Chapter 29: “Will we be able to have such a wonderful adventure again?”

“Can we have such a wonderful adventure again?”

Amid thunderous applause and cheers, the grand departure of the Demon King subjugation party—also known as the Hero Party—began.

Their destination was the northern mountain range of Seolhyang, where the Demon King’s fortress stood.

A mountain range with a chilling name, said to be soaked in the blood and scent of battle, with snow-covered peaks.

Carrying a backpack larger than his own body, Raphelon followed at the rear of the party.

The Hero Party, united solely by ‘fate’ to defeat the Demon King.

Raphelon, as per Rosel’s orders, did his best simply as a porter.

“I’m going to travel around the kingdom after this! It’s going to be an amazing adventure, right? Right, Raphelon?”

“Hehe, I have a feeling this is going to be a great adventure! The Demon King is definitely going to be strong, right?”

“Ah~ the air is so nice, really. I can’t express how happy I am to be with all of you!”

“Whoa! Is everyone okay?! I’ll block it, so stay back!”

“Ah, that was really dangerous. Are you okay, Raphelon? Did anyone get hurt? Oh, this? It’s fine! It’s just a little scratch. I’m just glad you all didn’t get hurt.”

“If you’re okay, I’m okay! Don’t worry, this is nothing!”

Emilia, the Hero, was warm-hearted, full of chivalry and adventurous spirit.

Whenever danger approached, she always took the lead, sacrificing herself for the party, and she was a heroic figure who never hesitated to get hurt to protect the humble porter like Raphelon.

Then there were Viella, Dartan, and Gleon.

They all followed her well, and together they overcame adversity and challenges.

Because of that, Raphelon had once struggled with his faith in Rosel.

It was hard to believe that an ideal party and fellowship could break apart.

“Yay~! We did it! We really did it! Viella, Dartan, Gleon, Raphelon! We really saved the kingdom! It’s all thanks to you guys~!”

However, after they defeated the Demon King, they changed.

Emilia remained the same, but the others were different.

“Heh, now we can go on a journey with our reward~! What will you guys do? Can we have another adventure like this? I hope Raphelon can come too!”

Emilia, dreaming of a bright and cheerful future.

But the expressions of the party members were far from bright.

And Raphelon couldn’t help but feel sorrowful as he saw Emilia gradually facing another ‘fate.’

He didn’t know how many times he prayed that Rosel’s prophecy would be wrong. How much he wished for Emilia to remain unharmed.

But perhaps his prayers weren’t heard.

As they neared the capital, the party members began to distance themselves from Emilia.

The smiles that used to be warm and friendly now grew cold, while Emilia continued to smile innocently.

She didn’t see it, but Raphelon did—he knew the ending.

And so, he had to suffer.

Knowing the tragic end was something so deeply painful.

It was so sad to see pure Emilia fall apart.

But as Rosel said, there was nothing he could do.

All he could do was smile by her side and try to keep her smiling.

“Ha~ we’ll arrive tomorrow! What will you do with your reward, Raphelon? You’ll definitely get a huge treasure, right?”

To Emilia, dreaming of hope, Raphelon couldn’t even force a smile. He couldn’t smile because he knew the tragedy that would begin tomorrow.

With a heavy heart, he spoke his last words to Emilia.

“…A new life will start from tomorrow.”

“Hehe, a new life, huh? That sounds nice!”

And with those words, Raphelon left the party.

For a new life to save his companions, Raphelon headed to Rosel’s territory.

For a new life heading toward tragedy, Emilia headed toward the royal castle.

They each followed their own paths.

“Ahhh! You… What are you…!”

At the end of that path, Raphelon glared at Viella.

The corners of his mouth, which had been lightly raised, now dropped, and his eyes, which had once been soft, became sharp.

I understand.

As Rosel said, it was a betrayal committed for survival. The king’s word is absolute law.

However, the evil act of crushing the purity of a companion with whom one shared life and death could not be viewed lightly.

“What’s wrong? I heard you’ve been desperately searching for me, so aren’t you happy to see me?”

Raphelon, with his sharp eyes, took a step forward, causing Viella to step back.

Another step.

Another step.

Eventually, she bumped into something and was blocked.

The eerie feeling, as if the grim reaper were standing behind her, made Viella’s head snap around in fear.

“…This is no place for you to run away.”

“Ahhh!!”

Viella, looking up at Rosel’s face shrouded in darkness, screamed in terror and fled.

Of course, there was no place to hide.

She screamed and pressed herself against the wall between Raphelon and Rosel.

“Don’t, don’t come near! What are you doing, Raphelon?! When did you start sucking up to Duke Rosel?!”

Raphelon grinned playfully and shrugged his shoulders.

It was a gesture indicating that she was the one who had been sucking up, not him.

In his place, Rosel stepped forward.

“I’ll give you one last chance.”

“…N-no! What exactly are you trying to do?! Did you kidnap Raphelon?!”

“That doesn’t matter. Let me ask you one last time. Do you regret betraying Emilia?”

“What? B-betrayal?”

Viella’s eyes widened in shock as Rosel’s question, which revealed her ugly inner self, left her unable to deny her actions.

‘Betrayal.’

The terrible deed she had committed, reluctantly and with guilt, had been buried deep in her heart, believing it was for ‘survival.’

In a society of absolute divinity, the saint’s prophecy is considered truth, and in an absolute monarchy, the king’s command is law.

But Duke Rosel had apparently foresaw several steps ahead, keeping Raphelon hidden. It was as if he were one step ahead of even the saint’s prophecy.

And it felt as though she had been playing on a stage he had set up.

No, she had been played.

Hiding Raphelon meant he had seen through everything before it even began.

It was despairing.

It was awe-inspiring.

It truly felt as though a deity had descended before her.

The absolute fear that if she didn’t answer with repentance and atonement, there would only be a broken and chaotic punishment awaiting her.

But Viella did not easily kneel to that fear. If she were to regret it, she wouldn’t have stabbed Emil in the back.

Denying it now was foolish.

Rather than throwing a childish tantrum like an ignorant child, it was time to present a clever solution to resolve the situation.

Viella, changing her fearful expression, slyly raised one corner of her mouth.

“Betrayal? Do you have any proof I betrayed? This is something the king and the saint themselves passed judgment on! And now Duke Rosel is secretly conspiring to take Raphelon away. Are you saying you’re defying the king himself?!”

“Ha…”

Seeing Viella’s pathetic attempt to avoid the truth, Rosel sighed deeply.

Before revealing his final trick, he had intended to forgive her if she acknowledged the betrayal and repented.

Of course, the decision was entirely in Esil’s hands, but in any case, Viella was a noblewoman who had contributed to saving the kingdom, so he had planned to take that into consideration.

But…

If she continued like this, his mercy might eventually break.

“Evidence… Do you think I would be swayed by such a thing?”

“Heh, are you threatening me without any evidence? How ridiculous, really. And now you think that if Raphelon testifies, it will somehow work in your favor?”

“Who would believe Raphelon’s ‘lies’? There was the saint’s prophecy, so who would believe anything else? The saint’s prophecy is the truth, and Raphelon is the liar!”

Rosel looked at Viella with pity.

The ignorance of failing to adapt to the changing world was simply lamentable.

Opportunities don’t come for everyone.

There’s a saying that in life, three opportunities come.

If that saying were true, then Viella must have missed her third chance.

In his gaze, there was sincere sympathy.

“…How unfortunate. I won’t ask any more. You’ve truly thrown away your last chance. To still cling to your stubbornness even when facing Raphelon, who knows the truth, means you are beyond redemption.”

Speaking in a tone of regret, Rosel walked toward the opposite wall of the room.

Raphelon, arms crossed, looked at Viella with the same pity as Rosel.

He knew that her stubbornness was only tightening the noose around her own neck.

Click.

Rosel opened the door to a bookshelf where he had previously taken out the “magic orb,” revealing a secret, dark space.

There was no need to hide it anymore.

What was inside was the ‘last trump card.’

Viella anxiously followed Rosel’s every move with her eyes.

A moment later, Rosel emerged from the darkness.

In his hand, something was hanging.

And when Viella saw it, her pupils expanded, as if they were falling into an abyss.

“Th-that’s!?”

Instinctively, Viella looked at Raphelon.

It was an unforgettable object.

It was the necklace that Raphelon always wore, whether he was sleeping or eating.

Sometimes, she would mock him, asking, “Is that necklace really that precious to you?” But now, Rosel was holding it in his hand, taken from the secret space.

It felt like the harbinger of despair was approaching.

Viella had to feel a surge of intense anxiety.

Just like that day with Emilia.

Raphelon chuckled softly and looked at Viella.

“It seems you remember now. You always used to mock me, asking if that necklace was so important to me.”

“Wh-why is that in Duke Rosel’s hands?! You said it was my mother’s heirloom!”

“Do you believe it now?”

Just as Viella had mocked Emilia’s ‘faith’ that day in the kingdom.

Today, in this office, Raphelon mocked Viella’s ‘faith.’

He wanted her to feel the terrible sensation of having her faith denied.

To make her feel the agonizing despair of being betrayed.

Raphelon glared at Viella for Emilia’s sake.

“That necklace is an object given to me by Duke Rosel. It’s called… a Record Object, or so I’ve been told.”

“Re-Record Object…? What… what did it record?”

Viella looked at Rosel again.

The fear felt like a massive tidal wave, blocking her path.

It was like standing at the edge of an abyss, unable to escape, about to be swallowed by the spray of the wave.

Viella felt her legs grow weak, and when Rosel took out the gemstone from the necklace and inserted it into a small device, she finally collapsed to her knees.

She could no longer stand.

“Ah… ah…”

“If there is testimony and truth recorded in the Record Object, it will be made public that the prophecy was a lie,” Raphelon said.

“Even so, His Majesty the King won’t acknowledge it…”

“The recognition of Brikal isn’t necessary. I’m not trying to persuade him.”

“Ah…”

The Record Object.

Rosel had carefully prepared it for today, for five years, to save Emilia.

As the image of Emilia, from the journey recorded in the gem, emerged and dispelled the darkness, Viella was swallowed by the massive tidal wave, falling down the cliff.

Thud.

“Ah… ah… ah…”

The image of Emilia, pure, vibrant, and beautiful, rose like fragments of a dream…

And Viella fell into a pit of terrible despair.

Into a deep swamp that she could never escape from.

[When it’s all over, I’m going to travel the kingdom! It’ll be such a wonderful trip, right?! Right, Raphelon? Ah! Viella, what will you do when it’s all over? Won’t you come with me on a trip?]

[Hehe, now that I’ve been rewarded, I should go on a trip! What will you all do? How about we go on a short trip together?]

[We’ll be arriving at the capital tomorrow. I’m so happy to have been with you all! Do you think we’ll have such a wonderful adventure again?]

[Do you think we’ll have such a wonderful adventure again?]

[Do you think we’ll have such a wonderful adventure again?]

[Do you think we’ll have such a wonderful adventure again?]

“Enough…!”

Viella, who had forgotten, or rather, had to forget those days, finally crumbled under the weight of Emilia’s image and shed tears.

Rosel, who had removed the object, looked down at Viella with a solemn expression, overwhelmed with emotion after watching Emilia’s true face hundreds of times.

And he looked down at her.

“Enough, please stop… Hhh… hhh…”

Rosel, lowering his stance, lifted Viella’s chin as she cried in regret.

“Hhh…”

“Do you understand? I will give all of you an equal chance. For Emilia, that day. But you, you’ve thrown away your chance… finally.”

“It’s too late…”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I did wrong, really sorry, hhh… hhhh…”

“Do you think it was a coincidence that I chose you as my dance partner on the day of your debut into society?”

“Y-yes…?”

Rosel, who had let go of Viella’s frozen chin, stood up from his seat.

And in the end, Viella realized she couldn’t escape the play Rosel had orchestrated. She cried again.

Endlessly.

“I… I was wrong… hhh… I’m sorry, really sorry… hhh… I betrayed Emilia, yes… hhh…”

And so, Viella.

Finally knelt before the ‘smile of Emilia in the journey,’ which she had been avoiding.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… hhh… hhh… please forgive me… hhh… please… I was wrong… hhh…”

“Do you think we’ll have such a wonderful adventure again?”