Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 39: Cinderella

By the light of a wax candle set on a plate in the darkness, Mitsuki read the books spread across his desk. He took his time analyzing the contents of each one, unwilling to miss a single detail.

As time passed, he learned quite a lot about the history of Arcane Magic—its origins and its tragedies. In fact, the first book Ellegaard had given him contained the story of the legendary old elf Yadhis, a great figure of ancient magic.

There was an entire section dedicated to this mage—nearly a quarter of the book focused on him and his achievements. Spells such as the rupture of space-time, the complete transformation of matter, and the restructuring of the laws of reality under his own concepts and derived methods within a limited field were what caught Mitsuki’s attention the most during his reading.

However, he also came to understand something very important.

’Yadhis Witherbark...’

He was one of Ellegaard’s ancestors; that was why she defended Arcane Magic so fiercely and practiced it with all her strength. What that tsundere elf truly wanted was to become as great as her ancestor.

’The records say that Yadhis left behind writings and artifacts for his descendants scattered across the world, and although they wouldn’t always end up in the hands of his bloodline, he hoped those secrets would fall into the hands of great mages with a thirst for mystery and discovery...’

Somehow, as Mitsuki ran his fingers over the illustration of that mage facing an immense dragon, he could feel the passion that elderly elf had for adventure and the unknown. Arcane Magic was exactly that, after all—the discovery of all the secrets the universe hides behind its dark cosmic veil.

’And Ellegaard... I think I can understand now why she travels the world searching for magical things. Maybe she hopes to gather everything her ancestor left behind and follow in his footsteps toward greatness.’

That thought made him smile.

’I completely get you.’ After all, he himself had become an almost mythical being in his own world—because he never left his house.

When he finished reading the book, he felt as if the world had opened up before him with endless possibilities. Power, magic, mystery, adventure; all of it made his heart burn with excitement. This was more than just a video game. However, he also felt an indescribable fear.

’But even if you want to become stupidly powerful, this world seems full of ridiculous things that could kill us in a second.’ He looked toward the window; the night sky filled with stars barely visible from where he sat. ’I wonder... just how strong can I become before one of those invincible things shows up?’

Thinking about the future was a mess. You could never be sure what would happen or what complications might arise. It was better to be like Jeanne: live in the moment and be a complete idiot who did whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

Going back to the matter at hand, Mitsuki skimmed through the map books. There, he finally learned that the world was divided into lands, and that each of these lands was a vast territory, like a small continent. These lands often contained different kingdoms with their own cultures and rules that clashed completely with those of other lands.

Mitsuki sighed.

"At this rate, by the time I find a way to return home, I’ll have turned into an old man."

Living in a world three times larger than his own was too much.

Tired, he closed the books, blew out the candle, and lay down on the bed. His body touched the mattress, but his bones cracked in pain, his muscles ached, and a groan of agony escaped his lips.

’Damn... My freaking arms hurt. It feels like they’re going to fall off at any moment.’

If you want to enjoy power, you must suffer the process.

’Honestly... I just hope the training works. I have a sword I’d like to use.’

Training with Jeanne had been painful, but at least it would yield results with a bit of dedication and discipline. Then, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to rest. Exhaustion did its job, his mind sank into darkness, and soon he fell straight into the realm of dreams.

He heard voices in his dreams, saw blinding lights, and felt the embrace of a mysterious being.

He opened his eyes; he was in a plain filled with gray flowers. Everything around him was colorful: the grass, the sky, the clouds, and the flowers themselves. He felt at peace.

Suddenly, a woman called out to him. He turned and looked at her. On a small hill near the walls, a woman with hair the color of the flowers—ash—smiled at him gently. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but she wasn’t ugly either. Her face was quite ordinary, with a few freckles on her rosy cheeks. Her long noble blue dress revealed her to be someone of high status.

"Here I am, Arthur. Are you sure your eyesight isn’t failing you?" she laughed, offering him her hand.

Mitsuki, unconsciously, opened his mouth, unable to refuse. "If you use that crazy magic, how do you expect me to find you? I’m a knight, not a battle mage like you."

"Oh, so now I can’t use my own power to win a game of hide-and-seek."

"Cinder... we weren’t playing hide-and-seek. Don’t you think we’re a bit too old for that?"

She shook her head with a smile. "It’s never too late to have fun, my prince. The more years pass, the more people tend to grow bitter. Just look at our parents. Weren’t they happier when we were just children?"

Arthur (Mitsuki) smiled, scratching his head. "I can’t deny that, but—"

"Then let’s not be like them. When you become king and I become queen, we’ll be the happiest rulers of all. We’ll spread happiness to our people, truly."

Resigned, with a relaxed sigh, Arthur placed his hand on Cinder’s shoulder.

"Cinderella... you’re crazy."

"Hey! I’m not crazy. You just don’t understand my innovative dream."

"I try to understand you as best as I can, you know? It feels like every day you become more... strange," Arthur said, but he immediately corrected himself when he saw the pout on Cinder’s face. "I don’t mean it as an insult. The fact that you’re different is what makes you cute."

"I know I’m cute, you don’t have to remind me."

"The point is, I don’t want you to be disappointed. I’ve been on the battlefield alongside my brother, and you have no idea the horrors we’ve seen. The world is... complete nonsense."

She took his hand. With a confident smile, she said, "Then I’ll change the world. No more tears, no more loneliness, no more shadows lurking among villages reduced to ashes. I promise you."

Arthur gently squeezed Cinderella’s hand. His royal armor covered his body, and a strand of his blond hair fell over his eye. She reached up, brushing it aside with that gentle gaze of hers. Then, without warning, she kissed him, embracing him tightly.

At that moment, Mitsuki heard a distant feminine scream along with a massive explosion. There was pain—the pain of betrayal—and ash covering everything.

He shot his eyes open and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. As cold sweat slid down his forehead, the morning light streamed through his window, yet the darkness of a tragedy shadowed his face.

Just like that day, a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks.

’The same thing again...’

Only this time, it had been much clearer.