A torrential downpour, shattered city gates, crumbling houses, and piles of corpses—amidst the wreckage, the Ragna of the past stood alone.
“—Dammit.”
Hero Laguna.
My ancestor stood there with an expression of profound grief, silhouetted against a desolation that could only be the immediate aftermath of a war.
“Whoa, talk about a sudden shift. What happened?”
Everything felt so promising just a moment ago; the drop in mood was jarring.
“Well, I suppose these are memories he would rather not revisit,” Sebas remarked.
“Fine then, skip it. Take me further ahead.”
I needed to find the key to my resurrection as quickly as possible. Since I already knew how the story ended, I didn't see the point in lingering. Efficiency was everything.
“No, I cannot do that.”
—Snap.
Sebas snapped his fingers, and the vision rewound.
“Keeping secrets is strictly forbidden; such is the nature of our contract. Furthermore, I am obligated to pass on the will engraved within your bloodline.”
“...I don’t have a shred of privacy, do I?”
“Indeed. Your domestic life with Lady Alicia is also completely transparent to me.”
“Not even a shred!”
Sebas’s words were no joke. From here on out, it would always be Sebas. At any time, in any place, Sebas would be there. I’d be haunted by the thought that he was always watching.
“Well, only after you are dead, of course.”
“I guess that’s fine then.”
It didn't really matter.
“However, Young Master.”
“Yeah?”
“If things continue as they are, you will remain dead—quite literally a severed head.”
It was a cold, merciless reality.
“While I am personally curious to see how your life together would have unfolded, we must save the life that can still be saved.”
“I still don’t really get how I’m supposed to come back from being decapitated, though.”
The current situation felt deeply unsettling, especially since we were merely observing past recollections without touching upon any concrete methods for my return. Resurrecting after a full decapitation was the sort of thing only a demon could do. I couldn't help but picture Jelasis after his transformation.
“Does this mean I’ll achieve immortality by making a contract with a demon like you?”
“The House Brave cannot contract with demons.”
“Wait, you were just talking about contracts and bloodlines a second ago.”
I thought I had him there.
“You don't understand, Young Master. If a contract had been made, the First Master would never have died in the first place, would he? Did you truly think you had debunked my argument? You still have much to learn.”
“Guh... Just hurry up and move the story along.”
I wondered if the day would ever come when I could win an argument against Sebas. Probably not.
“Do not be so hasty, Young Master.”
With a strangely gentle tone, Sebas snapped his fingers once more.
“If you watch what lies ahead, you will understand everything.”
My consciousness was pulled back into the vision. I was sucked into the memories inscribed within the very blood flowing through my veins.
“—It’s no use. Lady Patricia, you mustn't push yourself any further.”
“Don’t talk. I’m going to save you, I promise.”
Beside a collapsed rampart, Patricia wept before a mortally wounded soldier. The man, pinned under massive rubble, shook his head as he watched Patricia grit her teeth, trying to encourage him despite her own heavy tears.
“More people are waiting for you... than for a man like me who is already dying...”
“Be quiet.”
His lower body was already crushed; it was a miracle he was even conscious. Even so, Patricia refused to give up.
“Because you stayed until the very end to organize the evacuation, because you held back the monsters, the damage was limited to the gates.”
How did I know that? Because I was seeing it through his eyes.
“The others who were injured are stable. Right now, I want to save you.”
“Lady Patricia...”
“In this world, I want as many people like you as possible to survive. I don’t know if you’ll ever walk again... but please, don’t give up.”
She wanted to overcome this catastrophe. Patricia believed that if the people willing to sacrifice themselves for that wish disappeared, all hope would be lost. That was why he had to survive.
If they lost heart now, the thread of tension would snap. The country was standing on a precipice. If anyone gave up, it wouldn't just be the walls that crumbled—the entire nation would vanish.
“So, live. No matter the state, no matter the situation, we will all survive together. The crown is searching for the cause and working to fix this, so grit your teeth.”
“Yes...”
Even the soldier knew the true gravity of their situation. Patricia’s words struck him deeply, and he accepted her treatment while tears streamed down his face. No one knew if the problem would be solved in their lifetime, but the sentiment would be passed on.
More than anything, it was vital that the people did not grow accustomed to sacrifice. If they became numb to it, heroes would never be born.
“I cannot put my body on the line to protect others the way you do.”
“That’s not true... Lady Patricia...”
“But I can keep the flame alive for those who, like you, stood up to face these hardships. So please, don't give up on life.”
“I won't...”
“Because he will be here soon. He’s coming with a dragon to save everyone.”
At Patricia’s voice, the wounded soldier peacefully closed his eyes.
“What we need isn't a false power... it's the real thing, isn't it?”
As the rain began to fall, Patricia whispered to herself, drenched in sweat from exhausting her magic. Just then, a carriage appeared. Two men in ornate noble finery stepped out, followed by Edward.
“—What did you say?!”
Whatever Edward told her caused Patricia’s compassionate expression to vanish instantly. She glared at him, her voice sharp with fury. The rain began to hammer down harder.
“—And that is the depth of Lady Patricia’s heart,” Sebas noted.
“Hey! It cut off right at the most interesting part!”
It felt like a cliffhanger before a commercial break. Still, she was a world away from the modern Patricia. She possessed a kindness that truly earned her the title of Saint.
Then, a question occurred to me.
“Wait. Why is a scene between Patricia and a soldier in my bloodline memories?”
Hero Laguna wasn't in the scene at all. If it was a memory of the blood, he had to have been watching from somewhere.
“It is quite simple. I was the root of all the evil infesting the country back then,” Sebas explained.
“Ah, right.”
So he had edited the footage to make it more dramatic. I suppose that made sense, though it was a bit rich for him to call himself the root of all evil so casually.
“I must make it easy to follow, or the true meaning will be lost on you.”
“Fine. Give me the commentary then.”
“As you wish.”
With Sebas providing context, the vision resumed. Edward, accompanied by his retainers, stood before Patricia near the ruins of the gate.
“Edward! What did you just say?!”
Her voice was thick with indignation. Edward faced her with a cold, almost bureaucratic expression.
“The decision has been made to abandon the castle town. I’ve come to take you back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We have no time.”
“I won’t move an inch until you explain yourself.”
“We will discuss the details at the castle.”
“No, you’ll tell me right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
When Patricia refused to budge, Edward sighed and signaled his subordinates with his eyes.
“Wh—?! Stop! Let go of me!”
Her arms were seized, and Patricia was forcibly escorted to the carriage.
“It is a Royal Command. Patricia von Ocean, you are coming to the castle.”
“Edward...!”
Even a Saint could not defy a Royal Command, even if the King was effectively gone. Patricia and Edward left the shattered gate behind as they were driven away. Inside the carriage, Patricia bit her lip and looked away. Edward watched her with a pained expression before speaking.
“I have bad news and good news. Which would you like first?”
“...Say whatever you want.”
“Then, we have confirmed the source of the monster proliferation phenomenon.”
Edward explained that a forbidden Book of Demon Summoning had been found among the relics of the former royal family.
“It’s like a curse from the past. With your strong holy attribute, I suspect you’ve sensed it.”
“...Is that the bad news?”
“Unfortunately, that is the good news.”
Edward exhaled a heavy breath before delivering the real blow.
“Taking advantage of the monster attacks, other nations have begun their invasion.”
“...I know.”
Patricia already understood why the gates had fallen. It hadn't been monsters; it had been siege bombardment magic from a rival kingdom.
“It is a truly negative legacy,” Edward said. “This nation only became a great power because of the former royal family's conquests. There was a malevolent entity backing the High King, and we are simply suffering the consequences now.”
The atmosphere grew suffocatingly heavy.
“The Four Houses currently leading the country have decided to perform a demon summoning of their own to resist the invasion.”
“—?! Are they insane?!”
Making a pact with a demon was the ultimate taboo. To repeat such a mistake was unthinkable.
“Don't they realize this is exactly why the country is in this mess?!”
“Of course they do.”
“Then why?!”
“They are fully aware that the current situation is the result of a path built on hollow power. But the decision is final.”
“They're just going to repeat the same tragedy?!”
“I know! But they don't see it that way!” Edward shouted back. “That is why they've decided to sacrifice the souls of a portion of the commoner class to exercise that power temporarily!”
“Edward... are you... are you serious...?”
“They believe it’s the only way to clear the miasma choking the land...”
Edward’s face twisted in agony. He hated having to say this to her—to the comrade who had stood up to save the country, the woman who loved the people more than anyone, and who worked harder than anyone to keep them smiling.
“The army is fully mobilized just to keep the supply lines open. The country is barely hanging on.”
Previously, neighboring countries had stayed away for fear of the monsters. But now, nations with old grudges were beginning to close in.
“If we only endure, is there even a future for us?”
“Edward, there is a future. If we just hold on a little longer, Laguna will return with the dragon.”
Edward murmured a single, quiet sentence.
“...We ran out of time.”
“Edward...”
Faced with a threat that could destroy the nation regardless of what they did, the other Three Houses were unwilling to pin their hopes on a lone commoner and a dragon. In a brutal era, heroes are born, but the wheels of the world are turned by the elite. It was heartless. It didn't matter how much power a hero had if the leaders gave up first.
“The cause lies in the past. And the moment I identified that cause, I knew the other houses would jump to this solution.” Edward covered his face with his hands. “And part of me couldn't deny them.”
When forced to choose between two impossible options, silence only invited ruin. Edward, in his position, had been powerless to stop it.
“As you said, it’s only postponing the inevitable. But they believe it will keep the damage to a minimum.”
If they could sever the source of the monsters’ power, they still had Laguna and Patricia—the peerless Hero and the healing Saint. They would be their ultimate diplomatic cards.
“I know how cruel this is to ask of you, but I...”
Edward, despite his status, had spent as much time among the common people as Patricia had. He felt the crushing weight of sacrificing the citizens and the guilt of forcing his friends to carry that burden. His voice began to shake.
“Edward, calm down.”
“Patricia...”
Patricia gently embraced the trembling Edward.
“I know you're trying to protect everyone. I'm sorry my words were so harsh.”
“I should have carried this alone... I shouldn't have told you...”
“You're a man, so stand tall. It’s okay. I won’t let you carry it by yourself.” Patricia took his face in her hands and forced him to look at her, a small smile playing on her lips. “Hehe, your eyes are all red. What a crybaby.”
“I—I was seriously worried—!”
“Don't cry. Your one good trait is that you're persistent and never know when to give up, right? I like that about you.”
“Pa—Patricia...? Was that a confession? This is so sudden—”
“You’re right, it’s far too early to decide anything, isn't it?”
“No! Let’s get married right now! Before I’m stained by the shame of relying on a demon, I want to belong to you!”
“Yes, yes, whatever you say.”
“I am serious!”
“At least you’ve got your energy back. Edward, there's something we have to do first. Will you come with me?”
By the time their bickering settled, the carriage had reached the castle. The rain was still falling, but for a brief moment, it felt as though light passed between them. Edward stepped out of the carriage, led by the hand. It was an almost comical sight, making one wonder which of them was the princess.
Patricia looked at Edward’s forced smile with satisfaction and spoke.
“I’m placing my life in your hands.”
“That’s... wait, I mean, it’s still the middle of the day, that’s a bit sudden, and shouldn't there be more modesty—?”
The vision cut off again, and the scene shifted abruptly.
The Audience Chamber.
Three elders stood beside a vacant throne. Patricia, still clutching Edward’s hand, faced them without a hint of fear.
“Use my power,” she commanded. “A Saint’s magic should be enough to purify the evil that has been scattered across this land. If you have decided to sacrifice the lives of the many, then surely the life of a single Saint should suffice.”