Chapter 457 – Parent and Child
The legendary Heavenly Realm—a mythical land straight out of a children’s picture book.
That world appeared in its entirety as a gigantic cloud, and angels with white wings descended from the heavens, attacking the Surface as if to mete out divine punishment.
It was an irresistible, truly celestial power.
—Embrace the Great Rose! 【Giga Rose Thorn】!
A mysterious being calling itself the Sky Prince overwhelmed them with immense power……
—【Terra Spark】
A being calling itself the King of the Heavens unleashed cataclysms that threatened to wipe out the entire nation.
With Earth and Jamdi’el both too exhausted to fight together, no one could stand against that power.
In that helpless situation, where no one could do anything……
〔Lady Kron… please… no matter what happens… thou…… are my last hope…… No matter what it costs, no matter who dies, no matter what perishes… no matter what happens, survive.〕
Jamdi’el proposed a deal to the Heavenly King—once of her own kin—to back down in exchange for sacrificing herself.
To save Cacretale… and Kron’s life……
—Earth Lagann…… Lady Kron
And finally, she entrusted her to Earth.
Faced with the whirlwind of events that began with the battle between Jamdi’el and Earth, even the spectators around the world—who had been cheering passionately until then—were left speechless.
And everyone’s gaze was fixed on Jamdi’el at that moment.
Jamdi’el, one of the world’s most wanted criminals with the highest bounty on their head.
However, everyone had now forgotten that Jamdi’el was a wanted criminal.
She was just like a mother risking her life to protect her precious daughter……
“Hug~~~~~”
“……u, um …… Lady Kron……”
“Hug~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
“P, please let go… um…”
“Hug~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~”
“Ah, um, all eyes are on us! I… well, I am here right now, and I shall not go anywhere, so…”
―――Shake shake shake shake!
At the viewing party at the construction site, Kron, having been reminded of her sadness from that time, clung tightly to Jamdi’el’s chest with tears in her eyes.
Jamdi’el looked rather conflicted and embarrassed, clearly flustered, but Kron paid no attention and refused to let go of her.
She hugged her tightly, and when Jamdi’el told her to let go, she rubbed her face against Jamdi’el and shook her head repeatedly, as if to say “No”.
“Well~ I guess it’s no surprise little sister turned out like this, Master.”
“Ngh, B, Bro! Cease that wistful look on thy face—do something about Lady Kron! Hey, workers! Why are thou all wearing such warm faces!?”
“For little sister, she almost lost her mother right before her eyes…… so of course that sadness and fear would come flooding back, yeh.”
“N, nay, but that means nothing…… In the first place, I am not, well, Lady Kron’s mother……”
Bro smiles at Kron and Jamdi’el with a warm, gentle gaze.
And the sweaty men nodded along.
“Anyway, let’s not do stuff like this anymore, yeh? I mean… I’m definitely not going to let anything like this happen again.”
“Ngh……”
And while Bro seemed to be smiling, his words were filled with conviction in response to this scene.
He clenched his fist tightly.
Bro felt frustrated. He regretted not being there at the time. He regretted not being able to do anything. Now Jamdi’el is now standing safely before him, but she might have died.
Bro had heard the basics of the story, but learning the exact details of what happened back then through Earth’s records had only strengthened his resolve.
—Nod, nod, nod, nod!
At Bro’s resolute words, Kron nodded repeatedly.
Faced with their feelings, Jamdi’el looked utterly bewildered, her expression impossible to describe.
As one of the Six Supremacy of the Demon King Army—someone who, by all rights, should be hated by everyone in the world—why was she feeling this way…?
“Besides, I’m sure it’s not just us here who feel this way—”
“What?”
“Exactly, my younger brother probably feels the same way, and above all… I’m sure everyone at Cacretale… those guys who were actually there at that moment are thinking the same thing as us right now, yeh?”
Yes, Bro was right.
At that very same moment, in Cacretale, where everyone was looking up at the sky just as they were now, they were recalling the helplessness each of them had felt at that time and the regret of not being able to protect the High Priest they held so dear.
Jamdi’el imagined that, too……
“Heh…… Indeed…… That might be true of them……”
Saying this, Jamdi’el turned toward a certain direction and stared intently into the distant horizon.
The isolated nation of Cacretale—originally nothing more than a tool used to conceal a twisted plan.
Regardless of how it began, however, that land had ultimately become precious to Jamdi’el, Kron, and, above all, the people of Cacretale……
“Honestly though…… Lady Kron, and thou…… what exactly do thou think of me――――”
〔What exactly is Jamdi’el to you?〕
“Ah!?? …… Huh?
Those were the very words Jamdi’el had been about to mutter self-deprecatingly—words that Earth, reflected in the sky, was now asking Kron.
Jamdi’el had been taken up into the heavens.
Left behind on the Surface, Kron put on a brave face, working to rebuild Cacretale and treat the wounded, but Earth looked at Kron with a serious expression and asked the question.
“…… Ah……”
At that moment, Jamdi’el’s face turned pale.
She thought, “This is bad”.
She felt that she shouldn’t watch what was about to happen……
“W, wait, I just recalled, something crucial, so I must step away momentarily. Lady Kron, please… let go!”
―――Shake shake shake shake!
“N, nay, even if you refuse, Lady Kron!”
Jamdi’el’s pale face gradually turned a burning red.
At that moment, the eyes of Bro and laborers gleamed.
“Hey guys! Restrain the Master!”
“””””Uooooooohh!!!”””””
“Hilua! Cover the sky too!”
“Yesh, leave it to me!”
“W, wait, thou curs! Keep thy hands off, thy stench reeks! Argh, thou even got Lady Kron involved—h, hold, hey!”
Contrary to Jamdi’el’s expectation that “I must not listen to anything further”, Bro and the others anticipated that “She must hear everything”, and all at once, the men surrounded Jamdi’el as she tried to flee.
To prevent her from flying away, Hilua stood ready directly above her.
And then……
〔It seems that Jamdi’el drew the line at serving me only as a vassal, but… I didn’t think it was all, and I didn’t want to think it was all. But, as a person who was ignorant of the world, I couldn’t answer clearly what kind of feelings and relationships I should have…… So now I regret it.〕
“Aawawawawah, waaaaaaaah! Waaaaah! Waaah!”
“Master, you’ve gotta listen to little sister’s feelings properly, yeh!”
“”””Big Sis, you’re being really stubborn!””””
Jamdi’el tries to cover her ears and make noise to block out the sound, but the men won’t let her.
And then……
〔I don’t have parents… Jamdi’el spoiled me to the point of overprotection… I don’t know how to spoil her… so…… that’s why……〕
At that moment, the figure of Kron reflected in the sky—the Kron who always charmed people with her lovely, beaming smile—was shedding tears……
〔My true feelings… were full of what I really wanted to call her… there were so many… in the end, I couldn’t say anything!〕
Her expression was a mixture of sadness and regret, and she was shedding tears.
Once she saw that, and once she heard those words……
“Lady Kron……”
Even for Jamdi’el, her heart felt as if it were being tightly squeezed.
“…… Mother.”
“Ugh, L…… Lady Kron……”
Kron clung tightly to Jamdi’el, refusing to let go, just like a lost child.
Faced with such a pure outpouring of emotion, and having witnessed this scene, it was only natural that Jamdi’el’s heart would begin to change.
And then……
〔Then, if you want to tell her, you might still be able to… it’s not like anyone knows if it’s too late! Not yet…… not yet…… if you don’t think that’s enough… don’t give up……〕
Earth, too, spoke to Kron with an expression that made his chest feel tight.
As if he were seeing himself in her……
“…… Earth ……! …… Ugh……”
“Earth ……”
At Earth’s words, Hiro and Mamu also felt their chests tighten.
Hearing Earth’s words, the two recalled the Imperial Tournament.
And then,
—At that moment, the boy couldn’t help but raise his voice and shout, “We’re not finished yet!”.
“Hm? Ugh, that voice……”
“Th, that man……”
And just as their emotions were being torn apart, Paripi’s narration cut in—and then……
“Huh? The scene changed… Th, this is, the Imperial Tournament!?”
“Th, that guy…… That guy……
The scene shifts, revealing a scene from the Imperial Tournament held in the Empire……
〔Enough… okay…… If I knew it would be this hard… I would not want to be born as a hero’s child… ‘Father’……〕
They deliberately showed the scene where Earth parted ways with Hiro.
—That’s right, unlike him, who gave up everything in the Imperial Tournament. The boy gave up and broke ties. He gave up and broke ties! Yet he conveyed the thought—that “you’re different, aren’t you?”—to the girl shedding tears right before his eyes.
They deliberately emphasized the part about “giving up and breaking ties.”
“Fuhaha… That bloke…… he really knows ‘ow to twist the knife, don’t he…… I tell ya, no matter ‘ow many years go by, he still ain’t learnt the meaning of ‘avin’ a lick of restraint, ‘as he?”
Even though they already knew it without Paripi needing to point it out, Hiro and Mamu —deliberately having their hearts torn open—looked down with pained expressions, and even Hakuki couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, giving a wry smile.
But……
〔If you don’t think this is a good idea, just say it! If you don’t say it now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life! She will not wait forever!〕
And so, Earth spurred Kron on… or rather……
〔But… even if I move… I can’t fly like Jamdi’el…〕
〔That’s why I’m here! I’ll ask a guy who knows how to fly, and I’ll fly you!〕
Paripi, from here on out, will hold nothing back at all!
Sads Translates 