STM 152

The beautiful voice was affectionate and warm. Of course, the words were incomprehensible until the very end, but strangely enough, that particular word kept coming to mind.

Time.

Then, I suddenly remembered when I climbed onto the rock to persuade the bear. After I said a certain something, it looked at me with warm eyes.

‘Seize the time.’

At that moment, I thought the bear simply liked those words. Now that I think about it, it looked like it was watching a child who had answered a question correctly. But what was the question? The word came to me once more.

Time.

Something was just within reach, but now it was as vague as fog slipping through my fingers. But I felt like something incredible would happen the moment I finally understood the precise meaning of that “time.”

Perhaps I obsessed over this “time” too much because of that feeling. I flinched despite myself when I heard the word “time” right in front of me.

“When the time comes.”

Tairok said this as he gently squeezed my arm as if to soothe me. He had just said those words because he was about to leave for Crystal Lake..

I returned from the Acorn Forest as part of my daily routine, but the atmosphere was chaotic. Unlike usual, the sentries were tense, and I could even glimpse armed soldiers heading toward the village.

It looked as if they were preparing for an enemy invasion. Tairok was about to leave for Crystal Lake. To be more precise, he seemed to have delayed his departure to wait for me.

He didn’t say anything, but it appeared monsters had emerged at Crystal Lake again. So, I made an offer. I told him I would go too. This was his answer: When the time comes.

I planned to follow him the moment I heard about Crystal Lake. It’s better to go there myself and find a way to block the lake with Borhumi’s key.

However, the word “time” stopped me. Strangely, it really didn’t feel like the right time. Even if following this baseless feeling made me anxious, I stayed quiet. When I lowered my gaze and fell silent, he spoke playfully.

“Don’t want to say goodbye?”

“Why would I feel that way? I’m not a child being separated from a parent.”

I got angry and the corners of his mouth curved.

“Well, I do hug you more than a parent does lately.”

He slowly stroked my arm up and down. A ticklish sensation spread like a shiver along his lecherous touch.

He was pathetic for flirting in this situation, and I was just as pathetic for reacting. But I didn’t avoid his hand, even if my words built a wall.

“Yes, Mother.”

He smiled brightly at my quip, as if he’d just heard the funniest thing in the world. Yeah, I’m kind of funny.

I found myself chuckling in response. His expression slowly relaxed and he stared at me. Usually, I would have felt uncomfortable, but now, my heart just pounded.

I should have ignored this change and pushed him away, but I couldn’t do it this time. I just looked at him in the eye and fully accepted the feeling.

“I’ll be back within ten days.”

“Of course you will. You wrote it in the contract.”

“Don’t go into the Acorn Forest while I’m gone.”

“Ah, about that…”

“Listen to your mother.”

Even if he laughed at my joke, I couldn’t agree to that. I frowned in disgust, but he was pleased with that reaction too.

Laughter sparkled in his eyes as if he wanted to tease me more, but someone called for him nearby. Tairok glanced at his subordinate with a blank face, and his speech quickened.

“Haas will stay here. Always keep Haas by your side whenever you go anywhere.”

“The Grand Duke should take him. He’s useful means of transportation.”

The laughter stopped as it was finally time for him to go. He simply gave a command.

“Keep him with you at all times.”

I thought he should be the one to take Haas. What would I even do here? I felt ashamed, like a useless parasite, because I had to keep the most talented mage by my side even though I’m no help to the Kun family.

Because of that, I couldn’t even tell Tairok not to get hurt as he turned and walked away quickly. Instead, I looked down and stared at Borhumi’s key in my hand out of habit.

If only I could open the door, Tairok could use Borhumi divine beast’s power. He could defeat Sarne at once and obtain the ancient texts containing clues about the curse.

I clutched the key so hard the veins showed on my hand. I feared becoming like a traitor more than anything, forgetting my goal and falling for this world.

So, I always attached excuses like tags. It’s all a process to close the Eye of Hell. But I can’t ignore it anymore.

The reason I desperately want power now is because of Tairok. Yet, I forced myself to cover it up again.

If I admitted these feelings, it felt like I was betraying my own world. Even if the excuse became tattered, I had to keep the sign up that said I was doing it for my world.

Right, Tairok will handle himself well. My attempt to erase my worries about him failed a short while later when I met Rick.

“He didn’t go to Crystal Lake because of monsters,” Rick confessed after some hesitation. “They say a white mist has covered Crystal Lake. It’s suspected to be black magic.”

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Beneath the azure sky, an alien mist covered the entire area around Crystal Lake. It was a thick fog, as if white clouds from the sky had fallen down, making it impossible to see an inch ahead.

“The scouting party found it this morning. Since this mist wasn’t here yesterday, we assume it appeared during the night.”

The voice of the knight reporting to Tairok was serious, and everyone else felt the same. There’s only one reason for an artificial mist to appear. Another knight muttered.

“Even with a black magic stone, I can’t believe there’s a darj mage who can use black magic of this scale…”

“There are probably many,” Tairok said flatly.

A person who accepts the power of a black magic stone can never stop. Greedy humans who succumb to the temptation of power exist in every era. That’s likely why Dorgo used the word “we.” Tairok kept his eyes on the mist and asked a short question.

“What about the people inside?”

“No one has come out.”

Tairok stepped forward the moment he heard those words.

“Grand Duke!”

The people around him swarmed to stop him.

“You must not enter. It could be a trap.”

“A curse might be placed there.”

What if it’s the same as the curse on Kun Castle?

“A dark mage wouldn’t place a curse on the rift where precious monsters emerge. This is the same method as Dorgo’s. It’s just a veil to hide the truth inside.”

What truth? Everyone remembered Tairok’s question from a moment ago. What happened to the people inside? They also remembered what the dark mage Dorgo did at Crystal Lake.

He used people as sacrifices to open a rift for the monsters. Black stains from the blood of countless people still remained on that dry lake bed.

What if new red blood covered those marks? The thought was horrifying. Tairok walked into the mist without hesitation, leaving the frozen men behind. Only his firm command reached the ears of those who couldn’t move.

“Gather everyone who can fight. Prepare for the monsters that will burst out of the mist.”

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Hoiga spent the entire morning at the mercy of his servants, dressing up. He would have been far better off deciphering ancient texts in the library, but endured it today.

Today was the long-awaited day. While a lavish party deceived everyone’s eyes and ears, the moment to bring down Adeye and Kun arrived behind the scenes.

As the planned time approached, however, his anxiety grew more than his anticipation. His hands shook so much from nervousness that the servants noticed, so he had to keep them clasped together. In that state, Kilu’s appearance was like rain during a drought.

“Will Tairok stay at Crystal Lake? Does Sarne say he can really summon Lu? Where is Priest Sidro? Did you properly recruit the priest who will steal the important item from the temple?”

Kilu seemed used to Hoiga asking questions and smiled first.

“Tairok won’t be able to leave Crystal Lake for a while.”

“Leave? What do you mean?”

“Ah, they say a mist has covered Crystal Lake.”

“Mist… is it black magic?”

“Yes. Since the dark mages have moved, monsters will likely appear.”

Hoiga felt strange at Killu’s reaction, who spoke so easily as if nothing was wrong.

Even if it’s for the sake of killing Tairok, is a dark mage someone to speak of so lightly? But he couldn’t bring himself to point that out. Kilu gazed at Hoiga with a smile.

“Just as Salvation prophesied.”