Chapter 75. Things He Connected (1)
The day of Quiesco’s destruction.
In that nightmare, Isabella was a five-year-old child.
When Quiesco’s castle walls were burning black, she was moving embraced in a knight’s bosom.
That knight was the one who shone most in Quiesco, so inside his bosom would be the safest place amidst the battlefield overflowing with malice and hatred.
Although inside a dream, Isabella felt like she would get motion sickness due to the horse’s violent movement.
Amidst that violent movement, the young girl was crying.
Waving her hands telling them not to go.
Because every time the knight holding her gave an order, a bunch of cavalrymen fell away and could never return again.
Every time they achieved a reckless charge risking their lives, the gap of the soldiers blocking their front opened a little.
And every time they squeezed through and pierced that gap again, that many cavalrymen died.
They died calling Quiesco and her name even in the moment of falling.
Isabella raised her head and looked up at Magnus.
On his eye area, a rough wound was already settled, and blood dripping from there fell onto her forehead.
Isabella realized this was a dream but also knew well she couldn't wake up until everything ended.
Because it had been so until now.
She turned her head this way and that inside Magnus' bosom to run away from the scenes was hard to handle.
However, what entered her eyes were only blood and deaths.
Isabella had no choice but to pick those up one by one and put them on her shoulder.
Because the only person who could contain their deaths was herself.
Because only Isabella Blotan, the last remaining royalty of Quiesco, could make their deaths not be in vain.
And because she knew she had to pick all these up today again to wake up from this tedious nightmare.
At that time, from far away.
Amidst the repeating moment of nightmare, there was a blue light she hadn't seen usually.
‘……?’
She turned her head over the hill where the blue light was visible.
It was a black wolf.
That wolf was lighting up blue eyes and loftily receiving the moonlight.
It was looking down at her.
Isabella reached out her hand toward that wolf without realizing it.
Putting in a desperate wish to help.
Seeing her hand gesture, the black wolf ran down the hill following Isabella’s hand gesture.
And jumped over the burning castle walls of Quiesco, bit the soldiers of Gartaria, and approached toward her.
However, approaching close, it was.
It was not a black wolf.
***
Wesler Balthazar, Aselheit’s fifth knight, commented pointing to him like this.
-If the final moment of the end comes, I shall call him. Because if it is him, even in the moment everything collapses, he will be able to create a ray of light.
The knight who creates a ray of light even in the moment everything collapses.
That shining title was referring to Magnus Dugar, the Cavalry Captain of the Broken Banner.
And that man was standing next to Princess Isabella looking at Blanc now.
On his left eye area, a large sword scar, creating wonder that he wasn't blinded, was carved.
That honorable scar was shining him along with the title Magnus possessed.
Perhaps because of that, just by Magnus being next to her, Isabella’s spirit had become one layer deeper and heavier.
“Thank you for giving us time. Baron Blanc. We have made a decision through much conversation and contemplation during that time.”
Princess Isabella’s face had become haggard, but her eyes were burning black.
The eyes of the retainers around her were the same.
Until now, they hadn't caught a proper opportunity to raise Quiesco.
In the first place, with the qualification of a mere Lord, one couldn't have the ability and vessel to embrace them, and other kingdoms didn't accept Quiesco’s refugees if only because of diplomatic friction with Gartaria.
Even the Goddess Order of Moirai, who had at least held their hands, was now saying it was burdensome to handle them.
If time flowed like this, just like the last life, the name of Quiesco would disappear into history.
Their Broken Banner would fall without holding any meaning.
“Please notarize giving us land in the name of the Goddess Order. If you do so, we will break away from the status of mercenaries and look at the same enemy by the Baron’s side in the name of an alliance.”
Quiesco’s refugees who might have to wander aimlessly starting immediately from next winter.
Perhaps the only person who would reach out a hand to them was about Baron Blanc Cadmus.
The Felix Kingdom was a place where royal power had difficulty reaching the ends of the border, and the tradition of feudalism remained strong, making it a place where the Lord’s authority was stronger than any other kingdom.
All these conditions became harsh blades for Pallard Cadmus and struck off his neck, but for Blanc Cadmus who rose from those ashes, they became excellent weapons.
Just like now, being able to say a mere Lord would accept refugees without receiving the King’s permission.
Moreover, Blanc was a person sharing the same pain as them and the common goal of opposing Gartaria.
They judged the proposal Blanc put forth was the last chance for Quiesco.
“We want it notarized by at least a Cardinal-level high-ranking priest. Even if it takes time.”
Therefore, they decided to grab the hand Blanc held out.
‘Done.’
Blanc turned his head and looked at Magnus standing next to Princess Isabella.
Skill and experience, Magnus in his prime possessing a robust body of his 40s still capable of playing a large active part in the battlefield.
He was a loyal subject who rejected the proposals of numerous Lords telling him to abandon Quiesco’s Broken Banner and come under them, but.
In the last life, just like Quiesco which eventually disappeared without a trace, he also met a futile death.
However, in this life, he could touch Blanc’s fingertips through the alliance with Quiesco.
Blanc had no thought of easily letting go of Magnus whose reputation was widespread.
“Thank you for choosing me. Princess.”
Blanc clenched both hands and answered Princess Isabella.
“I obtained an opportunity to build a connection with the Pope to some extent this time. If you wish, I will write you a notarization document containing Pope Bonifacius' certification by tomorrow.”
“……The Pope’s!”
Not only Princess Isabella but even the retainers next to her couldn't hold back the exclamations bursting from deep inside their chests.
‘How long has it been since coming to Moirai!’
The Pope wasn't a target one could meet just because one wanted to meet.
Isabella also had to wait months to meet the Pope, and even meeting like that, she only obtained time to exchange a few words.
But the Baron before her eyes was saying not only had he already met the Pope but he would bring a notarization document with the Pope’s name by tomorrow.
Seeing his status rising day by day, Princess Isabella felt her heart becoming impatient.
However, she was the one shouldering the lives of the people and Quiesco’s future.
Isabella tried to calm her beating heart and hold onto reason.
“If it is a certificate containing the Pope’s notarization, it will be trustworthy enough.”
Isabella nodded and extended the back of her hand toward Blanc.
Blanc, understanding the signal she sent, approached Isabella, knelt politely on one knee, and held her hand.
He looked up at her with deep dark blue eyes.
‘……?’
At that moment, facing Blanc’s eyes, Isabella fell into a sense of déjà vu as if she had seen his eyes somewhere.
At the moment Blanc lowered his eyes slightly and tried to bring the back of Isabella’s hand to his mouth.
“Princess!”
A messenger of Quiesco came in panting as if rolling in.
“……What rudeness is this now.”
At the sudden intrusion, Magnus and the retainers showed him fierce expressions.
However, the messenger approached Magnus and whispered despite their fierce atmosphere.
Because the information contained in the telegram wasn't something light enough to convey picking time and place, the messenger had risked rudeness.
Although it was words conveyed bringing close to Magnus' ear and killing the voice somewhat, Princess Isabella right next to him could hear what the messenger said.
“……!”
Princess Isabella opened her eyes wide as if in disbelief hearing the words heard in her ear and looked at Blanc.
“Thank you for giving me the honor to be with Quiesco. Princess.”
The moment Blanc spoke, Princess Isabella could figure out the identity of the déjà vu she felt.
The dream she dreamt last night.
The black wolf that ran to her call overlapped with the man before her eyes.
And that wolf was kissing the back of her hand with dark blue eyes raised right now.
“This too shall be the will of the Goddesses.”
***
At that time when Blanc kissed the back of Princess Isabella’s hand.
At the highest place of the Great Temple of Moirai, a white flag of mourning was hung.
Not only Moirai.
White flags of mourning were hung at the royal palaces of the Felix, Gartaria, and Anton Kingdoms, and white waves overflowed beyond the three kingdoms of humans to Brotswav, the Dwarven Tribal Union, and Elbhenin, the city of Elves.
Pope Bonifacius officially announced the death of the 16th Saintess, Monica Sanctus, to the world.
The death of the 16th Saintess, Monica Sanctus, who was the vessel of the noble Goddesses.
People grieving her death poured out to the streets and wept aloud in sorrow.
For her who conveyed the voices of the Goddesses for nearly 50 years, people stopped all livelihoods.
“Now who will convey the voices of the Goddesses!”
People were trembling in fear at the same time as grieving.
That Monica Sanctus maintained the Saintess position even over the age of sixty was because the next generation Saintess to succeed her hadn't appeared.
The fact that she died meant there was no longer a medium connecting the Goddesses and humans.
When the scared lambs of the Goddesses begged for Their mercy toward the dark sky.
The old shepherd shouted loudly toward the scared lambs.
“Do not be afraid!”
He reassured the people and said.
“For the will of the Goddesses has been connected!”
At the voice filling the dark sky, the young lambs looked at the old shepherd.
“We have not lost the voices of the Goddesses yet!”
The old shepherd raised the old staff high and shouted toward the lambs.
“There is a knight who will find the blue star of the night sky and place it by our side!”
The old shepherd shouted largely toward the sky so all lambs could hear.
“The name of the Seeker who will find that blue star is a Baron of the Felix Kingdom!”
“Blanc Cadmus!”
When the Pope’s declaration ended.
The scared lambs looked beyond the staff the old shepherd pointed.
From the other side of darkness the staff pointed, a black-haired wolf shining blue eyes opened its eyes.
In the snout of that wolf, a flag with dirt all over it was held.
It was the Broken Banner of Quiesco.
The Regressor who returned by twisting time pulled out things that would become humanity’s hope, which had disappeared unconnected in the last life.
Quiesco and the Blue Star.
He dug up the pile of dirt called time and connected the things that had been cut off and disappeared in the last life.
And placed them calmly by his side.
“Finally finished preparations to regain my land.”
The black-haired wolf growled with a low voice.