〈 Chapter 291 〉 Prophecy Points to Death (3)

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Listening to Belnoa’s story, Rania recalled the events from a few days ago. The time when Chloe returned from the battlefield alone.

That day, Rania had gone to meet Chloe.

Rania opposed Chloe standing on the battlefield.

She thought the battlefield was too early for that girl. This wasn’t just Rania’s personal judgment; the Knights Order Leader had voiced the same opinion.

Chloe was still an unfinished hero.

Becoming a Mage, especially a Wizard class, takes an immense amount of time to master. There’s a reason why Wizards are regarded as high-tier personnel on the battlefield.

And what if that Mage also possessed the potential of a hero?

An unprecedented talent appearing for the first time in hundreds of years.

From a strategic point of view, no one would want to lose such a talent after hastily using it, and from a humanitarian perspective, one wouldn’t want to see a young girl thrown into the chaos of battle.

Under these two reasons, Chloe’s participation in the battlefield was put on hold.

It would be right for her to head to the battlefield only after she received ample training and reached a certain level as a Mage. Both the Knights Order Leader and Rania, in charge of Chloe’s training, had come to this decision.

“I want to show it.”

However.

“Even a small battlefield is fine. I need to show the world the potential that Galahal saw in me; I have an obligation to prove it.”

Chloe didn’t think that way.

She wished to stand on the battlefield.

Even if it wasn’t at the front lines. Regardless of whether the battlefield was dangerous or not, she wanted to make her name known to the world.

“Not to become mere words of conviction.”

She had to prove that what she had said during her hero investing ceremony wasn’t just a façade. Chloe stated this, and ultimately, that request was fulfilled.

“Chloe.”

So, on the day that Chloe returned from the battlefield, Rania sought out the room where Chloe was staying.

“Oh, Professor Rania.”

Chloe welcomed Rania with a somewhat fatigued expression.

Beside her lay the hero’s mantle, stained with dirt and blood. It suggested that the operation hadn’t been as easy as it appeared, prompting Rania to exhale briefly.

“…Was it easy?”

“Yes, a little.”

Chloe smiled weakly.

“The knights held the line in front, and I was drawing circuits from the back… Um, the thing is.”

As she hesitated, she forced herself to speak.

“I was late, a little.”

Hunching over her knees, Chloe lowered her head.

“Was it because of the Phantom Territory? The mana density was different than usual… It took time to grasp the flow. I think I was about ten seconds late.”

Ten seconds.

“Someone died.”

Chloe said.

“I made a mistake, I was ten seconds late… and in those ten seconds, someone died. After the operation ended, I saw the corpses being carried away and…”

Rania sat silently beside Chloe.

“Oh, I see. This must be what Destel meant. What Galahal meant by someone dies… I thought about it like that.”

“…So?”

“I thought it wouldn’t be easy.”

“Of course. I felt the same way, just like Kyle.”

Rania had felt the exact same thing.

When she had gone to the battlefield with Kyle, Raniel had made remarkable achievements. From the very first battle, he began to rack up accomplishments and garnered public attention.

But still, people die.

If casting a spell is delayed by even a second, dozens of soldiers may be lost in that second. A single action, a single mistake can determine life or death for someone. That is precisely the nature of the battlefield.

“This is what Galahal endured to move forward.”

Seeing Chloe mutter that, Rania couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Even while expressing how difficult it was, there seemed to be no intention in Chloe’s eyes to stop. Perhaps she didn’t even need comfort.

‘…She’s doing well.’

She was moving forward with her own strength.

Rania felt a mix of pride and concern. She inhaled briefly and smiled at Chloe.

“I hear this operation is being talked about a lot.”

She opened the newspaper she brought with her.

There were mentions of Chloe’s exploits. Since her alias hadn’t been decided yet, they had referred to her as ‘Chloe, the Hero of the Holy Current’…

“Look at this.”

『I saw potential.』

『She has talent.』

『Light swept through the area. Kyle’s starlight symbolizes victory, Galahal’s starlight symbolizes protection, and Chloe’s starlight is still unknown… 』

They saw potential in her.

The value of that light was certain.

While it may be hasty to judge, the knights who witnessed Chloe’s actions all said the same thing.

“They saw potential in you.”

They saw potential in the young hero.

Potential means hope. Chloe’s achievements instilled a sliver of hope in the knights, and that was essentially proof that she was doing well as a hero.

“Well done.”

Rania patted Chloe on the head.

“Isn’t this your first step as an idol?”

“…Is that so?”

“It is.”

Chloe smiled brightly and stood up.

“I won’t be heading to the battlefield for a while, so I need to train harder.”

She aimed to keep moving forward.

Swallowing her anguish and anxiety, she fixed her gaze ahead. Rania suddenly thought that Chloe’s figure resembled her own.

A familiar familiarity.

It was that familiarity that made Rania feel a slight unease.

“I am falling behind. I can’t move forward. While Chloe keeps moving ahead…”

And now, time passed.

“I am still stuck in the same spot.”

Rania watches Belnoa, who is unloading his worries in front of her. Belnoa appears to feel an anxious sense of being chased by something. This sight was also familiar to Rania. She wondered where she had felt such familiarity before.

“If it continues like this, I won’t be able to stand by that girl’s side…”

「…Can I stand by your side, Raniel?」

Ah.

「Lately, I’ve been feeling that way. You keep moving forward while I remain in place. Is it okay to be like this?」

Rania narrowed her eyes.

She had heard such words before. It was before her relationship with Kyle soured. Therefore, she hadn’t thought much of the question back then… but now she regretted it.

“Hey, Belnoa.”

Rania clenched her fist.

And swung it toward the top of Belnoa’s head, producing a whack sound that echoed loudly.

“Snap out of it.”

2.

“Ugh!”

Belnoa clutched the back of his head and looked up.

Having kept his head down, he hadn’t been able to see Rania’s expression. Now lifting his gaze, he saw Rania with a troubled look on her face.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Are you coming to your senses?”

Rania said lightly, brushing her hands off.

“Don’t you think you’re too obsessed with your level?”

“…Obsessed?”

“I understand that your shadow sorcery has another stage. And I also understand how powerful it is. But does that mean you’re weak right now?”

She poked Belnoa’s forehead with her finger.

“You have combat senses that surpass those of most active duty personnel. Even against battle mages with a reputation on the battlefield, you wouldn’t fall behind. Besides, you didn’t even use all your power back then, did you?”

“That’s…”

“Honestly, tell me: who do you think would win if you faced off against Chloe?”

In a straightforward comparison of their strengths, Chloe might indeed be stronger. But in the overall context, Belnoa maintained the upper hand due to his battlefield experience.

“Sure, Chloe will keep getting stronger. I can see that her growth is quick. You’ll catch up soon enough, and if things keep going like this, I might be caught up too.”

However, Rania added.

“Does that give you a reason not to stand by her side?”

At that comment, Belnoa fell silent.

While keeping her finger on Belnoa’s forehead, Rania bent down to meet his gaze.

“Did I choose you for no reason?”

Her blue eyes reflected in Belnoa’s retinas.

“You have enough talent. You have potential. And you’ve got guts. That determination you had while glaring at the Gletus is something I highly value. That’s not something just anyone can do.”

So.

“Don’t be impatient. Frankly, even without a new sorcery, you are more than qualified to stand beside her.”

“But…”

“If not.”

Rania added.

“Did Chloe ever tell you not to stand beside her? Did she say she wouldn’t need you unless you learned new sorcery?”

Belnoa kept his mouth shut.

It felt like getting hit on the head all of a sudden. Indeed, he had been physically struck, but beyond that, it was the mental shock that struck him.

“…I might have been a bit hasty.”

“Right?”

“Yes, Chloe has changed too much… I thought I had to change quickly as well. I think I acted too hurriedly.”

“Okay, that’s enough.”

Rania exhaled briefly and stood up.

“Um…”

Just as she was about to leave, Rania turned around. Should she say this? It might seem like meddling after all.

“By the way.”

After contemplating, Rania finally opened her mouth, determined to meddle to the end.

“That girl hasn’t really changed much.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just trying hard to change doesn’t mean one can change right away. It’s all an act. Pretending to be okay, pretending to be fine. Because that’s what they think they should do.”

It might be an experience she was reflecting on.

Having acted for so long that even their personality had genuinely transformed, the wizard let out a wry smile.

“So go talk to her.”

Before things get completely distorted.

Swallowing the trailing words, Rania waved her hand dismissively. Hesitant, Belnoa nodded and stood up. Judging by the direction he was heading, it was probably towards the dormitory where Chloe was staying.

“Do well.”

Muttering this, Rania exhaled briefly.

It might be her misunderstanding, but in the relationship between Belnoa and Chloe, Rania saw reflections of herself and Kyle. Though certainly, there were more differences than similarities.

Belnoa and Chloe were still at the starting point.

No conflicts had arisen, and both were making efforts to understand one another. Even if problems did arise, they’d likely be able to mend any emotional gaps or rifts without difficulty.

However, that was only if they caught on in time.

If they failed to notice the decline and allowed it to linger, then with enough time passed, it could grow into something uncontrollable. An irreversible, massive chasm could develop.

When that happens, one would become exhausted.

While the other would be left disappointed.

And what would happen to the one remaining?

How much time would they spend in loneliness? Rania prayed that Chloe wouldn’t become like that.

“So I interjected for now.”

Rania scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“…Was that meddling unnecessary?”

For Rania, who had very limited human relationships, advising on someone else’s was exceptionally challenging. Amidst performing a hard task, she felt a smidgen of embarrassment.

Meddling for no reason was a quality of a busybody, wasn’t it?

“I guess I’ve grown old too, tsk…”

Rania’s murmurs echoed through the forest.

3.

Sara, the Saint, has been experiencing nightmares lately.

It’s something too significant to dismiss as mere dreams. The reason being, the dreams are far too vivid. Moreover, she’s been having the same dream repeatedly for the past few days.

In her dreams, Ganikalt, the Death’s Blade, appears.

At first, she was too scared to take in her surroundings while fleeing. However, after repeatedly having the same dream, she found herself gaining some composure. The fear remained, but she could scarcely turn her head to examine her surroundings now.

Armed with that awareness, Sara began collecting information.

She looked at the constellation more accurately and even recalled the dream’s background to draw it after waking. As she gathered information, she had to accept that this was indeed a prophecy.

“I’ve never dreamt in my life, and now I’m dreaming of the same thing… It’s odd.”

So she began searching through the records in the church.

She investigated the records regarding prophets.

In historical accounts, the emergence of prophets was noted within the fingers of one hand. And all five of those prophets pointed to the same entity.

“All have hinted at the existence of the Death’s Blade.”

All five prophets cried out death.

In different eras and different positions, they all spoke about the same place where the Death’s Blade truly appeared.

“…What should I do?”

“First, we need to tell someone.”

Kyle said bluntly.

“Is there a way to specify the date?”

“I looked at the constellations, but I can’t read them, so should I ask the church’s astrologers?”

“No need for that.”

Kyle shook his head.

“I can read the stars.”

“…Kyle?”

Sara blinked in surprise.

“You can read the stars? How? It’s something that only a very few can do in the church…”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember it clearly, but I could do it from a very young age. It might be after arriving at the Royal Capital, but I’m not sure.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Kyle genuinely knew how to read the stars and could pinpoint the date quite accurately. Knowledge had been subconsciously implanted in his mind.

As Kyle began reading the stars, Sara bit her lip as she observed his profile. The scenery she saw in her dream, the future that is bound to happen. Sara kept all of it from Kyle.

「Will you not step back?」

In the dream, death asked.

There were two answering death.

Although she didn’t hear the voices, Sara took in their appearances.

Kyle wielding the holy sword that led the brilliant light.

And the Ashen-Haired Man with flowing hair.

Both rushed toward death, battered and bruised. Although she didn’t see the conclusion, it wasn’t hard to anticipate that future.

‘They die.’

Humans cannot resist against death.

The prophecy points to the deaths of Kyle and Raniel.

It is a certain future, an event that must occur.

“Kyle.”

Thus, Sara resists.

“Let’s withdraw here.”

To refuse the predetermined future.

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