Chapter 121
Disloyalty.
The last member of the royal guard assisting the monarch, and the seed of disaster that would hasten the world's destruction.
Not much content was solved in the setting, but.
According to various information combined and inferred, it was as follows.
It was a star.
A star shining dazzlingly in the night sky.
However,
'It's dangerous.'
The problem was that it couldn't be controlled.
A body innately imbued with starlight.
Perhaps it was the end of power that couldn't be taken responsibility for.
The brilliant color the girl possessed wasn't a blessing, but ruined her life as a curse.
Light would only become a tragedy.
'A child chosen by the star.'
The girl showed prominence from a young age.
The power to arbitrarily borrow the star's power.
Though countless geniuses had hit walls and been frustrated, and only a handful among them had reached the stars, the girl was born holding such a star from birth.
It was a birth without precedent even looking through the continent's history.
Truly a constitution loved by the stars.
But
She was too young to handle such great power.
The ability obtained at a time when neither body, mind, nor heart could support it would frequently rampage and burn the surrounding area pure white.
Therefore, only white fields would remain wherever the girl stayed.
That wasn't a blessing.
It was merely a terrible curse covered in the name of love.
The fate forcibly taken on strangled her neck.
-It hurts.
I want to stop.
I'm scared.
It feels like my body is burning.
Get out of my body.
Despite such pleas, the star's violence continued.
The girl eventually had to resign herself.
She was only 10 years old at the time.
It was when two villages she had stayed in burned and disappeared, and dozens of people died or were injured.
The silver-haired monster was trembling in the ashes she had burned.
It was a winter when snow storms were particularly severe.
Right then.
Someone extended a hand to the girl.
-Interesting... you'll be useful in various ways.
It was none other than the monarch.
The old man recognized the power of slaughter the girl possessed, and wanted to make her the last member of the kingdom's royal guard.
From then on, the monster's life fell into full-fledged hell.
The monarch tried to tame her by repeating all kinds of violence and brainwashing, but the star's power wasn't something that could be refined simply by oppression.
In the end, the girl who made no progress was imprisoned deep underground.
Devices to suppress rampages, thousands of mana vacuum scrolls, and chains restraining her limbs bound the monster.
The girl's fate was only helpless.
Afterwards.
Time passing terribly.
The monster's imprisonment continued for over 13 years, and the continued abuse and brainwashing during that time broke her.
No meaning remained in life anymore.
Only despair torturing herself and terrible reality existed.
In the end, the girl who accepted hatred, resentment, and pain... finally awakened with a miserable scream, and poured out life's final rampage.
The fully exploding starlight pierced through the underground and burned the empire.
Whoosh-!
As if to return the pain she had received to the world just as it was.
Burning.
Burning.
Burning again.
She dyed all the scenery she cursed pure white.
Thanks to that, the 'Usurpation War' that hadn't ended until then came to an end in one breath.
Because the suddenly sweeping starlight swallowed everything.
The monarch who had tried to tame the girl, the managers who attempted brainwashing along with endless torture, other criminal organizations that had plunged into the war, and even innocent residents at the bottom.
They were cleanly erased from the map.
-Everything disappears.
The star's combustion continued endlessly.
Only after turning 10% of the empire's territory completely to ashes was the girl stopped by the continent's alliance including the protagonist's group.
Dozens of swords and tens of thousands of magic pierced holes in her delicate body.
At the moment of exhaling her last breath.
Tears flowed down the monster's cheeks.
-I never wanted this power in the first place.
-Why did the star choose me?
-Why did it have to be me, that damn star?
Her silver pupils lost light along with hollow resentment.
Only the remnants left after the girl shattered were fluttering in the winter wind around.
Is power truly a blessing?
Or is it just a curse to fill God's greed?
It was an episode that made me think in various ways.
There were also many evaluations that it was refreshingly novel.
Usually when talking about being chosen by a star, it's expressed as a once-in-a-lifetime blessing or ideal of miracles, but this narrative pointed out the part where that merciless power rather brought misfortune.
Anyway,
It was a vivid story even after time passed.
The episode itself left a particularly strong impression, and the girl was one of the most unfortunate characters in the work.
So I often mentioned her several times while uploading information videos.
About the star's monster.
'Such a monster... is right in front of me now.'
I gently gazed at the girl before my eyes.
Long flowing silver hair.
Her eyes with blurry focus showed no light.
Traces of torture remained here and there on her snow-white skin, and dozens of hoses injecting sedatives periodically were stuck in.
Chains separately coated with magic were tightly wrapped around her arms and legs.
It was a terrible appearance.
"I expected it, but..."
Reality was more miserable than mere human imagination.
I lightly moved my hand.
Screech-.
The iron bars imprisoned the girl.
I cut through the thickly placed pillars like tofu, and removed the devices and restraints oppressing her delicate body.
My touch became careful with the thought of whether it would hurt.
The girl was just sending a helpless gaze without any particular resistance.
Clank...
When I removed the last attached chain, the girl who had been hanging on the wall collapsed just like that.
I caught her so her body wouldn't touch the floor.
The weight in my arms was light.
It seemed like there was nothing but bones.
Well.
In that harsh life, even meals probably weren't given properly.
I supported the staggering girl.
"Please stay still. You need absolute rest now."
Traces of violence endured for a long time.
Many scars that made me frown just by looking remained.
I lifted the girl with blurry consciousness in my arms.
"From today, I'll be responsible for your personal safety."
"Responsible...?"
"Your new master."
You might have doubts.
About the reason for extending a hand instead of a sword despite having the seed that would cause disaster in the future before me.
Of course, if it were a wise choice, it might be better to kill her here.
The purpose was to prevent destruction from the start after all.
But
I hesitated needlessly.
The opponent was still a girl.
It was more than 5 years in the future before she would take root as a disaster.
Based on a future that wasn't even confirmed yet, I came to question whether it was really just to kill a powerless lamb.
Though I had covered myself in evil while rolling at the bottom so far.
That didn't mean the loss of humanity.
I withdrew my killing intent.
Instead.
I wrapped the monster covered in wounds with faint warmth.
I decided to watch for now.
"Shall we leave this place first?"
Steps taken slowly.
As I headed outside the iron bars, someone grabbed my sleeve.
It was none other than the girl in my arms.
Her wavering gaze seemed to fear liberation from restraint.
Her voice already hoarse spread into the cool air.
"No... if I go out."
"What's the reason?"
"If I go outside, someone will get hurt again. That's why I was told I have to stay here..."
"Who told you such things?"
"...That man."
By that man, she must mean the monarch.
Was it the result of long brainwashing and abuse?
The girl seemed to fear the outside world.
No... to be precise, she was afraid of others getting hurt by her existence.
Did they educate her not to run away?
"It's alright."
Actually, the monarch's words weren't wrong.
He just instilled extreme fear.
There was no objection to the part about being a time bomb that could explode at any time.
That problem could be solved on this side.
Though it might be difficult because her ability use was still unskilled... it seemed possible to suppress the rampages occurring each time.
It was a burdensome task that required management every day.
I quietly smiled.
"You'll be fine if you're with me."
"...?"
An expression of not understanding.
We can have various conversations later too.
For now, I moved my stopped steps.
"Do you have a name?"
"Disloyalty..."
"That's a name to discard from now on. If there's nothing else, it seems better to make a new one."
From today, I'll give you a name.
I gave a calm name to her who had only been referred to as a monster until now.
That was.
"Neria... Neria Lightni."
It was her current name.
Seven letters designating life for the first time.
"Shall we go? Miss Neria."
"......"
No particular response returning.
I just took steps outside the iron bars, thinking even that was a memory.
Pure white snowflakes were fluttering outside.