IPDT 23

“The most absurd thing right now is that Yul died because of me.”

“Master, humans die eventually. This human just reached the end of his life, it’s not that he died because of you!”

“If you’re going to interfere, step aside.”

“Master!”

I didn’t want to hear any more of Fleabag’s objections. I flicked my finger, sent Fleabag out of the room, and closed the door. Slam! As the door closed, I could hear the sound of Fleabag scratching the door with his claws. I didn’t want to hear that either, so I blocked out the noise from outside. Only then did the room become quiet. I clenched the hand I had placed on Yul’s heart into a fist.

“…I’m sorry. My arrogance killed you.”

The arrogance of thinking I could protect Yul, the stubbornness of wanting to keep Yul, who was fated to become a hero, by my side. All of that added up and Yul died.

Fleabag said it wasn’t, but this was clearly my fault. I looked at Yul’s closed eyelids. Looking at his lifeless face, my heart churned. For some reason, my vision blurred.

“If I share my heart with you, I’ll surely have to pay a price. Still, I’m glad I can give it to you.”

I gasped a trembling breath. I lowered my head and pressed my lips to Yul’s. Something inside me separated from me and flowed into Yul’s mouth.

I closed my eyes and focused on Yul. The fingertips of the hand on Yul’s heart trembled lightly. Please, please. I earnestly wished for Yul’s revival.

Thump.

At that moment, the sensation of a heart pulsating touched my fingertips. Yul’s heart had started beating again. I quickly pulled my lips away and looked at Yul’s face. Color was returning to his pale face. I could feel his soul, which had seemed on the verge of scattering, solidifying.

“Ah.”

As a sigh of relief escaped me, tears fell. Drip, drip. I looked up at the sky without realizing it. Yul had said he wished it would rain, and right now, it would surely be raining outside. Because I’m very happy right now. A smile formed on my lips.

“Uht…”

Suddenly, the world spun before my eyes. Strength began to rapidly drain from my body. I barely managed to grab the bed and stand up, avoiding an unseemly fall. I blinked blankly. The weight of my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. An irresistible drowsiness was washing over me.

I knew instinctively. That this was the price I had to pay. I captured Yul in my blurring vision. Yul, who had just returned from death, was still unable to wake from his sleep.

“Not yet, I can’t sleep yet.”

I stared blankly at Yul, then slapped my cheeks. Slap, slap. In this state, I would fall asleep soon anyway. Seeing Yul wake up was a distant hope.

So, instead of waiting for Yul to wake up, I should do what I can right now. First, I’ll send Yul to the human world, and I should also send this helpful black sword with him. I barely managed to pull the sword from my subspace and placed it on Yul’s chest.

“Yul, you’ll go back to the human world now and become a hero. Then all humans will praise you, and you’ll have an honor you could never obtain again as a human.”

The sound of Yul breathing sounded like a sweet lullaby. In the end, I couldn’t fight off the sleepiness and rested my head next to Yul’s. My eyelids kept closing.

“So… forget the time I held you back.”

I had to cast a teleportation spell on Yul. Because I had to send him to the human world. But what were the coordinates for the human world again…

“I wanted to see you open your eyes. …I’m sleepy.”

I barely managed to recall one set of coordinates. Before I forgot even that, I set the coordinates and infused them with mana. Yul’s body began to disappear, enveloped in a cluster of light.

“Yul, goodbye.”

After confirming Yul’s disappearance, I closed my eyes. I could no longer fight the overwhelming sleepiness.

“Farewell.”

Thud, my thoughts were cut off. In an instant, I fell into a dark, deep sleep.

Whoosh, it had been raining in the empire for a month already. An abnormal climate that could not be explained by human knowledge. The temple urgently issued a notice and convened a meeting. Now that the oracle of destruction had been delivered, this rain could be a sign of it.

Those who showed up for the meeting held today were the most prominent powerful figures in the country. However, all of them kept their mouths shut with dark faces. They had no choice. Because everyone gathered here was an accomplice.

“…We are paying the price for ignoring the oracle.”

Someone let out a voice like a sigh. Crash! As if in agreement with those words, lightning struck outside. A stark blue light flashed in the conference hall and then disappeared. The people’s heads bowed even lower.

The truth they had hidden was that the oracle had come down two years ago.

Two years ago, the temple received an oracle that said, 「A human with black hair and black eyes will save the world」. ‘Save the world’. That intuitively meant hope for humanity, but interpreted differently, it meant that a disaster close to destruction might befall humanity.

On the day the oracle came down, they held a meeting just like today. After a fierce debate weighing numerous interests and individual gains, the conclusion they reached was as follows.

Destruction may come. But there are no immediate visible signs of destruction, and if this oracle becomes known to the civilians, it could cause chaos, so let’s bury it. It won’t be too late to handle the problem after it arises. Since the oracle has pointed out the hero who will save the world.

They came to that agreement and adjourned the meeting. If there was a problem, it was the whereabouts of the black-haired hero, but as they postponed it day after day, they naturally fell silent on the matter.

For two years, destruction hadn’t shown even the tip of its toe, so did they really need to find a human called a hero? Perhaps destruction was actually coming in the very distant future? Humans, accustomed to peace, were lazy and foolish.

Whoosh—.

This was the result. The rain that had fallen for nearly a month had caused enormous damage. Crops were swept away by landslides or rotted, and cities began to be submerged in water. If this wasn’t a sign of destruction, then what was?

Fear and regret flickered across the faces of the humans gathered in the conference hall. No one could open their mouths, and time just passed idly.

It was then.

“Look, look outside!”

One of the humans in the conference hall widened his eyes and pointed. Everyone there turned their heads toward the window. Something, no, a human, wrapped in a cluster of light, was slowly falling.

“Ohh…!”

“Is that the hero!”

The human in the cluster of light had black hair. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but just by looking at his hair, they could tell that he was exactly as the oracle had described.

Black hair and black eyes. Moreover, the man was not wet despite being outside in the pouring rain. As if not a single drop of rain could touch him.

And at that moment, the rain that had been falling continuously for a month stopped. Was that all? The dark clouds that had filled the sky cleared in an instant, and sunlight poured down. The scene truly looked as if a messenger of God had descended.

The humans, who had been captivated by the divine scenery, belatedly came to their senses. Everyone in the conference hall began to urge their subordinates to bring the hero to them. It would have been a different story before the destruction began, but now that the signs had appeared, bringing the hero was a very important task.

Bang!

A shattering sound that silenced the noisy conference hall in an instant echoed. A man dressed in a priest’s robe had roughly opened the door of the conference hall and entered.

“What is the meaning of this, opening the door of the conference hall without permission!”

“The, the oracle!”

The man, who had run in haste, caught his breath and continued.

“The oracle has changed!”

“What?”

The conference hall became noisy again for a different reason. The man, as if throwing a final ripple into the stirring conference hall, spat out a single sentence.

“The oracle that said a human with black hair and black eyes will save the world has been erased, and an oracle that says 「A mad dragon will destroy the world」 has…”

The conference hall instantly froze over.