Adelin Aynis's Story (End)
Twenty minutes after following the high-ranking mage—presumably someone of considerable status—we arrived at the audience chamber where the king of the Einiss Magic Kingdom awaited.
Adelin had already fully recovered, it seemed, as she dismounted the female mage's back and straightened her dress, adjusting her attire. Swoosh—swish!
"……."
I glanced at her profile for a moment, then alternated my gaze between Selina and Raysilla, both of whom were visibly tense for some reason.
Selina kept swallowing dryly so many times I lost count, her eyes fixed on the floor. Raysilla clutched the hem of my clothes lightly, glaring warily at our surroundings.
Once Adelin had fully composed herself, she took the lead. Under her guidance, the three of us crossed the threshold of the massive audience chamber doors.
Creeeak—thud.
As the enormous doors slowly closed behind us, the only sounds in the chamber became the breathing of the four of us.
Shifting my gaze straight ahead, I saw him atop the dais: Edelbart Aynis, king of the Einiss Magic Kingdom, seated on his ornate throne, looking down at us impassively.
"We heard you summoned us, Your Majesty, King Edelbart Aynis."
With a light bow in accordance with the kingdom's basic etiquette, the elderly king on his throne fixed his stare on us—more precisely, on Adelin, who had shed the grotesque shell of gems and regained her true vitality.
"……."
"…?"
Soon, a faint twitch rippled across the wrinkles around the king's eyes.
"Indeed… I already knew that if you truly regained all your power, Adelin, a storm of blood would sweep through the kingdom."
His voice was far lower and more deflated than during our first meeting—less the dignity of a king and more the sigh of an aged father.
"And yet, I protected you from the shadows until the end. Pretending to maintain neutrality on the surface, or to care for the remaining family… but in truth, I favored you, the aching finger, above all."
His heartfelt words spilled out laboriously, dissipating into the air.
This seemed like a matter to be resolved strictly between Adelin, the king, and the internal affairs of the Aynis royal family. It wasn't for an outsider like me to interject. Sensing this, Selina, Raysilla, and I kept our mouths shut, silently observing from the side.
A short time passed. Adelin, who had maintained an emotionless expression since entering the chamber, slowly turned her head.
Her iridescent eyes, now restored to perfect brilliance, fixed on a dim corner below the dais. There, the queen and her half-brothers cowered, pale-faced and trembling, having witnessed Adelin's resurrection with their own eyes.
Those filthy ties who had treated her as a living gem mine, counting down the days until her death.
Adelin cast them a single, dry glance devoid even of contempt before turning her gaze back to the front, facing the king squarely.
"… I am a sinner."
Her firm, beautiful voice—unwavering—echoed through the audience chamber.
"Even though I was scorned as a bastard, and even as the horrific Petrification Disease dragged me toward a miserable death… I survived only because of someone's protection until the very end."
Adelin continued, her back straight and unyielding.
"Yes. Compared to that one man who received no salvation from anyone and was ultimately betrayed by the comrades he trusted, plunging into the abyss of despair… I can scarcely claim to have suffered. And yet, that man saved my life not once, but twice."
"……."
The king remained silent, narrowing his deeply furrowed brow as if he vaguely grasped what she intended to say.
Adelin, continuing her explanation, averted her gaze from the king and looked at my face beside her.
The arrogance unique to an heir of Einiss and any political calculations had vanished entirely from her expression. It was filled only with profound guilt toward me and blind devotion.
"Therefore, I will accept whatever proper punishment comes."
With eyes still inscrutable, she uttered a shocking declaration.
"From this day forward, I hereby renounce my position as heir to Einiss completely."
With the proclamation, Adelin slowly bowed, lowering her body.
"And if the true savior of the continent permits it… I intend to dedicate my body and soul for the rest of my life—until my dying breath—to repay that one man who will someday surely come to my aid."
She prostrated herself not before the king, but before me.
Her forehead pressed to the cold marble floor, knees bent in perfect submission. It was the moment when the continent's mightiest mage—the future ruler of the Magic Kingdom—cast everything at the feet of the fallen false hero.
"……."
Utterly caught off guard by Adelin Aynis's unforeseen actions, I stood speechless.
It was incomprehensible. Wasn't her sole purpose to cure her illness and reclaim her place at the kingdom's pinnacle? Hadn't she sought me out for that, fought alongside me, and ultimately betrayed me for it? Yet my meager imagination of retorting with vengeful hatred or mockery crumbled before her perfect atonement.
And it wasn't just me. The queen and royals in the corner of the chamber froze like statues at this unprecedented move. A perfect silence, devoid even of breathing, crushed down on the audience chamber… no, on Adelin and me.
The king gazed down at his daughter's bowed head at my feet for a long while.
In the heavy time where no one dared move…
The king finally broke his stubborn silence with a deep sigh laced with resignation.
"Then… as a father, I must take responsibility for the first and last time."
The aged king slowly descended from the dais.
"For it is a parent's duty to bear their child's sins alongside them."
He passed the prostrated Adelin and stood before me. Then, bowing deeply to the man the entire continent branded a fake, he said,
"I know not what drives your new journey… but Einiss pledges all possible support for the hero's path ahead."
"……."
The official, unequivocal backing of the Einiss Magic Kingdom—a power even the empire hesitated to touch.
I alternated my gaze between Adelin, utterly still with her forehead to the floor, and the old king pledging full support.
It felt utterly unreal. A blade to the throat might have been easier. Countless tangled emotions surged to my throat, refusing to form coherent words.
Finally, suppressing the bewilderment choking me, I forced my lips to move.
"… Thank… you."
That single phrase, rasped from my parched throat, was the only response I could muster.
Back in the room where we were staying, I told Raysilla to stay with Selina for a bit and approached Adelin, who had arrived first and was tilting a wine glass under the eerily bright moonlight.
I handed her back the paper containing the utterly unexpected information she had given me and asked,
"Is it really true that the emperor and crown princess of the Failer Empire are waiting for me personally in the Jeres Kingdom?"
To my question tinged with bewilderment, Adelin tilted her glass once more and gave a slight nod.
"I double-checked just in case, but apparently, right after completing the conquest of Jeres two days ago, all imperial and allied forces halted their advance."
"… What do you think their sudden change means?"
At my repeated query, Adelin set down her glass, rose, and walked slowly to the window as she continued.
"It could be interpreted in many ways, but if you're asking for Adelin Aynis's thoughts… they're probably planning to use you as a political tool to win over the remaining factions."
"Remaining factions…?"
"Yes. Harennes is being pushed back, and countless lords and minor nations are falling or surrendering, but about a fifth of the continent's forces remain neutral—or rather, leaning toward Harennes. Under the pretext that mocking the Creator God is a greater sin than colluding with demons."
"… Idiots."
"Exactly. Thanks to you, the hero who struck first, they suffered no major losses to the demons, so they don't know true fear or hatred of them."
"Anyway, so in conclusion, you're saying…."
I picked up the water glass from the table and asked calmly.
"You're asking if I'm going to go meet them myself?"
Adelin detached herself from the windowsill and nodded slowly at my question.
"Yes. I've wanted to ask ever since I first heard about you."
"Then yeah, I plan to go."
I took a sip of water and set the empty glass down.
"They're the ones who stood by me in that trash heap of a downfall—the only benefactors on my side. Whatever their angle, I should meet them face-to-face and talk it out."
At my unhesitating answer, a flicker passed through Adelin's eyes. She drained the remaining wine in one go, then gently rubbed the smooth surface of the empty glass before speaking again.
"What about the Dersian Kingdom? Isn't Raysilla's treatment the priority?"
"I can't handle it in my current state anyway."
Due to forcibly pushing White Purification beyond its limits while purifying the Blood Creation Lord in Adelin's mental world, my meridians were tangled in places.
"I can't perfectly purify the All Corruption Fall curse rooted throughout the Dersian Kingdom with White Purification as it is now. Touching it half-heartedly would only backfire. Meeting the imperial folks while resting up is the best option for now."
"……."
Adelin didn't argue with my words, simply pressing her lips together in silence. There was no need to drag out the conversation on this topic anyway. I stood up.
"Anyway, we're leaving in two days, so take care of yourself until then."
Dismissing her like a guest, I turned toward the bathroom. All I wanted was to soak my weary body in warm water.
But after a few steps, Adelin's voice caught my ankle once more.
"There's still one thing we haven't talked about, Kail."
"…."
I halted in place. I didn't need to turn to know the expression she wore—the blind, desperate face from the audience chamber. The unfamiliar sight of her, stripped of royal pride and mage's arrogance, prostrating at my feet. It lingered vividly.
So I just stood still, waiting for her next words.
In the ensuing silence of the room, the careful click of Adelin's heels approached my back and stopped just within arm's reach. Yet she didn't dare touch even the hem of my clothes.
"You…."
Her voice trembled faintly. Unable to step before me, she directed her cautious, oh-so-cautious question at my broad back.
"Do you really intend to give me a chance?"
"…."
"Can I… truly stand by your side again…."
Only the hoarse, infinitely subdued voice of the woman—fretting in fear of rejection—wavered precariously under the cold moonlight.