But suddenly a prophecy?
‘This never happened in the original story.’
Philome knew that things had already deviated significantly from the original, but she instinctively compared it to her memories.
“Oh my, really? What kind of prophecy is it?”
“I heard something about…”
It was at that moment.
As Kaien turned his body, Ken appeared urgently. While Philome was startled by Ken’s sudden appearance, he immediately knelt on one knee.
“What’s going on?”
Knowing that Ken moving meant it was serious, Kaien asked right away.
“Duke, it’s a grave matter.”
Through the mask, Kaien could sense that Ken’s face was extremely pale.
Ken pulled something from his cloak and handed it to Kaien. It was a bloodstained piece of paper.
Kaien quickly opened the letter.
The paper, smeared with dried blood, contained just a single line.
[The monster has returned.]
“It said that the end has come.”
The monsters had awakened from their long slumber.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
The monster had been asleep for a full 200 years.
However, the Wintbell Duchy had never once relaxed its vigilance. There was a good reason for that.
The monster was not completely dead; it had merely been sleeping, and the Wintbell Duchy had always had a Transcendent appear in every generation.
When the monster fell asleep, the saint no longer appeared. Therefore, it was only natural that no transcendent beings were born in the Wintbell Duchy anymore.
However, as if their mission had not yet ended, a transcendent being emerged each time, one by one.
Moreover, this time, including Kaizen, two transcendent beings had appeared.
Even the second son, Kaien, was a transcendent being, so the previous Duke of Wintbell and his wife felt a sense of unease. During the time when the monster was rampaging, there had never been more than one transcendent being from the Wintbell Duchy.
The previous Duke and Duchess of Wintbell had trained their children for a long time, thinking that the monster might awaken in their generation.
Having studied the monster and learned how to fight them since childhood, Kaien was confident that he wouldn’t be greatly surprised or flustered if a monster suddenly appeared.
But when such a situation actually approached, Kaien froze.
He quickly tried to organize his thoughts and articulate what to say, but his mind was racing in all directions. It was at that moment that Kaien’s lips began to move.
“Since we’re all set to head north, Ken should go ahead and make sure we can leave as soon as we arrive.”
“Yes, understood.”
Ken immediately bowed at Philome’s words and disappeared.
Philome took Kaien’s hand and pulled him along.
“Come on, Duke!”
Kaien barely regained his senses at Philome’s urging. As soon as they got into the carriage, Philome urged the coachman.
As the carriage began to move quickly, Philome let out a sigh and looked at Kaien.
“Duke, are you okay?”
“…Ah, yeah. Just a bit surprised.”
It was understandable.
It was the first appearance in 200 years.
“Still, it seems there hasn’t been any major loss of life. If there had been, my mother would have written in detail and sent it.”
“Is it a letter from the previous Duchess?”
“Yeah. It was my mother’s handwriting.”
“And it doesn’t seem like there’s anything special added, so it seems that not multiple monsters have appeared.”
Kaien agreed with that.
He quietly watched Philome, who was anxiously staring out the window. When he froze and couldn’t do anything, Philome was the one who stepped up and took action first.
Kaien provided Philome with many things. Basic necessities, of course, and various other things. At a glance, it might seem that Philome was only receiving from Kaien.
However, Kaien knew that if a situation like earlier occurred again, Philome would act before he did. He had never thought anyone was better than him, but Philome shattered that notion.
“Philome.”
“Yes?”
“I think I rely on you more than I realize.”
Kaien was convinced that he could no longer live without Philome.
“…You’re really amazing, Duke, to say such things even in this situation.”
Philome chuckled softly as she murmured.
“Oh, and I’m going too.”
“What?”
Kaien’s previously relaxed expression twisted in surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly that; I’m going to the north as well. How can I send you alone, Duke?”
“Philome, the north is a dangerous place even when the monster is asleep. It’s hazardous because of the cold and the mutated animals.”
“Are you telling me to send you alone to such a place? Then how will we make contact?”
“Well…”
From the moment she saw the letter, Philome had already made her decision.
The monster was a tricky opponent even for transcendent beings. In such a situation, it would be nothing short of suicide for Kaien to be away from her, his suitable match.
“You’ve never fought a monster either, Duke. What if you go on a rampage?”
“…Even in the worst-case scenario, I can prepare. Because my father is there.”
At the mention of the previous Duke, a transcendent being, Philome narrowed her eyes.
“Duke, you can’t be…?”
“It’s obvious that I would cause harm to everyone, so dying is better.”
“That’s why I’m going, to prevent such a situation!”
Philome understood Kaien’s intention and shouted in anger.
“If I wasn’t here, I could understand, but how… how can you think like that when I am? Have you thought about how I would feel if something happened to you, Duke?”
Philome had the power to save Kaien. But if she failed to do so just because it was dangerous, she would be haunted by that memory for the rest of her life.
“Philome, transcendent beings are that dangerous.”
But Kaien wouldn’t back down either.
“You once said that being brave comes from not knowing the fear of transcendent beings. At that time, I just laughed it off, but a rampaging transcendent is difficult even for a suitable match to stop. No, when it goes on a rampage, you should run away. I will chase you down like crazy.”
A rampaging transcendent instinctively moves to find its suitable match. In that process, it kills or eliminates everything that obstructs or annoys it, making it extremely dangerous.
“Do you know what happens when a suitable match meets a rampaging transcendent?”
Kaien grabbed Philome’s hand.
Her always-cool hand cooled his heated skin.
“They get eaten.”
“……”
“From head to toe, not a single hair left behind, all of it.”
“……”
“That’s how a transcendent completely merges with its suitable match. And here lies another tragedy.”
Kaien tightened his grip on Philome’s hand. Their palms, damp with cold sweat, touched until Kaien relaxed his grip, causing their hands to brush and fall apart.
“A transcendent who regains their reason cannot live in a world without their suitable match and ends up committing suicide.”
“……”
“That’s why most of the causes of death for past Wintbell Dukes have been suicide.”
Kaien laughed bitterly.
“I told you not to leave even knowing all of this. Now you see how selfish I truly am?”
Philome stared at Kaien.
His voice was completely steady. However, his usually unwavering gaze trembled slightly.
Knowing how well he could hide his expressions, Philome felt as if she was seeing Kaien’s unmasked face for the first time.
“That’s true.”
Philome bit her lip.
“You are indeed selfish, Duke.”
“……”
“So what will you do now?”
Philome asked flatly.
“You’re going to fight the monsters without any contact and go on a rampage while I and Liazell stay safe in the Duke’s mansion in the capital and just wait for news of you?”
“……I told you. I hope you won’t be sad. I want you to always smile and be happy.”
Philome took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Of course, there will be moments when I can smile or be happy even if you’re not by my side.”
Those words pierced Kaien’s heart like a dagger.
Kaien forced a bitter smile.
“Yes, so…”
“But.”
Philome interrupted Kaien.
Then she took his hand. Her cool temperature wrapped around his warm hand.
As their different temperatures met, one cooled down while the other warmed up, creating a perfect balance.
“I feel like if I’m by your side, I can always smile and be happy, no matter what happens.”
She was convinced that being with him would make everything enjoyable.
thanks for the chapters