novelThe Last Knot (1)
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Chapter 172 The Last Knot (1)
"Wh, what... ?"
"Stop lying."
Ian murmured coldly, and he literally only opened his palm. However, the results were devastating. Fran's body sprang like a boulder thrown from a catapult.
Not only that, but he had to crawl out of the ground because he was blocked from using a simple flight spell, not to mention the power of language.
"You... you... !"
"You still haven't come to your senses yet."
Ian's revenge had not ended yet, as the ground where Fran now stood sunk with a light kick from Ian. The ground was like a sand swamp.
"Ugh... ?!"
Fran let out a breath like he was throwing up after getting out with some difficulty. He now felt despair. It was the first time Fran had felt like this, and he had not felt so even when he had been sealed or the hundreds of years that followed.
"How can this be... !"
It seemed that Fran now could not do anything to reverse the situation since he had no plan and opportunity. It seemed that Ian had become someone against whom Fran could not even try to win against.
"It's no use since I won't be played with your words again."
"Grr..."
"I now have all of your memories, knowledge, and plans."
Everything had not been false, and mostly Fran had been speaking the truth. The problem was that the threat Fran had made about him and Vanessa dying together had been a blatant lie.
'Mother won't die. '
However, Fran and Vanessa were linked. If Fran died and the link broke, Vanessa would become an ordinary human being from Fran's tool. She would become old, live out her years, and die.
'It's all right. '
Ian thought so when reading Fran's memories. Living as an ordinary human being and living only once seemed like a sincerely nice idea.
'I will follow the same after finishing everything... '
Ian had decided to follow the natural order as an ordinary human being after finishing everything he had to do, since desiring for more seemed to be following Fran's footsteps.
'I can't let that happen. '
Ian was determined and therefore, could see straight into his possible future, the former protector of humanity, and the first mage, Fran Page.
"... Father."
Ian whispered, and it was in the least hostile tone Ian had ever spoken to Fran.
"You were a rightly respected person in the past since you had protected humans, who had been low in the food chain, with only your strength and will. If not for you, the world would be quite a different place now."
Ian spoke with sincerity like he never had.
"Since I'm small-minded and can only see the world with a narrow vision, I will never be able to do what you have done even if I repeat my life multiple times. My head hurts from only reading some of your memories."
Therefore, Ian knew his limits and could honestly acknowledge that Fran Page had been the nobliest of humanity in the past.
"However, now you are..."
It was only of the past, and things were different now.
"You burdened yourself too much and could not endure the load at the end."
Ian was now talking about who Fran Page was at present.
"You had imprudently fragmented dimensions without any plans and used your devoted wife and offspring as tools to escape from the seal. You also sacrificed the lives of the Plains for a threatening device and cannot be called the protector of humanity anymore."
Ian listed the atrocities Fran Page of now had committed.
"Your noble ideals fell deep underground, and your empty chest is now full of evil. The being under the name of Fran Page..."
"......"
"Should exit now."
"......"
"Forever from this world."
Ian spoke as he stared into Fran's eyes, unfocused from having all of his plans failed.
"You said that humanity can be categorized. I actually agree to a point, even if we have different standards. However..."
Ian stopped for a moment and distanced himself from Fran before resuming again.
"Only human beings can define who we are, and someone who has turned into a monster like you has lost the right to do so."
Fran's gaze shook at the word 'monster, ' and the empty eyes gained back some light. Ian could not know whether Fran was angry or wanted to oppose Ian's words, but Fran's gaze was evidently different from before.
"I'm going to declare that you, who has turned into a monster, should rest. As a Human being and as a part of your bloodline I have the power, responsibility, and the right to do so. And this is the moment when the knot has to be tied"
Proofreader note: Original text was:
"I'm going to announce to you, who have turned to a monster, rest as a human being and as your bloodline. I have the power, responsibility, and the right, and this is the moment when the knot has to be tied."
A ray of white light sprang up to tie Fran's body, and its purity was the opposite of the black tentacles Fran had summoned.
"Let's hope..."
Ian put his hands together and made a small space between his hands. A small orb of white light appeared between Ian's palms.
"Someday..."
However, that orb had not been actually made of light, and as it became bigger, it became a burning flame. It was a pure white flame that could purify a fallen soul.
"As ordinary father and son, or mere beasts if that's not possible..."
The white flame became bigger quickly, and the essence of a zero-class mage was embedded in it.
"We can meet again."
The massive white flame was released from Ian's hands, and while it was not fast, it headed on with force.
"S... stop...."
Fran witnessed the white light and mumbled like he was begging.
"Stop, stop, stop... ! Stop! Let me go!"
The whispers amplified to screams and shouts.
"Ian! Listen to me! You have to! The memories you read are all fabricated! Your mother dies if I do! Don't regret this and stop! Ian! Ian!"
Fran flailed as he tried to escape from the light that was holding him, but its grip only tightened more.
"I am your father! While there might have been some misunderstandings, I am your father! Will you kill your father like this? Will you? Ian!"
Fran now brought in their filial relationship, as he was desperate. He had been waiting to return for a long time, and it was meaningless if he died.
"Iaaaaan!"
Fran Page cried out Ian's name as he faced his end, and the whirlpool of emotions he had stacked for thousands of years was inherent in the screams.
The white flame swallowed Fran Page and started to burn him.
"......"
Fran's cries died down at the same time, as he did not scream as the white flame burned him. It was nearly painless since the white flame was not mere fire. It burnt one's soul rather than simply burning the body.
Perhaps because of that, the flame did not catch anywhere else except Fran Page. Even the grass remained whole. The flame only burnt Fran's body and soul and led him down the patch to total eradication.
"Rest."
This was the last thing Ian could do for his 'father, ' and the least he could do for the 'protector' who had led humans to survival and who had been the 'first mage. '
"Father."
Ian spoke quietly, and it would be the last time Fran heard his son's voice.
"......"
Fran's lips moved as he disappeared into the flames. The movements were minute, and there was no sound. However, Ian could read what Fran was saying.
[Thank you, Ian. ]
Fran showed gratitude as his final farewell before falling into eternal rest after being freed from madness and demonic magic by the white flame.
"Well..."
Ian murmured to himself that it may be possible that Fran had used Ian not to escape from the seal but to be freed from the madness. It was a trivial thought.
The white flame died down little by little, and Ian could not see any trace of Fran's body anymore.
"Ah! Ugh..."
At the same time, Ian fell to his knees and could not hold back his rough breathing. He had no strength to even stand up. Ian had just used magic to purify a strong spirit and annihilate it. Ian had used up all of his strength to make that happen.
'So, it's finally over. '
Ian looked around with some difficulty, and he saw vast lands and felt a breeze.
'I could... '
Everything was at peace, what just happened seemed like a dream.
'... No. '
Ian had been basking in the breeze, and his eyes closed but opened wide in an instant. He realized that everything had not ended yet, as some knots still remained that needed to be tied up.
'The most important thing remains. '
Ian felt the vibration of his heartbeat as he murmured.
'I'll have to return this to the right place. '
Ian had wandered over countless dimensions until he came back to this one. As a result, he had stacked many souls in his mind world, and while he had not wanted to do so, Ian had committed the same thing Fran had done.
'If I leave things like this, I'm not different from Fran, who considered his souls as only extra lives. '
Ian had to return all of the souls to their original dimensions, and he had the responsibility and ability to do so.
"I have to move now..."
Ian tried to stand up, but he found he could not do so. The aftermath of giving everything he had made it difficult for Ian to move for a while.
'... Let's rest for a while. '
Ian sat down and now lay down. The soft ground was welcoming for his back.
"This is nice."
His tired body now felt heavy, and resting for a minute did not seem to be a bad idea.
"I could do this for the rest of my life."
It was a vain wish, but Ian disappeared after a short time to tie the last knot left for him.
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