—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Emerging above ground, the battle seemed to have ended; all was quiet.
Yuseora, guarding the entrance to the White Tower, waved at me, then, seeing Elsie’s condition on my back, her eyes widened in alarm, and she rushed over.
“Elsie? Elsie!”
I stopped her with one hand.
“Quiet. She’s just unconscious.”
But regardless, treatment was needed quickly.
I transferred Elsie to Yuseora’s back, anticipating the imminent aftereffects of the Awakening Pills.
As we were heading towards the Cult’s branch in the Lodreim kingdom for treatment,
“The sky?”
Yuseora noticed the change first.
The darkened sky of the Lodreim kingdom was brightening.
‘Nameless Day isn’t over yet, is it?’
Not even half a day had passed, let alone a full day.
Yet, the sky was regaining its light.
‘Perhaps…’
A hypothesis formed.
Perhaps Nameless Day was caused by Libero.
The kingdom’s barrier was created at the cost of the Nameless King’s existence.
But Libero continued to remember the Nameless King.
Then this hypothesis meant…
‘Libero’s will has completely disappeared as well.’
The will of Libero and the Nameless King he had just seen.
They seemed to have vanished completely.
Now, no one remembered the Nameless King.
And at the same time, the kingdom’s barrier was restored.
‘I promised Elsie we would spend next Nameless Day together after she saved the kingdom.’
This complicated things.
I would have to appease her with something else when she woke up.
Anyway…
“Your Highness?”
“The Princess!”
People inside the castle began to notice us running with Elsie on Yuseora’s back.
Most were enemy knights and Black Knights resting after the battle.
He saw the Royal Knight Commander, battered and captured in a corner, but Elsie would be the one to execute him.
“Her Highness’s condition!”
“While we were fighting, the Princess…!”
The light of the barrier began to shine warmly upon them.
Those resting beneath it, seeing Elsie, started to get up, one by one.
And they shouted,
“Her Highness is in critical condition!”
“Clear the way!”
Their cries traveled faster than we could run, quickly reaching outside the castle.
“Her Highness is in critical condition!”
“Clear the way!”
The attack on the royal palace during Nameless Day.
The light signifying the succession.
And the suddenly brightening barrier.
The confused citizens of the Lodreim kingdom responded to those cries.
“Her Highness is in critical condition!”
“Clear the way!”
The voices spread rapidly throughout the kingdom.
“Her Highness is in critical condition!”
“Clear the way!”
Elsie was covered in blood, but her golden hair shimmered like golden waves under the light of the kingdom’s barrier.
The citizens who heard the cries naturally cleared the way.
Thanks to them, we arrived at the Cult’s Lame Kingdom branch faster than expected.
“Quickly, summon all the healing mages!”
“I’m sorry, but we need to know her symptoms…”
“Mana depletion, life force depletion, and injuries all over her body!”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the staff member quickly summoned all the healing mages in the building.
“Her condition is critical!”
“How is she even alive?”
“External mana infusion in this state could cause shock, so let’s focus on restoring her life force first and aim for slow but natural recovery!”
Hearing their urgent conversation, I finally felt relieved.
Now that treatment had begun, Elsie, with her strong will, would surely survive.
Thank goodness.
“Seo Yoo-rang…?”
Yuseora called out to me.
I’m sorry, but I can feel my eyes closing.
It must be the aftereffect of forcefully using the Royal Sword.
“Just… let me rest for a bit.”
My body was already under immense strain, and now the penalties from the Awakening Pills were setting in.
I couldn’t endure any longer.
Cough.
The nausea that had been building since activating the Royal Sword finally overwhelmed me, and I vomited.
Yuseora caught me as I was about to lose consciousness.
‘This is…’
Something soft and warm touched my head.
Before I could identify it, I blacked out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘Ugh.’
My left arm was numb.
The pain roused me from unconsciousness.
Before opening my eyes, I pondered the reason for the numbness.
‘Warmth?’
Someone was resting their head on my left arm.
It had to be Elsie or Yuseora.
But Elsie was probably still bedridden.
“Yuseora,” I said to the likely culprit.
“My arm is numb.”
“…It’s not me.”
Yuseora’s reply.
But it came from my right.
I opened my eyes.
Elsie was sleeping, her head resting on my left arm, as I sat in a chair.
“Elsie?”
Why was she here?
No, it was fine that she was here, but shouldn’t she be in bed?
The last time I saw her, she was on the verge of death.
“Is she alright being here?”
I brushed Elsie’s hair aside to see her face.
Her sleeping face had a surprisingly healthy color.
In fact, she looked healthier than I had ever seen her.
“The healers say she’s fully recovered. Actually, she started moving around even before she was fully healed.”
“I see.”
As expected, her natural recovery abilities were exceptional.
I had been so worried, but seeing her healthy brought me relief.
Yuseora said,
“Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve been bedridden for almost half a month.”
What was she talking about?
“Half a month?”
I had expected a few days at most.
That was why I was so impressed by Elsie’s recovery.
But half a month was a different story.
Elsie, with a hero’s body, should have recovered by now.
“The healers said that even though Elsie was in more critical condition, you were harder to treat.”
“Why?”
“Don’t you remember? You collapsed, vomiting blood from your eyes, nose, and mouth.”
I remembered vomiting something, but I didn’t know it was blood.
“They said most of the blood vessels in your body were burned, as if exposed to intense light.”
I froze at her words.
I had forcefully used the Royal Sword, a 5-star holy relic, but I didn’t expect the price for a brief use to be this severe.
The implication was clear.
‘Even with Sublimation, forcefully using a 5-star holy relic is suicidal.’
Perhaps I was just lucky this time.
Still, I was glad I survived.
“Hmm…”
Elsie was stirring, perhaps awakened by our voices.
“Allen?”
I raised my right hand in greeting.
“Did you sleep well?”
Sorry, but my left arm was numb, so I would appreciate it if she got up soon.
“Allen!”
She got up, just as I wished. And rushed over to hug me.
“What do you mean, ‘sleep well’? I was the one waiting for you to wake up!”
Right.
“Sorry.”
My shoulder was wet with her tears.
Seeing her cry as soon as she woke up, I gently stroked her hair. And I began to say the things I hadn’t been able to tell her.
“You did well, Elsie.”
It was mainly praise.
This operation wouldn’t have succeeded without her.
And…
“It’s over now.”
Elsie’s revenge was over.
Whether the Knight Commander’s execution had been carried out or not, the conclusion was clear now.
But Elsie said,
“What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
“The Central Sea Islands are still left.”
The Central Sea Islands.
She was right.
I still had much to do.
“Right, Gwen must be waiting.”
And there was something I learned during this battle.
There were fewer Demon Lords in the castle than I expected.
Demon Lord Levia, their leader, was also nowhere to be seen.
‘That means…’
The plan to lure them to the Central Sea Islands had worked.
I didn’t know the exact situation there, but something was definitely happening.
“We should hurry.”
Fortunately, after resting for half a month, my body had recovered enough to move.
“When are we leaving?”
But I had a question for Elsie.
“Elsie, what are you going to do?”
“Huh?”
“Are you coming to the Central Sea Islands?”
At my question, Elsie’s arms tightened around me.
As if she didn’t want to let go.
But I had to make this clear.
“Your Majesty.”
Her father, the previous King of Lodreim kingdom, was dead.
Now, Elsie was the ruler of the Lodreim kingdom.
“Are you planning to leave the kingdom at a time like this?”
The kingdom’s power had already weakened considerably over the past three years.
And this siege had completely depleted its remaining strength.
Until the heroes returned to the Lodreim kingdom, it would have no means of defense.
“But I’ve finally become strong enough to be of help to you…”
“Your Majesty, you know that the people need that strength more than I do right now.”
“That’s…”
Elsie lowered her head onto my shoulder.
“Alright. But you have to come back as soon as possible.”
I promised her,
“Of course.”
She lifted her head from my shoulder and sat up.
And looked at me.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes. I’ll be waiting.”
Her face drew closer.
Just as our lips were about to meet,
Click.
The sound of a closing door.
Startled, I turned to see no one there.
I remembered Yuseora was here.
“Elsie, you knew, didn’t you?”
“It’s alright.”
“No, I don’t think it is.”
I had felt uneasy ever since we decided to hide our relationship from Yuseora.
She had already caught us spending the night together.
And I had to go to the Central Sea Islands with Yuseora, without Elsie.
“It’s really alright. We already came to an agreement while you were asleep.”
I don’t think it’s right to make agreements without the person involved.
“What agreement?”
“Curious?”
“Of cour…”
Something soft and warm covered my mouth.
‘Right, I won’t be seeing her for a while.’
I should savor her warmth as much as possible.
But before that…
There were more than just words of praise I hadn’t said yet.
“I like you.”
“You’re finally saying it.”
“Sorry.”
“Of course, I like you too.”
As expected, knowing and saying it were two different things.
“I like you.”
The words echoed in my mind.
It seemed the same for Elsie.
“I like you too.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
