EVDR Chapter 134

 

“Everyone was surprised. The bracelet wore out so quickly… It was supposed to last at least ten years.”

“So, the fact that the bracelet barely lasted a moment means the area outside the shield was very dangerous.”

“That’s right. It might have been sheer luck that I only fainted after being hit by the rock fragment.”

Everyone inside the shield was tense. The young priest stared at Laila’s back without even blinking.

What would happen to the Duchess now?

Should someone go out to rescue her?

But who would dare step outside the shield?

And even if someone did, was there any guarantee they could save the Duchess?

In that brief moment, many doubts swirled in the young priest’s mind. He blinked his eyes once, then opened them.

And witnessed a scene.

The hero, who had just fiercely repelled the evil god’s attack, was running towards the Duchess.

The hero was quite a distance from the Duchess, and moreover, he was facing away from her.

How did he notice the Duchess’s presence? Did she call out his name?

However, the clash between the evil god and the hero created a tremendous noise all around. Even within the shield, the incessant deafening roar was overwhelming.

The young priest never found out, even when he became an older priest.

In any case, the hero appeared in front of the Duchess in an instant.

Since Laila was facing away from the shield, the young priest clearly saw the hero’s face as he stood before her.

The hero looked extremely flustered. The young priest was among those who had seen the hero when he had just awakened as a divine descendant and was training in the temple.

To think he could make such a face.

At that moment, the young priest couldn’t take his eyes off the hero, not because of the blood covering half his face but because of the hero’s expression.

“After that, the hero said something to the Duchess. Since the shield partially blocked sounds, I couldn’t hear what he said. But from the context, it seems like he was asking her why she was there and telling her to go back.”

The Hero didn’t just seem to be telling the Duchess something, but rather, he seemed to be begging her.

The young priest vividly remembered the hero’s desperate gaze and the urgency in his face.

“Then the Duchess immediately handed over the artifact to the hero and whispered something into his ear.”

At that moment, the hero showed a completely different expression.

A dazed look.

It was another expression that the young priest had never seen on the hero’s face before.

“I also remember the next scene clearly. I didn’t realize my memory was this sharp.”

“I’m glad to hear such an interesting story from you.”

“Ah, I am even more pleased to be able to share this story directly.”

The person listening to the older priest’s story smiled slightly.

The priest noticed the smile and paused.

…they looked similar.

Was it just his imagination?

Clearing his throat, the priest emptied his cup and continued the story.

“The artifact was in the form of a necklace. The hero, after receiving the artifact from the Duchess, awakened its power and trapped the Evil God inside it. It seems that, since it was a temple artifact, he instinctively knew how to use it. The celestial descendants and our temple have a deep connection, after all.”

“Indeed.”

“The Evil God was thus trapped in the necklace, and the necklace was to be kept in this temple…”

The priest momentarily lowered his gaze to the empty cup before looking up again at the person sitting opposite him.

“Today is actually the day when the necklace’s lifespan is expected to end.”

“Six months ago, the color of the necklace’s gemstone began to change. It has been clouded severely for the past month. Now, today or at the latest, tomorrow, the gemstone will shatter and the Evil God will reappear in the world.”

“Yes, I know. I’ve heard that.”

“…It came sooner than expected. I thought it would last for twenty years.”

“Seventeen years is quite a long time.”

The person listening to the priest shrugged.

“Long enough for a child who wasn’t even born to grow up.”

“….”

“Is that all the story you have to share, Andy?”

The priest, Andy, nodded.

“Thank you. I really enjoyed listening to the story.”

“It’s nothing. I…”

Andy hesitated. He had a thought he wanted to express but was unsure if it was appropriate for the situation.

The listener, with a calm expression, gazed at Andy. Finally, Andy spoke.

“…Please defeat the evil god safely.”

With that person.

At Andy’s words, the girl with dazzling blonde hair down to her shoulders smiled brightly. Her green eyes sparkled with fresh vitality.

“Don’t worry. I’ve had a good feeling since this morning.”

 

Epilogue

 

Laila’s Diary

 

June 11, 345 There are two months left until I meet Neid. The name ‘Neid’ is derived from the word ‘Neidna.’ Neidna is a word from the ancient language of the Moon Clan, now extinct, and it means ‘hope.’ Hope. It might seem cliched, but even so, I couldn’t help but name Neid “Neid.” Neid. I hope you will be my hope.

 

 

 

July 10, 345 Time flies. There is now only a month left until I meet Neid. In that time, my body has become quite heavy, but even with this situation, it doesn’t feel very real to me. Is it like this for everyone?

 

July 11, 345 Neid. What should I say to you when we first meet?

 

July 12, 345 Maybe because my body is heavy, I find myself short of breath more easily after just a short walk than before. While resting in the garden after a stroll due to my exhaustion, I suddenly thought of the past. When was that? It was when I was told I only had a few days left to live. Looking back, my physical condition wasn’t great even then. Was it similar to now? In terms of pure physical health, is it worse now? Anyway, I thought of this while in the garden, but I didn’t mention it to Sion. Sion’s expression darkens whenever I bring up my past with a terminal illness. It’s in the past, so why does it still bother him? But thinking about it, I suppose I’d feel the same if Sion brought up painful memories from his past, so perhaps it’s the same for both of us?

 

July 26, 345 In half a month, I’ll be able to meet Neid. Will those remaining two weeks feel long or short? So far, time has seemed to pass quickly.

 

July 31, 345 There are ten days left until I meet Neid. It doesn’t seem like time is passing quickly now.

 

August 3, 345 There is only a week left until I meet Neid. Sion made a strange mistake this morning. To be honest, it was a foolish mistake. He lost control of his strength during breakfast and broke a cup… I was surprised, but it seemed Sion was even more surprised than I was. At first, I was worried, thinking something might be wrong with Sion. Maybe his strength was out of control or something like that. But after hearing Sion’s explanation, it wasn’t like that at all. According to Sion, he was just nervous. Nervous about meeting Neid. It’s unbelievable. Sion broke a plate at dinner. Thanks to what happened in the morning, I wasn’t as surprised at dinner. But suddenly, I realized that Sion is really strong. If he’s not careful with his strength, he can break dishes… However, whenever Sion holds or touches me, he’s always… I should stop writing about that.

 

August 5, 345 There are five days left until I meet Neid.

 

August 7, 345 There are three days left until I meet Neid. I’ve heard that people with impatient personalities sometimes don’t keep promises, but Neid doesn’t seem to be that kind of person. …On the other hand, what if Neid is too relaxed and arrives late?

 

August 8, 345 While waiting for Neid, I suddenly had this thought. Who exactly am I waiting for? Am I waiting for my child? Or am I waiting for the savior who will rescue Sion?

 

August 9, 345 (written in a different handwriting) Oh no! My stomach hurts so much. I’m having Marie write this for me. Marie, please don’t write what I said earlier. Thank you. But you’re not writing this either, right? Anyway, my stomach hurts so much that it’s hard to write or even speak. It seems Neid is indeed someone who keeps her promises well.

 

August 10, 345 I met Neid.