Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

The moment I raised my head, I found myself in a completely different space.

‘I’m sure this is…’

It looked a lot like the space Rusbella had pulled me into or the space I met the God of Beasts.. Soon, blades of grass began sprouting from the ground in front of me and before I knew it, I found myself in a fresh garden.

‘Where did the crystal go?’

The grass beneath my feet felt real.

“Where are you! I know that you’re here!”

My pale fingers raked through the grass blades before I felt something pass through my body. A woman who had her long hair tied up appeared.

I could vaguely see her silhouette. Her hair was silverish-purple, a colour I had rarely seen before. She was dressed in something off-shoulder, exposing her pale skin with every sway of her hair. Her every movement was as elegant as snow. Even an ignorant peasant would be able to tell that she was noble.

“Here you are.”

Soon, the woman grabbed and dragged a man out.

“Are you running away again?”

The man looked larger than life but a look of despair could be seen on his face.

“Don’t get involved in this. I don’t want to be destroyed by the Lord of the Gods just yet.”

The man had white hair that was tied up as well with his upper body exposed.

“So, why did you come to find me?”

He had worn a leathery skin around his lower body. The white fur peeking out looked familiar. Just then, the woman raised her voice.

“Can’t you get something to cover your lower half!”

“Cover?”

“Are all Templars of Beasts as crazy as you?”

The man scratched the area between his bows as if he did not understand.

“Why should I cover it up?”

His mysterious eyes looked to be a mixture of gold and blue and his pupils were almond-shaped like that of a beast’s.

“You gave me strength, did you not? Are you planning on leaving things as is?”

The woman frowned beautifully and pointed out his mistake arrogantly.

“Well, I’ll consider it if you let me lick you.”

For some reason, the man looked familiar. Like his grey hair. The way he looked like he would start punching a wall like a moron…

In the next moment, the woman kicked the man in his shin.

“Ack! Kaltanias!”

“Stop acting like it hurt.”

“It hurts whenever you hit me though? Did the Lord of the Gods bless you with that much strength?”

“That’s a new level of theatrics from you.”

“What?”

The woman looked down at the man while laughing mockingly.

“If you struggle with even that much, why even bother to live? You might as well cut off that limb between your legs.”

“Wow. I can only admire that tongue of yours.”

Still groaning, the man grabbed her hand before licking it.

“Is it wrong for me to not hate this?”

The woman looked genuinely disgusted.

“Is the mind of the God of Beasts closer to an actual beast’s?”

Currently, that man was a god. And it was a god I thought I knew well too. Since I had just met him recently.

‘And if I’m not wrong, that woman is…’

I was sure after hearing her name but I wanted to confirm once more.

“You’re already the Lord of the Gods’ but I still want you.”

“Is that so? When will you free your Templars of Beasts from the curse of mana overuse?”

“Wasn’t I the one who personally gave them the reins? So, what do you think about warming my bed at night when the Lord of the Gods isn’t here?”

“Dear Tellus!”

Just then. The ground erupted upon her call as leaves showered down from the summoned trees.

‘…Amor?’

And there stood a man. He languidly lifted his head while holding onto his falling green hair.

“Did you call for me?”

“There is a little beast cub roaming here, isn’t there?”

“Ah, there is.”

The man rubbed his greyish-green eyes before nodding.

“So, what would you like me to do?”

If it had not been for his long green hair, his cold gaze looked exactly like Amor’s.

“Bind him tightly before burying him underground.”

“I shall heed your command.”

“Hey, Tellus! Oi! How could you treat a friend like this? Hey!”

“… I don’t remember ever making friends with a beast.”

The moment Tellus smiled coldly, the feet of the God of Beasts disappeared into the ground. In a moment’s time, Mars screamed with only his head aboveground.

“Hey! Kaltanisa! I was just joking. How could you do this to me!”

“Why are all your templars so modest and humble while their god is this crude?”

“C-crude? Just because you’re loved by the gods, your nose is pointed so high it might pierce Jupinel (the sky)!”

“Isn’t it true?”

Her lips curved elegantly.

As the one she was so very in love with appeared.

“Welcome. My lover.”

Her gaze towards the approaching man looked so sweet her eyes looked like they were melting. Roses seemed to have been blooming in her cheeks. To the point it would be impossible not to find her lovely as her reddening face smiled.

“Everything seems peaceful and lovely here as well. And we will only enjoy this peace in the future, won’t we?”

The moment I glanced towards the man’s face, the space shattered into tiny pieces. I could only manage to see the smile he flashed towards Kaltanias.

‘Does time not pass here either?’

I was surrounded by darkness once more.

The space was soon filled again as Kaltanias reappeared.

However, her lively arrogant expressions were nowhere to be seen. And her hair was in a mess. With her arms filled with scratches, her pupils were shaking. She continued to scratch her arm constantly.

“E-Enough…”

Being a powerful templar, her wounds quickly healed after she scratched her arms and the cycle only continued.

“You… you… sent my people to hell once again.”

She muttered like a madman.

“First, it was my maid, then an attendant. And then, my nanny… I have lost my flesh and blood, lost the loyal men I cherished. Don’t you think it’s enough now…”

She was not holding back tears. But the fact that no tears fell only made her look more pitiable. Her voice was as dry as the sand in deserts.

“You sealed Sir Mars in a lowly human’s body and had exiled Sir Tellus forever…”

Only her voice echoed in the cavity.

“How is it a sin for me to not love you? Why? Why should everyone else die because of it? How… How long do I have to repeat this hell? Please, dear god, dear god. Dear god who claims to love me. Why do you remain silent? Answer me!”

A voice that elicits pity because it was so dry. I recognised this voice.

“Kaltanias.”

At last, someone appeared in response to her cries.

“Moros.”

That was clearly the name of the God of Death. And yet, he was as injured as Kaltanias.

“Today will be the last.”

“…..”

“Brother has decided to grant your final wish.”

Kaltanias let out a breath. For such a strong templar to be as battered as she had become, the god embraced her.

“I shall seal my brother.”

“Ha… hahahaha. Did we succeed?”

“Yes. While he grants your wish, he will be distracted.”

The God of Death lowered his knees before her.

“From now on, you will no longer need to shout like this just to confirm if brother is here.”

The God of Death swept her eyes down which was dry of tears. She did not cry but it looked as if he was wiping her tears away.

“Your true final wish will come true.”

Kaltanias smiled wistfully at his words.

“… When the Lord of the Gods had relayed me his prophecy, he had inadvertently propped up a girl who knew next to nothing. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“…..”

“Just as he prophesied, I had conquered the west and built a huge empire. I am no longer the girl who had been a mere sacrifice for the gods but I’m still as helpless.”

While she still looked proud, she looked sad.

“I shouldn’t have gotten drunk on the graces of gods. What I had gained from being loved will eventually collapse the moment I fall out of that love.”

Kaltanias held the hand of the god who was stroking her cheek.

“You loved me and I loved you. Even if you had excluded me when you made that decision.”

“… Kaltanias.”

“Just as you are now, sacrificing yourself to me to give me a chance.”

She lowered her hand slowly.

“It’s hilarious. You tell me you love me, praise my beauty but force me to fit your whims.”

The God of Death glanced at Kaltanias restlessly.

“Moros, I love this country.”

Wherever his hand touched, her wounds healed.

“But I hate the gods.”

The purple eyes that captured the God of Death were dyed in sorrow. Kaltanias stared off into the distance with a sad gaze.

“I can still see the future right now.”

Kaltanias lowered her head before bursting into laughter.

“The last emperor of this Empire, is fated to end up just like me.”

Her laughter felt empty.

“How cruel. You lot are…”

As she slowly rose, she accepted the sword handed to her by the God of Death.

“Well, that’s fine. My final moments are mine so I shall be satisfied with just this.”

“…..”

“Thank you for granting my wish of going to hell myself, Moros.”

Kaltanias lowered her back before kissing the eyes of the God of Death who had been shedding tears wordlessly.

“My love. I meant it when I said I loved you.”

She murmured emptily.

“Are you tired?”

“Yes. I have decided to disappear like this so that the Lord will no longer chase after me nor would he torment my reincarnations.”

“I see.”

“I have told the Lord of the Gods if he is anywhere on this earth to guard this land for the rest of his life and find me.”

“… Alright.”

Kaltanias brought the knife to her neck before she pressed her lips together.

“Is happiness receiving flesh someone had carved out for you? Was that what you were trying to achieve?”

“…..”

“Would someone be able to find the answer I had failed to?”

Her voice slowly resonated through the space.

“Fate is cruel.”

Her voice was cold and dry but filled with an uncontrollable sorrow.

“I can’t believe I have to lose something to make my wish come true.”

The brilliant sun hung high in the sky. As the great emperor received her much desired rest in her lover’s arms. The pale blue sky stretched behind the sobbing god.

The day she died, the sky was sunny.

***

“Your Majesty!”

The voice in the distance crescendoed as though the voice was right next to me. When I opened my eyes, I spotted Dike waving his arms outside the circle.

The sigil was still shining brightly. The characters continued to change into the colour of my divinity before changing to a completely different colour repeatedly.

‘Did time pass…’

With the vision of Kaltanias lingering, I clasped my face. I had no idea what the scene I had just witnessed was trying to convey.

“Your Majesty, this way!”

Dike called me out of the circle for a moment.

“What’s the matter?”

“I felt something strange. I had stopped the engine for the moment because I couldn’t shake off this weird feeling.”

Unlike the business-like expression he usually held, his hands could not stop shaking.

“What’s wrong? Did the sigil fail?”

Dike shook his head.

“That’s not it. The sigil had succeeded. But, but…”

“Speak.”

“Your Majesty had passed away.”

“What?”

“That was the feeling I got. And I’m sure of it.”

Absolutely he was. He added before closing his eyes.

“And the moment you pass, the barrier will fall apart once again even if you were to successfully rebuild it.”

The moment his bright eyes turned to me, I wanted to refute but it seemed to be true.

“B-but, there’s no way we can give up building the barrier!”

We needed the barrier.

“Even now, a part of our lands is at war!”

I stretched my hand out. I opened the diary that flew towards me. Just then, it glowed red. What was it trying to say? As soon as I flipped open the book, I noticed the urgent writing.

[The Head Templar is right.]

Like a warning siren, the diary was glowing red.

[If you continue pushing yourself to set up the barrier, you will fall into a deep sleep.]

Lies.

“And when will I wake up?”

[You will sleep without a guarantee you will awaken.]

The diary which had been silent thus far used its strength to warn me. Raising my head, the moment I bit my lips.

“To summarise the current situation. We need to set up a barrier. But we cannot allow the emperor to fall into an eternal hibernation.”

“Amor?”

Amor approached us to grab one end of the diary before letting go.

“I think everyone has forgotten something.”

He turned his head.

“Let me ask you something. Does the templar who provides the barrier with divinity necessarily have to be a Templar of the Lord?”

His cold gaze was directed towards Dike.

“N-No, it doesn’t. But there is no other templar who has the same amount of divinity as a Templar of the Lord’s…”

“What about a templar even the Crown Prince acknowledged?”

“What?”

“I am the last templar of the 4th god, Tellus. And the amount of divinity I possess is second only to my brother, the Crown Prince.”

“So, what you’re suggesting is…”

“He was a strong heir so the amount he had was only natural but I too have an abnormal amount of divinity.”

Amor added with a slight sigh.

“That was why the previous emperor had locked me up with the intention of sacrificing me to the crystal in any case of an emergency. Even if it hadn’t been for the curse, I would have been dying from the side effects of my immense divinity.”

“B-but you’ve survived that!”

“Yes. I did.”

Amor held my hands. It was strange. His hands had always been cold while mine had been warm but at that moment, his hands felt so warm.

“Rosé, Tellus had used his powers to relay a prophecy to me.”

“Amor.”

“My last words would be as a sacrifice.”