บท 163: Chapter 164: - Roll Credits
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༺ Roll Credits ༻
– Knock, knock.
"Professor, are you there…?"
A young girl knocked on Isolet's front door.
"Professor Isolet, I've come…"
After grimly knocking for a while, she grew wary with hesitation soon after noticing that the door was unlocked.
"…I'll go in."
With a deep breath, she cautiously entered the house.
"Heup…"
As she entered, a strong smell of alcohol hit her like a truck.
"…Professor?"
She could only cover her nose as she attempted to observe her surroundings, eventually discovering Isolet sprawled across a table, surrounded by spilled alcohol.
"Professor, what's happening…?"
"Mmm… Kania… you came."
Isolet, who was able to somehow distinguish Kania's voice, chuckled while raising her head. Hearing her greeting, Kania approached with a puzzled expression.
"Are the other girls…?"
"T-they will come soon."
"I see… I'll go give my regards to Frey first, then."
Kania walked where Isolet pointed—the spot Frey was supposed to be at. But of course, instead of Frey, only a scabbard was lying there.
"...…."
The other girls seemed lifeless as they stared blankly at the scabbard.
"Um…"
Kania cautiously approached them, absent-mindedly thinking about what to say.
"Miss Roswyn…?"
After approaching the girls before her, she addressed Roswyn, who appeared to be in the worst condition.
"Ugh… Sob…"
"Miss Roswyn, what are you doing…?"
Roswyn was roughly grasping and pulling out the luscious hair she had once been proud of, reducing it to an ugly mess.
– Sob…
"Miss Roswyn, please calm down first…"
After attempting to calm Roswyn, who had shown signs of madness, Kania quickly discovered the cause of her insanity and stopped reaching out to her.
"Ah…"
Roswyn, realizing that her hair was an intense and deep ruby, was repeatedly ripping it out with a pale and horrified expression.
– Sob…
But that wasn't all; everything was ruby. Every jewel of hers was ruby; her clothes were all colored in ruby; even her room was bathed in ruby hues.
Out of her entire existence, there wasn't even a speck of the sparkling silver that was inside the scabbard.
"…"
In response to the situation, Roswyn, who once had radiant gold hair, slowly grasped at her dark-ruby colored hair.
"I shouldn't have boasted… I shouldn't have…"
She cursed herself for deliberately dressing to praise Ruby every time Frey requested a meeting.
"What's so good about her that I had to paint myself in her color… when I could have chosen the true one…"
As she mumbled to herself for a while.
"Everywhere… everything is…"
She looked around herself before immediately freaking out.
"Every single corner is her… everything is bathed in her color…"
It was because of what she saw lying around her. There were ruby accessories scattered randomly, ruby-colored scarves and gloves crumpled, and even her hair was colored in ruby.
"Ah…"
However, Roswyn swiftly realized: no matter how everything gleamed in ruby, there was nothing shining in Ruby's color more than herself.
"Ah…"
"…"
After a while of staring blankly at Roswyn, seated in the same spot with sunken eyes, Kania turned her gaze away.
"Ugh…"
This time, she saw Lulu.
"Miss Lulu, the wounds on your arm…"
Even though it was just a few cuts, the consequences of her past self-harm still remained, leaving deep gashes on Lulu's arm.
"You were… the only one who loved me…"
Despite the blood that continued to seep from her arm, Lulu's gaze remained affixed to the scabbard as she mumbled lifelessly.
"I want to be loved again…"
"I'm willing to be hugged by you, even as a pet…"
As Kania averted her gaze from Lulu, she noticed that Aishi was sitting beside Isolet.
"Frey was… the Hero of Money?"
Despite having drunk a lot, Aishi was relatively composed. But she was still in despair after reading the diary and discovering the truth.
"I-I even said that after this battle ends…"
"I intend to confess to him…?"
.
.
.
.
.
As Aishi had said, the "Hero of Money" was a benefactor of the Cloud Kingdom.
He had discovered the underground magic crystal mine and contributed significantly to turning the once-impoverished Cloud Kingdom into a powerful nation.
During the early stages of the mine's discovery, he had dealt with the hyenas who were greedily eyeing the kingdom.
Of course, thanks to that, the "Hero of Money" had also gained substantial profits. However, according to his charity foundation's published records, all of it was invested in 'charitable endeavors.'
– Hero of Money, would you like to meet sometime? I have something to discuss with you.
And so, Aishi found herself falling in love with him.
Although she didn't know his appearance or true identity, he had helped her develop her kingdom, and his benevolent actions touched her heart.
– To Princess Aishi.
However, the reply she received after eagerly sending her letter was rather strange.
[I'm sorry, Princess. It seems I won't be able to keep in touch with you anymore. I plan to expand my business to the Eastern Continent, so I won't have time. I'm truly sorry. By the way, have you found a fiancé? You have so many strong candidates…]
Reading that letter, Princess Aishi thought to herself how busy someone could be to not even be able to write a single letter.
[P.S. I really enjoyed exchanging letters until now.]
"…Well, I can find him on the Eastern Continent after this last battle is over."
After the final battle, she decided to go to the Eastern Continent to find the "Hero of Money" and confess her feelings.
"If you're going to the Eastern Continent…"
However, now she realized.
"But why…"
It was the day before the operation to arrest Frey that he sent her a letter.
"How come…"
The person who had saved her family, permanently lifted her curse and bestowed immeasurable favors upon her and her kingdom was none other than Frey.
And only now, those letters she had sent to Frey came to Aishi's mind.
"…Oh…no…"
– We need to politically isolate Frey Raon Starlight. Is there any good way to do that?
– I'll buy all the available information about Frey. Get the most expensive ones. Now is the right chance to corner him.
– We need an assassin to attack Frey. It's fine even if they could just inflict some wounds. If they can kill him, it's even better.
It was her request for pressure and attacks on Frey.
– Please help me find the most beautiful gem as a gift for my comrade, Miss Ruby. I'll pay handsomely…
– Can I order a weapon for Miss Ruby? Please make it the best possible. Thank you for your help.
– Miss Ruby seemed too kind. She helped me escape from Frey again today. Don't you also feel that way, Hero of Money?
Those were the contents of the letters praising Ruby and requesting items to help her.
"Ah…"
As Aishi recalled the contents of those letters, she became more and more rigid.
[Although I only interacted with you through an anonymous identity, the 'Hero of Money', it has always been quite enjoyable to talk to you, Aishi. To this day, it was the only pastime that truly soothed my heart.]
"Ugh…"
Recalling Frey's unusually melancholic tone written in the diary, she silently collapsed onto the table.
"How could someone still feel happy… even after reading such content."
In the diary, there wasn't a single line of resentment towards Aishi.
Even though the letters he read only contained insults about him, praise for his enemy, and even requests for helping his enemy, Frey was just happy to have someone to talk to.
"…I could have just taken a drink from him at least once."
Shivering at the realization, she began to regret her actions of rejecting countless invitations from him.
"I should have just endured it… and drank with him at least once."
– Pouring…
Aishi poured herself a drink as strong as the one that Frey always carried with him to endure her curse.
.
.
.
.
.
At that moment, as each girl reacted differently yet all equally fell into despair, Kania gazed at them with a pale expression.
"What is this…?"
"What's actually happening here?"
Originally, she had intended to have a serious discussion with the others at this gathering.
A few days ago, when her memories were awakened, it was too much of a shock that she didn't have time to process everything— from the shocking memories that suddenly resurfaced to manipulated evidence emerging from various sources.
Still, even if everything turned out to be true, she wondered what actions Frey had committed that were perceived as 'Evils' by them.
Moreover, she pondered how they would uncover his truly genuine and good deeds so that they could clear his name. That was what she wanted to discuss with them.
– Squeeeakk
But before any proper discussion could take place, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the space once again.
"Professor… We've come…"
"What… What's happening?"
"…..?"
And as Irina, Clana, and Serena stepped into the house, they also froze in confusion at the mayhem that was Isolet's house.
"Why… Why is everyone like this?"
"I don't know. They've been like this since I arrived."
As Kania was about to respond with the same bewildered expression as the other girls, she soon noticed the diary placed next to Aishi.
"…Ah?"
"Hold on, Kania! Stop!"
"…Huh?"
Irina suddenly looked urgent as she addressed Kania.
"Why are you… doing this…"
However, despite the warning, Kania couldn't resist touching the diary. Soon, with a vacant expression, she dropped her gaze towards it.
"...…."
– Rustle…
She started to read slowly, yet almost mechanically.
"E-everyone, step back."
While watching Kania with an anxious expression, Irina declared in a serious tone.
"…There's an ancient magic or something enchanted in that diary."
"W-what kind of magic is it?"
Clana cautiously asked her.
"It's a magic that infuses the writer's memories into the paper…"
As she reached out her hand to analyze the diary, Irina answered with a trembling voice. However, as she started to speak, her eyes suddenly turned blank as she gazed at something.
"It's like magic to assimilate with the reader… Huh?"
[Ending Credits]
[This is a gift to those who have reached the Happy Ending]
[You'll get to experience the heroic moments of Frey Raon Starlight firsthand.]
"What's that…?"
A small window floated above the everlasting flower on Frey's scabbard.
※Error※ [Frey Raon Starlight does not exist.]
It should have been a miracle that occurred after everything was over; a heroic tale centered around Frey, who was finally able to reach a happy ending by receiving a flower from Roswyn.
[The medium to experience the Ending Credits will be transferred from to <Frey's Diary>.]
However, for some reason, they were implemented in a significantly unexpected way. Even so…
Roll Credits… Or is it?
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