Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Two: Departure Again
“There was a settlement in the blank zone. Among what looked like crudely built shacks lined up in a row, there was a particularly large building in the deepest part, and whatever the purpose might be, if Lady Waltride has been taken somewhere, I think it would be there.”
“To think it’s possible to construct artificial facilities inside a dungeon… Don’t monsters appear?”
“That space had absolutely no magical power, and on the contrary, there was a sensation of magical power being continuously drained away. So my magical power wouldn’t recover at all. Since it’s that kind of place, I think monsters don’t appear there.”
Instructed by Boromias to wait a bit before departure, Karen answered Tristan’s questions while making the herb roots shine brightly, consuming her magical power.
“Alchemist Karen, sorry to keep you waiting. The multiple locks on this were troublesome—it took time to undo them.”
Boromias returned from his tent carrying a long, narrow wooden box. It was a beautiful box adorned with magnificent carvings and inlaid with jewels. When Boromias opened the box, inside was a dagger with a wooden sheath.
He drew the dagger halfway from its wooden sheath to show Karen. The blade was wavy and shone silver-white even though no light was hitting it. The wooden sheath was engraved with arabesque patterns, and the shining blade had unreadable characters carved into it.
“Fairial Kris. The treasured sword of the Kingdom of Earthfill, a magic sword made of mithril. It was commissioned by the fairy folk from the dwarves to destroy their own kin who had left their village and turned to evil. It possesses the power to sever magic—naturally, it can cut human bodies as well. Since it’s made of mithril, it’s light, so even you should be able to handle it. I’m lending it to you.”
“Are you sure? Such a precious thing—”
“My position is on the line here. Why would I withhold support from the only person who has the power to break through this situation?”
In other words, it was for his own sake.
Boromias also lent her several other magical tools to protect herself.
Almost all of them were Double Rare-class, close to Legendary-class. At the very least, they were Rare.
With so many magical tools protecting him and knights guarding him closely, it would be difficult to strike directly at Boromias.
That’s why Waltride was targeted.
—Waltride, who had been abandoned even by her father, mother, and siblings, and had almost no means to protect herself.
Karen swallowed her sigh and decided to be satisfied that Boromias was thinking of saving Waltride, even if it was for his own sake.
“Thank you very much. I humbly accept your loan.”
Karen fastened the sword’s sheath to her belt.
“It’s a national treasure, but use it without hesitation. Waltride is a foolish sister, but she’s still my sister. It would be troublesome if she died.”
Boromias said it so matter-of-factly that Karen almost missed it. But it was certainly a statement from a brother who cared about Waltride.
Boromias immediately turned his back and left. Tristan bowed to Karen once and immediately followed him.
She didn’t know what expression he had worn when saying those words, but conversely, that made it feel like genuine brotherly emotion rather than any kind of performance.
“—Karen, you truly were going, then?”
“Please don’t try to stop me, Mr. Julius.”
“Yes. I have no intention of becoming a thorn blocking your path… I’m sorry I can’t follow you, that I can’t be your sword.”
Julius continued to wear a pained expression.
For now, Karen put her arms around the pale-faced Julius’s neck and stood on her tiptoes.
In the corner of her vision, Lyos had a shocked expression.
He had apparently been ordered to stay behind.
Julius kissed Karen as if barely managing to breathe underwater, and after a while, pulled away.
Even after the kiss ended, Julius’s pained expression didn’t soften.
It seemed he was troubled not only by the "nightmare of a certain monster" currently afflicting his body, but also by something else.
If only there were time, she’d want to get him to talk about it, but Karen—Waltride—probably didn’t have much time left.
So Karen made a one-sided demand:
“I have a request for you, Mr. Julius. I know it’s painful, but—please make absolutely sure you don’t develop that desire when looking at women other than me.”
It was only because Karen happened to be right in front of him that his hunger had been directed at her; if that wave of starvation struck Julius while someone else stood before him, he would likely feel desire toward that person instead. When she thought that person might be a woman, Karen wanted to tear at her hair.
For a moment, the severe crease between Julius’s brows loosened in bewilderment.
“Um… all right. I will return to my tent, remain there, and be careful not to see anyone.”
“That said, I think there may be times when you truly cannot endure it, Mr. Julius. Since it concerns your life, I will not tell you to suppress it by force… but at the very least, please make the other party a man.”
“Eh?”
Julius’s face became completely slack-jawed.
His expression now showed that whatever he had been worrying about was no longer a concern.
“I can’t handle a woman. But if it’s a man, I can barely endure it. Ah, but! I can’t handle someone with too much of a potato face, even if it’s a man! At minimum, please make it someone at least as good-looking as Lyos!”
“Wait!? What exactly have I just been dragged into!?”
Lyos snapped at her, apparently sensing an ominous premonition.
Karen, too busy groaning, “Ugh! This is the absolute limit of what I can compromise on!” completely ignored him.
Julius broke out in a cold sweat and nodded while gulping.
“I understand… I swear here and now that I will never do anything to sadden you. Lyos, I’d like to ask you to guard my tent.”
“This ominous premonition is giving me chills… I desperately want to refuse.”
“I said I’m asking, but I’m also in a position where I can have Sir Tristan give you an order.”
In other words, Lyos had no right to refuse from the start.
“I was made to drink some kind of poison by Earl Brahm, and because of it, my condition is unstable. I may rampage against my own will. When I lose my reason, I want to entrust you with the role of stopping me.”
“Guh…! Lord Tristan has already ordered me to watch over you after you were poisoned, Sir Julius… so I can’t escape anyway.”
Lyos hung his head dejectedly.
Since Tristan had also heard about the poison that Horst had made Julius drink, he was probably concerned about Julius’s condition. That’s why he had ordered Lyos to stand guard.
Lyos, who seemed to have connected the pieces of various information and could somewhat predict the future that might occur, turned a pale face toward Karen with pleading eyes.
“Come back quickly… please.”
“You’re so meek, Lyos—that’s kind of funny.”
“This isn’t the time to laugh! Just go already!”
As Karen laughed at the desperate-looking Lyos, Julius said:
“Karen, there’s something I want to talk about when you return. So please come back to me safely. And please don’t push yourself too hard. Put your own life first. To me, you are the most important of all, Karen.”
If things became impossible, he meant that Karen’s life should take priority over Waltride’s.
Karen smiled at Julius, who was telling her this between the lines.
“Thank you, Mr. Julius. I will definitely rescue Lady Waltride and come back to you.”
Karen adjusted the knapsack on her back and set out once again toward the blank zone.
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