Page 268

sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-pointer-lock allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"

style="width: 300px; height: 250px; display: flex; margin: 0 auto; border: none"

scrolling="no">

Chapter 267

Zerion Academy.

A place always overflowing with vitality and illuminated by the passion of its students felt unusually lifeless today.

The reason was none other than the recent incident that occurred within the Imperial Royal Family.

At present, the Imperial Royal Family is under the control of the Demon Sovereign.

Celestial Grace, once the pillar of the empire, has betrayed humanity and become a servant of the Demon Sovereign.

And that’s not all.

As the imperial capital fell under enemy hands, the empire’s military was taken over by nightmarish forces.

Under the nightmare’s influence, knights, soldiers, and even ordinary citizens became part of the army.

Even regular people were transformed into inhuman entities through the Demon Sovereign’s baptism.

Thus was born the army of nightmares—a force that threatened to plunge the world into chaos.

In response, the empire mobilized all regional forces in a desperate attempt to reclaim the royal palace.

Other kingdoms also joined the cause.

In a time of global turmoil, usually, there are those who try to seize power amid the chaos.

But not this time.

Key figures from around the world willingly took up arms to stand against the Demon Sovereign.

“I heard the best man I know sacrificed his life to save the 3rd Imperial Princess. I can’t afford to be any less than that.”

Ergo Parazon, the only prince of the Kingdom of Sky Kingdom Parazon, crushed the protests of his noble peers and declared war against the Demon Sovereign’s forces.

“The Demon Sovereign is the enemy of mankind! Surely the Holy King won't ignore this!”

“With young heroes making such efforts, how could the Holy King turn away?”

In the Holy Kingdom of Rium, both the Saint and the Saintess stepped forward.

Chosen by the gods themselves, when both the Saint and Saintess make a statement, even the Holy King cannot turn a blind eye.

More importantly, the Demon Sovereign is humanity’s greatest foe.

Naturally, the church had to stand with those resisting him.

Meanwhile, at that exact moment, the civil war within the Kingdom of Illusions, Panisys, came to an end.

The noble faction that started the rebellion collapsed as their mysticism crumbled.

Having already been in disarray due to the morally unjust war, internal discord was unavoidable once it was revealed that Celestial Grace, who had been secretly supporting the rebels, had allied with the Demon Sovereign.

The one who seized control of the crumbling kingdom was Prince Maron, long mocked as the most incompetent prince in the world.

Living his life always withdrawn, ignoring everything around him—Prince Maron had changed completely.

“I used to think it was better to live like a fool than constantly worry about what others thought of me. But I was wrong. If I don’t act, nothing will ever change. I learned that from a certain man.”

Prince Maron had been powerless.

He lived with his eyes closed and ears shut.

But even with eyes closed and ears plugged, some things still reach you—some things still resonate.

The sight of a single decision overturning the situation in a war-torn kingdom—Maron couldn’t ignore it.

He couldn’t unsee it or unhear it.

Prince Maron was moved.

And at the same time, he felt disillusioned.

Why hadn’t he been able to act like that?

Instead of lamenting his lack of strength or authority, shouldn’t a person strive to obtain what they lack?

He regretted the way he had lived.

「Prince Maron is still young. And that means he still has opportunities.」

His loyal retainer, the son of the Shadow, Solvas Umbra, gave him the advice that helped him stand again.

「I, too, was only able to grasp the life I have now because I never gave up.」

Solvas had seen a man who never gave up.

A small spark that had passed to that man now passed to Maron.

Even if he seemed pathetic, even if he was late—it was fine.

Prince Maron stood up and headed for the Kingdom of Panisys.

His first decision after taking power was to act for the protection of humanity.

The Kingdom of Zebra, burdened by guilt for having birthed Vulcan, the former leader of the mystic order, sought redemption.

To escape global condemnation, they hastily joined the war effort.

Thus, four kingdoms had now joined the alliance.

Only one remained: the fallen Kingdom of Frelliz.

After a series of failed policies, Frelliz had lost the will of its people and remained passive.

Yet even within Frelliz, a spark still burned.

“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

A student attending Ordo Academy in Frelliz rejected the life they were living.

“Don’t we deserve a better life?”

“Why can’t we be heroes too? Must we simply accept our kingdom’s fate and perish with it?”

The world is run by adults in power.

But it’s the children—those underestimated by adults—who change that world.

These children, once dismissed as naive and immature, had seen with their own eyes their peers from other kingdoms shine brilliantly.

And now, they too moved forward to become heroes once more, to face the Demon Sovereign.

Everyone longed to be a shining hero and yearned for that kind of life.

That was no different for the children of a fallen kingdom.

Before the earnest cries of the youth, the adults could no longer ignore them.

Because it is the responsibility of adults to lead them into the future.

Because the adults, too, once dreamed of radiant glory.

And so, the adults decided to pave the path for the children—to become elders worthy of respect, not rulers to be feared.

The spark catches fire.

Those who fail to burn with it will turn to ash and vanish.

The world moves.

A world where it seemed no one could move—

Now, it was moving with a single purpose.

Yet no one realized it had all begun from a spark so small, it looked as though it could be extinguished with a breath.

But there was one thing everyone knew:

The world was burning more brilliantly than ever before.

It’s okay to fail.

It’s okay to despair.

As long as you don’t give up—

The end will blaze gloriously.

And within this ever-turning world,

a girl was moving forward in Zerion Academy.

A girl with white hair stepped ahead.

She stopped in front of a classroom door.

Click—

The door slid open, and a man inside turned to look at her.

“Well, if it isn’t junior Xenia.”

His tone was casual, almost cheeky.

At the same time, a strong scent of blueberries filled the air for some reason.

Xenia felt nostalgic for that blueberry scent.

And when she looked at him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had forgotten something important.

“Senior Midra.”

Xenia stepped in front of him.

Midra’s gaze landed on the book she held in her arms.

It was a grimoire of celestial magic, personally written by Zerion for the distant future.

Clutching the book tightly, Xenia opened her lips.

“You were the one who hid this grimoire, weren’t you, Senior Midra?”

Midra looked at her in silence upon hearing those words.

The grimoire had been hidden beneath Zerion Academy.

Even if it had been kept secret all this time, it was hard to believe it had remained intact for thousands of years after Zerion’s death.

Xenia had inspected the underground and realized that the magic placed there was of recent origin.

The spell was so subtly cast that only someone like Xenia could notice it.

As a celestial magic user, she was able to trace the magic back to its caster.

And ultimately, her investigation led her to a conclusion.

The source of the magic—was Midra Fenin’s mana.

Midra Fenin.

She had heard bits and pieces about him from Vikamon.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand about celestial magic, try asking Midra.”

She hadn’t understood the meaning back then.

But now, it was clear.

Midra was a celestial magic user.

The fact that someone other than the prodigy Sharin could use celestial magic—

It was news that could shake the entire world.

Midra gazed silently at Xenia.

In his eyes was a faint nostalgia, as if remembering that long-ago day.

His amber-colored eyes weren’t quite what she remembered,

but their steadfast gaze was just like in her memories—bringing the past flooding back.

“...So you really are the master’s reincarnation.”

Midra let out a brief chuckle, the moonlight at his back.

Xenia’s eyes widened.

Master.

She immediately knew who he meant.

The Sage of Transcendence, Zerion.

The one who rewrote all magical formulas and created an entirely new tier of magic—celestial magic.

Midra was his disciple.

[PR/N: She doesn’t know that zerion is female.]

“How...”

Zerion had died thousands of years ago.

It was hard to believe that his disciple was still alive.

“Celestial magic can deceive even the gods.”

Midra’s tone had grown formal, reverent.

“If it can deceive a god, then surely it can deceive my own lifespan, no?”

Deceiving one’s lifespan.

It shocked Xenia, but she couldn’t dismiss it as impossible.

Celestial magic was boundless—something Xenia knew better than anyone.

“But fate, it seems, cannot be deceived. Perhaps... this too was all part of the master’s plan.”

Midra stood up slowly from his place by the window.

“I won’t force the master’s life onto you, even if you are his reincarnation, Xenia. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore what the master wished for, either.”

From Midra’s robes, a small orb emerged.

As soon as she saw it, Xenia’s expression hardened.

She could feel the immense power of celestial mana sealed within.

“These are the master’s long-lost memories.”

They were memories meant to be forgotten by the Spring of Oblivion.

This orb had captured and preserved them.

“Honestly, I don’t think these are all happy memories. There’s bound to be things in here you’ll regret seeing.”

Because memories aren't always joyful.

But Xenia, without hesitation, stepped up to him.

“I’ve decided to save my brother. Even if he’s no longer the same person, he’ll always be my brother to me.”

Midra gave a small laugh at her resolve.

“The ‘family’ the master always spoke of, huh...”

He placed the orb into her hand.

“There’s something I always wanted to say to the master.”

From the moment she touched this orb, Xenia’s life would no longer be her own.

“Don’t you think your break lasted way too long, Master?”

The emotional air broke as Midra returned to his usual cheeky self.

And that’s when Xenia realized—this was his true self.

It was precisely because he was like this

that Zerion could entrust him with such a monumental duty.

“I’ll carry it on now.”

Clutching the orb, Xenia summoned celestial mana.

No matter what memories lay hidden within—

She would face them all and save Vikamon, no matter what.

And just moments later,

Xenia’s face turned beet red as she let out a startled scream.