Alexis quietly began preparing the spatial teleportation magic beside Ferdin.

However, the surrounding mana flow was extremely unstable, making immediate spatial teleportation impossible. He felt increasingly anxious as he recalled what Ferdin had just told him.

“Lady Erin single-handedly blocked the Emperor’s curse.”

Upon hearing those words, Alexis immediately understood what had happened to her.

Though he didn’t want to believe it, Ferdin’s words were likely true, especially since he’d recently learned that Ferdin had inherited the special ability passed down through the Lexia imperial family. Alexis’s face turned pale.

‘Even a Sword Master cannot withstand a black mage’s curse alone.’

If Erin had indeed blocked the Emperor’s curse by herself as Ferdin claimed, she certainly wouldn’t survive. While preparing the magic, Alexis shared his concerns with Ferdin.

“Your Highness, forgive my boldness, but if what you say is true, we need the temple’s help immediately. We must delay the symptoms, but it will take time for them to arrive. In the worst case, they might not come at all.”

Ferdin had already anticipated the worst scenario before coming here. He fully expected they wouldn’t receive support from the temple due to the hostile Pope.

“Without the temple priests, approaching Lady Erin will be dangerous. She has already become a vessel for the curse. If we get close, the curse might spread to us.”

“I understand,” Ferdin replied calmly. He knew it was dangerous, but as always, he couldn’t turn his back on Erin.

‘I can’t let her die.’

Would his mother have known even this moment would come? Had Princess Asili foreseen this moment in her prophecies?

He remembered the Princess’s eyes looking at him, asking if he could make the same choice as in the past, those eyes shining with a sense of duty. Ferdin felt his heart breaking.

There must be a reason for the goddess’s choice. Though he was angry that she had allowed Erin to be hurt, the end couldn’t be tragic. Ferdin prayed to the goddess.

‘If you let her suffer even a little… I don’t know what I might do.’

He tried not to think about what would happen next, trusting in his promise with the goddess. Seeing Ferdin’s determined response, Alexis surveyed their surroundings before speaking again.

“Then I will accompany Your Highness. I cannot let you go alone.”

Though the black mage was reportedly dead, the tower where the Emperor had been was still covered with numerous monsters.

Duke Asili and his knights remained unable to move because monsters still lingered. Alexis felt he should at least stay by Ferdin’s side.

“The other mages from the Magic Tower should be sufficient to maintain the barrier.”

Alexis gazed ahead, his face showing urgency. “I wonder when support from the temple will arrive…”

However, the spatial teleportation magic was ready before any support arrived from the temple.

“The spatial teleportation magic is ready, Your Highness.”

At Alexis’s words, Ferdin turned to him.

“But the temple priests haven’t arrived yet.”

Alexis looked at Ferdin, his eyes clearly conveying his message.

“Even if we go without the temple priests… there’s nothing else we can do. Lady Erin might not want us to find her. Still… do you really want to go to her?”

Those afflicted by curses typically transformed into horrific appearances, and Lady Erin might not want them to see her miserable end. However, Ferdin firmly shook his head at these concerns.

“We have no time to think. We’ll go first, just the two of us.”

* * *

Isis couldn’t regain his composure. After leaving the temple, he had immediately tried to use spatial teleportation magic, but a mage informed him that the mana near Atenz Academy was unstable, leaving him stranded.

“It will take some time to teleport to Atenz Academy. I’m not sure what’s happening there, but…”

Isis impatiently tapped his foot. The priests beside him and Hellix felt the same way, but Isis’s urgency was greater. Since his holy power had surpassed the Pope’s, Isis could hear the goddess’s voice directly, and she had told him everything about the situation.

He’d heard that the goddess occasionally spoke directly to those with exceptional holy power, but he never imagined he would be one of them.

‘Well, there’s something even more surprising than that…’

It was the goddess’s personality.

[Such an impudent fellow.]

Isis looked around at the voice echoing in his head. It seemed no one else could hear it. He still couldn’t believe that only he could hear the goddess’s voice.

[Ferdin Lexia. I granted his wish, and now he dares threaten me. He’s certainly his father’s son, so bold! Do you know how much divine power I used to turn back time!]

Listening to her words, Alexis recalled the personalities of past Saints. Both the previous Saint and Princess Asili had strong personalities. Now he understood where that came from—the Saints clearly inherited the goddess’s temperament.

He remembered how surprised he’d been when she first spoke to him. Isis let out a small sigh.

‘Goddess, my body is struggling…’

He felt his entire body weakening whenever the goddess spoke. Her divine presence was too vast for him to contain.

[Oh dear, I didn’t consider that. But I had to hurry, so I had no choice. If we’re late, she’ll be in danger.]

At the goddess’s words, Isis closed his mouth with a serious expression. He knew how much pain Erin must be suffering at this very moment, just as the goddess had said.

[I’ve gone through many trials and errors to keep my promise. We can’t be late. This is our last chance.]

* * *

“Ha… haa…”

Erin exhaled roughly. It hurt. The Emperor hadn’t lied when he said her entire body would rot away. She was dying alone.

Though she had faced many crises before, she had never experienced such intense pain. Yet paradoxically, it was only in this moment of death that Erin could become strongest.

She could vaguely sense that if she were given a little more time, she could reach a level of swordsmanship she had never dared imagine. She stretched her hand toward the ceiling.

The sensation at her fingertips, which had sliced through monsters, was eerily sharp. The level she had intensely desired for decades seemed almost within her grasp.

She felt certain she could now win against Duke Asili, with whom she had previously fought to a draw.

But this was as far as she would go.

She would never see the ultimate heights of swordsmanship. There was no place for her in this changed future.

Being a Sword Master, she knew better than anyone—the pain that started at her fingertips would soon travel through her internal organs and reach her toes. After the terrible pain, her senses would gradually fade.

Though her body, having reached such heights, was fighting against the curse, she knew it would eventually lose. Her body would cease functioning, and she would meet her death.

“Haah…”

Erin unconsciously let out a faint sigh. Strangely, despite sensing the end, her heart felt full. The pain tormenting all her senses was overshadowed by euphoria.

Erin could barely contain her overwhelming emotion. She had finally saved Ferdin. She had managed to save his knights too. Because of this, Erin could now be happier than anyone else.

‘So… this is truly the end.’

Erin realized this moment was her genuine end. She curled up her aching body, just like she used to do as a child.

Unspoken words tore through her heart, but she regretted nothing. If there was one thing she did regret, it was dying without seeing Ferdin.

‘I wanted to see his face one last time…’

Erin felt her vision gradually blurring. Then… darkness.

As her bodily functions shut down, she lost her sight. Despite having prepared for this, Erin felt disappointment. If she had to die, she wanted to see Ferdin’s face one last time.

But now even that had become impossible.

“Fer… din…”

She called his name without expecting an answer.

“Lady Erin.”

At the sudden familiar voice, Erin blinked her sightless eyes. She felt the mana shield she had created disappearing. Though she couldn’t see, Erin could sense that Ferdin and Alexis were with her.

‘Was it the Tower Master who removed my mana shield?’

Erin felt warm body heat on her cheek. Ferdin had stroked her cheek with a tender touch.

She felt speechless. Ferdin’s presence made her anxious. He had touched her in a situation where the curse could spread.

Erin had placed the mana shield around herself to fully contain the curse. But Alexis had removed her shield, putting Ferdin in danger too.

With a voice so faint it seemed her breath might stop at any moment, Erin said, “Get away… from me.”

She tried to push Ferdin away, but her blackened hands had no strength.

“This place is dangerous now. If you stay near me, the curse will spread to you.”

“I’d rather that than send you away alone.”

Ferdin said this while stroking her hair. At his words, Erin, who had been trying to push him away, could only freeze in shock.