The Resurrected Immortal - Chapter 131: Unwanted Marriage Talks (2)
"It existed."
"R-Really?!"
"Yes."
"Then why...!"
Why hadn't she given prior warning, allowing them to prepare for the incident?
But that burden would have been far too heavy for a single person to bear.
"So many people sacrificed their lives in this incident..."
"I'm sorry..."
"Lady Elenoa, please calm down. You know Her Highness the Princess couldn't have done anything about this event."
"...I apologize, Your Highness. My emotions just overwhelmed me..."
"No, I understand. You witnessed so much devastation firsthand during this expedition, Elenoa."
From the expedition members wounded by the humanoid chimera beast to the women raped by the bandits under the necromancer's command, and the horrors inflicted on villages attacked by the necromancer and alchemist—Elenoa couldn't contain her sorrow as the memories flooded back.
"This incident began when a survivor girl from a village raided by bandits happened to make her way to Fernin and reported it to Artia. Even knowing it was coming, predicting the exact timing and preparing in advance would have been impossible for Your Highness right now."
"...That's true, but don't hit me with the facts like that. It just makes me more frustrated."
Yuria had only learned of the necromancer incident after Artia returned from the expedition, when discussions about the necromancer and alchemist reached the court meetings—pieced together belatedly from other attendants and maids.
Once again, she could do nothing as the situation unfolded far beyond her control, and no one knew how bitter that made her feel.
Even with the 'memories of her past life' revealing this world's plot and future events, the harsh reality was that she lacked the power to change them.
As Eunhyeon had said, knowing fragments of future incidents meant nothing without the ability to prepare for them at her current level.
She lacked not just personal strength but even a single trustworthy confidant to share her worries with.
"That's why I brought it up in front of you two, urging Her Highness to reveal her secret. Alex, what do you think?"
"...Unnecessary meddling. To think I'd owe you for something like this."
To Alex, who had hoped Yuria would open up on her own, Eunhyeon's consideration felt like pointless interference.
But ignoring the bridge he'd just extended was another matter entirely.
"Your Highness, from now on, I'll support you. If you have worries or need advice, don't hesitate to lean on me."
"Is that... really okay? You'll believe my story...?"
"Of course."
"Thank you..."
Hearing Alex's response, Yuria slumped back in her chair with a deep sigh of relief.
Now, beyond Eunhyeon, she had someone else she could confide in—and that eased the tightness in her chest bit by bit.
"But I can't help with this necromancer incident at all."
"That's fine, Your Highness. Allow me a few questions from here on. In your 'foresight,' is the necromancer's name Marius Holten?"
"Yes."
"Do you know who taught him Necromancy?"
"No?"
"......"
"Huh?"
Seeing Eunhyeon's face stiffen rigidly, Yuria tilted her head in confusion.
Only Elenoa, who knew the circumstances, glanced at him with a worried expression.
"Sigh... Starting like this from the get-go. Seriously..."
"What? Were you talking about me just now?"
"No, of course not."
It was a grumble directed at no one in particular—about how Fate's Märchen, the novel Yuria claimed to have read on Earth detailing this world's destined flow, made no mention of Media.
The story from that web novel was, strictly speaking, events from another timeline in a different world.
And the glaring divergence between that novel's plot and this world's current events had a ridiculously simple explanation.
Suspecting as much, Eunhyeon asked Yuria again.
"Your Highness, in your foresight, how is the necromancer dealt with?"
"Well, the kingdom doesn't catch on to the necromancer's existence until much later than now. It starts when a small rural fiefdom on the border gets hit, mass-producing undead, and a subjugation force is formed to take him down. Artia leads the vanguard."
By the time he starts raiding fiefdoms, he'd already devoured all the autonomous villages outside them—and the kingdom only mobilizes after even greater sacrifices.
It was a clear deviation from this world's timeline.
"Was there no incident where a survivor girl from a bandit-raided village came to Fernin and requested Artia's aid?"
"I'm... not sure. I don't recall that far. But at this time in the story, Marquis Olivion was so busy with the knight order after that girl Erin burned the capital that he barely had time to rest. Even if a request came, would he have had the spare forces?"
Based on her guess, Riod's swift formation of the expedition to hunt the chimera was a ripple effect from Erin's rampage never happening.
In the end, Eunhyeon taking Erin in and caring for her mental state had snowballed into preventing far greater damage.
This confirmed it for Eunhyeon.
Media's appearance in this world, diverging from the novel, was entirely because of him.
Marius had noticed Eunhyeon was the man who held Media's favor. Under the pretext of a trial, he'd offered his soul and all his mana as payment to revive the Death Dragon for one brief minute—while opening a pathway for Media's spirit to cross over.
And Media had manifested into the world, converting Marius's remaining soul and mana into death qi, all to meet Eunhyeon.
"Fuck... it's because of me."
"Hey, why the cursing?"
Yuria frowned in bewilderment at Eunhyeon's mutter.
"Sigh, my apologies. I've grasped the key differences. Now we prepare for what's ahead."
This was the true purpose of orchestrating this meeting.
The others nodded in agreement, understanding his intent to identify and counter future threats in advance.
"Your Highness, after the necromancer is dealt with in your foresight, what happens next?"
"Well, about that..."
Yuria hesitated, glancing at Elenoa with a troubled frown.
"Your Highness? What's wrong?"
Reading her eyes, Elenoa tilted her head and asked. Yuria sighed and finally spoke.
"Elenoa gets married."
"Pardon?"
"What?!"
"Hmm..."
The bombshell caught Alex and Elenoa off guard, prompting startled reactions, while Eunhyeon stroked his chin in thought.
"To... whom, exactly?"
Elenoa stole a quick glance at Eunhyeon, then hurriedly turned back to Yuria, fearing their eyes might meet.
"To... the son of Bishop Harkan, head priest at the Fernin branch of the Vesta Temple."
"Ugh..."
Even as a mere possibility that hadn't happened, Elenoa grimaced and hugged her arms, shuddering at Yuria's words.
"You know him?"
Alex eyed his sister suspiciously, noting her blatant disgust.
"Not recently, but last year... I visited the temple to pray to Goddess Vesta. His gaze back then was just so..."
Recalling how the man hadn't just stared at her face but leered up and down her body, Elenoa could only scowl deeply.
"Your Highness! Why would I marry that man? Can't we avoid that future? Please! I don't want to marry someone like him!"
"E-Elenoa... calm down first..."
Yuria looked distressed at her desperate plea, shooting a pleading glance at Elenoa's brother Alex for help.
"Elenoa, calm yourself. Let's hear the full story."
"Brother! You don't know how that man looks at me! It's so gross and repulsive..."
"That's why we listen first."
"I see. Political aid as the condition, then?"
Unexpectedly, it was Eunhyeon who eased Elenoa's shock and doubt.
Proving his guess right, Yuria nodded gravely.
"Yes. The aftermath is truly dire. The capital's burned from that girl Erin's rampage, rural fiefdoms suffer massive casualties from the necromancer, and the whole kingdom struggles just to recover. That's when Bishop Harkan approaches House Armitas, proposing a political marriage to Elenoa—the outstanding priestess—in exchange for massive church aid to the capital and provinces."
Elenoa's hands clenched tightly at Yuria's explanation.
"Did Father... and Brother... accept that...?"
Her voice trembled with disappointment and fear.
Yuria shook her head at her expression.
"No. But Elenoa goes to Bishop Harkan herself and accepts the marriage."
"I... do it myself...?"
"It was a time when the kingdom's people suffered greatly. She couldn't ignore the aid for the masses."
"No way..."
Elenoa's fists gripped her skirt, trembling uncontrollably.
"Makes sense. They saw an opening in the national crisis to snag the lady's talents."
"During the war with the necromancer, Elenoa participates as a priestess under the Armitas name, building her fame. It's the stepping stone to her promotion to high priestess amid all those trials."
Elenoa's divine power hierarchy had already been forcibly elevated by Eunhyeon to near high priestess level.
In a similar unfolding, he fully expected Harkan to scheme for her.
"But I didn't anticipate a political marriage..."
He let out a dry chuckle at the bishop's bolder-than-expected greed.
"You... find this funny...? I'm the one about to be sold off!"
"Ah, sorry. It is serious for you, Lady Elenoa."
Infuriated by Eunhyeon's incredulous smirk, Elenoa snapped at him.
He'd anticipated schemes, but hearing her political marriage confirmed directly from someone with 'foresight' hit differently.
Though of marriageable age as the duke's daughter, prepared for political unions, she drew the line at Harkan's lecherous son.
Suddenly, a phrase from Eunhyeon flashed in her mind, and she voiced it herself.
"...Take responsibility."
"Pardon?"
"Take responsibility! You said you would! Fix this future right now!"
Grabbing his collar and shaking him roughly, Eunhyeon's head lolled limply.
"Ah, well... I did promise. Fine."
"...What?"
His nonchalant reply made Elenoa freeze, still gripping his collar, and glare at him.
"You didn't forget, right? We agreed to screw over the temple together."
"Ah..."