Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Epilogue: The Blue Rose of the Redburn Ducal Family
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It's said that the process of accepting death unfolds in five stages.
Denial.
"I'm not the Blue Rose. I... My fairy tale ability is body swapping, that's all. I just switched places with the Blue Rose who was in the capital at the time."
Anger.
"Kill that mad wizard. Find out where that... that fucking bastard is right now. What? In the imperial palace?"
Bargaining.
"If you erase the memories of everyone who remembers my magical girl transformation, I'll drop my revenge. Don't say you can't. Do it, or you die... Write that and send it."
Depression.
"Was there really any reason to usurp the ducal title like this...? Even if it brings love and peace to the territory, if my suffering comes first, is it truly worth it?"
And finally, acceptance.
One day, after a very deep night had passed. A young man bathed in sparkling sunlight and laid down the burden in his heart. A breeze from afar had gifted him a piece of enlightenment.
"Yeah, mock me all you want, you bastards. Can't a man be a little girly?"
Roderus Redburn had finally come to accept his social death...
Yeah, nothing strange about it. So what if his gender changed? Chromosomes shift a bit, skeleton changes a bit, that's all. The Roderus inside stays the same.
It's no different from changing hairstyles. Is that weird? No. Not weird at all.
"So don't stare like that, Envers."
Before I kill you.
"...Ahem, ahem."
Envers Redburn hurriedly averted his gaze.
But the human heart doesn't bend to one's will. Envers still had all sorts of thoughts whenever he looked at his brother. Especially after learning the truth about the wardrobe full of women's clothes.
It wasn't because he was a playboy.
He'd bought them to coordinate and wear prettily himself!
Should this be called a cross-dressing hobby? Or since he's actually a woman now, is it something else...?
Awkward, confused about how to even talk to him, Envers still found it hard to face his brother.
This was the duke's office in the Redburn ducal residence. Duke Roderus Redburn was sitting at his desk handling documents, while Knight Commander Envers Redburn stood guard nearby.
The two brothers had finally claimed the positions that were rightfully theirs.
The mansion felt a bit empty with fewer servants than a ducal house should have, but it would fill up soon. The territory was steadily improving even now.
What had happened in the meantime for Roderus to finally accept his TS? To explain that, one had to look at the measures taken in the Redburn territory.
The brothers who seized power first radically normalized Redburn territory.
They started by cleaning house.
"Get out."
"Th-this can't be happening! How much have we devoted ourselves to Redburn...?!"
"Don't you feel any shame saying that? You're being chased out because you devoted yourselves to Maximus Redburn. Be grateful you're leaving with your heads still attached. I still remember your insults."
"Kuh...!"
Most of the existing servants were purged, those who closely collaborated with the former duke's evils were hanged, and businesses like drugs and loan sharking were shut down.
Of course, there was backlash. Even armed clashes, perhaps.
But with Envers's Emperor Sword Formation exerting overwhelming suppression against the weak, combined with Roderus's mana hardening sniping any variables from the mage, no one could stand against them.
And if facing a strong foe that the Emperor Sword Formation couldn't fully suppress?
"Kuh, brother! He's trying to escape! Civilians who don't know martial arts will get caught in the crossfire!"
"...Damn it, Transform!"
Transform
Bling bling bling~ ♬
"The lord transformed! The lord transformed again to defeat the territory's villains!"
"Don't lose, Pure Knight! You can't lose to those evil villains!"
"Mom, when I grow up, I wanna be a magical girl like the lord!"
With suspiciously enthusiastic cheers from the territory's residents pumping his mana, Roderus could wield nearly double his mana inside the territory.
If the territory stabilized and Roderus gained true popularity, the boost could rise even higher. According to the mad wizard's official statement, up to five times normal was possible.
"At this rate, damn it, I can't not use it...!"
Ignoring Roderus's pain and torment, it was undeniably a huge boon. No need for complicated surveys or polling public sentiment—he could check民心 with a quick transformation snap.
"I am Pure Knight! Take this, magic wand!"
"I wanna be a magical girl too! I was the monster yesterday!"
"Meow."
The territory's kids absolutely loved magical girls. And kids' favor naturally spread to the parents. An unintended bonus.
"...Anyone playing magical girl gets ten years in prison. Can't add a law like that, right?"
There were no lack of nefarious attempts to stamp out the spreading magical girl culture, bonus or not.
"I get the sentiment, brother, but that's too cruel a law. Plus, if we enforced it..."
"Mom-Dad, is Hwayang going to jail? Hwayang played magical girls with Charles and Bishop."
"........."
So it was hard to suppress.
Gains piled like mountains, losses near zero. In the end, Roderus had no choice but to grit his teeth and reach acceptance.
Still, things were going well overall.
He'd expected more obstacles, but they flowed smoothly in a good direction, as if someone was subtly clearing the path ahead.
"...Was it you, mad wizard?"
Roderus looked up at the empty sky and asked. No answer came. Just a single raven feather drifting down.
Back to the present.
In the midst of battling paperwork, Roderus gripped his desk and stood as a letter flew in before him. It was from Kim Lulu.
"...Where are you going, brother?"
"To greet my duchess. And the formal meeting. Yeah, the territory's stabilized, so time to start a family. For an heir, at least."
Envers asked with a bad feeling.
"What about territory affairs...?"
"My right hand will handle it."
"Brother, brother?!"
"Transform, Magic Rope."
Transform / Magic Rope
Whirrr.
The magical girl Pure Knight vanished from the office in an instant. With nothing left to lose, Roderus... was strong. In many ways.
"Brother, how could you..."
Envers was suddenly stuck handling everything in his place.
A certain café in the imperial capital Crown Hall.
The Blue Rose met Kim Lulu while hiding her face with dark sunglasses, a bread hat, and a mask. Today's fashion gave off cool celebrity incognito vibes.
Kim Lulu, in loose overfit clothes with long sleeves flapping past her palms, said,
"Daesu, territory stuff all done?"
"Yeah. Fires are out... Now I'm ready to take you with me. Bride shows up, we can hold the wedding right then."
"...Ehehe. Agh, jeez. How do you just drop that outta nowhere? It's embarrassing~!"
"Don't grin like that, Kim Lulu. Hate showing that face to others."
Flap flap flap.
Kim Lulu flushed and flapped her hands. A nearby butterfly flapped its wings oddly hard too. Struck by the heat of love, apparently.
Oh Daesu drove it home.
"Come with me, Kim Lulu. I'll make sure my duchess never lifts a finger."
"Kyaa-!"
Kim Lulu covered her face with both hands and stomped her feet. Then peeked through her fingers at Oh Daesu.
"About that, Daesu. Ronald says the capital knight commander position isn't something you can just quit. Legally tangled up and all..."
"Where's that written?"
"There's a way to fix it, but he wants to talk it over himself. Ronald told me to bring you. Whaddya think? Just headbutt Ronald and go with you?"
"........."
The empire's laws were inviolable. Even as new duke with ties to the next emperor via the mad wizard, flouting national law right away wouldn't look good.
He'd drag Lulu away by any means if needed, but hearing them out was fine.
"Let's go."
"Yeah!"
Oh Daesu tightly held Kim Lulu's hand and headed to capital knight headquarters.
"Waaah..."
The scream-duty knight wailed like a human-siren, tears dripping. His breakdown meant the Blue Rose had arrived.
The report-duty knight checked outside and shouted,
"Blue Rose and Commander in the lobby!"
"She's here. Our arch-nemesis...!!"
The long game of tag flashed by.
Vrrring.
The automatic doors slid open, revealing Oh Daesu and Kim Lulu. Fingers interlocked like they'd never let go, pink aura flowing just from looking.
The headquarters, revamped modern-style via collab with Golden Magic Tower's Gordius, now had new gadgets.
Auto-doors, sirens, coffee pots, etc.
The scream knight's gloom wasn't just from the magical girl's identity revealed—it included job loss fears.
Capital Knights 3rd Team Vice-Captain Ronald lifted a steaming paper cup and said,
"Blue Rose, coffee?"
"...This place is turning more Earth Defense HQ every day. I'm good. Lulu too. Anyway, heard you had something to say. What?"
"Straight to business...? Fine! Hear my scenario first!"
Ronald stroked his mustache and placed an egg on the table. A cheap gold-dyed one, shell just yellowed.
"This is the Golden Egg. A priceless treasure handed down through capital knights for generations. And the Blue Rose stole it and fled to Redburn territory."
"......?"
"Thus, to recover the treasure, capital knights dispatch the commander indefinitely to Redburn. To capture Blue Rose and reclaim the Golden Egg...!!"
"......!!"
Creating a pretext for Kim Lulu to live in Redburn. Oh Daesu eyed Ronald sharply.
"What's the angle?"
"No such thing as free, Blue Rose!"
Ronald planted hands on hips, striking a stern pose.
"We know you're no mere vigilante! Sure, you broke laws with private sanctions, but we know it's rooted in mercy for the weak! We saw your fight with ex-Duke Maximus, that monster!"
"........."
"No regrets! Just regret it wasn't a fair fight, Blue Rose! Until now, commander's collusion let you slip away too often!"
Dozens of clashes with Blue Rose, all losses. But due to leaks from collusion, not knight incompetence!
So much injustice. Citizens fretted over repeated failures. How could they protect the capital if they couldn't catch one vigilante?
That humiliation, that disgrace!
Knights piped up one by one.
"We nearly had you once, Blue Rose! Remember the chase under the crimson roofs!"
"Hmph, could've escaped even without Kim Lulu. Your encirclement was sloppy."
"Bluuue Roose! When our team disguised as patissiers, you didn't notice till midway! Without commander's commotion, you'd be caught!"
"That... No, was that you guys? Super bummed when they shut down suddenly. Still, had ways to escape."
So they wanted one thing. Revenge.
"We want a fair fight! Blue Rose, we'll prove to the heavens capital knights never let criminals escape!"
"...Fine. I was itching for it too. Lulu, stay out. This is men's business."
"O-okay...!"
Sizzle sizzle. The prideful geniuses' gazes clashed in midair.
"Start when the full moon's high! If captured, Blue Rose, you'll restore our honor yourself!"
"I'll reconfirm your incompetence. Then snag my bride and vanish into the moonlight. Don't be too disappointed. Losing to the strong isn't shameful."
Thus, under the moonlight, capital knights vs. Blue Rose's final WWE unfolded.
Crown Hall citizens sleepless that night clearly witnessed knights dashing about and a magical girl soaring with ribbons flying.
No one knows how it ended. Knights silent, Blue Rose silent.
One curious noble got a knight drunk, wheedled half a day. The hard-won words?
"After fighting, they become friends... We acknowledged each other. Victory doesn't matter then, right?"
"Huh...?"
Mid-chase, they clashed inside dingy inn Beer and Song. Which happened to be Defense Bureau safehouse and Crown Prince Irid's office.
Having smashed Irid's favorite flowerpot, they vowed to take that night's events to the grave.
And so it was buried in history's depths.