Chapter 297
Every story had to come to an end. Whether it was a fairy tale ending with its characters finding happiness or a heroic saga where the demon king was slain and the hero triumphed, proclaiming the greatness of virtue—the pages had to inevitably turn to a close.
However, unlike characters in a book who vanished after fulfilling their roles, those who lived in reality did not simply reach an ending. Even after defeating their enemies or achieving their life’s goals, they had to continue burning through their days, waiting for death’s scythe to fall—an end that came equally for all mortals.
Laila, the Empress, was no exception. Even after the final battle had long passed, she remained bound to a relentless schedule, just as harsh as before. Perhaps because she was “One Beloved by the World,” she could sit for hours in an uncomfortable position without suffering from cramps or aches. But aside from brief moments for sleep and bodily needs, she dedicated every waking second to governing the empire.
Laila let out a weary sigh as she tossed aside the document in her hands. “Honestly, I’m starting to think that making Arcadia a Holy Empire was the worst mistake I could have made. I did this to myself.”
The pile of paperwork on her desk only seemed to grow taller by the day. No matter how much she worked on it, it never decreased. In fact, it felt as if more was piling up even as she worked through it. And that was no illusion.
Even with her Transcendence Tier body and a mind that had reached Class 7, which allowed her to think at speeds far beyond normal comprehension, she was barely keeping up. For an ordinary person? They would have worked themselves to death a dozen times over.
“If I don’t get an heir soon, I won’t even be able to retire... Am I really going to be stuck doing this for decades? I’m so tired...”
She had meant to ask if her old companion felt the same way, but as Laila glanced at the empty chair in the corner of the room, she could only smile bitterly.
Antonius, the Court Mage who had stood by her side since the coronation, had perished in that battle. And yet, at times, she still forgot he was gone. Of course, with the world now free of true threats, there was no need to find a replacement.
Feeling the weight of melancholy creeping in, Laila turned to the clock and decided to indulge in a ten-minute break. She called upon the one companion she could always count on—one whose mere presence would have made anyone else recoil in shock.
“Leonard.”