NOVEL NEXT Chapter 532
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EP.532 End of Childhood (4)
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A few days had passed.
It had been a few days since defeating Yormun, dropping the Star, and achieving the Revival. As she recalled the past few days, Raniel tilted her teacup.
Sip, sip.
“Pretty busy, huh?”
She had organized the collapsing Ancient Dragon city, made a small grave marker for Yormun and Gletus, and barely returned to the capital with the wrecks of Kyle and Destel. As soon as she returned to the capital, she did two things.
First, she left Kyle and Destel with Sara.
Second, she had Kalt deal with her remaining tasks.
“Uh? Senior? What brings you here at this hour…?”
Barging into Kalt’s office, Raniel sat him down, who was trying to leave, and began her story. “I’m back, this and that happened, and as a result, I feel this way. So in short, please report.”
“Eh?”
Kalt, who had received a flawless explanation, blinked and tilted his head. Then he pointed at his coat, probably gesturing that he was about to leave… but honestly, that wasn’t Raniel’s problem.
“Yep. Thank you.”
“Wait a minute. How am I supposed to summarize this? It would be better if you report it yourself, Senior…”
Raniel didn’t listen to the rest.
Crash!
She made her escape through the window she had scouted beforehand.
She knew summarizing was tough. But isn’t summarizing and reporting the assistant’s duty? Confident that Kalt would handle it well as always, Raniel returned to her master’s mansion and enjoyed a long, restful sleep.
The next morning greeted her.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Listening to the chirping birds, Raniel welcomed a refreshing morning. After having breakfast with her master and enjoying a cup of coffee, a guest arrived.
“We’re here to escort you.”
It was knights from the royal family.
“Hmm, looks like Kalt did a good job reporting.”
Kalt was indeed reliable in times like this.
Thinking that, Raniel boarded the carriage prepared by the knights and headed towards the royal palace. She needed to have a conversation after all.
Up to this point was the story thus far.
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Raniel took another sip of tea. The black tea tasted quite good. Compared to the coffee Allen made, it didn’t quite measure up, but it was still drinkable.
“You know, surprisingly…”
Sip, sip.
“Hmm? What did you say?”
A voice from across the table sounded incredulous.
Ignoring the voice, Raniel munched on some snacks and took another sip of tea. Mmm, it’s even better with snacks. Should I ask to take a few when I go home?
While she was blissfully enjoying her tea party, the host of the tea party, Ayla, looked weary.
“Isn’t that right?”
“No, it isn’t, Hero.”
Ayla Clen Cartedia, the Empress of Cartedia, now an Empire, sighed deeply.
In a small garden located a little away from the construction of the royal palace, Raniel faced the sun of the empire. Though often called the one leading humanity’s golden age, she felt more like a teacher to Ayla.
Looking at her, Raniel tilted her head.
“Didn’t much change, did it?”
“How could it not? Right now, the royal palace’s astrologers and astronomers are collectively panicking! There are scholars losing it over the sudden disappearance of the Star.”
“Oh, I see.”
“When you smile like that, it’s really not the time for it.”
Ayla pressed her forehead and sighed again.
“There’s a lot of chatter in the world too. No more stars in sight. Even when prayers are offered, there’s no light. Where has the Star gone? Voices like this are popping up left and right.”
“That makes sense.”
“While it temporarily bought time for you to explain, I don’t think it will last long.”
Nodding as she swallowed the black tea, Raniel found the drink quite satisfactory.
“We plan to announce it soon. If you could arrange a spot during the festival, that would be even better.”
“Yes, please. As soon as you can.”
Glancing at the weary Ayla, Raniel smiled ruefully.
“You seem busy.”
“I really am.”
Ayla sighed long and deep.
“Cartedia has become an empire, and now that it has, there are plenty of postponed tasks to handle.”
She extended her finger, counting one by one.
“Expanding the capital, developing undeveloped areas, territorial expansion beyond the Phantom Territory, royal palace expansion, and road maintenance connecting different regions… just the thought of it gives me a headache.”
“And I need to properly wrap up the ongoing festival as well. That’s where my focus is right now.”
Raniel quietly watched Ayla ramble on. Though she was grumbling, Ayla wore a somewhat joyful expression, as if looking forward to the changes the empire would undergo.
“Humanity needs to move forward now.”
“Sounds great.”
“And also…”
Ayla lightly tapped the table.
With her chin resting on her hand in an unrefined manner, she shot a glance at Raniel. In front of her subordinates, she was a dignified and cool empress, but in front of Raniel, she would often show a more relaxed side.
“It is also my duty to reward you, who made it possible for humanity to reach this point.”
“Reward?”
“Yes, I’ve honestly thought long and hard about it.”
Continuing, Ayla added,
“Titles and lands, I know everyone would refuse… and initially, no one needs such titles either, so I thought this would be the best option.”
Thump.
She placed something shiny and platinum-colored on the table.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a prestigious medal of honor for those who helped create the current empire. Here are the recipients.”
Raniel glanced at the list.
The names were of those who significantly contributed in the Great Calamity Extermination, the Heresy Suppression, and the Final Battle. In other words, the names of the superhumans.
“It’s a medal awarded to these people, simply put. If we exclude the royal family, everyone would have to bow and show respect to them…” The long list of cumbersome conditions made Raniel chuckle.
“What’s with all the extra fluff?”
“Well, it’s all I have to give.”
Ayla chuckled.
She tapped the medal lightly and said, “It will be awarded at the end of the festival, and the one given to you will be a bit more special.”
The empire’s hero.
The first pillar of the empire.
As she glanced at the symbolic design incorporated into the medal, Raniel smiled. The pillar of the empire, not a bad ring to it.
“After all, the one who contributed the most is definitely you, Hero. Honestly… I’d like to offer you something more, but you would refuse, right?”
“That’s right. I don’t really need anything.”
Although she’d spent a ton building the Tower, even factoring that in, her gold was overflowing, and with the outrageous maintenance costs from the empire, it was evident she wouldn’t need more.
“You’re sitting on piles of gold, so you probably don’t need any.”
Technically, she could build a tower out of gold. Keeping those thoughts to herself, Raniel sipped her tea as she listened to Ayla mumble on.
“Thinking of giving you some royal land in light of the capital expansion, but that too might not be necessary…”
Suddenly pausing, Raniel froze her teacup mid-sip.
Noticing her reaction, Ayla tilted her head. Ayla fumbled with her words and replied.
“Gold?”
“No, the next thing.”
“The royal land?”
“Yes, that.”
Raniel snapped her fingers.
“If it’s an expansion of the capital, it must be prime land!”
“Well, it seems so? Since the capital is expanding, serious development will start.”
The capital, prime land.
That was a condition that matched the aspirations of a certain superhuman who dreamed of being a landlord. Seizing the opportunity, Raniel spoke up.
“Can I invest in a building there?”
“Uh… I suppose it’s not impossible, but what kind of building?”
Big! Absolutely! Big! A building so large it can be seen from the center of the royal capital, I’ve got high expectations, Senior. You promised!
“Uh… I think the building should be big.”
“…Yes?”
“It should be big enough to be seen from the center of the royal capital.”
With her eyes blinking, Ayla nodded at first. Then she called for a substitute to discuss the detailed matters further.
Raniel silently mumbled to herself.
“I kept my promise, Kalt.”
Exiting the royal palace, Raniel wandered through the bustling festival streets. Unlike before, she didn’t hide her face and walked boldly through the crowd. Recognizing her, people gathered around, and Raniel moved forward.
There was little time left for her duties as a hero.
Now that both the Star and the shadows had vanished, all heroes would soon retire. Naturally, her retirement was also on the horizon. Aware of this fact, Raniel hoped to make the most of her remaining time as a hero.
“…”
Gently smiling at those looking her way, she waved her hand lightly as she walked through the streets.
Cheers, her name, and the fervor of the festival.
These were things she’d once loathed during her time as the Ashen Mage, but now she found delight in them. While the fawning of nobles who pretended to care annoyed her to no end, the pure cheers felt as sweet as dessert.
You know, at the end of the day, it feels good.
She felt no need to stiffen her expression or act solemn in front of those calling her name. With a faint smile, she moved forward through the crowd.
Then suddenly.
Raniel stopped in front of a newspaper stand.
She picked up a newspaper. With a slick motion, she unfolded it and gazed at the large headline sprawled across the front page.
[Hero of Humanity.]
[Rania van Trias.]
It was a phrase that pleased her immensely.
While reading the newspaper, Raniel found herself smiling happily. Getting over the crowd that hesitated to approach her, she took the lead.
Buying food from street vendors and delving into a detailed festival guide, she moved cheerfully.
The weather was warm, and people were dressed light.
Mid-step, Raniel loosened her scarf. She shed the cape of the Hero and rolled it up with her scarf, tossing it over her arm.
Phew.
Breathing out softly, she resumed walking.
No longer a solemn hero, not a great god, but an ordinary and unremarkable human, just like anyone else.
Smiling at the cheers, pleased by the commendations, and revealing it all without a hint of concealment, she enjoyed the festival like a normal person.
Without keeping barriers against those approaching her, she returned their cheers with smiles. As she moved along, she suddenly felt it.
Her shoulders were light.
Her body and steps felt light.
As if she had set down a long-held burden.
No longer needing to be perfect meant she didn’t have to be careful with every single action. She didn’t need to be tense in her shoulders and neck. There was no need to be a model for someone else, nor the representative of humanity.
Perhaps that was why.
Sometimes she stumbled a little, and at times she spilled a bit of food onto the ground. Each time that happened, Raniel couldn’t help but chuckle at herself.
Light. It felt light.
A rather pleasant feeling.