Creador de Finales Capitulo 633
SS 31 - Lucas Hr?svelgr (1)
When I was young, I had a thought when I first held a real sword instead of a practice sword.
'I want to be like Biltwein.'
The protagonist of Biltwein the Hero.
A shining, cool, and strong invincible hero.
A person who stood in the front and led everyone, becoming their beacon of hope.
It was a childish thought.
It was a childish dream.
That young me became an adult.
I headed out to the world and met the harsh reality.
The growing pains.
At some point, I realized.
I was just a frog in a well.
There were people with even greater talent than me.
There were people in the world whom I could never catch up to and were called the true geniuses.
Those who shined like the stars in the sky.
I woke up to the reality.
Even if I did not want to realize it, I could not help but do so.
The praises I had taken for granted since I was born and raised had all disappeared.
People no longer focused on me.
All their attention and praise went to the true geniuses who appeared like comets, to the heroes who saved the wild lands and the royal capital.
They played the lead roles on the stage.
They were the main characters of the story.
If they were the stars and moons, perhaps I was just a firefly.
I realized the reality.
I witnessed the reality.
The childish dream of the young me was just a dream in the end.
But.
But still, I…
Still, I…
I want to become like Biltwein.
***
Lucas opened his eyes.
His mind was in a daze as he had woken up from a deep sleep and not just from the blink of his eyes.
A blurry vision was added.
"Uuuuuek?"
Lucas let out a voice as dazed as his mind, and wiped off the drool that had flowed down from the corners of his mouth up to his chin. He blinked his eyes and then looked around.
A bed that was familiar to his eyes and body.
A book that was spread out next to the pillow.
Opening his eyes wide again, Lucas sat up and did some stretching.
Groans came along with the cracking sounds.
"Guuuuuuh."
He seemed to have been reading a book all night and fallen asleep without realizing it.
"Ugh, it's crumpled."
The open book next to the pillow was half-folded. Although the weight of the book was heavy, it had been left in that state for several hours, so the folds in the pages were clearly visible now. Moreover, it was a problem that there were not only one or two folded pages. At least ten or more pages were arbitrarily folded.
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'Uh… it can't be helped. But I'm glad that it's for reading.'
Each volume of Biltwein the Hero that Lucas owned had five copies each.
One for collection, one for appreciation (or viewing it while in a bookshelf), one for propagation, one for reading, and the last one was a spare for reading.
T/N: Propagation here means to spread or recommend the book to someone with the purpose of converting that person into a fan of that book.
The crumpled one this time was for reading, so he still had the spare one for reading.
'I'll have to buy new ones tomorrow.'
He needed to have a set for reading and a spare for reading.
Because the reading one was really for reading, so it was prone to damage.
"Tomorrow."
Lucas said aloud and burst out laughing.
He was one of the Ten Great Swordmasters that the S?len Kingdom was proud of, and called the strongest swordsman of the kingdom after the founding of the Holy Nation of Judelia, but still had a lot of his boyish side remaining.
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow was a really important day.
It was the nineteenth birthday of Lucas Hr?svelgr.
As listed above, Lucas was no longer just the successor to the Count Hr?svelgr position.
Being an heir to a margrave family that was high ranking among the 12 northern families was definitely a huge thing, but the current Lucas had a much higher status compared to a few years ago.
He was one of the only two teenage great swordmasters in the world and in history.
The strongest swordsman in the S?len Kingdom.
Naturally, there were many people who wanted to attend the birthday party of Lucas, and Count Hr?svelgr had been busy preparing for the party since two months ago.
But Lucas had a different thought.
The reason why tomorrow was important.
His own birthday was indeed important, but there was one thing more important than that.
"A new one, a new one."
A new book of Biltwein the Hero.
A new volume would be published after three years!
He was so surprised when he first heard the news that it was no exaggeration to say that he almost passed out from extreme joy.
The fact that a new volume of Biltwein the Hero would be released made the world look beautiful to him.
'3 years.'
The author of Biltwein the Hero was a person named Sanudil.
Their age and sex were unknown.
The name Sanudil was obviously not a real name but a pseudonym.
Therefore, when a new volume of Biltwein the Hero had not been released for three years, hardcore fans including Lucas were afraid and terrified that Sanudil might have been in an accident or if they had ended their writing career.
They did not know the age or even the sex of Sanudil, so all kind of rumors circulated.
There was a rumor that Sanudil was actually a knight who lost their life during the Calamity War, or the rumor that they stopped writing because they had to focus on raising their children.
'Ah, Sanudil. Anyway, thank you. Thank you for coming back.'
He could not figure out whether Sanudil was a man or a woman, or why a new book had not been published for the past three years, so Lucas decided to think simply.
After all, the fact that a new volume would be released meant that Sanudil was healthy enough to publish a book, and it was like a blessing to all the readers of Biltwein the Hero.
'Tomorrow, tomorrow.'
He would go to the bookstore tomorrow and buy the new volume.
In fact, there was no need for Lucas to directly go to buy it since he was the heir of the count, but he still wanted to personally buy the book whenever a new volume came out.
Because he wanted to get the new book as soon as possible.
Since Lucas was the heir of Count Hr?svelgr who was influential enough to claim himself as the leader of the 12 northern families, there were many ways he could get the book at the distribution stage if he wanted to, but he did not take such a quick method.
"Fwoooo."
Lucas had been binge-reading the books all night for the past two days, and smiled again as he got out of his bed.
The sun shining through the window looked beautiful and brilliant today.
***
"So in the end, which one of the two is it?"
"Pardon?"
At the office of Count Hr?svelgr.
The count usually stayed at Thunderdoom Fortress in the north, but had returned to the Hr?svelgr mansion in the past few days.
Because the birthday of Lucas was tomorrow.
"I asked which of the two is it."
When Count Hr?svelgr repeated his words, Lucas was flustered and could not answer.
The question of his father.
Which one of the two.
Although the subject was omitted, it was clear on who he was talking about.
Kajsa Ophand and Scarlet Viper.
One was the young daughter of Marquis Ophand who was the de facto leader of the 6 southern families, and the other was a beautiful female swordswoman prodigy from the empire.
The two not only stayed with Lucas throughout the Calamity War, but also traveled with him across the continent after the war.
And because of that, those who saw a man and two women in their prime stay together had all thought.
"Which one of the two is it?"
Who would become the next Countess Hr?svelgr?
In terms of status, Kajsa Ophand was the correct choice.
Because she was the daughter from the Ophand family who was one of the 6 southern families.
Considering that the Hr?svelgr family was one of the 12 northern families, Kajsa Ophand matched their family level.
But people did not hastily make decisions.
"Because the northern and southern regions are too far away."
The Hr?svelgr family in the northern region and the Ophand family in the southern region received no benefits in joining hands.
They were not attractive prospects for arranged marriages.
"Besides, that woman named Scarlet seems to be a child of a noble."
A noble was still a noble despite their prestige not being on the same level as the 6 southern families.
And there was one more reason why Scarlet had a competitive edge.
"She's completely a swordsmanship genius."
The Hr?svelgr family were swordsmen who inherited the Holy King's Cross Sword from generation to generation.
Therefore, there were many people in the family who liked Scarlet who was a swordsmanship genius.
"The young lady of the Ophand family is strong, but she's more of a wild fighter."
A brawler and not a swordswoman.
In addition, the various notorieties that Kajsa had built up in the south became deduction factors.
The fact that she was the captain of a ship that robbed pirate ships did not make her look good for the people of the north who did not know the sea.
Obviously, Scarlet also had her faults.
First of all, it was a problem that she was an imperial noble, and that the level of her family was lower than that of Kajsa.
And even though it was not yet known, Scarlet was in more danger than Kajsa if one added the fact that she was the Rogue Master.
Anyway, about the two.
The two were the ones who were most likely to become the wife of Lucas Hr?svelgr.
"Lucas."
"Yes, father."
"I don't think you'll give me the shameless answer of both."
At the stern gaze of Count Hr?svelgr, Lucas was covered in cold sweat as his lips twitched.
***
A few hours later.
Scarlet and Kajsa were sitting opposite each other at a table, with one drinking coffee and the other drinking fruit wine.
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow."
They were not talking about the release date of the new volume of Biltwein the Hero.
It was the date of the birthday party of Lucas Hr?svelgr.
The day of an official and significant event would be held in the Hr?svelgr territory.
"I'll be his first dance tomorrow."
"How funny. You'll be the one he'll dance with?"
"Hey, I was the first one Lucas danced with."
"That was back then, but he danced with me first when we were dating, okay?"
They were talking about their past lives.
Unlike Lucas who was always on the side of Jude, Scarlet and Kajsa were sometimes on the side of Jude, and sometimes on the side of the demon followers.
And when one was on the side of Jude, they always became the lover of Lucas, but on the contrary, when one was on the side of the enemy, they always became the rival of Lucas.
'Of course, there were times both of us were not enemies.'
At that time, Scarlet and Kajsa were best friends.
"Moving on, let's leave it to Lucas tomorrow. Don't try to play tricks, okay?"
"You're the one who shouldn't play tricks."
In fact, the two were quite close in this present life.
Even if they excluded the memories of their past lives, the time they traveled together in this current timeline reached nearly three years.
One could say that they were pretty much best friends because of the affection from hatred they had for each other.
But their problem was Lucas.
Neither Scarlet nor Kajsa could give up on Lucas.
But they also could not pressure Lucas to quickly make a choice.
"I-I can't choose. If I have to make a choice, I'd rather not choose any of them."
Words that were really like Lucas, and something he might actually say.
Because he really could not choose one over the other, and not because he wanted to openly date them both.
If he chose one, the other would be hurt.
So the relationship of the three was really complicated.
Because in their past and present lives, they shared a love so deep that they were willing to die for the other.
'That idiot will say that it's better if he doesn't choose and even say that he'll just remain single for his entire life.'
Scarlet was not wrong.
Because Lucas Hr?svelgr was such a person.
And Kajsa also thought the same, so the three had maintained a strange relationship until now.
"But more than that, you know, right?"
"I know."
All the important sentences were omitted, but the two could tell what the other was thinking by just looking at the eyes of the other.
"Sylvia Crossbell."
The female name that Lucas put in his mouth when they were trying to call the fairies in the royal capital.
As the daughter of Count Crossbell from one of the 12 northern families, she was also going to attend the party tomorrow.
"I can't lose to her at least."
"Me too."
Because this was their battlefield.
A fair competition if they had to describe it beautifully.
They found it hard to express their feelings because of the memories of their past lives in addition to their present relationship, but the two were indisputably close to each other, so they lightly clenched their fists and looked out the window.
The sun was setting.
***
"It's really incredible."
When Dame Thilion, a knight who was a former mercenary, said as she watched from the window the line of carriages surrounding the mansion, Sir Seornn chuckled.
"Because this birthday party is special."
It was a party to celebrate the birthday of the heir of Count Hr?svelgr, so it was natural for a lot of guests to gather. But this year, almost twice as many people came than usual.
There were many reasons, but there was one reason that Sir Seornn liked the most.
"Have you heard the rumor that the young master will make his choice today in this party?"
"I've heard of that rumor too, but… is it true?"
"It's not true. But it's something that gets people interested. Personally, I want it to be a bit true."
"I agree."
Sir Seornn and Dame Thilion liked Lucas, just like most of the knights of Count Hr?svelgr.
The children of Count Bayer and Count Chase had already been married two years ago and were called the couple of the century, so they thought that their young master should also find a wife.
So that a successor who would look like the young master would be born.
"So Captain, who do you think will be the next countess?"
When his title and nickname from his mercenary days came out, Sir Seornn smiled and tried to say something. But at that moment, a loud shout interrupted their conversation.
"Lady Sylvia Crossbell from the Crossbell family is entering!"
In an instant, the eyes of the everyone in the banquet hall were focused on the entrance.
And Sylvia Crossbell, a woman with sky blue hair who maintained her elegance despite the sudden attention, entered the banquet hall with a soft smile.
She wore a white Empire dress with an exposed back that made her fair and clear skin stand out even more.
"Ooooh."
"As expected, she's beautiful."
Sylvia was considered the most beautiful in the north until Cordelia appeared.
Her beautiful appearance was truly magical as if she had popped out of a story book.
But there were two people who gazed at Sylvia differently.
"It's her."
"She's here."
Scarlet was in a provocative red dress while Kajsa was in a tightly fitting black dress that made her body stand out.
"S-She's really pretty."
Kajsa growled and Scarlet lightly frowned and soon shrugged as she said.
"She's indeed pretty."
"Yes, Scarlet is pretty too. We're both pretty."
If Cordelia had heard it, she would have apologized to the people around them and mentally shouted 'Why am I the only one who's embarrassed!', but Scarlet and Kajsa were serious.
After checking the clothes and hair of each other again, the two approached the battlefield – Sylvia.
'What are they doing?'
Sylvia was bewildered by Scarlet and Kajsa approaching her.
It was not just because the two were heading to her.
It was because she felt a strange hostility – no, a competitive spirit from the two.
'Ah, don't tell me?'
As a smart lady, Sylvia quickly realized why the two were heading her way like this.
After a while, or five minutes later, the music would change and the dance time would begin from that point.
As the lead character today, Lucas was naturally going to dance.
'Who shall his first dance be with?'
Lucas, Scarlet, and Kajsa.
Because Sylvia knew well about these three.
'Lucas must have talked about me, huh?'
Or perhaps the two people heard about her being the most beautiful in the north and were just trying to keep her in check.
A smile instantly spread across the face of Sylvia.
She was actually a mischievous woman, though she had suppressed it recently.
Moreover, she was now over 20 years old, so she was very likely to find a suitable spouse by next year at the latest. In fact, many families were sending proposals to her.
'Shall I tease them a bit?'
Sylvia mentally grinned while looking graceful on the outside. She quickly glanced at Lucas with her eyes.
And when the ignorant Lucas came her way, she spoke in a friendly manner.
"Lucas, it's been a while."
"Yes, Lady Sylvia. It's been a while."
"Happy birthday."
"Thank you."
"Really?"
"Pardon?"
"Are you really thankful?"
Sylvia asked back, and Lucas tilted his head for a moment but soon smiled and nodded.
"Yes, thank you very much."
"Then you should repay me, right?"
"Is there… anything you want to receive?"
"How about the first dance?"
At that moment, the flames exploded.
It was not a real flame but more of an aura, or one could call it a fighting spirit being set ablaze.
Scarlet and Kajsa.
Scarlet quietly stared at Lucas, and Kajsa gazed at Lucas with clenched fists.
At this point, no matter how tactless Lucas was, he could not help but understand the situation.
Scarlet and Kajsa.
There was also Sylvia.
'I can't choose the wrong one.'
If he made a wrong choice, he would not be able to handle the aftermath.
If he chose Sylvia, Scarlet and Kajsa would explode.
If he chose Scarlet, it would be Kajsa. And if he chose Kajsa, it would be Scarlet.
"Lucas?"
Sylvia called Lucas with a mischievousness hidden in her elegant voice, and the silent stare of Scarlet and the anxious gaze of Kajsa reached the cheeks of Lucas.
'Which one of the two is it?'
Added to this was the voice of Count Hr?svelgr that he heard yesterday.
Lucas broke out in cold sweat.
And the music in the banquet hall changed at that perfect moment.
It was the beginning of dance time – that is, the moment when he had to choose one person regardless of the result.
Lucas was in agony.
In that time which felt like an eternity, he was in extreme distress.
But it was then.
"Lucas?"
A hand of salvation came down from heaven.
***
"I think Jude is upset. He's been staring at you for a while."
"I'll accept it without complaints."
At the answer of Lucas, Cordelia giggled softly.
"Are you in that much trouble?"
Enough to even endure the jealousy of that jealous Jude?
Lucas responded with a bitter smile at her question.
"Anyway, I am very glad. That Lady Cordelia appeared. You were really like an angel of salvation to me."
"What salvation?"
"No, it's true. Thanks to Lady Cordelia, I was able to get through today… I'm really glad. Thank you very much."
If Sylvia was chosen, Scarlet and Kajsa would explode together, but Cordelia was a different story.
And it was the same with Sylvia.
When Lucas thanked Cordelia again, she narrowed her brows for a moment and soon said with a smile that felt sorry.
"Hey, Lucas, are you an idiot?"
"Excuse me?"
"Who are you going to dance with for the second dance?"
"Eh?"
"What do you mean 'eh'? Were you thinking of only dancing once on your birthday and ending it?"
Scarlet and Kajsa are all dressed up like that, right?
Are you just going to send them back?
In that case, I'll get angry too, okay?
At her interrogating gaze, Lucas gulped and averted his gaze.
Scarlet and Kajsa were standing together and looking at him after firmly rejecting countless requests for a dance. And Sylvia, who was hiding her mischievousness in her elegance, was having fun as she stood next to them.
"Oh, the music is over."
The first dance was over, so the next one was the second dance.
"I'll take her."
"Kya."
As soon as the music was over, Jude leapt over the space with Twelve Thunderbolt Steps and snatched Cordelia away. Lucas who was left alone swallowed his saliva.
He faced Scarlet and Kajsa looking at him. +
*1 more~!!
Creador de Finales Capitulo 634
SS 32 - Lucas Hr?svelgr (2)
Lucas did the second dance with Kajsa.
It was a natural flow as though it had been decided from the beginning.
When Lucas danced with Kajsa, Scarlet danced with Count Hr?svelgr. And when the third dance song began, Lucas faced Scarlet who said.
"Still, I'm the older one."
They were only a year apart, but anyway.
Scarlet shrugged and said in passing before she held the hand of Lucas.
"I shouldn't have refused then."
Lucas paused for a moment because he could not immediately understand what she meant, but it was only for a moment.
He realized that she was talking about the founding anniversary ball back then.
"Because I didn't know that this young master would grow up to be this handsome."
Scarlet spoke to herself and slowly began the third dance with Lucas whose cheeks were blushing.
***
The party continued until late into the night.
And as with this kind of party, the middle part became an exchange meeting for nobles who had gathered under the pretext of a birthday celebration, rather than continuing to be an actual birthday celebration.
Therefore, Lucas did not feel too guilty when he sneaked out of the banquet hall.
"Is here okay?"
"Why? Isn't this place good? I don't think anyone will come here."
Scarlet smiled and looked around.
Lucas, Kajsa, and Scarlet.
The three were inside an indoor drill hall only used by the direct descendants of the Hr?svelgr family.
"Hmm. So this is what a northern drill hall looks like."
Kajsa had already been invited to the mansions of quite a few northern families such as the Bayer and Hr?svelgr families, but it was the first time she had entered an indoor drill hall.
"Is it very different from the south?"
"Yes, first of all. The drill hall is seldom indoors in the south."
Kajsa responded to the question of Scarlet and began to put down in a suitable place the things she had brought.
"Lucas, spread it over there."
"Yes, that place is nice."
"Okay."
Upon receiving the orders of the two women, Lucas spread out a mat he had brought onto the floor of the drill hall that was illuminated by the moonlight, while Kajsa and Scarlet arranged on the mat the food and drinks they took from the basket they had brought.
"And this cannot be left out."
Most of the food were taken from the banquet hall, but not this.
Scarlet smiled and laid out a round and small chocolate cake, while Kajsa put on the cake a candle that no one knew where she took out from.
The three had been traveling together for the past three years, so the two moved in perfect harmony.
"Happy birthday."
"Congratulations, Lucas."
"Thank you."
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After the candle on the small cake was blown, Kajsa and Scarlet clapped their hands to congratulate him on his birthday again.
Lucas thought that it was like they were playing house – no, they were indeed playing house, but a bright smile was still on his face.
'I'm sorry.'
I'm grateful to everyone who attended today's party.
But I prefer this kind of simple celebration.
Still, thank you all for attending.
In his mind, Lucas briefly apologized and thanked the people who attended the party, and looked at Scarlet and Kajsa again. The two were filling the glasses of each other.
They obviously did not forget to fill the glass of Lucas too.
"Drink, drink. We're going to drink to the very end today."
"Yet you're the first one to pass out."
Scarlet laughed and Kajsa blushed in protest.
"Isn't it weird that you two beat me in drinking?"
Because Kajsa had the blood of a divine creature flowing in her veins.
Her detoxification ability was excellent, so she had never lost a drinking bet in her hometown.
"Lucas has reached the horizon, but Scarlet is strange."
"What strange? I'm just a strong drinker. And what does being on the horizon have to do with being strong in drinking?"
Kajsa was speechless at the reasonable remark of Scarlet, and pouted before she raised her glass first like always.
"Anyway, cheers!"
"Cheers."
Lucas and Scarlet quickly raised their glasses so that Kajsa would not be embarrassed for being the only one to raise her glass.
"Kya, this is good. This is delicious."
"Yes, yes. But before we get drunk, let's take out our presents first."
Scarlet patted Kajsa on the back as if to appease a child, and pulled out from the basket two items they had prepared in advance.
One belonged to Scarlet and the other belonged to Kajsa.
"Here's my birthday present for you."
"Mine too."
The color of the wrapping paper differed, with one in red and one in blue, but the gifts had the same size and weight.
"Thank you."
Lucas thanked them and Kajsa said with a mischievous smile.
"Hurry up and open it."
"May I?"
"Of course."
Kajsa was the first to speak, but Scarlet was the last.
With the permission of the two women, Lucas opened the wrappers with the excitement of a child, showing to Scarlet and Kajsa what they had expected.
His bright smile.
"The new book of Biltwein the Hero!"
The new book of Biltwein the Hero that was released after three years.
He was originally going to go to the bookstore and buy it today, but had to postpone it to tomorrow because his father caught him.
The presents of Kajsa and Scarlet were both the new book of Biltwein the Hero.
The two had both given the same gift, but the gift givers and the recipient only had smiles on their faces.
"Mine is for appreciation."
"Mine is for reading."
Because the two knew that Lucas would buy five copies of the same book.
"Thank you. Thank you very much."
Lucas was delighted as he hugged the books, and the other two smiled again.
"Now, now, let's drink since we've given our presents. Today will be the day I'll defeat you both."
"As if that's going to happen."
Scarlet giggled and refilled the glasses of Kajsa and Lucas with alcohol, and the three began their drinking party.
Several hours passed.
Dawn.
A time where the sun and the moons hid.
So the world was only dyed with one color.
Kajsa hugged the empty bottle and fell asleep on the thigh of Scarlet.
Scarlet stroked the hair of Kajsa.
"Lucas."
"Yes, Scarlet."
"Do you like that story that much?"
"Yes, I like it a lot."
Although they were not fully wasted like Kajsa, Lucas and Scarlet were also drunk.
And because of that, there was a more honest smile on the face of Lucas.
He spoke words he would not usually say.
"I like it a lot, but… this volume is quite special."
"Is it because it's a new volume after three years?"
"There's that, but…"
The words of Lucas trailed off as he gently stroked the cover of the book instead of giving the answer right away.
And the silently watching Scarlet realized it at some point.
What Lucas meant by quite special.
"As expected, Scarlet is smart."
They were not at a level where they could communicate with the eyes like Jude and Cordelia, but they could figure out if they got the correct answer or not from their gazes.
Lucas opened the book and said, touching the words on the first page.
"Yes, it's a new volume in a true sense since… it has never been published in our past lives."
Three years ago.
Countless lives in the past were helplessly lost in the face of the disasters that began with the kidnapping of the children from the 12 northern families.
"The author must have also been affected by the chaos. No, even if they were safe… the world was not peaceful enough for such a hero story to be published into a book and be distributed again."
But not anymore.
The S?len Kingdom did not perish, and the empire also survived.
Pleiades had a future again.
That was why a new book came out.
One of the evidence that Jude and Cordelia had saved the world.
Lucas raised his head and looked at Scarlet.
Perhaps because of drunkenness, he brought out a few more words that he would normally not say out loud.
"I… wanted to be… like Biltwein."
It was his childhood dream.
No, he actually still dreamed of it.
A strong, wonderful, and invincible hero.
A being who brought hope and one whom you could trust and rely on anytime and anywhere.
A ray of light that led people even in the darkness.
Lucas knew such people.
Jude and Cordelia.
The true heroes who saved the entire Pleiades after the wild lands and the S?len Kingdom.
Not Lucas.
Lucas was different from the two.
He was upset when Landius made Jude his disciple.
He had fought against Jude who had become incredibly strong after traveling in the wild lands.
When he lost by an overwhelming gap, he pretended to accept his defeat in front of Jude. He was determined to work even harder when he saw the match of his father.
But that was not all.
That night, he hid under his blanket and burst into tears.
He was surprised and confused by the absurd gap, and suddenly felt so humbled that he did not know what to do, so he was upset and cried like a child.
A sense of inferiority.
That he could not help but feel.
He attended the Banquet of Swords in the royal capital.
As expected, Jude and Cordelia appeared there.
And Jude became the center of the Banquet of Swords.
Lucas could not receive the sword strikes of First Sword and lost, but Jude blocked it. First Sword became serious in that short time.
He congratulated Jude.
But he cried deep inside.
Lucas was not the main character.
He was not even a hero.
He was the second fiddle.
A supporting role who only existed to illuminate the main character.
But he did not show his feelings.
He tried to accept it.
He watched Jude and Cordelia stop the plot in the founding anniversary ball and thought.
People went on different paths in the first place.
So there was no need to feel inferior.
It was not an acknowledgment.
It was just an excuse at the bitterness he felt in his defeat.
He was amazed to see the fights of Jude that only appeared in hero stories. So he applauded and praised Jude.
Because that was the job of the supporting role.
Everything felt pointless.
What if he just hated Jude and Cordelia?
Then perhaps he would feel a bit more comfortable.
But he could not do that in the end.
Because Jude and Cordelia were genuinely good people.
Jude continued to call Lucas his rival.
It was not mockery. He trusted the swordsman named Lucas more than Lucas himself.
On the night of the Banquet of Swords, he called Lucas, saying that they would enter a dungeon book.
It was not just that time.
If there was something they could do together, and if there was a chance for Lucas to grow, the two would reach out to him without asking for anything in return.
So how could he hate them?
"So… that's why I just swung my sword."
He quietly moved forward.
Towards that invisible horizon.
As Scarlet silently listened to the confession of Lucas, she smiled.
"What do you mean? Your dream has already come true."
"Eh?"
"You've become Biltwein."
Lucas tilted his head at her words.
After moving to the side of Lucas, Scarlet took out a book from the basket and turned the page.
"I read it too. Biltwein the Hero."
Because it was something he seriously liked.
So she wondered what kind of story it was.
It was his favorite book, so she wanted to like it together.
Scarlet omitted that backstory, and slowly continued her words.
"A person who always moves forward without giving up. A person who doesn't hate other people. A person who is really good and pure like the sun."
Each time Scarlet spoke, the expression of Lucas darkened.
No matter how much he thought about it, he believed that he was not that person.
Thus, Scarlet smiled.
"Remember the fight at the Red Gate?"
"I remember."
The fight where Jude defeated First Sword.
But Scarlet remembered differently.
"You saved Elune that day."
She was not the only one.
There was also Scarlet and Kajsa. And everyone at the Red Gate that day.
"But Jude-"
"Yes, Jude defeated First Sword. But if it wasn't for you, if you hadn't been able to stop First Sword… we would have all been dead by the time Jude came."
Scarlet smiled again.
She flipped through the pages and then pointed to an illustration.
It was a scene where Biltwein was holding a sword and fighting against a huge dragon.
"It was a fight that could not be won. One could not even compare their power objectively. But Biltwein stepped forward. Because he had to protect the people. Just like you who faced First Sword."
The face of Lucas heated up.
Scarlet grinned and spoke again.
"It's not just that day."
The day of the founding anniversary ball.
Lucas saved those who were at the ball.
He confronted the monsters without a proper weapon.
He did not hesitate to travel to the wild lands.
To protect the people there, he willingly headed to a place infested with demonic monsters from Hell.
If Lucas was not there.
If Lucas had not been there at that time.
"But there's something else that I think is really amazing."
Lucas did not hate Jude.
He was engulfed by his sense of inferiority, but did not suffer from ugly jealousy.
Instead of being broken or causing violence around him, he honed himself.
He accepted the good intentions of Jude and Cordelia without misunderstanding it. He returned their pure goodwill.
"And you moved forward."
Even in the darkness without a single light, he silently and plainly moved his way.
"I always thought about it in my past lives."
What is this guy?
Why isn't he frustrated?
Why doesn't he give up?
Why doesn't he get corrupted?
Lucas was never corrupted unless when a demon was forced into his soul.
No, even if he was forced to become a demonic human, he always regained his human mind in the end.
'Maybe that's why I was drawn to him.'
To that pure soul.
That single ray of light shining white in the darkness.
The face of Lucas was flushed red. Tears suddenly welled up in his eyes.
"And you know what? This is the most important reason…"
The words of Scarlet was cut off as she blushed and smiled. She whispered into the ear of Lucas.
"There's no way that the person I like isn't the main character, right?"
The protagonist in the story of Scarlet Viper was Scarlet.
And the cool and handsome male protagonist whom Scarlet loved had always been Lucas.
'I must be drunk.'
Embarrassed at her own words, she coughed and hugged the neck of Lucas.
She hesitated for a moment, but soon kissed the cheeks of Lucas shyly.
"Once again, happy birthday."
My Biltwein.
My hero.
And it was then.
The sun rose from afar.
The glory of the morning came through the window and illuminated the body of Lucas.
"Wow."
Scarlet exclaimed and giggled like a fool while Lucas brightly smiled.
***
And the next morning.
At a time when Kajsa was still asleep and Scarlet slept late.
Lucas stared at the new volume of Biltwein the Hero.
He thought while touching the illustration of Biltwein that was drawn on one side of the page.
Biltwein.
A completely invincible hero.
A light of hope who led everyone without ever giving up.
Scarlet called Lucas as Biltwein, but he did not share her thoughts.
Lucas could not be a hero like Biltwein.
But even so.
A smile spread across the face of Lucas.
Turning the page, Lucas thought as he read the book that was resumed after three years.
'I want to be Biltwein.'
Even if it was impossible now, he would reach it one day, just like when he reached the horizon.
Lucas flipped the page.
As always, he silently moved forward.
***
"Did you see the new sales! Amazing! Absolutely awesome! Good heavens!"
Despite the praise from the publishing house staff, the man did not show any significant response.
No, he actually showed a reaction, but there was no way for the staff to find out.
Because the man was wearing a black mask that covered his entire face.
He was a writer who always wore a mask in every meeting despite not being in a masquerade.
He was thought of as crazy, but there were a lot of crazy people in this field in the first place.
So instead of paying attention to such trivial stuff, the publishing house staff put the really important thing in their mouth.
"Mister Author, that's why… when will the next volume be released…"
It was the first new volume in three years.
It would be too much if the next one got released after three years again. The popularity of Biltwein the Hero would soar again only if the next volume was released after a short time.
When the publishing house staff gazed at him desperately, the man in a black mask answered in a low voice.
"Soon."
"Ooooh…"
Soon.
Hopefully, that soon would not be three years later.
If it was soon, perhaps it would be in a few months.
No, about a year was enough.
"Then let's stop here today."
As the man in the black mask stood up from his seat, the publishing house staff hurriedly followed him and bowed.
"Have a good day."
The man in the black mask raised his hand instead of answering, and took off his mask as soon as he left the publishing house.
Since he used simple cognitive impairment magic, no one witnessed the man removing his mask.
And he walked for another ten minutes.
"Hey, Kamael."
Kamael had a faint smile as he saw the huge man and the beautiful woman sitting next to him at the meeting place, and those who looked at the two with curiosity.
"Biltwein."
"Huh? What wine?"
Oops. I muttered without realizing it, but he heard it?
But instead of panicking, Kamael spoke with a calm expression.
"I said Landius."
"Anyway, sit down. Because the cakes here are really good."
Kamael pretended as if he could not resist the urging of Lena and hurried his steps, while Landius, who was the Biltwein of not only Kamael but also of all the heroes of Paragon, burst into laughter again.
-THE END-