People had said the "Witch of the White Night," the proprietor of the Dawn Tower, had reached divinity.
Even if an individual had transcended beyond the category of humans, it was still sacrilegious to use the god's name. Nevertheless, people all around the world revered her as a living god.
One day, a foreign deity suddenly crossed over to this world; the heavens opened while the lands turned upside down, and tens of thousands of evil spirits descended down onto earth like rainpour.
Just from the aftermath alone led to one of the seven great towers of the continent, "Twilight," to collapse.
Humans stood on that very earth and created a full-scale army. Their empire which had seemed indestructible, dwindled to the dozens, and ultimately fell apart.
How many species had survived when that happened? Some had already gone extinct. Even if they survived, they could barely hold onto their lives as that was to be expected.
However, this was not the end for the continent.
Who rallied those survivors, left only with despair, from the ground? Who brought together the isolated transcendentalists and made them fight against foreign invaders?
Who lifted the abyss, which one would see when peering up at the heavens, and brought light back onto this world again?
Who was the hero who accomplished the feat of murdering the untouchable god by not only dragging it down from heaven to earth, but also chopping it to pieces, utterly destroying it?
Elena Edelweiss, "The Witch of the White Night," the proprietor of the Dawn Tower, the sun which never sets.
There was not a single person on the continent who did not know the name of the hero who accomplished such feats.
When she saved the world on the brink of destruction, people revered her as a hero.
When she slew the god who was responsible for the world's catastrophe, people worshiped her as a god.
Even the gods they prayed to couldn't achieve it, so what else could she be if anything but god, when she proved the very act before everyone's eyes?
All the surviving transcendentalists kneeled before her. There were some among them who believed she was god. They regarded her as extraordinary, and nothing less.
Was it because of their faith? Or has she truly ascended to godhood? No deities could touch her. In the end, she had flipped the very laws of nature upside down.
***
Elena Edelweiss POV
"Lady Elena. Please wake up. We've almost arrived."
"Ngh… Mnn… Hm?"
My consciousness, which had been submerged in darkness, began to stir, drawn into the familiar voice.
Lady?
It had been a long time since I'd been called that. Although my outward appearance maintained its youth, considering I've lived over 100 years, no one addressed me by such an awkward designation.
My comrade in arms would look at me and go, Goddess this, and Goddess that. It's needless to say, what everyone else referred to me as.
Then, who exactly is calling me in such an affectionate manner?
When I opened my eyes, a familiar face I had missed came into view.
Although I lived an old life for more than 100 years, my memory was better than anyone else. My sharp perceptiveness quickly scooped out her identity from the sea of memories.
"Hai…ley?"
"Yes. It is I, Your Ladyship's head maid and Melloheim's cutie. More importantly, you still appear half asleep. How can you sleep so soundly in this wobbly carriage? You need to pull yourself together! You will be meeting your fiancé soon, but you can't meet him with such a drowsy face full of eye gunk!!"
"What?"
I couldn't wrap my head around what she was rambling about. But I did grasp one thing she said.
When I heard that, I immediately looked out the carriage window.
The bright spring sunlight. Big and small birds were flying around and over the well-maintained city. When the carriage turned a corner, a beautiful manor could be seen within the distance.
A towering spire and a rampart that appeared unbreakable; I knew where this place was.
All the things I was seeing, I had encountered before in my memories. I could tell the moment I saw it.
I've really returned…
Everything was supposed to be in ruins, but the premises were intact. The person, who had died in front of her, was alive and smiling.
The world was what it had been before its collapse.
I only made the wish believing it wouldn't be granted. Never did I expect it to come true. It really was a miracle.
Despite the magic formulas being all in my head, they were still entirely incomprehensible. This further proved that my "regression" was simply a product of coincidence.
"What? Did you say something, miss?""
"No, nothing."
"Ey, you're lying. How can it be nothing when you're making such an expression? It's because of your fiancé, right? I knew this would happen so I prepared everything in advance. From what I discovered, your fiancé, Damian, is known for his kindness around here. He's really handsome too! Oh, you've already seen his portrait…"
"Hailey. Quiet."
Hailey shut her mouth at Elena's cold command.
As soon as I heard his name, it hit me. It had been a long time ago, but the wounds he had left had still remained.
—Elena. Oh, my beautiful Elena. You're mine and mine only.
—Why are you gazing elsewhere? Your eyes should only be on me. I said, don't look at anyone else. If you do that again, I'll gouge both of those eyes out.
—Why would you say that? You're going to leave me? What utter nonsense. You can never escape from me!! Elena Edelweiss, you belong to me!!! Me,Damian Kraus!!!!
"Tsk."
It made me shudder recalling the days when I had been a victim to his nasty obsession.