Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 824
824. [True Ending] Last wish
As the night passes, the dawn breaks in the distance..
At this time, when the party that seemed like it would never end has ended, the sound of sleepy people breathing can be heard all over the city..
“It's nice to see.”
“That's right.”
Two old men had a conversation as they watched the city engulfed in farewell festivities all night long..
Guests visiting with Ariel in the Lake Kingdom.
They were an old couple called Geom-gwi and Chang-gwi..
Since the Lake Kingdom delegation was scheduled to depart early in the morning, they had packed all their belongings and sat down in the carriage they had arrived in..
“Now that the curse is over for us, shall we have some friendly fun like that??”
“Hi... … . Now we have no eternal life and no power to wield a sword or a spear, so let's take it easy..”
The old couple leaned their heads against each other and quietly looked at the scenery of Crossroads..
To be more precise, the image of Ariel constantly talking and having meetings with various kings all night long. was watching from afar.
“…….”
“…….”
In fact, there was a separate reason why Sword Demon and Changgui visited Crossroads this time..
Previously, Ash had planned to give them his gold coins, but instead gave them another promise..
He said he would move the residents of the bottom village out of the Lake Kingdom..
He said he would officially allocate land within the imperial territory and allow them to start anew there. I will make sure you no longer have to live as a slave in the Lake Kingdom..
As village chiefs, the two naturally tried to do as Ash suggested..
however…….
“You are so enthusiastic, princess..”
“That's right…….”
Upon returning, Ariel tried with all her might to restore the Lake Kingdom..
He busily met with kings to somehow obtain foreign support, and achieved meaningful results. Quite a few countries and the Lake Kingdom succeeded in establishing diplomatic ties..
Before coming to the Crossroads, in the Lake Kingdom.
Ariel took the lead in resolving the chaos and at the same time carrying out radical reforms..
The Lake Kingdom originally divided classes based on whether they could use magic..
Those who could use magic were classified as citizens, those who could not use magic were classified as non-citizens, and there was an extreme difference in status..
But now that the magic has disappeared, the Lake Kingdom no longer has any reason to maintain its existing class system..
Ariel sought to gradually abolish the existing caste system and reorganize the country's system to treat those who honestly work hard without discrimination..
The existing royal family and nobles of the Lake Kingdom strongly opposed it, but Ariel tenaciously pushed ahead..
In order to rebuild a country that sank to the bottom of a dried lake, it is a path that must be taken... … she was believing.
Although it has not yet escaped its distant past, under Ariel's leadership, the Lake Kingdom is gradually struggling to adapt to the modern world..
“…….”
“…….”
Originally, the Sword Demon and the Chang Demon were scheduled to meet Prince Ash this time to discuss when and how to escape the Lake Kingdom. however.
now… … I wanted to trust Ariel.
“Sword Demon, Spear Demon!”
A voice was heard in the ears of a worried old couple..
When the Sword Demon and the Spear Demon raised their heads, the smiling Crown Prince of Everblack was walking towards them, waving his hand..
Sword Demon and Changgui exchanged glances..
Now it was time to decide.
***
“I mean the suggestion the prince gave me earlier..”
As I approached, the Sword Demon and the Spear Demon spoke politely..
“I want to pretend it never happened.”
“huh?!”
I was embarrassed.
I had already searched for suitable land within the imperial territory to help the bottom village, which had helped me several times, start anew. I was planning to give you the land documents here and now..
“In the Lake Kingdom, with our princess…….”
Geom-gwi and Chang-gwi smiled awkwardly..
“I wanted to raise the country from the bottom once again..”
“Because I'm used to buying and suffering..”
“…….”
I looked inside the crossroads with the sword demon and the spear demon..
After finishing the all-night meeting with the kings, I saw Ariel leaving this way, wiping her forehead with a tired look on her face..
I nodded to the two people..
“It must have been a difficult decision, but thank you. Geom-gwi, Chang-gwi. If there are two people, they will be a strong support for Ariel..”
“They're just old people who don't have much power anymore.…….”
“In order for people who have been separated for a long time to become one, they must learn to listen to each other. And these two can play that role.”
I smiled at the sword demon and the spear demon..
“Please take care of Ariel and the Lake Kingdom. I will visit often too.”
I put the land document in my hand into my pocket and tried to take out a gold certificate instead..
“Then the move was cancelled. Instead, even the gold coins that were originally promised…….”
“That's okay too.”
The sword demon politely declined..
“If you really want to give it to me, I would appreciate it if you could add that gold coin to support the Lake Kingdom..”
“And this too…….”
Changgui pointed to the cart behind the carriage they rode in..
“Could you please use it for the Lake Kingdom??”
There were several old boxes on the cart. I opened them.…….
“……This.”
In the bottom village, they collected for hundreds of years… … There were those old gold coins in them..
“It's useless, it's just gold collected as a substitute for life's purpose…….”
“I hope I can use it for the future of the country..”
“…….”
Originally, they would have intended to use even this gold coin for their new start..
Seeing Ariel's appearance, they were willing to invest all their wealth and opportunities into a new future for the country..
“……Ariel has really good people as her people..”
I grinned and nodded to the Sword Demon and the Chang Demon..
“In the name of the Bringer Principality and the Everblack Empire. We will spare no effort in providing all humanitarian support for the reconstruction of the Lake Kingdom..”
The Sword Demon and the Spear Demon grinned at each other and slowly bit themselves..
“The princess is coming. Well then, I hope you two high-ranking people can talk again..”
“My wife and I are probably having a date over there..”
At the same time that the Sword Demon and Spear Demon were avoiding the spot, Ariel, who had walked out of the Crossroads, came this way..
“ash!”
“Ariel.”
Ariel looked tired after having a meeting with the kings until now, when she had to leave for the Lake Kingdom. But, as if he had achieved something, a look of pride remained on his face..
Ariel asked me with a grin..
“Did you have fun all night long??”
“Thanks to you.”
“Congratulations on your successful marriage proposal. They were a nice looking pair..”
“haha. If you get married, I'll send you a wedding invitation. Must come?”
“of course. How could I miss your wedding?.”
After talking about my marriage for a while,.
I took out the item Ariel wanted to give to her before she left and handed it to her carefully..
“Here, take it..”
“this is……?”
I nodded to Ariel, who accepted it in surprise..
“It's the scepter of the Lake Kingdom..”
This is the scepter that symbolizes the kingship of the Lake Kingdom that the Night Bringer left behind at the Crossroads when he died..
Since then, the Demon King has returned to the Destruction Game and all authority has been recovered, and now that the magic has disappeared, there is no power left..
Perhaps because it is an old item and has been contaminated by nightmares for a long time, when the darkness completely escapes, the body is distorted, incontinence occurs, and a lot of damage occurs.…….
Newly renovated in the last few days.
Since this is a scepter that Ariel will use in the future, the repairman carefully repaired it with great care..
“……thanks.”
Ariel smiled faintly as she accepted the scepter..
“This scepter is a national treasure of our country. I will use it well.”
“I look forward to seeing you swing it nicely..”
“by the way… … It looks like new. I don't know who the repairman is, but he's really good..”
I took a close look at the carefully repaired cane.,
“For some reason…….”
Ariel slowly lowered her lake-colored eyes..
“As I hold this scepter, my heart... … It's throbbing..”
“…….”
“ash. tell me.”
Ariel looked at me with an earnest face..
“really… … Don't you know what I've forgotten??”
“…….”
“What have I forgotten that makes my heart feel so tight? … Really, I don't know?”
After a very brief hesitation,
“huh.”
i answered.
“Sorry. I don't know either. The cause of the loss you feel…….”
“……is it.”
Ariel pursed her lips and looked down at the scepter for a while longer before closing her eyes tightly and smiling brightly at me again..
“Thank you, Ash, for fixing the scepter and delivering it to me. also… … I hope we can meet in the near future.”
***
Ariel, the Sword Demon, the Spear Demon, and the people of the Lake Kingdom have left..
As I watched them heading south... … I slowly turned around.
After fighting the final battle, he climbed the destroyed southern wall..
Let's step on the broken stairs and carefully head to the edge of the castle wall.…….
“…….”
I saw a gray man leaning against the castle wall as if he had collapsed..
The hole in my chest is bigger than before, and white particles are scattering from the ends of my body.…….
Ader was dying slowly..
I stopped in front of the director and took a long breath..
“Ariel said she was thankful. It looks like new. Good repairman skills.”
Then, with difficulty, Ader lifted the corners of her mouth and smiled..
“Is that so… … . that… … thank god…….”
“…….”
Originally, Ader saved a little of her life to make my 'wish' come true..
However, Salome granted that wish, and Ader's life was extended that much..
And, Ader used the last few days left… … Ariel's scepter was repaired..
This man was now the only person in the world who remembered the scepter's original, intact appearance..
Just like when I tied a new ribbon in her hair. Handmade with sincerity, one stitch at a time. Nightmares and contamination were removed, broken decorations were repaired, and jewels were grafted on..
And even that, instead of telling it directly, he had me tell it on his behalf..
“I really want it to end like this?”
When I asked with pity, Ader nodded..
“I don't want to make him suffer for the rest of his life..”
“…….”
“Sometimes, the very fact of sharing your heart with someone can leave you with pain.…….”
His fingertips and toes slowly began to turn into particles of light..
“Originally, my life would have ended the moment I rebelled against foreigners... … . The fact that I've been able to survive until now is quite a miracle..”
“…….”
“I can repair the scepter that he will use for the rest of his life... … I was happy to be able to see you one last time, even if it was from afar..”
After hesitating for a moment.
asked cautiously.
“……Why did you do this??”
I asked Ader once more, raising his gray eyes that had lost focus..
“Why did we turn back time countless times, fight unwinnable battles, and end up like this? … I was trying to save Ariel.?”
OK.
A faint smile appeared on Ader's dry lips..
“One word from that person at that time... … Because it made me live as a person..”
As if reminiscing about a shining moment deeply embedded in one's life..
Ader's eyes became distant..
“Because he gave me a name. Finally, I am neither a nameless slave nor a false prince... … Because I was able to live as myself.”
“…….”
“Because the brilliant memories he gave me have kept me alive until now.…….”
Ader took a hard breath..
“That's all.”
“…….”
“By the way, my lord. When I die, no one will remember me, so there won't be a funeral.…….”
My accomplice had his signature shameless smile on his face..
“For me, maybe... … What poem were you planning on reciting??”
“…….”
Standing straight in front of the dying Ader.
I slowly recited a line of poetry that suddenly came to mind overlapping with his life..
You, the one I loved so much
I can't possibly forget you in my entire life.
Even though I know that love won’t come in my turn
I will continue to think alone
Well then, stay pretty all the time.
After the recitation is over.
“……haha. It's so pretty.”
Ader smiled with a lighter breath..
“It hurts a little, it hurts…….”
In front of him who was slowly dispersing into particles of light, I stayed there until the end..
“…….”
Here, there was a man.
A man who was as innocent as a fool was saved by a trivial remark from someone..
So, in order to repay those words, the man who defied fate, rebelled against the world, and fought for eternity.
Even if no one remembers.
After giving up his soul, he saved his unrequited love and his world. A man like that.
was here.
“Be beautiful always, my princess.…….”
In a dying voice, Ader whispered.
His blurred eyes slowly closed..
and…….
***
…….
***
Is it an illusion?.
***
I hear footsteps.
***
The sound of someone rushing up the castle wall..
***
Ader slowly opened her eyes and looked to the side..
“Haha, haha, haha…….”
At the end of the castle wall - there was a woman who had just come running..
Her dress is disheveled, the red ribbon tied to her long silver hair is undone, and she is breathing heavily and without body pain.…….
Princess of the Lake Kingdom.
“I don't remember, but……!”
Facing Ader who blinked in disbelief, Ariel clutched her chest and let out a sigh..
“But, my heart hurts so much... … It's sore and throbbing, like there's a hole in it.…….”
“…….”
“There was someone precious to me, but it felt like it was ripped from my heart, so……!”
I barely managed to control my breathing, which was all the way down to my throat..
Ariel raised her head and smiled.
“It came in the most heartbreaking direction..”
She shed endless tears beneath her big lake-colored eyes and somehow managed to smile..
“I came to find you who makes me cry just by looking at you.”
Tears quietly flowed down Ader's gray eyes..
“I don't even know your name. I don't even know what you were to me…….”
Ariel slowly approached, sat down and was at eye level with Ader..
“but… … For some reason, I feel like I have to ask you this.”
Ariel stretched out a trembling hand and gently brushed Ader's gray hair, looking into his face carefully..
“Have a picnic.”
Smiling with a tear-soaked face, Ariel politely asked Ader..
“Would you please go on a picnic with me?……?”
Ader's tearful face, which had lost all vitality and was dying,.
“……yes.”
A smile as clear as a lie passed by.
“song.”
Dazzling fragments are flying.
“Always, always… … I wanted to go on a picnic with you.…….”
Ariel hugged Ader with her whole body as she turned into a particle of light and disappeared..
“Outside, spring is in full swing..”
Ariel sobbed and whispered in the ear of Ader, who could no longer see and closed her eyes..
“We'll hold hands and go to the suburban hills.”
As if she could see the sight, Ader smiled happily..
“There is a zelkova tree in the distance, and the summer flowers planted around it have already opened buds in the sunny weather..”
Ariel got choked up and stuttered, but.
“see. It rained yesterday, but today it's so clear.”
We smiled brightly.
“In the sky, there is a rainbow.”
Pieces of light that fell from Ader.
It swirls around Ariel and pours into the sky.…….
“In the rainy sky, there is a rainbow as beautiful as you…….”
Under the brightening sky, it sparkled brightly and colorfully..
“like this… … It bloomed fully…….”
……When I lowered my head while quietly observing the beautiful sky,.
Ader had completely disappeared..
In that place, only Ariel was left sobbing amidst the sparkling particles of light..
“……ash.”
After crying for a long time.
Ariel, who had finally stopped crying, said to me.
“I have some request.”
When I nodded, Ariel asked earnestly.
“Next time we meet… … Would you like to hear it? a story about this person.”
“…….”
“I don't remember, but I'm sure I loved it... … This person's story. Come hear me.”
I nodded deeply once more..
“I will.”
I smiled faintly.
“It's a very long story that I can't write about for days... … I'll definitely tell you.”
Among the fragments of light, with a face still wet with tears. Ariel cherished the scepter in her hand and held it in her arms..
As if trying to remember in my heart the warmth of the man left in the scepter..
When I saw that, I thought.
a man's story.
After giving up his soul, he saved his unrequited love and his world..
And at the very end, he went on a picnic to the rain-covered zelkova hill with his loved one..
I'm sure my last wish came true.
The story of a happy fool…….
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