Chapter 354: The One Who Remembers - Epilogue
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 354: The One Who Remembers - Epilogue
The kingdom was very small. There was nothing around it, and each day was a torment in the barren environment. There were joyful moments, but I remember there being far more painful ones.
I was not a great man. Though I called myself the prince of the continent, I was a very small person, one who cherished and loved myself far more than the kingdom.
I loved the sword. I adored the time spent quietly swinging my blade, but the reactions of those around me were not so favorable.
My father was not strong, but he was a great man. He was a man who truly loved his people, and I lived my life respecting a father who was so different from me. I believed that the things he did were things I could never do.
One day, winged beings calling themselves angels descended and spoke.
“You shall be able to head to heaven.”
At the angels’ words, the people smiled, and a festival continued for hundreds of days. Everyone believed they would go to heaven, and a sacred light poured down from the sky as if to bless us.
My father watched this and muttered.
“This is a good thing.”
At the time, I could not understand my father’s words. Everyone looked joyful and everyone looked happy, but it was something I could not comprehend. The talk of going to heaven, of being freed from suffering—it was all just words that were hard to understand. But I kept my mouth shut.
The kingdom’s high priest was the first to be chosen. An angel descended and touched his body, which was then engulfed in light and scattered. He let out a single cry of awe and vanished on the spot. Everyone blessed the priest with astonished eyes, and the others eagerly awaited their own turn. At first, it was one or two, but later, dozens disappeared into light at once. I quietly watched the spectacle.
The sight of angels descending from the sky had now become a common occurrence. If I looked out the window, I could often see people being engulfed in light and disappearing. Unlike the joyful masses, I quietly swung my sword. I believed that the living present was more important.
A little more time passed, and the next to be chosen was my father. He was overjoyed at the fact that he could ascend to heaven, but I was not.
I blocked my father from entering the light. He grew angry and struck me, but the conviction that this was wrong grew ever firmer within me.
An angel descended into the castle. The beings with noble wings began to bestow blessings upon my father, who was about to be enveloped in light. With trembling eyes, my father took a step to enter it.
I did not stand by and watch. Instead of following their words to heaven, I chose resistance.
The moment I saw the angel, who had created the light and was waiting for my father, raise the corner of its lips in a smirk, I could no longer hold back and cut off its head with my sword.
“You foolish boy! Do you know what you have done! Ahhh… this! What is to be done about this!”
“There is no heaven, Father. These are false beings.”
“You have sold your soul to a demon. The false one is you, fallen prince. Throw this boy in prison at once!”
I did not spend much time in prison.
There were others who thought as I did.
“You are the pillar of this nation. We will fight with you.”
“Please… lead us.”
I don’t even remember their names now. But I understood the meaning with which they had come to me.
I escaped the kingdom and fought against the angels for a long time. There were times I even fought my father’s army.
We called those who descended from the sky demons, but the people called us, who fought them, the demons.
“Fallen prince. I am ashamed that you are my son.”
“We are fighting to live, Father.”
“I will hear no more of your sophistry. You filthy son.”
The battle dragged on. The longer it went, the less the angels showed themselves. All those who yearned to go to heaven cursed the fallen prince. All the surrounding kingdoms and other races despised and cursed the fallen prince.
‘We lost our chance because of you. The angels will only descend once the fallen prince who colluded with demons is killed.’
‘We curse you, army of the fallen prince.’
‘It’s because of you lot. We lost the chance for so many to be happy. We curse the fallen prince.’
‘The fallen prince and his army will go to neither heaven nor hell. They will live their lives in eternal torment.’
There were times I didn’t want to fight, and times I was so exhausted I wanted to give up.
What sustained me were the words my father had told me in my youth.
‘Look after the people. Do not think you are alone. Do not think you are lonely. Always think of those by your side.’
With those who fought alongside me, I was not lonely. I believed I was not alone. And so, I closed my eyes.
When I opened them again, much had changed. The kingdom was burning, and people were screaming. The angels who had descended from the sky began to capture and kill the humans, and the blood of the fallen formed a river.
‘It is all because of the fallen prince. Look at that sight.’
‘Look at that cursed form.’
‘It’s because of that monster, who is neither dead nor alive. This kingdom has been cursed by the angels.’
I fought. I clashed with those who descended from the sky, and the battle continued for a long, long time. Those who had believed in and followed me, my army, also began to slowly rise to their feet. We reclaimed our country from the invaders from the sky, and I met my respected father once more.
“I was wrong. That you became like this… it is all because of me. There is no heaven. Those who came from the sky are violating us, and nothing remains for those who vanished into the light. My beloved son. I am always so sorry.”
“...............................”
“The people who once praised their father’s greatness are no more. They are all dead or have left, and nothing remains.”
“....................”
“My son, this may be this unworthy father’s final wish. Please… please… raise… this… kingdom… once… more.”
I nodded my head.
For the kingdom I had loved and dedicated my entire life to.
*
“Sob… So? What happened?”
“Hmm…”
“Sniffle… So what happened? What came next?”
“It’s corrupted, so I can’t see it properly. It’s a miracle we even found a book like this… I think the story probably ends here.”
At Jung Hayeon’s words, Mev wiped her tears and slowly spoke.
“It’s so sad… sob…”
“I think this is the story of the undead that Blood Dagger fought at the end. It seems this is the life they lived before we came here.”
Jung Hayeon nodded. She felt she now understood why the undead known as the Fallen Prince had been building a large castle at the edge of the Northern Continent. The undead have no reason to settle on land. They require no food, clothing, or shelter. They were beings who knew no discomfort and could feel no emotion.
And yet, the massive ancient castle was incredibly magnificent.
The ancient castle, which couldn’t even maintain its previous form due to the impact of the Mage Tower’s fall, and the incredibly luxurious-looking items inside, only served to further convince her that her thoughts were correct. The one called the Fallen Prince must have vaguely retained his past memories. Of course, after so much time had passed, they might have become like a hazy, veiled screen, impossible to see clearly.
But still.
‘For the revival of the kingdom. He fought endlessly.’
One thing was certain: the Fallen King had wanted to increase the number of his people.
Even after the ones from the sky—the ones he had to fight and drive out—had disappeared, he had fought on endlessly. He kept fighting because of the words that sustained him.
It was a moving enough story even from a Green Skin’s perspective, so it was no surprise that Mev was shedding so many tears.
“Sob… sniffle… Do you think he met his father again?”
“I’m not sure. This was a human who believed there was no such thing as heaven. He might have thought that death was simply the end. That’s why he fought against those who descended from the sky.”
“Mmm… Let’s look for something else. There might be another story.”
“Mev, you do remember… that we’re only here for cleanup, right? Blood Dagger told us not to get sidetracked…”
“This… this isn’t getting sidetracked. The Chief will probably like this, too… If we tell him that these undead weren’t just fighting out of hatred for the living, but for something they held in their hearts… the other Green Skins will all nod in agreement. I’m sure they’ll like it.”
Mev often spouted nonsense, but Jung Hayeon had to admit that she could be quite sharp at times. The little fairy was right. The war had inflicted a great wound upon the continent. Many humans had died, and a great many Green Skins had fallen as well.
It should have been a glorious and honorable battle. But from the undead’s perspective, it was a meaningless struggle. Immediately after the battle ended, the green warriors had looked rather empty. They had lost comrades and brothers, but they did not raise their cups to toast an honorable death.
For them, fighting those who had risen again must have been like shadow boxing.
One who rises again is not a warrior.
One who rises again is merely the dead.
That is what they believed.
The basis for what Mev was saying was likely rooted in this sentiment.
“You have a point.”
“Hehe. Right? Hayeon! Look at this! A new book! This time, it seems to be a story about a great knight.”
“Is it the undead that fought the North Knight?”
“I don’t know.”
Just as Jung Hayeon was once again thinking about them, Mev spoke again.
“Hey… Hayeon?”
“Yes?”
“What do you think? When you die, is that really the end?”
“I, at least, think it’s the end. There might not be such things as heaven or hell.”
“What about the God of the Battlefield?”
“I’m not sure. If there were something like an afterlife, there would be no reason to live so earnestly, would there? The God of the Battlefield wants us to live.”
“Plants are smart, so maybe you’re right, Hayeon. But it’s a little sad. To think that the Green Skins who fought with us are gone now. The humans who fought with us are gone, too.”
Jung Hayeon glanced down at Mev. She truly looked excessively dejected. Though she hadn’t spoken much with Mev, Jung Hayeon nodded and slowly opened her mouth.
“That’s not true.”
“Huh?”
“We remember them, don’t we?”
“Ah…”
“I don’t know for sure, but these undead will be remembered, too. If this story spreads, that is.”
“I see…”
“Yes.”
“Right. They were strong. They fought on par with the Chief, after all.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve decided. I’m going to make new cards!”
“Sigh…”
“New cards. Do you think the Chief would hate it if I made cards out of these undead?”
“No. I don’t think he’d care much, but…”
“Then it’s right to make them! A new expansion pack! The Specter of the Fallen Prince!”
“Please… stop…”
“Lapura will definitely love it. Laveua will probably even dance!”
“...............”
“You don’t look happy…”
“................”
“No… I was just thinking it might not be a bad idea. Originally…”
“Huh?”
“Originally… everyone has their own way of remembering.”
- End of Green Skin Part 3.