Chapter 420: Undying Ambition

…Who are you talking to? Look at us and talk.

Unknowingly, I gasped at the words professed by the silver eyes. My heart was beating wildly, and my internal organs got tightened. A slight pain was rising from the bottom of my stomach.

Who were I talking to? I just couldn’t answer a simple question.

My lips became distorted, and I couldn’t react. Several words came to my mind, but they were all light and feeble. Not only Caria, but also Filaret and Eldith wouldn’t forgive such words.

The three pairs of eyes staring at me had no tolerance at all. They were sincere and ruthless.

Those eyes were filled with a great amount of ferocity. I felt that if I were to look away even for a moment, they’d rip my neck on the spot. My shaking teeth made an awkward sound.

But what could I say? How could I explain my knowledge of the future to justify my behavior? Should I just say that I had visions of the distant future and was imagining them at that time? How could I tell such stories to these women that were not even suitable for drinking partners?

Eldith said with a strangely warm smile while I was choosing a few words even though my head was feverish.

「Maybe you thought we wouldn’t notice. You know, we can see everything through your actions. 」

At the same time as Eldith leaned her body closer to mine, the grip on my arms became even stronger. At the same time, a cold breath began exhaling from my lungs. Sweat fell from my spine.

Eldith moved her lips smoothly and continued.

「Listen, Lugis. Do you realize how humiliating it is for us to keep doing what you want? 」

It felt like a stake had been driven into my head. I could no longer look at Eldith’s blue eyes. All of this was my fault.

What Eldith said was natural. In fact, it was strange that I had never been confronted by it until now.

No matter how much I knew about the past, it was my obligation to distinguish those days from now. Instead, I spoke and treated them as if they were the same as before.

How insulting was that?

There was no doubt that they were different beings now than they were before, and there was no doubt that they were living in this current timeline. They were not puppets or actors who always acted according to the scriptwriter’s wishes.

I breathed out from the bottom of my throat and relaxed my shoulders. Something cold traced the skin around my cheeks. I sat firmly on the bed.

Then I opened my lips. There were no grand words in my head. My tongue, which usually moved so easily, felt strangely heavy.

「…It’s my fault. I can’t argue or make amends. 」

I looked down at her and said those words. I had nothing else to say. What should I say? I didn’t even know.

In the end, all I felt was disgust at my own weakness for not being able to face these girls. I felt like my soul was trapped.

Why? Because the past that I kept averting my eyes was now standing in my way as a reality. That was what life was all about. The past that I tried to run away from would eventually grab me by the shoulders. That’s why I had to face it now.

For a moment, silence enveloped the entire room. But soon Filaret put her hand on my shoulder and said the following words.

「It’s okay, Lugis. I’m not going to blame you. But you need to start listening to us and understand our circumstances…but if you think it’s hard for you to do so, then you should vow before us to never do it again. 」

Filaret’s whisper had a tone that entwined my ears.

A vow, an oath, a promise. Unlike the words uttered by ordinary people, the word vow or oath taken by a Sorceress had many meanings. At times, it even bound the soul.

I didn’t know what Filaret wanted with this and what her purpose was when she said those words. However, it seemed impossible for me to jump away from it.

But at the same time, I suddenly thought. Today, it felt like their connected story was progressing too smoothly.

Calia and Filaret, and even Eldith. Usually, they didn’t mind using words as knives against each other, but today they didn’t object to each other’s words. In fact, it seemed as if they were agreeing with each other’s thoughts.

Was it really possible for something like that to happen?

Maybe Filaret, no, Caria and Eldith as well. Maybe they were doing everything they could to lead me to the destination they wanted.

…They wouldn’t have done something like this if they were those from back then. However, if they were what they were now, wasn’t this the natural thing to do?

Without realizing it, something cold ran down my spine, and my cheeks twitched.

—

A voice echoed inside the royal capital’s barracks. It was filled with extraordinary fury and sounded endlessly frustrating.

「The usurper should be executed in the royal capital immediately. This is urgent, Battalion Commander Richard! 」

Richard shook his white beard after hearing Neymar Gloria’s sharp words. Then, he took a deep breath and spoke.

Richard’s shoulders were slightly tilted, perhaps he had some difficulty keeping his balance due to the loss of his right arm.

「Well, it’s good that you’re more decisive now. But I told you to wait. If you kill that young lady now, the royal capital will once again be thrown into chaos. Even if it’s a twist of fate, it will be useful in the sense of restoring the royal capital back to its glory. 」

Richard had lost track of how many times this had happened, but the fact that he kept saying it so many times seemed to make Neymar angrier. Richard took a sip of his drink.

Of course, it wouldn’t be nice to hear that their accomplishments had been attributed to Her Royal Highness the Princess. However, what made Neymar’s heart boil even harder than that was the realization that she was being used by the Heraldic Order.

For better or for worse, Neymar acted with dignity by bringing down the city gates and defeating the magical beasts. That scene was deeply engraved in the eyes of the royal capital citizens, and it also showcased the strength of the Gharast soldiers.

However, because of that, the citizens began to respect the princess who was supposed to lead the Gharast soldiers.

Neymar should’ve directly denied that rumor. If that usurper was truly the princess, then it would be natural for the Gharast soldiers to pay allegiance to her.

To Neymar’s annoyance, the soldiers had no authority to object to the fact that a person called Philos Trait called herself a member of the royal family.

The blood relatives of the King were those chosen by God. How so? The way of God was the King’s choice or the upper class closest to him.

Currently, the nobles who had supported the Gharast Kingdom since ancient times, even though they didn’t have the main authority, supported Philos Trait as the princess. Words from Richard, a Battalion Commander, or Neymar, who was nothing more than a local aristocrat, would never reach them.

However, with Neymar, there was no way she would be satisfied with it. Without a doubt, it was her soldiers who took back the royal capital. Those who freed the royal capital in the end were neither Heraldics nor aristocrats. First of all, how could that woman supported by the Heraldic Order, who was essentially an enemy, become the official princess of the Gharast Kingdom?

The high-ranking aristocrats who should be speaking on Neymar’s behalf, and those connected to the royal family, were not here right now. Those people had escaped from the royal capital and entrusted themselves to the Cathedral located in the northern border.

That’s why it was a vicious cycle where the usurper princess gained even more support. It was the worst. Neymar gritted her teeth in anger.

However, after seeing the scene up close, Richard was thinking of something completely different.

For Richard, Philos Trait’s past was known. He had a general understanding of the circumstances and the trajectory that followed. Besides, he saw her once during the Battle of Sanyo.

Therefore, something strange had happened.

Was that princess named Philos really that strong? She was, if anything, stubborn but seemed to be easily broken.

She would never allow her own past to take the reins. Moreover, she would never smile the way she did now. Richard felt that once Philos knew the truth about her birth she would be filled with burning hatred. That was Richard’s evaluation of Philos Trait.

Things had changed quite a bit. For better or for worse.

Was this campaign the medicine that transformed her, or was it something else? Richard didn’t know the answer.

But his thoughts were flashing behind his eyelids. Regardless of what happened, there was some degree of involvement from someone who had an influence on Philos Trait.

Anyway, for Richard, the only choice left was whether to use her or throw her away.

Richard couldn’t intervene with Neymar’s judgment even though he had the authority to do so. In fact, there was no reason for a villain like Richard to agree with such legitimacy.

If necessary, he could just kill the nobles who supported the princess in a sea of blood.

Besides, back then, the King wanted to behead the princess who was his mistress’s child. That would be much more in line with the King’s will.

However, the reason Richard didn’t do it was because he had other intentions. He felt something emerging from the depths of his chest.

When Neymar’s words calmed down, Richard tapped his knee with his only remaining hand and stood up with Neymar’s help. His sword swung at his waist. Then, he finished his talk.

「Alright. Bring me some good ale. I’ll have a little chat with the true villain. 」

Richard’s cheeks contorted with the pain he felt from the place where he lost his arm, but his eyes still showed an undying ambition. A deep smile darkened the wrinkles on his cheeks.

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