〈 Chapter 335 〉 Given Time (4)
*
“…Do you really intend to do that?”
“I have to.”
“Isn’t there another way?”
“No.”
“You’re sure.”
“I have no choice but to be sure. I’ve wandered around looking for other ways and ended up here. We can’t delay any longer. There’s simply no time.”
“…Is that so.”
“I think I understand your feelings a bit now, Cardi. There’s no such thing as the best option. Only the least bad choices exist. At least in this case.”
“You’ve become quite realistic.”
“Experiencing failure has a way of changing you.”
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“Is this how it turned out, then?”
“Yep. This is my last chance.”
“…I’ll cooperate.”
“Thank you. Always.”
“I should be the one thanking you. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“Don’t apologize. You don’t realize it, but you’ve actually helped me a lot.”
“Could it be…”
“Oh dear, time’s up. I have to go. There are still places I need to visit.”
“Wait.”
She turned back.
Looking at her, Cardi opened his mouth.
“Last question, may I ask?”
Cardi inquired.
“How did you deal with the Ancient Dragon?”
The answer came immediately.
“I killed it.”
She laughed.
It was the laugh of someone broken.
*
Each day was exhausting.
Tick-tock, with the illusion of time, Rania spent her days languidly and meaninglessly. The more time passed, the duller her eyes became.
Her blue eyes were losing their light.
The temptation of betrayal that echoed in her ears every night now reverberated throughout the day, regardless of night or day.
Give up. Isn’t it easier if you give up?
Rania would never choose the path of betrayal, adhering to her humanity until the very end… but with the continuous whispering, her eyes grew blurrier.
Isn’t it hard?
Is there really a need to endure this much?
Her body ached, making it hard to get through a day; wouldn’t it be easier to just let go? You’re allowed to do that.
You are.
No, it’s okay for me to do that.
I’ve suffered enough. Achieved enough feats.
As someone who has already retired, I have the right to live a different life. No one would blame me for whatever choice I make.
‘…No one would blame me.’
I’ve done enough.
‘I…’
The whispers echoing in her ears were making Rania’s mind hazy. Her eyes dulled. In the fogginess that felt like dreaming while awake… Rania barely kept her sanity.
What came to her mind was Galahal.
The countless people who sacrificed their lives for her sake.
Rania had no intention of letting go of the burden they entrusted to her until the very end.
‘The path I’ve walked.’
She must not deny the path she has walked.
Until the final moment, she must remain human. Numerous people have trusted “human” Raniel van Trias with their lives. She couldn’t let that be in vain, Rania reassured herself.
Suppressing the seed of corruption.
Shaking off the temptation of betrayal.
Enduring day by day with her broken body.
However, no matter how outstanding Rania’s mental strength was… one cannot do that infinitely. No matter how solid the castle walls are, they will eventually crumble, and nothing is infinite against the passage of time. Rania was slowly breaking down.
She was losing her sanity.
Rania became aware of that fact.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The sound of a ticking clock in her ear grew louder.
Tick.
And on a certain day, as time continued to flow, something caught Rania’s attention. It was a piece of letter paper. Correspondence connected to Kyle Toven. Rania grabbed the letter lying on the shelf.
“…”
Lowering her head, Rania looked at the paper in her hand. The withered, ashen hair fell over the letter. Kyle Toven. The person who led Rania to decide on a life as a Wise One.
No letter had arrived from him yet.
Still, no news.
Rania felt a complex wave of emotions about that fact.
‘…No.’
It’s a relief, rather.
Rania decided to think that way.
After all, she hadn’t informed Kyle about her condition either. Rania found it rather fortunate that there was no contact coming from Kyle. She didn’t want to show him this kind of state.
Rather, she thought.
She hoped that Kyle wouldn’t come looking for her until the day she dies. Instead of remembering her shabby, miserable, and pitiful end, she wished he would instead remember her brilliant self.
“…”
Rania gazed at the letter paper.
She looked again and again.
Gazing at the empty letter paper brought to mind the promise she had shared with Kyle. Slowly, she reached out to open the drawer. Inside the drawer lay a pendant.
Clink.
The pendant she found in her hometown, now turned to ashes.
Before that pendant, Kyle had vowed never to forget the tragedies that befell their hometown.
“I will catch the Demon Lord.”
“You and I will take our revenge together.”
A promise shared in jest.
A promise that ultimately went unkept.
Recalling that promise, Rania fiddled with the pendant. Her snowy fingers wiped the dust off the pendant.
“If I die…”
If she were to die miserably.
Perhaps, Kyle might uphold that promise even on his own. Since the duel with Death’s Blade, Kyle had changed in some way. If the changed Kyle, perhaps he would try to keep that promise again.
In that case…
Could her death leave something behind?
‘What nonsense.’
For a moment, Rania felt disgusted by this thought. How far would she disgrace herself before death? Criticizing herself, she put down the pendant.
“I’m losing my mind.”
As soon as she muttered that and tried to put away the letter, something glimmered. It wasn’t the letter she was holding, but another piece of letter.
“I have something to say.”
“Come to me.”
A letter arrived from Cardi.
2.
The ancient Elf, Cardi.
Cardi van Armiel.
Having lived as a Grand Magus, he always sought the best answer. Not the least bad choice to avoid the worst but rather a thoroughly understandable best answer for anyone.
He longed for that answer.
For hundreds of years, he did so and still does. He simply longs. Dreaming of a place he cannot reach.
“There is no best conclusion.”
“At least in this case.”
“So, I must choose the least bad option.”
Cardi mulled over the words left by the one who had come to find him. Remembering her now wearing the same expression, Cardi bit his lip.
“…Phew.”
Still, he would do what he must.
Determined, he exhaled briefly and adjusted his robe. Now, Cardi stood before the mansion, looking exactly as he did when he built the Ashen Tower in this land.
The robe of the first Master of the Tower.
The guise he had used at that time.
In that form, Cardi knocked on the mansion’s door. Soon, Rosel appeared after opening the door. Rosel had heard that a guest would visit Raniel but… had not heard any details about the guest.
As a result, Rosel’s eyes widened in disbelief the moment he saw the figure at the door.
“…You are?”
“I’ve come to see a distant junior.”
The ashen first Master of the Tower.
Before that mysterious and secretive figure, Rosel had no idea how to react. Cardi waved his hand briefly, signaling it was unnecessary, and stepped into the mansion.
As he headed towards Raniel’s room, Cardi stopped his steps for a moment. Turning his head, he looked at Rosel.
“…It would be polite to speak to you.”
For he would be akin to that child’s parents.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
Cardi had a brief conversation with Rosel.
The dialogue was not lengthy.
After hearing everything, Rosel’s eyes narrowed. It was a story difficult to accept and a proposal not easily granted. Just as Rosel was about to raise his voice…
However.
“Please.”
Seeing Cardi bowing his head to him, Rosel had no choice but to keep quiet. The long-ago senior, the great first Master of the Tower, was pleading with him.
“That’s the only way.”
His voice wasn’t mixed with lies.
Rosel pressed his forehead.
“For that child…”
“I won’t inform her.”
“Why not?”
“They said it shouldn’t be so.”
Cardi looked at the firmly closed door as he spoke.
“It’ll be a cruel story, but please bear with it.”
*
“…”
Entering the door, Cardi saw Rania.
Rania slowly turned her head.
The moment Cardi beheld the weakened Rania, drained of vitality, his gaze faltered. Memories of a final moment that should have been welcomed flashed back.
“I will trust you, Armiel.”
Gleria’s figure kept surfacing in his mind.
Now reflecting on a promise he ended up failing to keep, Cardi gritted his teeth. It wasn’t the time to think about that now. He slowly gathered his breath.
“Raniel.”
“Yeah.”
Rania looked at Cardi.
Today, her face seemed even more unfamiliar, but it wasn’t just a matter of perception. Meeting her dreamy gaze, Cardi opened his mouth.
“…I’ve come to help with a few things.”
“Help?”
“You seem to be in quite poor condition.”
Cardi sat beside Rania.
From his robe, he brought out various test tubes and placed them in a row on the shelf.
“Don’t slouch; lie down properly.”
“…If I lie down, I might not get up again. Why?”
“You can’t nap sitting up.”
With that, Cardi forcibly removed the pillow wedged between Rania’s back and the bed. Then he half-forced Rania onto the bed. To ensure she could rest properly.
“…What are you doing?”
Cardi shook the potion in front of Rania.
“I can’t help with your soul, but I can assist in fixing your body. If you can at least move your body, wouldn’t that be better?”
“…You can fix me? You said you had no way a while ago.”
“Turns out I found a way.”
Rania blinked.
Though her eyes still seemed to wander as if lost in a dream, there was a subtle hint of hope shining through. A small smile formed on Rania’s lips.
“…Is it real?”
A delicate voice.
At that question, Cardi flinched, and his hand shaking the potion paused. Normally, Rania would have caught that shift, but she didn’t notice the change now. Cardi took a short breath and resumed shaking the potion.
“…I won’t lie.”
Rania smiled.
“Cardi.”
“Go ahead.”
“Should I really learn alchemy too?”
“Stop with the nonsense and close your eyes. You’ll feel better after a good sleep.”
Cardi removed the cap from the potion he had shaken enough.
Setting it beside Rania’s head, he opened the caps of the remaining test tubes and placed them beside her.
Hiss…
A mist-like odorless vapor settled heavily in the room. As Rania closed her eyes, her breathing steadied, and soon only the sound of her colorful, gentle breaths filled the air.
“Phew…”
After confirming the sight of her asleep, Cardi exhaled deeply. Of course, everything he had just told Rania was a lie.
The room was filled with smoke.
This wasn’t medicinal concoction to improve her condition. It was merely sleep incense to allow the sickly to rest comfortably. And the strongest kind at that.
‘…I never thought I’d have to use it like this.’
There was a time when he had soaked in sleep incense wishing to meet his old comrades even in dreams. Each time he grew accustomed to the sleep incense, Cardi developed a stronger scent. This current sleep incense was also made during that time. Cardi was well aware of its incredible effectiveness.
So Rania wouldn’t wake up for a while.
And when she finally opened her eyes…
Everything would be over.
3.
It was late at night.
Starlight seeped into the room.
The sleep incense was absorbed into Rania’s body over a sufficient time. Cardi gazed out the window. From the incoming starlight, Cardi read the traces of the contract.
It’s time.
With that thought, Cardi opened the window.
He opened the door to the room and then opened the mansion’s door.
Rosel was sitting quietly on the sofa without a word. How long had it been? Suddenly, someone appeared at the open door without a sound.
…That’s just how superhumans move.
If they wished, they could infiltrate anywhere without being noticed.
“I see you have come.”
Facing the superhuman standing at the door.
Cardi opened his mouth to the human who reached the same level as his former comrade.
“Long time no see, Kyle Toven.”
The Hero, Kyle Toven.
With narrowed eyes, he met Cardi’s gaze.
*
