twitched at the deliberate deception.
But there was no time to pursue it.
She wanted to act while the passion was still hot.
So――,
“I will ask you later to explain where you went and what you ate.”
The guards guarding the room looked at Liz with a surprised look on their faces.
Ignoring them, Liz opened the door to the next room with great force.
“Hyii!”
The occupants of the room jumped to their beds, startled by the sound of the door slamming against the wall.
Aura, who was reading the Black Book, looked at Liz with a shocked expression, the blood draining from her face.
Nearby, at a desk, perhaps writing something, Skaaha stopped writing and rolled her eyes. But Liz soon realized the reason.
Skaaha was probably being asked to read the “Black Book” and write an impression of it.
In any case――,
“I have something I would like to discuss with you.”
Liz’s direct words brought a questioning look to the faces of the two girls and one animal.
To them, she said,
“We have to win. I need your help.
Without giving a reason, she put her own feelings first and asked for their cooperation.
It was late at night, and it would be madness for anyone, even a member of the imperial family, to visit someone else’s home.
However, no one could resist her unquestionable power and imposing manner.
She was arrogant and irreverent as if she took it for granted, as if she was the one who was right.
She was just like…
――Just like the first Grantz Emperor.