The Man’s 101st Bad Ending

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The reason he had been able to reach the level of Sword Saint after dying ten times was because he had dedicated all that time purely to the sword.

He could improve so rapidly because he was simply retracing steps he had already taken.

What lay beyond this level?

He had decided to undergo wall-gazing training, but the only enlightenment he had grasped was the faint clue he had felt while fighting the Minotaur.

He would, of course, recover the full extent of his original power, but he knew from experience that wouldn’t be enough.

The sword in his hand was an ordinary iron sword. The reason he had stockpiled cheap iron swords instead of expensive ones was simple.

If it was difficult to reach the next level quickly, it would be better to refine his skills at his current level. He could no longer say he had no talent with the sword, so he believed he could reach his desired level with enough time.

He contemplated the sword in his hand, then turned his head at the presence he felt behind him.

Adriana, holding food and a change of clothes, smiled faintly and spoke.

He couldn’t help but feel grateful.

Not only had she provided him with a place in the Moon Tower’s basement, where Kaitel wouldn’t notice, but she was also providing him with meals.

The fact that his current worries had been resolved so easily felt strangely awkward.

“If you get hurt, please tell me. I’ll heal you.”

“Providing me with this place is more than enough. And you’re even providing me with meals, what more could I ask for?”

He needed to eat well to grow stronger. He had already experienced how his body would break down if he lived in the mountains with nothing, so he had been planning to create a simple environment for his wall-gazing training.

Thanks to Adriana’s help, these problems had been solved immediately.

He tried to offer something in return for all her help, but she simply said that his presence was enough, which made him smile awkwardly. He enjoyed her company, but he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

Just a few days ago, he had been practically inseparable from Miragen, and now, after just a few days, he was spending a lot of time with Adriana.

He wasn’t sure whether to apologize or feel ashamed.

It felt like his own principles had become quite blurry. He knew that he could no longer choose just one person.

If he had to choose someone in the future, he would either live with all of them or disappear by dying.

It was a distant future, but imagining it brought him some comfort. He felt that way because he knew it was slowly approaching.

When he first arrived, he thought he had three years, but even that had been shortened, making it feel quite close.

His feelings about this were still complicated. But it was true that he was feeling a bit more positive than before.

He would be fine, and after this was over, he would be worrying about much more trivial things.

He smiled at that thought, and Adriana coincidentally smiled as well.

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The pressure that came with the word ‘Empress’ was, of course, considerable. She had never thought of becoming Empress herself, and she had always subconsciously thought that Kaitel was more suited for the position.

Hadn’t the Emperor always been Kaitel in her time with Robert?

But she knew she couldn’t let things remain the same in this life.

It was because of what he had done to Robert, but also because, from the imperial family’s perspective, they couldn’t just leave Kaitel alone.

The fact that he completely defied the moon-worshipping imperial family and wielded the power of the Four Dragons was a problem in itself. His actions could easily be considered treason and a threat to overthrow the nation.

She had been foolish not to realize it clearly until now, but she felt Robert was even more amazing for having discovered it all alone, without anyone acknowledging it.

Looking back, she had received help from a young girl named Arwen later on, but even now, knowing what Kaitel was doing, she still couldn’t do anything about it.

Robert had probably always lived with this frustration.

So, she couldn’t complain. She had to think about how she could be helpful and prepare for the future in her own way.

She wanted to mobilize her direct intelligence unit to gather information, but the mysterious organization Kaitel had deployed made that difficult.

Even though she now had a general idea of what they were doing, they had been exerting their influence throughout the imperial palace.

If she acted rashly here, she might end up giving Kaitel an advantage.

Miragen pondered for a moment, then slumped back into her chair. She should have been friendlier with her father.

If she had acted cute and tried to get on his good side, she might have gotten some scraps of information. But since she had been confined last time, he wouldn’t just stand by and watch her act recklessly again.

“Still, my situation isn’t that bad.”

She chuckled with a smug look and rested her chin in her hand, gazing at the mirror.

Robert’s plan was quite intricate, and it would only be effective if all the gears meshed perfectly.

It wasn’t as if he was proceeding with only one plan, Plan A.

Even if it failed, he had other plans, but he wouldn’t want to resort to Plan B unless absolutely necessary.

Miragen, who knew how Adele Igrit felt about Robert, and how Robert was going to proceed with this matter, had mixed feelings.

“It’s not like he’s using her.”

The information Robert was going to give Adele Igrit was based on facts.

However, without a detailed explanation, it would be enough to make Adele feel betrayed by Robert.

If it were the Robert she knew, he would have been working hard to save Adele. It wouldn’t take long for that momentum to be cut short and for Adele to become isolated.

She had heard that he was training in the basement of the Moon Tower, so Adele’s messages wouldn’t reach Robert.

He had said that even if they did, he wouldn’t check them. The success or failure of this plan depended on whether it appeared natural. To deceive the enemy, one had to deceive even their allies.

In a way, it could be said that Robert was using a strategy of sacrificing a pawn to save the king.

Of course, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy having heard about this plan.

In terms of experience and the length of time she had been Robert’s lover, she had the upper hand, but the feelings Robert and Adele had for each other were far from ordinary.

Knowing that, she couldn’t think favorably of Adele Igrit.

But she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the situation.

She was a rival in love. But they had much in common.

Their circumstances, for example, and hadn’t Robert said that Adele Igrit already remembered the past? Perhaps she was carrying the same pain as Miragen.

She would regret it, and her feelings for Robert would be just as deep.

…That was why she had a headache.

She had noticed early on that Adriana also harbored special feelings for Robert, and she had been secretly cheering for her. But now, she couldn’t give up, friendship or not.

In that sense, she thought it was quite alright that she was becoming Empress. If she was the Empress, she could monopolize him using her authority as an excuse.

But that might ruin their relationship in many ways.

Miragen knew that this would ultimately remain a fantasy. She sighed and lay down on the bed. She counted the squares on the ceiling one by one, then frowned, clutching her head, but the frustration didn’t disappear.

In her memories, Kaitel had always been close to perfect.

Unlike herself, he always handled everything flawlessly, and he was always proficient, even at things he was doing for the first time.

She had thought it was talent. A cold-hearted successor, yet thorough, without any complaints from his subordinates.

That was probably why her father hadn’t thought twice about Kaitel becoming the next Emperor.

But the problem was that he had become completely twisted.

In the imperial family, worshipping the sun was considered the ultimate taboo. And since he had used the power of the ancient dragon, which had been sealed by God himself, there was no turning back.

She wasn’t satisfied with the reality that she now had to fight against her own blood relative, whom she had always considered perfect.

Could she do it?

Miragen stared at the ceiling for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes.

It wasn’t a question she could answer right now. She thought she would only be able to find the answer after spending a lot of time pondering it.

Robert, Kaitel.

She wondered how their relationship would end.

Miragen clutched her throbbing head and hugged the blanket tightly.

Perhaps because it was where Robert had been, the faint lingering scent strangely comforted her.

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There was a land where the wind blew particularly cold. Sometimes, it was easy to forget the season, and walking on the snow-covered ground made her wonder if it was always winter.

The hair of the woman standing at the highest point, looking down at the world below, fluttered slightly.

The wolf-fur cloak billowed in the cold wind as her gaze remained fixed on the castle in the center of the North.

The reason she had come here was simple.

To calm her complicated feelings, to think about Robert, who hadn’t even included a simple greeting in the letter he had sent.

“Don’t come to the imperial capital.”

When she received the letter containing Robert’s warning not to come to the imperial capital, no matter what she did or what news she heard, she had been speechless.

It was annoying enough that he hadn’t even included a simple greeting, but he had even told her not to come.

How could he know whether she would be rolling around with another woman or not?

She had withdrawn all the spies she had planted in the capital to avoid being discovered by Kaitel.

Now, all she could do to find out what Robert was doing was wait for news.

How could she not be frustrated?

However, as he had said, she instinctively knew that she shouldn’t move.

If she moved now, something would go wrong. That feeling was warning her.

So, she hadn’t said anything and had remained quiet, but there were two cats aiming for the fish in the capital, after all.

What would happen if they marked their territory while she was away?

Adele frowned slightly at the rising worry.

There was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to follow Robert’s words this time.

But when they met again… then…

She would make him pay the price.

“Just you wait.”

When they met again, she would make sure he couldn’t escape.

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[Translator Notes]

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