CH 51

“The Master of the Magic Tower must have changed his mind.”

“I think so too.”

A very huge, dark, hollow hole that she saw before entering the forest. Liliana’s lips tightened in confusion as she recalled the hole that wasn’t very deep, but was so wide that it felt like you would never come out again if you fell in it.

Instinctively fear soared in her with a power she could hardly have thought of as a human being. However, she knew she had to overcome this fear.

Should she avoid the person she has to face head-one because she only wants to see his traces?

“I heard there were traces of the Master of the Magic Tower killing all of Illinan in both the hole and the forest.”

“Yes, but…”

But Illinan is, as Kade hesitantly added his words, Liliana nodded her head with a complex expression.

They had encountered Illinan many times during the war, and of course they knew how the Master of the Magic Tower reacted when he met Illinan. If their memories are correct, surely the Master of the Magic Tower, never even once.

He could never attack Illinan.

…Of course, they never heard of the reason why he couldn’t attack Illinan from his mouth.

So, all they can guess is that he ‘couldn’t’ attack Illinan, not that he ‘didn’t’.

“I don’t know how he ended up killing Illinan, but he’s clearly in a dangerous state.”

“I think so. Ever since he locked himself in the Magic Tower… Nothing like this ever happened.”

Eventually, when Lily let out the anxiety she had been putting up with, Kade licked his lips for a moment before he finally got his words out. Even the man who brought it up had a very uncomfortable face.

“Miss Lily, I…”

“Yes.”

“I don’t think the situation is good. The Master of the Magic Tower from the past 10 years and now are very different. As much as the current sudden movement… I think it’s very likely that he’s on the verge of losing his reason.”

“…”

“And if he completely loses his temper, we will be in the utmost danger.”

If so, what should we do? Not being able to say that, she just lowered her head with her mouth shut. A dark shadow fell over her beautiful face, and a grievous expression soon appeared.

She knew it too. In any case that the Master of the Magic Tower completely loses his temper, no one will be able to stop him.

So, the safest way is to talk to him…

Liliana closed her eyes tightly. It seemed as if the scenery of a red and black battlefield was passing through her pitch black field of view.

And the figure of the Master of the Magic Tower standing in the middle of it.

…Can she really hurt him?

“But the first priority should be conversation and bargaining. The first thing to do is to persuade him that he should stop disturbing the ecosystem of monsters and do his duty as the owner of the tower.”

“…Yes, you’re right.”

“And as Miss Ei said, the magic stone stuck in the monster’s neck… We can only ask the Master of the Magic Tower.”

Liliana took a deep breath to calm her trembling voice.

“Even if persuasion doesn’t work, using means other than conversation should be a last resort. Even for us.”

Kade nodded  in sympathy, and Lily lifted her head, looking up at the sky with a stiffened expression.

In a landscape surrounded by trees on all sides, the evening sky seen from there was getting darker and darker.

When she thought of Ivan and Ei, whom they had left in the carriage, she was about to tell him to go back soon.

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard from somewhere.

“…!”

“Miss Lily!”

ㅡBANG!

Right after the sound that was so loud the ground they were standing on shook, Liliana staggered from the unexpected shaking, and as soon as the tremble subsided, she raised her head hurriedly.

As soon as she did, what came into her field of vision were piles of ashes rising in the distance, darker than the sky.

It was the direction where they had left the carriage.

“Kade!”

“Damn it, over there…”

Kade muttered with a nervous face, then clenched his fists.

“…He seems to have passed nearby, and appears in person. I will summon the wind spirit, Miss Lily.”

“We have to go as soon as possible. Ivan and Miss Ei…”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Kade snapped his fingers, a green light filled them.

***

“…Right then! That’s what Brother Kade does. Where did the bread on this table go? It was a week past the expiration date.”

“Whoa. A week?”

“Yes. I just thought the bread smelled like soggy cheese.”

I just thought it was that type of bread. I burst into laughter for a moment at the blunt addition as it’s his own fault, after all. Ah, is it too much to laugh while listening to war stories?

War always brings to mind gloomy situations filled with despair, yet Ivan’s stories were far from serious. As if the horrors of war were diluted with Ivan’s innocence.

“Did you eat that without getting sick?”

“Fortunately, my stomach was stronger than I had imagined, so I didn’t feel much pain. Brother Kade looked like an owner and cursed at me saying that I was too ignorant with my body.”

“That guy always talks like that.”

“Brother Kade has been like that since the first time we met. Also before…”

The chattering words were cut off abruptly. I felt a sense of wonder at the sudden silence and narrowed my eyes when I saw that Ivan’s face had become quite stiff, unlike before.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Is something burnt somewhere?”

“Burnt?”

If it was a burnt smell, I smelled it near that hole earlier, but now I’m not sure. I tried to answer, perhaps my clothes smelled of ashes.

If it hadn’t been for the sudden roar of something exploding, I’m sure I would have answered that.

“Sister Ei, get down!”

“What,”

The moment I reflexively shrunk my body at Ivan’s urgent cry,

ㅡBANG!

Hot air passed behind my back with a loud sound that rang in my ears.

The sudden lowering of my head caused my vision to shake, and it felt as if the whole world was turned upside down. When I managed to come to my senses and looked around, I saw what looked like black smoke rising from between the trees. At the same time, the burnt smell struck me.

If my eyes aren’t wrong, it looks like a burning tree just flew off my back.

“Quickly hide in the carriage!”

Before I could grasp the situation, Ivan pulled his sword out. I don’t know what happened, but whatever it was, realizing that the situation was serious, I jumped into the carriage, closed the door, and squeezed the doorknob.

My startled heart beat, thump, thump, with impatience. Cold sweat broke out between my clenched fists without my knowledge, and my hands were both cold and hot at the same time. The heat that had passed through the back of my neck seemed to still linger there.

Is it a monster again? It must be a monster. There’s no way anyone else will pass on this mountain road… No, wait.

Where are Lily and Kade?

The moment I thought of the two of them, I suddenly raised my head. At the same time, my hand that was holding the doorknob lost its strength, and the carriage door opened with a squeaking sound.

I rolled out of the carriage with a sudden surge of anxiety.

“Sister Ei!”

“Ah, what a crazy…”

ㅡBANG!

There was another roar, and I rolled relentlessly in the dust, barely stopping and choking. My arm was full of scratches, as if I was scratched by the door while rolling. No, my spinning head was more of a problem than that.

The scenery seen while I was lying face down on the floor was beyond words, even judging by my imperfect vision. It was a very peaceful landscape just a few minutes ago. Now the trees are on fire and the carriage has collapsed…

Ah, damn it. There is a hole in the carriage wall. Exactly where I was.

I must be crazy, really. If I hadn’t rolled my body right away the moment the carriage door opened, I would have been pierced and killed. In a situation where I should feel grateful that I hadn’t just died, a sense of disillusionment wrapped around my body.

When I ignored the tingling palms and managed to straighten my upper body.

Someone in the distance came into my view.

A man whose face is unrecognizable, standing among the dark trees, who doesn’t seem to be in our group.

But for me, he was someone I couldn’t help but recognize. Because he was the one who dominated my thoughts on this long journey.

This time, I was able to instinctively realize that it wasn’t a fake.

“…Dante.”

A sound close to a moan escaped my mouth.

***

D10.

He thought he saw light brown eyes.