Urgent footsteps echoed.
There was a woman running, not caring about the gazes of the people around her, breathing heavily.
Blue-silver hair.
The Third Princess of the Ephania royal family, known for their White Dragon lineage.
It was Sigrid Ephania.
She was holding back tears welling up in her eyes.
The reason was simple.
She was about to reunite with the love she had been waiting for all this ti.
‘Arthur, Arthur.’
Calling out his na in her heart, Sigrid ran.
On that day, when she inherited her mories and opened her eyes,
she too, like Mary, had waited forlornly at the promised place for Arthur.
Sigrid loved Arthur more than anyone else.
But Arthur did not appear.
No matter how much she searched the Empire, she couldn’t find him.
She realized then that there was a problem she didn’t know about.
In her mories, Arthur was always a man who forged ahead.
Supporting him was her role as his wife.
So Sigrid endured and pushed Mary to stand up.
She believed Arthur must have had a plan.
She waited, hoping for the day she would et him again, while carrying out her tasks.
And today.
Finally, Arthur had appeared.
It was indeed Arthur.
He had shown up because she had been doing her best with her tasks.
She was passing through the empty arena passage, heart aflutter,
when she saw a figure standing there.
A robed figure with golden hair peeking out.
It was Arthur.
It had to be Arthur.
“Arthur!”
She called out his na as she ran towards him.
Freeze!
Her steps halted.
The hair color was golden, yes.
But under the hood, it wasn’t Arthur’s face.
The figure had an androgynous face that could be mistaken for a woman, very different from Arthur except for the hair color.
Only the physique was similar; it was soone else.
Sigrid’s face hardened.
At the sa ti, a cold fury began to show on her face.
She wanted to imdiately cut down the one who dared to impersonate Arthur.
“Who are you…”
“Sigrid Ephania.”
At that mont, the figure addressed Sigrid.
The voice was strangely neutral, making it hard to tell if it was male or female.
“Arthur has a ssage for you.”
“A ssage from Arthur?”
Sigrid snapped back to her senses.
Sothing had indeed happened.
With that realization, Sigrid regained her composure and bit her lip.
“There is soone else moving besides the three of you who have inherited mories.”
Hearing that, Sigrid’s eyes slowly widened.
This wasn’t a guess.
Only she, Mary, and Arthur would know that fact.
“Wait, what do you an? There’s soone else besides us?”
“Arthur isn’t certain. There are too many variables this ti, making it difficult for him to judge.”
Sigrid fell deep in thought.
This was sothing she had been contemplating recently as well.
‘With Ebelasque and Charlotte, the butterfly effects have been excessive.’
It was almost too much to be just butterfly effects.
“So Arthur is currently looking for that person. Pay attention to those who react to instead of Arthur. That’s Arthur’s ssage.”
Finally, Sigrid understood Arthur’s intent.
“…Just one question. Arthur used to say sothing to when we were alone. Do you know what it is?”
Sigrid asked for final confirmation.
The fake Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke.
“He said to tell you there was no such thing.”
“Ha, haha.”
Sigrid laughed out loud.
“That’s right. Arthur wouldn’t tell anyone what he said to when we were alone.”
Sigrid was sure of Arthur’s existence.
“I understand what Arthur ant.”
If Arthur was looking for soone, she would find them too.
“Is there anyone Arthur is paying special attention to?”
In her mind, the first person that ca up was Kraush.
She had seen Kraush break the aurora stone just monts ago.
What puzzled Sigrid was that the aura she sensed from Kraush was clearly at the entry level of a master.
But even a master couldn’t break the aurora stone, no matter how bright it glowed.
What she felt at that ti was the power of a curse.
Realizing that, Sigrid guessed that Kraush had used a skill to swallow so sort of curse and played a trick.
Recognizing this, Sigrid felt confused.
‘Even with the butterfly effect, the timing was too early.’
Although Kraush was highly skilled in dealing with curses, it was mainly for self-protection.
Not at the level she had just witnessed.
Initially, she wondered if Kraush had also inherited mories like them.
But even if that were true, it made no sense for Kraush to reach the entry level of a master in just a few years.
His mories would only involve curses and wars, far from actual combat skills.
‘I know that man’s level the best.’
He was inherently a halfwit.
No matter how hard he tried, his inherent lack of talent made it impossible to break through his limitations.
“Charlotte Balheim, he said.”
Sigrid’s eyes widened.
“Did Arthur really say that?”
“Yes.”
Charlotte Balheim, an unprecedented genius of Balheim.
Upon hearing that, Sigrid felt like the pieces of a confusing puzzle were falling into place.
Charlotte was soone who never received any divine skills until her last monts.
A human legend herself.
She stood at the peak with just her sword.
But what if she received a skill just before dying after defeating the Sword Emperor?
The gods often extended their hands to humans at their final monts.
Arthur too had gained the regression skill through such a process.
‘Then it’s not impossible for Charlotte.’
The extrely talented Charlotte would have been pursued by the gods for a contract.
Naturally, they would have made generous offers.
This could also explain Kraush’s growth.
Even Charlotte, who couldn’t prevent the destruction, died after fighting the Sword Emperor.
In her death, she would have realized.
Even soone as proud as her couldn’t do it alone.
‘So she chose that man.’
That woman had subtly looked after her kin, Kraush, before.
Moreover, Charlotte knew the utility of Kraush’s skill.
To fight against destruction, a cursed one was essential.
So, just as Arthur chose the three of them,
Charlotte might have chosen her brother.
The woman, known for her erratic behavior, would only have accepted her brother as a companion.
‘Yes, from the mont she ca to the academy, there have been suspicious activities in Balheim.’
If all of that was to help Kraush grow, it made sense.
‘And there was that thing Charlotte ntioned before she died.’
Sigrid recalled a conversation she had with Charlotte before she fought the Sword Emperor.
It wasn’t a aningful conversation.
Sigrid and Charlotte didn’t get along well.
But Charlotte had ntioned sothing.
“I found it at last. Tell my brother to co get it. I won’t let him live like that anymore.”
Sigrid didn’t know what it was.
Charlotte had killed the Sword Emperor and died of exhaustion.
But she had intended to pass sothing to Kraush.
‘It might have been an elixir that could radically enhance growth.’
An elixir that could drastically change Kraush’s halfwit life in one go.
Back then, Charlotte might have indeed known about such things.
Combining that with Charlotte’s guidance and teachings,
Kraush’s current growth would be possible.
‘And the sword he carries, Rain Thunder Pri, is proof.’
The sword at Kraush’s waist was undoubtedly Rain Thunder Pri.
It was the sword Charlotte used until her last monts in her previous life.
Hearing rumors of a direct descendant of Balheim going to the Demonic Bastion,
she suspected it might be Charlotte.
But it turned out to be Kraush.
It must have been Charlotte who sent and inford him.
Only Charlotte knew how to obtain Rain Thunder Pri.
‘Charlotte doesn’t know about Arthur’s and our regression.’
So her actions might have seed unrestrained.
To those who had regressed like Sigrid, her actions were clearly odd.
Sigrid crossed her arms, emphasizing her ample chest with a displeased look.
‘And she acted like she was eting for the first ti?’
She didn’t expect Charlotte to be that cunning.
Dying alone, she must have realized sothing.
Sigrid showed a nacing glare.
Then a thought flashed in her mind.
“…Then we should bring Kraush to our side.”
The fake Arthur turned to Sigrid.
eting his gaze, she smiled slyly.
“Arthur is concerned about that man too, right? He is essential for the future. Charlotte must think so too.”
She imagined the mont of taking Kraush from Charlotte.
The only person who could trample her pride as the Third Princess of the Empire, Charlotte Balheim.
Even with her inherited mories, Sigrid felt a deep sense of envy towards Charlotte’s talent.
She envisioned Charlotte’s devastated face after having her well-nurtured brother taken away.
The thought brought her an unprecedented thrill.
Excitent mixed with malice made Sigrid lick her lips.
“I know that man the best. He was with until the end, whether he liked it or not.”
Though they were sworn enemies in the past, they hadn’t seen each other in this life.
Approaching him as a princess wouldn’t be difficult.
“And I also know the two won who were involved with him.”
The woman who served the Fla Emperor.
The Saintess of the Holy Kingdom of Freeman, Astria Stigma Freeman.
Even if she didn’t know if those won would get involved with Kraush again, it would be better if they did.
Bringing those won into her faction would naturally bring Kraush along.
“How about it? It’s not a bad idea, right?”
“I am rely conveying Arthur’s ssage.”
As if he had no personal opinion, Sigrid gave a cold smile.
“Then tell where Arthur is. I wish to see him and ask directly.”
“He will reveal himself soon.”
“…Ha.”
Sigrid frowned.
She wanted to crush the fake Arthur right then but held back.
Arthur must have a plan.
She didn’t want to ruin his grand sche.
“If Arthur didn’t say much, it ans he’s leaving it to my discretion. Fine, I’ll handle it.”
Click!
At that mont, Sigrid heard footsteps.
Turning her head, she saw a black-haired woman running towards them.
Holding a spear, her face was shadowed with sorrow, unlike before.
Yet, her voluptuous body remained unchanged.
It was Mary Diana.
“Miss Sigrid.”
She called Sigrid’s na after a long ti and shifted her tearful gaze.
“And…”
As Mary was about to call out to Arthur with tearful eyes,
she saw the face under the hood and froze.
Then she showed a bewildered expression.
“A-Arthur…”
“He is not here.”
The fake Arthur answered, and Mary collapsed with a devastated look.
“No, that can’t be.”
At the sa ti, tears stread down her face.
The once strong Mary, known as the New Spear, was nowhere to be seen.
Over the past year,
Mary had been locked in a dark room, only thinking of Arthur.
Her ntal state had weakened, having always focused solely on Arthur.
The past year in solitary confinent was a living hell for her, feeling like she had lost everything due to a single mistake.
Her ntal state had nearly reached its limit.
If not for the thought of seeing Arthur, she would have broken down long ago.
Sigrid looked at her pitifully.
Mary Diana, who once stood by her side as the New Spear, was gone.
What remained was a royal pawn with only the Heavenly Martial Body.
Sigrid had no intention of keeping a dog in her bed.
But she could feed and care for it as a hunting dog.
‘It’s annoying that Sizelry holds her leash.’
Mary was still her pawn.
“Don’t worry, Mary. You’ve suffered a lot, but Arthur will be here soon.”
As always, Sigrid gave Mary a very kind smile.
“Miss Sigrid.”
“We’ve done well so far. So let’s do our best with the task Arthur gave us.”
Mary barely regained her senses at her words.
“Y-yes. Mary Diana, as Arthur and Miss Sigrid’s spear! I will do my best!”
“Yes, that’s the Mary I know.”
Seeing her smile brightly with tear-streaked cheeks,
Sigrid gave an order as the princess.
“Mary Diana, as your princess, I command you.”
Mary imdiately knelt on one knee.
“You will face Kraush Balheim in the second part of the exam.”
Sigrid had an eye for people.
Charlotte had nurtured Kraush to a level beyond her expectations.
He would certainly face Mary in the second part of the exam.
Unfortunately, her plan to rebuild Mary’s image as a magnanimous princess who even accepted a royal assassin had failed.
Kraush had taken all the attention.
If Mary had only focused on regaining her strength without imprisonnt, she could have easily shattered the aurora stone.
But that ti had passed.
“Win. No, show him a decisive gap. Make him feel jealous of your prowess.”
But her opponent was Mary Diana, the New Spear.
Even if her aura output was insufficient, her spear skills remained.
There was no way she could lose to soone who had rely gained so serendipity.
“I accept the command of the Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.”
Seeing Mary regain her composure and return to her knightly deanor, Sigrid smiled seductively.
Anticipating Charlotte’s face when she lost Kraush.
Caw-
At the sa ti, outside the arena window,
a crow, hidden and silent, flew away.
They had no idea.
End of Chapter
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