Chapter 101 - 100: Morgana is back(3/?)
"It is an honor to see you here, Lady Morgana," Eden said cautiously, bowing her head. She lowered herself respectfully before the tall veiled woman standing in front of her. Eden could only glance at the woman known as Morgana with careful hesitation.
This woman, with her long black hair, exuded a dangerous and strange aura. Remembering what Seth had told her, Eden tried her best to maintain her composure.
Morrigan, on the other hand, had come well-prepared to play the role of Morgana. While the veil concealed her face, her old dress still adorned her, though some conspicuous details had been removed.
"Lady Princess," Morgana said calmly. "You know what we are doing today, don’t you?"
Eden squinted for a moment but quickly nodded in affirmation. "Yes, Your Holiness. I’ve spread the word. The Nords have set out to come."
Morrigan cast a scrutinizing glance at Eden for a moment before walking away without another word, exploring the newly restored palace.
Despite the fire, the damage to the palace wasn’t extensive, and it had been made usable again in a short time. The only losses were the servants, gardeners, and knights.
To Morrigan, these were unnecessary sacrifices, but to Seth, they were necessary ones. Seth had said the more losses they incurred, the greater the impact.
Morrigan hadn’t argued. When Seth told her to act as Morgana, she had initially been surprised but ultimately accepted.
Seth’s plan was to intertwine Drachenreich’s fate with Morgana’s reputation. After all, in this kingdom, people almost spat at the mention of King Arthur’s name. Morgana, however, was not viewed as an enemy here.
Yes, she was believed to be a witch, a demon even, but not an enemy. In fact, some extreme nationalists respected her for opposing King Arthur, who was seen as the founder of the Holy Mary Kingdom.
This was exactly what Seth wanted to exploit. Morgana would appear for a moment, rally support, and destroy the entire Holy Mary Kingdom.
To the citizens of Drachenreich, this idea alone was fascinating. They would unite under Morgana’s name, all while Morrigan’s true identity remained concealed.
As these thoughts subsided, Morrigan finally reached her room. Sunlight illuminated the chamber as Eden flinched at the sudden intrusion of a flock of crows and instinctively reached for her sword.
But as the crows merged into the form of a man, Eden calmed down, recognizing who it was.
"My god," Morrigan muttered calmly as she looked at Seth. Seth nodded and gave Eden a glance. Understanding his silent command, Eden left the room.
After Eden departed, Seth stepped forward, looking at Morrigan gently. "If you don’t want to do this, I won’t force you."
Morrigan shook her head in refusal. "That won’t be necessary. I’m ready."
Seth paused, studying her thoughtfully. Then, with a sigh, he spoke again. "Look, I don’t want to push you into something you’re unwilling to do. If you want to say something, just say it…"
Morrigan hesitated for a moment, then gazed at Seth with resolve. "I told you I would fully support you, and I will. But everything we’ve done, and all the innocent people we’ve killed—it leaves a strange and horrible feeling inside me."
She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat, and sighed deeply. For the first time in a long while, her eyes closed with a weariness that reflected her inner turmoil. "I just wish there were an easier, less harmful way."
Seth sighed, empathizing with Morrigan’s struggles. Then he spoke in a consoling tone, "I didn’t want things to turn out this way either, but we had no choice. This isn’t what we wanted—it’s what they forced upon us."
Morrigan opened her eyes, standing still in uncertainty. Seth turned his back, gazing out of the window at the view outside before turning his gaze back to her.
"Believe me, Morrigan, when all our enemies are finally gone, neither of us will regret this," Seth said with conviction. His gaze was merciless, and Morrigan sighed but said nothing.
"Don’t forget what they did to you, Morrigan," Seth continued, leaving the window and approaching her again. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he looked at her earnestly.
"If you forget their cruelty, the same thing will happen again, and you’ll suffer more than you can imagine."
Morrigan’s eyes filled with a storm of conflicting emotions as she looked at Seth. She couldn’t find the words to respond, but she believed in the truth of his words.
"From now on, emotions will only be a burden to us, Morrigan," Seth said, his voice calm but firm. "The church will show us no mercy. The Light Goddess seeks every opportunity to destroy us. And there are countless enemies out there, ready to give their lives just to see us dead."
Morrigan’s gaze hardened as she suppressed her emotions, forcing herself to think logically. She fixed her eyes on Seth and steeled her resolve.
"If we start questioning ourselves, looking for mistakes, or trying to show mercy, we’ll end up as naive hunters falling prey to their own targets," Seth said, his tone more serious than ever. He was speaking directly to her, knowing what the future held and having calculated every possible move.
This world, he was sure, would be hell for the weak and the kind. He didn’t want Morrigan to be naive. If she continued to dwell on her doubts or torment herself, Seth feared she would regret it deeply in the future.
This wasn’t a simple matter. Even the smallest mistake could lead to death. No enemy would overlook a chance to strike.
"I understand," Morrigan said with a nod, grasping the implications of Seth’s words. "I don’t want our plans to fail because of me, but I won’t be afraid…"
"As you said, it’s better to be a ruthless hunter than a naive one in this world." Morrigan suppressed her emotions, extinguishing any feelings of mercy. She hardened her heart.
Seth was right. How could she forget what had been done to her? Even now, the church was hunting her relentlessly. This wasn’t the time for doubt—it was time to focus on survival and eradicating all her enemies.
Just because of her fleeting emotions, she didn’t want Seth’s plan to fall apart. That’s why Morrigan would be brave and, if necessary, even risk killing her loved ones to survive.
After all, she had devoted her life to her god.
"Good, I’m glad you’re adapting quickly." Seth smiled with satisfaction, then stepped back. "From now on, my plan will proceed. Just stick to your role."
Morrigan nodded, reminding herself of what she needed to do. "As you said, I’ll gather all the Nords and—"
"We’ll kill them," Seth finished, smiling. "Rachel and Richard will be there to protect you."
"And what about the nobles’ armies?" Morrigan furrowed her brows, asking curiously. Seth’s grin widened, his lips curling into a sly smirk. "I’ll take care of the generals. The armies, however, will be handled by Eden."
"That’s good, but what if the Lords notice something?" Morrigan saw this as a possibility. After all, the Lords couldn’t be fooled so easily.
"That will be easy, no need to worry. Eden’s soldiers have already infiltrated the Lords’ ranks," Seth said with admiration for Eden. "Eden has been incredibly effective in this. She truly deserves some praise."
"You talk as if you admire her greatly," Morrigan said calmly. Seth smiled. "Eden is a capable woman and a suitable subordinate. Recently, she’s been quite helpful to me."
Then Seth winked and smiled at Morrigan. "But, of course, my favorite subordinate will always be you, Morrigan. Eden is merely a simple subordinate. You, however, are my valued ally."
Morrigan said nothing, just grunted and turned her head. "Eden is truly an admirable woman. Talented, beautiful, and quite powerful..."
"True, but you’re forgetting something," Seth said, looking at Morrigan seriously. "Eden may be many things, but she cannot be compared to you. Among people, you’re like a goddess. Eden is just a skilled general."
Morrigan was moved by Seth’s words, and a beautiful smile appeared on her lips. "If you keep talking like this, I might become arrogant, you know?"
Seth laughed and squinted his eyes. "An arrogant Morrigan... That would be pretty cool."
"Imagine saying it with an air of arrogance," Seth laughed, putting on a mock haughty smile. "I am Morrigan, the greatest and most powerful Empress on Earth! Bow before me, my slaves, and obey my magnificent presence!"
Seth said absurdly. Morrigan’s face wrinkled in disgust. "No, I’m fine like this. Just imagining myself talking like that makes me embarrassed."
Seth smiled. "Who knows? Maybe you’ll become a ruthless Empress."
Morrigan smiled. "I hope not. If I do, I’ll truly become another Morgana in this world."
Then Morrigan sighed. "As in every story, the titan falls and dies. The good princess ascends the throne and marries the hero."
"That only happens in children’s stories. They deliberately end like that because adults give children fairy tales to make them think life is beautiful," Seth said calmly. "But from an adult’s perspective, these books are meaningless."
Seth continued, "You’re an adult. These books are meaningless to you. Don’t look at life like a child; see it as an adult does."
Before Seth could continue, the door suddenly opened. The person entering was Rachel, who approached Morrigan with a big smile. Then, when her gaze turned to Seth, her eyes sparkled.
"In Morrigan’s room—"
"There’s nothing like that," Morrigan interrupted before Rachel could continue the misunderstanding. Seth’s smile widened. He was clearly amused by the situation.
Rachel paused, pursed her lips with an insinuating smile, and grinned. "I thought Morrigan was a pure girl. But now it seems she’s not..."
Morrigan sighed and clarified the truth. "Seth isn’t what you think. Seth is a divine envoy."
"Wait!" Rachel was immediately surprised, looking at Seth. "Are you saying this man represents a god?"
Seeing the representative of the God of Darkness shocked Rachel, but what they had been secretly discussing was even more intriguing.
"Although I’m curious about what you were talking about, I’ll let it go for now," Rachel then looked at Morrigan. "It seems the Lords are slowly arriving. It might be good to greet them."
Glancing at Seth, Morrigan decided to leave after receiving his approval. "Let’s go."
Morrigan then walked towards the door.
"Isn’t Seth coming?" Rachel asked Morrigan, then turned to look at Seth, but seeing no trace of him, she fell silent. As Morrigan exited the door, she said, "Only we’re going. Seth has more important matters to attend to."
Rachel nodded and followed Morrigan without thinking too much.