Epilogue

The existence of this Memory Stone, and the content it recorded, meant… irrefutable evidence of a crime.

As long as this Memory Stone was handed over to Noa, or Elizabeth.

Then Randolph and Alvin would be finished.

The Dragon-Slaying Guard and the Imperial Family would have the most direct reason to arrest these two.

Even the current Pope would have nothing to say.

All of Randolph’s subsequent conspiracies and plans would completely vanish.

No one would be able to harm Kristine anymore. The Dragon King of Madness’s soul would sooner or later leave her body and return to its seal.

This was equivalent to clearing the first chapter of the game.

The other preparations Black had made were, to some extent, in vain.

That was why he was so shocked and felt it was a bit unreal.

According to the original plot, Charn had died before he could leave any last words.

But now, the plot had changed. He had left last words, and Black had unexpectedly obtained these two things.

After a long time, Black finally let out a long breath.

He held the Memory Stone tightly in his palm and put it into his storage ring.

His gaze fell on the other item.

It was a notebook with a worn leather cover.

Black picked it up and opened it.

The paper was yellowed. The handwriting, which had been neat and clear at the beginning, gradually became messy and狰狞 towards the end.

“Dragonheart Era 1010, March 17th, overcast. …Little Tom…”

“Dragonheart Era 1010, May 2nd, rain. …Lily…”

“Dragonheart Era 1010, July 10th, sunny. …Little Laike…”

Page after page, line after line, recorded the final days of those innocent children.

It recorded Charn’s process of gradually breaking down under the torment of his conscience.

The pain that permeated the lines was almost overflowing.

Black flipped through it quickly, his expression calm, his fingers gripping the diary tightening slightly.

Charn was indeed deeply sinful, his hands stained with blood. But the root of his tragedy was not entirely of his own making.

In the end, Charn was a victim, and also a perpetrator who was being controlled.

Behind him, Randolph and Alvin, who had pushed him into this endless hell, their sins were even heavier. Death would be too good for them.

But.

Black closed the diary, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Ultimately, the Dragon Cult hidden in the deeper darkness, and the Dragon King of Madness, Demeter.

Were the true source of evil.

Making deals with dragons was no different from seeking one’s own destruction.

“Hoo…”

Black channeled his magical power and released a small flame.

Then, he placed the diary above the flame.

The flame burned fiercely, and the records of those sins twisted and blurred in the firelight.

The orange flame reflected on Black’s expressionless face.

Before long, the entire diary had been completely reduced to ashes.

Looking at the pile of black ashes, Black thought.

Kristine and the world did not need to know the details of this complex tragedy.

The story of Charn, the bloody case of more than a decade ago, let it be forever buried in the basement of this orphanage with these ashes.

After hanging the oil lamp back in its place, Black turned and walked back up the stairs to the ground floor.

The night wind blew on his face, carrying a refreshing coolness.

Irena was still standing there, looking up at the sparse stars in the sky, her side profile soft in the moonlight.

Hearing the footsteps, she turned her head and looked at Black.

“Did you find it?”

She asked softly.

“Yes, I did.”

Black nodded and walked to her side.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

The two of them, side by side, under the moonlight, left the silent orphanage.

…

The night was deep, and the streets of the capital were quiet under the moonlight.

Black safely delivered Irena to her residence. As he watched her slender figure disappear behind the door, his feelings were a bit complicated.

The Ring of Inheritance.

The remnant soul of the Sage of Sorcerers in the Ring of Inheritance on Irena’s hand had already awakened, much earlier than originally planned.

The Sage of Sorcerers, an existence who was like a life mentor to Irena. Under her guidance, Irena’s strength would grow rapidly.

With this, how the plot related to Irena would change, Black couldn’t predict.

“Forget it.”

He muttered to himself, temporarily suppressing these thoughts.

“There will be a way when we get to the mountain. At least for now, her safety is not a problem.”

Compared to this, what Black was more worried about right now was whether his cousin had successfully escaped along the route he had given him after setting off the fireworks.

“He’d better not have been caught.”

If Leán had really been caught by the Dragon-Slaying Guard and thrown into prison, it would be a bit troublesome.

The imperial laws and regulations for maliciously creating chaos during a major celebration were not light.

Black rubbed his brow, as if he could already see the scene of himself having to bite the bullet and go to Noa to plead for mercy.

And then being scrutinized by her half-smiling eyes.

More importantly, if Leán suffered any physical hardship in prison because of this.

He would have no way to explain it to his aunt.

Thinking of this, Black didn’t linger. He turned and strode quickly in the direction of home.

Just as he reached the stone steps in front of his house, he ran into his cousin Brenna, who was returning from another path.

The young woman was wrapped in a warm scarf, her small face a little flushed from the night wind, but her eyes were sparkling, clearly still immersed in some kind of excitement.

“Cousin.”

Brenna saw him at a glance, trotted over, her voice full of excitement.

“You’re back. Let me tell you, something incredible happened at the Sacred Rite tonight!”

“What happened?”

Black felt a little guilty.

“Someone set off beautiful fireworks at the Sacred Rite. That was so bold!”

The corner of Black’s mouth twitched, and he could only let out a dry laugh.

“Ah, haha, is that so? That was indeed quite… bold.”

He couldn’t imagine how wonderful his cousin’s expression would be if she knew that the one who had planned this firework show was the cousin right in front of her.

And the one who had personally lit the fuse was her own brother.

At this moment, the door was pushed open, and Aunt Denise peeked out.

She wore a thick housecoat, her hair was casually tied up, and her face had its usual sternness.

“You two, what are you doing standing at the door in the cold wind?”

Denise snorted and glanced at Black and Brenna.

“It’s so late, and it’s cold. Hurry up and come in! I’ve left some hot soup for you in the pot. Drink it to warm yourselves up before you sleep.”

Although her tone was harsh, Black’s heart warmed.

His aunt, her words were a bit harsh, and her temper was short, but she never forgot to care for them.

And now, he could even get a bowl of hot soup.

“Coming, Auntie.”

He replied and went into the house with Brenna.

The warm light dispelled the cold from outside, and the air was filled with a light and tempting aroma of food.

In the dining room, Uncle Victor was sitting at the table, holding a cup of hot tea.

Seeing the two of them come in, he nodded, a trace of gentleness on his steady face.

“You’re back? Just in time. Quick, sit down and have a bowl of soup. Your aunt specially used an old hen to make the stock, and added mushrooms. It’ll warm you up.”