R4STWH - Chapter 114
Chapter 114
“Duke!”
As if she knew that we were in this room, the saintess burst through the door and rushed in as soon as the light disappeared.
“How…… What happened?”
She was panting, but she still asked urgently, it seemed like she also knew. That the god she served had used his authority on Elias.
Elias, who had opened his eyes after having closed them, glared at the empty air for a moment before turning his gaze to me.
“Even so…….”
And then, he grabbed my hand that was reaching for him and bowed down.
“I have to do what I was going to do.”
I wondered if it was okay since the saintess was there, but he didn't seem like he would let go until he did it, so I quickly stole a kiss first.
It was a light kiss, just a brief touch.
“Ah…… Should I go outside……?”
“There’s no need. We don’t have much time.”
“…….”
While looking at me with a thirst-ridden gaze, he obediently released my hand. He also knew that we shouldn’t delay any longer.
“The quest was cleared, right?”
“Yeah, the title changed too.”
“To what?”
“From Chaser to Executor.”
‘Executor……? What is he executing?’
Just like Chaser, it was a title that I hadn’t seen around me before.
I had thought that he would receive a title related to the god of this world, like Baeksa's title, 'Master of the Holy Sword,' since I could feel the presence of divine power, but that wasn't the case.
I glanced at the saintess.
She, who had been desperately waiting for the day when she could communicate with the god she served again, was staring intently at Elias.
I wanted to ask what she had talked about with Ermitar, but,
'If there was any important information that needed to be used immediately, she would have told me as soon as she came back.'
It wasn't an atmosphere where she would easily open her mouth anyway.
She also seemed to be mulling over something, or she was trying her best to suppress the emotions that were rising within her.
“Let’s talk about the details later, let’s go back for now.”
“Yes, Lady Ilesha.”
It would have been nice if we had had time to have a relaxed conversation, but I shouldn’t forget that the patience of my comrades was at the level of a small child.
“You’re finally here.”
When we returned to the dining hall, Zero, who had been standing there with a very irritated face, sat back down in his seat.
As expected, seeing his state, I thought that he would have run out if we had been even a little later.
Fortunately, Yumi looked at me and nodded as if she understood.
“It’s true that these clothes are unnecessarily cumbersome. They’re annoying to put on and take off.”
“That’s right. But the inconvenience is worth putting up with. When will I ever get to wear something this pretty again?”
When I went back to my seat and started fiddling with the fancy lace, a smile spread across Yumi's lips.
“It suits you well. If we had a little more time, I could have made you try on various different things.”
There was a hint of excitement and regret in Yumi’s eyes, which were sparkling like stars.
‘Time…… time, huh.’
As it was with most quests, there would probably be a time limit on the ones that Yumi and Zero were doing as well.
'I don't have a clue at the moment.'
Considering that they had set up a trap to capture me despite being pressed for time, it seemed like it was something that they couldn’t afford to be obstructed with, but looking at them being leisurely with their desserts here, I was confused about what was right.
'What is it? What are they trying to do?'
“You know, Ilesha.”
Yumi said, holding a glass filled with a purplish liquid in her hand.
“I thought that we should have some time like this, at least once.”
“Time like this?”
When I tilted my head, not understanding what she meant, a smile formed on her lips.
“Thanks to you, ‘that world’ has proven its worth. Thanks to that, it hasn't been erased, and we have been given the chance to live another life like this.”
Thanks to me? This was something that everyone had achieved together.
“So don’t you think we should have a celebration?”
“…….”
When my comrades were still in their soul stone state, I often took them out onto the bed and rambled on.
I would talk about the events of that day, then list the things I wanted to do with them at the end of the story.
"Let’s dress up nicely and have a party. A dress with lots of precious minerals would suit Yumi well. I’m a little awkward though……."
And then, if I touched them, they would sparkle excitedly, as if they had understood my words.
“Because this might be the last time we can see each other’s faces, eat happily, and spend time together like this.”
“Why are you saying that?”
A sulky answer popped out of my mouth without me realizing it.
“Why last? Why? If you want to, we can always spend time together like this in the future.”
I could see the saintess and Crow putting down their forks with awkward expressions, but I didn’t have the mental space to care about them right now.
“Is it like what that Evil Dragon was rambling about, that you have to forcefully carry out the quest?”
“There’s no way.”
Yumi chuckled and shook her head.
“That dumb lizard and us are different cases. His world failed the qualifications in the first place, and everything was assigned to the ‘Tyrant.’ Since the ownership has been transferred, there’s no way to refuse it as you please.”
“Then…… that means you guys aren’t like that, right.”
My voice, which had reached her ears, was extremely desperate, without a hint of composure.
My expression was probably the same.
“Without having to be swayed by the quest, you can do whatever you want. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right. It’s just a little bothersome and annoying, you can ignore the quest.”
If you pushed it back without accepting or rejecting it, it would be updated with new content and urge you to do it, but it would also be enough to push that aside too.
Until the disaster that had befallen this world was completely over, there wouldn't be a big problem even if we just let it be.
We were the victors who had cleared the qualification quest, and we didn't belong to this world either.
“Then…….”
“In other words, it’s all our choice.”
After placing the wine glass that she had emptied at once on the table, Yumi looked at me.
“That annoying guy and I chose this path. So I wish that you wouldn't try to persuade me any longer, and just respect our choice.”
How could she say something so cruel while looking at me with such a gentle gaze?
“From the moment we leave this place, we’re going to walk our separate ways. You just have to do your best to get what you want, and I have to do my best to get what I desire. That’s all there is to it.”
I had been throwing words at and even hitting Zero, but I couldn’t say anything properly to Yumi.
Because Yumi…… was the smartest among us.
If she said that ‘there was no other way,’ then there really wasn't one.
“Is there…… nothing I can do for you anymore?”
After a long silence, that was all I could barely manage to say.
“Hmm…… then should we have some more dessert?”
Even though her face was completely different from the face I remembered, her smiling face was familiar.
Zero, who had been watching our conversation with his arms crossed, clicked his tongue softly and called a servant to bring out the desserts.
I…… I could no way……
I was so upset that I couldn't even eat dessert, and just kept gulping down wine.
'What is this……it's delicious…….'
It was so unnecessarily delicious that I felt like I was about to cry.
“It’s so delicious, and he’s handsome too…….”
But why wasn't it working out as I had wanted?
I knew that people’s hearts were naturally like this, but knowing that didn’t provide any comfort.
“It would have been nice if he were a little more handsome.”
“That’s right. I think so too.”
The saintess quietly chimed in.
“……I apologize.”
Crow apologized with a troubled face.
“Ilesha, you should stop drinking now.”
Elias gently wrapped his hand around my hand, which was clutching a wine bottle.
“Even though you don’t get drunk easily, it’s already your fourth bottle.”
Huh……? Did I really drink that much? He must be exaggerating to try and stop me, right?
“It’s not an exaggeration. You really did drink that much.”
I blankly stared at Elias.
Elias, in my opinion, it feels like half of your world is about to be destroyed…… Sorry.
It was hard to imagine that there would be no harm done while stopping Yumi and Zero.
Zero would be easy, but Yumi…… that girl, in particular, had the power to destroy this world just as quickly as the Evil Dragon, if she put her mind to it.
“It’s my fault……. I should have saved them……”
It was all my fault for not being able to protect Yumi's child, the communal nursery.
No, actually, there were really a lot of things that were broken and ruined besides that.
Because I wasn't more intelligent, because I wasn't stronger, because I didn't have the desperation or the eagerness.
They were things that weren't precious to me, and so I thought it didn't matter. I had lived well even without being able to protect them.
I was paying the price for that now.
It was when I was heavily lowering my head with the guilt that was now oppressing my entire body.
For some reason, it seemed like it was getting noisier outside.
As I listened with my mind as hazy as if I was submerged in water, I could vaguely hear someone shouting.
“His Majesty has been assassinated!”
It seemed that the Emperor…… had been murdered by someone.
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