“We couldn’t find Iris.”
A few days after the subjugation of the 3rd Gate, Ilaria approached Elise, who was tending to Karan.
“She hasn’t returned to Bedrokka either?”
Elise put down the wet cloth she was using to wipe Karan’s forehead.
“That’s right, Elise. She hasn’t gone there. Nor to the Ivory Tower.”
“She was critically wounded. She must have gone to a nearby clinic or doctor.”
“We’ve looked everywhere. We’ve interrogated every back-alley doctor and pharmacist, but no one has seen anyone matching Iris’s description.”
Elise’s face darkened rapidly. Ilaria looked at her with pity.
“Have you gotten any sleep, Elise?”
Instead of answering, Elise smiled. The faint smile seemed like it would crumble at any moment.
“You haven’t slept again, have you?”
“I did sleep.”
“Four hours?”
Elise shook her head.
“Three hours?”
Seeing her press her lips tightly, it seemed she had slept even less than that.
Can that even be called sleep? It’s barely more than closing her eyes.
“You’ll fall ill at this rate. Karan won’t let this slide when he wakes up.”
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t harm Your Highness Ilaria.”
“No, at this point, I’d be glad even if he grabbed me by the collar. If only he would wake up.”
Ilaria and Elise’s gazes lingered on Karan. He had been unable to wake up for a week.
“Elise, do you know why Karan isn’t waking up?”
Ilaria was the first to look away from Karan.
“Why do you think I would know?”
Ilaria recalled the situation after Elise had woken up. The day the 3rd Gate was subjugated.
While it was a day of blessing for Magnus, it was a day of darkness for the Tetris warriors.
Karan, Elise, and even Uls, whom they had grown fond of, were carried out from the gate.
All three were still breathing, but it was uncertain when they would wake up.
Ilaria proclaimed them as the main contributors to the 3rd Gate’s subjugation and summoned all of Magnus’s doctors.
A line of renowned physicians came to examine the three. Though they were startled when asked to treat an animal, most doctors devoted themselves to treating them.
Fortunately, Uls and Elise woke up the next day.
As soon as Elise opened her eyes, she looked for Karan. And the first thing she did was to drive the doctors out.
[Your presence won’t be of any help.]
When the doctors asked why she was sending them away, Elise said something slightly hurtful to them.
Although she later apologized, saying she had just woken up and was confused, Ilaria thought it was sincere.
The doctors can’t wake Karan up. Elise knows this well.
“Karan needs to wake up. We need to assess his contributions at the 3rd Gate… and he also needs to be investigated regarding the deaths of the magicians.”
Ilaria’s mouth turned bitter as she listed the things that needed to be done.
Karan and Elise were heroes. But they couldn’t simply cater to their convenience.
This was Magnus, after all.
They needed to discuss their achievements in detail and provide appropriate honors.
They also had to determine who would have the authority over the 3rd Gate passage from now on.
As a result, the King of Magnus was growing anxious.
On top of that, the Ivory Tower was pressing the issue of the magicians’ deaths.
They demanded compensation, claiming that the deaths were due to Magnus’s lack of active cooperation.
They even blamed Magnus for Iris’s disappearance. The sages seemed ready to attack at any moment.
The problem needed to be solved, but with Karan, the key person, lying unconscious, there was no progress.
In the end, Ilaria had to make a request she hated more than death to Elise, who needed rest more than anyone else right now.
“Elise, could you at least attend the meeting…?”
“Your Highness should do it.”
Elise, seemingly tired, pressed between her eyebrows and cut Ilaria’s words short.
“What do you mean?”
“Attribute all our achievements to Your Highness.”
“What? But I didn’t do anything…”
“We came here for Your Highness and fought for Your Highness. So our achievements are Your Highness’s achievements. I’ll give you all the authority.”
It was the logic of war. The achievements of subordinates becoming the achievements of the general.
“But Elise, you and Karan are not my subordinates. You’re more like friends than subordinates.”
“That’s even better. Let’s say it was a friend helping a friend.”
“Elise, conquering a gate is an enormous feat.”
“I know. That’s why you should use that point to…”
Elise, her headache seemingly subsided, removed her hand. She approached Ilaria and whispered,
“Make Magnus Your Highness Ilaria’s country.”
Having all of Magnus as a strong ally for Karan and Elise would be a far greater benefit than the small amount of money they’d receive now.
Ilaria flinched. Her innermost thoughts had been completely read.
‘Did I reveal my desires so clearly?’
“Your Highness, don’t worry. It doesn’t show.”
Once again, her thoughts were read. At this point, Ilaria began to suspect Elise of mind-reading.
‘I should ask her.’
But Ilaria couldn’t ask.
“I just know a little more than others.”
Elise’s weary murmur made Ilaria think she shouldn’t push her.
“Your Highness, I have one favor to ask.”
“Tell me anything, Elise.”
“Please bring a man named Feu Orces from Tetris here. Quickly.”
Haltbin and a few warriors were sent to Tetris to report the situation. They won’t be able to return here for a while.
Without them, there was no one particularly trustworthy and capable around Elise who could bring Feu Orces here the fastest.
Ilaria was the only person she could ask for help.
“Who is this person?”
Elise looked at the deeply sleeping Karan.
“Is he someone who can treat Karan? A doctor? A pharmacist?”
“No. He’s a restorer.”
Ilaria tilted her head. Question marks floated in her mind, but Ilaria kept her mouth shut.
Because Elise’s half-turned back looked so sorrowful. Enough to make Ilaria’s heart ache.
****
Ilaria granted Elise’s wish.
Ilaria became the primary contributor to the subjugation of the 3rd gate. King Magnus was overjoyed and made a grand announcement without verifying the facts.
Tyllo, who received a false report sent by Elise through Haltbin, was satisfied that Karan and Elise became the second and third contributors.
As the loyal soldiers following Ilaria kept quiet, and the warriors respecting Karan’s will kept the secret, what happened inside the gate could only be heard through Ilaria and Elise’s accounts.
With those two working together to hide the truth, everyone was deceived.
Naturally, whispers began to circulate within King Magnus’s palace about naming Ilaria as the successor.
“It’s been a while since you’ve smiled, Miss.”
Regina said as she cleared away Elise’s teacup.
“Indeed. It’s been a while since we’ve had good news.”
The smile soon disappeared.
“Shall I bring you a meal?”
“Would you, please?”
Elise asked Regina for a meal, not because she was hungry, but because she wanted to be alone.
Regina knew this as well. She left, taking with her Fiona, who looked like she might burst into tears, and Ruo, who seemed full of discontent.
Alone in the room, Elise gazed quietly at Karan.
Karan looked very peaceful. While she was dying of anxiety, seeing him sleep so peacefully made something well up inside her.
But even greater than that was fear. Fear that Karan might never wake up.
The thought made her heart feel like it was shattering.
Though she was staying in a nice lodging provided by Magnus and eating food prepared by excellent chefs, Elise felt like she was walking through a desert under a scorching sun.
Walking and walking without a sip of water. Walking and walking even as her soles peeled and bled.
It was a time of such painful endurance.
Although the plan had gone awry in the middle, Ilaria would eventually become the ruler of Magnus, and thus they had taken a step closer to the goal of catching Ragnaros, but Elise felt no joy at all.
Why am I so sad?
Why am I in so much pain?
Suddenly, she thought that without Karan, everything would be meaningless.
Whether Chase lives or dies, whether Iris is alive or not, whether Ragnaros destroys this world or not… it’s all meaningless.
“Ah?”
Elise was surprised by her own selfish thoughts.
Although it had started from a purely personal desire for revenge, she had believed that what she was doing would help others as well. That had been the force driving Elise forward.
‘How did I end up like this?’
She was disappointed in herself.
But her thoughts didn’t change. She still felt like she was wandering in a desert, wanting to let go of everything.
Why on earth was she feeling this way?
Elise’s blank gaze settled on Karan’s face and then sharpened.
‘Karan.’
The cause was very close at hand.
The purpose of her life had been revenge and repaying kindness.
Yet far from repaying kindness, she was only causing harm to Karan. He had thrown himself into danger for her sake several times.
‘Is it because I feel sorry for Karan?’
That answer was insufficient to explain her anguish.
What could it be?
Elise sighed in frustration. At that moment, Karan’s eyelids trembled.
“Your Highness?”
Elise, who had been watching him, immediately knelt on the floor beside the bed. She grasped Karan’s hand tightly.
“Your Highness, are you awake?”
“……”
Karan didn’t answer. Instead, his tightly closed eyelids slowly lifted.
Then, Elise was reflected in his pitch-black eyes.
It was at that moment.
The instant their eyes met, Elise realized.
The reason for her immense pain was none other than love.
