# 308
308. Epilogue1. A crescent moon hung in the starry sky of
Taoni .
Freea sat on a chair on the terrace and looked at the scenery outside.
Bardia, the capital of the Millennium Empire.
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Priasis all Ragnar’s ascension to the throne, a grand festival was taking place in the streets.
Everywhere bright magic lights were turned on to illuminate the road and cheerful music played, and citizens of all ages gathered to dance and sing.
“Haa…”
Fria drank from the glass.
A bitter liquid flowed down her throat.
‘Ten years.’
It has already been 10 years since she ascended the throne.
It was once an empire that was suffering from war, but now the wounds were gradually healing.
“Your Majesty, are you here?”
Freea looked back.
A man in short armour entered through the curtains and bowed his head to her.
“Is it Yoshu?”
“yes.”
A man called Yoshu stood behind Fria.
The man’s gaze scanned the city.
“…a lot happened.”
“I see. I still remember it vividly.”
Freea looked at her confidant with a smile.
That man’s name is Yosh Knanze. He was from an insignificant commoner, but he stood by Freea and led this war to victory, and was now a positional figure who became the commander of the Imperial Guard.
“Look at the people enjoying the festival. If it wasn’t for your Majesty, they would still be suffering.”
“Do you think so too?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
black war.
It was the name of the disaster that shook all of Taone 10 years ago.
Unidentified monsters called ‘debris’ rose up in various places and began to sweep the entire continent.
‘War.’
Priasis recalled the past.
The war ended with a Taonier victory.
All races on the continent, including humans, joined forces to drive them out.
‘Was it a fight that would end so easily?’
From
what she remembers,
“…”
Fria frowned.
Occasionally, strange memories come to mind.
A memory of a time she had never experienced.
“By the way, Your Majesty, aren’t you going back to the president?”
“You mean the ballroom?”
“The main character of this festival is the Empress.”
“What would I do if I went to a place like that?”
“They say that the court wizard Sir Iolka prepared a special stage…”
“A special stage?”
Yoshu scratched the back of his head.
“It is said that without magic, it summons a dove from a hat, disappears on the spot, and performs tricks such as reading the back of a card.”
“Whoops, that’s interesting.”
Freea rose from her chair.
“I’ll say no. If I’m watching, wouldn’t it just be a burden? Let them enjoy it. I’m satisfied with their laughter.”
Freea took the view of the street with her eyes once more and left the terrace.
Walk along the long corridor.
Yoshu came after her.
“Sir Yoshu, let’s go back.”
“Your Majesty, this time too… are you going to inspect it?”
“What if?”
“At least, go with an escort. It’s dangerous.”
“I am confident in the security of the imperial capital. If the daughter and the daughter can’t walk safely at night, isn’t that also my responsibility?”
Freea took off the coat she was wearing and handed it to Yoshu.
The golden coffin and scarf were also thrown off.
“Whoa, that’s cool.”
“Your Majesty, how many times have I told you. If anything happens to the prison…” “
It’s okay. It’s okay. dwell.”
Freea pushed against one side of the wall, leaving Yoshu standing in a daze.
Doo kung. A passage opened with a light vibration. A place that no one knows except for a very few people in the imperial palace. It was a secret route she made to look directly at the ecliptic.
“Hiccup! Taalukuk! Long live Her Majesty! Long live! Long live!”
“This man! He’s drunk! Drink in moderation!”
“Hee, hee hee…”
The drunken people gathered in groups of twos and threes staggered with their glasses.
After changing into a shabby robe, Freea was walking down the street wearing a hood.
‘Are they happy?’
Freea looked at the faces of the people.
Ten years since she ascended the throne.
The Empire was being evaluated as having achieved a golden age.
‘A land where you can live tomorrow without any worries or worries.’
It was the paradise she wanted to create.
But…
Fria put her hand on the wall of the alley.
A hollow voice leaked out of his mouth.
“What use do you mean?”
You are forgetting something important.
No matter how many times I tried to think of it, it didn’t come to mind.
I wanted to show it to someone.
This land that I worked hard for.
‘Where the hell did he go?’
Freea staggered through the alley.
‘once. You can be satisfied with just once.’
If you say hello to me that I’m living well.
If only I could show her a smile one more time.
From then on, Freea intended to live her own life.
I was thinking of chasing the thing called ‘happiness’.
But why
‘Where are you?’
Tears ran down Fria’s cheeks.
10 years. No, over the years, a huge hole had been pierced in her heart.
Neither the status of a noble royal family, nor the faithful subordinates who followed her, nor the position of emperor of the empire could fill Freea’s heart.
“This…where is it.”
When she came to her senses, Freea was standing somewhere in a dark alley.
A musty smell wafting from somewhere. She had smelled it decades ago.
“Hey, what is it?”
A man sitting on a broken pillar in an abandoned house stood up.
A long, sharp cut is engraved on the cheek. The man’s gaze landed on Freea’s face revealed under the hood.
“There’s a lady here. On a happy festival day. Kikki.”
Came too deep
Freea’s hand touched the dagger behind her.
Even if the war is over, it’s not for the municipal miscreants.
“It was worthwhile to crouch while everyone else was playing and falling asleep. Kyaaak, twee. Then, I, too, will enjoy the festival…!”
puck!
The man fell forward.
“You’re doing a lot of shit.”
Kwajik!
The back of the man’s head was trampled by military boots.
A sharp-looking woman stepped forward.
“You…”
“My name is Edith Carlen. I’m a mercenary. But why did the noble lady come here? The Temple of the Nameless God is not in this direction.”
Edith twirled the dagger with her index finger and looked at Fria.
‘A god without a name.’
Fria’s eyes blinked at the first words she heard.
“What, did you come without knowing?”
“What is a nameless god?”
“Anyway, mercenaries like us need someone we can trust.”
Freea narrowed her eyes.
When the fragments began to rampage, a group of cults called the ‘Cult of Tel Icar’ made a fuss.
Is this woman their pawn?
“It’s not a church. It’s like a folk religion. If you’re curious, you can follow me. It’s like a common legend, I don’t know if you’ll be interested.”
puck!
Edith kicked the downed man and started walking inside.
‘A nameless… god.’
Freea swallowed.
And he started following Edith.
“You know?”
“…?”
“They said that the fragments that attacked this place 10 years ago were only a fraction of them. They say it’s not even 1/10th or 1/100th. If they came here with all their might…” ”
Tao Are you saying that Nier would perish?”
“Oh, do you know?”
Edith smiled.
The road soon widened.
Legend of the Nameless God.
Freea thought she knew the circumstances of the imperial city to some extent, but she had never heard of such a thing.
“Can you see it?”
Edith looked to the side.
People wearing black goat masks were walking in a row in the wide alleys outside the imperial capital.
“These are people who believe in a nameless god. Once a year, they gather here for a banquet. They’re just walking, so don’t mind.”
Edith took the goat’s mask out of her bosom.
and put it on the face.
“I brought another one for spare. Do you want to use it? It’s fun.”
“…and thank you.”
Freea accepted the goat mask.
‘What does this mean?’
I don’t know.
In a way, it seemed like a joke.
Freea sighed and put on the goat mask.
“Victory.”
The girl walking next to Freea murmured.
“Victory to the Nameless God…”
As if earnestly wishing.
The girl in the sheepskin was walking slowly with her hands clasped.
“Victory.”
This time the short man muttered.
Everyone gathered here was offering their prayers.
“What are they doing?”
“I’m rooting for you.”
Edith replied.
The eyes behind the mask narrowed.
“Somewhere here, deep in space… the nameless god is fighting.”
“…”
“We fight against countless enemies over a long, long time. To protect us.”
“To keep.”
Freea suddenly became urgent and tugged at the hem of Edith’s clothes.
“Then, the reason we didn’t perish…”
“Don’t believe it completely. It’s an unreliable legend. Just know that there is such a story.”
Freea looked around.
Hundreds of people in masks were walking down the street.
A scenery that could never have been seen from the terrace of the Imperial Palace.
‘These…’
Are they marching?
Praying for the victory of the nameless god.
“When will the fight end!”
Freea grabbed Edith like she was clinging to it.
desperate expression.
“When will the nameless god return?”
“I don’t know. Some say decades, some say millions, tens of millions of years, or forever.”
“I can’t wait that long!”
“Why are you excited?”
Freea bit her lip.
“I’m sorry…”
Fria looked up with wet eyes.
starry sky. I looked down again.
Hundreds of believers were continuing the procession.
“Victory.”
The voices of the crowd merged into one and rang out in a low voice.
“To the nameless god… Victory.”
Freea closed her eyes in prayer.
Beyond the dark vision, a landscape emerged.
‘Fighting.’
A world she can’t perceive with her senses.
A man wields a sword over a long time.
Even if he dies, he comes back to life,
and even if he comes back to life, he dies again.
The man was fighting while repeating resurrection and death.
‘This is…’
What Freea wanted No.
‘Where is your happiness?’
No one looks back.
Losing all humanity, neither dying nor living, suffering forever.
That man could not be seen as alive.
‘Ghost.’
Freea reached out her hand to the man,
but couldn’t reach it.
The distance was too far.
“Please save me.” “It doesn’t
matter if Taonier perishes.
It doesn’t matter if this world burns away.
All she wanted was…
a flash!
At that moment, a dazzling red flame blocked her eyes.
“My lady.”
“Huh?”
Edith said. “I’m tapping Freea’s shoulder.
Freea looks around.
The fantasy that was floating in my vision has completely disappeared.
“What are you doing standing still?”
“…was it a dream?”
“What dream?”
“I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”
Freea shook her head and recalled the scene in her head once more. The
nameless god.
That was the true identity of the man Freea saw.
And the end of the fantasy.
‘I wasn’t alone.’
He had the illusion that someone was fighting by his side,
holding a flame-blazing sword.
‘If someone else had gone to save him.’
Freea decided to pray,
“To the nameless god…salvation.”