Chapter 73

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Translator: Ryuma

Chapter: 73

Chapter Title: Sweet Dream, Fiery Awakening

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On top of the spiders that had fled earlier, even more came pouring out.

Kiieee!

"Do you... have any idea how long I've been forced to stay hidden? To grow this strong, I endured all sorts of humiliations and hid underground."

Atarak spilled out her story, which Kang Seol wasn't particularly curious about. Growing annoyed, Kang Seol yelled at Karen.

"Karen! Pull down that chatterbox!"

"Sounds fun!"

Flash!

As Karen charged toward Atarak, countless spiders blocked her path.

Whoosh!

"Damn..."

Thud!

"There are quite a few, huh?"

Kiieee...

"The reason I hid in a place like this... wasn't so you insignificant things could look down on me!"

Whooosh...

Atarak tore off a chunk of the ceiling and hurled it at Kang Seol.

"Tch..."

Flash!

Mountain Sorcerer Jamad yanked Kang Seol's body and threw them both aside to dodge the debris.

Krunch!

K... Kiieeeek!

In the spot where the rock had shattered, nothing but innocent spiders lay burst open.

Kiieee!

"How dare you! How dare you!"

Perhaps because she'd spent so long trapped alone in this cramped cave, Atarak couldn't control her rage well.

In any case, her blind, fury-driven attacks weren't going to hit Karen or Jamad.

Whooosh!

Krraaack!

Kiieee...

Whoo!

Krunch!

The spider corpses were already piling up enough to snag at their feet.

Jamad, protecting Kang Seol, warned him.

"Watch out. Their blood is pooling."

"Blood? Oh no..."

The space they'd thought was flat actually dipped slightly in the center, and the spiders' blood was slowly gathering there.

The worrying part was that if the blood kept pooling like this, they'd eventually have no footing left at all.

How do I lure that monster ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down?

If this weren't a solo adventure, they'd have positioned ranged attackers to strike Atarak directly.

She hadn't attacked them head-on either, so survival wasn't an issue, but they couldn't just keep dodging forever.

"Hah!"

Karen spotted an opening amid the chaos and hurled a chunk of broken stone at Atarak.

Pok.

Kiieee...

"So your talk of pulling me down was just empty words. Go ahead and resist all you want, child. The more you do, the more thrilled I'll be as I savor my satisfying meal."

Viscous drool dripped from Atarak's mouth onto the floor. All her eyes fixed on Karen.

And from her mouth burst a ball of thread.

Karen saw the web ball flying at quite a speed and instantly judged that she shouldn't try to bat it away.

Bwoom!

She cleverly grabbed a spider threatening her and flung it toward the projectile.

Splat! Thud!

The spider hit by the web ball got thoroughly wrapped in threads and plummeted to the floor.

Kii...

It merely twitched on the ground, showing no other movement.

"That looks dangerous if it hits. Not that it will."

Tung!

Thoom!

Atarak tried the same tactic on her again.

But Karen, on guard, dodged the web bomb by a hair's breadth.

Kiieee...

"Quick on your feet, eh? Then what about your companions?"

Tung!

Thoom!

The thread shot toward Kang Seol and Jamad.

Jamad, of course, had been watching Atarak's movements closely.

"Hup!"

Kiieee!

Splat!

Splatter...

Jamad used the exact same counter as Karen had earlier.

After repeated failures, Atarak raged from atop her cozy web.

Kiieee...

"Every last one of you... treating me like a joke!"

Kang Seol taunted her.

"Why don't you stop yapping up there and come down if you've got a problem? You coward."

Did those words strike home?

Atarak reacted differently than before.

Kiieee...

"...Fine. Since you mocked me, don't regret the slightly painful death you're about to meet."

Slither...

"Be careful! It's a mental attack!"

Jamad bellowed, sensing the ominous aura unique to mental magic. With his shout, everyone's vision began to narrow.

As unpleasant thoughts invaded his mind, Kang Seol bit his lip hard.

Pierce!

Blood trickled down, and messages appeared.

Luckily, Kang Seol's party resisted the magic in succession.

But their luck ended there.

No!

Kang Seol and Jamad both noticed Karen standing there dazed for a moment and realized something was wrong with her.

"Damn it! Hey, fairy!"

Jamad launched himself toward Karen.

Atarak gazed at her with gleaming eyes.

Karen stared blankly ahead for a moment. Everything around her was decked out in gold, dazzling her eyes.

Someone spoke to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You're the only one dozing off in front of Great Emperor Montara. Karen."

"Jin... Was I asleep?"

"Haha... Now that no one's watching, you're ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even going to fabricate things?"

"I was asleep then! What else could it be!"

"True, that might be better."

Karen felt an ancient, musty emotion settle in her chest. It was comfort, or perhaps ease.

"...Have you come back?"

"What are you talking about?"

"No, nothing. What about Karuna?"

"He's probably still at the training grounds, like always."

The same old days.

Sunlight blessing the great land poured into Montara's imperial palace, and she took sweet naps.

Her brother Karuna would be immersed in training as usual, and the emperor, burdened by heavy duties, would occasionally seek her out for conversation to ease his headaches.

It was all so natural, a routine that seemed like it would go on forever.

Yet...

I feel like I'm forgetting something important...

Amid these peaceful days, her heart sensed something off. The emperor noticed and asked her why.

"What's wrong, Karen?"

"Jin. Hey, what makes an emperor?"

"Emperor? Why ask that out of the blue?"

"Just... I wondered if someone as great as you was always great from the start."

"What a random question. But I suppose I should answer."

Jin answered with a mischievous grin.

"I inherited Montara."

"...What?"

"Inherited it. I didn't found Montara."

"Kahaha! What kind of answer is that!"

"Of course, when I inherited it, no one called Montara an empire."

"......"

"In my generation, Montara became an empire."

Karen liked the man before her.

Not romantically, but as her liege. Being with him was comfortable, and watching him was enjoyable.

"You don't seem that capable, though..."

"Hahaha! If my ministers heard that, they'd faint. That's why I like you like this."

"Anyway, answer my question. What makes an emperor?"

"An emperor is made by the era."

"What does that even mean?"

"And the era is made by people."

Karen tilted her head at the riddle-like words.

Jin continued their conversation about emperors and empires.

He reminisced.

"Looking back, so many people worked for me. To somehow make me emperor."

"To make you emperor... Why?"

Karen gazed at Jin.

Looking into his upright eyes, she felt she could somewhat understand the hearts of the meritorious retainers who'd strived to make him emperor.

"Someone you want to make emperor... Someone you want to serve... Hmm... It's hard."

"In any case, the throne of emperor isn't a great seat, so even if you meet a good person, never try to make them emperor."

"Kahahat... Who else would I serve if not you, Jin?"

"......"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Jin met Karen's eyes with a gentle smile. Still, an unease lingered in her heart.

Her discomfort showed on her face without her realizing.

"There's still a problem, isn't there."

"Yeah. I feel like... I have worries."

"Tell me. Aren't we the kind who share even trivial concerns?"

"You only dump your heavy worries on me, Jin."

"Hahaha, you're the only one I can comfortably confide in."

Karen spoke with dazed eyes.

"It won't come out."

"Won't come out? What?"

"The sword. No matter what, the sword... won't come out."

"Oh dear..."

"The moment I think I need to wield it to protect someone, my body turns to stone."

Jin's expression hardened coldly.

"Who?"

"Huh?"

"Who are you trying to protect?"

"Someone... other than you, Jin."

"......"

Jin smiled again.

"Do you remember the vow you made to me?"

"Of course. To serve only you and draw my sword only for you."

"That promise is what's holding you back now."

"Yeah."

"So you're seeking permission to draw your sword for someone else."

"......"

"...from me, who is already dead."

"Dead? Who?"

Rumble rumble rumble...

Suddenly, the imperial palace began to shake.

"Karen."

"Jin! Come here! The palace..."

Jin shook his head.

"This is a dream, Karen."

"...What?"

"I'm dead. Montara fell."

Crackle!

Rumble rumble rumble...

Krrunch!

The stones forming the palace crumbled away. Panicked, Karen reached for Jin's hand, but he brushed it off.

"Why, why!"

Push!

Jin shoved her away.

Karen fell into a pitch-black void.

"G-Go, Karen. Don't look back."

"Jiiiiiin! You bastard!"

Jin's face slowly turned to sand and began to scatter.

As he disintegrated into bones and dispersed, he said to Karen.

"Foolishly loyal knight, accept that my era has passed and a new one has come."

"Jiiiiin!"

"And thus, find salvation."

"Uwaaaaaah!"

"Snap out of it, fairy!"

"...Huh?"

Karen realized that everything until just now had been a dream.

And that she was currently slung over Jamad's shoulder like dead weight.

Kiieee...

"Hurry and offer everything you have to me, the Queen of Flames."

Atarak was convinced of victory now that Karen had fallen asleep, cornering Jamad and Kang Seol.

In truth, if Karen hadn't just woken up, it would've been quite dangerous.

"What is this..."

"Get down first and talk!"

Flash!

Karen rolled off Jamad's shoulder. She gripped the sword she'd been unable to draw, carrying it like baggage all this time.

Kiieee...

"Was the dream I gifted you sweet, child?"

Atarak's whisper echoed in Karen's ear.

"Ah, it was damn sweet."

Kiieee...

"Dreams show you your most cherished memories."

"Figures."

Jin and Karuna.

Memories with them were her happiest.

Kiieee...

"Offer yourself to me, and I'll let you drown in dreams forever."

And her most painful ones.

"Shut your crap, you damn spider!"

Karen assumed her sword-drawing stance.

"Karen!"

"Hey!"

Kiieee...

"Foolish child. Then die."

Tung! Thoom!

The web bomb shot toward her.

Atarak assumed Karen would dodge as always and prepared her next attack. But she didn't evade.

Click.

Shing!

Her sword slid out with a clear ring.

What emerged from her sheath was a sword, yet a massive blaze.

Fwoosh!

Hiss... Hiss...

The web bomb scattered powerlessly against the flames born from her sword.

It wasn't just the web bomb.

Kiieeee!

Kiieee!

With one swing, the spiders blocking her path went up in flames one after another.

Kiieeeee!

Swish...

Startled, Atarak retreated higher toward the ceiling.

Karen growled at her.

"You shouldn't have touched Jin. Now, get ready to be roasted crisp."

Her sword began to melt slowly.

"I think I'm a little pissed off!"