Chapter -04
“Damn it…”
Khalid cursed quietly as he caught the wizard’s limp body.
Even though she was soaked with rain, she gave off a faint, sweet scent—like wildflowers after a storm. It felt strange and a little too personal.
His face twisted in discomfort, surprised by how vulnerable she looked.
A wizard who faints during purification?
The feeling of her in his arms was too unfamiliar. Doubt filled his mind.
Did they send a fake?
What should I do?
He had no interest in killing someone who had already passed out. But if she was a fake, there would be no hesitation.
Kill them all. That solves the problem.
“Damn it… again…”
He cursed again as a dark, sticky aura began leaking from his hand—his curse reacting.
Shocked, Khalid gently leaned Luna against the warehouse wall and stepped away. He clenched his fists and crossed his arms tightly to endure the pain.
“What’s the point of purification if all she did was hold my hand?” he muttered.
What a disappointment.
Still, he would treat this betrayal like he always did—with blood.
His teeth clenched as the curse flared. Even holding his sword was sometimes impossible when the pain got this bad. He waited in silence, listening to the rain pound the warehouse roof.
Then…
“…?”
Something strange happened.
His eyes widened slightly in disbelief.
The pain was gone.
He looked down at his hands and slowly opened his fists.
The cursed aura was still there—it even seemed stronger—but the burning pain that always came with it was gone.
What? How?
For the first time since he was cursed, there was no suffering. He still felt the curse inside him, but it didn’t hurt anymore.
Did she… actually purify part of it?
His eyes narrowed as he looked at the fainted wizard.
She had passed out before finishing, but if she could do this much in her current condition, what would she be able to do at full strength?
“…Heh.”
A low laugh escaped his lips—part surprise, part mockery.
He had misjudged her. That truth tasted bitter.
Could she really be the purification wizard I’ve been looking for all this time?
Or was this just luck?
His heartbeat sped up. Without thinking, he took a step toward her.
BOOM! BANG!
Suddenly, loud banging came from the door.
“Hey, wizard! Are you done in there? What’s going on? Something black’s leaking out the window! Hurry before the boss loses it!”
The deputy commander’s annoying voice broke the moment.
Khalid stopped, then smiled—a sharp, cold smile.
What a loud idiot.
He walked over to the door and threw it open.
“Your Majesty—No, Your Highness! What happened? Where’s the wizard?” the deputy asked quickly.
Several Raven guild members were standing outside, including the greedy captain. They looked at Khalid, confused and nervous.
Khalid didn’t answer. Instead, he placed a hand on the deputy’s shoulder and patted it gently.
“How do you feel? In pain?”
“What are you—? You nearly killed me earlier, and now you’re asking if I—ahhh!”
The man jumped back, screaming like he’d been burned. But he wasn’t hurt. Just shocked.
There was no pain. Not from the aura Khalid had passed on to him earlier. Nothing.
Khalid laughed coldly.
“Be grateful. The wizard saved your life.”
“She succeeded?”
Even the corrupted aura Khalid had transferred to the man didn’t hurt him anymore. He stood there, totally fine.
Khalid didn’t respond. Instead, he turned back into the warehouse.
The greedy look on the commander’s face said it all. He was already thinking about how to profit from this.
Khalid quietly took off his cloak and carefully wrapped it around the unconscious Luna. He held her gently, like a child, pulling the hood low over her face.
“What are you doing?” the captain growled. “You’re not thinking of taking the wizard, are you?”
“She’s sick. She needs medical care.”
The captain frowned. That wizard—no, that girl—was worth a fortune.
“She belongs to Raven,” he said sharply. “You can’t just take her.”
Khalid’s eyes grew cold.
The nerve—to talk like that when he still had a cut on his neck. His patience was wearing thin.
He held Luna closer. He didn’t want to hurt her—not after she had done what no one else could.
He took a deep breath, slow and sharp.
Then, without a word, he threw a heavy pouch of money at the man’s feet.
“Here. A hundred times the agreed price. I’m taking her.”
The captain quickly picked up the pouch and opened it. His eyes widened at the sight of jewels inside.
Greed filled him. His argument died instantly.
But the deputy wasn’t done.
“Is that just a down payment? You’re not fully cured. Shouldn’t you pay again for each treatment?”
He was too greedy to think straight. He’d forgotten who he was talking to.
Khalid turned back. He almost laughed.
But then his gaze turned icy cold.
“You think this looks like a complete purification?”
He let his aura rise—black and thick as ink. The deputy turned pale.
“If this fails,” Khalid said in a quiet, cold voice, “Raven—and your mouth—will be erased from the Empire.”
A chill swept through the air.
Khalid was no ordinary noble. He was second only to the Emperor. If he decided to destroy a family or a city, no one could stop him.
The captain swallowed hard and looked away, feeling the sting in his throat.
BOOM!
Hours passed.
The large iron gates of a mansion burst open. Footsteps echoed down the halls, voices rushed through the air.
Luna, half-conscious, felt herself being carried somewhere warm and soft.
Magic tingled faintly on her skin—like a gentle current of electricity. She could smell a cool minty scent—healing magic.
It had been so long since she felt this kind of holy warmth. A priest was healing her.
Did I pass out… while purifying? What happened?
She tried to open her eyes, but she was too hungry and tired. Her body was soaked with rain, sweat, and fatigue.
A soft groan escaped her lips.
Then something warm and heavy pressed gently against her forehead.
“She’s burning up,” said a deep voice. “Is she being treated properly?”
“It’s just exhaustion. She’ll recover after a few days of rest.”
“…I see.”
“Master, you should rest too. I’ll call a servant.”
The voices sounded distant, like a dream.
That voice… was it the client? The commander?
She couldn’t follow the words. Her body ached all over, like she’d been beaten.
Purifying a person hurts this much…?
She focused on breathing to calm herself.
The warmth left her forehead. Silence fell again.
After a while, she slowly sat up.
“…Where am I?”
The room was unfamiliar—big, fancy, and lit by moonlight. A desk full of strange tools stood nearby. The bed beneath her was soft and high.
Her legs were shaky, but she moved, looking for the door.
I have to go back. Back to Raven. I need to find out what happened.
Just thinking about the deputy commander made her feel anxious.
Click.
She opened the door—and almost bumped into someone.
A young servant girl stood there, frozen, holding clothes and a towel.
“Oh! You’re already awake?”
“Thank you,” Luna said politely, trying to walk past.
But the girl shoved the towel into her arms.
“Wait—go shower first! You’re drenched in sweat! Where do you think you’re going? Aren’t you hungry?”
She looked small, but stood firm like a kitten guarding the door.
Luna blinked, surprised by her boldness.
