Episode 900 I Have a Plan. (15)
That day, people recalled once again
why Elena had been called a living siege weapon, the Queen of Destruction.
Enraged, Elena roared like thunder,
“Everyone, lay down your weapons and lie down!”
At those words, veteran warriors who had been with her—Erenes, Parniel, Jerome, Belinda, and others—immediately recoiled and fled.
The kingdom’s knights and soldiers also immediately laid down their weapons and lay down.
Those who had managed to regain their senses did so on their own accord. Some nobles did the same.
However, there were still many more who remained in a state of confusion and failed to grasp the situation.
Elena did not warn them a second time.
She moved immediately without waiting for the hammer to come.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Elina subdued the bewildered crowd by force. No one—nobles, knights, mages, or priests—was an exception.
No one could stop her. The moment they tried to stop her, they were forced to kiss the floor.
Gisel smiled broadly as she watched this.
‘Oh? Her skills have improved a lot?’
Her movements were extraordinary.
Every time he swung his fists and feet, everyone was sent flying or knocked unconscious.
He still looked like an angry rhinoceros beetle, but it was obvious at a glance that his skills had improved significantly.
‘Still, I can’t bow down before my little sister.’
It was his pride as an older brother.
Giselle tried to slip away unnoticed. At his level, it was entirely possible to do so even against a multitude of superhumans.
However, Elena suddenly swerved and charged straight at Giselle. They even made eye contact.
He could have vanished in an instant, but Elena, having reached the level of a superhuman, would surely sense something was off.
Giselle wore a grim expression.
‘I’d rather take the hit.’
His pride wouldn’t allow him to voluntarily bow down.
To prevent Elena from noticing anything unusual, he suppressed his strength to the extreme, making himself look like an ordinary person.
‘Now, go ahead and hit me. I’ll take the hit myself to see just how much you’ve improved.’
*Thud!
* Giselle, slammed straight into the floor, blinked his eyes several times.
‘What? Why have you gotten so strong? Are you still working out?’
What hurt more than the punch was what Elena muttered as she passed by.
“What is this? Why does this feel so good? For some reason, it feels so satisfying.”
“…….”
Indeed, it seemed the instincts of a brother and sister, deeply ingrained in their blood, were unavoidable.
Gisel lay there, pretending to be unconscious.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Elena moved with tremendous speed, knocking down everyone who was running wild. She
mercilessly blasted away those who were even wielding weapons. Even
the makeshift fortress built by the dwarves simply turned to dust and vanished.
Only then did the people regain their senses and collapse in a line. The sight of them spreading out like a wave was quite a spectacle in its own right.
Before long, Elena was the only one left standing.
Finally, the wedding ceremony came to an end with everyone at the venue having surrendered. Though
the venue, which had been prepared with such care, was completely destroyed.
* * *
Elena had always presented only the image of an elegant queen to avoid worrying her ministers.
However, contrary to expectations, she became even more popular after suppressing the disturbance by force.
“Like brother, like sister!”
“This is our Queen!”
“You have to be that strong to rule the Kingdom of Rutania!”
Her spirited and commanding presence drew loud cheers.
No one was seriously injured. This was partly because Elena controlled her strength, but also because the numerous priests present immediately treated the wounded.
Thanks to the personnel Lowell had stationed on standby, the cleanup was completed quickly.
Meanwhile, Alfoi was dragged away to prison for ruining the Queen’s wedding. Furthermore, those who had deliberately escalated the situation were also taken away.
Thus, the situation was resolved within a single day.
It was revealed that everything was a misunderstanding, and the truth was conveyed to the people in the capital.
In particular, it was emphasized that Nakhtura was actually a Lich who had fought against the darkness alongside the heroes, and that he had been held by Gisel before being handed over to Jerome.
Once the royal family guaranteed it and used Giselle’s name, the situation stabilized quickly.
That was because the power of Giselle’s name was truly immense.
People once again celebrated the Queen’s marriage and joyfully enjoyed the reception and festivities.
Since the commotion occurred just as the ceremony was ending, there were absolutely no issues with everything else proceeding as planned.
Giselle smiled quietly as she watched the streets filled with people.
“Everyone is sincerely blessing Elena’s marriage.”
It meant that Elena and the kingdom’s ministers had led the country with all their hearts. Since it
was no ordinary wedding, people talked about it incessantly.
Giselle had to admit at least one thing.
“It was a really fun wedding. To think I would see such a magnificent spectacle as soon as I returned.”
— Right! There probably hasn’t been a wedding as spectacular as that in the world. If I had arrived late and missed it, I would have been missing out on a whole new life.
Dark was also excited and talked about the wedding all day long.
If anyone were to ask Giselle to name the most entertaining sights of her life, this wedding would certainly be in the top three.
It was truly unfortunate that it happened to be her younger sister’s wedding, though. Regardless, it
was a wedding she would have regretted missing for the rest of her life. Giselle was grateful once again for the good fortune of being able to witness it.
The reception and festivities would last for several days.
During that time, Elena and Arell would still be the main characters. So, she decided to make an appearance towards the very end of the reception.
By then, the excitement of the wedding would likely have subsided considerably.
Moreover, the situation was perfect.
“I’ll be able to meet a lot of people at once.”
Thanks to Elena’s wedding, almost everyone she knew had attended the reception.
So, if she attended on the last day, she would be able to see many people at once.
Although she would have to visit Alfoi and a few others separately at the prison.
Giselle enjoyed the festivities in the streets with the crowd.
The Kingdom had generously distributed food and drink, so there was no shortage. The people were also very kind.
The only slightly regrettable thing was… …
“Hey, hey, look! Those are my clothes! I finally found them!”
“…….”
It was strangely frequent that she ran into the clothing store owner. She felt she shouldn’t take off her robe.
“I found it! That’s the robe that went missing from my house!”
“…….”
Determined to pay them back tenfold, Giselle diligently dodged the clothing shop owners.
As the final day of the reception arrived, Giselle set off toward the royal castle.
Although everyone must be tired from the days-long banquet, Elena’s close aides and friends would still be at the castle.
At the thought of meeting them, Giselle’s steps became light, and a smile never left her lips.
“Dark.”
— Yes.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Dark, taking the form of a giant crow, soared through the sky.
Dark flew to the front of the castle and shouted loudly,
“We are back! You pathetic fools!”
Then, it circled in the sky.
The young soldiers guarding the castle gate wore blank expressions.
“What…… is that…….”
“A talking crow?”
Did such a thing exist in this world?
Confused, they suddenly recalled a very famous story.
The story about the spirit Giselle kept with her.
However, they could not be certain that this crow was truly that very crow. To them, that story was akin to a legend.
The young soldiers were bewildered, but not everyone in the royal palace felt the same way.
As it was an important location, most of the knights and soldiers stationed there were veterans.
They had seen Dark firsthand while traversing the battlefield with Giselle.
“Uh, uh, uh?”
“S-surely not…”
“Why? Now…”
Several knights held their breath and rushed to the gate.
There, they spotted a man walking slowly toward them.
The man’s face was familiar. No, beyond familiarity, it was a face they could never forget.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Those who recognized the man’s face all collapsed to the ground, their legs giving way. They
were so shocked that they couldn’t even think about maintaining their discipline.
While everyone else was dazed, only one person reacted violently.
Hiiiiiiing!
A sharp howl tore through the air.
Crash!
This was followed by the deafening roar of something shattering.
Dududududu!
The rough sound of horse hooves pounded the ground.
Everyone’s gaze turned to one side simultaneously.
Whoosh!
A horse slid over the castle wall in a single leap. It was a feat that an ordinary horse could never perform.
Boom!
The moment the horse landed on the ground, a vibration spread out as if the earth were shaking.
It was a black horse boasting fearsome muscles.
It was the Black King, who had been receiving special treatment at the Royal Castle of Rutania.
“Heeeee! “
The Black King let out another long cry.
That cry carried not just mere spirit, but the full force of his suppressed emotions.
Soon, the Black King charged toward Gisel without hesitation.
Gisel wore a welcoming expression as she watched the Black King come running.
“Haha, Kong. I missed you, too.”
The Black King ran right up to Gisel, then twisted his body in an instant. He
then extended his hind legs with force.
But that was no match for anything.
*Thwack!
* Gisel moved in a flash and struck the Black King’s head, sending him collapsing to the ground.
The Black King sprang to his feet and smiled at Gisel.
*Pfft!*
Seeing his gums showing, he seemed incredibly happy to see her.
Gisel chuckled as well, then mounted the Black King.
Those who witnessed the sight were astonished once again.
After Giselle had disappeared, the Black King had not carried anyone on its back.
A talking crow and the Black King.
At this point, even the dullest of them could not deny it.
The knights and soldiers who had slumped to the ground merely mouthed words, unable to form a coherent sentence. Some even began to shed tears.
“D-D-D……”
“W-How……”
“P-Now, hurry…… inside……”
Giselle looked at the knight in charge of security and smiled gently.
“It’s been a long time. I see you are still serving in the castle. I sincerely thank you for your hard work. Let’s meet again later. I am busy right now, you see.”
Speaking simply, Giselle rode the Black King inside.
However, no one dared to stop her. They simply lay prostrate, weeping.
The situation was no different inside the castle.
Clang!
An elderly servant dropped the tray and food he was holding.
He didn’t even notice the mistake he had made, his body freezing as if he had seen a ghost.
Everyone else, too, fell over in shock at the sight of Giselle’s face or slumped to the ground in tears.
The knights and soldiers who had rushed over in a panic were no exception.
“Gasp!”
“W-what is this…?”
“I-I-I-I…”
They could only gasp for breath, unable to utter a proper word.
The young servants, who had never met Giselle in person, were no different.
Large portraits of Giselle hung in various places throughout the castle. It was impossible not to recognize her face.
Even the reactions of the older, more experienced people made it easy to guess what was happening.
Everyone lay prostrate on the ground, wearing only expressions of disbelief.
Giselle waved to everyone once and headed straight for the banquet hall.
“Stop.”
“Identify yourself.”
The knights guarding the entrance to the banquet hall reached out their hands.
They looked as if they had seen a madman. To think
she was riding a horse around inside the royal castle. And all the way here, where the Queen’s banquet was taking place.
It was enough to make one want to die on the spot.
Judging their opponent to be a madman, they glared at Giselle and slowly drew their swords.
Just then, Giselle shrugged and said,
“It’s me. Have you already forgotten my face?”
“Who are you? Your identity… Ugh!”
The knight, realizing Giselle’s face belatedly, recoiled in terror and slumped to the ground.
Other knights and soldiers dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves.
“Your, Your, Grand Duke…”
“Shh, I’m going to go in myself to surprise you.”
Giselle gave a mischievous smile, dismounted from her horse, and slowly opened the banquet hall door.
Creak…
As she opened the door, many people were laughing and chatting, enjoying the feast.
The music played by the royal orchestra echoed softly.
No one paid Giselle any attention. The door had opened quietly, and it was difficult to respond to everyone individually at a banquet where so many people were coming and going.
Therefore, it was a natural procedure for an attendant to loudly introduce a new guest, but… the guards who had been standing at the door were all currently prostrate.
Giselle looked around.
“Wow, everyone is still here.”
She saw plenty of friends.
Elena, sitting at the seat of honor and talking with her father, also caught her eye.
Everyone was laughing and chatting in a warm, friendly atmosphere.
After watching the scene for a moment, Giselle spoke in a calm voice.
“I’m here.”
It wasn’t a loud voice.
However, that voice struck everyone’s ears clearly.
Snap.
The music stopped.
Those who had been chatting fell silent.
Those eating, and those moving busily, all stopped in their tracks.
Everything existing in this space had truly come to a standstill.
In the suffocating silence, everyone’s heads slowly turned.
Soon, all their gazes turned toward Giselle.
“…….”
Still, no one spoke. However, the expressions and movements of the people had changed starkly.
Zwalter trembled violently and struggled to rise from his seat.
Elena blinked several times as if in disbelief, and Arell knelt down as if collapsing.
Tears streamed down Belinda’s face before she knew it. Erenes staggered, unable to even stand properly.
Jerome dropped the plate he was holding, and Vanessa covered her mouth with her hand.
Gillian clenched her teeth tightly, her eyes reddening with tears. Rachel clutched his hand tightly and smiled with deep emotion. Claude
fell backward in surprise, and Wendy, her mind going blank, couldn’t catch him.
The alcohol Kaoru and Lucas were drinking dripped from their mouths.
Lowell tried slapping Gordon first. Gordon remained still even after being hit.
Parniel let out a hollow laugh as if he had witnessed a miracle, and Piote kept making the sign of the cross unconsciously.
Rosalyn pinched her cheek several times. Meriel also rubbed her eyes, trying to confirm reality.
Some shed tears, some burst into laughter, and some wore blank expressions.
The reactions varied, but the emotion they felt was the same:
surprise and joy.
And… …
an unbearable, overwhelming happiness.
Dark, who had transformed into a small crow, landed on Giselle’s shoulder.
Then he shouted loudly again.
“I had a good look at the wedding! You idiots!”
Heeeeee!
The Black King also laughed heartily, baring his gums.
Giselle looked at everyone with his unchanging smile.
He spoke as if nothing had happened, like someone who had just stepped away for a brief moment and returned.
“I told you.”
Giselle slowly pointed to herself with her thumb. And, as always, she wore that smug expression.
“I have a plan.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than
BANG!
Erenes was the first to move with lightning speed and stand in front of Giselle.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she barely managed to speak in a trembling voice.
“Giselle… this isn’t a dream, is it?”
Giselle opened her arms and gave a good-natured smile.
“Have you been well?”
“Giselle!”
Erenes burrowed into his embrace as if collapsing. Giselle also held her gently.
Only after being held in Giselle’s arms could Erenes be certain.
It was warm. She
was definitely alive.
That fact alone was enough to make her unable to stop crying.
A moment later, their eyes met. Erenes’s gaze was filled with countless emotions.
Longing, resentment, relief, and… even that tenderness he could never hide.
Erenes slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around Giselle’s neck. Her breath trembled gently, and her gaze naturally settled on his lips.
His sharp eyes softened, deepening even further as they held a subtle warmth.
Their faces began to draw closer.
This time, Giselle did not avoid him.
Knowing that her heart had remained steadfast for so long, he could no longer turn away or delay.
And finally…
their lips gently met.
It seemed as though a thousand years of colossal history were contained within them.
It was the moment when the emotions Erenes had built up over such a long time finally touched.
However, that kiss did not last long.
Giselle suddenly snapped her head back and opened her eyes wide.
“Woah!”
“Young Master!
” “Giselle !
” “His Highness the Grand Duke!
” “Brother!”
“The Captain is back!”
Everyone present was rushing toward Giselle,
smiling brighter than ever before.
