"Para?"
The king of an unnamed country rolled his cloudy eyes to the left.
"I've never heard that name. Are they a race like elves?"
He shook his head, indicating it was an unfamiliar race.
"Your Majesty. Para is not a race."
The priest with a neatly trimmed white beard stepped forward.
"They are humans like us, but more sensitive to mana. That's why they're called Para."
He lowered his eyes as he explained that Para were mana-sensitive humans.
"The High Priest is correct. I've treated Para before, and they were ordinary humans no different from us."
The healer also nodded, affirming that Para were not a different race.
"I see."
The king seemed to understand and turned his gaze back to the Sage who wore the Fallen's face.
"But why did you bring up this name Para?"
He lowered his white eyebrows, seemingly not understanding the reason.
"Before explaining that, there is a correction I must make."
The Sage raised his long, slender finger. Even his fingers resembled the current Fallen.
"Para are not human, but an entirely different race from us."
He shook his head, contradicting the opinions of the priest and healer.
"What?"
"No, how can that be...?"
The priest and healer swallowed hard, looking at the Sage who seemed to be dismissing their opinions.
"While Para's bodies are no different from humans, their mana flow is clearly distinct from ours. The cross-shaped mana holes in their eyes create an alien frequency. It's more similar to elves or trolls than humans."
The Fallen lowered his finger as he explained that Para were fundamentally different from humans.
"Hmm..."
"Mana flow..."
The priest and healer scratched their cheeks and ears, seemingly unable to refute the Fallen's words as they didn't know about that aspect.
"Whether they're human or another race doesn't matter. Why did you bring up these Para people?!"
The king furrowed his brow, seeming impatient. Even at this moment, his hair and eyebrows were falling out one by one.
"Because Para are the answer to stopping Your Majesty's aging."
The Sage smiled faintly as he said that Para could cure the king's illness.
"Is, is that true?"
The king approached the Sage, his chin trembling.
"Tell me! What must be done!"
He clasped his hands together, saying he would do anything if it could cure his aging.
"Since this is information no one else knows yet..."
The Sage glanced around cautiously.
"Everyone, leave!"
The king, understanding the Sage's implication, shouted for everyone to leave the room while waving his hand.
"Hmm, understood."
The priest and healers left the audience chamber with sour expressions, smacking their lips.
"You lot, leave too!"
The king stomped his foot, telling the guard knights standing like statues in front of the pillars to leave as well.
"Your Majesty. We must remain in case of any unforeseen circumstances..."
"That's enough, leave! Do you think the Sage looks like someone who would harm me?!"
He cut off the captain of the guard knights and frowned, insisting they leave.
"...Understood."
The captain of the guard knights bit his lip slightly and led the knights out the door. Judging by his wrinkled expression, this wasn't the first time this had happened.
"Now tell me."
After confirming everyone had left, the king grasped the Sage's hand tightly.
"The way to cure my illness!"
He bit his lip, saying he would do anything.
"The blood of the Para race I mentioned earlier..."
The Sage nodded calmly while looking at the king's hand.
"Will become the elixir to cure Your Majesty."
"What...?"
The king dropped the Sage's hand he had been holding.
"Blood, you mean we have to kill them?"
He widened his eyes as if he hadn't even considered that possibility.
"That's correct."
The Sage didn't lose his smile even as he spoke of killing humans.
"Currently, Your Majesty's mana is flowing in the opposite direction of natural mana. Your body can't withstand the stress, which is why you're aging rapidly."
He shook his head, saying it was an abnormal illness that couldn't be cured with human medicine or treatment.
"But as I mentioned earlier, Para have a different mana flow from humans. What makes this possible are the mana holes in their eyes and their hearts."
The Sage raised his finger to point at his own eyes and heart.
"In the past, the Para tribe built a kingdom called Sirken and enjoyed prosperity, but now they've fallen and only a small number remain. Still, there should be enough to cure Your Majesty's illness."
He smiled softly, saying fortunately treatment was possible.
"Eyes and heart..."
The king swallowed dryly as he looked at the Sage's gently shining eyes.
"You mean we have to kill these Para people?"
"That's right. No, it's the only way."
The Sage nodded, saying killing Para was the only way for the king to survive.
"But killing people is human sacrifice, isn't it!"
The king bit his lip, seemingly not having considered taking others' lives to save his own.
"As I said at the beginning, Para are not human."
The Sage waved his hand as if telling him not to worry.
"But..."
"How do you feel when orcs, trolls, or elves die, Your Majesty?"
He cut off the king's words and brought up the names of monsters.
"Well, I don't feel much of anything."
The king lowered his eyebrows, saying he wouldn't feel anything.
"Then how do you feel when pulling up medicinal herbs growing in the ground?"
"That would feel even less significant."
"It's the same thing."
The Sage smiled gently, saying that was all there was to it.
"Para may look human, but they're not human. You don't need to feel anything about their deaths, just like pulling up plants."
He shrugged his shoulders, saying it was a simple matter.
"Your Majesty doesn't have much time left. Will you abandon all this wealth and glory and depart? For the sake of mere monsters?"
The Sage pointed to the vast expanse of the kingdom visible through the window and tilted his chin.
"Hmm..."
The king's wrinkled fingertips trembled as he surveyed the prosperous kingdom following the Sage's finger.
"You don't need to feel tormented. It's no different from ordering the extermination of monsters."
The Sage knelt on one knee and took the king's hand.
"Leave everything to me. If you grant me the authority to mobilize the knights, I will take care of everything and create the elixir for you."
He bowed his head, asking for the authority to command the knights.
"The knights?"
The king narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the Sage.
"Yes."
The Sage nodded calmly, as if making a reasonable request.
"As befits a mana-sensitive people, all Para can use magic, from young children to the elderly on the brink of death. We need strong warriors to capture them."
He smiled faintly, saying they needed to use the knights to capture the Para tribe.
"Is, is that all it takes?"
The king opened his trembling lips, as if entranced by the Sage's words.
"There's one more thing. We need some time to prepare techniques to interfere with their magic."
The Sage raised his gaze, saying that once those preparations were complete, they could capture all the Para with minimal casualties. His golden eyes began to gleam ominously.
"Haah..."
The king swallowed dryly after meeting the Sage's eyes. He placed his wrinkled hand on the window, facing the kingdom's panorama.
"You're certain?"
He lowered his voice deeply, as if having made up his mind.
"Of course. Only my hands and those of the knights will be stained with blood, so don't worry."
The Sage bowed, telling him to trust him.
"Very well. If we're going to do this, do it thoroughly."
The king nodded, telling him to capture the entire Para race.
"Certainly."
The Sage said he would do as instructed and stepped back. He left the audience chamber without showing his back.
"..."
Raon chewed his lips as he watched the Sage's sinister golden eyes visible through the door.
'Somehow I feel like I can see what's going to happen next.'
It pained him to see the word "tragedy" descending upon that kind village.
-This king feels the same.
Wrath also seemed to sense the same thing, exhaling a murky breath.
'Filthy bastard.'
Raon furrowed his brow as he looked at the aged king.
'A cowardly swindler who doesn't have the courage to dirty his own hands sits on the throne.'
The king pushed away responsibility for the killing by saying he would leave it to the Sage. Seeing the epitome of human ugliness made anger well up inside him.
'I want to kill him right now.'
Just as Raon was expressing intense anger towards the king, there was a piercing sound. Time stopped again, and a blue dimensional gate opened before his eyes.
"I don't know what you want to show me, but..."
Raon narrowed his brow as he looked at the shimmering dimensional gate.
"I'll do anything to save that kid."
Without any hesitation, he immediately stepped into the dimensional gate.
* * *
Opening his eyes again, he saw a large cave dug into the mountainside.
"..."
Merlin was crouched next to the cave entrance with her head bowed.
'This is...'
Raon looked around. Judging by the location, it seemed to be the mountain next to the village.
"Sigh..."
As Merlin sighed deeply with her head bowed, a rustling sound came from inside the cave.
'Could it be a bear?'
As he tensed up thinking it might be a bear or monster, what emerged from the cave was a knight in silver armor with blue hair. He looked familiar, as if seen somewhere before.
"Princess. Are you crying again?"
The blue-haired man approached Merlin's side, bending at the waist.
'Princess? Ah!'
Loktar Defort! Raon gasped, realizing the blue-haired knight was the Dragonian Loktar Defort he had absorbed while wearing Eden’s helmet.
"I'm not crying. And don't call me princess..."
Merlin shook her head without raising her face.
"But you are crying. And how else could I address the princess?"
Loktar knelt on one knee, saying he could see everything clearly.
"How can I be a princess..."
Merlin sniffled, insisting she was definitely not a princess.
"You are Queen Sella's daughter, so of course you are a princess."
Loktar continued to call Merlin a princess.
'Come to think of it...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Loktar and Merlin.
'He called Merlin a princess in the mental world too.'
When they met in the mental world, Loktar had also called Merlin a princess and said he regretted not being able to protect her.
"Queen Sella is the queen of Sirken, and ... is her daughter, so of course she must be a princess."
"But our village isn't that Sirken kingdom..."
Merlin shook her head, saying the kingdom of Sirken didn't exist.
"The legacy of Sirken continues in this village. It's small, but a place no one can touch."
Loktar grasped the sword at his waist, saying the village where Merlin lived was the embodiment of Sirken.
"Especially with Queen Sella and Princess ... here!"
He nodded confidently as he spoke the names of the queen and princess.
'Wait. ...princess?'
Raon massaged his temple as he looked at Loktar.
'Did you hear him say Merlin's name?'
-No, I did not hear it.
Wrath also shook his head, saying he only heard "princess."
'I see it's not audible.'
Just like when talking with Sella, and now with Loktar, whenever Merlin's real name was about to be spoken, there was a crackling sound that made it inaudible.
"But I'm not Sella's biological daughter."
Merlin bit her lip, saying he knew that.
"Whether born directly or raised by hand, that's not important. Queen Sella considers you her daughter."
Loktar nodded, saying that was all that mattered.
"..."
Merlin remained silent for a moment before slightly raising her head.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Loktar smiled softly for the first time.
"Queen Sella is waiting for you to call her mother."
He gestured slightly, telling her to try it today.
"But it won't come out of my mouth."
Merlin sighed, saying her tongue felt stiff.
"Plus I don't have crosses in my eyes, and I can't use magic..."
She shook her head as if embarrassed.
"Such things aren't important to parents."
Loktar smiled faintly.
"Our circumstances are a bit... no, very different, but in any case, it's not important."
He lowered his chin, saying Sella wouldn't care about such things at all.
"Hmm..."
Merlin straightened her back slightly, seeming to feel better.
"But where are you going, uncle?"
She blinked, looking at Loktar who had luggage on his back.
"I've been feeling a bit stiff staying here, so I'm going out for some training. I've already received permission from Her Majesty the Queen."
Loktar nodded, saying he would be leaving his residence for a while.
"Ah..."
Merlin's chin trembled at Loktar's words about leaving.
"Don't worry. I'll be back in about a month."
Loktar chuckled, saying he was just going to sharpen his combat senses.
"No, it's, it's fine. Have a good trip."
Merlin nodded weakly, hiding her disappointment.
"Yes. I'll be back. And..."
Loktar waved to Merlin after fully emerging from the cave.
"Princess, you just need to be honest."
He smiled brightly, saying everything would work out if she did that.
"Well then."
Loktar left those final words and slowly descended the mountain.
"..."
Merlin only stood up after Loktar had completely disappeared. She clenched her fists as if making up her mind and returned to the village.
"Haah..."
Merlin slowly caught her breath and opened the door to enter the house.
"I told you not to stay out so late!"
Sella put her hands on her hips as if angry.
"Ugh..."
Merlin looked at Sella while chewing her lips, seemingly recalling Loktar's words. However, she pressed down her tongue as soon as she saw the blue crosses in Sella's eyes.
"...I'm sorry."
Merlin bowed her head and fled to her room.
"Honestly."
Sella frowned and then went back into the study.
"..."
Raon exhaled a long sigh as he watched Merlin, drained of her usual energy.
'She's completely different from the Merlin of the present.'
He felt an ominous feeling rise in his chest as he seemed to understand why the same Merlin had such a different personality.
"Haah..."
Raon let out a long sigh as he looked up at the ceiling with a speck of dust on it.
* * *
"Nngh..."
Merlin let out a pained groan as she sat in front of Loktar's cave.
"It didn't work again."
She bit her lip, saying she had failed at magic again today.
"Why is it only me?"
Merlin shook her head vigorously, saying she understood the theory and could sense mana better than anyone, but for some reason couldn't complete the magic.
"..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched the flame fizzle out hopelessly at Merlin's fingertips.
'As she said, there's nothing wrong with the flow of magic.'
The Merlin here possessed mana of a purity no less than her present self, but she always failed and couldn't succeed at even a small spell.
'What's the reason?'
-Confidence.
Wrath furrowed his brow as he looked at Merlin.
'Confidence?'
-That's right. That kid lacks confidence to the point you wouldn't think she's the madwoman from reality.
He snorted, saying that was the reason.
'Is confidence that important?'
-Magic and sorcery require mental strength even more than martial arts. How one views oneself determines the flow.
Wrath clicked his tongue, saying Merlin's shattered confidence was suppressing the flow of magic.
-Originally, this young madwoman could have wielded magic stronger than the adults here.
He nodded, saying he was certain.
-However, there is something strange...
'Something strange?'
-The talent of the madwoman here seems better than that of the present madwoman.
'What do you mean?'
Raon narrowed his eyes at Wrath. He couldn't understand how the same person could have better talent here.
-This king also doesn't know the theory well enough to explain precisely. But the power felt from this young madwoman's soul itself is different from the present.
Wrath scratched his head, saying he couldn't explain it exactly either.
'...Is there a problem with her soul?'
The appearance of Merlin here and in the present was the same, but there were differences like the cross in her eyes and her assertiveness, so it seemed it couldn't be explained for now.
'I don't know.'
After watching Merlin for about two weeks since entering this mental world, she was just an ordinary child with a lot of shyness.
She liked Sella but didn't have the courage to call her mother, and while saying she didn't try hard, she practiced magic all day in secret.
'She's so different from Merlin now...'
Just as Raon was shaking his head, feeling the disparity with the masked Merlin called a madwoman, there was a thunderous boom. A massive rumbling sound rang out as if something huge had fallen, and crimson flames began to rise from various parts of the village.
"Huh...?"
Merlin's chin trembled as she saw black smoke rising from the village.
"Wh-what's going on?"
She swallowed dryly and stood up, running towards the village.
-It's begun.
Wrath let out a short sigh.
'Yes.'
Raon sighed as he watched Merlin's back trembling anxiously.
'Being powerless is truly frustrating.'
It was incredibly frustrating to be able to predict what would happen but be unable to do anything. It felt like he had returned to the time when Derus had him on a leash.
'But I have to go.'
Raon closed his eyes and opened them again as he ran after Merlin towards the village.
'To see the end of this world...'