6kv Chapter 252 : Accept This Ending
Chapter 252 : Accept This Ending
Given the current situation, if Ariel went to join the celebration, the boisterous laughter over there would instantly be cut in half."Maybe I shouldn't have participated," Ariel sighed quietly. "I'm just making everyone uncomfortable."
"Don't think so much. Isn't it nice sitting here chatting?"
Celitia smiled slightly.
"Whether lively or quiet, both are important memories."
"Memories..." Ariel murmured.
Gazing at the twinkling stars in the distance, countless past events flowed slowly through her heart like that high-hanging galaxy.
"I never expected to meet Senior Erwin Taylor today."
"He's a very interesting person," Celitia responded casually. "Carefree, free-spirited, unrestrained—it's just if he could—"
Speaking to this point, Celitia stopped.
If only he could stop being so pleasure-seeking, living day by day without caring about his health at all!
These words she only dared complain about in her heart, not to Ariel.
"You and Shanie both don't know who he is?" Ariel asked.
"No idea," Celitia could only play dumb. "Is that old geezer some famous person?"
"He used to be," Ariel nodded. "He was the Sword Saint from fifty years ago, famous across the entire continent and considered invincible."
Ariel paused, her voice becoming somewhat complex.
"He was also that Sercis Douglas's teacher."
Hearing her own name, Celitia lowered her eyes, concealing the suddenly complex emotions in her gaze, her fingertips trembling imperceptibly.
"I see." She said quietly.
Discussing stories of her deceased self with her former nemesis was truly too strange.
Celitia didn't want to continue this topic.
But Ariel had already continued on her own: "You should know about Sercis, right?"
"I know." Celitia nodded helplessly.
"He was the greatest enemy of our Kingdom of Lansca." Ariel said heavily. "And from the moment I stepped onto the battlefield, he was the opponent I constantly tried to defeat."
"But now, there's no need to think about him anymore." Celitia tried to end this topic. "I heard that several months ago, Sercis already died."
"Yes, he's already dead."
Ariel suddenly clenched her fists.
"If it hadn't happened before my eyes, perhaps I wouldn't have been able to believe this ending at all."
"I heard it was quite tragic," Celitia commented flatly. "But I think in this world, every cause has its effect—reaching any kind of ending isn't surprising."
"Really..." Ariel was slightly silent. "But such an ending, even I feel unwilling for him, always wondering if it might be fake. I had imagined that his worst ending should have been falling into my hands—killed by me."
"That wouldn't be the worst ending at all."
Celitia curved her lips extremely lightly.
"Whether for you or for him, personally killing one's acknowledged lifelong nemesis is clearly the highest respect one can give."
Ariel was slightly stunned.
She had to admit that what Celitia said was right.
So that was why she felt... so unwilling.
"Moreover, you saw it with your own eyes, so of course it's true."
Celitia slowly blinked, her misty purple pupils clear and translucent like glazed glass.
"So, accept this ending. Everything has settled, the enemy is dead, the two countries are temporarily at peace—from the results, it's a good thing."
Gradually convinced by Celitia, Ariel slowly relaxed her clenched fists: "Perhaps."
"Don't think about those things that have already passed," Celitia smiled lightly. "Why not focus on the present, Ariel."
She looked up at the noisy crowd not far away, her expression distant and peaceful.
"For instance, go join them now and properly enjoy tonight."
Ariel didn't look at the people by the bonfire—her gaze only fell on Celitia.
Those dark pupils were like the profound depths of space, seemingly hiding countless secrets.
Yet countless stars twinkled within them, warm and bright, like a galaxy carrying distant years, so tranquil it didn't seem fitting for a girl who should be blooming like a flower.
Very contradictory.
On her, this contradiction perfectly fused into one, without any sense of discord.
So unique—perhaps there wouldn't be a second person like her in this world.
While Ariel was somewhat dazed, Celitia continued asking:
"Are you unhappy in Cassia? I always feel that the previous you was more—"
Speaking to this point, Celitia realized her slip and quickly stopped.
In Celitia's impression, the former Ariel had been fierce and aggressive, extraordinarily formidable, like a lioness ready to pounce and bite off one's neck at any moment.
Violent as she was, that Ariel had been much more unrestrained than now.
The Ariel in Cassia was like one wearing shackles.
The more the Saintess halo was placed upon her, the more constraints she faced.
"I wouldn't say unhappy, just..."
Ariel didn't know how to tell Celitia about all this.
"After Sercis died, the Kingdom of York fell into internal chaos, and the war between us naturally stopped. Some people think I secretly orchestrated all this to achieve such results."
Celitia's expression couldn't help but be remarkable: "They think you did it?"
This foolish Saintess could fight and use open schemes, but asking her to play with conspiracies was truly making things difficult for her.
"Yes, even though I tried to explain, they haven't completely believed me." Ariel nodded. "Under such great fame, I can only be extremely careful, afraid of taking one wrong step.
Perhaps... it inevitably feels somewhat constraining. Like you said, before being the church's Saintess, I'm first Ariel—I always find it difficult to achieve this."
"I see." Celitia sighed lightly.
People wanting to live according to their own will was always a difficult thing.
Sophia, Ariel, and herself—which of them wasn't like this?
In the distance, suddenly louder commotion covered this moment of silence.
Someone began singing folk songs loudly, their strong, resonant voice echoing continuously in the night sky.
The villagers formed a circle around the bonfire, swaying and dancing to the singing.
"The dancing has started."
Withdrawing her wandering thoughts, Celitia smiled slightly. "Go join them, Ariel."
"But..." Ariel wanted to refuse.
She could imagine that as soon as she walked over, that harmonious atmosphere would immediately be interrupted.
If things really became awkward, what should she do?
Anyway, after all these years, she had gotten used to it.
As long as the people she protected were happy enough, Ariel felt satisfied.