C774
When Maliet said that, the scene suddenly changed.
September 7, 1391.
Five months after Maliet had told Honka about her curse, Jin and Valeria once again surveyed their surroundings.
Buildings were burning and collapsing, and screams filled the air. The smell of blood and ash permeated the atmosphere.
‘...This is a battlefield. The Spectres, right?’
‘It seems to be the moment when my ancestor and the Zipple clashed in combat.’
Kwaaang-!
An explosion suddenly erupted in front of the two, revealing the figure of Maliet.
She was blocking the Spectres' magic with a shield."I didn’t expect you to appear here, Maliet Histor. How did you get in?"
Despite being surrounded by the Spectres, Maliet remained unfazed. Instead, she smiled and replied, "How did I get in? I simply came."
The Spectres showed no visible reaction but were clearly bewildered.
The current location of the battle was Drakka. Although it was on the outskirts, one of the most wanted criminals of the Zipple had appeared in the capital of the Lutero Magical Federation.
"Do you think I don’t know that your patriarch and your captain are absent? The answer is yes. Here in Drakka, there is no force that can stop me. That’s what I’m saying. So, let’s not waste our strength and pass peacefully. I only need to find one person."
Furthermore, there was a secret underground prison on the outskirts of Drakka.
Maliet had come to rescue Rock Histor, who was imprisoned there.
"Don’t you also want to avoid unnecessary casualties? Let’s consider today as a loss and retreat. After all, almost every time you fight against my clan, you end up losing."
"Yes, considering your original battle prowess, it might be better for us. Rock Histor is not that important. But we also understand your situation. The blood of Kian. I don’t know how you’re enduring that pain, but the curse our captain placed on you is definitely working."
When affected by the blood of Kian, most people could endure for a month at most. For Maliet, it had been two years.
Maliet didn’t respond and shrugged.
"Well, if you’re so eager to die, I can’t help it."
"You’re still bluffing, huh? If you were your old self, the five of us would already be dead. Attack!"
At the leader’s command, the Spectres resumed their assault.
The scattered bodies of the Zipple magicians were torn apart by their mana.
Maliet was enveloped in a painful sensation, as if her blood were boiling due to the curse.
However, even in the midst of it, she wielded her staff and deflected the enemies’ magic.
Although neither the captain nor the patriarch were present, it would be impossible to survive and retreat if the battle dragged on much longer.
This place was the fortress of the Zipple, and reinforcements kept arriving.
Thus, Maliet decided to take a risk.
Even if the curse intensified further, she thought she could gather her mana and quickly end the situation.
Histor’s Secret Magic: Temple of the Second Succession
Golden Spear
When Maliet completed her spell, a massive cloud of golden mana formed in the sky.
From within it, thousands of small golden spears and one gigantic golden spear rained down.
Both Jin and Valeria momentarily stood in awe at the power of that magic.
The golden spears, falling like rain, instantly pierced the Spectres' shields.
The largest spear remained embedded at the center of the battlefield, continuously radiating waves of magical power.
The Spectres, who had been trying to reinforce their shields, had no choice but to scatter and dodge the shockwaves.
At the same time, Maliet unleashed other elemental magic, striking them down one by one.
"Kahak...!"
Maliet spat out a mouthful of blood.
She felt the energy of the curse rapidly intensifying.
Among the Spectres, two people survived, but both were too injured to continue fighting.
Instead of finishing them off, Maliet advanced and deployed a record window.
It described the location of the underground prison where Histor was held.
The entrance to the underground prison was revealed when she broke the ground of a collapsed building.
"Who, who is it? Save us!"
"Please, save us!"
The prisoners had been hearing the vibrations and noises from the ongoing battle outside their cells. Some guards pointed their swords and staves at Maliet, but she ignored them. Unable to muster the courage to oppose Maliet, they quickly fled the prison.
"Rock! Where are you?" Maliet shouted as she broke down all the prison doors.
The freed prisoners briefly expressed their gratitude to Maliet and hurriedly escaped.
Hearing no response from Rock, she once again deployed the record magic.
Numerous records were scattered around the area, so the results took some time to appear.
After about five minutes, the record showed that Rock Histor had already passed away.
Maliet bit her lower lip and bowed her head.
Rock had been her lover.
However, there was no time to mourn his remains.
Once again, she heard noise from above.
"The underground prison! Pour your magic into the prison!"
Under the barrage of magic from the Zipple reinforcements, the ceiling of the prison completely collapsed.
Maliet extended her shield and desperately searched for Rock's body, but most of the prison was already engulfed in flames.
At the moment she felt a wave of despair for her escape, Maliet heard a voice.
It was the voice of a child crying out for help.
When she opened the prison door where the sound was coming from, she found a boy about eight years old. She hesitated for a moment upon seeing the boy's hair color, but Maliet extended her hand.
"Let’s get out of here together."
Maliet took the boy and fought her way through the Zipple reinforcements as they escaped the prison.
It took her two days to successfully escape and reach her hideout. As soon as she arrived, Maliet’s body felt as heavy as a thousand kilos, and she collapsed to the ground.
When she regained consciousness, the first thing Maliet saw was the image of the boy looking at her, his trembling hand holding a dagger.
It was the dagger that had been in the hideout.
"...Are you going to stab me with that dagger?"
The boy didn’t respond and clenched his teeth.
"I knew you were a Zipple child from the moment I found you. You were probably kept there as punishment, whether as an illegitimate son of the Zipple patriarch or as someone who saw something they weren’t supposed to."
Maliet understood that the boy was holding the knife, possibly intending to kill her so he could return to his family.
"Lower the knife, you haven’t done anything wrong yet. I offer you a chance to live. Live as a human, not as a tool or puppet of the Zipple."
The boy hesitated but eventually lunged at Maliet with the dagger.
Maliet easily deflected the boy’s strike with a simple motion of her hand, without using magic.
The boy fell to the ground and began to cry.
"You couldn’t stab me, so you’re still innocent. Let’s leave it at that. While my body recovers, I’ll provide you with a foundation to live your life. Forget all your memories up until now and start anew."
Maliet harbored a deep hatred for the Zipple more than anyone else.
However, she didn’t want to cling to that hatred and extend it to innocent children who had never taken part in the fierce wars between clans.
A week later, when Maliet was able to move properly, she took the boy to the land of the Beastmen and disguised them.
She gave the boy a new identity and forged identification documents.
Now, the boy would live his life as a commoner named Iello, not Iello Zipple.
"Iello, in my life, I’ve lost many family members and loved ones to the Zipple. However, the reason I saved you is because, if you look closely, you and I are in the same situation. You were born as a Zipple, but the Zipple abandoned you, and you lost your family."
Iello broke down in tears and hugged Maliet.
"Free yourself from the cycle of hatred and live your own life. Since you have no more siblings, there’s no need for you to seek revenge. Both my clan and yours need more children like you who choose to live their lives instead of fighting."
"Maliet... How can I repay this kindness?"
"The only way to repay me is by living well. And one day, when you have the chance, extend a hand to someone else, as I did for you. Grow to be bright and brave, Iello."
After that, Maliet never knew what kind of life Iello lived.
But until the day Maliet met her end, the Zipple never found the hideout where she stayed with Iello.
And so Jin and Valeria witnessed Maliet’s entire life.
She protected numerous Histors from the Zipple and saved many people. However, she didn’t seem burdened by it.
She didn’t appear lonely, lost in sorrow, nor consumed by hatred, turned into a monster.
She simply seemed like someone who enjoyed life.
She valued each of her actions, not out of duty or obligation, but as a person following her own beliefs.
Not even the curse of the blood of Kian could dim her spirit.
December 20, 1393, winter.
Maliet finally completed the golem for her successor in the succession temple on Honka Island.
"Fortunately, I managed to finish it in time. Golem, I had planned to give you a name when you were complete, but on second thought, it’s better for my successor to do so."
[Understood, Master.]
"Your land, my succession temple, is dangerous, but if you have the skills, you will never die. Also, if you pass all the trials, it will help you grow. If someone bypasses the traps and takes a shortcut, check their hair and mana. If it’s red and a complete mana body, then they’re the successor, and you can proceed with the additional trials."
[I will remember. Shortcut user, Zipple. All secret traps, self-destruct devices, activate. First-class hostility, activate.]
"Exactly. Well, I guess I should be going now... It’s a shame I couldn’t create more memories with you."
[It is... also a shame, Master. But, you must go. To the designated place, the final destination of life.]
Maliet’s curse had reached its peak, and she no longer possessed her once imposing presence.
Her skeleton remained formidable, but her appearance had become grotesque. However, her eyes still sparkled with mischief.
Maliet turned her head toward the empty space where Jin and Valeria stood watching.
"Descendant, this will be the last thing I, Maliet Histor, say to you."
Those who carry a predetermined fate cannot change the world.
Even if they do, they end up straying from their path. Don’t become a monster like many of my clan members and comrades."
After saying this, Maliet struggled to breathe.
"You don’t have to become a monster to fight the monsters known as Zipples. Fight when you must, and show love when needed. Sometimes, you must forgive the bloodline of your enemies. Don’t let duty and obligation push you into a dark and desolate existence. Live with brightness and courage."
Maliet smiled for a moment, gazing at the empty space where Jin and Valeria were watching her.
She then left and bid farewell to Honka.
[...Are you leaving?]
"Yes, I feel like I’ll die within five hours. I considered spending my last moments by your side, but... I think I should go. To Rock."
[Then, it’s goodbye.]
"Yes, it’s goodbye. Apart from feeling uneasy because you won’t leave here even if I die, I feel relieved."
Honka embraced Maliet without saying a word, just as he had when he hugged her for the first time.
Tears streamed down his face as her frail body touched his.
[Someday, let’s meet again.]
"Yes, Honka. Oh, until you feel like leaving this island, keep an eye on the successors who come here. It’s my way of saying make sure they meet the conditions I left behind. It will be a small but pleasant challenge."
Thus, Maliet made her way to the outskirts of Drakka, where she had failed to recover Rock’s remains.
And so, the record of Maliet came to an end.
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