Chapter 1074: Elina’s Decision

"Snow?"

Nolan glanced out the window and saw snow starting to fall from the cloudy sky.

He held out his right hand and felt the cold snowflakes land on his palm.

"It’s been a year since last winter," he murmured. "Time really does fly."

That winter had been very special to him. Back then, he and Seira had set up dragon statues all over the city that shot fireworks in every direction.

Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get to experience that kind of excitement again this year.

The people of this world had forgotten him. Nolan Lorian’s identity had been erased from everyone’s memories.

Now, he was simply Nolan Frey, a stranger with no special place in anyone’s life.

Nolan looked up at the sky, gazing at the gray clouds stretching into the distance.

His purple eyes remained calm, though a hint of sadness lingered in them.

"For some reason, I suddenly feel sad," he whispered. "It’s almost as if someone I was connected to has passed away."

...

In her room, Vanessa combed her hair while staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The woman who had once been beautiful, graceful, and admired by everyone in the empire now looked deathly pale.

It was as if all the luxury she had once enjoyed had simply vanished.

"Aldric," she whispered.

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes before slowly rolling down her cheeks.

She clutched her chest as a sudden ache spread through it.

She knew it... she finally realized it. This feeling was none other than the sense of loss she had been dreading all along.

Her son, Aldric Lorian, was truly... dead. Her own flesh and blood, the child she had given birth to, was gone from this world.

"Waaah!"

Her sobs finally broke free. She covered her face and wept uncontrollably.

"Why...!? Why are you so cruel to me, gods!? Why!?"

She clutched her hair tightly.

"Why does it have to be like this...!? Why wasn’t I given the chance to see him, even just one last time!? Why!?"

She sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Why...?"

There was no answer. Outside, snow began to fall as the cold slowly spread throughout the room.

...

The battlefield raged on. Neither the imperial forces nor the Valtanir forces showed any signs of surrender.

However, with their leaders, Arkam and Corvin, dead, the Valtanir forces began to lose their footing.

Their front lines fell into disarray, while Evalyn continued tearing through their rear ranks.

The priests, who were supposed to heal the soldiers on the front lines, could no longer carry out their duties, as most of them had been wiped out by Evalyn.

Meanwhile, amid the raging battle, Elina sat beside Aldric’s lifeless body.

She bowed her head as tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto Aldric’s pale face.

"The battle for the throne is truly cruel, isn’t it? You’re forced to kill your own siblings, even though you’re family. It’s both funny and sad."

A faint voice reached her ears.

Elina clenched her hands tightly before slowly relaxing them.

She took a deep breath, then raised her head and looked at Aldric.

Her eldest brother, whom she had always respected, was dead.

Despite the conflict between them, seeing her own flesh and blood die right before her eyes made her heart ache.

"Mother was right," she whispered. "This bloody path really does require me to stay strong, no matter what happens."

She wiped away her tears and slowly got to her feet.

The sadness on her face gradually faded, replaced by a firm resolve.

"But I’ve already chosen this path! So many people have placed their hopes in me, and I can’t let them down!"

She clenched her fists tightly. Even if she could turn back time, she would still choose this bloody path.

"Tsk! You’re really boring," the voice sounded again. "It seems your heart has grown much stronger than before. I underestimated you."

The voice slowly faded away like a breeze.

Elina felt her body grow lighter. The spirit that had been shattered after witnessing Aldric’s death was gradually recovering.

"Elina."

A voice came from behind her.

Elina turned and saw Freya walking toward her, both hands covered in blood.

"Sis."

Elina nodded gently.

Freya’s gaze fell on Aldric’s body. Her expression grew complicated as she whispered, "So, Aldric really was being controlled by them, wasn’t he?"

Elina smiled bitterly.

"That’s right. The culprits were Duke Malvain and Adalen."

Just mentioning those two names made her expression turn cold.

If Adalen had won fair and square, she wouldn’t have made an issue of it. Even if he had used underhanded tactics, Elina wouldn’t have complained either.

But what Adalen had done was truly unforgivable. He had dragged the Holy Empire of Valtanir into the battle for the throne, which was a grave violation of the rules.

Freya stopped beside her, then crouched down and gently stroked Aldric’s face.

She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for him before slowly standing up and turning to face Elina.

"What are you going to do to resolve this issue?" she asked.

Elina fell silent. She closed her eyes, considering the various possibilities.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes and said, "I’ll keep Adalen’s involvement a secret until we return to the imperial capital. After all, this concerns the imperial family’s reputation. If the public finds out, their trust in us could crumble in an instant, and protests will break out everywhere. Given the current situation at the palace, we must avoid making things worse."

Their father was in a coma, while Seira was acting as his regent. Elina didn’t want to add to her older sister’s burden.

"A wise decision."

Freya nodded in satisfaction.

"But we can’t let Duke Malvain get away with this. We must punish that man as soon as possible."

Her gaze turned cold, and murderous intent radiated from her.

She hated regional rulers who neglected the safety of their own people more than anything.

As a general, Freya had seen firsthand just how much devastation war could cause.

And yet, Jason Malvain had turned out to be the mastermind behind it all. Millions of innocent people living along the border had fallen victim to enemy attacks.

Freya could never forgive him for that.

"Don’t worry. I’ll make Jason Malvain regret it," Elina said coldly.

Freya said nothing more, leaving the matter in Elina’s hands.

Her gaze shifted back to Aldric.

"What are you going to do with his body?"

Elina looked at Aldric before answering, "We’ll bury him at the imperial palace."