<Chapter 115>
…That can’t be. He clearly struck down my great-grandfather with that ominous power.
“…If you are unaware of Sak’s power, it is understandable that you would misunderstand. The blade shaped by Sak is different from ordinary weapons…”
As I looked up at him, caught between distrust and hope, Khalid spoke in a soothing voice as if to reassure me.
He once again manifested the dark trajectory of his blade and brought it closer for me to see.
“It only leaves wounds on those I intend to harm. And I had not even the slightest intention of killing a noble of Roshan.”
“…Then.”
I muttered blankly, looking down at the boy’s pale, stricken face.
“He has merely lost consciousness. Do not worry, he will wake up in time without any lasting harm.”
So that’s what happened.
“…”
I let out a quiet sigh of relief, gently brushing the nape of the unconscious boy’s smooth neck, now assured that there were no wounds.
“A-ah… ahh….”
The brief silence was suddenly broken by a trembling gasp filled with fear.
I turned my head toward the sound and saw Sian’s attendant, his face drained of all color, staring in horror at Sian, who lay unconscious in my arms.
“…Step back a little.”
I wanted to tell him that Sian wasn’t harmed, that he had only fainted. But with Khalid standing there so imposingly, the attendant seemed too frightened to approach. So, in a slightly sharper tone, I spoke to Khalid.
Khalid withdrew without protest, creating distance.
“Ah, my lord!”
As if he had been waiting for this moment, the attendant rushed forward, tears streaming down his face as he cupped Sian’s cheek.
“What in the world has been happening these past few days…?”
“…He has only lost consciousness momentarily. He will wake up safely.”
Now, it truly felt like the time had come.
“…”
The last sight he saw before losing consciousness was me trying to protect him. That didn’t sit well with me.
“From here on, I must go alone. When he wakes up… please tell him I was truly grateful.”
I could not allow my great-grandfather to be entangled in danger any longer.
“My lady….”
At my composed farewell, the attendant’s face wavered with shock and distress.
“I pray for your safety and peace.”
“Thank you.”
Still glancing nervously at Khalid, the attendant hesitated before finally slinging Sian over his shoulder and hurrying away, looking close to tears.
So this is how I say goodbye to my great-grandfather.
A flood of emotions, unfamiliar yet deeply poignant, surged within me as I watched them disappear.
Though we had never met before in all my years, I felt a strange sense of longing for this family I had only just encountered.
I remained seated for a while, watching their figures fade into the distance.
Please wake up safely, and forget all of this unpleasantness.
I sincerely hope my great-grandfather can live a peaceful and happy life.
“…Now, are you planning to take me to Nisha?”
Returning to reality, I looked up at the royal of Nisha who clung to me like a leech, my gaze anything but kind.
“Yes.”
Khalid Ilkai responded without so much as a blink.
“…”
The Relic of the Forest was with Alcype, and the Relic of Water was with Marie.
But the Relics of Light, Lightning, Wind, and Earth…
I had to find the remnants of these four.
If I were dragged away by Khalid, would I ever be able to escape?
“Hah… If you’re going to take me anyway, stop wasting time and just get it over with.”
I let out a frustrated sigh as I stood, only to freeze as a sudden thought struck me.
No, wait.
Instead of scouring the entire continent, wouldn’t it be more likely that the remnants of the relics were in the Nisha Kingdom, where they favour Arkane, the very one who destroyed them?
Then, if I pretended to cooperate with Khalid… I might be able to extract more information from him.
“Rose, what is it all of a sudden? Are you unwell?”
I looked up at Khalid, whose expression held a rare hint of concern.
Even if it was mere pretense, it didn’t matter.
If this man harbored even the slightest guilt or sympathy toward me…
“No, it’s nothing. …Let’s go.”
Khalid studied me in silence, as if trying to discern my true intentions.
Eventually, his expression darkened as he seemed to realize that I had something hidden in my heart.
“…Let’s go.”
The only reason I turned back to look at the Temple of Light as I followed him was sheer reluctance.
Was convincing this man and searching for the remnants of the relics in Nisha truly the best course of action?
The thought of willingly walking into enemy territory was unbearable. A bitter resentment toward the Spirit King, who had sent me into the past without offering any aid, also lingered in my heart.
[Devotee of Darkness, I am sorry, but…]
Just then, a voice rang out, so beautiful and androgynous that it was impossible to determine its gender.
“…!”
I had heard this voice before.
“What the…”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who heard it, as Khalid murmured in mild bewilderment.
Whoosh!
“!?”
A radiant light, filled with divine and comforting power, completely engulfed my vision.
“Ah…”
[At last, we meet.]
When I came to, the Temple of Light, which had been weathered by time and reduced to ruins, had somehow reverted to its pristine, original state, as if it alone had turned back time.
[Descendant of Hacardella.]
Before my eyes, standing as if he had stepped straight out of a dream, was the Spirit King of Light, Ignis.
He was the very same being who had once appeared before me when I was lost in an illusion, ensnared by Arkane’s trap in my childhood.
His radiant eyes reflected my image within them, shimmering with an ethereal glow.
***
An existence so unrealistically beautiful it was as if he had been sculpted from pure light itself.
At the same time, disturbingly and eerily similar to Roberick—something I wished I could deny.
“Ignis…”
[You know of me. Yet, I believe this is our first time meeting in this manner.]
As I absentmindedly murmured his name, Ignis smiled gently.
His expression was so serene it could shatter any defenses, yet the clarity of his eyes, infused with delicate light, was not entirely soft.
[Now that I see you in person, I understand.]
His platinum hair, finer than the softest silk, brushed against my cheek as it cascaded down.
[You do not belong to this time. Nor are you the true owner of that body.]
His crimson gaze bore into me, piercing through my very soul, unraveling the truth within.
“…You can see that?”
I barely managed to keep my wits about me as I asked, my voice laced with fear.
The Spirit King of the Forest had not realized I wasn’t truly Rose Hacardella.
So how did the Spirit King of Light know?
[Was it not the Spirit King of Wisdom who placed your soul into that woman’s body?]
“How do you…?”
Rising gracefully from his slight bow, Ignis answered in a velvety tone.
[Very few beings possess deep knowledge of the Spirit King of Wisdom’s power. However, I have always known…because I hold a similar power.]
“A similar power? Wait, you don’t mean…you can transfer souls into different bodies as well?”
I gasped in disbelief, but Ignis remained composed as he replied.
[Time and souls are domains that only a select few can manipulate. But knowing more will not aid you in your journey, so I ask that you refrain from further questions.]
He cut off my inquiries, leaving behind a heavy silence.
“…”
I looked around, trying to suppress the overwhelming unease creeping over me, along with a strange sense of tranquility I couldn’t explain.
Why had the Spirit King of Light appeared to me so suddenly?
As Arkane’s natural enemy, was he someone I could trust?
Yet… there was something undeniably enigmatic about him.
[You seem lost in thought.]
“!”
I bit my lip, overwhelmed by countless questions, only to be startled when Ignis suddenly spoke.
As I blinked up at him, he gave a faint smile.
[That was well done. Hurting yourself is never the answer.]
“…Huh?”
I had no idea what he was talking about, so I stared at him blankly.
Then, without a word, Ignis reached out his hand, his touch as soft as falling snow, and gently brushed the blood from my lips.
“Wha…”
[There. It’s healed now. Please, don’t do that again.]
My confusion only lasted a moment.
As I touched my lips, the dull ache had completely vanished.
Only then did I realize… he had done this simply because he was saddened to see me harm myself, even unintentionally.
[Now, let us move on to the real matter at hand.]
…What the hell?
This absurdly idealistic madman.
