LHAHS Chapter 527
Fwoooosh! Crackle! Crackle! Rumble!
The mansion burned, and its surroundings were a literal sea of fire.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
In the midst of it all, Velkia held the person she had loved more than anyone and the child born between them in her arms, wailing desperately.
Leo approached Velkia and knelt on one knee. He reached out, trying to place a hand on Velkia's shoulder, but his hand passed right through her, empty and powerless.
As nothing more than an observer in this world, there was nothing he could do.
"I'm sorry."
He offered an apology that would never reach her, his shoulders trembling.
It was not Velkia's fault for striving to create a brighter world. It was even less his fault.
Still… if only he had warned her that the world they had saved was not as bright as it seemed. That a world without darkness was not necessarily beautiful.
If only he hadn't clung to the complacent thought that a bright child did not need to know the filth of the world, could this tragedy have been avoided?
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
With his head bowed, Leo wept in silence.
Everyone was enraged at the Queen of Monsters Sillatna's attack, and with it, the loss of the Fairy Knight Velkia's family. They seethed at Tartaros for harming the family of a great hero, but Sillatna fled the moment she faced Velkia.
The Queen of Monsters had merely wanted to vent her anger. Velkia was not an opponent she could defeat.
An endless procession of mourners followed.
With this incident, Velkia retired.
The disciple of a Great Hero, the hero who had led this world, stepped down from the frontlines, and many lamented. They clung to her, begging her to stay and continue guiding them, but Velkia was far too exhausted.
"I don't think I have the strength to fight for the world anymore."
With a weary smile, Velkia withdrew from the public eye.
Some grieved… and some rejoiced.
"It's been a while."
"Yeah, it has."
Ten years after that horrific event, Bihar visited her friend's home for the first time in a long while.
Inside a room in the mansion, Velkia lightly poked the cheek of her second child, who was sleeping in a small bed.
Her daughter stirred in her sleep.
Looking down at her, Velkia smiled gently.
"She's grown a lot," Bihar said.
Velkia smiled happily. "Yeah. She summoned a spirit recently, you know? I'm terrible at summoning magic, so I have no idea how to teach her."
Bihar suggested, "Shall we talk?"
Swoosh—
Velkia straightened up and nodded.
The two moved to the mansion's study, lit by the pale moonlight.
"You've changed a lot," Velkia remarked.
"Hm?"
"Your eyes used to be dark… but now, they shine."
"Ah…"
"It suits you." Velkia said sincerely, "It looks like you've found something in this world."
Bihar asked, "Hey, are you… okay?"
"……" Velkia lowered her gaze.
Bihar continued, "For the past ten years, war has never ceased. Ever since you retired, conflicts over power have erupted across the world."
People pointed weapons at each other and fought.
"But recently, wars have noticeably decreased."
All the instigators of war had been slaughtered by someone, as if someone was passing judgment.
"Velkia, ten years ago, after everything happened, you told me not to look for the culprit."
"Yeah."
Ten years ago, when the Queen of Monsters Sillatna attacked. Back then, Velkia had lost her beloved partner and child.
It was the Queen of Monsters who had taken their lives, but under normal circumstances, the Queen of Monsters would never have dared to set foot in Velkia's domain.
Velkia's strength had already surpassed that of a legion commander, and even the monstrous Queen of Monsters, who had ravaged the world since the Age of Calamity, was nothing more than prey before her sword.
Not just the Queen of Monsters—no being of Tartaros would have dared to invade Velkia's domain, and even if they did, they could never have escaped her senses.
"It would have been impossible without an insider's betrayal," Bihar said in a heavy voice.
Looking at her, Velkia replied, "Yes, but I had to wait until Beni was grown."
Closing her eyes, Velkia thought of the daughter who had been in her womb at the time.
"If I crossed the line, I knew I wouldn't be able to return."
"You didn't have to be the one to cross it. That was my…!"
"No, Bihar." Velkia opened her eyes and looked at Bihar. "This was my responsibility."
"……"
"Those people didn't betray the world. They simply wanted to steer it as they pleased and saw me as an obstacle in the way." Velkia smiled faintly. "So it was my responsibility."
"I see, I understand, but… even if your anger hasn't subsided… haven't you already punished everyone who committed those crimes?" Bihar's voice trembled. "Why did you kill those who had nothing to do with it?"
Ten years of unending war had come to a halt overnight. Many who had suffered under the war finally took a breath, but in contrast, there were places filled with screams.
The rulers who had led the war. Those who disregarded the lives of others for their own greed.
At first, only those deserving of death were publicly executed, but gradually, the blade lost its mercy.
Someone passed judgment on those who had committed crimes.
And Bihar knew all too well that the one delivering those judgments was the friend standing before her.
Punishing the guilty is necessary, but this isn't the way to do it.
Velkia looked at Bihar and replied, "I've thought about it for ten years. What went wrong. I did my best. I worked harder than anyone to shape the world the way our masters… the Great Heroes intended when they entrusted it to us."
Her eyes darkened and grew chilling. "And yet, how did it end up like this? That's when I realized. It's not just those who betrayed the world from the shadows that are eating away at it. The traitors aren't the only ones who deserve to die." Her eyes gleamed ominously. "There are those who should not be allowed to live, even within the light."
"……" Bihar swallowed dryly at the murderous intent in her friend's voice.
"Countless people sacrificed themselves for this era."
"Vel… kia."
"That's why, in this era, only the righteous should survive. Those without worth must all…"
"Velkia!" Bihar grabbed Velkia's shoulders and shouted, "I understand how you feel! There are certainly those who are corrupting this world! But… but…"
Right now, Velkia's way of thinking was extreme. It was nothing like her, and at this rate, she would go mad.
"We have to accept this too. Our masters… the Great Heroes must have accounted for it when they saved the world. So… let's stop this. This isn't right. Especially you…"
Seeing Bihar speak through her tears, Velkia lowered her head. Her slender shoulders trembled, and then her breath hitched.
"Why…? Why? Why?! Why!!! Why isn't it right?! Lady Lysinas! Sir Dweno! Master Aaron! Master Luna! Master Kyle! They, more than anyone, deserved to enjoy this peace, but they all died without experiencing any of it! So why do those worthless scum get to feed off the world they left behind?! Who do they think they are?! Why do they get to enjoy it all?! Why do I have to watch this happen?! Why?! Why?!"
Velkia, burning with hatred, shook off Bihar's hands. It wasn't just because of anger, but because she simply could not accept it.
That Kyle and Luna, who were like parents to her.
That the Great Heroes, who were like her family.
That their sacrifices allowed others to live shamelessly while stepping all over their legacy.
That injustice allowed those who worked hard every day to be mocked and trampled.
It was a disgrace to the Great Heroes, and a desecration of their sacrifices.
Ah. Bihar's face twisted as if she were about to cry. Even after the world was saved, she had lived in the shadows and found light within them, but Velkia, who had lived in the light, had found darkness instead.
And that darkness was far too deep.
The hatred born from the incident ten years ago had only continued to grow, feeding on itself.
Bihar clenched her fists tightly.
I have to stop her.
If she was left like this, Velkia would lose herself. She would never return to the way she was before.
"I… will stop you."
"You, of all people, know how vile this world is! You understand! So why are you stopping me?!" Velkia yelled, releasing a flood of hatred and rage burst toward Bihar.
She couldn't comprehend why her friend was standing against her.
The two clashed, and the battle ended in Velkia's victory.
Also… Bihar eventually lost her life due to the aftereffects of that fight.
"……"
The memory shown by the Akasha Record ended, and Leo opened his eyes.
Rian was sitting on the floor, silently carving a gemstone.
"…What a mess," Leo sighed.
"You figured it out."
Click.
Placing Bihar's statue on the ground, Rian looked up at Leo. "You should know that Bihar was already sick. Even if she hadn't fought Velkia, she didn't have much longer to live."
"I see." Leo's expression was heavy.
Rian placed Velkia's statue beside Bihar's. "Velkia didn't live much longer either. She was nearing the end of her lifespan."
"……"
"But even so, she passed countless judgments. In the end, she was right. Her judgments led the world in the right direction."
"But Velkia herself died unhappy."
"Yes, she died consumed by darkness. Unfortunately."
Rian flicked Velkia's statue with a finger.
Thud.
"She was a great hero, but the world broke her."
Rian looked up at Leo. "Sir Leo. I'm not asking this just because you were Velkia's master. As someone who has watched the life of a great hero who carried the weight of the world, I ask you this." He stood up and bowed deeply. "Please grant her rest."
As the keeper of the Hero Record, Rian was well aware that Velkia had become an undead and was now rampaging.
Leo approached Rian, bent down, and set Velkia's fallen statue upright.
"Who am I to grant her rest? If I have to, I'll smack her upside the head or kick her ass until she comes to her senses."
"But even your words won't reach her anymore," Rian said in a trembling voice.
Velkia knew her choices had been wrong, but she simply couldn't stop.
Her rage toward those who had caused the deaths of her loved ones. Her hatred toward those who trampled on the sacrifices of the Great Heroes. The guilt of having killed the friend who had learned under the same masters.
All of it weighed her down, trapping her in an inescapable abyss.
She was too deep in the darkness to be saved.
"It doesn't matter if my words don't reach her. I already told you." Leo firmly set Velkia's statue upright. "It's a teacher's duty to correct their disciple's mistakes."
"…Aren't you disappointed in Velkia?"
"I was disappointed plenty while teaching her, and besides…" Leo stood up and smiled gently. "Even if I were disappointed, she's still my disciple. She's like a daughter to me. Isn't it natural to reach out and pick up a fallen child?"
Rian stood frozen, his mouth slightly open. Ah, as expected, this man…
"Plus, I've saved the world before. What makes you think I can't handle a single arrogant elf?"
…He's even greater than the Creator.