Chapter 12.1

‘Aletheia’s power is strong. The price you must pay is your life. If only you had obediently accepted your fate, you wouldn’t have died so painfully.’

“…Ugh!”

I gasped, feeling the chilling touch of a grotesque scythe on my neck. It was such a realistic dream that I unconsciously touched my neck. It was still perfectly intact.

I let out a sigh of relief and tried to sit up slowly, but I immediately fell back down. Everything ached. My limbs throbbed so much I thought I was going to die.

“Ugh…”

I was lying rigidly on the bed in my room at the temple. Groaning, I searched my memories.

Kieryk wouldn’t have confessed to me without knowing about my relationship with Jeras… He must have been using me to break Kieryk’s spirit. It was a cowardly and devious method, just like a demon.

In any case, I had confirmed that my Light Mana could deal a blow to Agtatius. But the physical exorcism method was inefficient, and most importantly, it was too risky for Jeras, so I couldn’t use it again. I had to find another way.

Also, what happened to Jeras? Did he bring me to the temple?

“Is anyone… anyone there?”

A voice came out so hoarse even I couldn’t understand it. I wanted to speak louder, but trying to put strength in my stomach made my stomach and back hurt.

Damn it. At this rate, I didn’t know if I could properly face Agtatius.

“Eloe! You’re awake.”

“…Unnie…”

“Oh my, your voice is completely gone. Are you okay?”

“I’m… fine. But… what about Jeras?”

Of course you’d ask for Jeras first, Siliya’s eyes seemed to say with a mischievous glint, and I felt my face flush.

Siliya placed her hand on my forehead and quietly chanted a healing spell. A warm, soft power spread to every corner of my body, soothing the pain.

“He took you to the temple and then went right back to the ruins.”

“How was Jeras’s condition?”

“He looked fine, except for the golden glow. At first, we all thought a statue was moving. Everyone was so shocked.”

A moving statue, huh. I guess that’s what a person who didn’t know the full story would think. I felt relieved to hear he had gone back safely.

I asked Siliya what had happened and what I had missed while I was unconscious. Siliya answered me patiently.

“Just in case, I contacted Lady Nia and we all waited. But after 30 minutes, there was no sign of you, and then we saw the signal, so we knew something big had happened. We ran right there after seeing the signal, but there was a barrier, so we couldn’t get in.”

“That’s strange. I’m the one who cast the barrier, but you couldn’t get in?”

“It wasn’t your barrier, Eloe. It was a barrier made of demon mana.”

Did Agtatius secretly put up a barrier? To prevent people from coming to help us? He was not an opponent to be taken lightly.

I closed my eyes and waited for Siliya to continue.

“It took a long time for the barrier to disappear. Maybe it just felt that way because we were so anxious. When we went inside, you were unconscious in Jeras’s arms. You looked so pale that none of us could bring ourselves to get angry at him. Everyone only relaxed when Lady Nia said you were just suffering from mana depletion after we arrived at the temple. Jeras left right after that.”

It would have been stranger if my mana hadn’t been depleted, considering how I had squeezed out every last drop of it like a malicious landlord. Jeras was safe, and no one else was hurt, so I had nothing more to ask.

– Duchess, are you awake?

‘Ah, yeah. Just now. Where are you? Are you still at the ruins? And your body? Are there any side effects or strange things?’

As always, Jeras contacted me at the most perfect timing.

I had forcibly separated his soul and body with magic and an artifact, so there was no way it wasn’t putting a strain on Jeras. He might have looked fine on the surface, but… I rattled off my questions in a worried frenzy, and Jeras chuckled.

– You’ll make me choke up. I’m fine. Nothing’s wrong at all.

‘Really? You’re not lying so I don’t worry, are you?’

– I don’t know if the Duchess is a good person or a bad one. Just choose one—either worry or doubt.

‘I am worrying.’

– Hm, my chest feels a little sore. I think it would feel better if you blew on it…

Knowing he was energetic enough to spout nonsense like that, I saw no need to talk to him anymore.

I coldly took off the ring and opened my eyes. Siliya stared at me, then tilted her head.

“Eloe, were your eyes always that color?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Your right eye… it turned purple.”

Siliya handed me a mirror. Just as she had said, my right pupil had turned purple.

“Heterochromia is a trait that appears when your mana grows rapidly. You could call it a sign that only excellent magicians can possess.”

“Lady Nia.”

Nia, who had just opened the door and entered, took my hand. Nia’s expression, which was usually vacant, was filled with a complex mix of emotions today.

It felt like she was happy but also sad and worried.

“My apprentice, you have passed the final test to become a perfect magician, a successor to Lady Haiola. Congratulations.”

Just as I was about to hold Nia’s strangely lonely hand, a chilling and ominous feeling swept over me.

– Princess, princess? Eloe? My sly little cat?

Jeras said something he knew would make Eloe furious, but there was no response. That meant she had taken the ring off completely.

He told her not to take it off, no matter what. Did that mean she was done with him? Jeras pouted like a child as he stepped onto the magic circle.

In his arms was the dagger he had retrieved from deep within the ruins. It was the Holy Sword that Eloe had told him to bring at all costs.

He had stepped onto the magic circle, but he was at a crossroads. Should he go to the temple where Eloe was, or should he return to the Imperial Palace?

His heart was completely set on the temple, but a strange feeling told him that if he went there, he’d be turned away without even getting to see Eloe.

Jeras, who had an intuition that could be compared to a beast’s, touched his slender chin.

‘What must have happened to my brother?’

The thought occurred to him that while Eloe was surrounded by many people, including Sion, Kieryk had no one. Moreover, there was no telling what Agtatius, who had retreated after taking a major blow, would do.

The moment Agtatius, wearing Kieryk’s face, took the Emperor hostage, the empire would be thrown into uncontrollable chaos. Even if the situation was resolved, Kieryk would be branded a traitor.

Agtatius’s manipulation of Kieryk was more than enough.

He had to go to the Imperial Palace. Jeras immediately activated the magic circle.

The Imperial Palace was eerily quiet. While he didn’t wish for anything bad to happen, it felt unnaturally silent. It was most likely that Agtatius had gone into hiding in the Flowers Palace, and Empress Florese was concealing him.

As Jeras looked toward the Flowers Palace, the voice he had been waiting for rang out in his head. Jeras’s lips curved upward.

‘Jeras, where are you right now? Did you get to Rivai?’

But Eloe’s voice was urgent. Jeras’s lips, which had seemed to be climbing to the heavens, quickly fell.

– I just arrived at the palace. Why?

‘That bastard released monsters all over the capital!’

Jeras ran out of the building.

The sight of monsters pouring down from the hole in the sky like rain was unspeakably horrific. Everywhere he looked was jet-black with monsters flying around.

The silence of the Imperial Palace wasn’t due to peace. It only felt empty because every available soldier had been deployed to fight the monsters.

‘Agtatius is probably at the Flowers Palace. He’s trying to finish the ritual he started there. While we’re dealing with things here, you need to seal off the palace.’

– Are you telling me to just stay put at the palace and do nothing? I can’t do that.

‘I’m not telling you to do nothing! He needs a huge number of sacrifices to complete the ritual. Everyone in the Imperial Palace will become a sacrifice. You need to get them out before that happens. We also need someone to track Agtatius’s movements.’

Every word she said was supported by irrefutable logic.

Jeras clenched his fists. He clenched them so hard his fingernails were digging into his palms, almost drawing blood.

When Jeras didn’t say anything, Eloe’s desperate voice rang out again.

‘We’ll handle things here. We have the magic circles that Grandpa Mason and Lady Nia set up, and I’ve almost recovered my mana, so I’m fine.’

– …Are you really sure you’ll be okay?

‘Yes. And you, since you’re alone, don’t overdo it. Don’t you dare try to take him on by yourself. If anything happens, contact me right away.’

After urging him several times, Eloe’s voice abruptly cut off. She must have gone to fight the monsters.

Jeras sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and steeled himself. He headed straight for the Emperor’s office.

 

***

 

“Aaaaaaah!”

“R-run!”

“Where did all these monsters come from all of a sudden?! Form a shield wall and hold the line! Don’t back down!”

The Imperial Capital, Rivai, had been instantly transformed into a living hell by the sudden monster attack.

Buildings burned and crumbled. Ordinary people lost their lives without even being able to put up a fight against the monsters.

The monsters, excited by Agtatius’s impending descent, were wantonly destroying and wiping out everything in their path. As if it were their sole mission, they rampaged, and even trained soldiers who stepped forward were powerlessly and futilely cut down.

“Everyone! This way!”

Vanessa, who had rushed out of the academy as soon as she sensed the strange phenomenon, was frantically evacuating people with a magic circle.

Just recently, when Nia had come to her professor’s office and started spewing nonsense, Vanessa had seriously wondered if Nia had gone mad. The words coming out of Nia’s mouth were utterly absurd: an ancient demon, a ritual, a monster attack, the obliteration of the capital…

Nia had always been a strange person, but her ability to calmly and ceaselessly list such outlandish things was unsettlingly suspicious.

“Professor! We’re ready!”

“Activate it now!”

The students of Haiola Academy gathered their mana. She had assembled the best students as Nia had instructed, but they lacked practical experience and were too flustered to focus. The mana wasn’t gathering as quickly as she had hoped.

‘We’re going to be too late at this rate.’ Just as Vanessa, who had been keeping watch, was about to add her own mana, a monster appeared.

“Skreeeeech”

“They’re already here… Everyone, get back!”

“Aaaah!”

Demons with slick black wings and long tongues burst out. Vanessa, who was about to attack with her magic, was forced to stop when she saw a student taken hostage by one of the monsters.

“Help… please… help me…”

“Krrrkkk…”

The monster’s pointed tongue darted forward, aiming for the student’s heart.

A flash of light sliced off the monster’s tongue. It happened in the blink of an eye, so everyone there—even the monster whose tongue was severed—didn’t immediately grasp what had happened.

The strangeness didn’t end there. The monster’s body began to burn with a white flame, starting from the severed part.

The white flame, which spread as quickly as fire on a dry leaf, startled the monster, which began to furiously hit its own face in a futile attempt to shake off the blaze.

“Adam!”

Vanessa first rescued the student who had been held hostage. The source of the flash and the possibility that someone was helping her were questions that could wait. She forcibly pushed the terrified, half-unconscious student into the magic circle.

In the meantime, the demon hit by the flash was silently consumed by the flames and vanished without a trace.

“Screeee!”

“Kkyaaah!”

“Krrrghhh!”

The demons who had witnessed the incomprehensible death of their kin shrieked and went wild. They glared at the people gathered at the magic circle with murderous eyes.

Finding a target for their rage—a sacrifice—the demons swarmed toward the magic circle.

Vanessa drew her staff and stepped to the front. Then, she slammed the staff down on the ground where the magic circle was drawn.

“Professo—!”

As her mana was added, the magic circle activated. Vanessa smiled triumphantly as she saw the afterimages of the people disappearing into the light.

This is good. I’ve saved so many lives with just myself. Just by numbers alone, it’s a win.

Of course, she had no intention of just dying powerlessly after evacuating the people. The number of demons she could see alone was easily over ten. Vanessa gripped her staff tightly.

“Headmistress! I know you can’t hear me, but please bury me on the Hill of Honor! You hear me?!”

The Hill of Honor was a graveyard inside the academy where great magicians were buried. Starting with Haiola’s grave at the very back, it was a place of eternal rest for magicians who had left their mark in various fields. Every magician hoped to have their tombstone erected on the Hill of Honor after they died.

Having made her bold declaration, Vanessa opened her mouth to cast a spell. But then, a beam of light shot down from the air, splitting Vanessa and the demons apart.

The beam of light didn’t disappear after it hit the ground; it took the form of a person. Vanessa, mesmerized by the bright light, suddenly realized that the demons had gone quiet.

Beyond the light, the faces of the demons were, shockingly, filled with terror.

‘What on earth is this light…?’

“Professor Vanessa!”

Vanessa’s question was answered by a voice coming from the light. The high, clear voice was definitely Eloe’s. The light, which had only been a form, now changed into a perfect Eloe.

Did Eloe… just fall out of the sky?

Vanessa blinked her eyes and mumbled in a daze.

“Student Eloe?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’ll tell you the details later!”

Eloe lightly put her foot down. Vanessa instinctively trembled. She had felt a massive amount of mana radiating from the ground.

Something, something was coming. An immense power whose limits she, with her own skills, could not even begin to guess.

A wave of golden light spread from where Eloe was standing. No, it looked golden, and it also seemed to contain every color in the world.

Vanessa stared as if in a trance at the rippling wave that tickled her ankles. It felt like a kind and warm hand was stroking her, as if to comfort her. The sensation was too real to be an illusion created by Eloe. A pleasant warmth permeated her skin. Her fatigue vanished, and her mana was replenished.

“Sssssh, sssssh!”

In response to Eloe’s light hand gesture, the wave surged and swallowed the demons in an instant. After the wave receded, all that remained in the spot where the demons had stood was a shimmering, multicolored ripple of light.

The wave slowly sank into the ground.

“Whew… What an insignificant bunch, daring to act so brazenly.”

Eloe put her hands on her hips and muttered with a proud look on her face. A brilliant halo shone behind her.

Vanessa rubbed her eyes at the unbelievable sight. The halo was still illuminating Eloe, making her look brilliant and holy.

Eloe met her gaze and smiled brightly, her face a picture of pure unawareness.

 

***

 

We dealt with the monsters that had overrun the capital faster than expected. This was thanks to the magic circles that Nia and Grandpa Mason had meticulously placed all over the city.

In the original story, demons poured out when Agtatius’s ritual was nearing its end, so we had prepared for that. The magic circles turned out to be excellent for evacuating people as well.

It’s true that the more trustworthy people you have, the better. There were still casualties, but if it weren’t for them, far more people would have died.

As we swept through Rivai, clearing out monsters, the hole in the sky that had been relentlessly spewing them out finally became quiet. At a glance, it had shrunk considerably.

With the uneasy feeling that they could start pouring out again at any moment, we arrived at the Imperial Palace’s front gate.

The gates were firmly shut. There were no soldiers in sight guarding the gates or patrolling the walls. It seemed Jeras had followed my request well.

Despite it being the middle of the day, the dark, murky sky and acrid smell created a dreary, gloomy atmosphere.

“Eloe.”

Sion called out to me just as I was about to step forward. I turned to look at him. A faint smile appeared on his resolute face.

It was that same kind smile that always comforted me and put my mind at ease.

Sion gazed at me and took my hand. Maybe it was because he hadn’t put down his sword for so long because of the demons, but his hand was rough and calloused.

“From here on, I’ll take the lead.”

“No. I’ll…”

“You don’t have to carry so much on your own. I may not be a huge help, but I can certainly do this much.”

Sion’s voice was gentle but firm. Could it be that Sion, who couldn’t use magic and didn’t have the sight to distinguish demons like Jeras did, felt that he wasn’t being helpful in this situation?

I was just happy that Sion was alive. I wanted him to live a long, happy life.

And so, perhaps unconsciously, I had tried to keep Sion away from danger. The fact that Sion, who should have already died, was still alive meant that he could die at any time, in any way.

But I suddenly had a thought that maybe my desire to protect Sion was born of my own selfishness. Although Sion couldn’t use magic, his swordsmanship was second to none, save for Jeras. What if my actions, intended to be a consideration for him, had actually wounded his pride?

“I’m sorry, brother. I never thought you were unhelpful. I really didn’t. I just…”

Sion hugged me in silence and patted my back. Siliya, Grandpa Mason, and Nia were all looking at me with the same expression.

The words, “Don’t try to solve things on your own,” weren’t for Jeras. They were for myself. I slipped out of Sion’s embrace and nodded.

“Let’s go, brother.”

Nia opened the gate with magic. Sion took the lead, with Siliya and me in the middle, and Grandpa Mason and Nia at the rear.

The empty Imperial Palace was as silent as a grave. Our footsteps, the wind wailing like a ghost, and the occasional unknown cries carried on the cold wind and brushed against our ears.

No matter how splendid and grand a place was, if it had no people, it looked like a ruin.

We quickly walked toward the Flowers Palace. A large black bird was perched on the rooftop, which resembled a flower bud. It seemed to be looking down at us before it spread its wings and flew away.

“He still hasn’t broken that dangerous habit.”

Sion muttered, looking at a certain spot. His gaze landed on the main entrance to the Flowers Palace.

Jeras was standing there, with a greatsword resting on his shoulder. He seemed to be waiting for us. The greatsword, which he only took out when facing high-ranking demons, was taller than most children and was intimidating just to look at.

It was no wonder Sion was scolding him. It was dangerous to carry something that huge on your shoulder without it being in a scabbard.

“Jeras.”

“You’re here. I didn’t expect Grandpa and Master to come, too. I hope my brother appreciates all your hard work.”

His light tone made it sound like a sneer, but Jeras’s expression was bitter. It was a complaint, a hope that Kieryk would come to his senses. If I were in the same situation, I wouldn’t be in my right mind, so it was amazing that he was maintaining his composure.

Jeras put the sword on his back and looked at me. I stood right next to him.

“How is it?”

“No one has come out while I’ve been guarding the place. I can’t see anything with my sight, either. He must have put up a barrier or something.”

“Yeah. As expected. Jeras, just a moment.”

I gently stroked Jeras’s head. My arm wasn’t quite long enough to reach, so I had to lift my heel slightly.

Jeras narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be asking me what I was up to or if I had done something dangerous again, so I quickly answered him before he could misunderstand.

“You must have been anxious, but you waited patiently. You listened to my request. Thank you.”

“Princess.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m not a dog. If you’re thankful, you shouldn’t pat my head… but kiss me on the lips…”

“Are we not going to go, with every second being so critical?”

Nia blocked Jeras, who was leaning toward me. Her cold expression was enough to freeze the air. Sion also stepped in and pulled Jeras away from my side.

Even as Sion dragged him away, Jeras stuck out his lips at me. What is his problem?! Give it a rest!

I was so embarrassed my face was on fire, but that guy didn’t seem to care at all. His shamelessness was evolving by the day.

Finally, Jeras put his lips back in after taking a solid punch from Sion. He deserved it.

Jeras unlocked the door and pushed the iron gate open with Sion. As soon as we passed through the open door, a repulsive smell hit us. It was a terrible stench of all sorts of foul odors mixed together: the reek of blood, something rotting, and the fishy smell of old fish.

Feeling like I was going to throw up, I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve and entered the palace that was right in front of us. The ornately decorated door was half-shattered.

“Ugh…!”

“…So that’s why Jeras couldn’t see anything.”

“This is just horrible…”

“O Goddess, please grant a peaceful rest to their souls…”

The first thing that greeted us as we entered the entrance hall were the horribly dead bodies of the servants and maids.

Grandpa Mason prayed for their souls. Jeras and Sion examined the shape and depth of their wounds, discussing what had caused their deaths. Siliya and I stood a little ways away, staring at the floor.

I had been prepared, and I had directly fought monsters and demons before, but seeing people’s bodies like this filled me with dread.

Nia stood silently by our side, as if she understood our feelings.

“These aren’t ordinary wounds.”

“…You mean they weren’t caused by a weapon?”

Jeras, who seemed to have deliberately changed the subject out of consideration for Siliya and me, nodded.

I pointed to the stairs leading to the basement. It was the place where Empress Florese had prepared the descent ritual. Agtatius would be hiding there.

“These must have been sacrifices for Agtatius’s recovery. Most of the people left in the Flowers Palace are probably… We have to hurry. We need to end this before he recovers.”

This time, Jeras took the lead and Sion took the rear. There were dead bodies on every part of the staircase as well.

These innocent people… I can’t forgive this.

As we went down, the air grew heavier, and the repulsive stench grew stronger, making it difficult to breathe. It was due to the intense stench, but fundamentally, it was because Agtatius’s mana was settling in the air.

I layered shields on everyone’s bodies.

When we reached the last step, a long corridor stretched out before us. The end of the corridor was dark, so we couldn’t make out what was there. I shot mana forward, revealing a gigantic door.

Beyond it, a thick, viscous, and sinister malice had gathered and was overflowing, even spilling out beyond the door. It was an evil befitting a final boss.

It seemed that everyone, not just me, felt the bottomless, abyssal malice. We stood in front of the firmly shut door, silent for a moment.

I was conflicted. I was the one who led them here. Just because I had been transmigrated into a novel I had found interesting and because I vaguely knew the plot.

But… could we really defeat Agtatius and save Kieryk without any sacrifices, without anyone getting hurt?

To be honest, I wasn’t confident. Even after learning the true use of Light Magic and awakening my mana, I couldn’t be certain. The malice behind the door was that thick and deep.

Agtatius was the very darkness of this world. Even though he was an imperfectly descended being in a human body with weakened power…

‘Maybe it would be better if I were to fight him alone…’

“Having strange thoughts again, are we?”

“Huh?”

Jeras was looking at me with a playful gaze. He stroked my head with his large hand.

It was strange. Both Jeras and Sion had large hands and were tall, and the simple act of stroking my head felt completely different coming from each of them.

Sion’s hand was simply warm and comforting. But Jeras’s hand, despite being rough, had a special gentleness that made my heart pound.

“Let’s go, Eloe.”

‘We’ll save my brother together.’

I nodded at Jeras. I had no choice. When he called my name, I felt like I could accomplish anything. I felt a surge of confidence that no matter what happened, he would protect me.

I have no idea how he knows when I’m thinking things like this. He’s just so strangely perceptive.

Sion and Jeras each took a doorknob. The two of them pushed with all their might, but the door wouldn’t budge. The four of us who were watching also added our strength. The door, which hadn’t even trembled at first, slowly began to crack open.

Finally, the door swung wide open.

In the middle of the empty room, devoid of any furniture, a black being was huddled, curled up. The hair scattered on the floor was a strange mix of black and gold.

Every time the black being’s body slowly heaved up and down, a sound like a groaning, growling beast scraped its throat. It was Agtatius, who had taken over Kieryk’s body.

“Brother!”

“Wait, Jeras!”

Sion blocked Jeras, who was about to rush forward.

Where was the Empress? I thought she would be here with him… Maybe she was hiding. There was no way the Empress, who was a summoner of Agtatius, would have left.

I looked around for the Empress, but there were no windows or lights in the room, so it was difficult to make out anything inside.

Agtatius, who had been breathing heavily for a while, raised his head. His eyes, still a vivid red despite their hazy quality, slowly swept over us and then fixed on Jeras.

“Je…ras…”

“Damn it, Sion! Get out of the way!”

“Calm down. It’s his trap. He’s trying to trick you into coming to him!”

“So… much pain… Jeras… my younger brother…”

“Didn’t you hear me? Get out of the way! Brother, I’ll save you right now!”

Jeras flung Sion aside and charged forward. It happened so fast that no one could stop him. This was bad. He had completely lost his composure!

The emotions that had built up over a series of events seemed to have erupted all at once. He had been so distraught after learning that Kieryk had become a sacrifice for the descent ritual that he had purposely let monsters wound him. His heart must have been in shambles all this time.

But to be so reckless…! I gathered my mana as I chased after Jeras, ready for whatever might happen.

Then, Empress Florese’s voice rang out from somewhere in the darkness.

“Your Highness’s deep fraternal love brings tears to my eyes. It’s just a shame you’re only showing it now…”

“How can you call yourself a mother after doing something like this!”

“It’s because I’m his mother that I’ve done something like this. There’s no way Your Highness would understand. What would you know, when your position was decided the moment you were born.”

“I don’t need to be the Emperor. I can give up anything for my brother, so stop this now. Return my brother to his old self!”

“Shut up! Emperor, you say?! You can give it up for anything?! I’m sick of your arrogance! That arrogance of holding something in your hand as if it’s a given and then calling it ‘nothing’! What was my son lacking compared to you? What was I… what was I lacking compared to that weak woman to have to endure this wretched fate!”

The Empress’s voice, which had been echoing from the darkness, cracked at the end.

Jeras ignored her and tried to help Kieryk, who was still huddled on the floor. I also knelt beside Jeras and checked on Kieryk.

He had grown wings on his back and a horn on his head, but he still resembled Kieryk.

“Brother, please, snap out of it. Sion and my master have also come to save you. Brother, please!”

“My son will become the Emperor. No! He will reign as the true ruler who commands not only humans but demons as well. You, Jeras, must die. Offer your soul for your beloved brother!”

“Watch out!”

Vines with blades instead of thorns came flying toward us. Most of them burned up the moment they touched my shield, but a couple of the blades broke through and aimed for Jeras.

In my haste, I just swung my hand, which was surrounded by mana. The blades were deflected by my random movement, and the vines were cut, writhing on the floor.

“Don’t struggle, just die quietly. That’s what’s best for your brother. Don’t you know that?”

What nonsense this woman is spouting, with such sincerity!

“Jeras, hold on tight to His Highness.”

“What are you doing? When did you get here?”

“I’m supposed to let you go on your own after you just charged in? Just hold on to him!”

I intended to force Agtatius out of Kieryk’s body before the vines could attack again. I had an inspiration from Jeras’s and Agtatius’s fight last time, and I thought it was worth a try. My mana was qualitatively and quantitatively on a different level from back then, so it would probably work.

I placed both of my hands on Kieryk’s back and focused. The mana that flowed from my hands tried to seep into Kieryk’s body.

But black energy resisted my invasion and spat my mana out. The mana that wasn’t absorbed flowed down Kieryk’s body like water and disappeared.

It’s okay. I expected this much. He wouldn’t give up easily.

I gritted my teeth and began to force a much larger amount of mana into Kieryk. Only a small fraction was being absorbed, but the sheer amount I was pouring in meant it wasn’t a small amount in an absolute sense.

“Ugh… Ha-ah! You bastards…!”

“Lord Agtatius!”

The Empress called out to Agtatius in a frantic voice. An ominous energy quickly approached us from the floor. Jeras and I couldn’t move. I had a gut feeling that the moment we moved, we would lose Agtatius.

“Brother, Master! Down below! Please!”

Almost simultaneously with Nia casting a spell, vines shot up from the ground. Sion, who had moved like the wind, cut the vines wrapped around Jeras and me. The flames Nia had conjured burned the vines that had burst through the ground.

A shard of a blade grazed my cheek. A drop of blood trickled down from the stinging sensation.

I ignored it and continued to pour mana into him. Agtatius shrieked a dreadful scream. Kieryk’s body writhed, twisting into a grotesque shape. Jeras was holding him down with nearly his entire body.

“Princess! Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I don’t know! We’re just going to do everything we can!”

Jeras opened his mouth and stared at me, dumbfounded by my brazen reply. But contrary to my words, I was becoming more and more convinced that this was the right method.

The parts of his body that were neither Kieryk nor Agtatius were slowly returning to a human state. The amount of mana Kieryk’s body was accepting was also clearly increasing.

‘Just a little, just a little more!’

“Jeras… Prin…cess…?”

“Brother! Are you with us?! Yes, it’s me. Just wait a little longer. I’ll definitely save you!”

“I’m… sorry. Because of me… Cough!”

“Your Highness, just listen. I’m injecting mana into you right now.”

Kieryk, whose hair had almost completely returned to its original color, slowly nodded.

“It might be difficult, but you have to accept as much as you can. Tell me if you feel like you’re losing consciousness.”

“…I’m sorry… For what I’ve… done to you, Duchess.”

“If you’re sorry, then just do as I say! I won’t accept your apology if you don’t return to your old self!”

Saving Kieryk was a top priority, but we couldn’t just focus on him alone. As time went on, the four people fighting the Empress and protecting us would be pushed to their limits.

Hearing me yell at him, Kieryk closed his eyes. I felt an invisible force pulling at me as a massive amount of mana was drawn into him.

As expected of a talented magician. He understood exactly what I wanted him to do.

Thanks to Kieryk regaining some of his consciousness, his recovery speed was noticeably faster. The horn on his head had receded, and only one of his wings remained. A faint flicker of hope shone in Jeras’s eyes as he looked at me.

Then, Empress Florese, who had been hiding in the darkness and attacking us, revealed herself.

“They’re only pretending to care about you with empty words. This mother truly cares about you.”

“…Mother…?”

“Look closely, Kieryk. And become the true king of this world. That is all this mother wants.”

“No, Mother…!”

Time seemed to stop. I wished it had truly stopped.

Empress Florese, without a moment’s hesitation, pulled out a black dagger and plunged it into her own neck. Sion and Grandpa Mason, who were rushing to her, seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Reality was shattering in the face of this sudden and horrific event that no one had anticipated.

The drops of blood were so red they looked like flower petals. I, too, was unable to think rationally.

“You must… become the Em…peror…”

The Empress reached out her hand toward Kieryk. Her blood-soaked hand was too far away to reach him. Sion and Grandpa Mason could not save her as she slowly collapsed.

From the pool of her blood, crimson-black stems shot out and wrapped around her like thread. Sion tried to cut the stems with his sword, but their skin was tougher than it looked, and his sword just bounced off with a clang.

A radiant and satisfied smile appeared on the Empress’s face as she was being swallowed by the stems. That, too, was quickly consumed by the tendrils and disappeared.

Empress Florese… had chosen to become a sacrifice to complete Agtatius’s ritual. Her body and soul would be absorbed by Agtatius, leaving no trace behind.

I couldn’t watch anymore and turned my head away.

“No… Mother, don’t do this. Don’t do this to me… Mother!”

Kieryk’s bloodcurdling shriek echoed. His arm, which he had desperately stretched out to hold on to his mother, fell limp as he lost all hope. I could feel his despair and grief, as he remained motionless as if he were dead.

But… I gritted my teeth and looked at Jeras. This was no time for emotions. Empress Florese had gambled everything to complete the ritual, and we had to stop it.

Jeras, receiving my gaze, quietly called out to Kieryk.

“Brother…”

“…It’s all… all my fault.”

“No, it’s not. Brother, look at me. It’s not because of you that Empress Florese made that choice!”

“No… It’s because of me. Because I was lacking. Because I wasn’t enough. It was… me who killed my mother.”

Agtatius’s energy, which I thought I had almost completely suppressed, erupted from Kieryk’s body. It was the same feeling as when he had first transformed after talking to me at the clock tower.

Kieryk, who had been lying on the floor, began to convulse.

“Heh heh heh. Yes, it’s because of you. You, the inferior one, could never surpass your younger brother. Your mother came to me because she couldn’t bear to watch her child get left behind. She willingly offered her life just for you. Now, the choice is yours. Will you accept me according to your mother’s will? Or will you live your whole life in the shadow of the younger brother who took everything you wanted?”

“The choice…?”

“Eloe! Don’t stop. Keep going!”

Agtatius’s voice and Kieryk’s voice alternated from his mouth. Jeras pressed down on Kieryk’s shoulder as he convulsed, yelling at me.

Even before Jeras said anything, I was already gathering mana. I was about to grab Kieryk’s arm with my glowing hands.

“…Now… I don’t care what happens anymore.”

“Your Highness! You must not accept him… Aaaah!”

“Kwah ha ha ha! It has been a long time.”

Before I could even register the sickening cracking sound, I was flung onto the floor by a powerful force.

I somehow managed to cover my face with my arms and rolled over, only to hit a hard object with my back. I couldn’t even scream from the excruciating pain that instantly stole my breath.

“Eloe! You son of a bitch!”

“Are you okay?”

“Haa… urgh…”

Someone ran over to me, lying on the floor, and asked if I was okay. It hurt. It hurt so much I felt like I was going to die. It hurt so much I couldn’t even make out their voice.

I just lay there, gasping for breath in the darkness. A moment later, holy power seeped in, and the pain gradually subsided.

I was drenched in cold sweat as I managed to open one eye. I saw Grandpa Mason and Siliya looking down at me with worried expressions.

“The others…?”

“They’re fighting Agtatius.”

No sooner had Siliya, whose face was ghostly white, answered than an explosion rang out not far away. I turned my head in that direction and let out a shriek of horror.

Four horns on his head, four arms—two of which had burst from his sides—two pairs of massive wings, and hair that blazed like crimson-black flames.

It was Agtatius’s perfect form. After fully consuming Kieryk, who had been broken by his mother’s death, he had descended using Kieryk as a vessel.

“We can’t… we can’t fight that!”

Jeras, Sion, and Nia were coordinating their attacks on Agtatius. But not a single one of their attacks hit him properly.

Nia’s magic was swallowed by the shadows Agtatius commanded, and Jeras’s and Sion’s swords couldn’t pierce his skin, which was thicker and harder than steel.

Agtatius’s red eyes flashed. A split in his face, which was covered in jet-black darkness, stretched into a hideous grin.

“Open your eyes wide and look closely, O servant of Aletheia.”

A shadow appeared without a sound and bound me, rendering me immobile. I tried to scream but realized I had no voice. I had been caught in Agtatius’s magic, and all my actions were sealed.

“…!”

Agtatius casually swung one of his long arms. Nia, who was trying to cast a spell, was struck by his arm and slammed into a wall. Kugugung! The wall collapsed, and its debris rained down on Nia. No!

“Master!”

“You may be strong by human standards.”

“Urgh!”

As Sion ran to save Nia, Agtatius’s claws pierced through his arms and legs.

Ah, no… Sion, Sion…! Tears flowed from my eyes.

Siliya and Grandpa Mason ran toward Sion, who had fallen, bleeding. Grandpa Mason healed Sion, and Siliya put up a shield, trying to protect them.

“But to me, you are nothing but insects to amuse myself with.”

Agtatius shot a fireball from his fingertip. The fireball, which had seemed to be blocked by Siliya’s shield at first, eventually hit the three of them.

Siliya… Grandpa…! In a state of shock, I stared blankly at Jeras, who was left all alone. Now, only Jeras remained.

‘Jeras, please… please run away. You can escape. You, at least, have to escape!’

But my voice didn’t reach him, and I knew Jeras wasn’t the kind of person to abandon us and run away.

Jeras raised his greatsword and leaped high into the air. No, no, Jeras… don’t do it. Don’t do it!

“The god you believe in cannot do anything for you.”

Agtatius, who had grown into a giant, caught Jeras with one hand. The greatsword Jeras had been holding fell and embedded itself into the floor.

It didn’t take long for Jeras, who was struggling to get out of Agtatius’s grasp, to become motionless.

Agtatius threw Jeras, who had gone limp, away and walked toward me. Thud, thud, thud. With every step he took, the ground was caved in, and buildings crumbled.

“Go on and die, filled with resentment for Aletheia.”

A heavy, massive wave of despair and darkness washed over me. I was swallowed by the wave, my eyes wide open.

  

***

 

Eloe slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was entirely white. Was this a dream? Or had she died? It was probably the latter.

In her mind, the faces of her friends and loved ones being horribly defeated by Agtatius flashed one by one. First Nia, then Sion, Grandpa Mason, and finally, Jeras.

Tears streamed down Eloe’s face.

‘I shouldn’t have been so arrogant as to think I could save Kieryk. In the end, I didn’t accomplish anything. I couldn’t save Kieryk, and I got everyone killed. I couldn’t save a single person.’

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…”

Eloe buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

This was the result of getting to know the story, of thinking she could be the protagonist just because she knew a little bit about what would happen.

If she hadn’t taken Siliya’s place… if she had let the story unfold as it was supposed to, Kieryk might have died, but everyone else would have lived.

Jeras would have become Emperor and lived happily with Siliya, and she could have had a normal, happy life with Sion, who would have survived.

Her heart ached as if it were being ripped to shreds. It hurt because she regretted her foolish choice, and it still hurt because she didn’t want to see Jeras looking at Siliya with such kind eyes. Her selfishness hurt.

Everything, from one thing to the next, was full of pain and regret.

She cried until no more tears would come. Eloe raised her tear-stained face and looked around. The space, which had been as white as a blank sheet of paper, had changed into a familiar place. She was standing at the entrance to the stairs leading to the basement of Haiola’s private library.

It was probably a dream, an illusion. Eloe went down the stairs without any expectations.

At the bottom of the stairs, there was a door. Eloe opened it and blinked slowly. In the center of the room was a desk and chair, and on the desk was a single diary, neatly placed.

As she got closer, she saw it was a diary with a lock, the kind that was popular for a short time when she was in elementary school. She looked around the desk, but there was no key.

Eloe tilted her head and pulled on the lock. She didn’t expect it to open in the slightest, but the lock clicked open.

‘What is this?’ She unlocked the lock, opened the diary, and murmured softly.

“…How to seal Agtatius?”

Eloe stood frozen and quickly flipped through the pages. She herself couldn’t understand why she was doing this. Sion, Siliya, Grandpa, Nia, Jeras. All the people she liked and loved were dead, and she was dead, too. This moment was surely a fleeting glimpse of her life before death.

And yet, Eloe desperately read through Haiola’s memories written in the diary.

Her fingers trembled weakly as she reached the last page. The paper, too, trembled along with her fingers.

Only after reading Haiola’s final memory did she understand everything. Why only a transmigrator could use Light Magic, why Haiola had sealed Agtatius and then vanished without a trace, and what she had to do if she were given a chance again.

As Eloe closed the diary, the scenery around her changed once more. She was standing in the first-floor lobby of the building, holding a blank book. In front of her was the door leading outside.

‘I don’t want to have any regrets.’

Eloe gripped the book tightly and slowly took a step forward. Beyond the wide-open door, a blindingly bright light poured in, as if to welcome her.