The Peaceful Life of a Maid Who Hides Her Power and Enjoys It

Episode 98

 

In the twinkling of an eye, I lost my judgment.

‘Is this originally… a place of fire? Or did the fire break out at the perfect timing?’

 

A scorching heat rose up into the sky.

Even though the black smoke covered the clouds, I couldn’t see this when we were on the ground at all.

It even obscured my vision despite my having crossed the second wall that enhances the body. Indeed, the magic here was truly incredible.

 

‘Speaking of which, I don’t sense any presence here at all.;

 

It felt like a dead land. The land of eternal burning hell.

Was this really the sanctuary?

 

“What more is there to think about? It’s already too late to turn back.”

 

“Hmm… You’re saying something right for once.”

 

We passed through the fiery garden and entered the interior layer of the temple.

The situation inside the temple was no better than outside. The inside was illuminated by flames that had fallen through the ceiling, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like it would collapse just yet.

 

Now, what should we do?

‘Should I try to find Rue here?’

 

But if I found Rue… what comes after that?

-Internal intrusion detected.

 

That’s when it happened. A familiar voice echoed from somewhere in the ceiling.

 

It was the same voice I’d heard from Dian Cecht’s eyes.

-To maintain security, the entire area will be sealed off, and automatic detonation will be prepared.

 

-100 seconds until the automatic blast. 99, 98…….

 

Wait a minute.

 

“Automatic blast?”

 

I just entered, though?

 

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

 

The brightly lit interior quickly began to darken.

 

Starting from the entrance where I took my first step, the doors and windows were being sealed one by one.

 

We ran towards the front.

No, we tried to run.

 

“93, 94… What are you doing? Don’t lose your cool. Come at me. I’ll kill you as soon as possible.”

Beyond the swaying heat, a man with long silver hair stood as if rooted to the spot.

 

His bright-red glared fiercely, like those of the devil.

The Sanctuary of Calepa was a place that only permitted entry to the Calepas.

And without a doubt, this figure seemed to have appeared to punish the intruders that had infiltrated the sanctuary.

 

‘So, this guy is the third Calepa, huh?’

A sharp intensity pressed against my skin.

I felt a tingling sensation of tension. It was a feeling of tension that I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

 

The silver-haired Kalepha spoke.

“I’m not in a good mood right now. I finally took a vacation and was going to go out for once. And within half a day, a little rat sneaks in? It’s been almost 15 years since something like this happened.”

 

Swish. Andert drew his sword.

 

“Damn it. How annoying.”

Andert pressed his forehead and then pushed me backward.

“I’ll take care of this side, so go and attend to your business.”

 

I got goosebumps on my arm.

Was he crazy? Why was he talking like some ally on the battlefield?

 

“Why do you think I came here?”

 

“Why? Are you seriously asking me that? You must have come to find that crazy blue-haired wizard. Isn’t that right?”

 

Yes, that’s correct.

 

“For now, If I send you to that lunatic, It’ll make things easier later. Now, hurry up and leave.”

 

I understand his intention. However, my feet didn’t move willingly.

Why? Because Andert was my younger brother.

 

Did he notice my hesitation? Andert’s new black sword was immediately aimed at the silver-haired Kalepha.

From that moment on, my doubts became meaningless. I turned my back and headed towards a different path.

 

-70, 69…

 

The completely sealed interior was as dark as a cave. I tried to lower my body as much as possible to avoid suffocating from the smoke, but my breathing became increasingly rapid.

How long did it take?

 

I arrived at a slightly different intersection than before.

 

Between the elongated path, there were long pieces of cloth hanging from the ceiling, just like when I’d boarded that airship of Rogue’s after the noble council meeting.

 

First cloth, second cloth, third cloth…

 

How many cloths had I passed?

While running incessantly, I felt as if the ground beneath my feet was sinking.

 

“Huh?”

 

At first, I thought the floor had collapsed due to the fire. I tried to quickly get away, but my legs wouldn’t move.

 

Feeling the dizziness overwhelming me, I closed my eyes tightly and when I opened them, there was another person standing in front of me.

A person who shouldn’t be in this place, Malcolm.

 

[I don’t understand. Why are you so desperately searching for the Calepa?]

“…Grandpa Malcolm?”

[To retrieve Dian Ket’s diary? Or as Miss Daisy said, to bring back a great wizard to protect the Weatherwoods? Or is it out of anger? Well, it’s not like you expect him to move according to your wishes.]

 

Malcolm’s penetrating gaze looked into me.

With an expression that seemed to understand everything, Malcolm scolded me with eyes that also seemed to pity me.

 

[I understand. You must have gained great confidence at Count Serenier’s castle. That the Calepa considers you special.]

 

For some reason, my neck felt prickly.

It almost felt like he’d hit the nail on the head.

 

‘What on earth is this frustrating situation?’

 

I surveyed my surroundings, ignoring the harsh breath that hit the back of my throat.

Amidst the constantly flaring red lights, the interior of Calepa was not visible.

 

The dark space where all lights had been turned off. The appearance of Malcolm who shouldn’t be here.

Considering everything, I was probably…

 

[That’s probably just your illusion, though. In my opinion, the Calepa is merely fulfilling his promise to Miss Daisy.]

 

“…What promise?”

 

[Huh? What promise? Well, I mean the promise to bury Miss Daisy next to her brother’s grave. It’s a promise engraved along with the oath of the soul, afterall.]

 

“…A promise.”

 

Oh no, I made a mistake.

‘To speak to an illusion in a mental magic trap.’

 

Unbeknownst to me, I had stepped deep into the trap.

Thanks to that, my rationality became even more blurred. It was a very bad situation.

 

As it was a trap designed to protect Calepa, breaking out of it on my own would be hard…

 

[Moreover, you have died and come back to life, and it’s a special case where your soul is shattered. The Calepa must find it interesting as well. From a magician’s perspective, it has infinite research value.]

 

“….”

 

[So stop the delusions here.]

 

“…….”

[Miss Daisy. This is advice for you. He doesn’t care about you at al-]

 

Crash!

 

A chilling sound erupted, and for a moment, my mind cleared.

The hazy smoke that had covered my brain disappeared in an instant.

 

“Gasp!”

 

Bent over, I exhaled the breath that had been trapped within me. As soon as my reason returned, a face came to my mind, terrifying me.

 

‘What about Andert?’

How many seconds are left until the explosion?

My ears were ringing, and I couldn’t hear properly. I immediately gave up on finding Rue.

 

‘Andert, I have to find Andert.’

 

However, when I straightened my bent waist, I couldn’t move my feet.

It was because I realized that the route was no longer dark.

 

I absentmindedly looked up at the ceiling.

Something was falling down from the sky. Rain, no, snowflakes, no….

 

“Meteor shower.”

The stars were falling.

 

In awe, I forgot what to say or think and just stared at the sky.

In all my years, I had never seen a shooting star. Well, not just me, but probably most people.

 

Of all days, at this moment, a meteor shower was happening. It felt like a divine joke.

“The alarm was a mistake. Actually, these meteors are the real intruders.”

 

It was a very casual greeting.

As I turned my gaze, feeling like I was in a dream, I saw the side profile of someone leaning against a window frame, looking up at the distant sky.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

His bright blue hair, almost unreal, caught my vision.

The man more dazzling than the shooting stars looked at me with a dark, melancholic gaze.

 

Suddenly, it occurred to me that Count Serenier was nothing compared to this man.

Facing his delicate yet fierce and menacing gaze, I felt my past self was foolish for thinking that Count Serenier reminded me of him .

There was no comparison.

 

“These are the meteor showers that fell into the Astrosa sky a 100 years ago. They were quite magnificent to look at, but they caused quite a few wildfires. Just like now.”

 

At first, I thought there was something wrong with my ears.

“A 100 years ago?”

 

The cold wind from the northern continent blew, fluttering my hair.

Instinctively, I turned my body. The lowered ceiling, walls, and paintings were no longer visible.

No, they hadn’t disappeared. They were gradually returning to their original positions.

 

The spreading embers gradually diminished, and the crumbling walls slowly regenerated, reclaiming their original form.

And soon after, they transformed into brilliant stars that were too dazzling to look at and returned to the sky.

 

As if time was rewinding.

“…Ah. The alarm went off.”

 

It wasn’t because of me or Andert, but because of the meteor that fell into the fortress.

“This is a lunar eclipse from 109 years ago.”

 

Beyond the restored glass window, the white moon that had been rising and setting repeatedly was now tinged with a reddish hue.

 

“And this is probably the full moon from 120 years ago. It was the largest full moon I’ve ever seen.”

 

The stars and moon were constantly rotating.

The Calepa sanctuary that had regained its original appearance in an instant.

An eden-like garden swaying in the white moonlight.

 

I couldn’t help but ask Rue.

“Are you turning back time?”

 

He simply smiled.

‘Nonsense.’

 

There could be no such thing.

Controlling time was a magic that could never exist.

Was it not an obvious truth that humans could not be free from the constraints of time? Wasn’t that why an oath was engraved on the soul through the seal of a vow?

 

‘…Is that truth really correct?’

 

I looked into Rue’s eyes.

Here, in the northern continent, I’d encountered two Calepas.

Skuld, whom I’d met at the Astrosa palace, possessed a power comparable to a swordmaster, while the Calepa I met here had a slightly disappointing aura compared to Skuld.

 

But Rue was different.

I could not fathom Rue’s power.

 

Even though I’d surpassed two walls and gained control over my instincts as a sword-demon, I still couldn’t gauge Rue’s existence.

 

“Who the hell are you, exactly?”

 

“Me?”

 

The sun rose behind his painted smile.

The night was no more. He drew the dawn before me.

 

Was it the sun of autumn? Or perhaps the sun of summer. 

My eyes involuntarily narrowed at the intense blue radiance.

 

“A God.”

 

Quietly, the inclined head obscured the dawn.

The rising sunlight spread like a painting behind Rue’s shadow.

 

“I am the God of the northern continent, Lord Calepa.”

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