Chapter 114. Do You Know, Or Do You Not?

The atmosphere was tense.

Even Mihail and Claude, who were usually at each other’s throats, didn’t block Johann as he led me away. Normally, such a thing wouldn’t be possible.

What is this?

Was my reaction that strange?

The mere mention of the ‘Battle of Agulena’ made me lose all sense. I couldn’t even guess what expression I had.

Swallowing dryly, I followed Johann’s lead.

We left the house and passed through several alleys, destination unknown.

“Your Majesty, wait a moment.”

How far are we going?

Ponitan was a village built on steep hills. When we nearly reached the top, I couldn’t hold back any longer and called out to Johann.

Only then did he turn around.

“It was a trivial battle.”

“……!”

“A battle so insignificant that it ended without a single casualty.”

“……”

I bit my lower lip.

Yeah.

To you, it might be nothing.

But I was destined to die there. The only reason I’m standing here facing you is because I ran away.

Swallowing the words I wanted to say, I quietly looked at Johann.

We didn’t take our eyes off each other.

Swoosh…

The sea breeze blew.

We were at a high point overlooking the entire village.

“If it weren’t for Marseus, it would have been dangerous.”

Johann added in a low voice.

What does that mean?

In the Battle of Agulena, I don’t know how I died. The death of an extra wasn’t described in detail.

“Do you know, or do you not?”

Johann asked, carefully observing my expression.

And I didn’t understand his question at all.

“Know what?”

“Weren’t you afraid of dying?”

“That’s… there was also the incident with the ghoul horde on the northern plains.”

“Lies.”

“……!”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

The excuse that worked before no longer did.

Johann’s gaze was straightforward and clear. He had completely seen through my lie.

“Scared just because of a horde of ghouls?”

“……”

His suspicion was valid.

For someone who made a tremendous impact in the Grodes Mountains, claiming that I ran away from everything just because an unusually large number of ghouls appeared on the northern plains left much unexplained.

A turbulent storm brewed in Johann’s blue eyes.

“If you had participated in the Battle of Agulena without Marseus as originally intended,”

Johann paused after saying that. His Adam’s apple bobbed dramatically.

“You would have died.”

“……!”

I gasped for breath.

I looked at him with my eyes shaking violently.

What on earth happened on the Agulena Plains for Johann to be so certain?

“You would have been captured and killed by the horde of ghouls.”

“……”

My lips trembled slightly.

Even as he watched me waver, Johann stood firmly with an unwavering gaze.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“The movement of the undead.”

“I don’t know. I have no idea what happened at the Battle of Agulena.”

“Yet you were afraid of dying?”

Johann took a step closer to me.

His probing voice and gaze felt like they were strangling me.

“The higher undead attacked first, and the liches continuously summoned ghouls from underground for a second wave. You knew this. That’s why you were certain of your death and ran away, isn’t it?”

“Ah…”

“Am I wrong?”

Johann grasped my chin with one hand.

I wanted to escape from his gaze, which seemed to see right through me.

But there was no way to escape. I squirmed, unable to breathe properly.

“Seraphina, answer me.”

“……”

“Only if you speak can I protect you.”

“……”

My gaze wavered slightly.

Johann looked angry. At the same time, he seemed anxious.

For some reason, I couldn’t look at him directly.

Yesterday, I said something hurtful…

I said something that might have hurt him because of what happened with Cyril…

<Your Majesty, Cyril and I are like family, having grown up together in an orphanage. If you mistreat Cyril again, I will forever hate Your Majesty.>

To the person I threatened to hate, Johann was saying he would protect me.

Really…

How can I hate you now?

Johann quietly observed my expression, then urged me again.

“Won’t you tell me?”

Despite the probing gaze, the voice had softened gently. I looked at Johann. He had the expression of someone willing to wait patiently until I answered. I parted my lips slightly.

The Battle of Agulena had passed. I had avoided death. So what happens now? Yoon Jia had said the content of the book had changed. The letters moved on their own.

“…I read a book in a dream, and it said I would die in the Battle of Agulena.”

“A dream?”

Johann seemed a bit taken aback. The hand holding my chin dropped away. It must sound strange. But there’s no helping it. Saying I was possessed by a book would sound even stranger.

“Do you think it’s a pathetic reason?”

“…Not necessarily. It was genuinely dangerous.”

Johann glanced over the view of Ponitan with a complex look before meeting my eyes again.

“Have you had such dreams again?”

I shook my head. Johann let out a long breath as if relieved. I watched him quietly. I felt a bit restless.

“If you have another, you must tell me immediately.”

It felt a bit like my heart was racing…

“Answer.”

“…Alright.”

I lowered my head deeply. My heart pounded. I was anxious that this sound might pierce through my skin and reach Johann’s ears. Heroes have unnecessarily good hearing, so it was risky. I hoped it was only audible to me…

“Since when?”

I mumbled as I asked. Though my words lacked a subject, Johann understood exactly what I was asking.

“It seems my confession wasn’t entirely ignored.”

I bit my lower lip hard. I didn’t understand why asking when he started liking me was so embarrassing. I unnecessarily directed my gaze downward and tapped my toes on the ground.

A soft, deflated laugh came from above my head. I overcame my embarrassment and looked up.

He’s just laughing without answering, leaving me curious, really.

“Take it back before then.”

“Take what back?”

Johann, like me, omitted the subject, but unlike him, I didn’t understand.

When I asked in a puzzled voice, Johann smirked with a self-satisfied expression.

“The part about hating Marseus forever because of Cyril or whatever.”

* * *

It was a complete disaster.

Phew…

The hazy smoke from the cigar rose into the air and disappeared faintly. Cyril leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes as if tired. The moment he was naturally and miserably chased away yesterday replayed in his mind.

<Goodbye.>

<Sir Andantino, is Cyril really all better?>

<Seeing that the holy power works well, he seems like a good person.>

<Oh, is that so?>

Seeing Seraphina’s admiring expression, Cyril couldn’t bring himself to say that Mihail was talking nonsense. What does being a good or bad person have to do with holy power working well? The power of holy power depended on the vessel of the one casting it.

“F*ck.”

Yet, wanting to remain a good person in Seraphina’s eyes, he ended up agreeing with that pathetic statement. A sense of self-loathing came over him belatedly.

<Don’t worry, Sera. I feel completely light.>

Light, my as$…

He left Seraphina in a den of wolves with that supposedly lightened body. Cyril felt as if his insides were burning black.

What if something happened overnight? If anyone dared to lay a hand on her, he’d break their fingers one by one.

Phew…

Once again, the cigar smoke rose like a sigh.

“Master.”

Just then, Jacques entered with a knock. Cyril gestured with his eyes to report.

Jacques quickly and concisely explained about the new hideout.

“It seems the slopes of Mount Alpius, which we prepared before, are the best option.”

“Alright.”

Cyril nodded once. It was the answer he expected. If only he had properly taken Sylphid out yesterday, he would have headed straight there after escaping Ponitan. It was also the place they would have gone if Seraphina had chosen the mountains over the sea for a hideout.

It would take some time to properly establish a village…

“Since our cover is already blown, there’s no need to prepare perfectly.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Prepare only the minimum. Make sure Sera isn’t uncomfortable staying there.”

“Understood.”

Jacques bowed politely and quickly left the room. The word ‘minimum’ also carried the meaning of ‘as quickly as possible.’ The mission to rescue Seraphina from the three heroes as soon as possible was engraved in Jacques’ heart.

Left alone in the room once more, Cyril stared coldly into the air.

“f*cking heroes.”

They were annoyingly strong, which was frustrating. But no matter how skilled they were, they were still human, with only one body.

Coming to Ponitan alone without any subordinates to command was their mistake. Cyril stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray. Even just sitting quietly in the room, Cyril was accomplishing more than the heroes.

“If you’re not smart, your body suffers.”

Cyril let out a scoff. Finding Ponitan after six months was commendable. But it won’t be easy from now on. Because he was sharpening his blade with every ounce of his soul. This is Cyril Xavier.