151. Saint Estia and the Church (5)
Even after all this time, I couldn't forget Aina's spell formula.
I always tried to remember it, for it was like Aina's face.
I could never forget it, and I must never forget it.
Even when it tried to gradually fade from my memory, I struggled desperately to preserve it.
Recalling the face of the one I had to take revenge on, remembering what happened that day.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I had lived for today.
"Raul, I'm glad you're alive."
"D-don't come near me...!! Don't interfere between us again...!!"
Raul bared his teeth like a beast and was wary of me.
I gripped my sword and slowly approached him, whispering.
"Minerva, show me the future."
Then Minerva's words appeared in my vision.
[I'll show you the future. The choice is yours, Jun-woo.]
[1. Use swordsmanship to kill the Demon King together with the Hero Party.]
[2. Use swordsmanship and non-elemental magic to kill the Demon King alone.]
"Answer sheet for number 1."
As soon as I finished speaking, the answer for number 1 unfolded.
The Hero Party and I cooperate to kill the Demon King and the Pope.
It's not easy, but with the coordination we've built up, we inflict some wounds and kill them.
However, for some reason, my mood after successfully taking revenge wasn't good.
*...Is it because the revenge I waited over 10 years for ended too quickly?*
I also received help from the Hero Party.
I feel too much regret, as if I didn't finish the revenge with my own hands.
Even though it was the easier path, I erased choice number 1 from my mind.
"I'll take revenge with my own hands. Show me answer sheet number 2, Minerva."
Just in case I might miss the Demon King.
I checked the answer sheet for choice number 2.
The process was arduous, but in the end, I could kill Raul.
Choice number 2 seemed most similar to the revenge I had dreamed of.
However, there was one problem.
*I defeat the Demon King and don't get badly injured, but...*
I die a few days after defeating the Demon King.
That was an absolutely unchangeable future.
*...Damn it.*
Luna, Hare, Saten, Estia.
Why were the faces of the Hero Party coming to mind now of all times?
As the numbers 1 and 2 alternated in my head and my worries deepened,
I made my decision.
"Number 2. I'll kill Raul alone."
[...I respect Jun-woo's choice.]
Time returned to normal.
I ran toward Raul and shouted.
"You will die by my hand today."
Because I saw it in the future,
it was an absolutely unchangeable result.
Porter Raul hated Lee Jun-woo.
Because Aina always had eyes for Jun-woo, not himself.
Because she took the ordinary-looking Jun-woo as her disciple.
He always envied Jun-woo and had an inferiority complex.
*This isn't a problem between Aina and me... If only Jun-woo didn't exist... we would have been together...*
Crack—
Raul bit his teeth and grew his anger.
So he orchestrated a situation where Aina had no choice but to accept his confession.
*Please accept my feelings!!*
He gathered his family and publicly confessed to Aina.
Because he wanted to obtain her by any means necessary.
Because that's what love is.
*You crazy bastard. You think I'd accept such a confession? I hate you, you know?*
But he was thoroughly rejected.
Aina cursed in front of Raul's family as if telling him to go to hell and left.
Raul liked that side of Aina.
Her confident appearance, no matter what anyone said.
*After this mission... I'll quit being a porter...*
After telling the party that helped him that he would leave,
on the last mission, Raul got a good opportunity.
A very precious opportunity to join forces with the Demon King of Envy.
So he could kill the party members who had helped him in difficult times.
*I can just obtain her by force. I have power now.*
He betrayed his party members.
He cornered Aina.
Now there's no one to interfere between us.
*You disgusting bastard... you can never... lay a finger on my body...*
However.
Aina used magic to seal herself.
The intricately woven spell formula couldn't be undone even by a first-rate mage, and it wouldn't melt with demonic energy.
Eventually, though he might die, he risked his life to approach the enemy Church and asked if they could break the seal.
*...A Demon King, is it? But if your intentions align with ours, you could be seen as a goddess. If you borrow our power, we can break the seal.*
The result was fantastic.
He aligned with the Church to obtain money, and with that money bought divine power.
The Pope claimed that with massive divine power, he could break the seal.
Even now, after all this time, the seal hadn't been broken, but
Raul waited and endured, thinking he could obtain Aina.
As a result.
"I waited for years...!! N-no...!! S-stop...!!"
"Shut up."
"Aaah...!!"
Raul was crying out in pain in front of the sealed Aina.
He couldn't even wipe the blood flowing from his mouth as he shouted.
"H-how did you know my actions—"
"That's not important content for you. You just need to die by my hand."
"Get lost...!!"
Envy stretched out his hand and released demonic energy.
The demonic energy in the air gathered in one place and created a giant sword.
It closely resembled the basic principles of non-elemental magic.
"But that's just imitation."
Lee Jun-woo stretched out his hand just like Raul and deployed magic.
It was an attack he could just dodge.
But because he wanted to destroy it head-on,
he created a sword in the air just the same.
"Even if you imitate me, you can never become me."
"Y-you bastard...!! I told you not to interfere—"
Crash—!!
The sword of magic and the sword of demonic energy collided, and a tremendous sound echoed through the hall.
The Hero Party was momentarily surprised and turned their gaze toward the old man.
His angry appearance was far too unfamiliar to them.
*...Will the old man be okay...? His expression looks really bad...?*
The Hero Party was worried about the old man's appearance, so different from usual.
However, since the old man was fighting the target of his long-desired revenge,
not knowing the outcome, they decided to cheer him on.
"Old man! F-fighting! You can do it!"
"...O-old man...! Please achieve your revenge... and, and come back to us...!"
"I took my revenge too. So, old man, you take yours too."
"Oppa! Fighting! Finish quickly and let's go home!"
At home, oppa is there, so I don't need to think it's a dream.
Let's go home quickly!
Estia shouted loudly with that meaning.
*In the future, the next one was from the left. Fortunately, it didn't hit a vital spot.*
Lee Jun-woo was concentrating on the fight and couldn't hear, but
perhaps because the Hero Party's will was conveyed,
Lee Jun-woo, bleeding from being grazed by attacks, just as he saw in the future,
wrote down the answers to the problems.
"It's been over 10 years. Raul, the time I've wanted to kill you."
"D-don't come—!!"
"You wanted to obtain Aina by any means necessary... But even if you broke the seal, you wouldn't have obtained Aina."
From the beginning,
Aina couldn't even properly remember the name of someone like you.
Just a porter.
An existence she didn't even care about.
"S-shut up—!! Don't speak according to your delusions—!!"
"Now die, Raul. I... will take back my master."
Stab—
Lee Jun-woo thrust his sword into Raul's heart.
He had to stab him once more with the Holy Sword anyway,
but he wanted to finish it himself no matter what.
"The revenge I dreamed of for so many years is finally ending..."
Revenge is hollow.
However, the moment revenge succeeds is joyful enough to forget the painful times.
Lee Jun-woo pulled the sword from Raul's body and said.
"...Luna, Raul is dead. Annihilate him with your Holy Sword."
"The Demon King of Envy. You mean Envy, right?"
"Yes."
"O-okay! I also defeated the Pope over there, old man!"
"...Well done."
Lee Jun-woo stroked Luna's head with his weakened arm.
*The old man must be having a hard time...*
Luna didn't feel very good despite being praised, due to the different energy than before.
Lee Jun-woo passed Luna and approached the Pope collapsed on the floor.
Estia immediately clung to Lee Jun-woo's arm.
"Oppa! I caught the Pope! Let's rescue the people in prison! And go home quickly!"
"...Yes, we should go home. Estia, what do you want to do with this Pope?"
"Hmm, I don't want to think about it..."
Estia pondered.
The Pope with his face pressed to the floor cried out obsequiously.
"P-please spare me...!! W-without me, the happiness of this empire will disappear—"
"If you don't want to think about it, I'll give you the answer instead."
"W-without me, the citizens' peace will disappear—"
"For the sake of the future, it's better not to leave anything behind."
Slash—
Lee Jun-woo beheaded the Pope without any mercy.
Though it was regrettable that the Pope died without much pain, Lee Jun-woo immediately withdrew his gaze from the Pope.
He had something to do now.
"...My master, Aina."
The sealing stone grows larger and harder the more you try to break it.
The seal must be broken by normal methods, and only one person decides the key to that seal:
the person who cast the sealing magic.
"...If you're the you I know, you definitely would have set this as the key."
Step— Step—
Lee Jun-woo approached the sealing stone and placed his hand on it.
"My answer is too late. I'm sorry, Aina."
At the same time, the thick sealing stone flowed down like water.
Lee Jun-woo gently embraced Aina, who had been sealed inside, and looked at her.
"You told me you loved me at the end. I also—"
"Jun...woo."
Tap—
Aina, who struggled to reach out her hand, covered Lee Jun-woo's mouth and whispered.
"You got old... and it took you... so long to rescue your master...? You fool..."
Aina asked as if questioning why he came to rescue her.
Her eyes were mixed with regret.
And.
The Hero Party watching that touching reunion.
"...Is this right?"
"...Since the old man is happy... I'll endure it for now... If there are handcuffs, please tie my hands..."
"Why is the old man crying? It's annoying."
"I saw something bad. I'm going to sleep when I get home."
They began to reveal the jealousy they had hidden inside.