When I Fell Madly in Love With the Heroine, the World Changed.

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—“You know the rest, what I did and what happened to the EU.”

“..I didn’t know that.. but your mother! You saved your mother, didn’t you?”

“..No, she died. I, you know.. didn’t really know anything, really.”

(Past again.)

“You would have died if I hadn’t come along, Sieg.”

Command center of a huge transport vehicle.

Here, on the frontlines of the EU war, Sieg and Rhode meet on the battlefield.

Already Rhode has the air of royalty about him, and Rhode acknowledges Sieg.

In the past, he used to resent Sieg for killing his uncle.

But on the battlefield, Rhode knows that it is the war and not the soldiers that he should resent.

They can only follow orders.

Having understood what it means to be a professional soldier, Rhode no longer holds a grudge against Sieg.

Besides, he owes Sieg a debt of gratitude for saving him.

My mother and myself could have died there.

That is why Rhode does not resent Sieg, and Sieg also respects him.

“I didn’t think there was such a strong man in the EU.. I remember he said he was Thor, but I was lured in by him. If Master Rhode hadn’t come, I would have died. Thank you very much.”

“If you are only brave, one day you will lose your feet. They are desperate. They are risking their lives. But with this..”

Rhode gives his final instructions.

“Check it out.”

The Rhode have won their 100th victory on this day in a breakneck pace.

It has been a long road, but he has fulfilled the condition of recognition proposed by the emperor.

***

“Well, at last. All right, you may meet.”

After a year, Rhode and Scarlett were allowed to see each other again.

But the boy’s dreams of an emotional reunion are dashed.

Rhode is taken to another room.

And his mother was seated in that room.

“Come on, Scarlett. He’s your son. And.”

The emperor chuckles and closes the door.

“You have destroyed your home.”

Rhode looks straight at his mother.

He hasn’t seen his mother in two years. She looks familiar but terribly tired.

Rhode, who must have been worried about her, is heartbroken.

“Mother..”

I slowly approached my mother.

I wanted her to hug me. I had worn out my soul for nearly two years, trying to free my mother.

I wanted her to admire me and praise me for my greatness.

And I wanted to return the love as much as I wanted to.

For an eight-year-old boy, his mother was everything.

I studied for her for a year. I won for her continuously for a year.

I am sure she would have been waiting to see me.

She would give me a gentle hug and praise me.

That’s why I tried to jump into my mother’s heart.

But then.

Slap.!

“Eh?”

“Ughhhh.. I.. I..”

But instead, Rhode was hit hard in the cheek.

I hold my cheek and look at my mother, who looks at me with a resentful face, crying.

“Mother..?”

“I, I was wrong. You should have died then. And me too!”

“What are you talking about? Mother..”

Scarlett had been told.

Day after day, which regions the Rhode had destroyed, and how many EU soldiers he had killed.

By the Emperor himself, in great detail.

“You are the devil! How many people have you killed! You helped the people who killed my brother!”

“Because.. because I.. my mother..”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Father, mother, brother. I-I gave birth to the such a devil.!”

The everyday report broke Scarlett’s heart.

The reality that her homeland and her motherland were being destroyed by her only son whom they had saved so desperately at the expense of her brother’s life.

For nearly a year, she was reported of every single person he killed, which areas they occupied, and even the images.

How many people were enslaved and had their lives taken away in the process?

How many times did they think of killing themselves?

If I was the cause, if it was my fault because I gave birth to the devil then I should die too for my sins.

But I stayed on with only one thought.

I was waiting for this moment.

The mother’s only wish was.

“Rhode! You must die!”

Mother rushed towards Rhode with a fruit knife on her desk.

Rhode couldn’t move, Or, rather, couldn’t at all because his mind stopped working.

Even with his genius brain, he could not understand.

All I wanted was for my mother to praise me.

I only wanted to help my mother, so why did she want to kill me?

“Kill you! And I will also kill myself!!!!!!!!”

—But you are trying to kill me now.

But that knife never pierced.

It is stopped by one soldier.

“Kuh! Let go of me! Let go of me!!!!”

It was Sieg.

Sieg was waiting near the door, as if he knew this was going to happen.

By the emperor’s order.

Sieg, who had been hiding and watching what was going on, jumped out the moment Scarlett held the knife.

“Why, why mother..”

“Rhode! You must kill yourself! You shouldn’t be alive!!!!”

Scarlett moves Sieg out of the way and still lashes out to kill Rhode.

But she realised that this desire was unattainable.

And finally.

“I was.. wrong. I-i’m sorry for this Devil..”

With a knife to her own neck, she took her own life.

Fresh blood flew in the air, and in her dazed eyes, I saw the flames of hatred in my mother’s eyes.

And the reflection of that was himself clear and firm.

Rhode looks blankly at his mother’s blood on his face.

—Is this what you wanted.. your majesty the emperor..

Seeing this, Sieg had even put a fruit knife in place in anticipation of this happening.

Motionless Rhode, and Sieg left that room and left Rhode alone for a while.

What did Rhode think on this day?

No one knows what he thought.

What did the boy, who later called himself the devil and was called the devil’s brain by the world and feared, think in front of his mother’s corpse who killed herself because of him?

To the mother he loved, to the mother who should have loved him, to the mother he tried so hard to save.

What did the boy think when he was almost killed?

No one will ever know that.

But soon the world will remember Rhode Asgard’s saga once again as an undefeated commander who took half of the EU.

No one knows what lurks in the back of his mind, whether he is really the devil, as people call him.

◇End of recollection.

“My mother died. She was ill! It was her life span. I think she had a great life. With such a good son!”

But Rhode did not tell Kenya the truth.

Kenya did not know what Rhode’s true intentions were, as he forced himself to smile.

Still, his mother had died.

He was probably just forcing himself to mend it, or so he thought.

There were only two things that Rhode told Kenya.

That he was half royal blood of the emperor, and scarlet.

That he used to fight for the EU, but because of his mother he made a contract with the Emperor to fight against the EU.

And that he is now an Royal Family and wants to end the war.

He did not say more than that.

Only Sieg and the emperor knew what my mother had done to Rhode.

“I see..”

“So, Kenya. You have to make me emperor. I have to end this sad world. Besides, you saw Jin-kun and Reelbert-kun today and you understood.”

“..Hmm.”

“That’s the result of education in this country, it’s not their fault. So”

But Rhode’s words do not continue.

And the words he spun as if to change the subject were.

“That’s why I’m going to be emperor.”

They are silent for a while, with grapes on their cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Rhode. My selfishness.. and it’s not for me to say, but are you alright?”

“Your today’s deed? It fucking disaster, to say the least.”

“Ugh.”

“Phew. But I don’t know why, it doesn’t feel so bad. Well, you’re at a considerable disadvantage, but I’ll take care of it.”

“Sorry..”

“Next time you’ll have to think a bit more about what you’re doing. But if the same situation comes up again, you’ll behave the same way, won’t you?”

Ah.. ah..”

“I’m afraid I’ve chosen a very difficult knight..”

Rhode’s face is somewhat happy.

The two of them then finished off all the grapes.

Kenya takes Rhode on the KOG back to the military camp.

On his return, many Asgard, including Jin, see Kenya.

Awe, fear, anger.

All kinds of emotions are directed at Kenya, as an enemy.

Then Rhode steps forward and speaks.

“About today.. I gave the order. Do not kill those who do not resist.”

“Hey!”

At these words, Kenya stares at Rhode, but he decides to remain silent as he is stared at with an atmosphere that tells him to shut up.

“Many of you know what I have done to my captives. So I expect the same from my knights. I have differed from my brother’s orders this time, but this was a mistake on my part and on his. Ken’s loyalty to me as my knight is the result and he is not to blame. Please forgive him.”

The soldiers then agree that they get the point.

Everyone in Asgard Empire knows that the Rhode is forgiving of those who surrender.

So it is no surprise that the knight Ken would behave in the same way.

Odin’s order was to kill them. But if the Rhode was also a member of the royal family and a knight of the Rhode, it would be more natural for him to follow the Rhode’s orders.

Then today’s action was understandable.

An unforeseen accident caused by an unfortunate error in the chain of command.

If that is the case, they are forced to accept it as unavoidable.

Fortunately, there were no deaths and no serious injuries, and since Rhode has said that he will take full responsibility, there is no reason to be angry any more.

In fact, Kenya’s reputation as a loyal soldier is enhanced.

“I see, Ken. That’s how it is, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too, Ken-kun. I guess there were circumstances like that.”

Jin and Reelbert also apologize to Kenya.

“No, no. I didn’t explain myself well enough. I’m sorry for pointing my sword at you too!”

Kenya bows his head.

With this, the matter is settled for the moment.

—This is how we can manage this situation. But there is no way my brother will let it go for free.. I hope it doesn’t affect the Imperial Sword Festival.. no. He will surely cut his way through.

Only Rhode understood the future that lay ahead, though, and that the enemy had a weakness that could not be excused.

***

Odin laughs loudly when he hears the report.

“This is a good card to get.. Isn’t it Katherine? For the loss of only about 20 KOGs.”

“Yes, we couldn’t get Lord Rhode’s weakness so easily, and one day we will surely be able to use it as a trump card. But the boy does a good job, as a double agent.”

Rhode and Ken are now in Odin’s deadly hands.

Little did they know that this one incident could decide the fate of the world.

And after nearly six months had passed towards that fateful day, it finally began.

The Holy Knight examinations.