…….

Suddenly, everything around became quiet.

The incoming attacks also suddenly disappeared.

Did he give up?

Uneasiness flooded in before relief.

‘……That can’t be.’

From what I could tell, the attacker seemed to be related to Egrid, and there was no way he would just let us, who are essentially intruders, go.

As if on cue.

Bang!

Along with a violent explosion, a fierce gust of wind instantly engulfed me.

“Ugh.”

It wasn’t enough to cause injury, but my body was pushed back.

“Cough……!”

Coughing from the dust that came with the gust, I belatedly realized that I had let go of Cardien.

“Your Gra…… Cardien?!”

I quickly turned on the light and searched for Cardien.

Fortunately, Cardien had fallen not too far from me.

I immediately tried to run towards where Cardien was.

Cardien…….

Swish-

If he hadn’t risen.

Slowly standing up, Cardien stared in one direction with empty eyes.

From that direction, an eerie voice flowed out.

“Kekeke, you’re going to face me alone? Your confidence is impressive.”

A black silhouette rose from the darkness.

“Fine, I’ll kill you first.”

As soon as the words ended, the silhouette shot toward Cardien.

‘No, Cardien is unconscious right now.’

Gritting my teeth, I hurriedly stretched out my right hand towards the flying figure.

‘It’s too fast to catch, but.’

At least I should be able to bind his feet.

Just as I was about to use magic with that thought.

Pop.

Cardien disappeared before my eyes.

‘Huh?’

Immediately after, a scream erupted from the front.

“Aaaaaargh!!”

I dazedly turned my head towards where the scream came from.

The vanished Cardien was there.

Gripping the man’s neck.

“……Ah?”

Not fully grasping the situation, I stared at the scene before me with a stupid expression.

The magic that had been enveloping Cardien’s entire body was being absorbed by the man.

The man was screaming and writhing in pain, but Cardien’s hand gripping his neck didn’t budge at all.

Eventually.

“Guk, keuugh……”

Along with the sound of his last breath, something burst.

Plop plop.

Dark red lumps fell at Cardien’s feet.

Thud.

Cardien threw the man’s limp body carelessly as if uninterested.

Coincidentally, it landed on the altar.

Finally, Cardien’s gaze turned this way.

I swallowed hard and opened my lips towards Cardien.

“Your…… Grace?”

“……”

Of course, there was no answer.

A black whirlwind was still raging around him.

If I approach, I’ll die.

My instincts were screaming.

This man is not the Cardien I know.

He’s just a shell consumed by magic, committing slaughter without hesitation.

‘I know.’

I know, but…….

‘Still, it’s Cardien.’

After all, it’s Cardien. I couldn’t just leave him and run away.

I looked at Cardien with complicated eyes.

The magic enveloping Cardien was like armor.

Armor that thoroughly defends against enemy attacks.

‘Then am I the enemy?’

A bitter smile formed.

‘It’s all my fault.’

For bringing Cardien to this place.

‘I should have fled in a carriage earlier.’

Of course, the situation didn’t allow for that.

The only entrance was blocked, and if we had separated, the magic outburst that had calmed would have progressed again.

Moreover, even if I calmed the magic with my power, he would lose consciousness for a while, so we had to calm it slowly to move.

But even so.

‘I should have predicted a situation like this.’

And should have found a way somehow.

I was too complacent.

So.

“……I’ll take responsibility.”

I smiled brightly towards Cardien.

Although his gaze towards me was still empty.

“I know, that I’m reckless.”

Because you said so.

And I gathered my strength more strongly than ever before.

With both hands full of silver light, I reached out toward Cardien.

My approaching figure is reflected in Cardien’s dry purple eyes.

“……It’s okay.”

This is a message to Cardien and to myself at the same time.

It will be okay.

Because…….

“I don’t intend to die yet.”

Whoosh.

I embraced Cardien just like that.

So that my light could seep into him without missing a bit.

So that I wouldn’t be pushed away by the magic storm emanating from him.

The silver light that leaked from my palms soon enveloped Cardien’s entire body.

“Ugh.”

Cardien lets out a painful groan.

The magic storm instantly engulfed me.

I clenched my teeth tightly.

‘It feels like my blood is rushing backward.’

A pain like my internal organs were being turned inside out washed over me, but I hugged Cardien even tighter instead.

A fierce gust of wind swirled around Cardien and me.

Boom-

Some walls were even crumbling.

Ignoring it, I slowly stroked his back and whispered.

“……It’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

I’m not exactly sure what I’m saying is okay.

But I just kept stroking Cardien’s back with my light-filled hand and whispering.

And then…….

“……Tu…… tor?”

At the trembling voice, I looked at him with surprised eyes.

Cardien, whose eyes had regained focus for a moment, let out a groan, “Ugh.”

Eventually, the magic that had been enveloping us was sucked into Cardien’s body.

I instinctively realized that he was gathering the rampaging magic on his own.

I stared at Cardien with astonished eyes.

Even in the original work, there were no scenes of Cardien handling magic.

He was swayed by rampaging magic until the end of the novel.

But now, Cardien was suppressing the magic for the first time.

Finally, as the last bit of magic returned to Cardien’s body, the whirlwind that had been raging disappeared without a trace.

Instead.

Thud.

“Your Grace!”

Cardien collapsed right there.

I, who had been staring blankly at the situation, hurriedly embraced him.

Cardien remained motionless, his eyes tightly shut as if he had lost consciousness.

I quickly checked his breathing.

Fortunately, he was breathing evenly, albeit faintly.

“……Thank goodness.”

After confirming that Cardien was safe, I slumped down right there.

‘My heart…… feels like it’s going to shatter.’

It feels like someone arbitrarily kneaded my heart.

“Haah……”

Taking a deep breath, I looked around.

It was still dark, but as my eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness, I began to see my surroundings.

And…… I faced a real problem.

“……Damn it.”

The entrance where the stairs were had been blocked by the collapsed wall.

Moreover, the bracelet seemed to have exhausted its power, and proper magic wouldn’t come out. It could barely emit light.

“Haah……”

I sat down with a deep sigh, still holding Cardien.

‘What should I do now?’

The entrance was blocked, Cardien had lost consciousness, and the magic had lost its effect.

‘We’re doomed…….’

Worries flooded in.

What if we continue to be trapped here like this?

Since it’s none other than Duke Mercedes who has gone missing from the temple, a search party will surely be organized, but.

Will they be able to find this place?

This space that even I barely found with the help of a dream?

I lowered my head to look at Cardien, who had fallen into a deep sleep.

If Cardien had been awake, would the situation have been different?

……Probably, Cardien would have found a way out no matter what.

Then I would have been rescued by him, just like at the Academy.

‘……Is that the best option?’

Suddenly, I realized how much I had been relying on Cardien.

In fact, coming down to the underground just believing in a dream might have been possible because I had the complacent thought that since Cardien was by my side, things would work out somehow.

Knowingly or unknowingly, I had been depending on Cardien.

“……I’m sorry. For putting you in danger because of me.”

I muttered softly.

Cardien wouldn’t be able to hear my voice anyway.

This is also me talking to myself.

“……So.”

After carefully laying down Cardien’s head, I slowly stood up.

“This time, I’ll do it.”

It’s not in my nature to just remain frustrated like this.

Even Cardien would have scolded me to think about escaping instead of wasting time being frustrated.

‘Let’s stay calm.’

I closed my eyes.

There’s something bothering me.

‘That man, he was definitely here.’

The man who caused the magic outburst.

I recalled the memories I had read from that man.

He was definitely trapped here and then escaped.

‘But the door was locked from the outside.’

I remembered the lock I had broken with ice magic.

The fact that the lock was on the outside means that wasn’t the man’s escape route.

Then where did the man escape from?

At that moment, a certain scene flashed through my mind.

I turned my head abruptly.

It was towards the altar.