The Villain Carries the Holy Sword – Chapter 131

Chapter 131: You Are My Spring (6)

The stars were pouring down.

It was different from gazing up at the starry sky from the ground.

The stars twinkled in the distance, too far to reach out and touch. The universe glowed with colors other than just white: red, blue, and all sorts of shades in between.

Hoo-woong━.

Such a star was falling.

The cycle of the universe was blooming in ‘Spring’s’ room.

「”Chloe!”」

「”Edmund!”」

That starlight was the story of Edmund and Chloe.

Just as Cain saw himself in the picture frame when he crossed the world line, their story twinkled and disappeared like starlight.

‘Spring’, who had been watching their story with Cain, muttered softly.

【It’s almost over.】

The meeting that started in a small dance hall ended at the northernmost point of Airian.

And yet, they wished for something beyond that.

They wished to see the next life, even if they disappeared like this.

Cain Ethelred.

“…….”

He didn’t open his mouth, watching the story of his parents, whom he had met after a long time.

The starlight disappeared.

And ‘Spring’, who had been divided into an adult who had lived in the previous world line and a child before living, became one.

“…….”

Edmund stood opposite Cain. His strong eyes, which seemed unshakable even if he hit them with a hammer, were red.

Tears did not flow, but.

He could see her tears.

《…….》

The translucent Chloe was crying for Edmund’s sake.

She thought it was the right answer.

She thought ‘Spring’ was the only way to save Cain.

《I was wrong…….》

But it wasn’t.

Seeing Cain go through such a life and suffering without a single precious memory, Chloe felt resentful of her own ‘miracle’.

If only she had not seen it.

If only she had not thought about changing the future.

“If I had lived today━.”

Cain slowly opened his mouth.

The two of them and ‘Spring’ met his gaze.

“No one knows what the future will hold. No matter how much you see it with foresight, my teacher said that fate belongs to those who walk today.”

“Lord East Johnny-Walker…….”

Edmund nodded.

The Johnny-Walker that Cain remembered was a warrior who was two steps ahead of him.

“I have always lived by burning the future. If you do not live today properly, the future will eventually pass you by.”

The one who walks today is himself.

He could not let today become a regret by worrying about a future that had yet to come.

That’s why Cain’s answer was the same.

“You abandoned me.”

“……Yes.”

Edmund agreed.

Everyone watched what trials Cain had gone through in the previous world line.

He knew nothing about human life, but he knew the sword better than anyone else. Edmund, who had witnessed how Cain’s sword had changed, could not deny it.

“But.”

And Cain had also watched the lives of the two of them. ‘Spring’ had brought them closer together, giving them the ‘time’ they had lacked to understand each other.

“I will not say that you were wrong.”

“……!”

《……!》

Chloe covered her mouth with both hands in surprise. Edmund also made a very surprised expression, as if he had not expected the answer.

“I thought about it. What I would have done if I were you.”

It started with a conspiracy and manipulation to cast suspicion on the witch, but Edmund and Chloe loved each other.

Like a flower that grew in the mud.

And ‘Spring’ showed me how the flower lived to bear fruit.

“I would have done the same.”

The future he had seen once, a witch trying to prevent the death of her child.

Cain could not bring himself to say no. He had seen her noble heart and efforts.

“Thank you.”

Cain bowed his head.

He could only acknowledge his parents after facing the past that would not have been possible without the miracle of spring.

“I’m sorry.”

Edmund bowed his head.

It was the first time they had ever met each other properly.

And Chloe took the hands of the two who bowed their heads and did not think of getting up.

《I guess this is as far as I go.》

‘Spring’, who had been watching, nodded coolly.

Because the limits of Chloe, who was not a living being but existed in the world as a ‘miracle’ of the witch, were clear.

《The two of you have to live in a world without me now.》

“Yes.”

《Edmund, don’t be too sad that I’m gone. The fact that you’re here is a miracle that that child made possible.》

He was supposed to die in the dungeon of Eire, but now Edmund was here.

《Son, I’m sorry to see you walking this path alone.》

“…….”

《But remember one thing. There will always be someone to walk with you on the path you walk. Just like he’s here now.》

The tip of Chloe’s finger pointed.

It was ‘Spring’.

He waved his hand with an awkward smile. Chloe waved her hand back in response and looked at the young Cain.

《Our son…….》

Hoo-woong━.

The wind blew from the distant night sky. It was a warm spring breeze, but it was a wind of mourning that announced the end of the translucent Chloe.

Chloe, who had become even more transparent in an instant, took Cain’s two hands.

《The son I saw preferred to speak the truth quickly rather than emotional gibberish.》

“Yes.”

Because if you talk that long in the Great Wall, you die.

It was Cain’s habit to speak only the essentials and the gist.

Chloe smiled.

《First, beware of the ‘Commons’ that are everywhere and nowhere. They want to awaken the ‘Demon King of Common’.》

“……!”

《You’ve already met them?》

Before Cain could answer, ‘Spring’ snapped his fingers.

In the picture frame that appeared next to them, the events of Arian that took place in Crowl’s territory flowed out.

Chloe clicked her tongue as she watched it.

《They sent the Twelve Sisters of Dawn again. Those vicious bastards.》

“Do you know?”

《I killed Siette(7) with my own hands. The one you killed was Diez(10).》

Twelve sisters with the same name.

Twelve Sisters of Dawn.

Chloe knew about them, even Cain and Abel didn’t.

‘I expected it, but…….’

Because he saw something while looking at the past with Oleciren’s power in the Ethelred Count’s territory.

But it was still rare to hear it firsthand.

He realized once again that he had only scratched the surface of the past in which he had lived.

《Now that two of the twelve sisters are dead, their apostle will come soon.》

“Apostle……?”

《Golden Dawn.》

“Are they strong?”

Puck━.

Cain said confidently, striking Agweska. He was now able to deal with enemies not only of Edmund’s level.

Chloe shook her head with a bitter smile that looked just like Cain’s.

《They are not strong or weak in that sense. The apostle of the ‘Commons’ does not mean that.》

“Then…….”

Hoo-woong━.

The wind blows again.

It was as if a clock was ticking down the seconds, saying that there was no time.

Chloe spoke hurriedly instead of giving a long explanation.

《Second, don’t be with the witch.》

Chloe, a witch, tells Cain not to be with a witch. And that witch is obviously Oleciren.

“……Yes?”

Cain asked back.

But instead of answering right away, Chloe turned her head to ‘Spring’, and he nodded coolly.

【You can tell him. That guy knows a little bit about eternity and the end.】

《Thank you. Cain, the 〈Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉 you have are not simply powerful objects that give you strength.》

The greatest sacred treasure in this world.

There are many items that give strength to their owners, but none of them can compare to the 〈Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉, and the dignity that human history proves.

That was the 〈Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉.

《It is a symbol of the covenant about the beginning and end of this world. Why does spring come and then summer? And autumn, winter, and spring again.》

“A symbol of the covenant?”

《All things must eventually decline. No matter how brilliant a human life may be, it will eventually end in death. Do you think the world is any different?》

Cain’s eyes lit up.

He realized what Chloe was trying to say.

‘Commons’, demons Ballam, the eternity and the End that they all cried out for.

Cheek━.

Chloe grabbed Cain by both shoulders.

She stared at Cain with eyes full of tears that seemed like they would burst at any moment.

This is a story that I can’t tell unless it’s now.

She spoke to Cain, who was living his life again, saving her time to cry.

《And now you are the covenant of God.》

“The covenant of God…….”

《With your will, the world will be eternity, and with your heart, the world will come to an end. That is the duty of the 〈Sacred Treasures of the Four Seasons〉.》

“Then what is 『The Four Seasons』?”

He asked because ‘Spring’ had not answered when he asked.

《━━━!》

Her mouth opens wide.

But it doesn’t transmit.

Cain looked back at ‘Spring’, and he shook his head sideways.

【It’s wrong. Chloe’s 『Four Seasons』 are hers alone, just as you have your own 『Four Seasons』.】

“Tell me clearly.”

‘Spring’ laughed bitterly.

【I would like to do that too, but what can I do? It’s set up that way.】

His index finger pointed to the ceiling.

There was a void filled with darkness that held countless stars. As if ‘Spring’ had given him permission, Chloe’s voice could be heard.

《If someone were to point a sword at you and ask you to decide whether or not to kill you, what would you do?》

“Yes.”

《That’s why you shouldn’t associate with witches.》

“Yes?”

《Witches are beings created by the world to resist the end. Just as a hero is born when a demon king is born, a witch will struggle for eternity if the end is foreseen.》

A witch, her own agent, created by this world to survive.

Cain didn’t understand right away.

According to the doctrine of the Holy See, witches were beings that harmed the world and had to be killed, but as he learned, they were the saviors of the world.

Chloe seemed to read Cain’s eyes and continued.

《It’s not like a savior. It’s just resistance. And…… and━.》

Chloe counted on her fingers.

She wanted to tell Cain everything she knew, but she wondered what to say and whether ‘Spring’ would not catch her.

“Mother.”

Cain called out to her.

Chloe’s two eyes widened.

Puck━.

The tears that had been building up fell into the room with a thud. One of the picture frame pieces on the floor that the tears touched sparkled.

Only ‘Spring’ saw it.

He smiled meaningfully, and Cain said without seeing it.

“It’s okay.”

《You need to know this in advance so that you can deal with it.》

“I will live today. I will take care of tomorrow myself.”

《Uh……?》

Chloe realized.

That she had forgotten the present again while thinking only about the future.

Kwaak━.

Cain hugged Chloe.

The embrace of his mother, which appeared for the first time in his memory.

《Ah━.》

Chloe slowly raised her arms and hugged Cain back.

“Just hold me like this. I’ll live my own life. Just…… just like this…….”

Cain’s words faltered.

The wound deep in his heart was gradually healing from the warmth transmitted from the translucent Chloe.

“Please cheer me on.”

《Yes, my son.》

Chloe smiled.

《You’ve grown up so well━.》

Hwaaahhhhhh━.

Chloe scattered, slowly turning into pink petals.

Edmund looked up and held back his tears, and Cain smiled at the warmth that was disappearing.

“Goodbye, Mother.”

He watched her scatter into a few petals.

Until even the faintest trace of her disappeared.

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