Chapter 286 : Vortex (1)
Chapter 286: Vortex (1)
Calm down.
My heart began to pound like mad.
As if making a vow to herself, Berenistella murmured again.
“……Calm down.”
Even so, her heart showed no sign of stopping and continued to throb violently.
In the end, Berenistella had no choice but to repeatedly cast a spell with a calming effect on herself.
“Phew…….”
Thanks to that, she was able to regain a little composure.
Afterward, she slowly began to recall the scene she had just witnessed with her own eyes.
Lian Gwendil.
Without a doubt, she had seen a blade embedded in his chest—piercing his heart.
How wonderful it would have been if it had merely been an illusion or something she had mistaken.
But she knew better than anyone that such a thing was impossible.
What she had seen just now was the future that would soon come to pass.
More precisely, it was the most probable future.
‘Yes, calm down. Isn’t this different from back then?’
She nodded to herself.
‘It isn’t a future where death is certain. Even if a blade pierces his heart, if this concubine acts immediately, he can still be saved. It merely means… that a future exists where a blade will pierce his chest. Yes, it can still be changed.’
As Berenistella barely regained her composure, a similar event from the past surfaced in her mind.
It was the moment in her previous life when she had foreseen Lian’s death through prophecy.
“……Yes, this is different from then.”
Back then, she had witnessed Lian’s head being severed, and even saw his severed head and Brand delivered to Velita.
It had been a prophecy of death so certain that there had been no room for doubt.
Because of that, the Berenistella of that time could do nothing but watch helplessly, even while knowing Lian would die.
She knew all too well that if a future that certain was foreseen, no matter what one tried, overturning that prophecy would be impossible.
But as was often the case, every rule had its exceptions.
For instance, just a few days ago, Berenistella had entered Lian’s dream and planted a Suggestion—urging him to reject Archbishop Onnime’s proposal and keep his distance.
At that time, she had seen a future where Lian cooperated with Onnime and became deeply entangled with the Holy Sun Church, ultimately meeting a horrific death.
That was why she had implanted the Suggestion for him to reject Onnime’s proposal.
Fortunately, just as she intended, Lian rejected Onnime’s offer and kept his distance.
Thanks to that, Lian unknowingly escaped a crisis of death.
In any case, throughout the long years of her life, Berenistella had survived intact by avoiding or letting such glimpsed prophecies pass by in this manner.
So if she did the same this time as well…
“Haah…….”
She finally let out a small yet deep sigh of frustration.
“So there was a reason I was so certain that I would be the one who had to act.”
Berenistella glanced at the place where no one remained.
Among them, she stared quietly at the spot where the smoke—once mixed with the power of the Saintess—had lingered.
Then she nodded.
“……Very well. I will dance to your tune. Since it is this side whose reins have been seized, it would not be so bad to play along once as a bit of amusement.”
As she murmured that, she suddenly looked at the Brand she had received through Lord Valen Zeisho.
‘But to think even this had been taken into account.’
Just moments ago, through Talia’s Ritual, something had manifested—something that even Berenistella could not sense at all.
Yes, quite literally, ‘something.’
Something that carried no oppressive presence or aura whatsoever.
And that ‘something’ instantly drew in the Brand engraved upon her—like lightning striking a lightning rod—absorbing it completely in an instant.
Even if she had tried to refuse Talia’s Ritual, would it have mattered?
Feeling as though she had been toyed with from beginning to end, Berenistella felt not anger but a hollow emptiness.
‘……I have no choice but to admit it. At least when it comes to the power to see the future, you far surpass this concubine.’
Going to the Room of Memories.
The Brand she received from Lord Valen Zeisho.
And even the matter involving Lian…
Everything had become entangled and intertwined to create this result.
If one had been toyed with to this extent, anger no longer arose—only a hollow laugh.
Berenistella actually let out a small laugh as she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hand.
‘But… it truly is astonishing.’
She murmured quietly.
“To think I would recover the power of my prime so easily…….”
No—perhaps it was not easy at all, considering five members of the Knight Order had been sacrificed to achieve it.
In any case, regaining the power she once had in her previous life was something she had never expected.
That was why it felt like such a great gain.
As she calmly examined the power she had regained, she suddenly felt something foreign—something that had not existed in her original self.
“This is…?”
Memories that had never existed in her mind.
Along with small fragments of emotion.
They belonged to Talia Poas.
“To pull such a trick at the very end.”
It was so like her that Berenistella almost felt reassured.
As Talia attempted to remove every impurity lodged within her body, she suddenly remembered that the Talia she knew would have hidden things far more cleverly than this.
“Yes… this was a letter meant for me… no, meant for this lady.”
Nodding, Berenistella calmly began to examine what Talia had left behind.
Among them were memories of Talia speaking with the Saintess.
The confusion, emptiness, anger, frustration, resignation, and determination Talia had felt while hearing the prophecy flowed naturally into Berenistella.
And then—
At the very end.
[Hello, Berenistella.]
Anastasia Mayblin, within Talia’s memories.
She suddenly greeted Berenistella.
“What.”
Even Berenistella, who had lived for countless years, had never expected such a situation.
As she flinched in shock, the Saintess within Talia’s memories smiled gently and waved her hand.
[From now… about 300 years into the future, perhaps? Anyway, this is the first time I’ve left a greeting for someone in the future. Nice to meet you.]
She added with a small laugh.
[Though it does feel strange. In our era, you and I are enemies fighting for our lives. Yet here I am leaving a greeting for the future you as if I were meeting an old friend.]
“Hah.”
Berenistella let out a hollow laugh.
Did that mean she had already foreseen that Berenistella would look into this as well?
At this point, she was beginning to feel fear.
“……Did you truly see and know everything?”
[Of course not. If that were the case, my head would have gone boom! and exploded.]
The Saintess laughed.
[I only saw the important things. Truly, only the important things…….]
She muttered bitterly.
[Originally, our time wasn’t meant to end this quickly. There should have been more events, more time given to us. It should have continued longer.]
Yes.
Surely it would have.
Surely.
[……But somehow it ended this quickly. A truly sad and regrettable thing.]
“What in the world are you talking about?”
[Who knows. Perhaps I was rambling about something only I understand.]
She whispered softly.
[Or perhaps it’s something all of us know.]
“…….”
Berenistella could not understand what she meant.
But she could at least tell that the Saintess was speaking with deep sadness and regret.
“……Enough of this. What exactly is it that you wished to say to this lady?”
Berenistella asked, her voice somewhat softer.
After all, this woman could also be considered the one responsible for restoring her power.
Offering a bit of goodwill would not hurt.
[Hmm, nothing really. It’s funny to say this after leaving a greeting, but I don’t really have much to say to you.]
“…….”
[Ah, you just thought about erasing this, didn’t you? Don’t be so cold just because I made a little joke. This is a letter that waited for 300 years. Isn’t that a bit pitiful?]
“……Were you always like this?”
The Saintess she remembered had been far more serious and solemn.
At the very least, she had never been someone who made playful jokes like this—a somewhat clumsy and lighthearted woman.
[This is my real self. I was originally just the daughter of an ordinary farmer. I used to run around the fields with branches alongside the village kids and herd livestock all day. Somehow I ended up becoming a Saintess and being revered, and it was so uncomfortable.]
After complaining for a while, the Saintess gave a small cough.
[…Anyway, I’ll get to the point now.]
“…….”
[As I said earlier, Berenistella. I truly have nothing left to say to you.]
“Why is that?”
[Because… you have already finished making your choice.]
“I have finished my choice?”
[Yes.]
The Saintess answered.
[You decided to sacrifice yourself to save a single human. You longed for it, and in the end you achieved it. ……If you had done the same in the era when I was alive, we would not have had to fight.]
“……Saving that child, Lian—was that my choice?”
[Yes, exactly. You already made your choice, and the result of that choice is unfolding before your eyes.]
So are you satisfied?
At the Saintess’s question, Berenistella fell silent.
After a moment, the Saintess let out a small laugh.
[Sorry. That was a bit… no, a very mischievous question.]
“……If this lady has already finished making her choice, why did you leave such a message for me?”
[Because another destiny born from your choice is now standing before its own choice.]
“That child will make a choice as well?”
[Yes.]
“What choice are you speaking of?”
[I cannot tell you that.]
“……Could it be related to the prophecy I saw?”
She inhaled softly.
“The prophecy where that child’s heart is pierced by a blade?”
[Of all people, I never expected you to ask that.]
The Saintess answered quietly.
[As you know, I have nothing I can say about that question.]
[If I must answer, it may be related—or it may not.]
[A vague answer, right? I also hated that habit of speaking in circles instead of saying things clearly.]
[But Berenistella, you know better than anyone, don’t you?]
[If I answer that question… your possibilities will disappear. Is that acceptable to you? Can you accept it without regret? If so, I will answer as much as you wish.]
In the end, Berenistella shook her head.
“……No, forget it. It was a foolish question.”
[Yes… I suppose I spoke a bit harshly. I apologize.]
After a moment, the Saintess spoke again.
[I left this letter for you not only to tell you that your choice will give birth to another choice… but also for something else.]
“Something else.”
[More precisely, to warn you of danger. ……At the very least, this much had to be said.]
The Saintess warned Berenistella in a voice that allowed no refusal.
[Take Lian Gwendil and leave the Capital immediately.]