Book 16 Chapter 48
Episode 99
Greta Veizer, who was turning into lava itself, collapsing, and Lystar stumbling were almost simultaneous.
“Lystar!”
“Lystar, Lystar, Lystar!”
Fride, the Priestess of the Fire Dragon, hastily flew her broom to Lystar and checked her condition.
“Crazy, your body is a bigger fireball than Pipi! Even if you have an enhanced body, are you in your right mind? Pushing yourself this much, I can’t even guess how much more of your lifespan you’ve lost!”
Lystar, still gasping with unstable breaths, placed her index finger in front of her lips. Did she mean she didn’t want Rin to hear?
“I’m fine. More importantly, there were… so many people on the way here… who became just like Link…”
Even in this situation, is she prioritizing others’ circumstances…?
The thought, “She’s incorrigible,” came to mind.
The thought, “That’s Lystar for you,” also came to mind. Fride, with a forced laugh, said heartily.
“You mean those chimeras your shorty group dumped on us to deal with? Don’t worry. Far from killing them, I’ve trapped them all with Lady Fride’s barrier magic. Now Nils will fix them on his own.”
Nils Blantz…
The man Ein, who was once the chief engineer of Greta Veizer’s research institute, Verater.
He now stood silently before the former Meister, who had melted and flowed like lava.
“How do you feel, Meister, now that you’re freed from madness…?”
Through the parts of his face not yet completely integrated with the lava, the two were able to briefly share various emotions.
“All my life… I’ve never been eroded by madness… so I can’t give you a satisfying answer… It’s truly regrettable…”
“…”
“So this is how it ends… Justice prevails… It’s an absolute premise that must hold true in any way… So this result means… my conviction in justice was inferior to yours…”
Was this truly the end of this relationship, which Nils had longed for… and whose beginning was like a godsend?
It could not have been.
Didn’t Nils originally dream of becoming a Meister later, blessed by Greta Veizer?
“I am grateful that Your Excellency taught me that knowledge and technology without reservation.”
Wasn’t there such a future, that kind of future?
“But… Your Excellency’s method was wrong. Not different, but wrong.”
If he hadn’t allowed the blind loyalty of the past to obscure his eyes, and had been able to advise Greta Veizer to follow the right path…
“Because I believe technology should not be an end, but a means to bring peace to the world.”
Even while they were having such a conversation, Greta’s body was sinking into the lava along with Paveltican.
It was a natural outcome.
Because the reactor was destroyed and the integration with the abyss was severed, she was subjected to the influence of the lava that swallowed all living things.
“Have you already forgotten, Nils Blantz… that it was I who taught you that conviction…?”
“You remembered. I mentioned it because I thought you had forgotten.”
“Not for a single moment have I forgotten… That’s why every path I’ve walked has been according to the guidelines that conviction pointed to…”
Nils, biting his lip, aimed the muzzle of the X-Blast Plasma Cannon at his former superior, whose life was now nearing its end.
“Then I will say it again. Your Excellency’s method was wrong.”
In her final moments, Greta Veizer wore a smile that was somehow regretful yet also satisfied.
“If I had only been defeated by those Manookis… I would have been furious… but since you are here, I can close my eyes in peace…”
“…?”
“You are the pinnacle of intellect acknowledged by me, Greta Veizer… You will surely… advance this world, even if your methods differ from mine… I entrust the progress I couldn’t achieve to you now… ■.”
Nils lowered the muzzle of his gun, feeling dazed and hollow.
What is this feeling…?
Damn it… Oh, damn it all…