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[Legend of Lineage] Episode 27: (Interlude) The Fading Light, Afterglow of the Guardian (Chapter 8)

Kray-GX

2026年6月18日 18:23

Chapter 8: The Ostentatious Saint-King and the Final Reckoning of Fate

Episode 27: (Interlude) The Fading Light, Afterglow of the Guardian

[Recap of Previous Episodes]

Artorius, a knight who had lost his memories and collapsed, sets out on a journey to collect three crests alongside Elise, an ambitious mage, and Zeke, a glib swindler.

During their journey, the truth is revealed: Artorius is Prince Helios of Exaltia, and his uncle Will made a tragic decision to let him escape. After awakening the legendary airship and defeating the evil god Luminaris Shadow, the party finally brings a true dawn to the world. Having overcome his sorrow, Artorius chooses to live not as a king on a throne, but as a "knight," spreading his wings once more into the hope-filled sky with his precious companions.

[Character and Terminology Guide]

For those new to the story or wishing to review the overview, please see the [Introduction] below.

[BGM Playback]

*Please press the play button to enter the world of the story with sound. (You can also enjoy it without BGM.)

1. The "Silence" of the Frontier and the Flickering Light

Far from the bustle of the royal capital Exaltia, nestled in the rugged northern mountain range, lay the small village of Northwall.

Once the site of the most intense invasions by the evil god, the area was now wrapped in an eerie silence. The world, with the evil god Luminaris Shadow sealed away and the armies of monsters beginning to retreat, was currently buzzing with the joy of victory. However, the village elders still gathered in the square every night, looking up anxiously at the barrier of ancient stone pillars surrounding the village.

That barrier had been carved into this land by Will himself, leading his army, several months ago when he still reigned as the "Saint-King."

At the time, the shadow of the evil god should have already been stirring in the royal capital, yet the barrier built on this frontier held pure, untainted magical power. It was a legacy of "protection" that Will, while being corrupted by the evil god, had bestowed upon the village by scraping away his own soul, summoning the last of his remaining reason. Now, that legacy was flickering more than ever, repeating a faint, dimming pulse.

"...It's faded a little more again."

The village chief sighed, tightening his grip on his staff.

Reports had arrived from the royal capital stating that "King Will was a great sinner." But for the people in this freezing land who had been shivering in fear of monsters, he was the "only king" who had saved them. It was because of the barrier he left behind that this village had not been reduced to ash. For them, the extinguishing of that light meant the "true death" of their king.

2. The Ashes of Ashbury and the Silence of Silva

Around that time, the same phenomenon was occurring in Ashbury, the "City of Ash" at the southern tip.

Amidst the sea of ash that painted everything white, the remnants of old defensive walls remained scattered. There, too, were carved the "rituals to protect the citizens" that Will had once performed.

Silva narrowed her eyes beneath her mask and gently placed her hand on the stone wall where the spell was inscribed.

What she felt from her fingertips was a freezing cold and the faint, pulsing magic of a dying flame.

(...So, your 'regrets' are finally reaching their limit, too.)

She whispered in her heart.

A man who burned the city as a puppet of the evil god. Within him, there were traces of his desperate struggle to protect the people. Silva knew Will's 'sins' better than anyone. But at the same time, she also understood how much pride he had taken in protecting this country behind his twisted rule.

A faint thought leaked from the spell inscribed on the stone wall.

(...Elios... please... stay proud...)

It was a prayer with nowhere to go after losing its master.

Silva stood in silence and thrust her fallen comrade's sword into the side of the stone wall. The 'light' Will had tried to protect and the 'lives' her comrades had sacrificed themselves to connect—both were now rapidly losing their warmth from the world, returning to cold ash.

She could not leave this city. She felt it was her duty to witness, alone, as this fading light vanished and everything was swallowed by the gray darkness. That was her own way of fulfilling the duty of the 'rear guard' as a surviving warrior.

3. The Ominous Wind and the Shadow of Artorius

Around the same time, Artorius was on a journey to check the progress of reconstruction in various regions.

Between his travels, he would occasionally stop and look up at the distant sky. A groundless sense of unease. Perhaps it was because the blood of the Exaltia royal family flowing within him was sensing the heartbeat of his uncle's magic fading at the edges of the world.

"...Another one has gone out."

Artorius muttered to himself, staring at his own palm.

He was the one who had defeated the evil god and saved the country. Yet, the more he traveled the world, the more he faced the reality that while his uncle Will was cast aside as 'evil,' the things he had built and tried to protect were weathering away one after another.

And deep in his ears, he could hear a faint, distorted echo. It wasn't over yet. No, it was as if the fading sound was pleading that it must not be allowed to end.

It was justice to defeat his uncle. However, he could not simply leave the 'light' that his uncle had tried to protect until the very end behind in the darkness.

That feeling, which had accumulated like sediment in Artorius's heart, was no longer mere sentimentality; it was beginning to take the form of an inescapable 'destiny' as one who shared his blood.

The true nature of the sense of loss he felt was not just the regret of failing to save his uncle. It was a pain born from the fact that he, more than anyone, understood that the clumsy, distorted 'fragments of love' that the man named Will had left behind in this world were weeping for the loss of their master.

4. The Trail Leading to Baltoro

The wind carried the scent of corrupted magic and a faint premonition of hope.

Artorius began to walk once more. His steps were heavy, but his gaze was fixed straight ahead on what was to come. In the bustle of Port Anchor, where he was headed, that informant was waiting.

Before the 'lingering scent' of Will left in this world fades away completely, he must find the path that leads to the boundary of darkness.

The fading radiance of protection in the northern village, and in the city of ash, Ashbury.

The loneliness of Silva as she watches it, and the determination ignited in Artorius's heart.