Episode 901 If I Were Born Again… … . (1)
Upon his return, Giselle no longer interfered in state affairs.
Others were already leading the country well, and above all, his own power could disrupt the balance of the world.
Although Elena challenged him several times to take the throne, he easily subdued her in a duel each time and said,
“This is revenge for the beating you gave me.”
—???
— “Now, let me rest a little.”
He had been running without a single rest.
It was possible because he had a goal. Now that he had achieved his goal, there was no reason to push himself any further.
Ultimately, rather than stepping to the forefront, Giselle remained merely a watcher of the kingdom.
He became not the one who directly moved the world, but a guardian-like figure of the kingdom who revealed himself only when necessary.
Thus, Giselle stepped away from all matters and simply spent his days peacefully.
His activities consisted of gathering with friends to laugh and chat, reminiscing about old friends while reading Astion’s records, or meditating quietly alone.
Occasionally, however, he would quietly slip away due to the women who attacked him with their gazes and the silent pressure exerted by Erenes.
Of course, Erenes didn’t just apply silent pressure.
She, too, had read Astion’s records and realized that Gisel had remained in the past for a while longer.
Erenes would occasionally bring up that matter to pressure her.
— You really did hide away so secretly? Why do you make me feel so embarrassed?
— … … Sorry.
— Sorry for what?
— … …
— Don’t you know why I’m angry?
— … …
Whenever she confronted her, Gisel had nothing to say.
She thought everything was over now that the source of the darkness had been completely eliminated, but it wasn’t. In a way, it felt like the real beginning was just starting.
“Ah, I need to go get some fresh air.”
Whenever she was in trouble, Gisel would always make a similar excuse and run away outside.
Then, she would sneak off alone to the Forest of Beasts.
The Forest of Beasts, a place once called the Mirror of Evil.
In a sense, the place where everything began and ended.
Floating high in the sky, Gisel gazed at that vast forest for a long time.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Pioneering was still in full swing throughout the forest.
It was a forest that bordered other kingdoms and extended all the way to the vast northern lands.
Because it was so vast, the task of clearing the forest alone seemed like it would take at least several decades.
Furthermore, areas untouched by human hands were still swarming with bizarre monsters, so it was clear that it would take much longer than that for the settlement to be fully completed.
When the kingdom settled a new region, they deployed only the most elite troops, accompanied by superhumans. As always, the Knights of Fenris were leading the way.
Looking down at the scene, Gisel muttered softly,
“I tried not to intervene in the world anymore, but…”
It was difficult to ignore the Forest of Beasts. There was a good reason for it.
Gisel, who had agonized over the decision every time she fled (?) into the forest, finally let out a sigh.
“I think it is right for me to put an end to it myself.”
Although the Demon Realm had been sealed by Deneb, humanity still could not shake off its fear.
This was because the anxiety and terror of not knowing when or what might happen were deeply imprinted in the human heart.
Although the kingdoms established near the Demon Realm claimed to be keeping watch, no one could feel safe with that alone.
[… … Humanity’s rulers cracked down on the Demon Realm over a long period of time. They planted countless trees to turn it into a maze, and then threw an enormous number of monsters and beasts into it.]
[… … It was an undertaking carried out over decades by the concerted efforts of all the kingdoms on the continent. As a result, as time passed, the Demon Realm transformed into a land of death where ordinary people dared not set foot.]
[… … It was not just monsters there. Some tribes of elves and dwarves who had fled after losing the war hid in the Demon Realm. No one knew what became of them. Whether they all died, or whether they survived somewhere and are keeping their lineage alive… … .]
This was all that Astion had recorded regarding the Demon Realm.
However, Gisel could guess what had happened afterward.
‘… … Everything must have been corrupted.’
Thanks to Deneb, the source of darkness was sealed.
However, that seal served only to prevent darkness from leaking out any further.
Because the seal was so powerful, it sucked in and trapped even the darkness of the Demonic Realm, but it could not erase the darkness that had already spread throughout the world.
And the darkness of the Demonic Realm had not completely vanished either. The energy that had seeped into the land for a long time remained, albeit faintly.
That is, until the resurrected Demon God absorbed all the darkness of the world.
Naturally, all living beings in the Demonic Realm during that time had no choice but to continue being exposed to that energy.
“The monsters, the elves, the dwarves, and even the ents and spirits who had gone there with them… … .”
In the end, they must have transformed into monsters driven solely by destructive instincts, having forgotten even who they themselves were.
That was the very reason the Forest of Beasts was teeming with bizarre creatures.
Beings that had been slowly consumed and mutated over a period ranging from decades to centuries.
They likely instinctively continued to seek closer to the source of the darkness. For fragmented thoughts must have ceaselessly scratched at their minds and howled.
That was also the reason the monsters were stronger and more twisted the closer they were to the sealed place.
“The dragons must have thought that was enough, but… … .”
At that time, the Church of Salvation was virtually annihilated.
They must have judged that they could never defeat humanity with only a few priests and the darkness remaining in the world.
Furthermore, they could never have imagined that they themselves would go extinct.
Their goal was to create an imperfect peace, however small, and they had indeed brought peace to the world for a thousand years.
‘That is, until Gatros, the last remaining descendant of the Apostles… brought the Church of Salvation back to the surface of the world.’
After the records vanished, even that truth became distorted.
To humanity, the Forest of Beasts must have become nothing more than a land of terror teeming with unidentified monsters.
To the people of the Church of Salvation, wandering after losing their holy land, it came to be regarded as a sacred place where guardians protected the seal.
They must have believed they could handle even the monsters tainted by darkness.
‘There was no other way back then… but it was actually a relief that it turned out this way.’
If the Forest of Beasts had not been as dangerous as it is now, the Church of Salvation would have found their holy land much sooner.
However, now that all darkness has vanished, there is no benefit in the Forest of Beasts existing.
The beings inside are still suffering.
Without even knowing why they are suffering.
Because they can neither control the darkness nor be enslaved by it…
Beings destined to suffer forever from a thirst of unknown nature.
‘Someday, they will all disappear, but…’
Complete colonization is a process that takes far too long.
In the meantime, the corrupted beings will have to wander in endless agony.
Giselle could not bear to leave them alone.
So he decided to take matters into his own hands.
He slowly descended into the forest and walked quietly.
But it was not a simple step.
Whoosh…
The power of the world responded to his will.
With every step Giselle took, the beings corrupted by darkness turned to dust and vanished.
There was no resistance, no screams.
Without any pain, without knowing what had happened. They
simply disappeared silently.
Giselle walked for a long time.
His will spread wider and wider, gently enveloping the entire forest.
At one moment…
The strange presences that had filled the forest vanished as if by magic.
Only an unbearable silence took their place.
Giselle stopped for a moment and gazed at the empty forest.
Then, he opened his mouth in a low voice.
“Farewell. I hope that in the next life… you will be happy.” It
was his final farewell
to those who had unintentionally been consumed by darkness and had lost even their names…
After settling the wounds left by a thousand years, Giselle returned to the castle. He
sat quietly in his seat and immersed himself in deep meditation.
For him, having no longer needed to sleep, meditation was his only true rest.
How much time had passed?
In the sea of quiet consciousness, Giselle suddenly felt an alien sensation.
Something was connecting to his mind.
Soon, a faint smile spread across Giselle’s lips.
“…So that was it. How fortunate.”
* * *
Julien felt as if he had fallen into endlessly sinking water.
A lightless abyss.
In a darkness where he could not even breathe, he continued to sink.
It was then.
From far above, a faint ray of light, as thin as the tip of a needle, seeped in.
He reached out his hand without realizing it.
Knowing he could not reach it, driven solely by the desire to grasp that light.
It seemed as though a beloved voice was being heard from beyond that light.
— Julien.
“… … Deneb.”
— I will save the world for you.
She always said that.
Again and again, without fail.
Julien’s answer, too, remained unchanged.
“Deneb… ….”
No matter how many times he died and was reborn.
Even if he were to be broken and suffer, endlessly repeating the same fate.
“I… ….”
He would make only one decision.
“I will abandon the world for you.”
He had to do so.
Abandon, and abandon again, and finally, abandon even himself. Only then
could he save her.
“Giselle… ….”
“—You are always right.”
Giselle’s unforgettable words.
Those words that had guided him whenever he was struggling, whenever he was lost in thought.
So please, let my choice be right. Let
that choice ultimately save Deneb.
Sinking into eternal darkness… …
“… … Because I alone am enough.”
Julian closed his eyes.
Feeling his soul sinking into an abyss from which there was no escape.
Deep, deep… … Just
as he was being consumed by the void and everything was about to end.
Pwaaah!
That tiny light suddenly spread out as if exploding.
Pushing away the darkness as it spread… … .
Scattering like countless fragments of a shattered star, it enveloped Julian’s body.
His senses, which had been growing cold, slowly revived .
The warmth, emotions, and even breath he had forgotten.
Julian slowly opened his eyes. The light had
vanished, and the surrounding scenery came into view.
“This place is….”
It was a place he had never seen before. Yet, it was incredibly beautiful.
Warm sunlight settled softly, and birds flew and chirped freely in the clear air.
Amidst them, small spirits approached him one by one, smiling.
“You all…”
As Julian cautiously reached out his hand, the spirits rejoiced and circled around him several times,
as if they had been waiting for a long time .
Then, they soon turned and began to fly away.
At the spirits’ movements, which seemed to beckon him to follow, Julian instinctively took a step.
And he saw it.
A beautiful castle made of pure white.
As he approached it as if entranced, the gate opened by itself.
Inside the castle stood several people who looked like servants. They all smiled and bowed their heads toward Julian.
Julian looked around, not knowing what was going on.
One person, smiling only, guided Julian. He had no choice but to follow.
In the center of the castle stood a massive golden gate.
And soon, as that gate slowly opened… … .
Pwaaah!
Brilliant light poured down.
It was so dazzling that Julian closed his eyes for a moment.
And when he opened them again,
he held his breath.
What unfolded before his eyes was a banquet hall so magnificent it was beyond description.
The space, where gold, jewels, light, and music harmonized, was incomparable to any beauty in this world.
However, Julian was not surprised by the splendor of the banquet hall.
It was by the people gathered there.
“You guys…”
“Brother! You’re finally here!”
The first voice to burst out was a familiar one.
“Man Osval! I’ve been waiting here for you in a revolutionary fashion!”
Osval laughed loudly and welcomed Julian.
All the members of Julian’s mercenary group, who had stayed with him until the very end, were gathered in the banquet hall.
Julian opened his mouth in a trembling voice.
“Uh, how… you guys…”
At that, the mercenaries shouted boisterously.
“What! Captain! Why are you being so awkward!”
“Captain, you’re so late!”
“Just how much work did you have to do!”
Laughter, voice, and even rough manner of speaking.
They were all unforgettable things.
Soon, Tyron approached and placed a hand on Julian’s shoulder.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Julian bit his lip and let out a trembling breath.
He didn’t know how it had happened, but he was overjoyed to see his friends again.
The banquet hall wasn’t filled only with mercenaries.
“Brother!”
Leo ran over, overjoyed to see him.
He didn’t look like the middle-aged man Julian had last seen.
Just like when they first met, he was smiling with a youthful face untainted by the world.
“Rio… you too…”
“It’s not just me.”
Before he knew it, Andrew and the Marquis Valesant were standing beside him.
Andrew spread his arms wide and made an exaggerated expression.
“Hero Julian! Savior of the world!”
“Oh my, what! Why are you so late!”
Besides them, everyone who had formed a special bond with Julian’s mercenary group had gathered here.
Everyone was welcoming and congratulating Julian.
Julian struggled to hold back the tears welling up. Just then, Leo suddenly grabbed Julian’s hand and said,
“Brother, please come this way.”
Julian followed Leo’s lead.
And finally, he could see them.
“You guys…”
Astion, wearing a mischievous smile, and Marika, laughing alongside him.
Julian choked up and struggled to speak.
“Astion… Marika…”
Astion said with a proud expression,
“I knew you would be able to endure it.”
Until the very last moment, Julian endured the pain and never abandoned the last shred of his humanity.
That is why he was able to help Giselle and die as a hero.
Another voice was heard from beside him.
“Hey.”
Julian turned his head to see Kyle smiling happily.
“Kyle…”
“I waited. For you to come here.”
It was a short sentence, but that was enough.
Lionel also put his arm around Kyle’s shoulder and gave Julian a thumbs-up.
Finally, a single tear rolled down from Julian’s eye.
All the friends he had longed to see were here.
He couldn’t understand how on earth this was possible. But the only thing that mattered was that his friends were right before his eyes.
“What? Why are you crying? You’ve become a crybaby now.”
Astion approached and hugged Julian. Marika quietly hugged him as well.
Kyle and Lionel followed suit, embracing Julian as well.
It was warm. At that incredibly warm feeling…
Julian hugged his four friends and wept endlessly.
Astion whispered to the weeping Julian,
“It’s done now. It’s all over. You’ve worked so hard.”
“Sob…”
At those words, Julian sobbed out loud for the first time in his life.
How, how much he had longed to see these friends.
How much he had dreamed of meeting them again like this.
Oh God, please, if this is a dream…
please let me never wake from this dream.
After comforting Julian for a long time, Astion pulled away and laughed.
“It’s a problem if you get this scared and cry already.”
At those words, Julian’s expression hardened.
“Surely not…”
Astion merely smiled and took a step back. The other friends did the same.
No, everyone here stepped back as if by prearranged agreement.
Naturally, a path was created.
At the end of that path stood a staircase shining with a golden light.
And at the top of those stairs…
a woman was smiling softly.
Julian called her name in a trembling voice.
That name, engraved in his soul and never to be forgotten.
That name he had longed to call again.
“Deneb…”
“Julian.”
Deneb smiled brightly and called his name.
Julian gritted his teeth and put strength into his legs. Swept up in intense emotion, he felt as though he would collapse at any moment, but somehow he took a step.
And another step. And yet another step.
His steps, which had been arduous, suddenly quickened as if he were flying.
“Deneb!!!”
Julian ran in a flash and hugged Deneb tightly.
Strong enough to shatter, as if he would never let her go again.
Yet more cautiously than ever, like someone afraid of losing her.
“Deneb…… Deneb…….”
Julien called her name over and over again, shedding hot tears.
Deneb also buried her face in Julien’s arms and wept,
as much as the time they had been lost.
Holding each other even more tightly,
everyone present smiled as they watched the two of them.
A moment later, Julien pulled away slightly and looked at Deneb.
His face was smeared with tears, but it was filled with a smile happier than ever before.
Julien spoke as if making a vow,
“Never… I will never let you go again.”
“I won’t let you go either.”
Because they were willing to throw everything away for each other.
That is why this meeting was inevitable.
Deneb took Julien’s hand and said,
“Julien, our precious friend… has a gift prepared for us.”
Julien did not ask what it was.
For now, he, too, knew what the gift Deneb had mentioned was.
The two looked at each other again and smiled.
*Whoosh*…
A warm light descended from the ceiling.
The light turned everything white and enveloped the two of them.
At the same time, everyone present transformed into a radiant light and began to vanish one by one.
Amidst the brilliant glow, Astion closed his eyes.
“Yulien, Deneb…”
He grasped Marika’s hand. Soon, their bodies also transformed into particles of light, spreading out as if shattering.
“Please, in this life…”
Before long, the world was filled with pure white light.
Within it, only Astion’s voice remained, echoing gently.
“…May you be happy.”
