Episode 34
I couldn’t move a muscle.
“L-Lady!”
I saw Eunice collapsed behind Devan. Her body was covered in wounds. It looked like she’d fallen again and again trying to reach us.
Devan’s forehead rested against mine—no, rather, he had lost strength and leaned on me.
I had to protect him. Not just him—everyone.
If Devan collapsed now, it would all be over. That much was clear.
My insides twisted painfully.
But… what could I even do?
Just as I clenched my fists, Devan still hadn’t released me from his protective embrace.
His weary breath brushed against my forehead.
His eyes barely opened and met mine.
He was clearly looking at me—specifically with the eye where a black shape shimmered.
Dark blood dripped down from that eye.
Then his lips moved faintly.
“Save me.”
Though he didn’t say it aloud, I was certain that’s what he meant.
And strangely, at that moment… I remembered the dog’s eyes.
The one who had never resented me, even in the end. Those pure, clear eyes.
I had to protect. I had to save.
This time, I could.
I could stop anyone from dying. I could do it. I wanted to do it.
A power began to rise from deep within me.
No—this wasn’t divine power.
My eyes widened.
It was that power—the one I’d used when I escaped the temple.
I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like I could control everything.
Could I really use it?
I hadn’t touched it in over a year. It wasn’t even really my power.
But no—I had to.
I shut my eyes tight, and the energy inside me surged.
It burned like fire, froze like ice.
It hurt like my body was being torn apart, but at the same time, it felt soft—like it could embrace everything.
It was chaotic—and yet still.
Time felt frozen.
Then, a pulse burst from me, radiating outward.
A white flash of light, followed by a gust of wind.
Dust and debris filled the air so thick I couldn’t open my eyes.
I braced myself with all my strength so I wouldn’t get blown away.
When the dust finally settled…
Everyone except me had collapsed on the ground.
Devan, the dragon who had pierced him, the two giants with extracted magic stones, the knights, Eunice—
All of them had fallen, as if asleep. Or… dead.
My heart pounded.
What was this power?
I’d never heard of anything so overwhelming. It was almost frightening.
I forced myself to stay conscious and carefully turned Devan over.
His back was so mangled that I could see torn flesh.
I fought down my nausea and placed my hands on him, releasing divine power.
It felt a little different than usual, but fortunately, the wounds on his back began to heal.
His back quickly mended, and his breathing steadied.
“Devan, Devan! Wake up!”
I shook him, slapped his cheeks, and shouted—but he didn’t wake.
What was I supposed to do?
Why did everything fall unconscious—except the dragon?
I couldn’t stay here.
But I couldn’t leave either.
There were dozens of people passed out.
I couldn’t possibly carry them all alone.
What if a monster woke up first? Or if the temple sent someone to investigate?
A chill ran down my spine.
“Wake up!” I shook Devan roughly by the shoulders.
Suddenly, pain shot through me from deep inside.
I clutched my chest, gasping.
It felt awful—sickening.
Was this the price of using that power?
It had to be. That energy was linked to some transcendent being.
Thinking I could use it freely had been arrogance.
My vision blurred.
“No…”
My eyes shut on their own.
My body went limp, like stuffed cotton soaked in water.
I couldn’t even move a finger.
I felt like giving up.
Like just dying would be easier.
And then, I heard a voice. Familiar, yet unfamiliar.
<“Tsk. Not good enough.”>
Whose voice…?
Through my blurry vision, a shadow approached.
It was like a child. Or an old man. Or a woman. Or a man.
It was everything and nothing at once.
It looked like it could swallow the world—or vanish in an instant.
It stood before me and flicked me on the forehead.
Its tongue curled around some disjointed language.
<“Just this once. I hate boring things.”>
Why are you doing this?
Are you trying to kill me? Or save me?
Who are you?
The words stayed in my mouth, never spoken.
Snap.
It flicked its fingers in front of my eyes.
A low, eerie chuckle echoed somewhere in the background.
—
When I came to, the first thing I saw wasn’t a beast pierced with arrows…
It was Devan’s head.
Wait—Devan’s head?
I blinked and saw him slumped over my bed, black hair hiding his face.
Where… was I?
I slowly blinked again.
It felt like recalling a fading dream.
<“Tsk. Not good enough.”>
<“Just this once. I hate boring things.”>
That mischievous voice echoed in my memory.
Devan’s blood-soaked face, the monsters…
Yes—the monsters controlled by the temple had come for me.
Devan had fought them.
Then a dragon appeared, and—
Blood. There had been a pool of blood.
My body stiffened.
I grabbed his arm and shook him.
He slowly lifted his head, face disheveled. He looked more tired than usual.
“…You’re finally awake.”
Devan wiped his face with one rough hand.
“What happened?”
He paused. Then grabbed both my wrists and stared into my eyes.
“You… don’t remember?”
A wave of unease crept over me.
That being had appeared—Hilda.
Then what happened?
“What do you mean? Are you saying… Hilda…?”
“Hilda? You saw it? That being?”
He gripped my wrist tightly.
“Ow.”
He flinched and released me.
“What happened out there? Where are we?”
“…Ha.”
He sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment.
“This is the ‘Maeum’ inn.”
“Maeum… like, ‘Heart’?”
I blinked fast. That’s when I finally noticed my surroundings.
The room was made almost entirely of wood—walls, floor, bed, and the chair Devan sat on.
It felt simple and unfamiliar. Unfit for someone like him.
“Why are we here?”
At that, his blood-red eyes glared at me.
I flinched, feeling somehow guilty.
“I should be asking you that. Why are we even here?”
“You don’t remember?”
“I remember up to the part where the dragon stabbed me in the back. What about you?”
I tried to recall.
“After that, I… um…”
I rolled my eyes, trying to avoid his gaze.
Because I didn’t know how he’d react if I said I used that power.
“…Did you use that power? The one from when we escaped?”
He figured it out quickly.
I gave a small nod.
“And then?”
“Everyone passed out. Except me. Even the dragon.”
He gestured for me to continue. I stammered on.
“Then… I healed you. I used divine power to treat your back.
But then, suddenly, I felt this overwhelming nausea.
Probably because of that power. It was never really mine to begin with.”
“And Hilda appeared?”
Could I really call it ‘Hilda’?
“I don’t know if it was really Hilda. But… it was that being. It laughed.
It said something strange.”
“What did it say?”
“It said… ‘just this once,’ and… ‘boring things are no fun.’”
“…Boring things are no fun?” he scoffed.
It was reasonable to be angry. Who jokes about life and death?
“So… Hilda helped us?”
“Helped? Dumping us in the middle of a plaza for everyone to gawk at?
We’re just lucky no one recognized my face.”
He gritted his teeth.
His hatred for that being had clearly grown.
I wanted to say, but at least we’re alive, but I bit my tongue.
“…Then what now?”
That was more important—what happens next?
The biggest problem was—
“We’re broke.”
“What?”
“…Yeah.”
“Why?”
I asked in genuine confusion. Devan’s face twisted.
Just yesterday, he’d been boasting about mines and wealth.
“Because they only transported my body.”
“Wait—”
“We have nothing. No ID, not even a single sword.”
My jaw dropped.
“Then… how did you even pay for this inn?”
He lifted his coat.
Where the buttons should’ve been—was just an empty flap.
