BVBFW-Chapter 12 – A Parent’s Story (2)

Chapter 12: A Parent’s Story (2)

The Emperor gazed blankly up at the sky for a moment.

Until just now, he had been a father crying out for his daughter. But in this moment, he became nothing more than a human being.

“Ah, ahhh….”

Now he finally understood all of Delfin’s words and actions. He understood how the great Steel Knight came to be broken.

Just by looking, he instinctively knew. They were of different caliber. He felt guilty even daring to look. While being crushed by the pressure, he trembled with ecstasy.

“Great existence.”

If it weren’t for the Crown Princess’s matter, the Emperor would have continued bowing his head.

“I, I dare to request. Please, your mercy….”

Ah. In the end, the Emperor could not finish his words.

It wasn’t a matter of courage or fear, he simply could not open his mouth, could not face it.

A mouse before a cat. No, an ant before a human. No, no. Even that comparison didn’t work at all.

Listen in comfort.

Perhaps knowing that he was struggling, a voice full of consideration flew in.

This is merely an answer to a parent’s heart for their child. So you must never again expect something like today.

I, I will keep that in mind! Great existence!

From now on, I will personally head to your daughter. From this place to where that child is, create a path of fire. So it can be seen from the sky. So the heat can be felt.

The Red Bird soared up into the sky. At the same time, the day gradually came to an end. Darkness arrived. Cold filled the world.

“Ah, ahhh!”

Get a grip. This was not the time for this. Path of fire. Path of fire! The great existence said to create a path. To his own daughter. He had to guide us to where the Imperial Palace was!

For a very brief moment, he had doubts. To the capital. He had to light fires brightly all the way to the Imperial Palace.

If it were a being with evil intentions, there would be trouble. It would be like rolling out a carpet saying come quickly.

‘…I’ve gone mad. I’m not in my right mind either.’

When just moments ago he couldn’t even dare to properly raise his head. As a human, trying to judge a non-human existence. Thinking he had become too tainted by the secular world, The Emperor called The Chamberlain.

“Chamberlain!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Right now, immediately have fires lit along the main road heading to the capital! Not at the level of torches but like signal fires. Light them so they can be seen from the sky. Do you understand?”

If it had been an ordinary retainer, they might have asked for the reason. But The Chamberlain only answered that he would do so. He was a trustworthy retainer and friend who had been by his side for a lifetime.

“Sir Delfin. We must return to the capital immediately. Will you come with me?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

In the distance on the main road, bright flames began to blaze. The Red Bird that had been staying in the sky headed in that direction. That sight looked like a single meteor shooting forth.

“More. Faster! So as not to lose the way! We must guide to the capital, to the Imperial Palace!”

From the north to the capital. From cold to heat. From death to life. The Red Bird headed toward the path where flames bloomed.

*

The capital, Imperial Palace. Eastern Palace.

“….”

The Empress was barely holding back the tears that were about to burst forth.

Her precious daughter, born from her own womb, was dying before her eyes. Such a young thing was as precarious as a flickering flame about to go out.

If only she could be sick instead. She would gladly die in her place. As a mother, there was nothing she could do.

――SSAEAK ――SSAEK

Rough breathing flowed from the small child. Her body was drenched in sweat from the high fever. Her arms and legs hung limply.

All the court physicians had gathered to try to find a solution. But none of them could find a way.

In the end, all they could do was pray for recovery. They prayed to the almighty being above in the sky.

“Crown Princess.”

It seemed like she would immediately say “Yes! Mother!” and smile brightly. He could clearly see her running over asking why he called and nestling in his arms.

“My child.”

But now she couldn’t even open her eyes, let alone answer. She was barely enduring, only letting out labored breaths.

“Ahhh. Ahhhh….”

They said tonight was the critical point. She might not see tomorrow.

A sentence passed not on a hundred-year-old elder but on a ten-year-old child. That fact pierced The Empress’s heart a hundred, a thousand times.

If she had known it would come to this, she would have cherished her more, loved her more. She shouldn’t have said she needed to be dignified because she was the Crown Princess. She thought she would keep her by her side for life, but now she had to send her away like this.

The Emperor had gone somewhere saying there would be a way. Even the strong retainers dared not hold back The Emperor. All they could do was gather in front of the Eastern Palace and pray for recovery.

She had tried to have hope. She believed there would be some solution. But now she has given up on everything. She had let go of it all.

Just a little more. Just stay by mother’s side a little more. Before going, please say mama just one more time.

‘God. Please allow at least a farewell.’

Time passed. The night deepened. The child’s breathing became faint. The mother held the child in her arms and just prayed for her to endure one more day.

Dawn approached beyond the window. The darkness gradually lightened. But that meant The Crown Princess’s breathing also became lighter.

“…. ….!”

“….! ….!”

Suddenly feeling commotion, The Empress turned her head. Usually she was benevolent, but this time she couldn’t be.

“What commotion is this. Which fool wants to die by causing a disturbance.”

A moment later. The door opened and the head maid bowed her head.

“Your Majesty. An imperial command just arrived.”

“An imperial command?”

“Starting from the north, through the capital, to here at the Imperial Palace. He ordered to light great fires. They say it’s because of that imperial command that there’s commotion all the way to the Eastern Palace.”

The Empress couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the completely unexpected imperial command. He went to the north and now he was ordering to light fires?

There had to be some meaning. If it was His Majesty, he would naturally do so. It was the moment when The Empress, who answered that she understood, was about to comfort the child again.

――WHIUUUU…

A cry she’d never heard before filled the dawn sky. Immediately after, the maids rushed in and knelt.

“Your Majesty! You must evacuate immediately!”

“What on earth is happening. What was that sound just now.”

“Something strange just flew in from the sky. It’s coming to Eastern Palace, so you must evacuate immediately!” “Where would I go. Leaving The Crown Princess. Leaving this sick child, where would I go. Enough. I’d rather die here together.”

At the continued urgings of the head maid and maids, The Empress picked up The Crown Princess.

Even if the child would soon breathe her last, it didn’t matter. She would take her to the end. There was only one case when a mother left her child. Only when she died first.

“Quickly, this way!”

Coming out of Eastern Palace, she could see the royal guard was extremely tense. The most brave and loyal ones were the royal guard. Even they had faint fear written on their faces.

‘What on earth is going on?’

The Empress, who had been carrying The Crown Princess, suddenly turned around. At that moment, she saw the cause of this situation.

“…Ah.”

A Red Bird sitting on top of Eastern Palace. Feathers glowing as if they would spit out flames at any moment. Sharp eyes as if piercing through people.

That enormous existence sat elegantly and looked at her. No. More precisely, it gazed at The Crown Princess in her arms.

Come here.

Words that reached not through the ears but to the head. To the heart. The Empress’s footsteps stopped right there. The maids also didn’t dare urge her and just stood there.

Come here.

It was the first time seeing this existence. It could be dangerous. Nevertheless, The Empress dared not run away.

With her trembling body. Still holding The Crown Princess tightly. She only approached that Red Bird calling her.

Hmm.

The Red Bird tilted its head for a moment. Though not human, exactly as if it had been human.

This is not a life that should be extinguished now. Something evil has played tricks.

Not a life that should be extinguished? Something evil played tricks?

Fortunate.

For a moment, The Empress almost let out anger without knowing it. Fortunate? In front of a mother with a dying child, fortunate?

With this, they too will have nothing to say.

――WHARLRREUK!

Suddenly, crimson flames rose from behind. Looking back, one maid was burning alive.

“AHHHHAK!”

“Qu, quickly put out the fire! What is this….” Leave it. And watch for a moment.

A voice filled with majesty that could not be defied. No one in the place dared defy those words. The same was true for The Empress, so she said no more.

“AHHHHAK!!”

The maid who had collapsed burned even more fiercely. The Empress, who was about to turn her eyes from the terrible sight, saw something strange.

Something pitch black rose from the burning maid’s body. It wasn’t smoke. It was something sticky and viscous. Something that drew out unpleasantness from those who saw it.

You cannot deceive my eyes. Evil thing. Did you covet a young child’s body because you had nothing to attach to.

A stern voice followed, and the pitch black thing wavered here and there. It seemed to be suffering. It seemed to be trying to escape in agony.

Disappear. Never come again.

――KWALRRRR!

The flames raged even more fiercely and devoured the evil existence. The maid. No, what had been a maid melted away to nothing. Everyone froze in shock at that sight.

You’re lucky. You kept the main body far away.

The Red Bird that had clicked its tongue turned its gaze. The Crown Princess was reflected in its five-colored eyes. Something warm lingered for a moment then disappeared.

It will be fine now.

The Empress, who barely came to her senses, checked the child in her arms.

“…Ahhh.”

The breath that had been so faint it seemed it would break at any moment returned. The terrible heat was erased. She no longer suffered.

She was simply sleeping peacefully in her mother’s arms. As if having a happy dream, she even had a smile on her lips.

“Ahhh. Ahhh! Ahhhh…!”

A miracle. It was a miracle. The Empress collapsed right there. While holding her daughter tightly lest she lose her. She bowed her head.

“Thank you. Thank you. Great existence….”

Thank you. Thank you. I will live my life in gratitude. Whatever you desire. Whatever you ask as payment. Whatever it may be….

Do not give thanks.

At those words, The Empress raised her tear-stained face. Don’t give thanks? How could that be possible.

It’s merely a stroke of luck in passing.

The Red Bird spread those enormous wings. And then flew up beyond the dawn sky. The brilliant energy gradually faded in the distance.

“Empress!”

“Your Majesty.”

The Emperor, who just arrived, ran over and embraced the mother and daughter.

Nowhere could the aura of death be seen. Only the flame of life burned fiercely.

――WHIUUUU!

With a long cry, The Red Bird disappeared. At the same time, the sun finally rose. Driving away all darkness and shining light upon the world.

The today that someone so desperately wished for had dawned.