C684 The cabin of the battleship, Ram.
[I'm not going to die anyway. Why did you save me?] Padler's voice sounded calm, but there was anger mixed in.
Originally, he should have had his neck broken by Bale at this moment.
As Padler said, it didn't necessarily mean death, but the fact that he had involuntarily retreated from a deeply resented opponent made him uncomfortable.
If he had returned to fight as a vengeful ghost in the first attack on the Garden of Swords, Padler might have fought for some time even without his head.
[Reconstructing your body and soul requires some effort even for me, Sir. I didn't want to waste it on meaningless things.] Rosa responded calmly, but there was contempt and mockery in her tone. Contempt for the weak, mockery for the useless.
This is how she now saw most of the people occupying the Garden of Swords.
Once the process of becoming an Evil God was completely finished, even the few who were considered somewhat useful would no longer be needed.
'Perhaps this is how Cyron viewed us in the past.'
They were nothing but small creatures that made the ground they walked on a little less empty, easily crushed with a finger or a breath.The current Rosa sees most of the clan members this way.
Padler belonged to the best of the creatures, but he was no different from the others in that he failed in the tasks assigned to him.
The same was true for all those who remained in the mausoleum like Padler.
Rosa was aware that she was becoming a being that did not need anyone's help, but she felt no particular emotion.
The only thing that stimulated her was Jin, her youngest son.
She not only laughed sarcastically but also genuinely laughed only when she thought of Jin or saw him.
Just a few minutes ago, when she summoned Padler, she had laughed while looking Jin in the eyes.
"I hope this doesn't happen again," she said.
[Oh... Is that so?] replied Padler, and Rosa hesitated whether to scold him before letting out a hollow laugh.
[It seems that your grudge against Runcandel is not as deep as I thought, Sir. The vengeful ghosts I have seen so far always tried to survive and stab their opponents in any situation... they didn't shine as if they didn't care how it ended, like you, Sir.]
[I'm not your slave, Rosa Runcandel. I'll decide that on my own.]
[Yes, Sir, you're not my slave. You're just the remnants of the past that came into existence thanks to me. You're useless to be my slave, Sir.]
Padler showed no particular reaction to Rosa's insulting words.
Instead, he seemed amused and suppressed a smile.
[You speak well. Actually, you didn't need the help of a remnant like me, so why didn't you let me disappear?]
[It's the same reason as yours.]
Padler laughed once more.
[I thought you needed me, but that wasn't the case.]
Rosa looked into his eyes.
[That's right. Just as your revenge is already over, I didn't know my power would stabilize so quickly.]
It was no different than Padler's revenge being over.
-[What I want is not the rebirth of Runcandel, but their corruption and destruction. Descendant of Temar, your mother. This power that chose Rosa Runcandel will eventually sink Runcandel into Hell.]
As he said during his first fight with Jin, Padler only wanted the destruction of Runcandel.
Since he came to the human world, he only felt a blind hatred toward Runcandel.
That's why Ilina didn't even have to take special measures like breaking his spirit or brainwashing him. Instead, at that moment, Ilina tried to keep Rosa under control through Padler.
However, the moment he saw Rosa, who had become an evil god after the fight, Padler realized that his purpose had already been achieved.
The Garden of Swords had already become a land that could no longer be called Runcandel, and if it reached the end, Rosa would eventually destroy herself and engulf the entire world.
Even Ilina's plan to keep Rosa under control through Padler had lost its meaning.
It had become impossible to contain her within Runcandel, even with strong individuals like Padler.
Moreover, it was no longer necessary to contain her. The evil god she had become was naturally staining the entire world with despair.
[Then why don't you regain your power and eliminate me? I don't understand why you're going to so much trouble.]
Just as Rosa was about to respond, Ilina opened her mouth first.
"Sir Padler, you seem very tired. It hasn't been long since you returned to the human world, and your mind and soul are already full of thoughts of wanting to end your existence, which have already become miserable."
[Ilina.]
"But Sir Padler, the patriarch is no longer a human being but a god. Your existence is entirely in the hands of the patriarch, and as far as I know... most gods tend to respect the fate of mortals."
[Fate? What are you suddenly talking about?]
"It means that only those who fulfill their destiny can rest in the peace of destruction. If your revenge had truly ended, the patriarch would have annihilated you immediately, Sir, even if you didn't desire it. But that is not the case. You still have something left to do, Sir."
Padler glared at Ilina.
"How ridiculous is it that someone who was once revered as one of the Ten Great Knights ends his revenge only with the help of someone else? Don't you need to have done something yourself, even a little, to deserve to rest? Moreover, the person you hate so much has also awakened, Sir..."
[Are you talking about Bale?]
"Yes, Bale Runcandel. Please try to eliminate him, who is suspected to be the remnant of another god. If you do, then the patriarch will give you peace, appreciating the fact that you fought to complete your destiny."
Padler didn't answer for a while, then turned around as if he was going to leave.
[...Anyway, the moment Bale stood in front of Rosa-nim, he was no different from me. Patriarch, I don't know why you're doing this when you're already prepared to end the world by yourself.]
"Sir, you don't need to know the will of the patriarch."
[However, since I am a remnant, I will join you in your game once more.]
As he left the cabin, Ilina bowed her head to Rosa.
"I apologize if I overstepped, patriarch. He will be stubborn until the end. Those who have nothing to lose nor special desires are the problem. It's better than being greedy for something you're incompetent at."
[As Sir Padler said. I was considering simply annihilating him, but now that you have intervened, I'll let it pass.]
"I did it because it was a waste."
[It may be so from your perspective. Your actions were presumptuous, but your intention was not to underestimate me as before, so I will overlook it.]
"Thank you for your understanding."
[I don't respect the fate of humans, much less Sir Padler. Only the younger one deserves respect. However, if today's work adds something to the story of Sir and the younger one, then I will reward you. My thoughts might change a bit.]
Ilina's expression brightened.
"It will definitely be so. Even if my mother wakes up later, I will remain your most faithful servant, patriarch....."
[Bring the Second Flagbearer tomorrow. Tell him I will punish him for his past failures.]
"Understood."
Meanwhile, the Vamel Alliance looked at the sky after the battle from the bottom of the seabed.
Perhaps due to Padler's sudden disappearance, Bale showed a clear sign of anger as he spread his golden energy across the sky.
The only one Rosa summoned back to Ram was Padler.
[Insignificant bastards, tell me where Padler has fled!]
The remaining chaos dragon, the black ships, the knights, and Lionel and Stam had to endure Bale's anger.
[Otherwise, you can all flee, and I will destroy every last one of your fortresses. Where is Runcandel Castle?]
Lionel and Stam were no longer in a condition to respond.
They had been shattered by Bale's energy after foolishly separating from the group to try and rescue Padler.
'Why did Rosa only save Sir Padler? It can't be just because she lacks the power to summon everyone else back.'
When Rosa looked at the ocean floor through Padler's eyes, Jin instantly felt Rosa's power.
It was enough to crush him instantly, as if it were an infinite power that could be called a god.
"Does this mean that everything other than Sir Padler is useless to Rosa?"
Jin shuddered at the thought that starting below Padler was literally useless to Rosa.
Rosa was becoming stronger than himself. Jin was already convinced that if she could fly directly from Hufester, she could destroy the world in a matter of days.
A huge wall that seemed impossible to break awaited him beyond the sea.
"Jin?"
Valeria grabbed Jin by the shoulder.
When he turned around, all his companions were looking at him with worried expressions.
Jin had unconsciously shown an anxious face since Padler disappeared.
Jin looked at his companions for a moment and then shook his head.
"Rosa has become stronger. To the point that I don't understand why she bothered to save Sir Padler right now."
Jin's comrades nodded as if they understood.
"...Maybe the day we have to fight Rosa will come sooner than Orgal predicted."
Jin had the feeling that perhaps Rosa would handle everything alone at that moment, without even caring about people like Padler.
And unlike that monster, he would not fight alone.
"But now is not the time to worry about that. It's better to calm that old man of the Ten Great Knights."
"Oh, Jin. Should I tell him to stop now?"
Jin smiled at Sandra and shook his head.
"I'll stop him myself. All those who want to harm us are dead. However, it's necessary to help him face the truth."
Sreung!
Jin drew his sword once again.
"So tell Bale-nim to deal with me. And threaten him that you will never see him again if he harms the rest of my comrades except me."
"What if something goes wrong with Jin?"
"If I fight Bale-nim with the certainty that he will never attack my comrades, that will never happen."
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