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Chapter : 54
Once Again
Who is this atonement meant for?
What is this guilt, exactly?
“I’m sorry.”
I keep saying I’m truly sorry, but there is no one to receive it.
The nuance felt strange.
—Imperial Calendar, Year 1259 AC.
The recorded year felt impossibly distant. That date was more than thirty years ago.
After that, the records stopped.
“The ink has completely bled through after this.”
“You can hand it over to the investigation unit for restoration.”
“No. Leave it as it is. Just like this.”
Charlophe traced the letters with her fingertips.
“If it was thirty years ago, it was before I was born. Reading my mother’s innermost thoughts feels… intrusive. Like I’m peeking at something I shouldn’t.”
She closed the diary.
Placed it in a paper box and put the lid on.
‘Ah…’
The ground below rumbled.
An earthquake?
Drk— drk.
Drdrdrk.
She steadied herself by gripping the bedside table.
The vibration traveled straight into her palm.
Tatatak.
Tatak. Tak. Taktaktak.
The bedside table shook.
No—was it deeper? From beneath her feet?
No. Deeper still. Farther below.
‘It’s creaking.’
Those sensitive to mana realized it without difficulty.
It was beneath their feet.
The resonance spread through the ground.
Benjamin turned his gaze outside.
“Is anyone out there?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
A guard answered from outside.
“It’s noisy out there.”
“The ground shook slightly.”
“An earthquake?”
“We haven’t confirmed yet, but that’s what it appears to be.”
“Extend your awareness farther. The epicenter is distant and deep. It’s not here.”
His gaze went beyond the window frame—farther, deeper.
As one’s field of vision narrowed, so too did one’s senses dull.
“Where do you think the earthquake originated?”
“The east. Beyond the eastern lands.”
“That its aftershocks reach this far…”
“That depends on the magnitude.”
The servants of the estate lingered outside, sweeping dirt away.
Brooms, shovels, and buckets lay beside a mound of soil—perhaps earth meant for the flowerbeds.
The pile of dirt collapsed as if pushed, burying one of the brooms beneath it.
“We should go outside.”
Rapid footsteps followed. The sound came from beyond the door.
“Your Majesty! Forgive the intrusion at such an early hour! The head of the household urgently requests your presence—something unusual has occurred outside…!”
Charlophe draped a shawl over her shoulders.
“It would be wise to prepare to leave.”
She knew well enough that this anomaly would not bode well for the Empire.
The remaining items were returned to their places, and this time the wardrobe doors were shut properly.
A rural village in Poputa.
Below a sheer cliff stood a cluster of log houses.
Axes and firewood were neatly arranged outside each home.
A squirrel scampered up a tower-like stack of logs by a doorway.
From a nearby chicken coop came frantic flapping.
“Again! Again! They’re stepping on them! Don’t they know how precious eggs are?! Why do they keep breaking them?!”
A chicken stiffened its legs, crushing an egg with a crunch. The yolk burst, sticky egg mixing with dirt.
The woman waved her arms, retrieved the broken egg, tossed it outside, and gathered the remaining eggs into a basket.
“Huh?”
‘Gok-gok-gok-gok!’
“What’s wrong with you all?”
‘Gok-gok!’
Five chickens flailed inside the coop, wings flapping wildly. White and red feathers flew everywhere.
Struck in the face by a wing, the woman staggered, arms flailing.
“Hey!”
She grabbed a white wing just as the feathers settled and cleared her view.
Her eyes landed on the basket—full of freshly harvested root carrots and red cabbage.
Vegetable stir-fry and rolled eggs would make a fine breakfast.
Just then, she heard shaky breathing nearby.
“H-Hey, did you see that?”
“See what already?”
“Th-That way! Look over there!”
She jerked her head up.
Black crows filled the sky.
Caw. Caw-caw.
Their piercing cries tore through the air before they scattered.
The sky was clear. No clouds.
That unnatural calm felt wrong.
Again—the ground shook.
“Eek!”
The woman craned her neck as the anomaly coursed through her body.
“It’s—shaking?”
The ground beneath her feet twisted unnaturally.
“The—the cliff is collapsing!”
Mercenaries staying at the inn rushed outside. The muscular mercenary group tucked guests under their arms.
Crash!
They hoisted fallen guests onto their shoulders and sprinted away.
“Damn it! You idiots! Why trip here of all places?!”
Coarse curses echoed loudly.
“Get outside! If you don’t want to die, move! It’s too late—run, you idiots, run!”
“Don’t look back! Leave the fallen behind and run!”
Veterans of monster battles had keen senses. They were the first to recognize the danger.
Soon, the animals realized it too. Cows burst out of the stable.
Drk.
Drk.
The rumbling spread wide, booming as if under bombardment.
Rocks tumbled from the stone mountain. Earth poured down, engulfing the village.
“Run! Run! Don’t walk—run!”
“Get away!”
“You idiots! Unless you want to be buried alive, run!”
The carved cliff collapsed entirely, breaking apart slowly, like a mind shattering.
“Ah—ahhh!”
Her vision swam.
Somewhere, a scream rang out.
“Mom!”
“My—my daughter is still inside! My daughter is still in the house!”
The house was already buried beneath the earth.
An aide hurried into the office.
Anomaly reports arriving at this early hour were never welcome.
The aide spread out a topographical map of Poputa.
A red dot marked the epicenter.
The sharply carved cliff was partially depicted—and even on the map, that location was bad.
“This calm won’t last long.”
Aster pressed his temples hard.
Nearby, aides discussed details while Benjamin carefully traced the map with his finger.
One aide voiced concern.
“Given the nature of the incident, it requires immediate action.”
“Has the epicenter been confirmed?”
“One of Poputa’s villages—named ‘Pyrote.’ It’s near the port. A mercenary group settled there temporarily, and the village formed around them. The stone mountain became famous, attracting miners and their families. Some mercenaries lived there, which is why the news arrived quickly.”
“Casualties?”
“Village routes have been severed, and part of the settlement has been buried.”
The epicenter was presumed to be Poputa.
Benjamin skimmed the urgent report and murmured,
“This isn’t a normal earthquake.”
A royal guard answered,
“Yes. Earth-weaver spider webs were mixed in with the soil. They’re low-grade monsters that hide underground and prey on insects.”
“So the collapse was caused by them.”
“Yes. They appear to have destabilized the ground.”
Benjamin loosened his tightly fastened collar, rubbing at his constricted throat.
“We move to Poputa.”
“Your Majesty, we haven’t completed internal assessments yet.”
“Is that concern?”
“….”
“Or distrust?”
“Would I ever harbor such disloyal thoughts toward the Imperial House?”
The guard knelt.
“I will have the warhorses prepared.”
“We depart immediately once preparations are complete.”
It was time to leave.
The brief respite was over.
“Escort the Empress safely back to the Imperial Palace.”
“Return safely. The Empire’s situation is unstable.”
The Emperor and the investigation unit headed for Poputa.
As Poputa had long fought monsters and stood on the front lines of subjugation and war, the imperial response was swift.
“Another noisy farewell.”
Meanwhile, the Windsor estate was restless.
“I wanted to see you off more calmly.”
Her maternal relatives clicked their tongues.
“Take care of your health.”
“Drink your tonics. Put on some weight. Stamina matters—only when your body holds up can you endure.”
Charlophe stood at the gate, wrapped in a shawl.
Dark crimson hair spilled out from beneath it.
As she fastened the clasp, white hair flickered in her vision.
Leandro reached out and secured the clasp.
His wrinkled hands were strikingly pale.
Her gaze lingered on his fingertips.
“I wish you could rest a little longer, but life rarely goes as we wish.”
“Don’t worry.”
These words were not from a granddaughter, but from an Empress to an elder of the imperial family.
“Steady yourself.”
“……”
“Only when you root yourself firmly can those around you avoid being swept away by the storm. If a tree’s roots are pulled up, what use are branches and leaves no matter how hard they cling?”
Leandro placed a hand on her shoulder.
It wasn’t to burden her.
“I will always be by your side.”
His arms wrapped tightly around her.
No matter where you are.
No matter where you walk.
“I beg you—whether it is black magic or monsters, do not entangle yourself too deeply. Each step will become a shackle that binds His Majesty.”
“I haven’t even started walking yet, and you’re already restraining my steps.”
“Poputa is close to monsters. And you’ve seen the ‘Grave of Monsters,’ haven’t you? It’s part of the war trauma mercenaries and knights experience. Those closest to monsters’ true nature suffer those visions. Perhaps it’s a warning—to pull away.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“I hope my fears remain only fears.”
Leandro whispered low.
“I see it—you’ll be entangled again.”
Like touching it despite being told not to walk that path.
“Perhaps that’s just my worry.”
A child who walked forward without realizing blood pooled beneath her feet.
To him, she was still just that child.
“I’ll return to the palace now.”
Charlophe stepped into the carriage and looked back.
“Do you still have something to say?”
“Later. We’ll talk later.”
“Yes. There is always a later.”
The carriage door closed.
“We depart, Your Majesty!”
The guard announced solemnly.
The presence of the Imperial Guard was firm outside.
“By His Majesty’s command, we will escort you directly to the Imperial Palace.”
The Emperor and investigation unit headed to Poputa.
The investigation corps left the capital with warhorses, while the guards excluded from the expedition remained with the Empress.
At such an early hour, the roads were quiet.
Perhaps due to the earthquake, stone dust littered the streets of the capital.
“I will close the window.”
The outside view disappeared.
‘You’ll be entangled again.’
Entangled.
Perhaps… that may be true.
Her body felt heavy.
As though she were left alone in an empty field.
‘Why?’
Her body sank sluggishly.
As if it were protecting itself—refusing to be entangled with that place.
Strangeness.
Irritation.
Those sensations kept scraping at her.
“It’s unsettling.”
Why unsettling?
The window frame twisted.
Why was the road so rough? It shouldn’t be this bad.
“…That wasn’t such a strong earthquake.”
Even those outside noticed.
“It’s strange. It wasn’t that severe.”
Leaning against the window, Charlophe fixed her gaze on the gap.
The twisted opening slowly widened.
Beyond it, an old man passed briefly.
He was hunched over, his spine grotesquely bent like a shrimp.
Leaning on a cane, he walked away.
His outline gradually faded.
“Everyone, draw your swords!”
The warhorse reared violently, lifting its forelegs.
