Part 2, Chapter 37
Part 2, Chapter 37
Translation: godsn
'You won't stop as long as you draw breath. I can't let this repeat itself.'
They had eliminated Valdina's loyal subjects, sowed discord with the Queen Dowager, and left Medeia utterly isolated.
Using her royal seal as pretext, they oppressed the people and fabricated a rebellion that claimed countless lives.
They induced madness in Siseo—the last pillar supporting the crumbling kingdom—driving him to take his own life.
By planting traitors, they massacred Pelleus's loyal Royal Guard and condemned him to lifelong infamy as the "Lame King."
But what tormented Medeia most of all was—
"Medeia, a Monster Wave has struck Valdina. You can't imagine how many Magic Beasts swarmed even this far into Kazen territory... We've lost so many knights..."
"What about Brother Pelleus? Medeia, it's cruel of you. Hearing the Saintess became Empress, I rushed all the way to Kazen out of concern for you. I thought of you as my own sister, yet all you care about is your blood brother."
"Dea, how long do you intend to leave Valdina's throne vacant? Even to honor your brother's legacy, shouldn't you appoint a successor? Hmm?"
Their relentless greed for the throne—and her own foolishness in failing to recognize the enemy at her side.
"Dea!"
A familiar voice shattered Medeia's thoughts. It was Pelleus.
'You mustn't come this way.'
Noticing her brother's approach with uncharacteristically panicked expression, Medeia frowned and shook her head decisively.
Pelleus halted mid-step, as if trying to decipher his sister's inscrutable intentions.
'I'm sorry I can't tell you everything, Pelleus.'
Yes, her insistence on personally ending them was also an act of atonement—to her fallen kingdom and to her brother.
For a fleeting moment, Medeia's composure wavered as past and present overlapped in her brother's face.
CRASH!
A horrific shattering sound erupted as the stained glass filling the temple walls exploded.
The structure could no longer withstand the blast's aftermath.
"Medeia, no!"
As razor-sharp fragments—as beautiful as they were deadly—scattered in all directions—
A powerful force yanked her waist upward just as something solid as a wall enveloped her.
Medeia stiffened in shock when—SHATTER!—glass shards embedded themselves where she'd stood moments before.
A hair's breadth from being impaled.
The embrace blackened her vision. Arms like steel refused to release her.
Every movement radiated lethal precision—an unyielding vow that not even the smallest fragment would touch her.
Against her cheek, a firm chest heaved violently.
"Haa... haa..."
The ragged breaths spoke volumes about the life-or-death urgency.
The deep musk of ambergris filled her nostrils.
"You..."
A voice like smoldering embers whispered against her unseen ear.
"Truly... you make it impossible... to look away."
All traces of his usual languid tone had vanished—each word now ground out between clenched teeth.
When Medeia looked up, her eyes widened.
Blazing golden eyes scorched into her.
Twisted lips. A voice like blades slipping between clenched teeth.
The composed facade had shattered, revealing something raw and primal.
"...First Prince?"
Her trembling lips barely formed the words.
Why? Why was he here? Why save me?
No answers came to her swirling questions.
The First Prince showed no intention of explaining either. His unrelenting grip conveyed his resolve with perfect clarity.
"Wait—"
Before Medeia could speak further, he swiftly draped something over her head.
Then, still cradling her, he carried her out of the temple.
She quickly realized the soft fabric against her cheek was his cloak.
Cocooned like a chrysalis against the outside world—the unfamiliar sensation held a strange comfort.
"Dea!"
Pelleus strode toward them, followed closely by Neril and Agema's group.
"Are you hurt? That was too close!"
Though Pelleus rarely raised his voice to his sister, this was different.
The memory of glass cascading toward Medeia still horrified him.
"Why did you hesitate? You should have gotten out immediately—"
Pelleus, who was uncharacteristically losing his composure and pouring out his urgency, suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
The First Prince was still holding Medeia. Moreover, his younger sister's small face was completely buried in the folds of his clothing.
"......"
Cesare, too, seemed to have regained his senses, as he set Medeia down gently with a smooth, practiced motion.
With a whisper of fabric, the smooth cloth brushed softly against her skin as it fell away.
"My apologies. The situation was urgent, so I hope you both will forgive my discourtesy."
As if he hadn't just snatched her up moments ago, the First Prince took a step back and offered his apology with unwavering dignity, not a trace of servility in his tone.
Medeia was momentarily dazed.
The distorted expression she had seen on his face earlier now felt like a dream.
"First Prince. Thank you for saving my sister."
Pelleus, who had no intention of quibbling over propriety in such an urgent situation, also expressed his gratitude first.
He recalled the shards that had embedded themselves exactly where Medeia had been standing—a hair's breadth difference.
'If not for him...'
Swallowing a sigh mixed with relief and unease, Pelleus tensed.
BOOOOM—!
At that moment, an even more horrifying explosion erupted, incomparable to any before.
'This is the last one.'
The explosion Medeia had allowed—no, to be more precise, the first and last explosion prepared by the Claudios.
People turned their heads in unison toward the temple where the sound had come from.
The interior was now a wasteland, the statue shattered by the blast.
The altar, which had been struck directly by what was once the bronze wrist of the Goddess Statue, lay in pieces like crushed cookies.
Less than an hour ago, they had witnessed Pelleus conducting the Continental Festival's rites there.
"If we had sprinkled the Holy Water just a little later..."
People trembled violently.
"That was too close!"
"What in the world is happening?"
Fortunately, everyone had managed to evacuate the temple safely before the explosion.
"It was the smoke that let us get out quickly. Otherwise, we wouldn't have even known what was happening—we'd just be panicking."
The smoke rising from the pillars and the small explosions had sharpened the nobles' vigilance.
"Truly... we were lucky. The Goddess must have protected us!"
"Maybe it's because Valdina is a land of guardianship?!"
Some even suggested that this year's Continental Festival was particularly auspicious.
But the faces of the Holy Kingdom delegation, who served the Goddess, were not as bright as the others.
'Even if this is Valdina's land, it was the Goddess's temple that collapsed! Who would dare attack Her—no, our Holy Kingdom?!'
Though hostility toward the Holy Kingdom wasn't new, this was the first time an attack had targeted the entire temple so blatantly.
The gravity of the situation made Baor's face flush with anger.
"Theo, check on the Saintess."
"......"
"Theodore. Where are you staring off to?"
Leonor, the commander of the Holy Knights, grabbed Theo's arm.
"Ah, it's nothing. Just... sorry, Commander."
"I know you're shaken, but we are Holy Knights. Now, of all times, we must keep our wits about us."
Despite her stern tone, Leonor gave Theo's shoulder a light pat before turning to Rachel.
"Saintess, are you all right? You look pale. You must have been terribly frightened."
Meanwhile, Rachel was also in shock—but for a different reason entirely, to the point she barely heard Leonor's question.
'Wasn't the explosion supposed to target only the Emperor? Why make it so big that we'd get caught up in it too?!'
Even now, voices calling for Rachel in distress and pain from all directions were nearly deafening.
"At least everyone made it out safely before the explosion, and there seem to be no casualties—what a relief. And it doesn't seem like a Monster Wave has broken out either."
Just as Leonor finished assessing the situation—
"KREEEEEEE—!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air, as if to contradict her words.
"Th-that... came from inside, right?"
"My leeeeeeeg—!"
The agony in the desperate scream was palpable.
"Over there! There are still people inside!"
Someone pointed toward the ruins.
"Ah! It's true! Look, can't you see?!"
"Someone's trapped! They couldn't get out!"
Only a man's face was visible, half-buried under the shattered altar and statue fragments—covered in blood and dust, making it hard to recognize who it was.
Only one person.
Except for a mother who could recognize her own child in any situation.
"Aaaah, Samon—!"
Catherine let out a scream that seemed to tear through her very being.