Parallel Lines Of Emotion (3)

‘?!’

Azadine was startled when he suddenly saw Arael’s eyes glow. In that instant, Arael’s kick struck Azadine.

Of course, Azadine blocked it… but Arael’s shadow pierced through his defense.

‘What the hell is this?!’

Azadine’s body was lifted into the air, slammed into the ceiling, and then ricocheted off, crashing into a painting that had been hanging on the wall.

It was a large oil painting, seemingly depicting the glory of the Count of Lantarique’s family. The canvas was torn, and Azadine’s blood stained the image.

“Urgh!”

Azadine realized that the shattered frame had pierced his back. Though he wore leather armor, the impact was strong enough to tear his skin and draw blood.

Just a single strike, yet such power. A normal person would not have survived.

“Not bad, Azadine.”

Arael flicked her dislocated wrist, and a black shadow extended from her sleeve, covering her wound.

Amazingly, the injury healed instantly.

“That’s impossible!”

Shati screamed.

What Arael had just done—healing her wrist and fingers—was faster than the regenerative magic of Shati’s green sorcery.

Since the Light of the Crown had weakened, it was believed that restorative magic of this caliber had disappeared. Yet, Arael was healing at an impossible speed.

“Wow. So I can’t win with just close combat? Martial arts alone won’t cut it, huh? Azadine.”

“…Tsk.”

“But in the end, I’ve won, haven’t I? Stop being stubborn and become my subordinate.”

“Just kill me instead.”

“Oh?”

At that moment, Arael lunged forward, grabbed Azadine’s belt, and swung him, hurling him across the room.

-BOOM!

His body crashed into a bookshelf after shattering a candelabrum. Books spilled out, burying him beneath them.

“Ugh?!”

Then, as Arael reached out her hand… darkness rose from the floor, attempting to engulf Azadine.

Scott began forming hand seals to cast a spell and save Azadine, but at that moment, his magic started resonating uncontrollably.

“Huh?!”

The black mana in Scott’s hands went berserk, slashing his cheek. The illusion disguising his form flickered, revealing the orc’s face beneath, smeared with his own blood.

Even the mere force emanating from Arael was causing the surrounding magic to go wild.

‘This is bad!’

Just as everyone thought they were about to die….

“Ah.”

Arael sighed.

“I didn’t mean to go this far, but I’ve developed a bad habit. I got used to smashing the heads of people who resisted too fiercely or acted prideful in front of me.”

She was probably sincere, ridiculous as it sounded. Arael had thrown Azadine aside and was now regretting it.

“You don’t understand, Azadine. I truly regret the past. I desperately wish I could undo the pain I’ve caused you. That’s why I want to atone. I want to give you the second-highest position under me, shower you with wealth and beautiful women. My subordinates won’t like it, but I’m being honest.”

Azadine could see that Arael genuinely felt sorry and wanted to mend their relationship.

But the moment she promised riches and glory, it became clear they were on irreconcilable paths. Ironically, despite being born on the same day, these siblings could never understand or empathize with each other. Their emotions existed on parallel lines.

“The very way you speak is twisted. With that kind of thinking, you’ll never understand what you did to me or what a real apology would look like.”

Azadine despised Arael’s shamelessness.

Money, honor, position, and women.

To offer those as compensation, as if that would make things right, was an insult that disregarded Azadine’s feelings entirely.

Perhaps there were those who would be satisfied with such an offer. After all, how many beasts in human skin lived solely for wealth and women?

But Azadine was not one of them. The very idea that Arael saw him as such was sickening.

“You think I’m doing this because I want something from you?”

“You’re so difficult, Azadine. But fine. I expected this much resistance. It wouldn’t be a proper reconciliation if it were too easy.”

“Yeah. At least we can agree on that.”

Azadine struggled to his feet, his wounds still impairing his movements. The shock to his body was paralyzing, but he couldn’t just lie down.

Meanwhile, the four warriors of Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon were clearly preparing to attack Azadine’s group. Aleph turned to Arael and said,

“That man carries the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth. His companion is that Naga—the one who escaped from Salasma.”

Seraph also didn’t bother to hide her hostility toward Azadine and advised Arael,

“Heh? They recognize me?”

Shati was startled that the elite warriors of the Messenger Clan immediately identified her at a glance.

Judging from their reaction, these four members of Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon were high-ranking messengers. The fact that they recognized her filled her with both pride and deep anxiety.

“W-wait a moment!”

At that moment, Mediam stepped forward.

“Azadine needs the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth copy! He’s trying to use it to lift the Curse of Servitude! But if you take it away… surely, you wouldn’t want to let his sibling die under the curse?”

“Mediam!”

Azadine was furious.

“You’re begging Arael for our lives?! Why aren’t you thinking about fighting back?!”

“Well…”

At that moment, Aleph, after hearing Mediam’s plea, instead turned to Arael and said,

“That gives us even more reason to take the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth. Your sibling may reject your grace now, but as the Curse of Servitude tightens, he will have no choice but to beg for your mercy. Wouldn’t that be the true moment of reconciliation?”

Azadine’s rage boiled over.

Right now, he could refuse them because he wasn’t desperate. But later, when his life was truly at stake, they expected him to crawl back and grovel for forgiveness?

He’d rather die than accept such a twisted reconciliation.

But then again, the thought of dying from the Curse of Servitude was horrifying… Could he really hold onto his pride until the very moment of death?
If a situation came where his life was truly at stake—could he still tell Arael with confidence that he would rather die? It wouldn’t just be dying; it would be a terrible death.

Perhaps, in the end, he would accept the reconciliation Arael spoke of.

If Arael rewarded him with various things as promised, he might end up accepting them under the guise of reluctance, ultimately allowing himself to be consumed by those benefits. In time, he might forgive Arael’s past and accept the reconciliation she sought of his own will.

‘Absolutely not!’

That was why, at the very least, he could not accept it now.

“I must resist while I still can. Even if it means dying here and now!”

Azadine braced himself, prepared to stake his life on his resistance.

“No, that won’t be necessary. The Heavenly King’s Book of Truth copy stays.”

Arael took a step back.

“Lady Arael?”

“If I take the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth by force, but then the Senate suddenly releases Azadine from the Curse of Servitude without condition? The Senate could take credit simply for undoing the curse they placed, and Azadine would distrust me even more.”

“But we do still need the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth, don’t we? Even if we leave a single page behind, we should take the rest.”

“Do you really think I would ruin everything over a few missing pages of the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth?”

Arael’s voice carried a subtle but undeniable fury. Aleph, sensing her anger, trembled in fear, but he remained firm on the matter of Azadine.

“It seems you all are worried that, just because Azadine is my blood relative, he might become my second-in-command and wield power as he pleases. Wasting your thoughts on useless worries.”

“There is no need for a second-in-command in an organization. Only the absolute ruler’s loyal hands and feet.”

“And that would be you all, I assume? Understood. The matter of Azadine ends here. But I will not take the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth.”

“…….”

“See, little brother? The road ahead is treacherous. But in the end, you will reconcile with me.”

“Because you’re stronger than me?”

“No. Because I love you.”

“Ridiculous…”

The love Arael spoke of was nothing more than unbearable arrogance.

If she decided his fate on her own, forced him into a situation where he had no choice, and then coerced reconciliation, that wasn’t reconciliation or forgiveness—it was just another form of violence.

“Well then, we shall take our leave. Azadine, you all still have things to do here, don’t you?”

Arael held up the Emperor’s Treasury Key and waved it.

“We’ll be taking this. Farewell.”

Arael and the four members of Flowers, Birds, Wind, Moon turned and left. Dimia of the Flower blew a kiss toward Azadine as she went.

“See you again, young master.”

Arael’s group leaped out the window and disappeared in an instant. Azadine shoved aside the books that had fallen on him and gestured toward Shati. Shati scowled and grumbled.

“…Do you think I’m some kind of medicine box?”

“You’re much better than a medicine box.”

“Tch.”

Shati cast a healing spell on Azadine.

“That was really your sister?”

Zebec asked Azadine.

“Yes.”

“Incredible. Did you sense the power emanating from her? She doesn’t even seem human. When people called her a goddess, I thought it was a joke… but she seeks to claim the Light of the Crown through devotion. If she truly possesses imperial blood, it might just be possible.”

Zebec made a cold, calculated assessment.

It was said that when a rightful king sat upon the throne, the Light of the Crown would protect the world. That was the doctrine of the King’s Church, but the interpretation of what made a king “rightful” varied.

The Church had long denied it, but when Emperor Yaeslat alone held all eight thrones, the Light of the Crown had shone with incredible intensity.

If Arael, as a descendant of the Emperor, took the throne and the Light of the Crown acknowledged her…

What would the King’s Church do then?

‘They would have to recognize her as their ruler.’

Of course, they could claim that she was merely collecting copies of the Heavenly King’s Book of Truth to decipher and manipulate the essence of the Light of the Crown.

They could make that argument, but…

If the Age of Jupiter truly arrived and monsters ravaged the world, the people wouldn’t care about tricks. They would embrace Arael, who promised them safety.

And that would mark the birth of a new goddess.

“But if you’re twins, doesn’t that mean you also have imperial blood?”

“Probably. But unlike Arael, I wasn’t born with any special privileges. Ugh… itchy.”

Azadine shuddered at the itching sensation creeping over his body.

“Wait a minute. Shouldn’t we be worrying about something else right now?”

At that moment, Ismail panicked.

“They took the Emperor’s Key! What do we do? If this continues, the Emperor’s Treasury will fall into their hands…”

“It’s fine.”

Sir Brand spoke.

“If having the key alone was enough to open the door, why do you think the Count of Lantarique never opened it himself?”

“Sir Brand?”

Guillaumevalt realized that Sir Brand had finally regained his senses.

But then, suddenly, a cold chill filled the air.