Chapter 240: Shiltina, I’ll Be Waiting for Your Answer
Imperial Capital, central inner district, deep within the palace complex.
Allen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the distant edge of the sky, lost in thought.
“Did you see it, Old Man Allen?”
“That golden thread upon him, like a puppet’s string.”
A fluffy little ferret had appeared at some unknown time beside him, also staring into the same distant horizon.
“In the field of porcelain restoration, there is a craft known as ‘kintsugi’... piecing broken porcelain back together with glue, then decorating the cracks with gold dust, silver dust, or gold leaf.”
“At this moment, Last is like a shattered porcelain piece. Those golden lines across his body are marks left by fusing together his burned and broken body and soul with inferior glue—”
“The only thing that remains unchanged is that ruined yet still enduring ideal of his, called ‘Shoreguard’.”
Dean Silver gazed into Allen’s eyes. “Even after witnessing such an ideal with your own eyes, you still haven’t changed your mind… Do you still see Last as nothing more than a pawn to pressure your daughter into a political marriage?”
Allen did not directly respond to Dean Silver’s question.
But what was written on the middle-aged man’s face was not denial, but a heaviness, as if gazing upon something tragic.
“Not to make Shiltina choose compromise and return to the path of an ordinary person—”
“But instead, to lead her forward, even further along the road of ideals?”
A trace of memory surfaced in his weathered eyes.
“This is something I was never able to do. Even though I tried with all my might, I could never become a companion who could walk alongside Cecilia…”
“But if it’s him…”
The words of the aging king disappeared into the night fog, leaving only a long sigh echoing in its wake.
…
In the Imperial Capital, Shiltina stopped in her tracks, gazing up toward the distant skies at the floating airship that was sailing far away.
She knew she was late—everything had already ended.
She hadn’t been able to participate in the battle, only able to witness it as a spectator.
That hunt targeting the Gravekeeper’s Quasi-Angel had seemed earth-shaking. All the citizens of the capital had seen that sky-piercing tower, and the shadowy image of a demon king like Sataniel… but in truth, the battle had ended incredibly swiftly.
Or rather, it wasn’t a battle at all. It was a one-sided slaughter. From beginning to end, Last had only fired two shots—one to announce his arrival, and one to sever the Fate Imprint of the angel.
After those two shots, the Gravekeeper’s Quasi-Angel was erased from history, never to return.
During that time, Shiltina was merely an observer—and could only be one.
Because from the very beginning, Last hadn’t planned on letting anyone interfere—
This was a hunt that belonged solely to him. It was a Shoreguard’s reckoning against the Gravekeepers. In this long-standing grudge that had spanned multiple eras, there was no room for outsiders.
She looked toward Ophelia, who had appeared beside her at some point and was also gazing toward the horizon under Kate’s protection. The silver glow of the rapier in her hand had dissolved into scattered starlight.
“So, you planned all of this from the very beginning, didn’t you?”
Off in the distance, Ophelia gave a gentle nod.
“That’s right. We kept this from Father, and we kept it from you as well…”
“If Sister had known, no matter what, you wouldn’t have allowed him to take such a risk alone, right?”
“After all, as long as you’re still alive, you would never allow a companion to die—that’s the creed of a Forester.”
As she answered, her gaze followed the faint, nearly imperceptible figure retreating into the dim skies with the floating airship.
As a co-conspirator, Ophelia knew that the floating airship had been piloted by Ingrid, who had been waiting at the ready from the beginning.
From start to finish, every stage and every step of this Gravekeeper-hunting performance had been part of Last’s plan—
A man who had worn countless Masks of Personality, he was both the finest actor and the finest director.
Since he had arranged the opening scene of this performance, naturally, he had planned his own curtain call as well.
“And this is something he entrusted to me—”
“A letter to give to you, once everything had ended and the dust had settled.”
“Because, according to Brother Last… with his body now so battered, like a crumbling ruin, he probably won’t be able to speak with you directly for quite some time. He could only convey this message in such a way.”
Ophelia took out a pristine white letter.
The letter unfolded in the gale, and was tightly grasped by Shiltina.
The black ink shone vividly in the twilight.
Shiltina knew, without a doubt—this was Last’s handwriting.
【Sorry, Shiltina, for choosing to leave without saying goodbye in such a way.】
【First of all, please allow me to apologize to you—and to your father… After all, in the eyes of outsiders, this would probably be seen as running away from the wedding. It might even have a considerable impact on the royal family’s reputation.】
【But this was something I had to do.】
【To hide behind a girl and use family ties to gain safe protection… that’s something I simply cannot do. Since that Gravekeeper’s Quasi-Angel came for me, then I must be the one to face it myself.】
【Also, Shiltina, perhaps everyone else sees your persistence as childish, foolish, merely stubborn and shortsighted. But in my eyes, your ideal called “Forester” is radiant—and brilliant.】
【I don’t want my presence to taint that pure brilliance of yours… Between the path of becoming a “Forester” and drawing the Holy Sword to become a king—perhaps there is a way to have both.】
【Even more so, I don’t want our wedding to be something rushed and forced under outside pressure, completely disregarding your true will…】
【So, once everything has settled, with no more obstructions, and with all external interference cast aside—give me your answer then. Your true, heartfelt answer, Shiltina—】
【Shiltina, would you be willing to marry me, to become my wife?】
【After this incident, I may sleep for a very long time… but during those slumbering days, I will always be waiting, always hoping—】
【Awaiting your answer.】
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