Chapter 31: The me from that day, the you from today, the changed us.

What, what is this all of a sudden?

I had to doubt my ears.

Am I… conspiring to commit treason?

I was planning to go on a wonderful trip after my return, but now they’re saying I was about to commit treason?

Ah, no… Viera, you promised to go on a trip with me, didn’t you? Why are you all doing this all of a sudden…

“Hahaha! I told you I saw the treacherous energy hidden in her innocent eyes!”

King Brikal laughs cruelly as he points at me.

Ah… this doesn’t feel real. Am I dreaming?

Why is this happening suddenly?

I thought all the nobles and soldiers gathered here were welcoming me, but now they’re all pointing weapons at me.

The knights raise their swords, the mages conjure their magic.

And the scribe grabs his pencil, trying to record the downfall of the hero.

Is this a surprise event?

It must be, right?

“Vi, Viera. Why are you suddenly doing this…! We promised to go on a trip together…!”

“When… when did I?!”

Viera looks flustered, pointing an arrow at me as if hearing this for the first time.

What is this?

Are you saying I was just dreaming?

I can’t even stand properly, my hands and feet are shaking from this sudden betrayal.

What is going on here?

I don’t understand. Viera?

“What… what are you saying? We promised to travel to your fief, eat delicious food, and even go to the hot springs…!”

In the end, my voice erupts in anger.

Tears well up in my eyes at this unfair situation where I am the only fool.

Yet, the attitude of Daltan, who points a sword at me, and Glenon, who holds his magic staff, doesn’t change.

Still, for some reason, Viera’s gaze seems different when she looks at me.

But in the end, Viera betrayed me too.

“Wh-what are you saying! Your Majesty the King! This is a blatant lie…!”

“V-Viera…!”

Why… are you denying our promise…?!

On our way to defeat the Demon King, you were the one who told me the route, showed me famous foods and sights in the fiefs, saying you had a lot to teach me since this world was new to me…!

You were jealous of Daltan and Glenon, who admired me, yet you were still kind to me…!

How can you… how can you do this to me?!

Was it because you were so jealous?

Is that why you betrayed me like this?!

-Flame!

In an instant, uncontrollable magic flares up in my left hand.

It’s a red flower of flame. And the flame burns fiercely, even scorching the sword blade in my right hand.

Brikal looks down at me and laughs viciously again.

“Hahaha! As expected! As expected, the saintess’ prophecy was right! You dare to try to betray me, even though I’m offering a reward?!”

You are the ones who betrayed me…!

My throat fills with rage, but seeing the eyes of my comrades standing in front of me, a greater sadness fills my heart, making it hard to even speak.

“Since when… did you betray me? Were you plotting this from the start?”

My question is directed at Viera.

Honestly, I could believe that Daltan and Glenon might have done this.

They were the type of men who always put their own safety first in dangerous situations. But you, you fought alongside me!

“Don’t look at me like that! This is a life-or-death matter! I don’t want to die as a traitor!”

Why.

When we were going to defeat the Demon King, we fought together, risking our lives. Why, now, aren’t you willing to fight alongside me, risking your life too?!

“We fought together, risking our lives…! How could you just abandon me like this…?!”

“Because you’re a traitor! There was also the prophecy from the saintess!”

I follow Viera’s gaze.

Standing beside the throne, looking down at me, is Saintess Yuria.

She is the saintess who communicates with the gods who called me here.

She always speaks the truth and delivers the holy messages from the divine.

But… why is she lying?

The sky-blue pupils of Saintess Yuria tremble as they meet my gaze, and she turns her face away.

You know it’s not true.

You, above all, know that I am not a traitor…!

“Why is everyone doing this to me―!!”

In the end, a shout of despair bursts out from me, and I release all of my magic.

Flame!

The magic that surged up fiercely once again releases a fiercer flame.

“Everyone’s too much… everyone’s really too much… How can you do this to me… I… I just wanted to go on a wonderful trip…!! Why is everyone doing this to me!!”

It was a cry almost like a scream.

In this vast kingdom, no one answered.

“Oh dear, a traitor has no luxury of romantic trips! Everyone! Why are you standing there? Kneel that traitor immediately!”

Brikal yells at me with a booming voice.

He seems pleased that the conspiracy worked, his disgusting smile rising higher and higher.

He had a bad first impression, and as expected, he really is just as vile as he looks.

But… how can the saintess standing next to him crush me with such an angelic face…!?

“Viera! What are you doing! Full-scale attack! Attack now!!”

“Ah, aah…! I got it…!”

I look past my charging comrades to see Saintess Yuria.

Her once pure blue eyes have turned a murky, overcast shade, as if dark clouds have settled in.

Is that a look of pity?

Does the saintess understand?

She knows that I’m not a traitor, right?

She knows that I’m just a 23-year-old girl who wanted to go on an adventurous journey, right?

But.

But…

But…

How can you do this to me…!?

Like an explosion from my dantian, I swung the holy sword that burned with flames.

I swung the blade towards the eyes of Saintess Yuria, now greyed and filled with pity.

This is the worst.

The worst!

It was clear!

[You are the hero who will save the kingdom.]

You said it yourself, but now you’re saying I was destined to commit treason…?!

-Whooosh!

The massive sword of flame surged toward the saintess, but it was shattered by the sword of my teacher, Duvell, who stood beside her.

Duvell, my teacher, looked at me with a complicated expression.

You know, right, teacher?

You know I was a girl full of dreams and adventure, you heard about it for months, right!?

“Duvell! Deal with her already!”

“…Understood. Your Majesty.”

Honestly, I could have blocked the attacks of Viera, Daltan, and Glenon.

Even now, I’m defending their attacks while only aiming my eyes at the rotten throne.

But my teacher was different.

And if my teacher joins them in attacking me… there’s no way I can stand up.

-Swish!

-Slash!

-Crash!

“Ugh…!”

In the end, I was overwhelmed by the full-scale assault and fell.

I wasn’t a hero because of strength, but because of ‘fate’, so I had no way of defending against my teacher’s sword.

Even so, I could still feel some faint mercy in his attacks.

Just like in the old days, when we sparred, he avoided delivering lethal blows.

I coughed up blood.

“Ugh…! Ha… ha… everyone’s too much… What did I do wrong…!”

Tears came out at the miserable reality.

Why did this tragedy start so suddenly?

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it wrong to hope for happiness here?

I looked around with blurred vision, my hand touching the now dull holy sword on the ground. My teacher was pointing his sword at my throat.

And I could feel it.

The tip of his sword was trembling faintly.

Yes, even in this barren and brutal reality, there is someone who understands me. I can’t even express how much comfort that brings me… Teacher.

“Enough… surrender, Emil. It’s no use anymore.”

“Ugh… you’re all bad… What did I do wrong…!!”

Kneeling, I shouted to the heavens above, hoping my voice would reach the gods.

If it reaches, I swear I’ll cut down the head of the god.

Why do I have to cry when I haven’t done anything wrong?

You betrayed me, but why am I the one who has to become the traitor?

But in the end, I let go of the holy sword, and in that moment, the Great Sage Wolrok began absorbing my power, as if he had been waiting for it.

Because I had weakened.

Because I had lost my will.

Because I had lost my purpose.

I willingly gave up my power.

If I had resisted, of course, he wouldn’t have been able to absorb my power.

But, as my teacher said, would it have mattered?

No, it wouldn’t have.

In this well-rehearsed play, I had foolishly been playing into Brikal’s hands for his enjoyment.

With a thud, I gave up all my power, and returned to the weak Choi Yoon-seo, eventually becoming the traitor they wanted and lying face down on the floor.

“Ugh… ugh… why… why is this happening…”

Tears flowed.

The overwhelming despair and regret that all my dreams were over became tears in my eyes.

Is this how the story of the hero Emilia ends?

There’s still so much I haven’t done…

So many things I wanted to eat, try, and see… Am I really going to die like this…?

“Hahaha! As expected! Even a hero isn’t anything special! Throw that traitor into the dungeon!”

And so, I.

In a single night, was locked in a prison of betrayal without any escape.

“Emilia….! E-”

“What’s going on here, Viera?”

I looked around, but I couldn’t see my master.

I’m scared.

Where has my master gone?

Viera took a step closer, and once again, gripped by fear, I took a step back.

In her eyes, I felt like she was sharpening a knife again.

She had already stabbed me in the back once, so a second time would be easy for her.

“Emilia…! I’m really sorry..! Please forgive me!”

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, Viera kneeled before me, just like I did that day.

“…Why, why is this happening…”

“I’m sorry..! I betrayed you because I was scared, because I didn’t want to die… I had no choice… I’m really sorry…! Please forgive me!”

Viera apologized to me.

What happened for her to act like this?

Now that I think about it, I had the same question that day.

Why is she doing this to me?

“Why… why is this happening…?”

“I… I did it to survive..! You know the king’s orders are the law..! And the prophecy said this, so there was no other way…! I’m sorry…!”

Tears swelled in Viera’s eyes as she apologized.

Her eyes were swollen, so it seemed like she had already cried a lot. Why is that?

Her tears made my own well up in my eyes.

They were tears of joy.

In this world where all my beautiful dreams have vanished, the only ‘joy’ I could feel was the regret of the traitors.

“To survive…? So, you killed me?”

“What? K…kill you…!”

“…That day, I died. Emilia is dead.”

“No, no! You’re alive and well…!?”

“Alive… well?”

At my muttering, Viera realized her mistake and panicked, her whole body trembling.

She seemed as if she urgently needed to relieve herself.

Yeah, you said that earlier.

If you made a mess, you should clean it up yourself.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry! I’ll beg like this! Like this!”

Viera began to beg, praying as if cleaning up her own mess.

Seeing her pitiful and tragic appearance, I could see “the me from that day.”

Tears blurred my vision.

Did you all look at me with those eyes that day too?

What? No, that can’t be right. You’re worse than the Demon King.

“…You’re sorry? Are you serious?”

Yes! I-I’m sorry…! Ugh..! It’s true! I did it because I was scared..! I didn’t want to die, I wanted to live! Waaah..! It’s the truth… I swear…

Viera finally shed tear drops the size of rabbit droppings.

I don’t deny human survival instincts.

Everyone lives to survive.

Because I know that, I felt tears in my own eyes, similar to hers, falling down and soaking the ground.

I was happy.

Even though my dreams couldn’t come back through an apology from the one who trampled them, at least this would help heal the wound, right?

Once a scab forms, new skin can grow underneath.

So, I was happy.

Viera’s apology would spur me forward, to overcome, just like I promised to my master.

I approached Viera, who had become like the me of that day.

“Do you really… really regret it?”

“Ugh… I’m sorry.. I’m really sorry… I was wrong…”

Just like I did that day.

I sat quietly in front of her, who was lying face down on the cold stone floor, crying pitifully.

Viera was on the cold stone floor.

I was on the soft carpet.

Just like they looked down on me from the throne that day, now I looked down on her.

“Please forgive me… Ugh… I really regret it… If only I had fought by your side… Ugh…”

“I understand…”

“Really? You’re forgiving me?”

Her little face, drenched in tears and mucus, didn’t seem like it was a lie.

It was the vulnerable face of someone begging for mercy.

And I knew that face better than anyone.

How hard must it have been for her to face the same expression I made that day in the mirror? How sad must she have felt? How much did she want to die?

Those fragments of memory pressed down on my heart again.

But I wasn’t wounded by those fragments anymore.

My heart, which had been torn and broken, was beginning to heal now, as my master said it would.

It just made me realize that the betrayal I had suffered, more than the 65 days of torment in hell, had turned what was supposed to be a year of amazing adventures into hell.

Yeah, you’re much worse than Sregon.

At least he didn’t betray me…

Viera misunderstood the meaning of my tears and showed a glimmer of hope.

“Are you really forgiving me…?”

I wiped my eyes and stared at her.

I had forgiven Sregon to escape.

To escape from the terrible abyss.

But now, I’m not running away.

My master would want that, too.

I wiped away my tears and stared directly into Viera’s desperate eyes.

“…I will never forgive you.”

What? What…

“Emilia died that day. None of you… I will never forgive you.”

In Viera’s eyes, the same despair that had filled my own that day appeared.

Yeah… now it’s your turn to feel it.

To feel what hell is like.

You say a hero is someone who shows mercy and goodwill?

You took the hero away from me.

So.

“I will never forgive you, no… I won’t do it.”

And now, I’m not Emilia anymore. Thanks to my master, I was reborn as Esil. So there’s no need for me to forgive you.

In Viera’s eyes, I saw the same fear I once felt, as I personally pushed her into the pit of hell.

“Aah… Emilia…”

“…Emilia is no longer here.”

Tears flowed from Viera’s eyes.

And finally, my own tears stopped.

The end of a tragedy can’t be a comedy, right…?

“I will never forgive you. All of you.”

The me from that day, the you from today.

…We are different now.