Chapter 77

A country like this should wither and die.

Elidis gazes down at Gazaris’s floating gardens from the only window in the tower he is allowed to visit once a day. He clenches his teeth, his eyes filled with a curse and his heart with hatred.

There is nothing he can do. He understands this. His life is one of withering away, imprisoned in this tower. It would be better to die. Ending his life sooner would make for a much better existence.

But Elidis understands. His survival is the greatest torment for the man who imprisoned him here. So, he lives today, too. He spends his days, having given up on everything, embracing his own deteriorating body and mind.

This does not change even when the adventurer named Lougis is imprisoned here.

Treating his wounds was merely a pastime. People are indifferent to whether they live or die, but it’s troublesome to have a corpse to dispose of right in front of you.

Moreover, he could see the purpose of his imprisonment here.

He is a member of the Emblem Cult, and thus, an undeniable enemy to Gazaris, which is now allied with the Great Holy Church. The fact that he was specifically imprisoned in the tower’s dungeon suggests he is a person of some importance, though he doesn’t look it.

If that’s the case, the man’s intentions were clear. If Lougis dies here, he intends to hold Elidis responsible. Conversely, if Lougis survives, the man likely hopes to defile Elidis by taking advantage of him.

It seems the royal side is quite anxious. They haven’t driven Elidis to madness or taken drastic measures in the tower. Elidis’s eyes narrowed involuntarily. He has been living in this tower for a very long time, a life without any entertainment or change.

Still, his mind has not broken. Even though the feeling of being worn down and corrupted clings to him every day.

Elidis has no intention of inciting his few supporters. After all, doing so would accomplish nothing. He has already given up, knowing he can do nothing. The most he can do is survive and cause some trouble.

However, while there is a certain kind of hatred and resentment, the presence of a cellmate is not entirely bad for Elidis.

Lougis’s speech is rough and far from noble. He is a type of person Elidis has never associated with before.

However, he is very knowledgeable as an adventurer. His stories are incredibly interesting, almost like fairy tales.

Stories of knights who single-handedly slay large beasts.

Stories of mages who wield magic beyond its limits.

Stories of heroes who bring down the sun.

All of them are hard to believe, but he tells them so well that Elidis finds himself drawn in. Secretly, listening to these stories has become part of his daily routine, just a way to pass the time.

Elidis understands that it’s all part of the treatment.

Today, he prepares the medicine. The healing drops the elves receive from the earth’s bounty. The herbs he grinds to prevent wounds from festering. With this, he won’t die.

Elidis takes another bottle from the shelf and adds it to the medicine. The same routine every day.

Why does he become so devoted? No, that’s not it. This is empathy. Or, to put it negatively, sympathy.

He must feel some empathy because he senses a hint of resignation in Lougis. There must be something Lougis has given up on, something he has let go of. That’s why they feel a deep, mutual empathy, like licking each other’s wounds.

It’s not bad. It’s not bad at all. Resigning, breaking down, and dying. Struggling now would change nothing. If it were something he could reach by struggling, he would have done it long ago. Lougis must feel the same.

His father was killed, and his position as Fin was taken away. He lives here, filled with hatred, and withers away.

Swallowed by the muddied currents of history, he will fade away without a trace. Just that, and nothing more.

Elidis pouts and heads to his bed.

— For a princess to be subjected to such inconvenience...

There, a loyal retainer addresses him as "princess" and Lougis, wrapped in a blanket, unable to move.

*

The world goes around. Whether it’s the human world or the elven world, it’s an unchanging truth.

“I have no excuse, Princess.”

Upon closer inspection, the elf is none other than the commander who welcomed me at the palace entrance. Now, she kneels before Elidis, begging for forgiveness.

Is she serving Elidis, or did she serve him in the past? It’s unclear. But there’s no doubt that she has some loyalty to Elidis, evident from her demeanor.

“Varyanne, stop calling me ‘princess.’ Besides, it’s fine. We can’t leave here anyway. If we do, it will be when our heads are separated from our bodies.”

These words, tinged with resignation, are uncharacteristic of Elidis, who can tear down any obstacle.

Indeed, there must be some complicated reasons. There must be some matters that I, a mere person, cannot understand or need to know.

But, but. Those words hit a nerve deep inside.

“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions, Elidis. I’ve never said anything like that.”

Sitting on the bed, he shudders with his still sluggish body and shrugs.

Varyanne, who had been treating him as if he didn’t exist, turns her sharp gaze toward him. Her eyes are a familiar color, the color of the upper class looking down on the insolence of the lower class.

Elidis, for his part, blinks his blue eyes in curiosity at his words.

It doesn’t matter. He isn’t in a relationship where he needs to be cautious with either her or Elidis. They are just temporarily imprisoned together.

Slowly moistening his lips, he throws his words at the princess and the loyal knight.

“Ridiculous. You can give up on things if you want. Feel free to be swept away by the muddied currents.”

He felt a turbulent emotion stir in his chest. Deep down, there is still fear of Elidis. He sometimes feels his breath becoming erratic.

“But I want to be left alone. I don’t want to be dragged down. I still have things to do. I don’t want a life where I’m swept away by everything.”

Indeed. The Holy Maiden and the elven princess both conveniently drag him into their affairs. He has his own purpose, his own will. He is not a puppet or a convenient piece to be used.

He will make the final decision himself, and no one else. No matter how gruesome the outcome, no matter how ridiculous the conclusion, it will be his own will that chooses it.

The muddied currents of history are created by the talented. He understands this well. He, a mere person, cannot create such a current. That’s why, at the very least, he should be allowed to decide his own will. He realizes he has been clenching his fist tightly.

Perhaps because he was immersed in his own emotions.

He was a moment late in noticing her change.

“Hmm, so you haven’t given up.”

Elidis’s voice echoed in the room, surprising him slightly, making his heels tremble.

He thought it would be Varyanne, the female elf, who would respond to such words. She seems the type to value loyalty. If he criticized Elidis, she would have to respond.

Moreover, Elidis wouldn’t be moved by the words of someone like him.

That’s what he thought.

“Then, go ahead... Varyanne.”

Elidis’s voice, which reached his ears, was terribly cold. It felt as if the room temperature had dropped. His lips trembled in fear, as did Varyanne’s.

Varyanne, kneeling, responds to Elidis’s words.

“I had rejected the matter you mentioned, but I will proceed with it. It seems he, Lougis, wants to die in a disgraceful way.”

Her voice was even colder, even more cruel. He felt her blue eyes turn toward him, a look that treated him like an insect.

It was the first time in this era that he saw a glimpse of the former Elidis.