* * *
The next day. I opened my eyes and immediately sat.
Lacius was sleeping soundly next to me, and outside the window I glanced at, dawn was just beginning to break. I probably only slept for an hour or two at most. I needed to be in top condition for today’s battle. A quick check of my shoulders and neck reveals that I feel as strong as ever, except for a slight stiffness in my lower back. There is only one strange thing, though.
‘Huh?’
Strange. Why hasn’t my lifespan been extended? Although it was brief, it still should have extended my life by a day or two. I panicked and touched my chest, even though I couldn’t touch my lifespan.
‘What? Does it mean that we have to spend more than three nights to accumulate lifespan?’
I don’t know. There is no one to ask, and it is very frustrating. I feel even more frustrated when I realize I’m the only one experiencing this.
‘Hmm, originally, I didn’t have this ability, so it’s not a big deal.’
But why had it suddenly changed?
‘The only thing that happened to Lacius was the spear wound…’
Could that be the reason? So did Giogio know that and do it on purpose?
“Ugh, we shouldn’t have killed him after all!”
Of course, even if we saved him, it would be of no use if the guy who possessed Giogio’s body disappeared completely. I scratched my head and sighed.
‘Well, I guess I shouldn’t tell Lacius for now.’
He’ll worry for nothing. I still had 115 years to live, and I didn’t want to worry him, especially when everyone was so busy trying to capture Fata-Morgana.
‘In addition, there might be two cases—lifespan extending and not extending.’
I’ll have to do a few more experiments to find out. At this point, I only had two results. I need to know when and under what circumstances my lifespan is filled. I stared down at Lacius’s sleeping face and calmed myself.
‘Indeed, nothing beats a handsome face for peace of mind.’
A ‘lover’ you wouldn’t mind seeing for a thousand or ten thousand years. A lover who was so devoted and handsome. I enjoyed this moment of peace while looking at Lacius, who was sleeping peacefully. It may break soon, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy it while it lasted.
“Sha… ay?”
“Yes, Lashin. You can sleep more.”
“What time…”
“Its still early. There are still three hours left until the expedition, so you can sleep more.”
Every time Lacius blinks, his long eyelashes flutter. I really didn’t want to wake Lacius because it was so rare to see him asleep.
‘Why is he so cute…?’
Of course, he’d hate to be called ‘cute’, but at times like this, there’s nothing that’s not adorable about him.
“I don’t know what will happen today… but…”
Lacius fell back into sleep. I lay comfortably on the bed and looked at him, whispering affectionately to him.
“Let’s not stay far away from each other.”
I never thought I’d say such things before. This affection is what I learned from him. I pressed against my chest and enjoyed the pounding of my heart. Thank you for showing me that love exists even in my heart, which I once thought was empty.
‘Oops, that felt like a death flag just now…’
But I didn’t say it out loud, so it doesn’t count. It doesn’t count. I paused for a moment, but since I didn’t actually say it, it should be fine.
Thinking that, I let out a sigh of relief.
* * *
The Kun clan’s territory. A vast desert.
About a hundred warriors gathered under the scorching sun without a single shade. Judging by sheer numbers alone, one might scoff and think, “Is that all?”, but if each and every one of them were at the same level as an elite knight, the story would be different. It is common knowledge that what is important in war is not a thousand soldiers, but a hundred knights.
The warriors, gathered in the names of Kun and Ram, exuded an overwhelmingly menacing aura. Among the painting wizards, some with belligerent attitudes, including Dua, had returned to stand with them. It was an exceptionally brave choice of theirs.
Apart from that, among the Terrans, Lacius, me, and Princess-unnie participated. The prince, whose presence had been completely erased, watched from a distance with an envious and anxious face, but his older sister did not even glance in his direction.
“What about the canary?”
“It’s here.”
In a beautiful silver cage. I opened the door of the cage in front of everyone and allowed the canary to fly out.
“Guide us… to where we need to go.”
Chirp!
50 steps in the sand fog, 150 steps in the sandy tomb, and down the stone floor. Then finally, 1,500 steps to the sacred site. None of them had ever been to the place where Dragonas slept. Even the former Guardian knows only the location.
“Dirty things are coiled in our mother, the desert. Kill them all and rescue the captives.”
Ahhhhh! When the chief of Kun stood in front and shouted that, shouts rang out.
This is how the great army departed.
* * *
The rustling sand breeze penetrated my mouth. Even if I tried to eat a simple meal, it was not easy because grains of sand got stuck in the soup and bread in just a few seconds.
But the warriors did not grow weary. Just continued forward and forward. Just follow the instructions and proceed. The absence of any complaints clearly showed why even Terrans did not consider desert warriors to be easy opponents.
Chirp! The canary circled overhead, singing beautifully. We just barely made it over one hill— a mountain of sand that could only be described as huge was before everyone’s eyes.
“A mountain of sand. Is that the tomb?”
Since Dragonas’ former guardian was elderly, she was carried on a young warrior’s back throughout the entire trip. Unable to see, she couldn’t say for sure, but the former guardian asked to be taken with us.
“We’ll know when we get closer. The tomb only opens in response to the Guardian.”
“Then we’ll have to get close. But let’s take a break for now.”
The chief of Kun silently raised his hand. Then, in the blink of an eye, tents to escape the heat are built and meals are prepared. The desert people were in perfect harmony.
‘Ha, it’s hot…’ … .’
Just because you’re used to the heat doesn’t mean you like it. The desire to quickly defeat the Fata-Morganas and return to Terran, where the weather is nice, grew rapidly.
“Here, have this.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
It was then.
The princess approached me with long strides and handed me a leather water bottle filled with cool water. I gratefully accepted it and tilted the water bottle to quench my thirst.
“I’ve been thinking about it, Nia.”
“Yes?”
“Are you hiding anything from me?”
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