CH 87

The cardinal tilted his head down slightly to look at Su Shi. His gaze was dark. He held his breath for a moment before leading him into the restaurant. “It’s not time yet.”

Su Shi didn’t believe it at first. But twice he tried to break free of Esmond’s grip around his wrist and couldn’t. Finally, he realized that the other party might be right about his weakening strength.

It seems like he might have to bring dynamite with him to blow up the pope.

Finally finding out the true state of his body, the Holy Paladin was so depressed that he slumped over the table and couldn’t keep his spirits up.

After looking at him for a long while, Esmond suddenly got up and rubbed the young man’s short hair.

“Wait a bit, I will be back right away.”

Su Shi nodded listlessly and continued to contact the system, unresigned. But he found that even the communication icon has dimmed. Asides from the basic stand-alone offline functions, he couldn’t even send messages.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

It seems that the god of light was right, and that the flow of time in him has stopped. Before he can successfully return to the main world, he may only be able to operate by instinct.

As he was seriously worrying about this, the fragrance of cocoa suddenly permeated the air, drawing his attention back to reality.

Su Shi was surprised. He raised his eyebrows and sat up.

Esmond had brought back two cups and handed one of them to him with a smile.

“Drink some. Be careful, it’s hot.”

“I really can’t help but wonder now. If we’re in ancient times, how would you be able to give me this thing…?”

After taking the cup of hot cocoa, Su Shi smiled lightly and took a small sip of the dark drink, his eyes gradually softening in the steaming heat.

It was just one world. If it’s just his time being suspended, then as long as there was a way to go back to the main world, it didn’t matter if he stayed for a while.

[T/N: Why does this thought pattern seem familiar, hmm? XD]

Esmond obviously couldn’t understand his words, and some quiet curiosity appeared in his eyes, but in the end he didn’t ask.

There were actually a lot of mysteries about the other party. Like why did he know about the secrets in the treasure cave? How did he discover the truth of the pope’s demonization? Why did the Light God who has never interfered with humanity before suddenly make an exception for this one person?

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Everyone has his or her own secrets, and since Ivan did not intend to share, Esmond would not press and ask.

The young Holy Paladin took the cup in his hands and slowly sipped the hot cocoa. The eyes hidden under the hood were calm and warm, and Esmond could not detect even a shred of the biting cold gaze of before when the paladin seemed set to destroy indiscriminately.

That treasure cave’s highest-grade treasure was that magic circle. He had firmly shoved it at the protagonist. If the protagonist’s strength did not upgrade then that would be strange.

Esmond seemed to have something to say. He looked at him quietly for a long while before speaking softly.

“I’m already very powerful…”

His hands clenched tightly. His eyes fixed deeply on the young man: “So—don’t do anything dangerous to protect me in the future, okay?”

Su Shi sighed and raised his head. He met those eyes full of anguish and self-blame.

The choice between life and death that day… so the protagonist had never really let it go.

He would not die. Esmond did not know.

Su Shi’s chest suddenly ached and his throat felt heavy. After a while he raised his head and inevitably met with the other person’s gaze.

“…Okay.”

Those watery eyes flashed. His eyes fell on him quietly. He held his breath for a long time before finally curving in a warm arc.

The two took a break in the restaurant before going out again and continued to investigate the situation outside.

The never ending darkness obscured the perception of time, until Su Shi suddenly found that he could no longer move and fell into Esmond’s arms did he realized that quite some time had passed.

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid…”

Translations by Vanilla Muse.

Esmond spoke softly. He brought the cold and stiff paladin to a corner, holding him firmly in his arms and kissing him softly.

A warm power once again filled his body, breaking him out of his unmovable plight. The instinctual chill in his heart was alleviated slightly.

Su Shi leaned in Esmond’s arms and slowly moved his body, feeling relieved.

“So this kind of method also works…”

“Only I can do it.”