Chapter 272: Crossroads (13)
“…That’s the first time I’ve heard such a story.”
Professor Windy May shook her head.
At her answer, the space between Berenistella’s brows twitched slightly.
“Are you feigning ignorance?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Windy May shook her head again.
“I can swear it if you want. I truly am hearing this for the first time… I’m only telling you the truth right now.”
She met the other woman’s gaze without backing down as she replied.
“How you came to know about this place, how you know those stories… and how much you know in total, I have no idea. But the story I heard from the beginning was simply that this place had to be protected until the moment it shattered itself.”
“Hmph.”
Berenistella let out a snort.
“But surely you must have heard at least some of the circumstances surrounding the purpose for which this place was built.”
“……”
“And are you not someone who bears the title of Archmage?”
Windy May shrugged.
“I think that title is excessive.”
“Yes, I think so as well. After seeing a woman like Talia, anyone would inevitably think that when looking at modern mages.”
“That’s a bit too harsh of a comparison.”
Ignoring Windy May’s complaint, Berenistella nodded.
“Still, though that title may have become lighter in this era compared to the past, its prestige has not fallen. Someone of your level should have been able to deduce at least this much.”
“……”
Windy May did not respond.
Berenistella smiled faintly.
“You truly know nothing about the last one? There is no falsehood in that statement?”
“Someone like you would see through it immediately if I were lying anyway.”
Windy May shook her head.
“I don’t know. I truly don’t.”
Then she glanced at the shattered fragments of the Tank scattered across the floor and continued.
“…Perhaps, seeing that it remained empty until the very end like this, it might not have existed from the start.”
“As if that could be true.”
Berenistella snorted again, sounding incredulous.
“You don’t even believe that yourself, so you would do well to stop with such clumsy jokes. I… truly despise useless jokes. Especially those meant to toy with me.”
She then shrugged and muttered.
“Human Sacrifice, human sacrifice… Even if they are merely remnants, that was still that Knight Order. A Sacrificial Rite offering not one but three or more of what could be called the very essence of their existence. Just what kind of ritual could that possibly be for?”
In truth, Berenistella already knew the answer.
The numbers three and five.
And between them, four.
‘Balance and Circulation. And between them, Stability.’
They wished to maintain the balance of something and ensure its continuation.
At the same time, they also wished for whatever they were doing to stabilize and grow stronger.
As far as she knew, there was only one thing worthy of that.
Evil Dragon Jadaka.
“…Shall I share a somewhat embarrassing story?”
Berenistella spoke in a quieter voice.
“Though I am called the last remaining of the Eight Demon Lords… the truth is that I survived simply because I was lucky.”
“I heard you can see the future.”
Windy May asked.
“So didn’t you avoid your death because of that?”
“If that ability were so omnipotent, wouldn’t I have hunted them one by one before the Knight Order even gathered?”
“Fair point. Now that I think about it, that makes sense. I’ve never known what it feels like to see the future.”
“In truth, it’s not something particularly pleasant.”
Berenistella nodded.
Seeing the future ultimately meant it became an unavoidable fate.
Yes—just as she had once seen the corpse of a man whose head had been severed.
“…Yes. It’s not something pleasant.”
“……”
“I’ve strayed from the topic for a moment. If possible, please listen quietly. This is… actually the first time I’ve ever spoken of this to anyone.”
Then she continued.
“As I said earlier, I survived partly because of luck, and partly because I did not involve myself as actively. The other seven were far more active than I was, and they were unlucky as well. That is why they all died, were annihilated, torn apart, and sealed.”
If there had been more time, she herself might have followed the same path.
In fact, the Knight Order’s power had been so overwhelming that the public believed she too had been slain.
The problem was that they had not been granted that much time.
“Popolotuas, who at least managed to leave behind remnants or a child, was actually more fortunate. The others were uprooted completely. …All except one.”
“The Evil Dragon.”
“Yes. So you already knew the answer, more or less.”
Berenistella nodded at Windy May’s mutter.
“In truth, that creature… it was questionable whether it should even be called one of the Eight Demon Lords. To begin with, it wasn’t a Demon like the rest of us, and its purpose was entirely different.”
“Purpose?”
“Yes. Purpose.”
Berenistella murmured, sounding puzzled even now.
“He wished to become a god.”
“…A god?”
“Yes, a god. A god like Ilionel worshiped by the Holy Sun Church.”
“……”
“You look incredulous. I felt exactly the same.”
Berenistella nodded as if understanding Windy May’s expression.
“…But he was serious. To achieve that, he gathered faith and followers, and searched for every possible method to surpass the limits of being a Dragon. In the process, he committed the taboo of consuming the flesh and heart of his own kind. Because of that, he was chased by his kin and ended up drifting into the Land of the Demons. And above all…!”
While speaking, Berenistella suddenly froze.
‘Wait….’
Evil Dragon.
Sealing. Remnants. Fragments.
The reason it had been defeated.
Curse. Blood flowing from its heart.
Black Water. A sea of death where anything that sank would never rise again.
Sacrifice. Purification. Prayer.
Human Sacrifice.
…Saintess.
‘No way.’
She lightly bit her lip.
‘No… that can’t be. But….’
She had interrupted Talia’s story earlier and left not only because of Lian’s request, but also because she wanted to understand the full circumstances.
She had already noticed that the time granted to Talia was not extremely short—but it was not abundant either.
Perhaps there was enough time to hear the story, but not enough to question every detail.
Above all, there was no guarantee that Talia would reveal everything.
That was why Berenistella had planned to at least grasp the situation before hearing the entire truth of the incident alongside Talia’s story.
If she had become entangled in someone else’s scheme unwillingly, she wanted to at least understand the situation.
But…
“More importantly, so what happened next?”
“…Ah.”
At Windy May’s question, Berenistella nodded.
It seemed she had unknowingly fallen into her thoughts for a moment.
“…My apologies.”
“No need to apologize.”
“I think the story must end here. I have already heard everything I wished to hear.”
At her words, Windy May frowned slightly—something rare for her.
“…That’s rather rude. You speak as you please, stop halfway, then end the conversation once you’re satisfied.”
“Are you suggesting you’ll resort to force?”
“I’m not foolish enough for that.”
Windy May shook her head casually.
From her perspective, Berenistella’s appearance was no different from a natural disaster.
She already had mountains of problems to deal with, and if someone like Berenistella rampaged around…
She didn’t even want to imagine it.
‘Though I said that… well.’
If Berenistella was satisfied and planned to leave without interfering further, there was no reason to stop her.
There was only one thing she wanted to ask.
“May I ask one question?”
“I permit it.”
“When you communicated with my disciple earlier.”
Windy May spoke quietly.
“You interfered midway and answered as if you were me, calling that child here.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
Windy May added.
“Surely it wasn’t to threaten me. That would make no sense.”
“……”
Berenistella, who had been about to claim it was a hostage situation, fell silent for a moment.
“…Do you know anything about me?”
“The most famous thing would be that you can see the future.”
“Yes.”
Berenistella nodded.
“Does that answer your question?”
“You mean…”
“If he had remained there, that….”
Out of habit, Berenistella almost called Lian by the name Gwendil, but quickly corrected herself.
“…that person would surely have been executed. But if he were at least beside you, he might receive a trial. Would it not be less unfair to at least grasp that possibility?”
“Are you saying you helped me and my disciple? You?”
“There is no reason I cannot grant a favor.”
Berenistella gave the excuse she had prepared.
She had already tampered with Lian’s mind and memories before he arrived here, so there was no chance of being exposed.
“I cannot explain the full circumstances, but before coming here I received a small favor from him. Someone called one of the Eight Demon Lords cannot remain indebted to a mere human, can she?”
“……”
Even so, Windy May looked at Berenistella with suspicion.
Berenistella naturally turned her body away to avoid her gaze and muttered.
“…In any case, as I said earlier, I have heard everything I wished to hear and now understand the situation completely. I have no further business here.”
With those words, Berenistella scattered like mist and vanished.
Lian would arrive soon—but that was not the only reason she hurried.
There was something even more important.
‘…Talia, you utterly vile woman.’
Berenistella ground her teeth.
‘The prepared sacrifices are three and one. And the remaining one.’
The three founders, including Talia.
Arpentia, for stabilization.
And if her prediction was correct…
‘…To erase the curse of the Evil Dragon, that woman offered herself as the sacrifice.’
Originally, she had been fated to live a long life.
But the Saintess offered herself as a Human Sacrifice to the god, giving up her life and destiny. Because of that, the Evil Dragon’s curse had been suppressed.
And in the end, she met a truly miserable death.
‘In this era, there is no one who can replace her.’
However…
‘Lian.’
The miracle of defying death.
And the miracle of reversing time.
He was someone who had personally experienced two miracles that should never have been possible.
Above all, he bore several Brands on his body.
Yes—the very Brands that had once been used as tools to surpass the limits of one’s species.
The same Brands that Evil Dragon Jadaka had desperately tried to gather.
He already possessed sufficient Qualification as a Sacrifice.
“…You wretched, damned women.”
A chilling grinding sound escaped from Berenistella’s mouth.