“Individually, we may not be able to defeat you, Hero,” the knight admitted, gripping his sword tightly.
“However, together, our combined levels exceed 70. You won’t be able to handle us so easi—”
His words were cut short.
The lead knight took a few steps forward, warning Kelian as if he were being reckless. But before he could even finish speaking, all three knights’ swords had been sliced in half.
“What the…?”
It wasn’t just the knights who couldn’t comprehend what had happened. Even I, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, found myself rubbing my eyes in disbelief.
Kelian hadn’t even drawn his sword. He had barely moved, and yet—I hadn’t even caught the motion properly—somehow, all three knights’ swords had been cleanly severed in two.
“Do you wish to continue?”
Kelian’s question rang out, cold and unwavering.
The lead knight clenched his teeth, his face twisting as he processed what had just happened. He had likely thought brute force would give them the upper hand, only to have their weapons destroyed before they could even start. The humiliation was evident.
“…We surrender.”
The knights stowed away their broken swords into their inventories. A moment later, Kelian’s sheathed weapon disappeared as well.
How much of a level gap did there have to be for someone to cut through their weapons using only a scabbard? If their claim about having a combined level of over 70 was true, then this was even more shocking.
Just then, the lead knight pulled something out.
Since they had just admitted defeat, I hadn’t expected it to be an attack—but to my surprise, that’s exactly what it was.
The knight moved swiftly, throwing a palm-sized, round orb-like item straight at Kelian.
“What the—!”
Boom!
The orb exploded midair, releasing a net that expanded outward.
It was clearly an item designed to trap a single person—it came crashing down toward Kelian.
This wasn’t just desperation; it was an attack fueled by sheer obsession. They were determined to take the hero, no matter what.
Rage flared within me at the sheer cowardice of it—lulling their opponent into a false sense of security, only to resort to trickery.
Fortunately, Kelian, the target of the attack, reacted instantly. He drew his sword and sliced through the net before it could entrap him.
“Kuh…! He even cut through the net?!”
It was clear that they hadn’t intended to kill him—just to restrain him and drag him back to Three Seasons Castle. But with their supposed ace-in-the-hole foiled in an instant, the lead knight’s face darkened with frustration.
However, that was only until Kelian made his next move.
“W-Wait—!”
Kelian still held the sword he had drawn to cut the net. Without hesitation, he swung his arm in a wide arc toward the three knights. A faint blue light shimmered along the blade’s edge.
It wasn’t as blindingly intense as the glow I had seen before, the one so strong it made my eyes ache. But even now, its power was unmistakable.
In the next instant, the knights’ heads were severed from their bodies, rolling through the air before hitting the ground with dull thuds. Their headless bodies soon followed, collapsing beside them.
It wasn’t the first time I had seen a corpse.
But watching heads being lopped off right before my eyes—this was new.
It felt surreal. I didn’t even feel fear; it was as if I were looking at an illustration in a book rather than something happening in reality.
“…Again, in the end…”
Dain muttered, staring down at the lifeless bodies.
The rest of the group didn’t seem particularly surprised either. If anything, they looked accustomed to this sort of situation.
“Owner. We’ll compensate you.”
Dain turned to the innkeeper, his voice curt. Then, without another word, he raised his staff and cast a spell.
A fire ignited right where the bodies lay.
The flames, conjured by magic, didn’t spread to anything else—only the corpses burned.
The smell was foul.
Seiris quietly cast a wind spell to disperse the stench, airing out the room.
The innkeeper, who had boldly raised his voice even at the armed knights, now only frowned without saying much. Strangely, he was much quieter than before.
But there was someone even quieter.
Kelian, who had just killed three knights in an instant, still hadn’t sheathed his sword.
It reminded me of the moment in the dining hall when the lord and his daughter had barged in. He wore the same unreadable expression—but there was a sense that he might do something at any moment.
No, he already had.
As I was lost in thought, Kelian turned his head toward me. Our eyes met.
“……”
What was I supposed to say?
After what had happened last night, I had expected to feel embarrassed seeing him again—but I hadn’t anticipated this kind of situation.
I hesitated, unsure of how to break the silence, but the moment passed quickly. Kelian averted his gaze first, making my internal struggle meaningless.
“Aine, you’re up?”
Jenin, who had spotted me, greeted me with a bright smile.
“…Yes, Jenin.”
“Did the noise wake you up too? It’s been quite a ruckus this morning, huh?”
For a conversation happening in a place where bodies had just turned to ash, his tone was surprisingly peaceful.
Dain, having finished disposing of the corpses, glanced at me. He didn’t say anything, nor did he throw any sharp remarks my way.
Maybe because of the situation.
Or maybe for some other reason.
Or… maybe there just wasn’t anything left to argue about.
“We should leave immediately.”
“Yeah. If the lord finds out these guys are dead, it’ll be more trouble. There might be more of them lurking nearby, too.”
Kelian and Dain exchanged words, and both Barkrud and Seiris nodded in agreement.
Only Jenin looked at me with concern, his voice the sole contrast to the group’s decisive tone.
“Wait, but Aine must be hungry. She hasn’t even had breakfast.”
“We haven’t either, you know?”
Before the conversation could turn into another argument, I quickly cut in.
“I’m fine. I’m not that hungry, and if I do get hungry, I can eat in the carriage.”
Kelian, who hadn’t even glanced in my direction, simply spoke. Then let’s go.
“…….”
With that, we moved.
Seiris, Dain, and I got into the carriage while Barkrud climbed onto the roof. Kelian and Jenin each mounted a horse.
The horses pulling the carriage looked remarkably energetic, likely due to Seiris’s continuous magic enhancement, despite carrying multiple passengers.
“Kelian! I’ll take the lead!” Jenin called out.
“Yeah.”
Jenin, on horseback, took the lead, while Kelian’s horse trudged alongside the carriage at a steady pace.
Since I was seated by the window, our eyes could have met at any moment. But he didn’t so much as glance in my direction, as if he had made a deliberate choice to avoid looking at me.
It was only natural for him to be in a bad mood after what had happened this morning.
Even so… I felt as if something inside me was being squeezed, just a little.
I knew this wasn’t the time to be feeling like this. And yet.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Seiris must have noticed my dejected expression, as he asked with uncharacteristic gentleness.
I forced a small smile and shook my head before pulling a piece of bread from my inventory—the leftovers from yesterday’s meal.
“Seiris, would you like some?”
“No.”
The rejection was immediate, but I wasn’t offended.
He had been the type to order dishes with extravagant names I didn’t even recognize, so I doubted he’d eat something as simple as bread.
Jenin was too far ahead to call over for a shared meal. And Kelian… was even more out of the question.
“Barkrud.”
I turned my attention to the man on the roof.
When I leaned out the window and called his name, Barkrud lowered his head down from the roof in one swift motion.
“Want some bread?”
“Thanks.”
With almost acrobatic ease, he bent down, took half a piece of bread, and returned to his perch.
Since we weren’t all eating together, he could take his time and eat at his own pace. I settled back into my seat and took a bite of my own piece. It was a bit tough, but the taste was decent.
And then—
“So, my mouth doesn’t count as a mouth?”
I hadn’t even considered offering any to Dain.
Sitting across from me, his legs crossed, he let out an incredulous huff, staring at me as if I had committed some great offense.
“…Do you want some?”
I asked belatedly, expecting him to scoff and refuse.
Instead, Dain extended his hand, palm up, without hesitation.
He took the bread without so much as a thank-you.
…Was he that hungry?
As he bit into it, I decided to change the subject.
“Did you find the rare dungeon?”
I had asked out of curiosity while chewing on my bread, but Dain, who was also munching on his piece, shot me a sharp glare.
Oh. So he hadn’t found the rare dungeon.
“You’ve got a strong stomach,” he scoffed, launching straight into another jab.
So that’s why he had been quiet.
“How long has it even been since you watched people die? And yet, you’re already stuffing your face?”
So he had noticed me watching earlier.
That was my first thought.
My second thought was—You’re eating too.
I stared at him, dumbfounded, as he continued to nibble at his bread with small, efficient bites, acting as if he hadn’t just accused me of the exact thing he was doing. His attitude remained as shameless as ever.
“It doesn’t feel real,” I admitted.
“What doesn’t?”
“Seeing someone die. It’s my first time.”
Even now, it didn’t feel quite real.
It was something I could tell Malri about later—I traveled with the hero’s party and saw all sorts of things—but it wasn’t the kind of story I could share in front of her kids.
Maybe I was imagining it, but for a split second, Dain’s sharp gaze seemed to soften.
“Low-level people must live pretty cushy lives,” he muttered. “If this is your first time seeing a corpse.”
I doubted that was true for everyone, but for me, at least, it was.
Though comfortable wasn’t exactly the word I would use to describe my life.
“Does that happen a lot for high-level people?” I asked.
“Yeah, pretty often,” he replied casually. Then, with a smirk, he added,
“If you’re scared, you should head back home while you still can.”
I couldn’t say that seeing corpses scared me less than the thought of dying from my curse.
What surprised me was that Dain didn’t push the topic any further. As if he had only been making an offhand comment, he abruptly turned his head toward the window.
The silence that followed was unexpectedly peaceful.
Why was he suddenly acting so agreeable?
Was the bread I gave him really that good? It was tasty, sure, but at the end of the day, it was just plain bread…
“Break!”
At Jenin’s loud declaration, the carriage came to a halt.
“We’ve barely been on the road, and we’re already stopping?”
Dain grumbled as he was the first to hop out of the carriage.
“It’s been over three hours! I’m starving, I can’t take it anymore. Let’s eat before we keep going.”
Jenin rubbed her stomach absentmindedly, looking genuinely hungry.
Oops.
I hadn’t called her over to eat earlier since she’d been riding ahead on horseback. Maybe I should have shared my bread after all.
As everyone settled in and began pulling food from their inventories, I spotted Kelian feeding the horses.
Even the one he had ridden on was calmly eating from his hand.
His face, as always, was unreadable. But even without an expression, he didn’t seem to be in the best mood.
After hesitating for a long moment, I cautiously approached him.
“I… I’ll help feed them too.”
Kelian froze for just a second before responding in a flat, indifferent tone.
He still didn’t look at me.
“I’m fine, Aine.”
His response was firm, leaving no room for further discussion.
I looked at him once, then at the ground, before slowly making my way back to the others.
At least… he still said my name.
“Aine, want some of this?”
Jenin, now sitting beside me, offered me some of her food.
I took a small bite, then turned to my left, where Seiris was subtly showing off his unfamiliar dishes. He looked pleased when I complimented them, so I sampled some as well.
As I gradually filled my stomach, Kelian remained where he was—seated against a distant rock, not eating or doing anything in particular.
“Kel— I mean, the Hero isn’t eating…?”
I barely caught myself before saying his name.
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice.
“He said he’s not hungry.”
Jenin answered before resuming her conversation with Dain.
They talked as if they hadn’t been arguing earlier, completely at ease with each other.
It seemed like no one in the hero’s party forced someone to eat if they didn’t want to.
“Aine, aren’t you getting bored sitting in the carriage all the time? Want to try riding a horse with me?”
“A horse?”
Jenin made the suggestion as we finished our meal, pinning a brooch-shaped item to my chest.
“If you wear this, it makes you super light—so light that the horse will barely even notice you’re there.”
Now that I looked closely, Jenin also had the same brooch pinned to her chest.
An item that could make a rider light enough for the horse to barely notice… Just hearing about it made it sound incredibly expensive.
“I’ve never ridden a horse before… Will it be okay?”
“It’s fine! You’ll be riding with me.”
If that was the case, there was no reason to refuse.
With Jenin’s help, I attempted to mount the horse—attempted being the key word.
Hiiing!
The horse neighed sharply, shaking its head and stepping away. No matter what we tried, it refused to let me on.
“Clenon, what’s wrong?” Jenin asked, tilting her head.
“I don’t think he likes me very much.”
Even if the brooch made me light enough that the horse wouldn’t physically feel my weight, it probably still had personal preferences. And apparently, I wasn’t to this one’s liking.
I took a few steps back, giving it space.
“He’s not really one to let others ride him… but I didn’t think he’d be like this with you too.”
Well, if he didn’t like carrying other people, I wasn’t an exception.
As soon as Jenin climbed onto his back, the horse calmed down as if nothing had happened.
Seeing how easily they settled into place made me chuckle.
Jenin, looking slightly embarrassed, laughed along with me.
“Oh, then you can just ride with Kelian! You heard that, right, Kelian?”
I spun around in surprise—just in time to see Kelian mounting his horse.
Ah.
“Uh… I-I’m fine! I think I’ll just ride in the carriage with everyone else.”
I hurriedly declined and started toward the carriage, but then—
“Would you like to ride together?”
Kelian called out to me.
He stood beside his horse, waiting, as if offering to help me up first.
Knowing him, he had probably only extended the offer because Jenin suggested it.
And yet…
“…Okay, then.”
I nodded hesitantly.
Jenin, already mounted, took off first, and I let Kelian help me onto his horse.
He soon climbed up behind me.
As he settled into place, my back instinctively straightened, hyper-aware of the warmth just behind me.
“We’re leaving.”
Barkrud called from his perch atop the carriage roof.
At once, the steady rhythm of hooves filled the forest path.
The item that supposedly made us nearly weightless was definitely working—Kelian’s black horse remained as energetic as ever despite carrying two riders.
The real problem was me.
Since it was my first time on a horse, I couldn’t keep my balance at all. The horse wasn’t even moving roughly, but I still wobbled uncontrollably—tilting left, tilting right, unable to steady myself.
And every time I shifted, I inevitably brushed against Kelian’s arms, which were holding the reins, or his body behind me.
I was already hyper-aware of his presence, and now, this?
I was desperately trying to stabilize my upper body, feeling ridiculous for flailing in front of someone who was clearly not in a great mood.
That was when I felt warm breath against my right ear.
“You can lean on me.”
He had simply lowered his head to speak so I could hear him clearly. That was all.
And yet, to my hopelessly overactive mind, that breath against my ear felt… way too suggestive.
Now was not the time for this.
“A-ah, no! I think I’ll be fine if I just lean forward!”
As I had declared, I lowered my upper body, pressing myself closer to the horse’s back.
It did help stabilize my weight a bit, though my body tensed from nerves.
“…….”
A stretch of silence followed, and I thought that was the end of it—
Until his arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me upright.
“Ah—!”
A firm, muscular body pressed against my back.
Startled, I instinctively tried to lean forward, but the arms wrapped around my waist didn’t budge. Instead, I was pulled even closer—until my hips were flush against him.
“K-Kelian…”
“You already gave me permission to touch you.”
His voice came from even closer than before.
No—his lips were practically brushing against the curve of my ear.
“…….”
I had given him permission.
But that was yesterday, in the bathhouse.
I hadn’t given permission now.
Did he think that moment extended beyond just then? That the permission I had granted was not a fleeting one, but something indefinite—something ongoing?
…Had I really agreed to that?
“Aine.”
He called my name, still holding me.
“I’m sorry.”
“…Huh?”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.
But I hadn’t.
He had just apologized to me.
“Why… are you apologizing?”
“I showed you something unpleasant.”
“……When?”
“This morning.”
Ah.
The knights.
The ones he had killed.
Now reduced to ash, but still—their deaths remained.
For a second, I thought he was referring to yesterday—to what had happened in the bathhouse.
“But… they attacked first.”
Kelian had even spared them once. They were the ones who had tried to ambush him dishonorably—and died for it.
Of course, it wasn’t something I wanted to see.
But even now, it still didn’t feel real enough for me to think of it as horrifying.
“Sometimes… I feel like I can’t control it.”
“…….”
“When that happens, I just want to… get rid of everything.”
Get rid of everything?
His words trailed off.
I tilted my head up slightly, catching a glimpse of his eyes—usually indifferent, but now carrying a shadow of something… somber.
“Tell me, Kelian,” I urged.
What had he stopped himself from saying?
This beautiful hero—what kind of thoughts, what kind of urges did he suppress from time to time?
Urged by my prompting, he exhaled and finally finished his sentence.
“I just want to… erase everything.”
…Huh.
That was much more violent than I had expected.
I immediately focused on keeping my expression neutral.
I asked for an answer. I can’t make a face like I regret hearing it now.
“When you say everything… does that include your comrades?”
“No.”
“Then… what about me?”
Kelian let out the faintest chuckle, as if the idea itself was absurd.
That barely-there smile of his—I was starting to get just a little used to it.
“Not at all.”
“Oh, well, that’s a relief.”
That’s what I said, but was it really?
The idea that someone as powerful as Kelian could have the potential to become a murderer…!
Of course, maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe it wasn’t as serious as it sounded.
But one thing was clear—what I had sensed from him before wasn’t just my imagination.
“Why do you think you feel that way?” I asked carefully.
“…I don’t know.”
So, he wasn’t willing to tell me that much yet.
Even so, his arms tightened just slightly around my waist.
It didn’t hurt, but the strength in his hold made it clear that slipping away wasn’t an option either.
He was probably just steadying me, keeping me from swaying on the horse.
And yet… something about it made me feel as if, in this moment, he needed me.
Maybe I should have been afraid.
But for some reason, I wasn’t.
“I guess it happens often—”
“Kelian!”
I was about to ask if there had always been people like the lord of Three Seasons Castle—or the knights from earlier—people who approached him with deceitful intentions, willing to attack him underhandedly just to get their way.
But before I could finish, Dain’s loud voice cut through the air.
He had leaned out the carriage window, scowling.
“What the hell are you doing with her? Wasn’t she supposed to be riding with Jenin?”
When Jenin had offered me a ride earlier, Dain had barely reacted, just rolling his eyes like it was a pointless game.
But now that he realized I was riding with Kelian instead, he looked furious.
Jenin slowed her horse, pulling up alongside the carriage. Though I couldn’t hear what she was saying, I could guess.
Dain’s next outburst confirmed it.
“Then she should’ve just ridden in the carriage, not with you!”
His words carried the same old suspicion—that I had joined the party just to seduce Kelian.
He ranted for a while, but when no one on our end reacted, he eventually huffed and pulled his head back inside.
(Though, I suspected it was less because he had given up and more because he nearly got smacked by a tree branch.)
“…….”
I stared at the carriage ahead for a moment before lowering my gaze to the arms wrapped around me.
There wasn’t even a need to ask.
From the way Dain had reacted, the way Kelian didn’t react, and the way the others treated the situation—it was obvious.
They had dealt with countless people like the lord of Three Seasons Castle.
People who approached them not with sincerity, but with selfish motives.
People who wanted to use Kelian.
People who were captivated by his reputation, by his strength, by his face, and threw themselves at him with whatever excuse they could come up with.
No wonder he was sick of it.
And I…
I was using him, too.
Because of my curse, because my life was on the line—wasn’t I relying on him the same way?
I was no different from the people he despised.
I was using him. Deceiving him.
And the worst part?
No matter how guilty I felt now, the next time my curse flared up, I knew I would cling to him again—without hesitation.
The thought made my head spin.
