Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan (LN)

Vol 13 Chapter 5 Part 10 & Vol 13 Epilogue

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Part 10

It was a battlefield.

Broken swords stabbed into the ground, broken spears rolled in the wind, and empty armor crumbled. There were no bodies, and there was no smell of blood. Strangely enough, if you looked at the sky, it was filled with swords, just like on the ground.

It would be more accurate to say that this world is a graveyard of equipment.

In the midst of all this, Hiro silently continued on his way.

“Is this… the afterlife?”

“Too bad. It is the border that leads to the Palace of Heroes.”

The words coming from behind surprised Hiro, and he immediately turned around.

“It’s been a long time, my brother-in-law.”

Seeing the blonde-haired, blond-eyed young man, Hiro immediately let his guard down.

The young man with a broken face familiarly crossed his shoulders.

He was the first Emperor Altius, his brother-in-law and comrade-in-arms who had fought with Hiro through the turbulent times a thousand years ago.

Before he could ask why he was here, Altius interrupted him.

“Are you satisfied?”

He did not ask what. Those words could have meant many things.

So Hiro nodded his head.

“Then are you done?”

“I put in all this time and effort. I have no more regrets.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I think the people from the past should move on and not linger on.”

If the “purification” of the Flame Emperor had allowed Hiro to survive, it would not have been a good thing. His appearance was seen by many.

Those Grantz soldiers who had no time to think on the battlefield would find out after the war was over.

They would claim that it was caused by the Black Dragon King and that he should be brought to justice.

But Liz and the others would surely protect Hiro.

It could have started another fire. So it was all right.

“There it is again. You take the liberty of imagining and drawing the worst possible conclusion. You are as negative about your own actions as ever.”

Altius muttered, and at the same time, he slapped Hiro’s head.

“W-what are you doing?”

The force of the blow was so strong that Hiro fell to the ground and let out an angry, accusatory voice at Altius.

But he crossed his arms and looked down at him arrogantly.

“You’re always like this. You’re insensitive to the feelings of others, a fool who thinks his own ideas are the best, and that’s the best result.”

“But so far, I’ve been right…”

“Shut up and listen while I’m talking.”

The look in his eyes telling him to shut up was enough to silence Hiro.

“I don’t know what she loves about you.”

Altius, sitting in the middle of the room looking into Hiro’s face, tilted his head.

“Even though she changed her appearance and the state of her soul, she still wanted to be close to the man she loved, and she refused to go to the Palace of Heroes, believing in a future that may or may not come.”

Altius let out a big sigh and patted Hiro’s head.

“You are a child. You are a no-good, spoiled child. But they say that the more difficult a child is to handle, the sweeter he is. I hate you for your negative thoughts, but you are still my only precious brother-in-law.”

Altius had a complicated look on his face, a mixture of anger and sorrow. Hiro, unable to deny the truth of any of his words, looked at him with a dumbfounded expression but then frowned when he noticed something he pulled out of his pocket.

It was a familiar black paper that had sealed Hiro’s memories. White at first, but through the process of regaining his powers, it had turned black and disappeared. The other card was in Altius’ hand, a white card without a speck of dirt on it.

“What is it?”

Hiro asked, and Altius looked playful, puffing out his chest as if proud of his victory.

“It’s an insurance policy for you, a self-sacrificing person. You should be grateful. My body is ruined because of it.”

A look of astonishment spread across Hiro’s face as he realized the meaning behind the words.

“You read a thousand years into the future?”

“By no means… I don’t know the process, but I only read the result, assuming you would be the same as before.”

“So I danced in your hands.”

The two pieces of paper stuck to the bottom of his foot. Hiro tilted his head as he looked alternately at the two papers stuck under his feet and at Altius’ face.

“What else are you up to?”

“I’ve transferred the power of the ‘demon’ in you to the black paper―the ‘spirit talisman.'”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been taking precautions for a thousand years in case you were summoned again so you could become a normal human being.”

Altius, so pleased that he broke into a smile, boasted proudly and added as if he had noticed something.

“The Spirit King seemed to be up to something as well. Did you talk to her?”

“I-I didn’t hear anything.”

“I thought she might have at least said something about losing, but she’s still as flippant as ever.”

As Altius said this, Hiro remembered―when the Spirit King appeared, he thought she had declared her defeat. He had thought it was directed at him.

“Well, the moment Hiro appeared here, that means I won.”

Hiro hastily stopped Altius, who was continuing on his own.

“W-wait a minute. What are you trying to do?”

Altius narrowed his eyes like a sharp blade and said solemnly to the flustered Hiro.

“I’ve tricked you so far, you understand. Go back to your world; it’s too early for you to come here.”

“O-of course, it’s impossible…”

Hiro was stabbed to death by the Death Immortal. His body was disintegrated, and there was no place for him to return to.

“Your vessel is just broken. Your body was originally distorted by the curse.”

As Altius approached Hiro, he picked up the two papers from under his feet.

“The ‘purification’ process did not help you; your body was broken when you returned to normal. So I used this.”

Altius’ voice was joyful as he handed him the black paper.

“I believe I can reconstruct your body with the power of the sealed ‘demon.'”

Underneath the black paper was a white one.

“I have placed it in the Flame Emperor. He will bring your soul back to life.”

He extended his remaining hand. There was nothing there. Hiro looked up at Altius curiously and saw a troubled smile on his face.

“Or… do you want to go to the ‘Palace of Heroes’ with me?”

Once, they comrades in arms and run through the world of warfare together.

But now… Hiro was truly confused, like a lost child.

Seeing this expression, Altius laughed with pity on his face.

Epilogue

The great imperial capital was filled with blessings.

Every cheer was filled with joy. Every word was full of blessings.

She waved her hand from the platform, and below her, the Palace Square was filled with people.

Everyone had a smile on their face, without a trace of worry, so bright that there was not the slightest hint of anxiety.

The woman standing on the balcony monopolized the eyes of the people.

Once upon a time, the nation was on the verge of an existential crisis, and everyone felt crushed by fear.

But now that the unprecedented situation had been resolved, the country was once again being hailed as a champion and reigned over the central continent.

All this was due to a woman who overcame despair and difficult circumstances and led her people to victory in numerous battles.

That was why the people praised her.

A great empress, a great hero who protected their homeland.

――The Red Flame Empress.

There were those who shouted the woman’s alias.

Not just one or two. Many began to talk about her.

They shouted loudly to welcome the birth of a new Empress.

As if in response to the people’s feelings, the woman waved her hand once and left the scene.

Even though the rostrum was empty, the cheering continued.

The imperial capital would not lose its light for some time to come.

People would spend the night in taverns singing the praises of the “Red Flame Empress,” bards would compose poems in her honor, and people would continue to tell tales of her heroism.

In time, she would become a legendary figure, and in time, she would become a myth.

For she had done something no one else had ever done before.

Back inside the castle, the woman walked down the corridor that connected the balcony to the throne room.

The corridor, flanked by pristine white walls, was covered with a resilient crimson carpet. The red-haired woman was walking silently down the corridor when a boy in twin black appeared in front of her, interrupting her.

“Congratulations!

The woman nodded after a moment of hesitation at the boy’s expression of joy.

“I know it doesn’t feel real yet… but thank you.”

“There are many challenges ahead. But I know you’ll get through them all.”

For the first and last time, the boy was the only one who could speak to the Red Flame Empress without awe.

If anyone else spoke to the Empress in such a manner, they would surely be punished with death or something close to it for disrespect.

However, the two of them had a strong trust in each other, having shared many hardships and joys together.

Above all, the way they looked at each other and smiled, everyone knew that they were bound together.

“As queen, you will lead your people from now on. You will continue to shine your light on their path.”

“Ara, you’re saying that like it’s someone else’s business, and you’re coming with me, aren’t you?”

The woman looked into the boy’s face with a mischievous smile, and he bowed his head in embarrassment.

“Are you sure?”

“Weren’t you the one who brought me here?”

“Did I…?”

The boy chuckled as he remembered what he had done.

He had put her through a lot. He had made her cry more than once or twice.

Still, she was stubborn enough to follow him―and she didn’t let him down until the end.

She was a comrade-in-arms, a close friend, and a family member.

And his most beloved person in the world.

“Come, let us live together.

The will of the woman who reached out to him burns like a flame.

Surely, no matter what happens in the future, this feeling will never change.

With a smile as bright as the sun, the boy smiled and took her hand.