~Chapter 6~
The capital of the Efernia Empire, “Razan,” was named after the founding Emperor, “Razan Urtega Efernia.”
He was a legendary hero who loved only one person, revered more as a god than an emperor.
That was why “Razan” was special from its very name.
“Haah… haah…”
I ran wildly, my breath burning until it felt like it was rising up to the tip of my throat.
Leaning against a large tree, I tried to catch my breath, feeling like I was trapped in a maze with no way out.
“Why, of all places…”
I glanced down at the scratches peeking out from torn clothing. The sting made my face twist into a grimace. I drew in a long breath to steel myself.
I opened my eyes and found myself here once more — in the “Land of Besia” where I had lived as Rivie for five years.
But although the god granted my wish for another world, it had not been a kind transition.
“Of all places, it had to be the Vegas Forest…”
Complaining wouldn’t send me back to Razan, but fatigue pulled the words out of me nonetheless.
“This forest is supposed to be crawling with monsters…”
Strangely, I hadn’t come across a single one. Even though it was a forest known for its dangers.
Could it be that the god, unfriendly as ever, was at least keeping the monsters from approaching?
“As if I were Rivie herself…”
No. That was unlikely.
More likely, like animals hibernating in winter, the monsters weren’t as active right now. Pure luck, and nothing more.
Even so, I couldn’t afford to relax. I tightened my grip and pushed myself forward despite the sting in my legs.
Razan was an octagonal city. The three northern gates connected directly to the Vegas Forest and remained sealed unless granted permission.
The imperial heartland acted as its own frontier — a paradox, yet one that spoke volumes about the Emperor, who chose to stand as a shield for his people. No wonder he was called a hero.
“If I make it out of the forest… can I even enter Razan?”
The three northern gates, connected to the forest, were the city’s strongest lines of defense.
Each gate was fortified far more than any other, and Emperor himself had named the elite guards stationed there the “Vegas Knights.” They kept vigilant watch. Entering through those gates was out of the question.
“They’d suspect me immediately. Anyone would, if some ragged person came crawling out of the forest.”
That left only one option.
I chose the western gate. It was closer, and it was the route used by merchant groups.
More people came and went through the western gate, making it easier to slip in. It was also the least heavily guarded of the eight gates.
‘Better to stay away from the western gate for now.’
‘Why? Did something happen?’
‘Smugglers sneaked in disguised as merchant escorts. Getting involved could be dangerous.’
‘Is there any way I can help?’
‘Staying safe is the best way you can help me, Rivie. I don’t want you hurt.’
I recalled his voice, soft and warm, as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
A rush of emotion tightened my chest. The comfort of that memory came at the cost of countless hardships.
Rivie had used the holy authority granted to her to commit many sins. To stand beside him again, I felt I had to set those wrongs right.
The same was true for the western gate.
That was why, when Khalid spoke about the smugglers, I felt so anxious.
The western gate was a passage Rivie had bought herself, making it convenient for her own schemes. The lax security had been her doing.
Although I had dismissed those corrupt guards, once rot sets in, it doesn’t simply disappear. The complacency remained long after.
“Still… thanks to that, I can walk into Razan now.”
I had tried for five years to clean up the mess she left behind, but it was nowhere near enough. Yet as long as I lived as Rivie, it was my responsibility to bear the weight of those sins. To comfort those wounded by her hand. To ensure that no one else suffered because of Rivie Arfin — or at least as few as possible.
I had worked for five years.
Although the sins weren’t mine, I lived as Rivie, and that meant atoning for them. Hoping to undo ten years’ worth of damage in five years was a dream, but still… it was long enough to show that a person can change.
The hatred and resentment towards her had softened, if only slightly.
I gained a family. I built friendships. I found a lover.
“I wasn’t asking for much.”
I pressed down the rising desperation in my chest. Hugging my shaking body, I drew in a deep breath.
First, I had to make it to the western gate.
I had to get out of this forest before the sun set. The monsters would come out after dark.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, tightened my grip, and forced my trembling legs to move.
With clenched teeth, I started to run.
✳️✳️✳️
Entering Razan was far easier than I expected.
Although I had dismissed the corrupt guards stationed at the western gate five years ago, their familiar faces had returned to their posts.
It felt odd, but I pulled down the brim of my hood and walked through. Getting inside the city came first.
They weren’t checking documents, nor did they seem to care. Yet unlike before, there was no hint of the bribery and under-the-table payments I remembered. The guards merely yawned and leered, teasing those who passed.
Wealthy merchants sneered at the sight of the slacking guards, yet no one spoke up. At least the gates weren’t being heavily monitored.
That was fortunate for me. Without any form of identification, I had no chance of getting inside otherwise.
Observing the atmosphere, I decided it was worth trying. Luckily, the lazy guards on duty meant that no one gave me a second glance.
“Razan… truly Razan.”
The bustling, noisy streets that had been my home for five years spread out before me.
The very same streets where I had walked with my lover, where I had smiled with friends, and where countless memories were made.
Around the western gate, the streets were lively and lined with merchant shops. This area had been my second home as Rivie Arfin, making it achingly familiar.
That was a small comfort. In a strange city, I might never have made it this far.
“I want to see Khalid… right now.”
But when I caught a glimpse of myself in a shop window, I sank my teeth into my lip.
My tattered robe. The wounds crisscrossing my skin from forcing my way through the forest. My gaunt, exhausted frame. I was a wretched sight, and deep down I felt ashamed.
Far removed from the beauty that the gods had molded Rivie Arfin to be, I pulled my shoulders inward.
How could I possibly stand before Khalid like this? What could I even say?
He wouldn’t recognize me.
At least one thing was a comfort — black hair and black eyes weren’t uncommon in this world.
“Are you coming in?”
“…What?”
“Are you coming in, or are you just going to stand there drooling? Come in if you’re coming, otherwise get lost.”
The voice was sharp, annoyed. I was only staring at my own reflection in the window, but the employee was already looking down at me with contempt.
It was a gaze that stripped away any dignity I had left.
A long, sneering glance from head to toe, as if I were some worthless piece of garbage. Disgust surged within me.
“Ha. Disgusting. What kind of beggar is loitering in front of the shop? You’ll ruin the customers’ appetites. Get lost!”
With a shove, I was thrown to the ground. My knees slammed into the stone pavement.
Only then did I notice the countless gazes upon me — not those of the shop window, but of the patrons inside. Wealthy patrons. The western gate was a bustling area for merchants, and the diners within were some of the richest in the city.
Faces twisted in disdain. Their stares felt like countless sharp needles digging into my body.
Heat surged to my cheeks. Shame shook me from head to toe as I pulled myself to my feet.
Even after I had left the area and turned down several alleyways, I felt as if those stinging gazes were still upon my back.
This was a kind of humiliation I had never suffered before in the Efernia Empire. Not even in the holy role of Rivie Arfin, revered and feared as one of the most influential people in the land.
And then it sank in. Deep down to the bone. The truth I hadn’t wanted to accept.
This wasn’t Rivie anymore.
This was… truly me.
