Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 619
◈ 619. [Side Story] The last festival (9)
Junior's room.
Hecate's condition looked so bad that Junior invited her to his room, and Hecate did not refuse. She didn't even have the mental strength to say no..
“…….”
Standing at the entrance to the wizard's room, which smelled like old books, Hecate looked around blankly. It was full of books, not just magic books.…….
‘……history book?’
There were also a lot of old history books piled up..
At that time, Junior approached and handed him a robe..
“Well, at least this... … Would you like to wear it??”
A moment later, Hecate, wearing a robe, sat across from Junior at a narrow table. Junior hurriedly picked up the drink bottle..
“Would you like something to drink? Well, it's just a health drink…….”
Hecate did not refuse. Junior handed her the only drink in her room - a healthy juice mixed with tomatoes and spinach - in a cup..
“Tea, I didn’t prepare anything, but please drink a lot.……?”
“……thank you.”
Even though it tasted horrible, Hecate drank it happily. Although she was the one offering the drink, Junior thought to himself, ‘This person is nice.’.
“thank you.”
After an awkward silence, Hecate opened her mouth. Junior is one beat late? I answered.
“Thank you for caring.”
“ah… … No, well... … . It's not that great…….”
“You don't have to be so kind to someone like me..”
“There is no need to degrade yourself like that. Hecate is a great person.…….”
“…….”
Hecate was about to say something but put it back and looked out the window..
“Crossroads, are there frequent festivals??”
“Well, no. The only time I get excited is about twice a year. Fall festivals and New Year events.”
“okay…….”
“ecliptic… … Festivals are often held in New Terra.?”
“yes. It happens often. As a native of New Terra, I didn't go often..”
Junior tilted his head..
“why?”
Hecate hesitated before answering..
“…… My parents died when I was very young. So, I don't have anyone to take me to the festival. When I was young, I always watched from afar..”
“Sorry, sorry. For no reason I…….”
“no. I'm sorry. Talking about sensitive topics…….”
An awkward silence fell between the two again..
Junior, not knowing what to do, rolled his eyes left and right, but Hecate spoke first..
“My parents were soldiers, but they were involved in an accident and died..”
“I see.…….”
“Having no relatives, I became an orphan... … And His Majesty took it..”
Junior blinked..
Hecate poured out incoherently with blank eyes..
“There is a childcare facility run by the imperial family that raises the children of war veterans. I grew up there.”
When the emperor's story came out, Hecate's face brightened slightly..
“His Majesty visited there regularly and encouraged us. He said, ‘I owe my life to your parents, so I will take responsibility for your life.’ … He caressed us one by one..”
Hecate closed her eyes and recalled that day..
“For me, who couldn't even remember my parents' faces, his gentle touch was my salvation..”
“…….”
“He takes care of even the little ones like us... … How could you not respect such a monarch? How could you not love it??”
To Junior, just as Jupiter, who took her in, was her mother.
For Hecate, the emperor who took her away... … It was his father..
Hecate's red eyes opened and turned to the contents of the mug in her hand..
“I decided from a young age to sacrifice my life for Everblack, and because I was talented with the sword, I was able to enter the Imperial Academy as a scholarship student. It was my dream to join the Glory Knights that protect Her Majesty, and it happened..”
“…….”
“I got to stand on the battlefield with His Majesty. Your Majesty trusted us. Even though I had a body like this and suffered countless times of terrible pain, and was told that I would not be able to endure much longer and would 'stop', I was still proud..”
Hecate's bandaged hands tightly gripped the mug..
“But the front I risked my life to protect has now reached a peace agreement..”
“…….”
“I know. Weapons should not be questioned. But, I can't help but feel embarrassed. I stopped the gods of this race for the sake of the empire. Dying countless times. But now they say that this race is also on our side..”
Junior quietly looked into Hecate's eyes..
“What is the meaning of the battle I fought and the life I devoted to becoming this body??”
Hecate's eyes were confused..
“I came here to see old friends one last time before my life ended. Everyone was surprised to see my body like this... … Actually, I'm the one who was more surprised.”
“…….”
“The enemies on all frontiers, whom we have been on guard against as the Knights Templar... … They were united as one army in this city. All the monarchs on the list, who I should have dispatched and beheaded in any case, are calmly enjoying the festival and laughing together..”
Hecate shook her head..
“Only then did I realize it. The only thing wrong with this world is me. The one who was out of sync with the times was me, the evil spirit of the empire..”
“…….”
“I willingly accepted the curse and became a monster for the sake of the empire, but it was all in vain... … The world is moving in the opposite direction.”
Junior quietly listened to her complaints..
“I can't reach my old friends again with this monster's body. You can't fully enjoy this festival with this evil spirit mentality..”
Hecate lowered her head bitterly..
“Even as a knight. Even as an individual. My life has no meaning left. It's tattered. Everything. Like my body inside these bandages.”
“…….”
“In the end, in my life... … What was the meaning??”
Junior couldn't answer easily..
Hecate bowed her head..
“sorry. I suddenly get excited and start spewing out stories on my own..”
“Oh, no. are you okay. Really! So, um, I guess I should say that I understand a little bit.…….”
Silence settles like dust, and the laughter of the festival rings hollowly in the distance.…….
smart.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door..
Junior, startled, jumped out of his seat with a sound of deflation. Then I heard a familiar voice outside the door..
“Junior. Are you there? This is Lucas.”
“Lou, Lou, Sir Lucas?! What's going on here……?”
“I came looking for Hecate, but she wasn't in the room. He wondered if he had seen where he had gone.…….”
“ah! If you are Hecate, here…….”
When Junior, who was talking with a smile, looked back, he saw Hecate shaking her head with a pale face. Junior stuttered and finished her sentence..
“……It's not here..”
“Looks like it's there.”
Why do you have good sense at times like this! This selective snow bird knight guy.!
Junior was tearing out his hair as he thought to himself. She was the one who didn't notice. She should have hidden this lady, what is she doing!
“I'd like to talk to you, so could you please tell me to come out??”
“…….”
Hecate let out a long sigh and slowly got up..
Junior stood up in a hurry and struggled with his arms and legs..
“Oh, oh, clothes! I'll lend you some clothes! wait a minute?!”
Immediately after opening the closet, all that caught Junior's eyes were wizard robes that all looked the same. Junior screamed..
“Aaaah! There's nothing like it, damn it! What happened to my fashion sense?!”
“……are you okay.”
Hecate smiled bitterly and headed toward the door..
“I've already exposed my ugly inner self, so what's the use of dressing it up?.”
“Hey, Hecate!”
“Thank you for lending me your robe. I'll wash it well later and return it to you..”
Hecate showed courtesy and opened the door..
“…….”
“…….”
After making eye contact with Lucas, who was waiting, the two knights quietly walked down the hallway as if they had made an appointment..
“…….”
Through the window, I looked at the backs of the two knights moving away..
“Wow, I don't know!”
Junior quickly followed suit..
***
Red gradually mixes in the late afternoon sunlight..
Lucas and Hecate are walking side by side on the road from the central square to the end of the street stalls..
and behind it,
“Sneaking… … stealthily…….”
Evangeline and I are following along with bated breath..
Evangeline is following along, quietly making sound effects out of her mouth like that, and I am following behind her..
Since we were famous in this city, the merchants and citizens who discovered us were all embarrassed and puzzled. There is no time to worry about what they think right now..
‘Lucas! With someone who liked you back in the day! It's just the two of us walking down the festival street.!’
Is there anything more important than intuition?!
It was then. Junior came running up behind us, who were quietly following us, panting, and made an angry expression..
“You two, what are you doing here??!”
“Shh! Then you?”
“I-I… … Well, I mean…….”
“Ah Junior Sister! Lower your voice! Follow me, sneakily!”
“Buy, stealthily……?”
Anyway, Junior also joined. The three of us tailed the two knights..
At that time, I found Damien buying food at a street vendor. Damian, who had both hands full of food, probably planning to use it for the temple dinner, also saw us and opened his eyes..
“uh? Prince? And everyone? What are you doing?”
“Shh-!”
“Brother Damien, sneakily!”
“Come here. hurry!”
In the end, Damian was caught without even knowing what was going on. The four of us followed along and watched Lucas' date(?) from behind..
The two knights walked in silence for a long time. Then it was Hecate who spoke first..
“It’s been a while since we met so leisurely, Lucas. No, now that I think about it, was it the first time we met alone??”
“yes. Because we were always the three musketeers. Because the Lord led you and me.”
Immediately after, Lucas narrowed his eyes and looked at Hecate..
“Anyway, I've been wondering since last time. Why do you respect me??”
“Because I'm an adult now. You have to be polite.”
Hecate smiled sheepishly..
“Because I graduated. Because I am no longer a child. Because we are adults.”
“……Then I will respect you too..”
“ah. I don't like that…….”
“Then you speak informally too.”
“…….”
Hecate was silent for a long time..
“……Yes, I will. lucas.”
I put down my words.
And only then did the air between the two become warm. The strange tension on Lucas' face also eased..
The two drivers walked in silence for a while and stopped in front of a stall. This is a street stall with the sign saying ‘New Terra-style baked snacks’..
Lucas silently bought two snacks and handed one to Hecate..
“ruler. You liked this.”
“……It did.”
Hecate took a deep breath as she accepted the sweets she missed..
“I know that? When I was young, I never went to a festival. During my school days, if there was even a small festival held in the imperial capital... … His Royal Highness used to drag us out..”
“I really had a hard time back then. You and me too.”
The two knights stood still for a moment holding the snacks..
Are they reminiscing about their school days and the past Ash who stood between them back then?.
“……sorry. In fact, I can't taste it anymore. Because my tongue is broken.”
Hecate, who couldn't finish the snack and put it down, laughed bitterly..
“My memory is not complete either. It feels like everything has been reduced to a pulp. I remember the scene, but I can't recall the emotions at that time. I remember that I liked you, but…….”
“…….”
“Now I don't know what it felt like.”
“Hecate.”
Lucas spat out calmly..
“People tend to change after they graduate..”
Hecate widened her eyes. Lucas sighed softly..
“Memories of school days tend to fade. You were young and immature back then. I don't even know why I lived like such a fool back then..”
“…….”
“It doesn't matter what you look like now. It doesn't matter how much has changed since then. To me, you are... … Because it was always the same.”
Lucas gazed at Hecate with unwavering gaze..
“The undefeated swordsman whom I have not defeated even once from the day of my entrance ceremony to the day of my graduation..”
“…….”
“Then and now, you are the same in me. therefore-”
Lucas laughed..
It was truly a protagonist-like, tactless and upright smile..
“Let's compete. In this martial arts competition, properly.”
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