Chapter 70 Chapter 70: The Self-Righteous
Chapter 70: The Self-Righteous "Savior"
'When dawn breaks, the Guardian must be like a shining star, illuminating the people's path.'
'When night falls, the Guardian must be like a warm hearth, comforting the people's hearts.'
It is well known that the successor to the 'Supreme Guardian' of Belobog has always been selected from among all children of appropriate age. This has been the case for seven hundred years, from beginning to end. Even though the political situation has often been turbulent, this most fundamental method has never been changed.
To uphold and follow the unwritten rule passed down since the time of the first Alisa Rand, and also to prevent political turmoil, no 'Supreme Guardian' has ever chosen to have a partner. Even adopted daughters are only taken in from among the successors who emerge from the selection process.
Just as Cocolia is not actually Bronya's biological mother, she too was adopted as a daughter by the previous 'Supreme Guardian' after successfully becoming the successor... And these two sentences are the faith that every mother teaches her daughter, which must be upheld.
Once, Cocolia also regarded them as treasures, as her own faith... until the despair of the Fragmentum gradually spread into Belobog; until the Stellaron's corruption twisted her will bit by bit.
In truth, she never had a better choice from start to finish... The Belobog her mother handed over to her was already so broken and despairing. How could she then pass on an even more hopeless reality to her own daughter?
During the Stellaron's erosion of her spirit, human emotion also once gained the upper hand—as long as Bronya could lead a part of the Silvermane Guards into the sealed Underworld, then even if everything she did failed completely, even if the Overworld was completely ravaged by ice and monsters, this world would still have hope, and her daughter would still have hope.
But Bronya gave up on that ending. She wanted to reclaim her mother from the abyss together with the outsiders... But Cocolia was already beyond cure. Her appearance and rebellion could only push her into an even darker abyss...
But at the very least, Bronya truly succeeded. She will lead the people of Belobog towards a brighter future.
Cocolia originally only wanted to slowly retrace her sins in this ocean of consciousness, waiting for her remaining will to scatter with the wind. But then that man miraculously appeared before her.
"You have failed, self-righteous 'savior'—"
"So now, survival or destruction, choose."
No one ever gave Cocolia a choice. Even the Stellaron merely forced her onto a path that inevitably led to ruin.
Yet faced with this choice that seemed to be appearing before her for the first time, Cocolia only smiled mockingly: "If I had realized sooner that even the Stellaron was no match for you at all, perhaps the outcome could have been different. But now... have you come simply to mock me?"
"Look at this place, this grand and splendid hall of consciousness... Even the wills of those past generations of 'Supreme Guardians' are unwilling to accept me, a betrayer of faith. They successfully stand atop the moral high ground, while I am merely a remnant soul that could dissipate at any moment..."
"But I still don't think I've lost. Under Bronya's leadership, Belobog will eventually move towards revival... At least in raising a daughter, I succeeded far more than they did, didn't I?"
Perhaps Cocolia wasn't just putting on a brave face. She might genuinely believe it would be a good thing if Bronya could lead Belobog towards a better future, even at the cost of her own failure and likely eternal infamy.
"Clearly, these matters are not within my purview. I came here solely to fulfill my initial promise and present you with these two choices."
No ridicule, and certainly no arrogant condescension. Kevin's consistently calm tone from start to finish indeed seemed to indicate he came only for this purpose.
"..."
Upon realizing this fact, Cocolia suddenly fell silent. Her previously high-spirited tone vanished. The low, hoarse voice now seemed more fitting for her current state: "What? Can you truly bring the dead back to life?"
"The real Cocolia is already long dead. What remains here is merely a wisp of consciousness about to scatter, capable only of endlessly reviewing the sins I have committed."
Even though Belobog has finally welcomed a bright future now, she ultimately caused the deaths of countless Silvermane Guards who shouldered their beliefs to protect their homeland. She betrayed her best friend and her daughter, and was betrayed by the people who believed in her.
From any perspective, she is nothing but a complete villain and failure.
"So, can mere reflection absolve you of your sins?" Kevin countered.
"Even if the planet's cold wave eventually melts with time, the Fragmentum that has eaten into its bones will not simply disappear... And compared to the countless dangers that may exist in the universe, this nascent civilization is even more fragile."
"You never know which will arrive first: accident or tomorrow."
No matter when or where, preparing for rainy days is always a good habit, because you never know if disaster will strike your head in the very next moment... This is not a phenomenon that can be changed by human effort alone.
"..."
"Then if I choose to continue surviving, do you have a way for me to atone for my sins?"
Even though she was already dead, Cocolia still asked this question following Kevin's reasoning.
"As long as your will is strong enough, I can create a relatively stable vessel within the Fragmentum... But at that time, there is a high probability you will lose most of your capacity for thought, prioritizing only the 'Preservation' of human civilization."
"And as civilization flourishes and develops, the influence of the Fragmentum will naturally gradually diminish on this planet—by then, you might completely dissipate along with the Fragmentum, or you might be pulled into another distant dimension... I cannot be certain."
This inspiration came to Kevin from Seele. These past generations of 'Supreme Guardians' always entered the Fragmentum at their final moments of life, which is why Stelle could see their wills then... And Seele, who died there by other means, also existed in another form for hundreds of years.
Just as she once sought final peace from Kevin back then, such continuation is not beautiful. The feeling of watching emotions and memories slowly peel away from one's soul is even more painful.
And even then, Cocolia would never witness the moment civilization truly rebuilds its glory, because she would inevitably depart along with the Fragmentum—this cancer of civilization.
"Alright. I accept."
This is her best ending... isn't it?
Volume 2: When Love Turns Demonic, Severance Brings Longevity
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!