PMEVBO 34

Iser had planned to die before dawn.

‘I’ll send you to your sister as soon as I finish breakfast tomorrow morning.’

That’s what Lucariel had said last night.

Had it not been for the unexpected high fever and the abduction, he would have slipped quietly from the hideout while Lucariel slept and headed for the vegetable garden. To meet his end in that place his mother tended, where he and Isabelle used to play in the dirt.

This time, he might suffer worse than when he was in Kogaron’s hands. But that would be a tragedy confined solely to himself.

That single point was his only solace.

‘Whether death or abduction, it won’t harm Isabelle.’

…The same must hold true for him.

The promised fortnight had long passed; Lucariel must have achieved his goal. Then, for someone like him, a burden, disappearing like this would be better for him too.

He considered his quick resignation his only virtue. Yet, ironically, the moment he learned Lucariel had sent Tykvana for him, his heart began to race against his will.

But that flutter didn’t last long. Realizing why Atsula had abducted him, his heart grew cold as if doused in icy water.

If he fell into the Pope’s hands, Lucariel would be in danger. Perhaps even Isabelle, still under Kogaron’s shadow, might suffer harm.

Then, through the window of the divine carriage, he saw Tykvana, pinned to the ground, unable to rise.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The carriage shook with each of Atsula’s kicks. Each time, Iser’s body trembled.

‘This is all because of my greed.’

Even after the promised fortnight passed and he knew his role was done, Iser kept putting off death. Desperately pretending not to notice the greed that had taken root in his heart at some point.

‘… I wanted to live. By his side.’

Every time Lucariel came to find him, the desire to live grew stronger. He didn’t want to die. Unable to let go of the greed to stay with Lucariel just a little longer, he had clung to life until today.

So, in the end, it was all his fault. His own abduction, the danger it brought to Lucariel and Isabelle, and the humiliation the person before him was enduring. Yet he couldn’t move an inch from this place.

‘Even a chained up dog can bark…’

He cursed his own helplessness, unable even to do that.

It was then.

Crack─!

A thunderous roar shook the carriage as the ceiling of the divine carriage ripped open.

Golden sunlight poured in like waves through the gaping hole.

Ever since he was very young, Iser had always dreamed of the outside world. But when he finally stepped outside the Hayut Castle for the first time after his birth, it wasn’t as beautiful as he had imagined. The scenery glimpsed through the divine carriage’s windows had been nothing but gray.

But now, it was dazzling.

Lucariel, who had fallen through the ceiling onto Iser, pinned him between his arms, gripping his sides as he gasped for breath. Through the dust and metal fragments sparkling like pollen in the sunlight, he smiled.

“Hello.”

“……”

“Were you scared? Sorry I was late.”

His voice sounded so gentle that it almost made tears fall.

***

After Tykvana left Hayut Castle.

I returned to my room in the annex, staring anxiously at the help window.

Three agonizing hours passed like that. When the Guidance skill finally activated, I took a deep breath and opened the window. I had decided long ago what to type where the cursor blinked, so I didn’t hesitated. Yet my fingertips trembled with tension.

──────【 Guidance 】──────

Guiding ‘Player’ to ‘The location of Iser Hayut’.

──────────────────────

The next moment, feeling as if the ground beneath my feet caved in, I fell onto the divine carriage standing on the plains. When I came to, I was already inside the carriage. Had I not instinctively reached out to brace myself against the door and backrest, I would have crushed Iser flat.

Iser, bound tightly with tough ropes, appeared outwardly unharmed. The fever seemed to have broken as well.

But his originally white shirt was now completely stained crimson with blood. The blood that had stained the bedroom red must have been Iser’s.

The rope, stretched taut as he looked up at me, dug into his nape, leaving a crimson mark on his snow-white skin. But in an instant, thanks to his ability, the wound closed and vanished. Seeing him repeatedly injured and healed in that brief moment made my heart clench.

That must’ve been why I apologized for coming late.

Fortunately, the gloves I’d been wearing since last night were still in place. Thanks to that, I could immediately reach for the rope binding that child’s body.

Then, a loud noise echoed as the carriage shook.

Crash!

Through the thick dust, I could vaguely make out something that had flown forward and embedded itself in the front of the carriage.

It was… Tykvana.

Without taking my eyes off Tykvana, I asked Iser.

“…Sorry, Iser. I’ll untie the rope later.”

As I tried to step down from the divine carriage, my sleeve was pulled. Turning my head, I saw Iser’s fingertips gripping the end of my sleeve tightly. Blood was spreading across his fingertips that had slipped through the ropes.

I took a small breath and gently wrapped my fingers around Iser’s. Then, waiting until the wound on his fingers had healed, I tucked it back inside the ropes. The ocean-blue eyes looking up at me were filled with worry.

I tried my hardest to smile as gently as possible.

“I’ll be right back. So just wait a little while, okay?”

“……”

Finally, the child reluctantly nodded, eyes closed.

As I stepped outside the carriage, my gaze met Atsula’s, who stood alone, arms crossed, leisurely amidst the dust.

“What a fucking entrance. What the hell? Where did you fall from?”

Atsula asked, frowning menacingly.

I ignored him and headed for Tykvana. She was pinned against the crumpled front of the divine carriage. I knelt down in front of her and gently shook her shoulder.

“…Tykvana, are you alright?”

Thankfully, Tykvana was conscious.

“Yes… I’m fine.”

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…”

“Ah, no. Cough… I did it willingly, so you don’t need to apologize.”

Tykvana struggled to her feet as she coughed. I helped her up and stood beside her.

Then, behind us, Atsula’s mocking laughter reached our ears. I stepped in front of Tykvana and glared at Atsula.

“Hey, what the hell is your problem?”

The rising anger made it impossible for my words to come out smoothly. I ran my hand through my hair and gritted my teeth.

“Fuck, what’s your problem that you only ever pick shit like this to do?”

“And who’s the one picking shit like this to do?”

Atsula laughed in disbelief.

“You’re the one who’d be damned to Hell long ago if Holiness hadn’t turned a blind eye, you good-for-nothing bastard. Not me.”

“……”

“Why don’t you tell me? What the hell is wrong with you that you’ve gone and started dabbling in heresy now?”

“……What the hell are you talking about?”

As I frowned, Atsula, instead of answering, grinned and reached into his robe. He pulled out a book and waved it.

“Know what this is? An experiment log I found in the duke’s office. Titled ‘Experiments and Considerations for Immortality’.”

The duke had an experiment log titled ‘Experiments and Considerations for Immortality’? In this world, immortality symbolized the Pope. If that madman, the duke, conducted experiments to become immortal, it certainly deserved to be called heresy.

But what did that have to do with me?

Just then, Atsula dramatically flipped through the notebook and spoke up.

“Look here. It says the experimental tool used was ‘Power of Life.’ Power of Life… So the duke has been experimenting on that kid to create an immortal body.”

“What…?”

In that instant, my gaze involuntarily turned toward Iser inside the divine carriage. Because Iser was bowing his head like a criminal, I couldn’t read his expression.

I knew the duke had imprisoned and abused Iser.

But.

‘He put that child on the experimental table…?’

What kind of experiment for immortality is that?

What… how… What did he do to that child…?

The answer to that question flowed from Atsula’s mouth.

“The brat has good healing abilities, you see. Because of that, they tore flesh, broke bones, it was absolute chaos.”

“Ugh.”

My stomach churned, and I reflexively covered my mouth. Atsula sneered at me.

“Why the reaction? You’re no different. Didn’t you also want to become immortal like His Holiness through that kid?”

Ah, now I understood why Atsula had kidnapped Iser.

So that bastard intended to use the experiment log and Iser as evidence to expose the duke’s heretical acts. And to drag me into it as well.

The owner of this body I possessed was Lucariel, notorious as a complete scoundrel. So it was no wonder Atsula mistook me for being of the same ilk as the duke. But judging by that look of pure delight on his face… it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“It’s bad enough that his father did that to him, but to be used by a bastard like you too? What a pitiful life. Don’t you think?”

Atsula chuckled, nodding toward Iser.

“Maybe he’d even prefer me taking him away. If his life is just being used wherever he goes, wouldn’t it be better to just die sooner rather than later?”

In other words, Iser’s fate if dragged away by Atsula was nothing but death.

The thread of sanity I’d barely managed to hold onto snapped.