Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 263

263―――――

Requiem

Let me correct a slight overstatement.

I offered a considerable amount of meat, or rather, an enormous amount.

But it was a worthwhile journey to the west, yielding commensurate rewards.

It was a plan that others wouldn’t dare to contemplate, but Zion was already aware that the relations between the beastmen and the fairies were not amicable. He also knew that once the beastmen realized the true nature of the celestials, they would immediately turn, baring their fangs and claws. This made the plan feasible.

Leaving the land of the beastmen, Zion retrieved the gift he had brought from Zyan [a city or region] in advance.

It was a small, swift hawk used by the northern warriors for hunting or delivering messages. It was quite clever, trained to fly directly to Zyan with a note attached to its ankle.

In the note, Zion included the story of his dealings with the beastmen.

He also wrote that they would head north to deal with the swarming monsters, so they should not be antagonized but treated like warriors.

‘With this, even if Zyan and Eos [another city or region] lead the warriors away, I don’t have to worry about the northern tribes being pushed back by the monsters and suffering great losses.’

They might not be of much help when fighting the celestials or fairies, but the northern warriors are the most reliable card when fighting humans.

The mobility and luring tactics they possess are perfect medicine for the lunatics who blindly rush in, chanting about the will of light.

‘Celestials?

Okay, fine.

I’ll admit they have good blood since the author said they were based on angels.

Fairies?

They have terrible personalities and are always fighting among themselves, but let’s say I can overlook it because they have decent appearances.

But what about those other humans who fanatically follow the teachings of light?

What’s so great about them that they act so noble and pure?’

Even if nothing else matters, it is unacceptable for those who have nothing special to think they have become special just because they are riding on the coattails of something great.

Breaking the heads of such people is truly for the sake of humanity, and furthermore, Zion had desperately felt that it was for world peace, not just in the novel but in the real world as well.

“Zion.”

Lia, who had been sitting quietly beside him, gently sat on Zion’s lap and carefully tickled her master’s chin with her cheek.

It seemed like she was acting cute, but in reality, it was a unique behavior of the Myo-eun tribe to ask for attention when they had something to say.

Zion stroked her head as if to tell her to speak, showing that he was listening, and Lia slowly began to speak.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being considerate.

You turned the beastmen north because you were worried they would clash with the celestials, right?”

At those words, Zion exclaimed, “Oh!” with exaggerated surprise.

As if to say, “I can’t believe you figured it out so quickly!”

In reality, if he were thinking of fighting the insane fanatics, the northern warriors would be good, but if he had to choose, the beastmen would be better.

They don’t need to be fed or cared for, and they are much faster and tougher than ordinary humans.

They are perfect for flanking, rear disruption, luring, and annihilation, not for frontal warfare.

However, the beastmen still trusted the celestials.

In that situation, it was definitely ambiguous to freely bare their fangs and claws at those who claimed to be the descendants of light, the agents of light.

‘It would be troublesome if I put them in a place where they can’t distinguish friend from foe and they get backstabbed.

The beastmen shouldn’t step up yet since they don’t know that the celestials are the worst bastards ever.

Just wait a little longer.

My cute puppies and kittens.’

The new world that the celestials speak of is a hell full of only flames and ashes.

It was too far from the paradise on earth that the beastmen wanted.

If they found out the truth, the beastmen would immediately shout, “You scamming bastards!” and show tremendous hostility towards the celestials, just like in the novel.

Of course, the power of the beastmen lies entirely with the current leaders and some emerging forces that will take their place in the future.

For example, Lia next to him and Lafra, whom he had seen a few days ago, were all that mattered.

They all possessed power comparable to that of the higher celestials, but that was it.

From the beastmen’s perspective, they were irreplaceable top-tier forces, but from the celestials’ perspective, higher celestials were forces that could be deployed with plenty of leeway.

Above all, by now, the celestials must have secured at least three people with stigmata [holy marks or wounds].

Zion had brought one to his side and crippled another so that they couldn’t function as a person at all, so he was a little relieved, but there were still five stigma holders who formed the basis of the Seven Wings.

And if all five of them sided with the celestials, all the personnel who guaranteed that their strength was certain, even though they had the stigma of being ‘Kim Yu-hyun Replicas,’ would become enemies.

‘This is going to be rough.

The author made them appear right away without any foreshadowing, so there’s almost no information about who the Seven Wings were or where they lived.

If I had even rough information like Trisha, I could do something about it.

As it is, I have to rely on luck or think about dealing with them with the current forces I have.’

Kim Yu-hyun, the all-purpose key, the Exodia-level [an extremely powerful card] card as someone said, is in his hand, but in the end, there is only one Kim Yu-hyun, while the enemies, although they are Kim Yu-hyun replicas, are far more numerous.

In addition, if he considers the true powerhouses of the celestials, who have not yet appeared in the novel, the so-called ‘Guardian Stars,’ he must minimize the burden on Kim Yu-hyun.

Even in the novel, the continent’s named figures were almost wiped out due to the celestials’ schemes, and they were fighting only with Kim Yu-hyun and those who were far inferior to him, so Kim Yu-hyun was suffering every time.

No matter how monstrous the protagonist is, in places where that monster is not present, a fat pigeon is enough to become a monstrous bird and run wild.

‘Fortunately, Trisha, one of the Seven Wings, is mine, and Captain has been completely smashed and imprisoned.

With Lilith-nim at the forefront, the highest-ranking demons can be mobilized if things go well, and the remaining top-tier celestials have no choice but to mobilize the named figures on this side to stop them.’

If there had been more time, he could have made people like Rishikida, Lucia, and Lia stronger, but the celestials were more advantageous than Zion in dragging out time.

To somehow ruin things and make the celestials, in their impatience, finally rise from their crouched position and begin to act in earnest, and to make the world know what their true intentions are.

That was Zion’s way of inflicting maximum damage with minimal harm.

‘A failed hero is one who tries to fight by shouldering everything alone, and a successful hero is one who tells everyone to fight together.

It’s good to shed less blood, but there’s no reason why that little blood should only be my own.

We should all live together if we succeed, and we should all die together if we fail, so why suffer alone?

We should all suffer together.’

It’s definitely not because he’s upset about suffering alone.

I’m not such a petty guy, people!

Zion shouted.

Honestly, his success is all part of the process of struggling to save this world, so who can say anything!

“Lia.

Your beastmen said that they follow the celestials because they think the good world the celestials speak of will be the paradise on earth that the beastmen want, right?”

“Yes.

A place where everyone can run around without worry, not be looked down upon, and have plenty of prey without going hungry.

Of course, Zion must be there no matter what!”

Nyaa!

She hugged him and started purring again.

It was a little embarrassing that a grown woman was still acting like a kitten, but everyone raises a cat for this kind of thing, so let’s just move on.

“Then what if the celestials dream of something different from the paradise on earth that the beastmen think of?”

“Nyaa.

What would happen?

Immediate withdrawal of support.

Why would we stick together if our intentions don’t match?”

“I guess so.

I asked a pointless question.”

Saying that, Zion thought about meeting Helen when he returned.

The carriage he was riding in to the royal palace, and the carriage he had taken to the west of the kingdom before, were all supported by the Hynes Merchant Guild.

Since it was an unofficial visit, it was natural to want to hide his identity. Helen said that it was something the kingdom would definitely oppose if such a precious person went around carelessly, so she provided the guild’s carriage.

Thanks to that, Zion was able to come and go as an ordinary traveler or someone related to the guild, so he was thinking of repaying her and wanting to embrace the character who kept evoking his protective instincts every time he saw her.

However, when he returned to the villa after a little over two weeks of traveling west, the atmosphere was very strange.

There was a sense of urgency, but Zion was frustrated because he couldn’t figure it out, so he was about to grab someone and ask for the reason when.

“Master!”

Rishikida, who was half-armed, rushed over as if she had run over as soon as she heard that Zion had arrived.

At first, he thought she was just happy to see him, but upon closer inspection, that wasn’t the case.

Rishikida had a really urgent expression and voice.

“What is it, what is it?

Rishi.

Calm down.

What’s wrong?”

“A, a person came from the royal palace a few days ago!

They said it was really urgent!

They said that you had gone out near the royal palace to clear your head, so it was a serious matter and the Queen ordered you to come to the royal palace as soon as you returned!”

“…The Queen?”

“Yes!

And immediately after, messengers left for the marquisates, and they seemed quite urgent.”

Somehow, he had a bad feeling.

As soon as he returned, Zion finished dressing and headed to the royal palace.

At first glance, it didn’t look much different from usual, but Zion immediately realized that the atmosphere flowing inside was particularly cold and heavy.

And Zion’s premonition was proven correct when Queen Vanessa called him not to the reception room but to another place.

Guided by the royal knights, he headed to the deepest part of the royal palace, near the king’s chambers.

The chamberlain greeted Zion with a more somber face than ever before.

He opened the door with even more careful hands.

‘…Tsk.’

As soon as he entered, Zion clicked his tongue in dismay.

There were definitely people inside, but all he felt was coldness.

And the slowly descending aura of death.

“Your Majesty.”

“…Have you come, Duke Zion Claussen?”

A quieter, more powerless voice than ever before.

Zion quietly sighed at Vanessa’s weak appearance, which he had never seen before, and approached the bed where she was sitting, trying to make as little noise as possible.

And on that bed was the monarch who had been passionately ruling the country until just recently.

Edgar IV was lying there, withered and barely breathing.

“Haa… Haa…”

The sound was so faint and weak that it seemed like it would stop at any moment.

Although he was the former king, he was still a king and a man who was once considered the most feared existence by the nobles.

Zion glanced slightly, wondering if he, a subject, should be seeing Edgar IV’s weak appearance like this, but Vanessa slowly shook her head.

“It’s something my father asked for.

He said he wanted to show that no matter what kind of human, no matter what they held in their hands, they would eventually die empty-handed.

He said he wanted to show it to the veterans who led Hispania [the kingdom] with him and to the young heroes who would take over that duty in the future.”

“…I see.”

“So look.

And engrave it clearly in your eyes.

Even if the sun sets and loses its light, slowly sinking into the darkness, it does not lose its dignity.”

There was no desperately searching for someone, no fearing, no crying.

Edgar IV simply closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and quietly.

Very quietly.

He was preparing to leave the world after completing all the duties that had been placed upon him.

“Your Majesty.

Marquis Volko Redenen has arrived.”

“Marquis Estia Oner has just arrived.”

“Marquis Joaquin of the Guchen Marquisate has arrived.”

Even though they were all marquises who resided in places quite far from the royal palace, they had all gathered.

They must have been riding their horses like crazy, day and night, after hearing the urgent news, as their appearances were not very good, but no one was thinking of paying attention to that.

Originally, even a marquis could not come to such a place to watch the king’s death, but due to Edgar IV’s instructions, the three marquises and Zion Claussen were to watch his last moments.

“I called you here not only for my father’s sake.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Intelligence has been received.

It seems that Nudia [enemy country] is about to launch a major attack.”

The moment they heard those words, the eyes of everyone gathered in the room changed.

Everyone was filled with anger and displeasure, but only Zion muttered, ‘Yes, they’re finally moving,’ with a cold, subdued look.

“They must have noticed something.

The reason why my father handed over the throne and hasn’t appeared since.

There’s no way the Nudia side wouldn’t know.

That his last moments are near.”

“…”

“But they are determined to make a fuss.

At the last moment of the person who dedicated himself to Hispania more than anyone else.

At the very moment when everyone in the kingdom should be mourning and shedding tears to say goodbye to him.

As if shouting that they can’t do that.”

“Your Majesty.”

“They are suffering because of those who reject the will of light, and ominous things are constantly happening because of things that go against the teachings of light.

Those who have betrayed the light are surely inside Hispania.

This is not the will of Nudia, but the war that the descendants of light desire.

This is the news that has been conveyed from Nudia so far.”

The words were flowery, saying things like the will of light, but in the end, the conclusion was one.

You are evil, and we are good, justice, and light.

You are being attacked because you have done wrong.

“It’s not a simple fight like before.

The great army of Nudia will rush in.

No matter how strong the Claussen March is, it can’t help being outnumbered.”

“…”

“But they were once close acquaintances.

They are causing such a commotion on someone’s departure, so what should I do?”

The actions that Hispania will take are already decided.

However, Vanessa, the Queen of Hispania, was asking.

She was confirming.

They say that I, the Queen of this country, am an evil person who does not follow the will of light.

What do you really think of me?

Will you believe their words and strike me, who may really be a demon worshiper?

Or will you go to the battlefield, where you may hear the stigma of blocking the will of light?

Then Marquis Volko, Marquis Joaquin, and even Estia, who had not been on the marquisate for long.

Everyone looked at Zion and conveyed that their intentions were already decided.

They were conveying that he, the new star that had appeared in this kingdom, should represent them.

‘There’s no reason to refuse…’

It was time to throw away humility.

Wasn’t everything that had been prepared and built up so far for this very moment?

“Your Majesty.”

“Speak, Zion Claussen.”

“To repay the teachings of the late King, and so that his departure is not lonely.

I will do my best.”

Finally, it begins.

Everything that is done from now on.

Will be a requiem for the departing.

―――――――Author’s Note―――――――

I will sing my requiem, my requiem to you