Chapter 11 (Part 4)

“The spell is one where the sinner seeks their own judge for judgment! It’s the spell that killed the Demon King! It doesn’t make sense! I knew it as a spell that delivers God’s Wrath! If it were such a spell, I wouldn’t have used it!”

Rybid shouted at Rosaline.

[The Demon King wanted peace. For someone who desires peace, there is nothing more fitting than the Astraphe spell.]

Rosaline met Rybid’s gaze and spoke.

“How could… Why would the Demon King want something like peace…”

[Because the person he loved aged and died… The Demon King, who couldn’t die, came to this world in his agony. The Demon King knew the Astraphe spell precisely, so he found his own judge and met peace. Fidelion also wandered for a long time and found his own judge. You must also find your own. A judge who can forgive your sins…]

“Why should I!”

Rybid was at a loss for words. He couldn’t believe that the Demon King had come to this world not to invade but to find peace.

[Once the Astraphe spell is uttered, it doesn’t end until the speaker finds their own judge.]

“Give me peace right now!”

[To obtain peace, find your own judge, like Fidelion did…]

“Could it be… Like Fidelion, in that terrible form… No! I don’t want it!”

[The last thing I can tell you is that when you realize it like Fidelion, your endless nightmare will end. Then try reciting the Astraphe spell again. Of course, if you meet the judge in that nightmare, it would be fortunate…]

“What are you talking about!”

[Don’t pretend you don’t know. You’ve already been meeting those you killed in your nightmares.]

“No… No! I didn’t kill them!!”

[The ‘arrogance’ of thinking you could wield the power of the gods led you to use Astraphe.]

Rybid, who tried to stand up, collapsed again, spewing bl＊＊d and lost consciousness.

Rosaline approached Yuliana.

[Lia.]

“Mother…”

[Even though there were many difficult moments, you endured well. My beloved child.]

“Please don’t leave… Even if I say that, you’re still going, right?”

Tears flowed ceaselessly from Yuliana’s eyes.

[The reason Elisha couldn’t disappear was because her contractor, Fidelion, existed in this world… Now, Fidelion no longer exists in this world. So Elisha herself will also find peace.]

Elisha was supposed to return to the side of the Agathaine god after bringing peace to the Demon King, but she promised to stay by Fidelion’s side. She promised to be with him until the day he died. And the promise was kept.

“But mother, what happened to the judge?”

[It seems Elisha pulled my soul into her light and put it to sleep because of the liberation Fidelion felt from me. Elisha instinctively felt I would be Fidelion’s judge.]

“But… Elisha doesn’t remember anything.”

[Elisha endured alone for a long time with only the hope that Fidelion would find his judge.]

“Yes.”

[In hastily grabbing my soul to become the judge, it seems she lost or distorted her memories.]

“If I didn’t have spirit affinity… I wouldn’t have been able to meet you, Mother.”

[Do you know why Elisha was in the pope’s partner room for such a long time?]

At Rosaline’s question, Yuliana shook her head.

[Having spirit affinity doesn’t mean you can communicate with Elisha. You must also possess divine power. Like Fidelion.]

Tears dropped from Yuliana’s eyes. She gently touched her lower belly and looked down.

[Remember the saying that the power we have is necessary for someone in this world?]

“Yes, Mother.”

[I’m proud of you, Lia, for using the necessary power rightly.]

As Rosaline’s body began to crumble, Yuliana burst into tears she had held back.

[Lia, and Louis. I love you. You know that even if I don’t say it, right? And tell Matthias thank you for the roses, that I love him, to live long for my share… and that I’ll definitely come to greet him at his end…]

“I’m proud to be your daughter, Mother.”

Tears streamed down Yuliana’s face, but she smiled brighter than ever.

[Seeing our Lia’s smiling face at the end… makes me happy… I love you. Elisha says thank you.]

“Please tell Elisha to go well too.”

Yuliana smiled until Rosaline completely disappeared.

Once Rosaline vanished, Yuliana sat down and covered her face with her hands, crying her heart out.

It hurt so much. It felt like the inside of her chest was shattering into pieces.

Anthus gently embraced the crying Yuliana, silently patting her back.

* * *

Anthus stood up and stretched. He then sat at his desk to start writing a report for Cloud.

The report began with the Holy Kingdom collaborating with dark mages.

He made sure those who knew the truth kept quiet. The dark mages might cause a fuss claiming it’s unfair, but what does it matter! If a dark mage appears before him claiming it’s unfair, he’d just kill them.

“Duke.”

“Yes, Huesman. What’s the matter?”

“Pope Rybid keeps waking up screaming.”

“Leave him be. That’s his punishment.”

“Punishment?”

Huesman tilted his head at Anthus’s words.

“Yes. Until he finds his judge… his punishment. Set up a soundproof spell where Rybid is confined. And keep Aens by his side…”

“Understood.”

Cloud, after receiving Anthus’s report, spread the story of the Holy Kingdom’s pope collaborating with dark mages, creating monsters, and k＊lling people throughout all the empires.

People, seeing the Sirius Empire declare war on the Holy Kingdom, supposedly protected by God, whispered things like ‘they must be mad,’ ‘Duke Rockbellion thirsts for bl＊＊d,’ but as the Holy Kingdom’s atrocities became known, many found it unbelievable.

Cloud told the people living in the Holy Kingdom that becoming a vassal state wouldn’t change their lives. And no divine punishment fell on the Sirius Empire.

People were greatly relieved. They began to praise Cloud and Anthus for capturing Rybid and his subordinates, who committed evil deeds without fearing divine punishment.

“Lia must be resting. I want to hold the wedding soon.”

Thanks to the war Anthus waged, Yuliana’s kidnapping was not revealed to the public. Everyone thought Yuliana participated in the war alongside Anthus.

Matthias couldn’t stop crying when he saw Yuliana return to the Earl’s estate. Louis also bowed his head in gratitude to Anthus for safely rescuing his sister.

Yuliana told Louis and Matthias about what happened in the Holy Kingdom and relayed Rosaline’s message.

Matthias began to smile upon hearing that Rosaline would come to greet him at the end.

“I must live long for Rosaline’s share.”

“It would be nice if you stayed with us for a long time… Don’t you miss Mother?”

“Of course, I do. But I feel like I need to create many memories to share with your mom when I meet her.”

“Memories?”

“When Rosaline comes to greet me, I’ll tell her the memories I made with you. She’ll be very happy to hear them. But what if she doesn’t like me because I’m too old? Hahaha.”

Matthias laughed cheerfully, looking affectionately at the framed picture.

“I’m a happy person… Everyone fears death, but I can happily await the long-lived death. To be greeted by Rosaline at the end of death. It feels good.”

“Father…”

“Let’s make memories together that I can share with Rosaline when I meet her. Louis, and Lia. Can you help me?”

“Of course, Father. When you meet Mother, please tell her for our share too.”

Louis wiped away the tears he shed unknowingly.

“Tell her we love her.”

* * *

“When would be a good time for the wedding, Duke?”

“My mother and father will take care of that. We should do it before the belly shows.”

Anthus looked lovingly at Yuliana as he spoke.

“Young Lord Louis, I apologize for holding the ceremony first.”

Anthus bowed his head and apologized to Louis.

“No, it’s fine. Instead, please help me a bit with my and Selenia’s wedding.”

“Of course.”

It seemed like only happy things were left after the wedding… but there were still mountains of matters to handle regarding the Holy Kingdom. As it became a vassal state, the power struggle over who would manage it had already begun.

Anthus smiled brightly, suppressing the throbbing pain in his head.

He only needed to think about what to do now. What he had to do was have a happy marriage with Yuliana.

<Lia.>

<Isn’t it because you love me, Lia?>

Anthus hadn’t thought deeply about the question.

<Yes, I love you, Yan. But when people are asked why they decided to marry, most say it’s to be happy. That answer isn’t wrong, but… I feel like I can overcome any adversity with you, Yan. We’ll become happy by overcoming it. So… let’s face whatever comes together. Even if we can’t overcome it together… being together won’t change.>

“Duke, what are you thinking so deeply about? Surely it’s not marriage blues, is it?”

Louis asked Anthus teasingly.

“Of course not. I’ve been waiting for this moment for 9 years.”

People were a little surprised by the news of Anthus’s marriage. The day after the engagement ceremony, he had a territorial battle with Marquis Fedeurus, then announced his wedding with Yuliana right after winning the war with the Holy Kingdom.

Could anyone stop his relentless solo march? If there was, it would only be Yuliana.

People speculated that Yuliana might be pregnant. But they couldn’t understand why he took her to the battlefield, leading to debates about whether she was pregnant or not.

<I’m envious. She was pitied for breaking off her engagement before, but now it seems fortunate that she did.>

<Right. Have you heard that rumor?>

People clicked their tongues at Sophia’s broken engagement and sympathized with her misfortune.

<That’s why it seems you get punished for seducing someone with a partner.>

The gossip continued.

<That’s why he was disowned by the Marquis Fedeurus family.>

People were caught up in the dilemma of what to give as a congratulatory gift for the Rockbellion wedding.

While it’s good that goods sell well… remembering how much they suffered from the previous Duke and Duchess, Philip and Frey, during the engagement, the merchants trembled in fear of the upcoming Rockbellion wedding.