Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Anne's Golden Power
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"I didn't expect you to produce results right away on the first day."
Looking at Jeon, who had gone into and now emerged from the heart, Mirna spoke in a tone of genuine disbelief.
"Yeah... you're right."
And truthfully, Jeon felt the same way.
When he had first descended to this deep underground and seen the heart covered in all sorts of colors, throbbing intensely, it had felt incredibly vague and distant.
"But... your blonde hair seems a bit brighter now?"
"Pardon? My hair?"
At Mirna's words, Jeon pulled his bangs in front of his eyes.
And sure enough, just as Mirna said, Jeon's hair was now a noticeably brighter shade of gold than before.
'It's similar to Anne's hair color.'
Of course, there were differences.
Anne's was a deeper, heavier gold, while Jeon's was brighter and more vibrant.
The same gold, but with a difference in brightness.
'Even though I experienced it myself, it feels like a dream.'
The power and soul of a person who had toppled the Kingdom Alliance, turned the entire continent against her, and still never fallen had entered him.
It was such an astonishing, unbelievable experience that even if he told someone, they'd call it nonsense.
'But it's definitely settled inside me.'
Beyond the brighter blonde hair, Jeon could clearly feel Anne's energy dormant within him.
The reason was that, though the scale and nature of the power differed, the sensation was very similar to right after he had gained the purple energy from Walter.
'Was Anne's power a kind of Mystery too?'
The feats she displayed against the elite subjugation force, handpicked from the continent's best, were on a level beyond Jeon's current imagination.
Yet despite reaching such heights, she used only her unique golden energy, not mana or aura. Jeon suspected it was a form of Mystery.
'...But it might be too powerful for that.'
Truthfully, Jeon didn't know much about Mysteries.
Considering his own Korean Patch ability and Walter's mental manipulation, Mysteries excelled in utility or specialized fields rather than raw power.
But Anne's golden energy was overwhelmingly powerful regardless.
Her golden eyes and various circumstances suggested uses beyond destruction, but it was undeniably extraordinary.
'That's why they sealed her using a dragon's heart.'
Squeeze.
Jeon gripped the heart-shaped stone he had picked up.
The cold, hard texture felt like any ordinary stone, but this was undoubtedly a dragon's heart.
'...This is complicated.'
He had heard so many stories and undergone so many experiences in such a short time that his mind felt disorganized.
To shake off his thoughts, Jeon shook his head vigorously.
"Could you tell me what happened inside?"
Seeing this, Mirna, who had been watching quietly, asked cautiously.
At her words, Jeon snapped back to attention and looked at her.
"Ah, it's still not fully sorted out in my head."
"Sounds like a lot happened."
"I met someone from long ago, before the Empire was even founded."
"What did you talk about?"
Sensing Jeon's mind was still jumbled, Mirna didn't press for answers. Instead, she gave him time, asking questions slowly one by one.
"She introduced herself as Anne, the one who opposed the Kingdom Alliance..."
"Hmm... I've heard of the Kingdom Alliance, but Anne is a new name to me."
"...You know about the Kingdom Alliance?"
"Of course. I have some interest in history."
Mirna downplayed it, but anyone with a basic history education would know the Kingdom Alliance.
The ancient era, called the golden age of magic, had fallen due to the Great War.
Humanity regrouped, and history resumed from the birth of the Kingdom Alliance.
It was one of the first names in any history lesson.
"Then do you know how the Kingdom Alliance fell?"
"Very well. The Alliance exploited nations outside it so harshly that those nations banded together against them. The original Alliance collapsed, and a new one formed with the weaker kingdoms at its core."
"Even with records like that, there's no mention of Anne?"
"Hmm... To my knowledge, no history related to the Kingdom Alliance mentions that name."
In truth, Anne had played the biggest role in toppling the Kingdom Alliance.
Yet her name wasn't in the records.
'Did they deliberately erase her?'
It was entirely possible.
From the victors' perspective, it might be a shameful past.
Just in case, Jeon asked one more thing.
"After the weaker kingdoms toppled the Alliance, were there any ominous rumors or incidents across the continent?"
"There were. Shortly after the Kingdom Alliance fell, a witch terrorized the entire continent."
"A witch?"
"Yes. We don't even know if she truly used magic, but she played a big role in uniting the new Alliance internally."
From Mirna's words, it seemed the witch was Anne.
They called her a witch without a name, making her a common enemy to solidify their fragile bonds.
"Thanks to that witch, the Secondary Kingdom Alliance solidified its position."
"...The one born from the Kingdom Alliance's fall is the Secondary Kingdom Alliance?"
"It had a different name back then... but that's what it's called now."
The exploited had risen and become exploiters themselves.
'Disgusting.'
Their goal was always to take the high seats, not restore peace from exploitation.
After toppling the Alliance, they betrayed Anne, its core advocate for peace, branding her a witch to kill her.
Crack.
Realizing this, Jeon unconsciously clenched his fist.
Even though it wasn't his experience, it felt as if it had happened to him.
'Why am I like this?'
Truthfully, Jeon had no reason to get this emotional.
He had heard her story and seen the scenes like photos, but it shouldn't stir him this much.
'...Complete emotions are being transmitted from Anne.'
Soon, Jeon realized why.
It was the golden energy settled inside him, symbolizing Anne's soul and power. Her rage was transferring directly to him.
"...Shall we move somewhere else first? It's late, and we can't keep talking here."
"Ah, sure."
Had she noticed Jeon's emotional shift?
Mirna, who had been watching silently, pointed upward and suggested they relocate.
This cooled Jeon's surging emotions somewhat.
"Come on, follow me. I need to show you where you'll stay tonight too."
Confirming Jeon's change, Mirna smiled brightly and headed up the stairs.
'...She's so considerate.'
Following Mirna, Jeon felt grateful anew.
She must have mountains of questions, yet she didn't rush him. When his emotions flared, she deftly changed the subject to distract him.
All actions born of care and thoughtfulness.
'...Once my head clears, I need to talk properly with her.'
He had learned much new and had much to learn, leaving his mind in turmoil.
But once sorted, he was determined to discuss it with Mirna.
"Hurry up, or we might see the sun rise."
"Ah, yes!"
Lost in thought, his pace had slowed.
Mirna, ahead, beckoned him to catch up.
Finally shaking off his reverie, Jeon quickened his steps to follow her.
"Hmm."
Sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, arms crossed, Jeon let out a thoughtful groan.
Days had passed since returning from the ruins at the mountain base with Mirna.
Yet neither Jeon nor the others had returned to the White Tower, staying in the village.
'I thought there'd be more to gain.'
There were reasons, but Jeon's main one was hoping for more info or artifacts from the ruins.
Besides the final heart, they had already collected everything during the raid, and the artifacts Mirna described offered no real help.
'Most disappeared over time anyway.'
In short, nothing more to gain.
But it wasn't meaningless.
He had learned much from Mirna's stories.
'Though I never got info on Evan.'
When he knew nothing, he suspected the first Emperor might be Evan.
But the first Emperor's name was Randell, entirely different.
'The connection isn't completely gone.'
Questions remained.
The recorded first Emperor's actions were all radical.
Yet no records of his birth, growth, or origins existed.
'Like he popped out of nowhere.'
No kingdom or noble lineage, not even commoner or serf confirmed.
At age 20, he first appeared in history, then forged the Empire through bold moves.
'Probably Evan's descendant.'
After Anne's fate, Evan hid, and his offspring became the first Emperor. That was Jeon's theory.
No proof, just suspicion.
"Putting that aside..."
Evan's matters were unsolvable now.
Jeon's recent focus was the black stone on the desk—the dragon's heart.
"It seems like an incredible item, but..."
Jeon picked up the dragon's heart and infused it with mana.
The mana seeped in and vanished without trace.
More precisely, absorbed.
'Like it's devouring it greedily.'
Like a bottomless vessel, it swallowed all infused mana without reaction.
No way to retrieve it either.
For days, Jeon poured mana into it hopefully, but nothing changed.
'If only I could use it somehow.'
He planned to ask Luke upon returning to the White Tower.
The issue: Jeon's reasons to stay were nearly gone, but the others' weren't.
"Jeon! Come out quick! Jeon!"
"...There she goes again."
Speak of the devil.
The voice of the one with the biggest reason to stay echoed from outside.
Jeon sighed lightly, stood, and went out.
"I learned a new spell today! Let's test it!"
Lena stood there with Mirna, having come to find him.