MTLNOVEL Chapter 611
Long ago, there was a war between a group following the Heavenly Deity and a group following the Evil Deity.
The war, which lasted for hundreds of years, did not end until corpses piled into mountains and blood formed rivers, before an apostle wielding the ‘Heavenly Sword’ fulfilled the will of the heavens and beheaded Delphrium.
Through this long war, humanity realized something.
Delphrium and the Seven Deadly Sins were far too dangerous.
Strong power holds a mesmerizing magic that can enchant a person on its own. Although the physical form of the Seven Deadly Sins was slain, their powers did not vanish because they originated from the stars of the celestial realm.
If left as is, one day they would consume the desires of humanity and the Seven Deadly Sins would resurrect.
Thus, humanity decided to divide the remaining corpses of the Seven Deadly Sins.
The corpse of “Gluttony” was scattered in the East, creating a land of abundance, while the corpse of “Sloth” was scattered in the West, resulting in a barren wasteland. Additionally, the corpse of “Greed” was scattered in the South, leading to lush shrubs and life, and the corpse of “Envy” was scattered in the North, forming a snowfield.
However, even after dividing, there was one sin that would never disappear.
It was like a wildfire, endlessly spreading, with the power to burn the entire world down from a mere spark.
Humanity buried that sin underground in a remote place. To ensure it would never be seen by anyone, and that the horrifying spark of that sin would never spread again onto the ground.
But how could evil remain concealed in shadow forever?
Deep underground, for thousands of years, the sin that was recovering its power and waiting for an opportunity was ultimately discovered by miners digging into the mountain. Most dazzling and bright, it was.
This was the story of how a gold mine that had not been found for generations was suddenly discovered in the back mountain.
Moreover, great evil always knows how to enchant people.
One character, having succumbed to its whispering, was unknowingly being consumed.
“Immediately excavate the gold mine.”
Baron Haster.
After losing the gold mine, the reason for his decline and collapse was because the power of the Seven Deadly Sins that was consuming his whole body had disappeared.
*
Silence.
Though a long and short tale had ended, I could not carelessly speak.
It was an unimaginable story. Looking back, there had been clues.
The Alphenhausen Clan follows the emperor’s will. It was suspicious that the great nobles had suddenly united in targeting the gold mine in the rural territory. Additionally, Baron Haster, who had yet to recover since collapsing.
But why.
I could not hold back and blurted out my question.
“If so, I could explain the circumstances…!”
“Are you saying that one of the great evils that almost destroyed humanity thousands of years ago is awakening? Ian Fercurus… Is that serious?”
I choked, wanting to rebut.
There were no words that came to mind. In the end, I could do nothing but swallow a groan and turn my gaze away.
“His Majesty the Emperor and the Swordmaster have been paying attention to the abnormalities across the continent. In that process, by chance and luck, we were able to secure one of the seeds of the Seven Deadly Sins in advance.”
“But that makes Celine too pitiful…”
“Will you take revenge?”
At that question, my words were caught in my throat.
My silent gaze turned to Senior Shiene. True to being a lady of the Alphenhausen Clan, her silver-grey pupils were almost indistinguishable from her white sclera.
Naturally, it was impossible to read the implications contained in that gaze.
If revenge needed to be taken?
The point of that blade would have to rise beyond the Alphenhausen Clan to the imperial family. But could that truly be the right thing to do?
My lips felt dry. Senior Shiene still had not spoken, and in the end.
The answer was mine alone.
As it always was.
“No, no, no…”
Trembling pleas.
It was a desperate voice. Celine trembled all over, with tears welling up as she begged.
“Please don’t.”
The truth?
Celine wished she could rather not hear it. Of course, it wasn’t because her resentment and hatred had subsided.
From childhood, she had lived her life only looking towards revenge.
How could she easily cast away that anger?
The part of Celine that felt fear was separate.
The emperor had brought downfall to the Haster Clan.
The justification was perfect. After hearing this situation, would there be anyone in the world who would side with Celine?
Knowing nothing.
Powerless, without even harboring evil intentions, her father fell into a coma. Her mother was struggling day by day with financial difficulties, and the lives of the territory’s people had fallen into despair.
Moreover, wasn’t Celine raised almost like an orphan?
Thus, hearing the truth would not dilute Celine’s hatred. In the first place, in a state of not being in her right mind, Celine was not one to have superhuman mental strength to empathize with others’ circumstances.
Yet she intuited it.
The whole world is my enemy.
The emperor, the empire, and all who condemn the Dark Cult would justify the downfall of the Haster Clan.
They would label Celine’s revenge as foolish vengeance, and if anyone even tried to voice a counterargument, they would demand her execution as a treasonous criminal.
Why?
I have done nothing wrong. I was just toyed with by the whims of fate.
If anything, yes.
The world is in the wrong.
Tears flowed endlessly from Celine’s bloodshot eyes. Her retina felt so raw that it seemed she might close her eyes even once, but Celine’s pupils remained wide open, refusing to close.
“No, no… Ian, please…”
Not her brother.
The world could turn against her. It was okay if they denied Celine’s revenge and shouted that the downfall of the Haster Clan was just.
But only one person.
As long as Ian does not turn away.
Because he promised. Ian would never lie.
Ian Fercurus would absolutely not abandon Celine Haster.
Her teeth clashed, singing a song of extreme anxiety. The mind already soaked in self-blame and inferiority for months was on the verge of breaking down after several days of hallucinations.
The reason she could endure all this was also one.
Because Ian Fercurus was there.
[“I…”]
In the hallucination, a man slowly opened his mouth.
Celine’s breath caught. The sound of her heart beating was pounding maddeningly against her eardrums. It felt like her heart might swell and burst at any moment.
Time stood still.
Slowly, the man’s lips parted and connected again as if forming a rhythm with his tongue navigating between his palate and teeth.
[“I will not take revenge.”]
“Ugh.”
It wasn’t even a scream.
With the sound of wind whistling, the scenery that tinted Celine’s retina flickered. Celine remained motionless for a while.
After a while.
“Huh, ah, a… ughhhh, aaaaaaah…”
Crack, snap.
The blood-red threads binding Celine’s wrists were slowly tearing apart. It was something she could never imagine in her usual strength, but Celine had no consciousness left to notice.
Yet the whispers that wedged into Celine’s brain were familiar comments she had heard numerous times.
‘Incompetent.’
Abandoned.
‘Usless.’
Even left by Ian.
‘Burden.’
Then for what am I living?
The whole world abandoned Celine. After possessing nothing, she not only lost the man she loved since childhood before her eyes.
Unable to provide any help, she was finally cast aside.
Why?
Questions that could not be articulated rampaged through her brain’s veins. Celine, yes.
She felt like she might go insane.
Fireworks.
Boom! Emotions burst forth like flames scattering.
“Ahhh, ughh, ah, ah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Celine’s hands began to mess up her hair wildly. That wasn’t enough; she even started to scratch her own skin and beat her chest while screaming.
It felt like flames were jumping from every nerve bundle. Her heart, her head, so very.
It hurt so much. She could shed as many tears as she wanted now.
“Ah, no… ugh, ah, ughk, uuhhhhhhhhhhh!”
How long would she tremble like this?
How many minutes, how many hours passed?
Now, Celine’s eyes were shedding only tears, having lost all energy to struggle. Streams of tears flowed down, and cold voices pierced through her eardrums.
‘Incompetent.’
‘Usless.’
‘Burden.’
“I… I didn’t even want to…”
She had tried so hard that her hands have become calloused. Yet the gap in talent was harsh, and being of low birth and wealth, Celine ultimately could do nothing.
Then finally, she was cast aside.
“Ughh, ah, ughhhh, kuhh…”
Her chest, her chest hurt too much.
Was this the pain of pouring acidic liquid into her esophagus?
No, it was even worse than that. It had become unbearable.
This flame was a flame that would never extinguish.
At that moment.
“Wishes.”
A seductive voice reached her.
Celine’s empty eyes slowly turned towards its source. There, a sinister red eye looked down upon her.
“I will grant it. As long as you pay an appropriate price.”
‘Price.’
Her clan had fallen, no wealth remained, and she was a person without any talent.
Yet Celine had no strength left to hesitate.
Simply closing her eyes, she recited her only wish.
“Please… make it so it doesn’t hurt anymore…”
To extinguish the fire in her heart.
The woman displayed a heart-quaking smile as she always did.
“That is how it should be. I am Delphrium.”
Celine’s rough breathing began to calm, and her eyelids, which had closed gently, showed no sign of opening.
“I love all whom the gods do not.”
That day, the wildfire that had clung to the girl’s heart was extinguished.
Reducing all emotions to ashes.
What Celine Haster sacrificed as a price for the contract was ’emotion.’
Except for one thing.
The birth of a new Seven Deadly Sins.
“…However, a price must be paid.”
At my continued condition, the one frowning was Senior Shiene.
That was to be expected. Both the empire and the Alphenhausen Clan had made a righteous decision.
Yet there are always exceptions.
There were those who could never accept that choice.
“You might not be able to do anything about it now, but I will definitely demand an apology from the imperial family and the Alphenhausen Clan later. Along with proper compensation and the restoration of the Haster Clan’s honor…”
“Ian Fercurus, do you know what you’re saying right now?”
To demand an apology from the imperial family.
That was akin to telling the pinnacle of the empire to admit to their mistakes. In other words, it was a highly sensitive political demand.
But I had no intention of bending my will.
“I know.”
“And yet you say such things? Didn’t you hear? We did our best…”
“The Haster Clan suffered without any fault. Unknowingly, simply due to bad luck.”
As I slowly rose, Luna tried to grab me in surprise, but my hand was raised first.
“My demands are as follows. I don’t care if it is presented to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“You lunatic.”
Senior Shiene’s unvarnished assessment followed, but I did not feel the need to react.
Just one question remained.
I paused my steps and casually turned back to ask.
“By the way, what do you mean that it can’t be hidden anymore…?”
“The shard of the Seven Deadly Sins is scheduled to be moved to the Academy soon.”
It was such an unexpected remark that my gaze, which had been about to exit the room, went blank for an instant.
The one whose lips were trembling was Senior Luna.
“Here gather the greatest authorities. Also, even if it’s not now, it is a historically significant neutral zone… Experts from various countries are set to be dispatched to analyze the artifact.”
A new storm was approaching.