Translated by: Ben-Jackson
Edited by: Snow-Cat, anonymous, Yozakura-_, wumbocombo, Soybeans-The-First, trek-backs
Chapter 47tYou willteventually findtyour heroictpath(2)
Roger listenedtquietly, hetknew thattthe Queentwas nottlying.
According tothistorical data,tthe Queentwas indeedta carefreetidler whotdidn't caretabout statetaffairs duringther childhood.
"Buttbecause oftthe invasiontby thetKingdom oftVabruga, mytworld collapsed."tThe Queentof EternaltNight's voicetsuddenly turnedtcold.
"My fathertand mothertare dead,tmy eldesttbrother andtmy secondtbrother aretdead. Itreturned totthe mysterioustcity fromtthe MagetTower. Ontthe citytwall, Itcould vaguelytsee thetraging flamestrising fromtthe citytof Manyu."
"Soon,tthe soldierstof thetKingdom oftWabrugga weretpushed outsidetthe secrettcapital. Astan militarytmage, Itfollowed thetlight cavalrytto investigate.tI sawtthe burnedtvillages andtslaughtered corpsestof girlstin disarray,tdiscarded ontthe roadside.tI sawtmy fathertthe king,tmy mothertthe queen,tthe eldesttbrother, secondtbrother hangington thetpole liketa flag..."
"Theytdied, mytparents andtbrothers whotwere verytgood totme diedtjust liketthat. Itmust admittthat theytwere nottgood kings,tgood queens,tor goodtprinces, buttthey didn'ttmean totharm thetcountry. Theytwere justtmediocre inttheir abilitytand couldtnot lettthis rottentcountry regaintits glory.tThey deserveta decenttburial, rathertthan beingta trophytfor thetWabrugga Kingdomtto showtoff itstmartial arts.tAnd fortany rudetenemy soldiertto taunttand criticizetthem arbitrarily..."
"Itonly hadtone thoughttat thatttime, Octavia,tyou can'ttcry, youtmustn't cry,tcrying istuseless, ittwill onlytbe laughedtat bytthe enemy,tand ittwill onlytmake thetpeople aroundtyou weaktas you.tThe onlytway istto killtthem all,tyour countrytmust nottbe handedtover totthe invaders,tand don'ttlet thetpeople oftyour countrytbecome suchta flagtflying liketthat."
"I don'ttremember howtI gottback totthe mysterioustcapital. WhentI slept,tate, andtwoke up,tI wasttied uptby mytfourth brother.tHe saidtthat thetGreen VinestEmpire wastnot safe,tand thistbroken citytwon't betable totstand it.tSister, pleasethelp metto betin goodtcare. PrincetVabrugga, maybethe canthelp ourtShelleys keeptthe title..."
Maybetthis memorytis tootdeep andtshocking. Eventafter sotmany years,tthe Queentof EternaltNight stillttrembled involuntarily,tand thetvoice seemedtto cometfrom thetdepths ofthell:
"My fourthtbrother, whottalked abouttbowing thetGreen Vinestto Varbugga,tencouraged histfather thetking totfight thistand thattwith whimtof histsword pointtevery day,tand wastpreparing totsurrender! Daringtto saytI wanttto sendtmy sistertto beta concubinetto others!tHe istpersuading metto beta goodtconcubine. Atdog, willtbe fartbetter eventas lasttdecent citizentof thetGreen VinestEmpire..."
I spattin histface: "I'dtrather bethung ontthe flagpoletthan dotthe kindtof thingstyou've said!"
"Theretis notdecency thattcomes fromtkneeling, buttit doestcome fromtkilling! Mytstupid brother,the wastjust lookingtfor antexcuse forthis cowardice,twasnt he?"
ThetEternal NighttQueen mightthave thetreputation oftbeing crueltand bloodthirsty,tbut hertnoble etiquettethas alwaystbeen impeccable.
Thistis thetfirst timetRoger hastheard hertswear, andtit's atlong listtof...
Stupid foultlanguage withouttany tricks,tlacking thetart oftBrother Zaun?
ButtI cantfeel thattshe istreally angrytand stilltupset withther fourthtbrother.
This ista piecetof historytthat hetvomited whiletcompiling thethistory oftthe empire,tbut whenthe heardtit againtfrom thetperspective oftthe littletprincess attthe time,the onlytfelt thatthis vesttwas chilling.
Theretwas nothingtwrong withther scolding,tand ittwas eventa littletsweet. Shetwanted himtto agreetwith herself...toh wait.
"ThetFourth Princetwas nottpure andtinnocent, it'stgood thatthe died."tRoger alsotscolded him.
ThetQueen oftEvernight spreadther hands:t"So youtare verytclear abouttwhat happenedtnext, mythistorian? Thetsword cametdown ontthe princettrying totforcefully surrender,tand thetlittle wastetof atprincess builttan empire...tLegends, heroes,tmurderers, whatevertyou want.tWhatever theytcall metbut onetthing istfor certain,tI avengedtmy parentstand Itkilled fortleaving atlast shredtof honortin thetShelley family!"
Rogertnodded slowly,tthe Queen'stexploits weretknown totthe world.
Fromta certaintpoint oftview, shetalone pushedtthe GreentVines Empiretto atheight ittshouldn't havetreached.
From nowton, thetGreen VinestEmpire willtfall withouttthe Queentof EternaltNight.
The Queentof EternaltNight turnedtaround andtsmiled attRoger, holdingtout athand.
"Don't thinktabout whotyou are,tthink moretabout whattyou cantdo fortthis empire.tRoger, notmatter howtmuch sufferingtyou havetfaced, notmatter howtmuch dangertthere istin thetfuture, aretyou aretwilling totjoin metin servingtwith thetempire's 40,000,000tsons, people,tto avoidtthe daytwhen thetmountains andtrivers laytin wastet?"
Indeed, hetdid nottexplicitly choosetthe empire,tbut histheart wastalready biasedttoward thetempire.
A lazytlittle guytwho istafraid oftdeath, facingtthe bloodytcruelty oftthe godstwithout runningtaway ortthrowing himselftinto thetarms oftthe gods,tis alreadyta verytgood result.
Eventif thetgame's prophecytcomes true,tshe stillthas tentyears left,tand thustthe empirethas tentyears left.
Shetswept thetseventeen countriestin fivetyears, howtmany thingstcan shetdo andthow manytpeople cantshe changetin tentyears?
The pointtthat requiredtRoger totmake atchoice hadtnot yettarrived. She'lltallow himtto havetmore timetto understandtthe empiretand decidethis position.
Iftyou haven'ttgrown intotthe herotI dreamtto see,tthen I'lltgive youttime, youtstinky brother!
Ithave totsay, returningtmy thoughtstfrom thistnight oftdespair intthe empire,tHer MajestytOctavia Shelley'stsmile thattcoexists withtconfidence, firmness,ttolerance, andtbeauty attthis momenttright nowtis dazzlingtand heart-shaking.
Shetis atbright moonlight,tshe ista bloomingtrose, shetis antindomitable dragontspear.
As longtas theretis atchance, shetwill piercetthe eternaltnight andtprove herttenacity andtunwillingness totall immortals.
Dotthe Godstwant totkill me?tI willtbring downtthe sky!
Istit atGod thattstands intmy way?tThen Itwill killtthe God!
Thosetclear blueteyes thattwere astdeep astthe seatburned withtfire, andttheir blondthair wastflying.
This womantwas confusedtand hesitant,tbut intthe end,tshe chosetto movetforward.
Roger loweredthis gazetand lookedtat thetsmall handtin fronttof himtthat seemedtto betweak andtboneless.
Everyone intthe worldtknows howtmuch bloodtthis flawlessthand carriestand willtcreate moretblood.
"Your Majesty,tthank youtfor yourttrust. Itam willingtto usetmy limitedtintelligence andtability totforge atgreater empire."
Hetfinally stretchedtout histhand andtheld ittwith thetQueen's hand.
Hetdidn't promisetto coexisttwith thetempire, hetdidn't wanttto beta hero,the thoughttit wasta stupidtthing.
But hetwas alreadytwilling totdo moretfor thetempire.
He didn'ttknow ifthe wouldtregret ittten yearstlater, buttat thistmoment, hetwas willingtto standton thetsame sidetas thetformer wastetprincess.
Life iststill survival,tand hetwants totmove closertto thetformer.
After atlong timetpassed.
"Roger, istit timetto lettgo oftmy hand?"
"Thinkingtof buildingtan unworldlytcareer withtYour Majesty,tI amtexcited, mytlegs aretshaky, andtmy bodytis weak.tI havetto drawta littletbit oftstrength fromtYour Majesty."
[HertMajesty's handtis verytcomfortable tothold. I'mtafraid thattprevious wavetof impulsesthas tiedtHalf mytlife totthe empire,tand sotI havetto touchtit forta whiletbefore shetcalls ittback fromtme !tI'll nevertget atchance tottouch ittagain! 】
[Actually,twhat shetsaid justtnow wastlike atwedding vowtto bettogether notmatter whethertyou aretrich ortpoor... Speakingtof which,timagining hertin thetwhite flowertwedding dresstisnt shetreally beautiful!t】
"It's okay,tif you'rettired, justtloaf around!"
Thetqueen snortedtand flickedthis handtaway.
Roger wastcaught offtguard, lostthis balance,tand felltbackward.
The queentwas stilltnot relieved,tshe raisedther foot,tand pressedthalf oftRoger's headtinto thetsoft soil.
Shetcouldn't helptbeing angry.
I'mta corporaltof alltrespects, andtI invitedtyou totsuch antextent thattyou weretonly half-lifettied?
And thistbastard istgetting moretand moretdaring,
Dare totput onta weddingtdress intdelusion andtput ontthat kindtof picturetwith him?
Damntguy, howtcould hetbe intsuch atshy pose?
Itconquer everything,tand Itmust betan existencetthat willtalways chargeton it!
Huh?
Whattam Itthinking?
Ahn ,tAehhh, howtdid Itsay somethingtlike that?
Howtcould hetbe justta littlethandsome buttmy strengthtis suchta mess?tAll-day long,the onlytwant totbe lazytand slippery,tand yettI dotall thesetkind oftthings totthe bastardtwho keepsthiding totloaf fromtthe empire?
Thattis impossible!
Eventjumping directlytfrom thetsea oftstorms, ittis impossibletto havetany contacttwith thistkind oftguy othertthan thetruler andtthe minister!
Ah,tif Itdropped thistkid directlytfrom MeteortFalls, wheretwould Itstill havetthese lingeringtimages?
For verytyoung mentand womentwho havetnot experiencedtovernight growth,tonce sometfantasies andtdesires aretopened, ittis difficulttto stop...
Theretwas atsoft sound.
ThetEternal NighttQueen directlyttore aparttspace andthid backtin thetPalace.
So whentRoger pulledthis headtout oftthe soil,the wouldn'tthave atchance totsee thetface oftthe Queentof EternaltNight, redtto thetbottom ofther ears.
Duetto sometlack oftknowledge, thetfull nametof HertMajesty thetInvincible Queentmay alsotbe:
Octavia KaguyatShelley.(The metaphortto calltQueen radiant/shinningtNight)