Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 88: Saint Marenna.

—Marina’s POV—

Eleven days had passed since the tournament concluded with my champion’s victory. My champion and best friend, the person I cherished the most, had claimed his victory over the previous champion after displaying a new unparalleled power.

For a moment, I was scared of the endless amount of power my friend had displayed. A power that he seemed to wield with ease, yet it was apparent to me that my friend was not in his right mind when using it… It was clear that he had lost his mind and gone berserk.

Just like everyone else, I could only watch in horror as Julius displayed a power that surpassed his opponent by far. I genuinely thought that Julius would kill Alberis as the headmistress, Ophelia, had come running to the private royal box to recruit my aunt to intervene. Julius’s parents had told her that her son was in mortal danger, and that Julius and his rampage had to be stopped immediately before a tragedy could happen in front of us.

I was going to join them too, but we weren’t able to intervene as Julius sealed off the arena below with his Spatial Magic. The situation became hopeless for Alberis as no one, not even the Skull Crusher with his might or the Crimson Witch with her knowledge could intervene.

Julius displayed cruelty toward Alberis that I never imagined possible from someone like him. He tortured Alberis as if he was a mere plaything in his grasp… To me, that was not the Julius I know. The one standing in the arena with such power was not the kind boy I cherished and loved.

I still remember that I prayed hard to the gods for them stop that madness. I hopelessly prayed for Julius to come back to his senses when he was about to land the finishing blow on Alberis.

I was desperate and was unable to do anything other than praying for the gods to end that situation. It was pathetic… I felt useless and in despair. I remember that in my desperation, I closed my eyes as I didn’t want to continue watching my beloved fall prey to his own power.

However, I would soon find that my prayers were answered. Whether it was due to gods answering my prayers or simply Julius’s willpower, my friend and champion returned to his senses. Contrary to what everyone believed that would happen, the tragedy that Ophelia spoke for never came.

Instead, Julius healed Alberis and apologized for his actions. I know because the former champion explained to my father, my aunt, and I what had transpired. He said that Julius gave him an honest apology before suggesting a fair way for both to end the tournament.

Julius proposed to end the tournament with a single attack and Alberis agreed. Which is how Julius ended claiming his victory over the four-time consecutive champion.

But… Julius’s victory came at a prize. He fell unconscious at the end of the tournament and has not woken up since then. His family didn’t seem too worried about the situation as Lilia was an expert in healing magic and said that he would wake up before long. 

Lilia tried to say that it was all due to his transcendence, but I was skeptical about it… I’ve never heard of someone falling into a deep slumber after achieving transcendence.

Of course, I kept my doubts to myself as I visited my beloved day and night, hoping to be able to see him awake once more. But as more days passed with him remaining unconscious, I began to feel despair. Whenever I was not with him, I started to grow anxious as my mind began to think of a terrifying possibility…

What if he never wakes up again?

It was a very real possibility. Something that made me completely unable to sleep at night. The royal physician has been giving medicine and herbal teas to combat my anxiety and my insomnia, but so far, they haven’t worked at all… I was only able to sleep now while being near Julius, knowing that I would able to look after him.

On a night such as this one, I once again find myself unable to sleep. My mind has been filled with anxiety and fear of losing the one I lost. The idea of losing Julius was simply unbearable for me…

Though, tonight was different from the other nights. This time, instead of rolling in my bed while I was filled with my worries and fears, I am currently traversing through an almost endless corridor.

“We should be arriving soon, Marina.” My aunt spoke as she walked ahead of me while illuminating the corridor with light magic.

“Is this really that important? Instead of bringing me to this hidden passage, I would have liked you to sneak me out to see Julius. That way, I could at least catch a wink of sleep while taking care of him…” I complained as I walked despite my exhaustion.

“There’s nothing that you can do for him at the moment and you know it. He has his mother and the other girls taking care of him, you know?” My aunt said without a single hint of respect toward my feelings.

"Why, thank you dear aunt for making me feel much better. I wonder what would happen to me without your encouragement and support." I spoke to her with great sarcasm.

"It is the truth. At the moment, there's nothing you can do to wake up your little beloved. You should put more trust in Lilia's words. If that woman out of all people wasn't worried about her son, then you shouldn't be worried either." My aunt was being more blunt than usual.

"I know… I just can't help but worry… Not being able to do anything for him is the worst feeling… I just want to see his smile again." My words were accompanied with a lot of sadness.

"Ah, young love. I'm sure that he'll appreciate your worries, but I'm certain that he would get mad at you for not taking proper care of yourself. Those bags under your eyes are starting to become pretty noticeable." She smirked at me while I'm pointing at my eyes.

"It is not my fault that I can't sleep! I just can't help but worry… I can't help but blame myself… He was participating in the tournament for my sake." It was difficult for me not to blame myself for this situation.

"Marina… Julius would actually get angry at you if you think like that. He chose to participate in the tournament out of his own volition. What happened is not your fault and it never will be. I believe that's what the boy would tell you if he was awake." Instead of a smirk, she showed me a confident smile while patting my head.

My aunt's words were able to ease some of my anxiety, so I was happy that she was with me, even if she was teasing me most of the time.

"Certainly… That's something Julius would say." I nodded in agreement while smiling softly. Thinking of my beloved made me both happy and sad…

"Anyway, putting your worries aside. I know I said that there was nothing you could do to help him right now, but there's actually something you can do to help him in the future. That's why I'm bringing you here, after all." My aunt revealed as she continued walking.

"Is that so? If this helps Julius, even just a little, then I will do it without hesitation. If it is for the sake of seeing that smile again, then there's nothing that I wouldn't do." I spoke with determination.

"Heh… You have become more honest with yourself about your wishes. That's kind of cute, Marina. I'm glad that you're willing to do something so cute for that boy." She smiled from ear to ear as she teases me.

"Stop teasing me! Just forget about what I said! I shouldn't have said that!" I couldn't hide my embarrassment as my whole face blushed.

"Don't get so flustered! It is fine for you to talk about your feelings with your auntie!" My aunt spoke with an easygoing smile. "In fact, I would feel more at ease if you could always be honest about what you want." She suddenly spoke with some sadness in her voice.

"I'll try my best… Speaking of something like this is still embarrassing, even if you know about my feelings…" I nodded before whispering those words.

"That's good enough. Julius seems to like honest girls, so don't be like your nasty aunt, alright?" My aunt decided to give me some advice before giggling.

"That's fine. I never intended to become like you." I decided that it was time to get back at her for teasing me so much.

"Wow… That's a little heartbreaking to hear from you, Marina… Even though I love you so much and did my best with your education…" She looked at me with shock and then some great sadness. She looked as if she was going to break into tears at any moment.

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I was just trying to tease you back! I obviously love you and admire you very much! Please don't look so sad!" I became flustered and panicked due to my hurtful words. My heart couldn't bear the idea of hurting someone I loved.

I would soon find out that all of my worries about hurting my aunt were for naught…

"Pfft! Hahahaha!" She began to laugh loudly at my face.

"Wait, you were just teasing me again weren't you?!" I exclaimed as I noticed that I was played like a fiddle all along.

"Sorry! I couldn't help it! You served me the opportunity on a silver platter, after all! Jeez, it is so cute to see you panic like that!" She spoke with amusement between her fits of laughter.

"Don't make fun of me! I really thought I had hurt you with those words!" I got angry at my cruel aunt.

For some reason though, instead of teasing me further, a beaming smile appeared on my aunt's face.

"You really have changed, Marina… To think that the bratty princess I once knew would become such a considerate and kind young lady. I guess I should thank your little beloved for such a drastic change.” My aunt’s words were filled with warmth and affection. “I’m proud of you, Marina.” She said.

I was taken aback by the suddenness of her words, but I knew that I couldn’t deny the fact that I was happy to hear those words and also that I had changed thanks to Julius.

He was the first to treat me as an equal and a friend. The first to see me as I was and not the future empress. He didn’t seek retribution when my aunt and I were completely unreasonable and tried to uproot his life and he also didn’t seek any personal gain when he asked to be my friend. He just wanted to be my friend in spite of what we had done.

It is due to his kindness and his friendly personality that I became the person I am today. Because of that, he will be the one I love until the end of my days. Thus, it is only natural that I would do anything to help him. 

For him that humbled me and gave me friends and people that I could trust other than my family, I will be forever grateful.

“You said that this would help Julius… In what way? Is it really that important that it cannot wait?” I decided to change the topic, but I couldn’t hide the smile on my face.

“Changing the topic huh? I guess you’re too cool to tell your aunt that you love her. Oh, wait… You did it before, so I guess it is fine,” My aunt shook her head with amusement. “We have already reached our destination.” She said while illuminating the path ahead.

The light my aunt was using to illuminate our path soon flew from her finger forward. In less than a second, it reached the end of the long corridor. In there, there was a small circular room with a pedestal in the middle. On the pedestal, there were three books that looked very ancient yet well preserved.

Other than the pedestal, the room was practically devoid of furniture or things of value.

“So you brought me to this dark place to read? I mean, I’ll do it if it is for the sake of helping Julius, but I have the feeling that there’s more to this than what I can gather.”  I asked my aunt.

“Indeed. This is also for your sake too. And for the sake of the people of the Empire as well, not just your beloved Julius. Nay, this is destiny beckoning us.” She spoke in a rather cryptic manner.

“Destiny, you say… I would like you to not speak in such a cryptic way, please.” I complained a little as I decided to walk toward the pedestal. “So, if the destinies of the people of Marcel and Julius as well as my own are at stake, what should I expect from these books?” I inquired while looking down at the three ancient books before making eye contact with my aunt.

“The absolute truth.” She replied. “I cannot say much as I am bound by magic to keep the secrets of those diaries hidden, but I can only tell you that those diaries belong to Lady Marenna, our ancestor.” She revealed something a little shocking.

Diaries left behind by Lady Marenna… Even after thousands of years, they are so well preserved… These are national treasures! 

And also, considering that we came through a passage hidden behind the statue of Lady Marenna in crypts, the fact that these diaries were left behind by her is not that shocking. What is shocking is the fact that they haven’t been discovered until now.

“I see… Then where should I begin?” I asked my aunt.

“Start from the book on the left and finish with the book on the right. I left them exactly as they were meant to be read after I finished reading them myself.” My aunt explained.

“Understood. I’ll start now.” With an understanding nod, I picked the book on the left just as I was instructed and opened the first page. The characteristic smell of an old book soon reached my nostrils,

“Before you actually begin reading, I want you to actually understand one thing…” My aunt stopped in the middle of her sentence. “There’s no physical proof for the shocking claims made in those diaries, but I can assure you that what’s written in there is the truth. Once you reach your own conclusions here, you will find your destiny, Marina.” She spoke rather cryptically again.

I simply nodded in response to her words as I was already submerged in my reading. I have always been a fast reader, so in less than half an hour, I had finished the first and the second diaries of Marenna. After finishing both books, I was faced with the truths that my aunt was speaking of.

The origin of our Empire… The country that my family was so proud of… The victory against the Demon King… Were all lies. Carefully constructed lies by our ancestors for the sake of fulfilling a dream. 

A dream of peace. 

The Saintess Marenna, the Hero Rokkshar and their companions were taken in as adoptive children of the demon king and raised by him as if they were his own. A loving father who had lost his actual children to horrors of war. A person who refused to use his own power to stop the war for fear that his power would destroy the continent.

The whole idea of Rokkshar becoming a hero and Marenna a saint was an idea of the Demon King. He gave them a part of his power for the sake of their mission and made them travel far and wide to gain the recognition of the many tribes of Hresviae.

Their mission? To gather an army to slay the Demon King, their father, and form a great nation that would keep the peace on the continent from then onward.

Naturally, I was speechless by the contents of both books. I couldn’t help but stare at my aunt with my mouth agape. It took me a while to regain my composure and be able to speak.

“Aunt… Pardon my crudeness, but I must say… What the fuck?” I expressed my disbelief in a rather unbefitting manner for a princess.

“Pretty astonishing, right?” My aunt nodded with both amusement and understanding. “I believe that you understand the implications of what’s written in the book.” She said while patting my shoulder.

“These books… They could cause the end of the Empire! If the people were to know that everything they knew about our history was a lie and that Rokkshar and Marenna were the adoptive children of the Demon King, then they would surely revolt! The nobles would tear this country apart!” I explained my conclusions.

“I am not talking about that. The people and the nobles will never know about this. They don’t need to. We are trying to keep the peace, and also as you read, these diaries are for the eyes of the Songs of Rokkshar only.” My aunt said. “I meant the OTHER implications.” She was rather blunt with her insinuations.

I fell silent due to her words. I couldn't think of anything bigger than the potential fall of the Empire…

"Marina, just think deeply about it for a moment. What does Julius have in common with the Demon King?" My aunt asked me

"Ah… Wait…" I was immediately reminded of the contents of one of the books. "It can't be possible… Right? It must be a coincidence, right?" I stared at my aunt with disbelief.

In the books, the Demon King, the man who adopted Rokkshar and Marenna, had bright silver hair and a pair of silver colored eyes. That is the same rare eye color that Julius acquired during his match with Alberis after he went berserk.…

"I don't think it is, Marina. Your beloved Julius is a direct descendant of the Demon King, a member of the demonic royal family, which means that he is a prince with the same standing as you." My aunt explained her conclusions.

"Julius… A demon prince? I see…" Those words were the only ones I was able to speak in this situation.

I was suddenly taken over by a sense of pure joy since I was finally able to understand the meaning behind Julius's actions.

All this time… If you were a prince just like I am a princess, then that means that you always understood me…. You treated me as an equal because you knew we were equal even though you had no power in this foreign land…

In spite of our families and races supposedly being mortal enemies, you chose to befriend me…

You were always sincere with me with your desire to be my friend…

…

…

…

I don't think I can stand it anymore after this… The desire to see you smiling at me again. Please wake up soon, I need to see you...

"Well, well, well… Look at you all getting all flushed and smiling from ear to ear. Are you happy to hear that Julius has the same standing as you? I thought you would be scared to hear that he is a demon.” My aunt asked.

"No. Well, a part of me is happy that we are similar to each other, but what makes me happy is a completely different thing." I clarified. "He chose to be my friend despite who I was and the potential danger that our friendship would entail toward him… After considering that, there’s no way that I could ever be scared of Julius. If I'm honest with you, I want to rush out of here and be with him right now. I would like to repay him for his kindness, but I can't think of anything other than offering my heart to him…" I was sincere to my aunt about my desire.

Despite my honest desire, my aunt and my mother failed to convince my father about allowing me to marry Julius. 

He didn't forbid me from having him as a friend or taking him as a concubine, but he would never allow me to marry Julius no matter what. His words enraged me beyond words and we are currently not speaking because of that situation.

But now that I know the contents of these diaries, things are different… 

A marriage between Julius and I is not only ideal, but a necessity toward the Empire. He is the direct descendant of the infamous Demon King, the man who I know that raised my ancestors and devised the Marcelian Empire as an instrument of peace.

This could be the key to reconciling all the species of Hresviae with the Demons and the Dark Races. We could bring the peace that the Demon King Bass and my ancestors once dreamed of.

But more important than that, is the fact that Julius is the only one for me. Despite the danger it meant for him if his identity was found out, he chose to be there for me as my friend… As I said, there’s nothing more I could think of to repay him other than giving him all of me. My heart, my soul, my devotion and everything else…

In my eyes, there’s no one else other than my Julius who is worthy of that, but I do not know if I am worthy of him… After all, he has given me so much and I have given so little in return…

"I thought you would say that.” My aunt smirked. “I also know that you would even throw your position away for him, but I can't allow that. That would threaten Marenna's vision of the future, you see?" My aunt said with a serious expression.

"A vision of the future from Lady Marenna? What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked my aunt.

“Just read the final diary if you are so curious, young lady.” She beckoned me with her gaze to pick up the final book.

With a nod, I agreed and went to pick up the last diary that Lady Marenna left behind. As soon as I touched the ancient book, an unbelievable power coursed through my body and the scenery around me changed.

Instead of the dark and empty circular room, I was suddenly brought to a somewhat luxurious office. This office reminded me of my father’s, yet it wasn't as luxurious. There were books and scrolls scattered all over the floor, most of them filled with numbers and others with magical equations. The smell of ink invaded my nostrils as I saw a small pool of the black substance near the large wooden desk in front of me.

Through the window behind the desk, I could see a small city below followed by plains spanning as far as my eyes could see. For some reason, the atmosphere around the town was similar to my home city, the capital city Mutm.

“So how do you like it? This is the capital in the distant past when it was just a small and growing town. It is not the same as the bustling city you know, but it is still beautiful, is it not?” I heard a woman’s voice speaking to me from behind.

As I turned around to face the unknown woman, I was left speechless and mesmerized…

“Did the cat get your tongue, young lady? It is rude to stare like that.” The woman smiled at me with amusement. “To think that you and Eliana would make the same expression. Like aunt, like niece, I suppose.” The woman giggled.

“Who… Who are you? Where… Where am I?” In my confusion, those were the only questions I could ask. My mind was too preoccupied by the sudden appearance of the gorgeous woman.

“Me? I believe that you should know that already.” The woman seemed even more amused than before. “But very well, it is also rude not to introduce oneself when meeting someone new. My name is Marenna, pleased to make your acquaintance, my lovely descendant.” The woman smiled at me before bowing and introducing herself as the Saintess Marenna.

I was obviously shocked by the words of the woman. A part of me wanted to deny her words and label her as madwoman due to her pure disrespect toward my ancestor by posing as her, yet I knew I couldn’t do so.

I couldn’t do it because I could see the resemblance the woman bore compared to me and other members of my family. I could feel a connection between us… Almost as if my own blood was telling that the woman was speaking the truth.

The woman in question was very tall, she was surely around 1.80 meters tall. She had long and curly white hair and a pair of beautiful blue eyes just like mine. Her facial features were simply divine. With her soft and thin lips, her small nose and her gentle eyes, I thought that I was in the presence of a goddess.

She wore a pure white dress adorned with gold and silver motifs as well as an ancient version of the crest of the royal family on the right sleeve.

I simply couldn't stop myself from staring at the beautiful woman. The way she carried herself and her posture exuded an air of elegance and dignity that I couldn't hope to match even with my education as a royal. But more than that, what really drove me to stare at her was the kind motherly aura around her. She reminded me of my own mother…

This woman was Lady Marenna in the flesh. My own ancestor and the wife of the Hero Rokkshar.

"My apologies for my rudeness, Lady Marenna! My name is Marina Arenela Marcel! I'm grateful to be able to meet such an esteemed person such as yourself!" Following her example, I decided to introduce myself but I panicked and ended up shouting awkwardly as I bowed my head.

"Pfft!" Lady Marenna quickly chuckled due to my poor performance.

It is needless to say that I was embarrassed beyond belief to have an important ancestor of my family witness my shortcomings as a princess. My pride had taken a huge hit.

"As I thought, you acted exactly like your aunt. You two are very funny, Marina." Marenna said with a giggle while patting my head. "I already knew who you were, so there was no need to introduce yourself. There is also no need to treat me with such respect. You may consider me a saint in your time, but in mine, I'm nothing but a simple priestess." She spoke to me with kindness.

As much as I wanted to refuse not treating her respectfully, I was quick to realize that she wouldn't allow me to do so the moment her gentle eyes were focused on me.

"If that is what you wish for Lady Marenna then I shall oblige." I agreed to her words and tried not to freak out about meeting such an important ancestor.

"Marina… That's not good enough. You're still too polite. Please treat me as you would a friend. No, please treat me as you would treat your mother. I'm your ancestor after all." Lady Marenna's eyes were sparkling as she made her request.

"I… I'll try my best…" I mumbled with disbelief.

"Good! Now let's take a seat and have some tea! You surely have a lot of questions and I have a lot to tell you, but time is of the essence, so let us begin at once." Lady Marenna spoke with urgency.

She hurriedly grabbed me by the hand and brought me to a sofa in the corner of the room. It was a simple piece of furniture, but the white sofa was unbelievably comfortable. 

In front of the sofa, there was a small table with all the necessary preparations to have a wonderful tea time, which included various pastries and several sets of plates and cups as well as concoctions of leaves of seemingly excellent quality.

"Please sit tight while I serve the tea, okay? I'll prepare my personal favorite, so I hope it is to your liking!" Lady Marenna spoke with excitement as she began to pour the tea in two of the cups.

"Umm… Lady Marenna… I'm confused… Is this really happening? This is not some sort of dream, right?" I asked my ancestor. "Just moments ago, I was in the crypts with my aunt reading your diaries…" I spoke with confusion.

The shock of meeting Lady Marenna was too much for me. I wasn't able to think how something like this was even possible considering that Lady Marenna lived two thousand years in the distant past.

"That is a pretty simple question. You picked up my final diary and then appeared here in my office, no?" She asked while pouring some sugar into the tea. "You like it with four spoonfuls of sugar, right? It seems like you have the same sweet tooth as me. That makes me a little happy." She smiled as she asked an unrelated question.

I simply nodded to answer both of her questions.

"You see, I enchanted the last diary with a Time Magic spell. Its purpose was to create a temporary distortion in space-time to temporarily transport whoever held the diary to this era in which my husband and I ruled the Empire. This spell was set to work only on certain individuals, so as you can imagine, I was already expecting you to come." Marina explained as she slid the cup of tea toward me.

Time Magic…? Was Lady Marenna always able to use this kind of power? It should not be possible… The only one who can manipulate time is the God of Time and Space himself… I only heard that Lady Marenna had supremely powerful healing magic and the gift of prophecy, which is why she is considered a saint.

But if she used time magic, then this means that I am presently in the past and interacting with the real Lady Marenna…

I was barely able to prevent myself from fainting due to the huge realization I had…

"You must be wondering how am I capable of such a feat, right?" Lady Marenna asked with a proud smirk.

I once again nodded to reply.

"It is all thanks to the power that my Daddy granted me." Her prideful smile became even wider as she puffed her chest.

Daddy? Did she just say daddy? She's not talking about the Demon King, is she? In her diaries, she explained that she was close to her adoptive father, but this much is…

"Hehehehe! My daddy was the greatest in the world! Nothing could stand in the way of his all powerful magic and his skills with the sword! He was always so caring, smart and gentle, but he would get really gloomy whenever he was left alone… He was a saint of a man and whoever says otherwise is a moron! There was no greater man in this world!" Lady Marenna began to ramble fervently about her adoptive father.

Naturally, I was utterly taken aback by the words that had left her lips… My shock was evident. Saint Marenna, who I admired so much, was a complete daddy's girl… The image I had of such an esteemed personage, quickly crumbled into dust.

"Ah! Sorry! It must be shocking to hear me talk so warmly about my father considering the vile lies we had to tell in order to make his plan into a reality…" Lady Marenna spoke with sadness as she apologized. "Stupid daddy… Why did you need to make yourself the enemy of the whole world? Even though you could have ended the war singlehandedly..." Her sadness and disappointment grew even more.

"It's okay, Lady Marenna… It was really shocking, especially considering that we have always been told that the Demon King, the demons and the dark races were the enemies of humanity. I don't think it is bad that you want to say good things about the man who raised you. It is just a little surprising…" I smiled awkwardly.

In a way, I could understand her since I also loved my dad in spite of the argument that made us give the silent treatment to one another.

"You're taking this a whole lot better than Eliana did… Is it because the boy you like is a demon as well as my father's direct descendant?" Lady Marenna asked with a playful grin.

With those words alone, Lady Marenna had confirmed the suspicions that my aunt and I had.

"Frankly, I'm still trying to process the fact." I said before drinking the tea she had served me. It was delicious. "So, he really is a prince, after all…" I said while placing my hand on my chest. 

I didn't know what to do to calm my beating heart. My heart would always start beating wildly whenever I thought of that black haired boy without exception.

"He definitely is." Lady Marenna nodded. "The two of you seem quite close, aren't you?" She asked with an even bigger grin.

"That's what I would like to believe… I consider him my best friend." I said bashfully.

"But you'd like to be more than that. You'd like to marry him. Am I wrong?" Lady Marenna had a huge teasing smile on her face.

"No, you're not wrong…" I couldn't deny it. I responded quickly and hid my shame by drinking the wonderful tea in front of me.

"Then you just need to demonstrate what you feel for him as soon as you see him again and I can say with a hundred percent certainty that you two will get married. I have the gift of prophecy, after all." She playfully winked at me.

"Please don't mess with me like that… My father will never allow that and I'm not completely sure he feels the same about me…" I replied.

"I am not messing with you and I am also aware of your father's thoughts on the matter. However, wouldn't you trust the words of this old lady? Even though I'm giving you confirmation that you will get a happy ever after…" Lady Marenna seemed a little troubled. "Look, I'll even tell you what to do. You're not using the tower that my husband built as our quarters in the future, right? Take him there. No one will interrupt you. Give him a kiss and a gift of your choice. That way, you will be able to claim his heart." She explained a somewhat elaborate plan.

Take Julius to the Tower of Heroes and kiss him…? isn't that a little embarrassing and too sudden?

"Jeez, you're like an open book. I can see your worries all written on your face." Lady Marenna spoke with mild annoyance. "There are several girls that have gotten ahead of you already. Don't embarrass the family and hide your feelings away due to your dumbass of a father. If you do what I'm telling you, I can guarantee that you and Julius will be married, though it will not happen for some time." She explained as she tried to encourage me.

For a moment, I fell deep into thought. While her plan was a little embarrassing, she wasn't wrong about the fact that other girls had gotten ahead of me during the tournament… The Oriana sisters, Neris, Zoe Smotia, Myria Estner… Was I really alright with letting even more girls approach him in a romantic way before I could do so?

The answer was obvious. I was not fine with it.

"If I follow your prophecy and take him to the tower, will Julius really fall for me?" I asked.

"Without a doubt! You are a descendant of mine after all!" Lady Marenna struck a seductive pose. "Speaking of prophecy, I believe it is time that I tell you the real reason why you're here before the spell runs out." Her tone immediately changed and became more serious.

I gulped hard. I was happy knowing that I was going to succeed in my romantic endeavors, but I was extremely curious about her reason to summon me here to the past.

"I'll be blunt Marina, the Marcelian Empire is going to fall." She said without even batting an eye.

"Ehh? Our country is going to fall? How?! Why?!" I rose from my seat with shock on my face.

"Sit down, Marina. I know it must be shocking to hear, but we were already prepared for such a possibility from the start." She explained. "There's no doubt about this, the Empire will fall and you will become its last Empress." Lady Marenna was being completely serious.

"I will be the last Empress… No way…" I sank into my seat as soon as I heard her words.

"Indeed. The empire will fall during a War of Heroes. Dozens upon dozens of heroes from other worlds will be summoned by all the countries of Hresviae without a care, thus initiating the war that will put to an end the peace that my husband, my companions and I brought to the continent." Lady Marenna was very blunt with her explanation.

"Heroes from another world…? Wait! That is simply impossible! The gods granted our family the secrets of hero summoning! Only a select few members of the royal family know about the secrets of the ritual! If such a secret is leaked it means that someone betrayed us!" I was very alarmed and disturbed.

"Indeed. But there is no mistake, the secret of hero summoning will be shared with the other nations, thus making them summon heroes of their own. Such will be the end of our peace." Lady Marenna spoke with increasing seriousness. "The one who will share this secret will be the God of Deceit, the mastermind behind the War of Heroes." 

"A god…? A god will cause this war… For what purpose?! Lord Melius would never allow such a thing to happen, right?" I was in denial after hearing her words.

"My sweet child, Lord Melius, the God of Light and Creation has been sealed for a long time. The one you know is nothing but an imposter. The same god that is trying to engulf the world in such an unprecedented war." Lady Marenna revealed something even more shocking.

"Lord Melius was sealed… This can't be… How did that even happen? Why has no one realized this…?" I asked with great shock.

"Lady Lia and my father did. Most gods know about this. Why do you think Lady Lia hid herself along with the demons and the dark races?" Lady Marenna answered my question with another question.

Needless to say, I was more than shocked. Several truths had been revealed to me today and I didn't have enough time to process them…

"The time for your questions is over. The spell that binds you here will soon end. It is imperative that you listen to me carefully, Marina." Lady Marenna said while looking straight into my eyes.

Since I was still speechless from the question from before, I just nodded understandingly.

"The reason why I help you to get together with your beloved Julius is that he will be the next Demon King. The Demon King of Salvation, the one who shall put an end to the war and the machinations of the evil God of Deceit." Lady Marenna explained. "But do not think for a moment that victory is a certainty. It is precisely because of Julius's existence as a demon that the other countries will justify the hero summoning and the war." She warned me.

Julius will stop the war… I can see something like that happening, but… Wouldn't it be possible to stop it before anything happens?

"I know what you're thinking, child. There's nothing you can do to stop the war. I warned Eliana and I shall warn you as well… As long as the God of Deceit exists, this war will happen." Lady Marenna had once again read me like an open book. "You presently lack the power to face a god and his whims." She shook her head.

There's nothing I can do… I feel useless… The world will be plunged into war and I can't stop it…

"Eight years from now in your time… In eight years, a great tragedy will occur and Julius will fully awaken his royal blood as a True Demon." She explained. "I cannot see the extent of the tragedy in question, but I can see its effects… I can see his suffering… And I can see pure destruction." Lady Marenna closed her eyes while having a pained expression.

A tragedy will befall Julius? I simply cannot allow that to happen! I must warn him before such a thing comes to pass!

"You will not do such a thing. If you do, the possibility that the future I witnessed is altered to our disadvantage is great. I cannot allow you to talk about this to others before the time is right." Once more, Lady Marenna seemed capable of reading my thoughts. She quickly rejected what I planned to do.

"So you're telling me to allow my beloved to suffer? Even though I could prevent it by acting now?" I asked with some scorn.

"I am. After all, not only you preventing this tragedy could make our chances of victory slim, but also could make a bigger tragedy to befall him. Do you understand this Marina?" She asked.

"It can't be… Julius will suffer if I act, he will suffer if I don't… This is not fair…" I mumbled as I sank deeper into my seat. My shock was washed away by sadness and guilt.

"Life seldom is, my dear. That I know too well" Lady Marenna began patting my head. "I'm deeply sorry for putting you into this position, but this is your mission as my descendant. When the time comes, you will have to support your beloved with all of your might while our country crumbles to dust. That is the only way for us to achieve victory against the divine." She was trying her hardest to comfort me.

"I understand… I do not like it at all… I don't like the fact that Julius will have to suffer… I know that he will surely hate me for it… But if there's no other way as you say, then I shall comply. I will do my utmost to support him in the face of this tragedy and the war. Even if he despises me after he finds out that I knew about such a thing…" I quickly gave up and reluctantly accepted my role. My heart felt incredibly burdened by the task.

“In that case you may blame me.” Lady Marenna said as she filled her hand with mana. In the blink of an eye, I felt the incredible power of my ancestor course through my body. 

“W-What did you do?” I stuttered.

“I have placed a curse on you, Marina. You shall be unable to speak to anyone about the contents of my diaries and what transpired afterwards. With this spell, not even the gods shall be able to look for them in your memories. This information shall remain hidden until the time is right…” She looked at me with an incredibly saddened expression.

“I see…” I mumbled. “Are you certain that we have to hide it? Julius is very sharp and he is the apostle of the Goddess of Knowledge. With their help there could be a way to prevent the tragedy and fulfill your prophecy!” I spoke with mild desperation even though I knew by her expression that it was futile.

“There isn’t a way to evade the tragedy. It is inevitable. There are things that cannot be prevented no matter how hard you try. That is the way for us humans… To be bound by fate.” Lady Marenna quickly brought me into her arms, hugging me tightly “Time is almost up, Marina. Please listen to the remaining words of my prophecy.” She said as she held me in her embrace.

I silently nodded since I could feel the seriousness in her words.

“Eight years from now on a tranquil night, the moons of Unitya shall turn a bright scarlet after witnessing a tragedy. 

When the color red dyes the moons above the raging fires below on the earth, darkness shall follow. Every form of light will be extinguished in its wake, allowing the night to rule without opposition. 

From that darkness, the one to be the savior will have his awakening, the power of the True Demons of old. A demon of royal blood descending directly from the first Demon King. That shall be the awakening of the Demon King who will bring salvation… 

With light extinguished and the future Demon King’s power awakened, quakes will shake the entire world of Unitya. The deceitful god will cackle madly with amusement before using the authority of the God of Light to send word to the Holy Church. 

A Demon has appeared… 

That will be his message for the heroes to be summoned all over the world. The stage for the War of Heroes will steadily be prepared while the King of Salvation allows dawn to bathe the world with light once more. After the tragedy, the King stands unbroken, bowing vengeance against the deceitful god once more.” I made sure to listen carefully to each of Lady Marenna’s words. She spoke with Serenity and great urgency while explaining her prophecy.

“Is that it? Is that the whole prophecy?” I asked with as much seriousness as I could muster..

“No. There’s still a bit more…” Lady Marenna shook her head. “When the heroes of other worlds arise in Unitya, it will mark the end of the long rule of Marcel. From the ashes of the Marcelian Empire, the Last Empress Marina Aranela Marcel and the Savior Demon King Julius Navar shall form a great nation, capable of crushing the deceitful god and his allies. Should they prove successful in this quest, their holy union will give birth to the dream a great king of the past once had… Peace. Peace between the light and the darkness. Peace between demons and mankind. An era of prosperity will come shall they prove victorious.” Lady Marenna finished her tale with a heavy sigh.

I was left speechless by the fact that I was mentioned directly in her prophecy. But… I finally understood why my aunt had brought me to the crypts. She knew about my destiny and wanted me to find out about it too.

“What happens from here onwards is unclear. The details are unclear. Victory is almost assured, yet it doesn’t feel like it. It is such an ominous feeling, so be careful my descendant.” Lady Marenna said with a troubled expression. “But I cannot meddle anymore than this. Those were my father’s orders, and I have fulfilled them. I have told my descendants everything they needed to know.” Lady Marenna soon stopped hugging me before standing up and walking toward the window.

“This was an order from the Demon King Bass?” I asked.

“In part. He gave me his power of prophecy and time manipulation after he told me to do whatever necessary to ensure peace. But he  alsotold me not to meddle with the future too much, as it would threaten his vision. This is me fulfilling my final promise with my father.” Her words were filled with heartbreaking sadness. “I’m sorry that this is all I can give you, Marina. I only gave you bitter news and the shock of a lifetime. And you in turn have already given me so much…” Lady Marenna suddenly turned around to face me with tears in her eyes.

“Lady Marenna… I haven’t given you anything… I haven’t done anything for you who is looking out for us in the future…” I tried to deny her words to make her stop crying, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“You’re wrong, Marina. You have given me everything I wanted.” She said. “Your existence is a blessing. I couldn’t be happier to have such a wonderful descendant.” A soft smile appeared on the woman’s face. “I shall be forever grateful for you to share the same name as my eldest daughter.” She said while staring outside the window with a complicated expression.

On her beautiful face, there was a mix of relief and sadness, anger and pride, anxiety and hope… It was the first time I had seen such an expression on someone.

A part of me was happy to be complimented by such an esteemed ancestor, yet… I couldn’t bring myself to show it. I wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine in the future, but I knew that even with her prophecy, I couldn’t be sure if we would act as she had foreseen… Perhaps this meeting with me had already altered her vision of the future…

“Do not be afraid, child. I know that you will accomplish your purpose and your duties. You’re blood of my blood, even if it has been thinned over several millennia.” Lady Marenna smiled at me one last time. “Though, I’m afraid this is goodbye, Marina. It was the greatest of pleasures to meet someone like you.” She spoke with kindness as she bid me farewell.

As soon as those words left her lips, my vision rapidly became blurry. I couldn’t utter a single word. Everything around me began to spin uncontrollably as well… Just like that, I had lost consciousness.

“You’re the culmination of our hopes, Marina. Achieve the peace that my father witnessed and… Live a happy life in a peaceful world.” 

Those were the last words I heard from my honorable ancestor before my consciousness completely faded away.

—Eliana’s POV—

Tonight was a very important night. The night where my nieces would inherit my power as well as the night where I would meet my end.

I had carried Marina from the crypts to another important location beneath the castle, way deeper than the crypts were. My niece was still unconscious, she had just returned from meeting with Lady Marenna, one of our ancestors.

This room was a gigantic heptagon. The room was very special as its purpose was to be exclusively used for two rituals. The ritual to summon Heroes of other worlds and the ritual to pass down the power of our ancestors.

Now, Marina was lying on top of a magic circle along with all of her younger sisters, who had all been given a sleeping potion in anticipation for this ritual. The girls were laying from oldest to youngest, Marina was at the top of the circle while her baby sister, Rose, was by her left. The second oldest, Aira, laid at Marina's right.

"Are you prepared, older sister?" My brother, Greyfus, asked with great sadness in his voice.

"Not really. No. No one is ready to die, but let's get this over with… I have caused enough heartbreak to my loved ones." I said after letting out a sigh.

I immediately stepped into the center of the magic circle and prepared my dagger. For the sake of my nueces inheriting my power, the power of the first Demon King, I would have to offer my blood as a sacrifice. This ritual was the only reason why these powers were still ours in spite of  the thousands of years since the deaths of our ancestors.

"Do you have any last words for me to relay to your nieces?" My brother said.

"None." I said as I stared at each of my nieces.

I had made sure to spend quality time with each and every single one of them today. After all, this would be the last time we would see each other, at least until they themselves went to meet the Goddess of Death.

Better put an end to this before their sleeping faces make me change my mind… I shall fulfill my duties to the bitter end.

"This is goodbye, Greyfus. I wish I had other encouraging words to tell you, but do your best. I'm gonna go and meet our sisters now." I smiled bitterly at my brother as I pressed the dagger against my neck.

"Wait, sister! I have something to tell you!" My brother suddenly stopped me.

"What? Are you going to get emotional again? I know this is sad, but get a grip. You're the Emperor of Marcel." I scolded him with some amusement.

"No… I have already come to terms with this." He quickly shook his head. "I suppose it is better than I show you. It will be quicker to explain." He said before snapping his fingers.

As soon as he did that, the enormous room was illuminated by light magic. I was left speechless by what I saw…

A few meters away there was a mysterious platform that I hadn't seen before the last time I came to this room when my sisters and I inherited my powers…

In said platform, there was a magic circle of incredible proportions. It was absolutely humongous…

"Greyfus… Is that what I think it is?" I asked with shock.

"Yes. That is the magic circle used to summon the Heroes." He replied affirmatively and confirmed my suspicions.

"But… It shouldn't be that big… What the hell is up with that magic circle?!" I asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"I will have to be honest, sister. I found a way to bypass the limits of the normal ritual." Greyfus said with a serious expression. "Instead of one or two heroes, now we can summon a hundred of them if we so wish." He explained.

"A hundred…? Greyfus, are you insane? The mana required for that to be accomplished would be just too much for anyone in this world! That's a feat only the gods could achieve." I was very skeptical.

"I once thought that too, but in order for my ambitions to become a reality, I needed to break the limits and the expectations of what was thought possible. This is the result of my efforts." Greyfus spoke calmly.

"You're not lying… You really achieved such a thing…" I was completely taken aback even though I already knew it was possible due to the prophesy. "But why would you even need so many heroes?! The power of one or two is already enough to conquer a whole country! What are you even planning, Greyfus?" I protested while thoroughly enraged.

"To put it simply, I intended to use as many heroes as I can for the simple purpose of restoring the former glory of our country. Don't you think it is time for us to unite Hresviae under the same flag once more?" He looked at me and showed me an ambitious smile filled with confidence.

From those words alone, it was clear to me at that moment… The reason why Lady Marenna said I would be unable to stop the War of Heroes from happening is due to my brother being one of the causes behind it.

"Greyfus… For how long have you been planning to do this behind my back?" I asked my brother with a serious look on my face.

"For how long? Who knows. I don't particularly remember when I actually started research to improve the ritual to summon the Heroes, but I know that I've had this ambition for as long as I have lived." He said while shaking his head. "After all, who else other than me could unite the Empire once more and make it greater than it once was? I'm the only one who can do it, so it must be done. I shall bring back the lost glory and territory that once belonged to our family." Greyfus smiled once more.

"I see…" I said.

As I thought… My brother has fully lost his mind…

"And now, combined with the threat you spoke of, I have all the more reasons to summon the heroes." He spoke with confidence. "Though, it will still take some time before we are able to summon all of those heroes. This magic circle requires a very specific component to work, but it is only a matter of time before we get what we need… Soon, the world will know of the might of the Marcelian Empire once again!" My brother spoke with deranged fervor.

"I see…" I replied the same thing again.

This is such a bad joke, Lady Marenna… You knew my brother would cause the war and you didn't say anything…

As I stared back and forth between the dagger that was supposed to take my life and my brother, a perilous thought came to my mind…

It would be so easy to cut off his neck even with this miserable dagger. One quick slash and he would be dead and his ambitions would die with him, yet… 

I can't do it… I can't kill my little brother… The mere idea of that just makes me sick…

I see… So that's how it is… It seems I am a coward. A selfish coward who would choose family over the greater good. A coward who would entrust everything to her niece and a little boy…

Sorry Marina… Sorry Julius… It seems I will actually have to leave everything in your hands...

"Very well. I wish you luck with your ambitions, brother." I spoke with disgust. Disgust toward my inability to do anything in this situation. "Farewell." I quickly accepted my end as I used my dagger to cut off my wrist without waiting for an answer.

Soon, blood started pouring down to the magic circle below, igniting it with power. A powerful light coming from the magic circle then engulfed the room…

I could only stare at my brother with sadness and disappointment. That disappointment was mostly toward myself.

As the magic circle below greedily drank my blood and sucked my life away, my memories began to flash before my eyes until I had a simple realization.

I truly am a coward… I decided to escape again. Just like I did with Marie, I once again took the easiest route… I never thought I was this cowardly...

During my final moments, I couldn't help but chuckle due to the situation at hand and the absurdity of it all.

"My nieces. Accept this power and grow strong. Use this power to fight for what you believe and for peace." Those were my final words as my consciousness began to slip away.

Today was the day that Eliana Rilaes Marcel met her end. It was finally the time for me to face the Goddess of Death.

Chapter 88: Saint Marenna.

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! How are y'all doing? Author here, back with a new chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one despite my busy schedule. Can't believe that we are so close to 2024 now... I'm beginning to feel old. I've been having a hard time at my job because of long shifts and the customers, but it is nothing major fortunately. I'm hoping to change my job at the beginning of the year while I prepare for the uni entrance exam. Also, my love life is pretty much in shambles, but that's just like usual.

As for the chapter itself, I don't know but I really enjoyed including Marenna in the story. Who knows? Perhaps she will return in the future? Perhaps Julius will find that diary and meet her in person. We will see.

For now, I'm happy that you guys are always reading my stuff. Thank you!

As usual, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Don't forget to join the discord: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR