The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 204

The Kingdom of Phanice is burning.

Everyone fell silent as they watched the sight.

The civil war in Phanice.

The royal forces, which had been weakened at the entrance due to the Apostle’s leap.

It was clear that the noble faction had seized this opportunity to stage a coup.

A situation where the world could descend into chaos because of the Apostle.

Yet, the noble faction of Phanice instigated a civil war.

Selfishness and ulterior motives.

To them, the world was nothing but Phanice anyway.

So they prioritized their own power over the threat to the world.

Disgusting.

Some risked their lives to capture the Apostle and protect the world, while others turned a blind eye to the world and sought only to satisfy their lust for power.

Even if they had their justifications, it was a revolting decision.

This made me realize one thing.

‘The anger I regained is still incomplete.’

The anger I felt toward those who neglected their responsibilities didn’t blaze as fiercely as it once had.

I was angry, but it was more like a faint ember.

‘Because the other two emotions are still missing.’

Lucas had only lost the emotion of love.

But for me, three emotions had vanished.

Emotions don’t function fully with just one.

So, even though I regained anger, it didn’t unleash a torrent of deep fury.

My anger was still far from what it should be.

Right now, my anger is nothing more than a driving force that makes me feel hostility toward others.

Anger is a multifaceted emotion.

Sometimes it becomes a sense of justice to stand against injustice, or a resolve to endure the suffering of those dear to you.

‘Perhaps.’

Regaining just two emotions might not be enough.

Too much time had passed since my emotions were lost.

To fully nurture them, I’d need another catalyst.

After all, a rising ember needs kindling to become a proper flame.

Just as using the Bandages of the Veil wasn’t easy, regaining emotions was no simple task.

‘Who would’ve thought I’d realize this while watching another nation’s civil war?’

I gazed at Phanice with bitterness.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

Everyone’s faces were clouded with unease.

“Trash.”

Eve, with her strong sense of justice, openly displayed her disgust.

As someone from the fallen kingdom of Prelise, she knew all too well how a kingdom could collapse.

The selfishness of those in power.

And it was always the ordinary citizens who suffered because of it.

Solvas, a noble of Phanice, wore a look of deep dismay.

No matter what, he hadn’t expected the noble faction to resort to such dirty tactics.

The manpower that should have been defending the entrance had all returned to protect the royal family.

With the noble faction pushing in, they had no choice but to scramble back.

Had we failed to stop the Apostle, it would have been a true catastrophe.

“For now, it’s best we head to the Aquiline Academy.”

At that moment, Saint Sirhmiel spoke up.

Seron, Hanon, and everyone else needed rest.

Fortunately, the Aquiline Academy was located outside the kingdom.

There, we could rest without being caught in the civil war.

“Agreed. That’s better than exhausting ourselves here.”

We had no way of knowing how the civil war would unfold.

Recovering our strength came first.

As we prepared to leave, Solvas stood still, staring at the Kingdom of Phanice.

I didn’t call out to him.

He was the only one from Phanice here.

This sight must have stirred many thoughts in him.

So, I decided to give him time to collect himself.

Later, we arrived at the Aquiline Academy.

With some relief, I thought of Musica and Vinesha, Aquiline’s reincarnations.

And Grantoni, who had left the academy to help them.

Were the two safe?

Though my sorrow was gone, my mind still lingered on the three of them.

And there was Carde.

Carde, whose original profession was that of a spy.

He must have been caught up in this civil war.

‘Though he’s the type to survive anywhere.’

In such extreme situations, no one could predict who might die.

If possible, I’d have to look for them all.

Thankfully, the Aquiline Academy welcomed us without issue.

By now, all the nobles or those connected to Phanice had already left the academy.

Even among the professors, there were no exceptions—many of them were nobles.

So, those who remained were either truly dedicated to the Magical Palace or had nowhere else to go.

They weren’t the type to disregard our group, who had just returned after defeating the Apostle.

The injured were immediately taken to the infirmary.

Though Sirhmiel had done her best to heal them, their stamina was severely depleted.

Perhaps that’s why everyone fell asleep with IVs in their arms.

After watching Seron sleep, I left the infirmary.

Seron’s skills were undoubtedly lacking compared to the other kids.

But precisely because of that, she fought without sparing herself.

The way she acted without hesitation, even risking her life—

It wasn’t hard to guess whose influence that was.

‘It must have been mine.’

Until now, I’d thrown myself into danger without a second thought.

And each time, I’d worried many people.

Seron was among them.

Though she often grumbled, she always worried about me.

This time, she acted just like me.

The thought filled me with pride, but also a bitter taste.

Is this how the others felt when they looked at me?

“You.”

As I stepped out of the infirmary, I found Isabel and Sharlin in the waiting chairs.

Sharlin was slumped against Isabel, fast asleep.

This time, she had expended a lot of mana, even losing a few staves in the process.

No wonder she was exhausted.

“She should sleep in a hospital bed.”

“Rin insisted on staying with you. She was stubborn about it before dozing off.”

Isabel defended Sharlin in her stead.

I stared at Isabel for a moment before chuckling lightly.

“You two were at each other’s throats before we entered the Magical Palace.”

“That feels like ages ago, doesn’t it?”

“It hasn’t actually been that long since we entered.”

“Time’s subjective like that.”

Isabel said as she gently stroked Sharlin’s head.

It was good to see them reconciled.

I walked over and sat beside Isabel.

Then, she leaned her head lightly against my shoulder.

“How’s your body?”

“The Saint healed me. I’m tired, but I can’t sleep.”

“Because of Seron.”

She was right.

Because of my slow judgment, Seron had almost died.

The Apostle we faced this time required us to learn everything from scratch.

Mistakes were inevitable in that process, and Seron nearly paid the price.

The thought that my decision could have killed her weighed heavily on me.

“Everyone did their best. You don’t need to blame yourself.”

Isabel offered some comfort.

“And the way you are now… could it be?”

“Yes. I’ve regained a faint trace of anger.”

After returning to the Aquiline Academy, I removed the Bandages of the Veil.

Thanks to that, the emotion of anger felt more tangible.

Isabel looked at me and gave a wry smile.

“I’m glad you’ve regained something, but of all things, anger first?”

It was an emotion regained through Seron’s sacrifice.

Perhaps that’s why it felt more significant than before.

“I wish I could’ve let you know love first.”

Isabel stared straight at me.

Then, she averted her eyes slightly and crossed her legs.

“Honestly, I wanted to be the one to teach you anger too.”

She was a greedy one.

“Next time, I won’t let you beat me to it.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Says you?”

Fair point.

Isabel sighed briefly before looking up at me.

“It’s good that you’ve realized something from this. Even if anger has returned, let’s nurture it slowly.”

She seemed to have noticed that my anger was still incomplete.

The anger Seron had rekindled in me was but a faint spark.

It was up to me to fan it into a flame.

“Nif… lem…”

Just then, Sharlin stirred.

With sleepy eyes, she whined and reached for me.

As I approached, she naturally hugged me and rested her chin on my shoulder.

Isabel’s gaze sharpened slightly, but she didn’t press the issue.

“Sharlin, go sleep inside.”

“Nooo…”

Still half-asleep, she was more clingy than usual.

“At this point, the kids who went with you must’ve all figured out your identity.”

“The ones I was close to probably know. The rest might still be unsure.”

My identity was already exposed beyond hiding.

This time, there had been no room for concealment—I’d fought with everything I had.

I didn’t mind being discovered.

The only reason I’d hidden my identity as Vikarmun was to attend the academy.

Now, I could stay at Jerion Academy regardless of Hanon’s status.

So, there was no need to cling to Hanon’s identity.

‘Though it’s not ideal that my pretense as Hanon was exposed.’

On the other hand, even if it’s known, it wouldn’t cause much harm.

The only concern was Dorara’s kid.

Dorara was a mage too.

Just like when I was Hanon, he must have noticed I wielded the same ancient dragon magic.

Though he hadn’t said anything yet, he likely knew.

And he was probably wondering how to treat me from now on.

Well, we could discuss that when the time came.

Given his personality, he might just pretend not to know and let it slide.

I gently picked up Sharlin, who had fallen asleep again.

Despite feeding her plenty of bread, she was still this light.

Where did all that food even go?

I laid her down on an empty bed in the infirmary.

After tucking her in, she finally let go of my sleeve.

“You should rest too.”

“And Isabel, you’re no different.”

Both of us had pushed ourselves too hard.

So, we agreed not to overexert ourselves further and to rest for the day.

At least, until the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

I opened the door at the noise from the infirmary hallway.

Through the dim corridor, someone was running toward us in a panic.

It was Solvas Umbra.

“Solvas?”

When I called his name, he let out a breathless sound.

After a brief hesitation, he approached me.

“Uh, you’re Vikarmun Niflheim, the teaching assistant from Jerion Academy, right?”

He’d seen me use ancient dragon magic before, so he must have guessed my identity.

But since I hadn’t revealed it outright, he seemed intent on addressing me as Vikarmun.

“His Highness, the Prince of the Phanice Kingdom, has arrived at the Aquiline Academy.”

My eyes widened at his words.

The Phanice Kingdom was in the midst of a civil war.

Yet, the prince—the most important figure in the kingdom—had come here.

What did that mean?

‘He fled.’

The prince had escaped the noble faction’s coup and sought refuge at the Aquiline Academy.

And that meant one thing.

It wouldn’t be long before the noble faction came storming here.

There was never a dull moment.