Chapter 81: Volume 2, Chapter 26 – She Is Explaining

The air was heavy inside of the room, and the thick, bloodstained stench of my killing intent was almost palpable in the air.

Some of the weaker chieftains sank to their knees outright, dropping their weapons immediately despite looking at me with a mixture of anger and awe in their gazes. Those who were stronger managed to remain standing, but remained glued to the spot.

Upon seeing this, the wiser chieftains remained seated, but it was clear to me that the resentment they held toward Antenora being the former Hero hadn’t regressed. Not one bit.

I could understand their hatred very well. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been in a similar position before. The only difference was that in my previous life, I was able to vent those frustrations by beating the shit out of the people responsible for them. Right now, the chieftains knew they couldn’t act out of turn.

Their anger stemming from old hurts was mingling with their present frustrations of powerlessness, and I could feel that they were reaching their breaking points. But I was familiar with more than just hatred.

In fact, death was probably closer to me right now than the phantoms of my past, and because of that, I was more acutely aware of the despair that only death can bring. 

I shuddered as I recalled my meager existence within that endless expanse of pure black, and an ice-cold chill ran down my spine as I remembered how insignificant I felt in that sea of white produced by the God that was responsible for sending me here.

Yeah, that’s about right. Revenge is sweet until it isn’t. I mean, what even comes after? A happy ending? Fuck no. There’s just no fuel left, is there?

I drew breath to speak, but the surprise that came with feeling Antenora’s touch on my shoulder stemmed my words. I turned to face her with the intention of telling her to stay behind me, but I just couldn’t.

There was a fire of steely determination which burned in her eyes. A light that could only be borne by one who has accepted and understood the atrocities that they had committed, but were still resolved to face the consequences head-on.

There was no way I could stand in her way after that.

“I won’t hide from your pain, proud chieftains of the eastern tribes.” Antenora’s voice rang loud and clear in the now-silenced meeting room like a silver bell. Yet, there was a tinge of sadness and regret in that otherwise unclouded sound of hers.

Yes. It was more like a silver bell tinged with crimson, beautiful yet marred with blood that did not belong to her.

“I won’t hide from your pain,” Antenora repeated. “I shall bear my sins, no matter how shameful they may be, but if you can stay your blades for but a moment, I wish to divulge what little information I know. After I have spoken, you may decide what to do with me, whether you strip the flesh from my bones or grind me into dust, I care not, for it is the least I can do to repent.”

I frowned. Despite Antenora’s attempts to put on a strong front, I could hear the shaking of her voice, and I could see the trembling of her lips. 

Even though she and I had been at odds when we first met and even afterwards, I couldn’t help but think that this weak and prideless side of her was something I hated seeing.

I remained silent as Antenora detailed her previous life. Apparently, the last great war between the eastern and western halves of the continent had occurred only just a century ago. Because of that, the wounds were still fresh, but even so, the chieftains listened attentively.

In her previous life, Antenora was Izmael, the Hero. Blessed with a powerful constitution and quick wit even in youth, Izmael was a true powerhouse. He was easily the strongest kid in town and could even beat the adults in a fight. It was a little strange, but everyone relied on Izmael, and that was it.

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After all, regardless of his abilities, Izmael was nothing but a commoner, and it remained that way until he was chosen by the Holy Sword Clematis. 

It had suddenly appeared in front of him, falling from the sky like a glittering raindrop of steel. The moment Izmael laid his hands on the sword’s hilt, his life changed forever.

As the Hero, he was entitled to preferential treatment and stood on a social pedestal that was at times higher than even the royals. After all, the Hero was chosen by the deities themselves.

Now the Hero, Izmael had led the armies of the western continent against those of the eastern continent again and again. It was bloody and violent, and thousands upon thousands of lives were lost, but to the denizens of this world, this was nothing more than routine.

After all, they had already experienced the rise of the Demon Lord and the Hero many times before this. However, things turned out dramatically different this time. 

Upon the battlefield, Izmael had fallen in love with Alesia, the Demon Lord.

“You... fell in love with lady Alesia?” One of the demons asked, not believing the words that had just left Antenora’s lips. 

In fact, he was in so much disbelief that his jaw hung slack and wide open. A quick look around the room told me that there were more than a few other chieftains who shared the same sentiments.

A wistful smile danced on Antenora’s lips, and her eyes glazed over like moonlit pools for a moment as she reminisced. Her only response came in the form of a brief nod.

“It was a love that was forbidden, but even so... We wanted to see how far we could go.”

Ultimately, the answer was “not far.” In fact, God itself had descended in order to goad them back into their roles, but ultimately failed. 

In the end, both Izmael and Alesia chose to fight against God even though they knew they could not win and perished for it.

“That was the conclusion of Izmael’s story,” Antenora solemnly stated. “I may still possess the right to call upon the holy sword, but I am not Izmael. I am Antenora, the loyal servant of House Zaltsel.”

At last, pride had returned to her voice, and that was the way it ought to be. Antenora was right. She wasn’t Izmael, and the chieftains realized this too. Regardless of the sins that Izmael had committed, they were not committed by Antenora.

“So this ‘God’ that slew both Izmael and Alesia is the one you are attempting to slay now, Ryuuko?” King Borea’s voice alone filled the room, but it did not echo. Those words were directed to me and me alone.

I nodded, stepping forward as Antenora yielded the spotlight to me. She had done her job, for the chieftains were now focused on me attentively. It was my turn to convince them to join this mad plan of mine.

“That’s right. We’re going to kill God.”

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