EP.471 The Path to the Final Stage (2)
Silence, stillness, meaningless time flowed by as no one dared to speak. It was a mage who managed to grasp the time that seemed to flow endlessly.
“···Different.”
Resti Elenoa.
She broke the silence and spoke.
“Isn’t there another way?”
She looked at Raniel.
In other words, the current Master of the Ashen Tower was looking at the past Master of the Ashen Tower. A disciple looking at her mentor, a grown child gazing upon the idol she admired in her youth.
Resti Elenoa owed a great deal to Raniel van Trias. She was indebted far too much. While some people easily forget what they owe and take it for granted, there are those who live with gratitude etched deep in their hearts.
“I’m sure we can find a way,” she said, implying that there must be a possibility.
However, the more she spoke, the more she thought of solutions, the more Resti suddenly realized.
“That’s impossible.”
There was no way.
“Resti, only I can withstand the burden of the Gate. But in this case, that’s even more impossible.”
The impossibility.
“One side is the Shadow Realm. Or rather, Ganikalt’s territory.”
Raniel explained.
“Everything gets tangled in the Shadow Realm. Spells and mana become entangled, and all magical tools become useless. Ganikalt’s territory is the same. From the outset, you’d be severed.”
She spoke calmly.
Calmly denying Resti’s thoughts.
“What about the other side? The realm of the First Light. That guy knows the principles of teleportation and how to use them, how to control it. More than you or I do.”
There will definitely be interference.
“Both ways are impossible.”
“···Then.”
“Thus, this is the only method.”
Resti lowered her head.
Raniel raised hers. She looked at Destel, who was gripping her collar.
“So let go of this, you punk. What kind of mess is this that’s making the atmosphere so tense?”
But Destel didn’t let go.
Still gripping her collar, he continued. It was as if there were things he wanted to say or had to say.
“···I know you’re a remarkable person. I get it. You must have your own plans. But still…”
Destel narrowed his eyes.
“Your tone, attitude, the atmosphere. Everything feels just like it did years ago. Am I mistaken?”
More than anyone else here, Destel knew the depths of ‘Raniel van Trias.’ He understood her way of thinking, her behavior, her beliefs. He had every reason to. After all, he was the only one who had gotten his collar grabbed by Raniel in this situation.
The Ashen Mage, or the Wise One known as Raniel.
The Hero, or the protector of humanity known as Rania.
Destel knew the gap between the two. He had watched the changes Raniel had shown over the past few years.
“You always strive for the best. A conclusion that sacrifices no one and loses nothing. Even now, just like years ago.”
Always pursuing the best conclusion.
That was Raniel van Trias.
“The only difference between then and now is whether you include yourself in the best conclusion or means. That’s the only thing.”
In the past, Raniel held on to the best conclusion by sacrificing herself. Therefore, there was no place for her in that best conclusion. For her, nothing could be ‘the best.’
Because she realized that.
Because she changed after experiencing Kyle’s incident.
Raniel no longer took her own life lightly. She did not choose to sacrifice herself easily. As a result, Destel accepted the current Raniel and affirmed her way.
“And.”
Destel narrowed his eyes a little more.
“I feel like you’ve returned to the past. This isn’t just my illusion, is it?”
“······.”
“Let’s say you’re doing it your way, according to your plans. If we assume that, let me ask just one thing.”
Destel questioned.
“Can you come back alive?”
The possibility of survival.
Destel asked if this operation depended on your own sacrifice. Faced with this question, Raniel fell silent. She couldn’t immediately respond.
“See?”
Destel spat out irritably.
“You can’t be sure.”
Raniel, who was always certain about everything.
Now she was unable to be certain. At that moment, the answer was nearly evident.
Thud, as if shoving.
Destel released Raniel’s collar.
Shoved aside, Raniel quietly adjusted her neck. As she gazed at the wrinkled fabric of her clothes, a smile slipped from her lips. A laugh that didn’t quite fit the situation echoed in the meeting room.
“You’ve got a nasty intuition.”
Sigh, Raniel let out a long breath.
“Alright, since it’s all out in the open, shall I speak plainly?”
Just a mere human, not a hero.
No weighty tone, no serious demeanor. Leaning against the wall, Raniel glanced around. She looked at those staring at her and spoke.
“Survival? Honestly, I can’t be sure. But that doesn’t mean…”
Raniel glanced at Destel.
“I’m not going just to die.”
“···What do you mean?”
“I must prepare for death, that’s true. However, I have no intention of trading my life to die alongside the Demon Lord, as you’re thinking, Destel.”
Raniel shrugged her shoulders.
“I have too much to do. Don’t you know, Resti? Even after everything is over, I have so much to accomplish.”
Resti, who knew what they were creating in the Tower’s Zero Branch, slowly nodded. Looking at Resti, Raniel said,
“If I truly intended to die alongside the Demon Lord, I would have told Resti separately. I would have said what to do if I die, to carry on my wishes.”
Because those tasks were so important.
But, she said,
“I didn’t say that, nor do I plan to.”
Raniel spoke definitively.
“You might not know, Destel, but… I have something I must achieve. It’s something I must fulfill in my lifetime. And I can only accomplish that after everything is over.”
Something she must absolutely fulfill.
Since the moment she realized the truth of the world, she had planned this. Remembering that, Raniel smiled.
“I must achieve it. With all that I have. And that thing is waiting for me…”
She smiled and looked at Destel.
“Do you think I’d rush at the Demon Lord thinking I’m going to die? That I’d go seek death? Hey, Destel.”
Raniel grinned mischievously.
“Do I look like someone who lacks ambition?”
Once she makes a decision, she has to see it through.
What she has decided must be accomplished.
Once a plan is set, regardless of the process, the conclusion must split as she desires.
Raniel van Trias is that kind of person.
Stubborn, competitive, and somewhat twisted. Destel couldn’t easily nod to Raniel’s question. Certainly, she didn’t seem like someone who would easily abandon her goals.
“···Do you really think it’s possible?”
That’s why Destel questioned.
Could she really take down Ganikalt with just two, or even one, companion? Could she defeat the Demon Lord alone? To that question, Raniel answered.
“What I’m unsure about is the former.”
Raniel shrugged.
“The latter, however, is doable. What couldn’t be done?”
She smiled.
“There’s no way I can’t manage what Kyle did alone.”
Kyle cut down the Demon Lord by himself.
If he could do it, shouldn’t she be able to do something similar? Looking at those who gazed at her with concern, Raniel spoke lightly.
“I do what I can and what I must. That’s all. So…”
The words she always spoke.
Raniel repeated those words once again.
“You all do what you can do. Give your best on your respective stages. Rather than worrying about me, focus on the stage you need to reach.”
That’s trust.
That’s doing your best.
“I’ve talked about ideals and mental theories, so what’s left is reality. Shouldn’t we talk about practical matters now?”
Raniel tapped the map with a thud.
“From now on, I will explain the outlines of the Braver Hunt and the Ganikalt hunt. Open your ears and listen well. Time is tight.”
The outline of the operation, the details, and discussions about the enemy’s power continued for a while. Even Destel, who had been sitting with a sour expression, ultimately accepted Raniel’s plan.
“I had no intention of saying this earlier.”
It couldn’t be helped.
“This is the means originally planned for the Ganikalt hunt. It’s early, but there shouldn’t be any issue with using it.”
With each strategy Raniel proposed and as the specifics unfolded, a slight glimpse of possibility began to emerge in Destel’s eyes.
‘I’m not sure, but…’
Yet, this wasn’t a completely unfounded, absurd strategy. Though still leaning towards self-sacrifice, it seemed that Raniel wasn’t considering throwing her life away. Destel let out a long sigh.
“Sigh…”
Destel knew that he was being unusually emotional at that moment. He was reacting sensitively to Raniel’s words. But there was a reason for that.
…Damn, of all things to witness.
Ever since facing the traitor during the last hunt, Destel had nightmares every night. In his dreams, he stood in the failed future. The Destel of that time.
BLOOD, things he’d let go of, things he’d abandoned, things that were broken.
It was a horrific nightmare, as he was reflecting on his failed life. In the dream, he assumed the character of his future self, constantly watching someone.
「Witch.」
「Braver.」
「A failed hero.」
「The blemish of humanity.」
Blood-soaked ash-colored hair.
「Wherever the witch goes, many perish. Countless heroes sacrifice themselves. The author can no longer be called a hero. How can someone who easily discards lives and lets go be called a hero?」
「Fool.」
「That person couldn’t slay the Sword of Yeocheon.」
「Because of hesitation, humanity…」
「That girl.」
「Monster.」
Blamed, condemned, moving forward.
「Rania van Trias.」
Or, Raniel van Dragonik.
In the end, a Braver who had forsaken everything, including herself. Destel became the failed future version of himself, following her on a long journey.
It was a terrible nightmare.
In that nightmare, Destel saw just how far Raniel could fall, how far she could descend. Having witnessed that future, he reacted emotionally to the current situation.
A person who had lived to the fullest. A human worthy of being called a hero. He never wanted to witness the scene of such a person collapsing again.
“Tch.”
Destel clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair angrily. During the short break, he climbed to the rampart of Kateron Castle. He inhaled deeply while chewing on the cigarette.
He knew. He knew that the situation was dire.
That there was no other way, and that this slender possibility was all he could rely on. He understood but found it hard to accept.
‘Is there really no other option?’
Wasn’t there a way to make this slender possibility a bit more concrete? Just then, as Destel was chewing on his cigarette…
“···The break time is over.”
A group approaching Kateron Castle came into Destel’s view. Carriages moving at high speed. The emblems engraved on those carriages were the symbols of the Ashen Tower and the Royal Guard.
The place where the essence of the Braver resides.
The survey team sent to identify that location had returned, bringing the necessary information for the operation’s commencement.
