Chapter 220. The Inheritance of Roselle La Grazia (2)

Her request couldn’t possibly be more absurd than overthrowing the Empire. Thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to hear her out, Seol Jihu accepted.

“Of course, any time.”

“Thank you. Then…”

Roselle expressed her gratitude, then slowly raised her hands.

Seol Jihu opened his eyes and let out a small gasp. The palace’s beautiful interior was nowhere to be seen, and he could only see a destroyed ruin.

White steam was rising from the debris, and it was obvious who the perpetrator was. After all, only Roselle and the expedition team were in this place.

“Ah, I’m in the middle of remodeling the place.”

Roselle quickly spoke up, noticing the flustered look on Seol Jihu’s face.

“The shocking news made me want a change in my surroundings.”

Covering her mouth and chortling, Roselle waved her hand and restored the broken golden palace.

“This way, please.”

Seol Jihu somehow came to tour the palace, staying tensed the whole time.

He stared fixedly at Roselle, who was walking ahead. After about five minutes, she sparked the conversation.

“Pitiful, aren’t I?”

“?”

“I ended up like this after talking so high and mighty….”

Well, it was funny at first, but Seol Jihu didn’t mean to ridicule Roselle in any way.

“Not at all.”

After all, she had endlessly put in the effort to accomplish her goal.

While dreaming for several hundred years, to boot.

How clear must her sense of purpose have been to not be shaken for so long?

If anything, her unwavering mental fortitude was something to respect and emulate.

At that moment, Roselle opened her mouth.

“Do you know what sorcery is?”

It was a sudden, seemingly random question. But realizing that it had something to do with whatever she would bring up next, Seol Jihu listened carefully.

Roselle must not have been expecting an answer as she continued calmly.

“Magic refers to the act of using mana, a power unique to humans, to carry out incomprehensible feats. Witchcraft is the technique of manifesting all kinds of phenomena by borrowing the power of supernatural existences or other mystical powers.”

She continued explaining clearly and concisely.

“What I call sorcery is a new discipline that combines these two together.”

She then turned her head and smiled at Seol Jihu.

“It is also the reason I came to be called a witch.”

Seol Jihu reflected on what she said before asking.

“You mean… you, Lady Roselle, founded the discipline of sorcery?”

“Yes. When I was alive, the Empire treated me as a heretic and a thorn on the side because of it.”

Roselle spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal, and Seol Jihu had a puzzled expression.

“Why? Isn’t witchcraft a discipline too?”

“The Empire as a nation was built with magic as its foundation.”

Roselle replied with an unprecedented stiffness.

“A nation of magic, by magic, and for magic. They only allowed their people to walk the path of a Mage. All other disciplines were targets to be eliminated.”

Roselle furtively bit her lip.

“Witchcraft was especially persecuted. Not only did its practitioners not worship the Empire’s gods, but individual worship of idols was also regarded as sacrilege during that period…”

Seol Jihu finally caught a glimpse of why Roselle resented the Empire so much. While he couldn’t be certain, it seemed Roselle suffered something similar to a witch hunt when she was alive.

Wasn’t that why she wanted to uproot the Empire, whose foundations were based on magic?

“Let me say this in case you are misunderstanding me. I do not hate magic. Whether it be magic or witchcraft, I believe that they are both fascinating disciplines. I simply hated the Empire’s sole emphasis on magic.”

“Mm… then couldn’t you have just left the Empire and take asylum elsewhere?”

“Where? The Empire’s influence was spread throughout the entire continent. What nation would have accepted me? My only choice would have been to live in exile in a hideout where no one could find me.”

Roselle heaved out a small sigh.

“As long as you are born a citizen of the Empire, you must follow its laws. Well, I don’t think that’s wrong. But, I absolutely could not abandon witchcraft. For one reason.”

Roselle hesitated for a long time, then seemingly made up her mind and spoke.

“You see, I am not a native inhabitant of this world.”

“…Excuse me?”

Seol Jihu was taken aback by her shocking confession.

“Let me rephrase myself. I was certainly born and raised in Paradise, but the Grazia House’s ancestor is not from this world. She was an inhabitant of another world but was banished to Paradise after getting wrapped up in an incident.”

Roselle shrugged.

“Though it may be hard to believe, it is true. The records left behind by our ancestor clearly said so.”

Seol Jihu realized that this wasn’t anything to be surprised about. Thinking about it now, he was in the same position.

‘Still, another world….’

Suddenly intrigued, Seol Jihu asked.

“What is that world called?”

“Mm— The records say it is called Hall Plane