Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Brighter Than Gold☆ (1)
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Before returning the grimoire to its original place, Lotha reread a passage that had caught her attention. But in the shock of the massive tremor that followed, she lost consciousness.
“Ugh…”
And when she suddenly came to,
she found herself in an endless darkness.
“Where… am I…?”
『…』
Rustle—
“…?!”
In the boundless dark.
A golden cat was watching Lotha.
“A cat?”
『…So you, too, were fated to face the beast god of ‘Chaos.’』
Twitch.
The golden cat flickered its small ears, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings. Then, the faint voice of a young girl began to drift in.
『The [Destiny] of this world is set.』
『No matter how much you struggle, it can never be changed.』
『Like a spinning wheel, it is a [Destiny] that repeats for eternity.』
『We live like skeins of thread emerging from the spindle, struggling until we vanish. And when our given lives end, we disappear once more into that deep chaos.』
“…!”
Though the voice was as gentle as someone reading a fairy tale, its content was utterly chilling. Yet the story, echoing from somewhere in the darkness, continued.
『Like the title of a book written with just two characters, we live upon a predetermined [Destiny]. The only way to escape it is to wash the ink of that title away in the river of ‘Chaos.’』
『Our stories are left with only two conclusions: the predetermined title, and complete nothingness.』
“That’s…! Who—who are you to know such things…?! Where is this place…”
Even as Lotha spoke, a chill ran down her spine as she felt she knew who the girl was.
‘Don’t tell me…!’
Where had she been before coming to this unknown space?
What grimoire had she been reading beneath a certain statue?
‘That voice… but why is she telling me this…?’
The more Lotha vaguely guessed the girl's identity, the more terrifying her pessimistic story became, sounding like the absolute truth.
“[The Golden Witch]…!”
The girl's once-gentle voice turned bitter.
『I discovered this when I was completely bound by the destiny of having to fight my nemesis. That is why, avoiding the eyes of the World Tree, I could only pass this ‘story’ on to the one who would one day return with a soul of [Gold].』
The golden cat had begun to move.
It… no, ‘she’ continued her self-deprecation, tail swaying gently.
It was a recollection revealed to a girl of the same fate, met in the distant future, a critique of the thesis that was the life she had written.
[The Golden Witch].
The child who resembled a land of mud spoke words she had never been able to tell anyone her entire life.
『I am a failure. In the end, I couldn’t create a ‘story’ that would allow all races to understand one another. The only ‘story’ I could weave was to create a false world for the beastkin, one where they could escape their fear, as if it were the truth.』
『Since the ‘story’ the beastkin shared was the ‘terror of the weak,’ I created a ‘weapon’ to overcome it… That was all I could do.』
The Golden Armaments.
A glorious magic used only by beastkin mages. Because of that magic, the beastkin became victorious in countless wars. They were no longer the weaklings of this world. They were the masters of a new world.
‘[The Golden Witch]… a failure? That’s impossible.’
Lotha felt dizzy hearing the story.
She had taken in too much information.
The great mage who had written a new law for this universe was debasing herself as a failure. And… the name [Gold] was far too heavy a burden for her to bear.
Lotha rushed her words out as if making an excuse. As if speaking them would undo what she had heard, she pleaded with all her might to [The Golden Witch].
“I—I have the soul of [Gold]?! That can’t be right! I’m incompetent, and… I’m always a burden… And a failure…! Please don’t say that! Your great deeds are beyond reproach!”
『…』
The golden cat remained perfectly still as it listened.
Lotha continued her plea with a desperate voice.
“If—if you are [The Golden Witch], I have a favor to ask…! My precious friends are in trouble right now! Please, tell me the truth that can help them… the magic that can help people! Please…! I’ll risk my life to deliver it, so please…!”
And, with her shoulders trembling violently,
she tried to kneel before the golden cat.
『…』
Twitch.
The golden cat’s ears moved,
and a golden ether lifted Lotha back to her feet.
Vwoom—!
Lotha screamed as she was momentarily suspended in mid-air.
Meeting her eyes, [The Golden Witch] answered.
“Kyaaah—?!”
『…I don’t know either.』
“…What?”
『The only world I know is one of war, where we take up arms and fight each other. And the dark cave I fled into to escape the terror. Other than that… I don’t know much.』
“…”
『At the end of my life, I discovered the fact that ‘I know nothing about this world.’ That was the answer to my [Destiny].』
“…”
Then who did know?
If even the greatest mage of all did not know, then who could possibly find out?
‘[The Violet Spindle]… Freyja?’
Just as that thought crossed Lotha’s mind,
[The Golden Witch] walked toward the awkwardly standing Lotha.
The small golden cat’s eyes sparkled like jewels.
『[Gold] is nothing special.』
“…Pardon?”
『It’s just the name given to the souls of little kids who think thoughts others don’t. My friends always used to tease me for being a ‘kid with strange ideas.’ Hasn’t that happened to you?』
“…I’ve heard that before.”
『I’m actually curious. What will be the title of the book marked with [Gold] after me… and what she thinks about the [Destiny] of this world.』
“…”
So… let’s share our ‘stories.’
Because that is the only way to approach the truth of the world,
and to understand one another.
“…”
Lotha found it difficult to speak.
The first and strongest mage.
The great hero who led all beastkin out of the cave called fear. What ‘story’ could she possibly dare to offer her?
“…”
But…
The memory of her sister’s dance in the garden at sunset.
The voice of the earnest girl who came to save her.
The movement of the large flag that always cheered for her so loudly.
And.
The brilliance of the pink spiral that had advanced with the morning star at its back…
They gave Lotha the strength to open her mouth.
“I…! I believe that everyone living within the ether will one day… surely share the same skills… understand [Destiny], and be able to share each other’s [Destiny].”
『…』
“If the [Destiny] this world gives one person is just two characters, then by connecting different [Destinies], we can make it ten characters… a hundred characters long.”
『…』
“If the ‘story’ created that way shines brilliantly…! Surely even the title of the book will look different! If we can’t change the title of [Destiny], then we’ll change the content of [Destiny] with our story.”
A story that changes, even with the same title.
Not the [Gold] that incites power and greed,
but a story of [Gold] like a radiant sunset.
Magic that connects heart to heart.
A story that connects destiny to destiny.
If our destinies are skeins of thread made by a spinning wheel,
then the beautiful fabric woven from that thread will become the world.
Lotha spoke to [The Golden Witch] in a trembling voice.
“I… will make it not a ‘story for overcoming fear,’ but a ‘happy story that everyone’ living in this world ‘can understand.’”
『…』
This world is not meant to be lived in alone.
It is about weaving different [Destinies] together, creating not a line, but a plane.
If so, even a determined future will become entangled and flow in a different direction.
The consciousness left behind by [The Golden Witch] smiled quietly.
What is needed in despair is not a weapon to overcome fear, but a fairy-tale-like story… Indeed, what a peculiar idea I never would have thought of.
In that case…
For the sake of your wonderful story,
I will erase the story I left behind.
Twitch.
[The Golden Witch] flickered her ears,
and the space, once submerged in darkness, slowly began to glow with a golden light.
『Interesting. Then let’s make that into a new magic. I’ll help you.』
“…What?!”
『My disciples happened to have built a suitable facility inside the library…』
“W-wait a minute, what does that mean…?!”
Let’s create it together.
The law of the new [Destiny] you all will forge from now on.
A story that weaves [Destiny] to flow in a new direction.
A dream-like story… ‘Fairy Tale Magic.’
***
[Hahahahaha!! Kukukuk!! You foolish, inferior species!! This is the destiny of [Conflict]—!! To be enslaved and used while you fight amongst yourselves like idiots!!]
Ófnir’s mockery. His tremendous voice echoed toward everyone near the World Tree.
[O, ‘Serpent’!! O, ancient god, now a slave!! Become my steed and advance upon the World Tree!! Kuahahak—!!]
“──!!!”
Ruuuumble—!!!
Once more.
With an indescribably ominous roar,
the barrier surrounding the World Tree shatters with a deafening crash.
Countless clouds of dust and debris now litter the center of the Golden Street.
“Kuh…?!”
I shielded the unconscious Lotha, who was still clutching the first grimoire, from the fierce aftershock. I had barely managed to get her out after finding her in a corner of the library, but she had yet to regain consciousness.
‘…Lotha.’
The Seekers' library, too, was a wreck of debris and shockwaves, except for the spire leading to the Sage's Chamber, which was protected by magic.
Ruuuumble—!!!
And then came the next shockwave.
The already frightened Seeker students around us scattered in terror.
“Uwaah?!”
“Kyaah?!”
‘…What kind of broken game is this?’
The appearance of a final boss-level raid boss after the ending.
It was like finishing the tutorial only to be shoved into the final, unwinnable boss fight with a starter party. A losing battle from the start.
“…”
With trembling eyes, I watched the barrier crumble. To be precise… I was watching [The Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle], which looked to be easily several kilometers long, as it advanced.
An extra boss with no story.
In the game, it only appeared as an HP-sponge raid boss whose head you fought… but seeing it advance, spewing black ether over a radius of several kilometers, was enough to make one lose all will to fight.
Even Hilde and Freyja, standing beside me, could only watch in stunned silence, their expressions vacant. What can a human do in the face of a natural disaster?
“…”
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence.
The first to speak was Hilde.
“We will… abandon the World Tree. The mission of the Aesir Warlords to protect the World Tree has failed. From now on, while someone draws its attention, we will evacuate as many students as possible from the Golden Street. Receive this as the final order of the .”
Freyja and I flinched at her words. Their meaning… was tantamount to Hilde declaring she would sacrifice herself.
“Hilde…!”
“I-if you do that, you’ll…”
“I will not accept any objections. Ah, one last thing…”
Hilde approached me and cupped my cheek.
There was no hesitation in her gentle yet clumsy touch.
She quietly leaned in and pressed her lips to my cheek, kissing me.
“…”
A warmth… spread through me.
I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
Should I stay and die with her?
Or… should I tell her the truth so I have no more regrets?
‘Is this… how it ends…?’
With great difficulty… I tried to open my mouth.
But Hilde quietly placed a finger on my lips.
“…”
“…”
“…I will have no regrets or excuses. So, Lara, can you do the same?”
“…Okay.”
Hilde and I looked at each other… sensing that this was the final moment.
“…”
“…”
Just then, Freyja’s voice came from the side.
“U-um…”
“…Just a moment, could you be quiet?”
“…Do not interrupt.”
“No, you crazy lesbians, look to the side, the side…!”
“…?”
“…?”
When we looked to the side,
a golden cat was there, swishing its tail. A faint golden ether emanated from the strange beast.
『How friendly.』
“…?”
“…?”
『To think the ‘Saintess’ of this era would have such tastes…』
“…?”
“…?”
And then…
Paaaaat—!!
That golden ether was being absorbed into me. And from the branch-shaped scar on my neck… golden flower patterns were beginning to form.
“Golden… flowers?”