Chapter 82: Chapter 82 - Farewell To Jennie ( Part 6)
The third day sunrise was very quiet.
Jennie stood alone at the northern border of the Kingdom of Seraiya.
The roads which she had travelled for fifteen years lied behind her.
Forests where Arthur trained her in the use of swordsmanship.
Palace where she had served tea.
Academy where she had laughed with her friends.
And the small house that had become her home.
In front of her laid an unknown path.
An unknown road with an unknown end.
And an unknown future where she would travel all by herself.
The morning breeze gently ruffled her silver hair.
Jennie turned around for the last time in order to look at her kingdom.
"...It’s beautiful."
Excalibur replied softly.
"Will you regret it?"
Jennie smiled.
"I already do."
"But..."
She put her hand over her heart.
"I’ll regret having left them."
"I’ll never regret saving them."
Silent.
And then...
Golden rays gathered in front of her.
Countless glowing feathers swirled in the air.
The space began to flicker.
Goddess Miasa appeared.
She was dressed in the same white robe with star embroidery, however, her expression was even more sorrowful today.
She gazed at Jennie for a long time.
Both of them remained silent.
Finally...
Miasa whispered,
"The time has come."
Jennie nodded.
"I know."
"You may still go back."
Jennie slowly shook her head.
"If I go back..."
"The world will die."
"Yes."
"And if I leave..."
"They will live."
Miasa closed her eyes.
"Yes."
Jennie smiled.
"Then there is no choice."
The Goddess bowed her head.
"I’m sorry."
Jennie smiled quietly.
"You have apologized enough."
She took one more step towards the border.
And stopped.
"...I beg you to do one more thing for me."
Miasa raised her head.
"I will."
Jennie gazed at the distant capital.
"...Please."
"Take care of them."
The Goddess smiled through tears.
"I promise."
"I will protect the happiness that you have trusted me."
Jennie nodded.
"Thank you."
And she crossed the border.
In the very moment when her foot touched the soil beyond the kingdom border...
The world changed.
Golden rays burst from the sky.
They filled the whole sky like an endless ocean of sunshine.
Every mountain.
Every river.
Every kingdom.
Every village.
Whole continent was bathed in this radiant light.
The miracle...
Was over.
Jennie quietly closed her eyes.
"...Goodbye."
Distantly...
Inside the small wooden house...
Arthur suddenly opened his eyes.
He gazed blankly at the ceiling.
For some reason...
His chest ached.
"...Strange."
He slowly raised himself.
"It feels like..."
His voice trailed off.
"...Somehow something is missing."
Beside him, Elena also woke up.
She smiled.
"Good morning."
Arthur smiled too.
"Good morning."
However, neither of them could understand why their hearts felt so sad.
Elena quietly entered the kitchen.
She stopped.
The dining table was already set.
Three plates.
Three cups.
Three chairs.
She frowned.
"...That’s strange."
Arthur asked.
"What is?"
Elena counted them.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
She frowned.
"...There were..."
She stopped.
"...weren’t there four plates?"
Arthur looked puzzled.
"Four?"
"...No."
"There have always been three."
Elena blinked.
"...Right."
She laughed sheepishly.
"I must still be sleepy."
However...
For some strange reason...
She couldn’t stop staring at the empty seat beside Lucas’s chair.
It was...
Wrong.
Lucas entered the kitchen with loud yawn.
"Morning."
He sat down automatically.
And then...
He looked at the seat beside him.
Empty.
His smile gradually vanished.
"...Strange."
Arthur asked.
"What?"
Lucas scratched his head.
"I don’t know."
"...Why do I feel so lonely?"
Nobody could answer.
The three of them ate breakfast in silence.
It was the exact same breakfast as any other morning.
However...
The house felt much bigger.
Much quieter.
As if laughter ceased to exist here.
Distantly...
In the royal palace...
Princess Lilia suddenly stopped walking.
Sharp ache stabbed her chest.
She gasped.
Her teacup fell from her hands and broke on the marble floor.
"Lilia!"
Queen Celestine rushed to her.
"My dear!"
Lilia gazed wildly around.
"No..."
Her breaths became heavy.
"I..."
"I forgot something..."
She pressed her hands to her head.
"No..."
"Not something..."
The ache intensified.
"...Someone."
Without saying another word...
She ran.
She rushed through the palace halls.
Passed the royal gardens.
Entered the maid quarters.
She flung open one empty room after another.
"Hello?"
No reply.
She searched the tea room.
Library.
Courtyard of the academy.
The greenhouse.
Anywhere her heart told her to.
Her breaths became heavy.
Tears began streaming down her face.
"...Who?"
She whispered frantically.
"Who am I looking for?"
Whatever she tried...
She didn’t remember anything.
Neither a name.
Nor a face.
Only a pair of warm silver eyes...
Disappearing now.
She kneeled.
"...Please..."
"...Come back."
However, even as she cried...
She didn’t know anymore whose name she said.
King Aldric quietly found her there.
He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Lilia."
She gazed at him.
Tears couldn’t stop.
"...Father."
"Your heart hurts."
She pressed trembling hand to her chest.
"It feels..."
"...like I have lost the most important person in my life."
King Aldric embraced his daughter.
Neither of them understood why tears filled their eyes.
Distantly...
Jennie stood on the top of the hill.
She looked back for the last time.
The capital was peacefully twinkling in the morning sun.
No alarm bells were ringing.
No monsters were attacking the kingdom.
No screams were echoing from the land.
Everybody she loved...
Were alive.
Excalibur finally spoke.
"They have forgotten."
Jennie nodded.
"I know."
"Do you regret your decision?"
Jennie wiped away the tear that silently slid down her cheek.
She smiled.
Lonely...
Beautiful smile.
"No."
"Because..."
She gazed at the distant kingdom for the last time.
"...they are smiling."
And turned away.
Without glancing back.
The morning fog crept slowly through the hills.
Jennie was walking alone.
Step.
And then another step.
Road stretched ahead of her infinitely, winding through untouched by war forests and valleys.
For the first time in fifteen years...
She was going nowhere in particular.
She had no orders.
She didn’t need to go anywhere to deliver anything to anyone.
There was nobody waiting for her.
No princess asked for tea.
Silence accompanied her steps.
Seraiya Kingdom became smaller and smaller with each passing mile and finally disappeared behind the distant mountains.
Jennie stopped moving.
She slowly turned back.
From the hill she stood, she could still see it.
Its capital shone in the morning sun.
White walls glistened in its rays.
Royal palace stood at the center of it.
Smoke rose calmly from hundreds of houses, where families prepared breakfasts.
Children ran through the streets.
Merchants opened shops.
Everything went on exactly as it should.
Jennie smiled.
"...They’re safe."
She whispered quietly.
She remembered every face.
Arthur.
Elena.
Lucas.
Lilia.
Palace maids.
Headmaster Orion.
King Aldric.
Queen Celestine.
Prince Adrian.
Everybody she laughed with.
Everybody she protected.
Everybody...
Who forgot about her already.
Gentle voice came from the sword lying at her side.
"Lady Jennie."
"Hm?"
"You want to return?"
Jennie didn’t answer.
Her sword continued.
"They don’t remember your name..."
"...but you can live close enough."
"And watch them from a distance."
Jennie slowly shook her head.
"No."
Excalibur remained silent.
Jennie looked at the kingdom one last time.
"If I stayed..."
"I would become a stranger."
She said with sad smile.
"I can’t bear seeing my mother introducing herself to me."
"I can’t stand watching how my father apologizes for not remembering me."
"My brother would treat me like a stranger."
"And..."
Her voice trembled.
"Lilia..."
She closed her eyes.
"If she would greet me with unfamiliar eyes..."
My heart would break every single day."
Tear rolled down her cheek.
Jennie didn’t stop it.
"It is better..."
"...to leave."
Holy sword became silent.
Even it couldn’t say something to oppose this statement.
After some thinking, Excalibur finally asked one last question.
"Do you regret it?"
Jennie stood under the blue sky quietly.
Wind softly caressed her silver hair.
She thought of all the laughs.
All the hugs.
All the shared meals.
All the sunrises.
All the sunsets.
All the memories.
Slowly...
She raised her hand and wiped the tears off her cheek.
Soft smile appeared on her face.
"No."
Her voice was soft.
Yet resolute.
"No."
"Because..."
She looked at the kingdom.
Windows of the palace reflected sun rays.
Children’s laughter could be heard softly in the wind.
"...They’re smiling."
Just this one thing...
Was enough to make every sacrifice worth it.
Jennie bowed to the distant kingdom.
Not as the Sword King.
Not as the greatest hero of humanity.
But as grateful daughter.
As a loyal friend.
As girl named Jennie.
"...Thank you."
"For giving Leonis a place to live."
Then...
She moved away.
Without any hesitation.
Without looking back anymore.
Road before her was unknown.
Yet she walked lightly and confidently.
She was not running away from the past.
She was moving forward toward the future.
Days passed.
Jennie crossed numerous rivers and forests.
She slept under the starry sky.
She helped people to repair broken wagons.
She fought monsters threatening remote villages and left without any thanks.
People started talking about mysterious silver-haired swordswoman.
Some thought she was a wandering knight.
Others believed her to be guardian spirit.
Jennie simply smiled and kept walking.
For the first time in her life...
She was not the burden of being the Sword King anymore.
She was just herself.
Far away...
Beyond the boundaries of every kingdom...
Past the mountains which weren’t even marked on any map...
Stood the ruins of an ancient civilization covered by eternal ice.
Deep underground...
Enormous hall was chained with countless black crystal chains.
Ancient runes decorated its walls.
They glowed faintly.
Then...
Crack.
First chain was broken.
Second followed.
Third...
Whole hall started trembling.
Cold laugh was heard.
"So..."
Red eyes opened slowly.
Unlike Azrakiel’s flaming eyes...
They were calm.
Patient.
Frighteningly intelligent.
"The First has fallen."
Figure slowly got up from its throne made from black ice.
Chains fell off it like dying snakes.
Old dark cloak fluttered despite the still air.
"Sword King lives again."
Faint smile appeared.
Not a smile of hate.
Not the smile of joy.
But the smile of anticipation.
"How interesting."
Figure raised its hand.
Darkness gathered around its fingertips.
Mountains around were shaking violently.
Across the continent...
Countless old seals started breaking.
Sleeping monsters were awakening.
Abandoned temples were waking up.
World balance started shifting again.
Figure said one name.
"Leonis..."
Then corrected itself with a laugh.
"No."
"They no longer call you that."
Crimson eyes gleamed with delight.
"They call you..."
"...Jennie."
Smile grew wider.
"Well."
"I shall meet the girl who decided to give up on the throne."
Last chain broke.
Frozen prison exploded into thousand pieces of ice.
Wave of old demonic energy spread across the northern wastelands.
Far away, Jennie suddenly stopped.
Golden light started glowing around Excalibur.
"Lady Jennie..."
"I know."
Jennie slowly put her hand on Excalibur’s hilt.
Familiar pressure started building in the air.
New legend...
Awakened.
She looked at the northern horizon.
Determined smile appeared on her face.
"I guess..."
"My journey begins now."
