A Glimpse of the Ruined Future
I watch Deviang as he sleeps, still as death.
Slide...
Beads of sweat have formed on his forehead, perhaps from the heat, and I gently wipe them away with my sleeve.
"Deviang..."
I brush his damp hair back. A week has already passed since that incident. Watching him lie there, silent and unresponsive as a corpse for all this time, I can't help but worry.
"Please, wake up now..."
"Sister..."
At the sound of my name, I turn my head. Joy has opened the door and peeked her head inside, her face filled with worry. I didn't even hear her approach.
"I kept calling you... but you didn't answer."
"Oh! I'm sorry... Come in."
Nodding, she enters the room and sits on the edge of the bed.
"Is brother-in-law still unconscious?"
I give a faint nod.
"What did the doctor say?"
"He said the mana stone was absorbed into his body, so it will be difficult for him to regain consciousness for a few days."
The doctor assured me it wouldn't be a major issue, but it would be a lie to say I'm not worried. Looking at his peaceful face, I'm terrified that he might never wake up.
Please, wake up...
Tears stream down my face again at the thought that he is lying here because of me.
Joy hugs me from behind, her voice trembling.
"Sister... don't cry."
I quickly wipe away my tears.
"Sniff... I'm not crying..."
"Hmph... But who on earth planned something like this?"
There is a faction I suspect. When I brought it up to Agrippa, he avoided giving a definitive answer, but I felt a slight agitation in him. Agrippa likely suspects Yohanes is the mastermind behind this as well.
But... is it alright to tell this young child? Even if it's just a suspicion, she was the one who was kidnapped...
"I think Yohanes is the one who planned this."
"R-really?"
I can hear the anxiety in Joy's voice, and a slight tremor runs through the arms wrapped around my waist.
"Yes. Don't worry. Once Deviang wakes up... we will have our revenge."
How dare they target me and my husband, and try to kidnap my little sister? Once Deviang wakes up, I will use the Imperial Army and the Grand Duchy's forces to utterly destroy Yohanes and his followers.
"But sister... didn't you hate brother-in-law a lot before?"
Thump...
"I... I did..."
"Hehe... You said you hated the idea of marrying him so much. See? What did I tell you? I knew you'd fall for him once you realized what a good person he is."
I stiffen at Joy's embarrassing words, but she doesn't seem to care, rubbing her forehead against my back.
"Brother-in-law will be so happy when he wakes up. Right?"
My sister's words leave me feeling deeply embarrassed.
Once Theodora falls asleep, the scene rapidly shifts.
"Hurry! Hang that traitor!"
At Theodora's command, I fall helplessly onto the scaffold in front of the city hall...
Tight!
The rope chokes Deviang's neck.
"Ack!"
Deviang's feet flail in the air as he struggles, thrashing his body wildly in a desperate bid to survive. Soon, another "me" goes completely limp. As if he has finally found peace.
How horrific.
"Hmph! Leave him hanging on the gallows just like that."
As Theodora rises from her seat, not a single citizen of the Empire shows her any respect. The citizens who once cheered for their beloved Empress and the imperial family... no such sight exists before me now. Instead, their eyes are clouded with deep dread and terror. In this chaotic era where the Demon King has not even been slain, it is hard for them to look favorably upon her—especially after she occupied Roman by force, leading the Hero and the despised remnants of the Grand Duchy.
Time flies by in a blur.
"Your Majesty... we currently lack the funds to supply food to the soldiers."
Theodora frowns at those words. "Then collect it from the nobles, can we not?"
A man who appears to be her secretary breaks into a cold sweat. "The taxes we are already levying on the nobility are far too high..."
Slam!
"Are you suggesting we surrender to the Demon King instead?!"
Listening to their conversation, I scan the documents scattered across the desk. Wow... Seeing that the annual tax revenue has plummeted to one-twentieth of what it used to be, I can feel just how bleak the situation is. No matter how much they are at war, this is completely unsustainable. The situation is dire. At this rate... a significant number of people will starve to death. This is no time to be discussing war. I am shocked to see that the gold reserves have dwindled to barely over a single ton. Well... I suppose there was no need for the original novel to detail such administrative minutiae...
"T-that is not what I meant... but the backlash will be immense. Moreover, people are already starving to death in various territories. To raise taxes even further under these circumstances..."
"Hmph. What does it matter if those opportunistic bastards protest? The very survival of humanity is at stake. Even if a few people starve to death, what must be done must be done."
Her red eyes gleam with cold ruthlessness. Her words aren't entirely wrong. This is a war of survival between humans and demons. However, blindly raising taxes is a foolish move. It is something neither the nobility nor the commoners want.
"And what of those arrested for treason the other day?"
"Well... the Ministry of Justice sent word that they must be released due to a lack of evidence..."
At that, Theodora shakes her head violently and glares at her secretary.
"Tell them to extract a confession through torture if they must! Do it now!"
The secretary trembles and nods. "U-understood."
"And confiscate all of their estates."
Ah. Since the imperial family is completely broke, is she turning innocent people into criminals just to seize their wealth?
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ignoring the two as they discuss state affairs, I leave the room and head outside the Imperial Palace.
I stand dazed, utterly lost for words at the horrific state of Roman.
The city is a wasteland, covered in scorched ruins. The grand, towering buildings Roman once boasted have vanished without a trace. It looks as though they were bombarded by a relentless storm of fireballs. A building with its internal iron rebars exposed looks familiar. Is that... the restaurant I visited the other day?
That is not all. The roads, once paved with beautifully colored stones where children used to play merrily, are now gouged and blackened in places, lined with countless vagrants.
This... this is Roman?
I am deeply shocked by how vastly different this is from the scenery I saw during my incognito patrol not long ago.
Wait. Let me recall the original novel from my memories. In Roman, against Valorang and his army, they... burned the city, didn't they? I remember that they set fire to the warehouse storing the secret weapon, God's Fire, beneath Roman. Still... that was supposed to happen near the end.
At that moment, the scenery shifts again.
Once more, dozens of people stand atop the gallows in the plaza of Roman City.
"Execute them all!"
At Theodora's command, the executioners move, and...
"Boo! Empress, stop the executions!"
"Down with the tyrant!"
The citizens of the Empire hurl curses at Theodora. Watching her ignore them, staring coldly at the condemned, I am reminded of Valorang. A cruel, merciless tyrant...
But one thing is strange... Lee Seo-jun is standing beside her.
Wait. Lee Seo-jun should have headed to the Demon King's castle. The original novel ends with Lee Seo-jun defeating the Demon King there. Does this mean the Demon King has already been defeated?
Watching Lee Seo-jun glare at the back of Theodora's head with a deep scowl, a sense of unease washes over me.
Why is he glaring at her? Wasn't he supposed to be a devoted lover to her?
What on earth is this vision trying to show me?
As that thought crosses my mind, the surrounding scenery shifts. A burning building. Looking at the familiar interior, I realize where I am. Is this the Imperial Palace?
"Argh!"
"It's treason! The Hero has committed treason!"
"Aaargh!"
"Save me!"
Soldiers clad in ornate armor adorned with various crests are attacking the Golden Knights.
Driven by a sudden dread, I run toward the Empress's office.
"Y-you..."
Theodora glares at Lee Seo-jun, a sword pierced through her chest.
"I'm sorry. This is the only way peace will truly come."
The events after the original novel's ending are even more of a trainwreck.
As that thought crosses my mind, the surroundings suddenly plunge into darkness. Then, light returns.
What is happening? Day and night are swapping at a dizzying speed. Am I going mad?
Outside the glass window, the ruined city is rapidly being rebuilt. Buildings grow taller and taller as day and night continue to cycle in a blur. It is as if time is flowing at an impossible speed.
"Haha... The Demon King has resurrected?"
At the sound of an elderly man's voice, I quickly turn around.
An old man and a man who appears to be his knight are facing each other, conversing.
"Yes, Your Majesty... They say the Holy See received a divine oracle and will soon summon a Hero."
The Emperor nods at those words. "Sigh... I am an old man with one foot in the grave. To grant me such a trial in my final years... You are cruel, Lord El..."
"Indeed, it is a tragedy. Also, Your Majesty... the Demon King has sent a gift to you and His Holiness the Pope."
"A gift? What might that be?"
Slash! Clang!
"Gah!"
The knight, who has suddenly run his sword through the Emperor, sneers coldly.
"The Demon King commanded me to deliver death to you and the Pope."
Haha... What an absolute mess.
Watching the future Emperor die, a profound sense of futility washes over me.
Indeed... no matter how hard I struggle, the Demon King will eventually resurrect. Whether I stay up all night working or bleed from my nose, working myself to the bone changes nothing in the end. Because one day, the Demon King will rise again. No matter how much effort I put in, the core reality remains unchanged.
Just then, the Emperor's office dissolves.
A pure white space. A completely empty, pristine white void. A white horizon stretches out infinitely.
"No, that thought is incorrect. If truly nothing could be changed, I would not have summoned you here."
Hearing a young boy's voice, I quickly turn my head.
A brilliant white light stands there, taking the shape of a human.
"Who... are you?"
"I am myself, the primordial existence, and the firstborn of all gods."
There is only one such being.
Having been born into this world, it is impossible not to know the most prominent religion here. In fact, his name was frequently mentioned even in the original novel.
I never expected to actually meet such a being.
A figure of pure, divine light taking a human form. Looking at him, I speak with a trembling voice.
"El..."
The entity nods at my words and speaks.
"That is correct. I am El."