Chapter 700

When the man woke up from his dream, it was already daylight. He had only lived for five years, carrying and enduring a lifetime. Not collapsing, not falling down was his lifelong mission, and he lived a restless life without direction, constantly walking on a path that he didn't know was a retreat or an advance. He was an eternal wanderer who wandered to find what he couldn't find, and his role was to be the fourth apostle and the owner of the last relic. Everything was fading away, but the ember had not yet gone out. He had the most important and dangerous thing in the world, but he didn't tell anyone that he had it. He walked aimlessly and rested sometimes, looking up at the sky and listening to the sounds of the world. A girl who was always cheerful, mischievous, and kind ran towards him, and he remembered the village where he had stayed for a few days. He couldn't remember much, but he remembered the cute, lovely, kind, and mischievous girl in this village. Now it was time to leave. The man stood up, and his eyes regained focus and his body regained energy. The man who always sat down was always at eye level with the girl, but the man who stood up was much taller than her. Sandy thought he had become a completely different person. The man looked down at the girl and said, "Tell the people in the village not to go outside until the sun sets, no matter what happens." Sandy didn't know why the man said that, but it seemed serious. He shouted loudly.

Fortunately, the mischievous little girl Sandy from the village had never played with monsters before. People were afraid and closed their doors at the mention of monsters. Some people asked Sandy what kind of monster had appeared, but she didn't know and just said it was a very vicious and scary monster, and they should stay quiet until it passed. However, Sandy's parents thought she was up to no good again. Just as they were determined to scold her, an unknown sound was heard in the distance. They didn't know what was happening in the village, but the noise grew louder and closer. When the screaming subsided, Sandy was the first to run outside. She saw a pale man standing with a golden spear in his left hand, surrounded by dead horses, dead people, and scattered weapons. The man had killed dozens of cavalry. The golden spear disappeared like an illusion. The man approached Sandy, who was trembling with fear, and said that thieves had done this. He had seen another village to the west that had been looted and all the people had been brutally killed, including children and the elderly. He didn't care about thieves, but he stayed in this village, waiting for something. He told Sandy that there was no reward for being good and kind. "There is no happiness, and no reward given. That's why people who live like that will suffer more. But sometimes, being good and kind should be rewarded just for that reason. It's not always rewarded, but if you live like that, good things will happen occasionally. That way, people will start to see the positive side of being good. Like saving a dirty beggar who was dying on the street, who then defeated all the thieves who were trying to attack the village... Even though he didn't care about thieves, he had to repay the kindness that the girl had shown him with her good deeds. He knew that the thieves would come here, so he stayed and guarded the barn without caring about the villagers' suspicions. Eventually, the villagers also became good, and even though they gave him dirty looks, they didn't chase him away with a stick. The whole village had an indescribable feeling of helplessness, and the strange yet kind deeds of Sandy. In return for that, the beggar stayed in the barn without any suspicion for a long time. 'Sandy... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to show you such a terrible sight... That's why I told you not to come out... But it was inevitable that you would witness this. Thank you. Your kindness made me feel joy for the first time in a long time... I hope you know that.' After stroking her cheek a few times, the man slowly stands up. Sandy still doesn't know what happened or who the man is. She just knows that because she saved someone, and because of someone's death, the village was saved. She speaks to the wandering man's back as he leaves without a word, 'Mister... Where are you going?' To find the land of eternal rest. To give eternal rest to the most important and saddest beings in the world. He walks aimlessly, not knowing where it is or if it even exists." Translation:

There were two figures under the moonlight. One was standing, and the other was sitting on a rock. The man stood still in front of the figure. "Long time no see, Ludwig," a blurry face and a distant voice. Ludwig remembered that appearance and voice. Even in the moonlight, the red hair was visible. "Scar...lett?" A precious friend was waiting for him under the moonlight. And behind him, a being with a pair of horns that could only be recognized by that alone was looking at him. "Long time no see." The ruler of the continent. The Demon King. "Reinhardt...." A presence with a name that can be heard anywhere was looking at Ludwig sitting on the rock. "....What's the matter?" Naturally, a golden spear was heard in Ludwig's left hand. "....Is that Alectian?" "...." "Relax. Did I come to fight?" The emperor raised both arms as if he had no intention of being hostile. Ludwig was curious about how he found him, but it might not mean anything. The opponent is the ruler of the continent. What he wants to find will eventually be found. If you just wait for the chain of coincidence to spread wide, you will eventually find what you want. In the end, Ludwig just got caught in that chain. "It was you, after all?" The Demon King said quietly. He was actually looking at the necklace hidden in Ludwig's clothes. "...." Ludwig didn't answer anything. But the other person's eyes were already knowing everything, even without an answer. "You saved my life, but why did you disappear without saying anything?" "....Because I didn't save you because I thought you were right." Reinhardt sighed at Ludwig's words. "Yeah, since you saved my life, you have the right to take it away." If you're alive because of me, you have the right to take my life. Reinhardt added. "But hey. Can you handle it?" Ludwig looked at the emperor with a stern expression. He had never thought it was bearable. Every moment is like hell, but he doesn't fall. "That's something I should take, right?" "...." "There's no reason for you to have it." "...." "No matter how much I think about it, it's right for me to have it." Someone has to keep carrying the soul stone that will become a disaster if left alone. Ludwig is fighting this in real-time. It's the heaviest burden in the world. Ludwig is carrying the sins of others. So the emperor's words that it's better for me to carry it than you are valid. "You're just making the value of life unnecessarily expensive. You can't have something like this." The emperor didn't save him because he was right. But the emperor can't make him carry something like this. As if Ludwig knew he would answer that. "Then are you going to wander around the world like a lifetime postage stamp and die?" "You don't know that." "How about at least settling down in life comfortably? It's not difficult to consider your well-being, and if you don't compromise, it would be good if you could understand your own importance."

"There's no need to wander around."

In fact, wasn't it just a recent situation where he almost died on the street?

In response to the emperor's words about living comfortably, Ludwig shakes his head.

"I have to find them."

"......"

"They're not monsters... just sad beings who had no choice but to become monsters."

"......"

"So, I have an obligation to find a way to give them peace. And that's something I have to do."

It's not a burden that needs to be eradicated or borne by someone else.

They are just pitiful statues who cannot find peace.

He has to find a way to give them peace.

That's why Ludwig is wandering around looking for a place he doesn't even know where it is.

Scarlett looks at Ludwig with a sad expression, struggling with his obsession.

The emperor also stares at Ludwig quietly.

"You're still stubborn for no reason."

The emperor suspected that Ludwig would refuse all proposals.

"Then let me make one proposal."

"I don't intend to receive anything."

"Do you have any intention of looking for the 'end of the world'?"

"......What?"

The end of the world.

Ludwig's eyes widened at the sudden words.

He didn't intend to receive anything no matter what was offered, but it was a proposal he had never imagined.

"I'm trying to find out where this world exists from and to. That's what I've been preparing for a long time now."

"We'll be sailing soon."

"Maybe not."

"Who knows, maybe what you're looking for might be there."

"Divinity, magic, and superpowers. And maybe there's another power beyond that, and if so, impossible things might be possible."

The land of peace.

Does it really exist?

Can there be another world beyond the continent?

The demon king, who became the ruler of the continent, wants to find out if there is another world beyond the existing world.

The margin of the story.

Just as there was always something, there might be something beyond the sea of this continent.

He's trying to find it.

Ludwig looks at the demon king quietly.

As if not waiting for an answer, the demon king takes something out of his arms.

It was a magic scroll.

"If you're going, use this."

Ludwig couldn't know enough about the teleport scroll that moves to a designated location.

The demon king looks at Ludwig quietly.

"We're not on good terms with each other. Go."

Indeed, the two are not on good terms to have a long conversation.

"And if it's too hard for you to handle, leave it to me. It's not forever, but I can take care of it for a few months. If you fail, I'll be the one who loses. You know that, right?"

"......I'll think about it."

There was something to do.

Ludwig received three proposals and rejected two.

"Finally...."

The demon king looks at Ludwig with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry. For everything." Ludwig doesn't understand why the demon king is apologizing. He thinks he should be thanking him instead. However, the demon king doesn't say anything more. Scarlet looks sad and bows her head while Ludwig stares blankly at the teleport scroll in his hand. The scroll reads "The End of the World." Ludwig decides to use it to find a land of peace and explore the possibility of another world beyond the continent. He appears on a hill overlooking a massive port where ships are setting sail towards the unknown. He sees mermaids swimming in the sea among the large ships and is surprised to see a familiar face, the disappeared sorcerer, Det Morian. Det Morian invites Ludwig to join him on a journey to the other side of the world. Ludwig gazes at the vast sea and the direction of the dawn and dusk, watching the massive fleet sail away.