Ending Maker Chapter 122
Ending Maker Chapter 122
Chapter 46 - Traffic Control #2
Arthur Chase.
The current Count Chase and simultaneously the master of the Red Dawn Tower.
At his appearance, Red Wind, who had been engaged in a war of nerves with Lucas, flinched and stiffened.
'He's no ordinary person!'
She could tell the moment she faced him.
It wasn't only because of his tall stature and imposing build, which made it hard to believe he was a mage—he could have passed for a first-rate warrior.
Nor was it because of his handsome face, which seemed to embody sternness and solemnity.
The phoenix was telling her.
The man before her eyes was one beloved by fire.
He was a flame mage who had reached a tremendous realm.
He was not a spirit. Nor was he one who commanded spirits.
But the powerful aura of fire felt from him was enough to rival that of a Wild God.
"Ah."
Lena was also impressed.
She had met many mages since the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom, but the man before her now was the finest.
He possessed talent and skill that could be sensed on instinct the moment she met him.
'It's like looking at Fran.'
Fran the druid, one of the Five Heroes.
He too possessed powerful magic based on the forces of nature, and in many ways he resembled Count Chase.
'Though their expressions are completely different.'
Unlike Count Chase, who was the very crystallization of sternness, solemnity, and seriousness, Fran's face was that of a mischievous brat.
"Dad! Ah, no. Father, please greet her. This is the Holy Angel, Lena Einsberg."
It was just then.
Adelia blocked Count Chase's path as he strode toward Yuder and Cordelia, and spoke hurriedly.
She couldn't leave Lena, of all people, just standing there awkwardly.
"Holy Angel?"
"Yes, this is Lady Lena."
Adelia smiled brightly and pointed to Lena, and Count Chase turned to look at Lena before offering a swift but dignified bow.
"Arthur Chase greets the hero of the Paragon Kingdom."
"Lena Einsberg greets Count Chase, master of the Red Dawn Tower."
When Lena bowed politely, Count Chase wore a somewhat surprised expression, and Cordelia and Adelia were greatly delighted.
'As expected of our dad!'
Lena had mentioned the Red Dawn Tower even though no one had told her about it.
In other words, she had at least a rough knowledge of Count Chase even before this first meeting.
"How could I not know? The Red Storm, the pride of the Saelun Kingdom."
Count Chase's alias.
And in fact, it was a natural turn of events.
Count Chase was truly a remarkable person.
He was one of the Four Northern Powers, and a powerful battle mage ranked among the top ten on the entire continent.
The military achievements he had accumulated since his youth were also immense, so his fame was widely known even in foreign lands.
"Hm hm, you flatter me."
Count Chase cleared his throat and spoke with dignity, but Adelia could tell.
The corners of her father's lips had twitched upward.
Lena smiled gently and said,
"Count Chase, please speak informally with me."
After all, Count Chase was a full ten years older than Lena.
But Count Chase shook his head.
"No, how could I speak casually?"
It wasn't because she was one of the Five Heroes who had ended the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom.
Lena was someone who had reached the realm of an Archmage, and counting the age of an Archmage was meaningless.
"Indeed, I believe I now understand why I find myself admiring Lady Cordelia every time I see her."
"You flatter me."
After a round of warm pleasantries, Lena quietly stepped back.
She couldn't keep Count Chase, who had come with business to attend to, indefinitely.
Count Chase answered Lena's consideration with a silent nod, then turned back to Yuder and Cordelia.
"Yuder, you look especially frail today."
It wasn't his usual nitpicking or excuse-making(?).
Yuder's face was pale and the area under his eyes was dark—he truly looked like a patient.
"That's......"
"It's not Yuder's fault! It's because I used Mana Drain on him!"
Cordelia quickly stepped forward and shouted. At the sight of her puffing herself up with both arms spread wide as if protecting Yuder, Count Chase frowned slightly.
He was pleased that the love between the two was deep, but the situation of Cordelia protecting Yuder was not at all to his liking.
And one more thing.
"Cordelia, did you say Mana Drain?"
"Huh? Uh...... yes."
When Cordelia flinched and answered, Count Chase clicked his tongue.
"It must be a witch's spell."
"......Yes."
The fact that Cordelia had obtained a witch's power had already been reported through Lucas.
Count Chase narrowed his brow once more, but did not get angry.
Mana Drain was certainly an effective and efficient spell, but at the same time it was a wicked one.
It was a technique that stole the force of life and converted it into mana.
'A pity, but perhaps it is fate.'
It was a power already obtained. It would not do to simply suppress it recklessly.
But it was just then.
"Father, it is my fault. I told Cordelia to use Mana Drain."
Yuder stepped forward again and spoke, and Cordelia, startled by the declaration, hastily pulled Yuder back.
"N-no, that's not true! I'm the one who used it! Yuder did nothing wrong! Don't scold him!"
At that desperate cry from the two of them—or at least from Cordelia—everyone nearby felt similar emotions.
Heartwarming.
Cute.
Lovely.
And at the same time, sickening to watch.
A pair who each stepped forward claiming fault and trying to protect the other.
"Well, fine. If he's frail, then we simply need to make him not frail."
With those words, Count Chase set down his bag, and Yuder's eyes began to shine.
But it was just at that moment.
"This won't do after all."
Count Chase muttered quietly.
It was because of the flow of the battlefield.
The ravens were pushing back the Angry Rhino Tribe, but that didn't mean the battle was completely over.
The fates of many could change depending on whether Count Chase joined the fight or not, so this was no time to be taking it easy.
"Gale, Adelia."
"Yes, Father."
"Yes, Dad."
Looking at the faces of the two as they answered and stepped forward, they seemed to already know what he was going to say.
So Count Chase got straight to the point.
"Protect Yuder and Cordelia. I'll be back."
"Yes, Father."
"Yes, Dad."
As soon as the two answered, Count Chase bowed once more to Lena, then rose into the air.
"I shall return."
And just like that, toward the ravens.
When Count Chase disappeared again, Cordelia let out a sigh of relief without realizing it, and Yuder, who seemed to stagger for a moment, collapsed as if falling into Cordelia's arms.
"Y-Yuder?!"
"Sorry, my legs gave out."
"I told you not to push yourself. Let's lie down again. I'll give you a lap pillow."
Cordelia carefully lowered herself while holding Yuder in her arms, then gave him a lap pillow just as she had said.
"How is it? Is it okay?"
"Yeah...... it's perfect. Thanks."
At Cordelia's worry-filled question, Yuder answered gently and then closed his eyes.
'She really is kind.'
Because when he was hurt and struggling, Cordelia became endlessly gentle, unlike usual.
'This is nice.......'
This must be paradise.
As Yuder enjoyed his time of bliss, Adelia narrowed her eyes.
Because in her eyes, she could plainly see Yuder's dark desires as he thoroughly deceived the kind and innocent Cordelia.
'That, that. He's a complete fraud.'
But it was also an awkward situation to say anything. Gale was right beside her, after all.
'That guy, seriously.'
Gale, who had grasped Yuder's true intentions even better than Adelia, smiled bitterly and turned to look at the battlefield, while Lucas and Red Wind began their staring contest again.
And after about half an hour.
When the tide of battle had turned enough that the ravens began chasing down the remnants of the Angry Rhino Tribe—no, when the battle had effectively concluded—Count Chase returned.
"Still frail, are you?"
Count Chase clicked his tongue and opened his bag, and in that instant, the gazes of everyone present focused on the bag.
'As expected of Father.'
What had he brought today?
Yuder was expectant, and Count Chase did not disappoint.
"Eat. It's nothing much, but it will help you recover your strength."
"Whoa."
Yuder caught the casually tossed item and opened his eyes wide in surprise, and Cordelia was the same.
'Isn't this Baraman's Elixir?'
'Right! That's it!'
A rare item that increased not only stamina but also the absolute value of one's energy.
It was an item that appeared only after the midpoint in the original work, and at the current point in time, it was extremely difficult to obtain.
"Hmph, it's a trifling thing. Take this as a bonus."
And another item came flying.
This time too, Yuder and Cordelia's eyes sparkled. It was the Will of Steel, which made the bones of the one who consumed it as hard as iron. This too was a rare item that could not be obtained in the early stages no matter how much one wanted it.
"Ahh, Father. Ahh, Father."
Respect, gratitude, and love welled up in Yuder's eyes, and Cordelia was excited too.
But there was one person who was not.
"Dad, hold on."
Adelia, who had stepped forward, narrowed her eyes as she looked at the items in Yuder's hands, then turned toward Count Chase.
"Dad, isn't this a bit too much?"
The implication packed into those not-so-long words was obvious, so Count Chase cleared his throat.
"Hm...... that is......."
"That's too much. You're blatantly playing favorites."
"Um...... Lady Adelia."
"Lord Gale, stay out of this."
Adelia stopped Gale from stepping forward and continued to stare at Count Chase, and Count Chase cleared his throat again.
In truth, just as Adelia said, he had played favorites.
If the items given to Gale were high-grade, the items given to Yuder were top-grade.
The reason was simple: first, the difference in preparation time.
Unlike Yuder's share, which had been prepared over a long period, Gale's share had been prepared in a genuine hurry.
Naturally, there was bound to be a difference in quality.
And there was one more reason.
"Sis, our Yuder is still growing. He's at the age where he's about to shoot up."
With a sense of crisis that Yuder's share might be taken away if she stayed quiet, Cordelia opened fire.
Either way, he was our Yuder.
As someone playing Princess Maker—no, Yuder Maker—how could she let him be robbed?
At Cordelia's entry into the fray, Adelia's eyes sharpened.
To think her little sister, who had always been endlessly lovable, would change like this. It was almost enough to feel betrayed.
"Hey, what are you talking about? And our Lord Gale still has room to grow too, you know?"
"No, ahem. Lady Adelia."
Gale was already in his late twenties. What more was there for him to grow?
"Why wouldn't there be? He can build more muscle, and he can improve his body by eating healthy things."
Adelia cut off Gale's protest and glared at Cordelia again, and Cordelia put on a serious expression of her own, as if refusing to lose.
And so began the feast of "our Yuder" and "our Gale."
Embarrassment and satisfaction rose simultaneously on the faces of Yuder and Gale, and Count Chase clicked his tongue before releasing his mana.
When Cordelia and Adelia flinched at the release of mana powerful enough to shake the surrounding air, he continued speaking.
"That's enough. I'll take better care of you next time."
"No......."
"I said stop."
At Count Chase's low command, Adelia pressed her lips shut and stepped back, and Cordelia let out a sigh of relief.
'I won.'
Either way, she had protected it.
Cordelia smiled very slightly and turned to Yuder as if asking how she did, and Yuder, suppressing his laughter with effort, praised Cordelia with his eyes alone.
"Anyway, let's continue."
After all, he had to unload everything he had brought.
When Count Chase put his hand into the bag again, everyone's gaze focused on the bag, and Count Chase, who had pulled the item in his hand halfway out, frowned for a moment.
'Hm, this won't do.'
A top-grade virility tonic obtained in Lankebust.
He had bought it without thinking, but it was still too early. Far too early. It was, so to speak, premature.
But the item was already halfway out.
As he tried to put it back, Cordelia immediately latched on.
"Daaad, what is it? Why are you putting it back? Weren't you going to give it to our Yuder?"
He had indeed intended to give it.
But.......
"Hoo, there's no helping it."
Count Chase muttered quietly, and as he tossed the neatly wrapped virility tonic to Yuder, he simultaneously used message magic.
[Eat it a year from now. If you eat it now, I will not forgive you. No, not even a year from now. After the wedding. Understood? Huh? Understood?]
At the terrifying force of it, Yuder nodded without realizing it and tucked the item into his chest.
Cordelia asked what it was with sparkling eyes, but he couldn't answer rashly.
And so, another ten-odd minutes passed.
Finally, Count Chase handed over an empty bag so they could store everything he had given them so far, and wore a satisfied expression, while Cordelia beamed as well.
And there was one person who arrived right on cue.
"Quite lively, aren't you."
Count Hraesvelgr.
When he appeared atop a black warhorse, the atmosphere shifted entirely.
He wasn't particularly displaying hostility, but he was a man whose mere entrance could change the mood around him.
"Father."
When Lucas tried to say something, he cut him off with a look and turned his gaze toward Yuder and Cordelia.
"Indeed, so you two are the fabled pair."
His gaze, expression, and voice were all calm, but Yuder and Cordelia swallowed dryly without realizing it.
A guilty conscience needs no accuser, and they had sins weighing on them.
But Count Hraesvelgr's pressure did not last long.
He had no intention of scolding the two in a place where Count Chase was present in the first place, and there were new arrivals.
"Yuder, Cordelia."
Great Storm approached, radiating the power of a Wild God in full.
It seemed the eastern army, which had been fighting monsters on the hill, had also wrapped things up to some extent.
And behind Great Storm stood Sun Song.
An unmistakable tension arose between Count Hraesvelgr and Sun Song.
The playfulness in the eyes of Lucas and Red Wind had also vanished before they knew it.
The North and the Wild Lands.
Two forces that had been in conflict for long ages.
That was why they could not rashly join hands.
They had somehow combined their strength in this battle, but too much blood had been shed between them to laugh and rejoice together.
The ravens gathered behind Count Hraesvelgr.
Warriors took their places behind Sun Song.
And Great Storm stepped forward.
He looked at Count Hraesvelgr and Count Chase in turn, and finally at Yuder and Cordelia.
Yuder wore a fairly composed expression, while Cordelia didn't know what to do in the current situation.
'Do something!'
Cordelia's eyes said.
Great Storm ultimately laughed.
Whatever the process had been, he stepped forward for the two who had ultimately protected the Wild Lands—no, protected the future of the Wild Lands.
"I shall declare victory. I shall bless the heroes of this victory."
Great Storm was a Wild God.
Count Hraesvelgr and Count Chase bowed as if honoring his divinity, and Great Storm turned to the warriors of the Wild Lands. After turning back to the ravens, he shouted to the heavens.
"The Hell Gate has been destroyed! The corrupted have been annihilated!"
His voice resounded through the sky.
All of the eastern army positioned on the hill looked at Great Storm, and so did the ravens.
"They were wicked demons! They tried to destroy the entire Wild Lands, but they failed. The guardians of the wild—Yuder and Cordelia—thwarted their schemes. They confined the destruction to only a part, and destroyed the Hell Gate the fiends had opened!"
Once more, the sky resounded.
The wild warriors cheered and shouted the names of Yuder and Cordelia.
"Cordelia!"
"Cordelia!"
"Guardian of the wild!"
"Yuder!"
At the tremendous roar, even the unflappable Yuder flinched.
But it wasn't bad. It was a thrill that made the hair all over his body stand on end.
Cordelia felt the same. Her legs felt like they might give out, but at the same time, her heart swelled.
'But Yuder.'
'Hm?'
'Doesn't the story sound a little off?'
Because we were the ones who blew up the Wild Lands, but he was talking as if Haragen had done it.
'Just let it go.'
It was Great Storm's consideration, and an unavoidable choice.
How could they tell the story that the guardians of the wild had blown away every sanctuary in the Wild Lands?
Yuder sent a look, and Great Storm smiled bitterly.
Clenching his fist, he declared in a voice louder than ever before.
"We have won! Victory! Glory to the Wild Lands! Worship to the Golden Dragon King! Honor to the guardians of the wild!"
"Waaaaaah!"
"Guardian of the wild!"
"Yuder! Cordelia!"
The entire eastern army cheered. Amid the earth-shaking cries, Great Storm signaled to Count Chase and Count Hraesvelgr with his eyes, and Count Hraesvelgr raised his sword. Using chivalry, he unleashed a massive shout.
"Ravens! Evil has been vanquished! Victory! Glory to Yuder, knight of the North, and Cordelia, mage of the North! Praise to the victory of the ravens, braver than any!"
"Ooooooh!"
The ravens also cheered with all their might. The will to not lose to the eastern army could be felt.
The plan Great Storm had proposed to get through today.
By highlighting Yuder and Cordelia, the heroes of both sides, they would make everyone recognize, at least for this moment, that they were not enemies.
"Yuder!"
"Cordelia!"
"Yuder!"
"Cordelia!"
Amid the ceaseless cheers, Cordelia felt dizzy. She bit her lip with a reddened face and let out rough breaths, unable to handle her pounding heart.
Because this was truly a first for her.
Her heart felt like it would burst. Her legs felt weak, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Yuder wrapped his arm around Cordelia's waist. Supporting her firmly, he said quietly,
"Just enjoy it."
This moment.
The proof that what we've done hasn't been wrong.
"Yeah!"
Cordelia smiled brightly, and Yuder smiled back.
Amid the frenzied cheers, they savored the victory.