Chapter 55

The situation at the campsite was quickly brought under control. The remaining monsters were dealt with, and all that was left was to clean up the corpses.

The green fluid splattered everywhere made her nauseous, turning her pale. The knights assigned to protect her urged her to rest inside the carriage.

She spent the night wide awake. Though she knew it was unnecessary, she couldn’t help but worry about Eched, who had gone into the forest, leaving her unable to sleep.

Just before dawn, when the night was about to break, the quiet outside suddenly became noisy. She rushed out of the carriage.

“You…”

She was at a loss for words when she saw Eched. He was leaning on Taltos for support.

It was only the second time she had seen him injured, but it was the first time she had seen him bleeding.

She wanted to scold him, to say, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?” but she held it in.

Walking over to the knight who was staunching Eched’s wound, she tapped his arm.

“I know how to heal using divine power.”

Though she was annoyed by Orgon’s antics, the divine power techniques she learned from Anella had proven useful.

At the same time, she began to understand what the priest at the Temple of the Goddess of Compassion had said about the sensation of divine power flowing but being blocked by something.

It was like a cork stopper. The divine power was present inside her but obstructed.

Since she didn’t yet know how to remove the blockage, she resorted to a workaround, drawing divine power through the tiny gaps in the cork. Though the amount was small, it was still quite effective.

“You don’t listen to me at all.”

Grumbling, she placed her hand over Eched’s wound. Following the method she had practiced with Anella, she began healing him with divine power.

Though the wound seemed deep, Eched didn’t groan or even furrow his brow in pain.

The weak divine power didn’t have dramatic effects, but the wound gradually healed.

“You’ve gotten better at using divine power.”

“Well, of course. Who do you think I am?”

Once the wound was mostly healed, she removed her hand and left the rest to the knights. They wiped away the dried blood and wrapped the area with a clean white cloth, just in case.

Only then did her tension ease, and her eyelids began to feel heavy.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Eched’s cold hands, having been out in the dawn air, gently covered her heated eyelids. Knowing that this was his way of apologizing and seeking forgiveness, she couldn’t bring herself to get angry.

“I was worried. Even if you came back unscathed, I’d still be upset. Coming back injured only makes me angrier.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re usually so agile. How did you manage to get hurt?”

She thought about how he seemed to have been born under a lucky star, never tripping over a rock. Why, of all times, did he have to get hurt now, right in front of her?

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

When his hand left her eyelids, she met Eched’s gaze and saw him smiling.

“What are you smiling about?”

She glared at him, still annoyed.

“Uh… Excuse me for interrupting, but it’s morning. Everything has been tidied up, so perhaps it’s time to leave for the Astrea Imperial Territory or somewhere else before more monsters appear.”

Though the reasoning was clear, it was an unmistakable dismissal.

“Ugh… Even the Commander is married…”

“This year, I’ll definitely get married too…”

“…”

She couldn’t understand why they were reacting like this.

Since they had already planned to leave the campsite today, packing up didn’t take long.

Eched stepped away to talk with some of the knights. During that time, Taltos approached her quietly.

“Chief, I hesitated to speak because you seemed upset, but…”

“What is it?”

“The Commander said he saw a nymph in the forest. The nymph transformed into your likeness and fell off a cliff. Even though he knew it wasn’t real, he followed it. That’s when he was attacked and injured. If that’s not love, then what is…”

“Don’t ruin the moment, Sir.”

“Ahem.”

“Still, thanks for letting me know.”

“Yes. Enjoy your journey. I’ll see you at the palace later.”

“When you come to the capital, I’ll have some good drinks ready for you.”

At her words, Taltos smiled faintly and walked away.

She had thought he was injured from fighting monsters, but to hear that he had been tricked by a nymph imitating her and had gotten hurt because of it… She wished she hadn’t found out. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Are we ready to go?”

“Yes, we can leave now.”

They bid farewell to the knights.

The instructions for using the high-grade teleportation parchment were simple. Write the coordinates of the destination in the designated spot and recite the incantation written on the side.

She took out the parchment from her pocket and recited the incantation.

The space around her seemed to ripple briefly. When she reopened her eyes, they were standing within the Astrea Imperial Territory.

The parchment in her hands had vanished.

Walking past the floor marked with the same pattern as the parchment, they exited the building and found themselves overlooking the city within the imperial territory.

Their first stop was the former Astrea Ducal Residence, now a national administrative institution managing the imperial territory. They needed to report the situation, and the institution had a direct communication channel with the imperial family.

She handed over a brief written report, knowing that making the call herself would lead to a lengthy conversation. Then, they left the building.

The streets were bustling, likely due to the Water Festival. As the most active commercial hub in the empire, the city was teeming with a diverse crowd.

One thing that stood out was the statue in the middle of the street. It wasn’t a statue of the Goddess but something she had never seen before—a figure kneeling with a veil, praying.

“Saintess Astrea Statue?”

The name of the statue was inscribed on a plaque at its base.

“She’s a hero who once protected this place from monsters.”

A passerby explained proudly.

“How fascinating.”

Her eyes sparkled as she looked around. Though she had come here with a purpose and determination, the city’s reputation as a tourist destination made it impossible not to be captivated by the sights.

“Let’s find a place to stay first.”

“Okay.”

Though they could have stayed at a nearby noble’s mansion, they decided on an inn. Being a tourist destination, accommodations were well-prepared.

The inn was a former noble’s grand mansion that had been converted.

Passing through a symmetrical garden divided by a central path, they entered the mansion.

The interior was as grand and luxurious as the exterior, far surpassing the inn they had stayed at in the previous village.

The staff at the counter greeted them with a professional smile.

“Are there two of you?”

When they nodded, the staff showed them a price list. The neatly organized rates reflected its high quality.

Having stayed up all night, she wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest.

They booked the best room for several days and followed the staff to their quarters.

“Shaterian, I have somewhere to go, but I’m uneasy about leaving you here alone.”

“Is it far?”

“I plan to visit the Temple of the Goddess of Justice in the eastern forest.”

It was a place she had seen in what felt like a dream or memory.

Though she was so tired she could fall asleep at any moment, she felt an inexplicable urge to see it for herself.

“I’ll go too.”

“Are you sure?”

Eched brushed his fingers over her tired eyes as if to check. Having taken off his gloves while unpacking, his bare skin touched her eyelids.

She had felt exhausted just moments ago, but now she felt fine.

“I’m fine. I’ll sleep when we get back.”

Hearing this, Eched agreed to take her along.

They locked the room securely before leaving.

The streets were still crowded with people.

Since the temple was far enough to require horseback travel, their first stop was a stable to rent horses.

It had been a long time since she last rode a horse, not since her academy days. She worried whether she could still do it.

But she reassured herself—she was a noble, after all, and had received early training. She should be fine.

While the stable hand held the reins, she stepped onto the stirrup and mounted the horse.

Gripping the reins tightly, she straightened her posture. Eched skillfully guided his horse to her side.

“Do you want to ride with me?”

“I can manage on my own.”

Declining his offer, she cautiously urged the horse forward. Though her pace was as slow as a turtle’s crawl, she gradually grew more confident.

By the time they left the city, she could ride at a comfortable speed.

The wind blew through her hair as she rode. The cool breeze seemed to wash away the last traces of her fatigue.

“Keep up.”

Though Eched seemed ready to gallop ahead, he adjusted his pace to match hers.

Following Eched, they rode down a quiet forest path.

The trail alternated between gentle slopes and flat stretches, surrounded by serene silence.

The only sounds were rustling branches, chirping birds, and the occasional cry of a beast.

Eventually, they arrived at an abandoned temple, untouched by human presence for a long time.

One of the two pillars supporting the entrance was missing, leaving the temple roofless.

As they tied their horses to the remaining pillar, she noticed intricate carvings at its base. Despite the passage of time, the designs remained remarkably intact.

Leaving the horses behind, they followed the path into the temple, where the sanctuary she had seen in her dreams came into view.

The ceiling was gone, but the wall behind the statue of the Goddess of Justice, adorned with stained glass, remained. The light streaming through it created a dazzling display.

Though not as pristine as in her dream, the temple was still breathtakingly beautiful.

Eched stood before the statue, his expression tinged with loneliness.

In the original story, it was the Goddess of Justice who had punished Eched. His crime? Loving a human despite being a Divine Beast.

Though she had recently learned that a dark sorcerer was involved, parts of the story still didn’t make sense.

A Divine Beast, a human, and a dark sorcerer.

‘Did Eched conspire with the dark sorcerer to win the Saintess’s love?’

The thought struck her suddenly, and she turned to look at Eched. It was the only explanation for why the Goddess would be so enraged.

‘No, that can’t be it. They were said to have a deeply twisted and wicked connection.’

What had happened 500 years ago between them?

The idea of a Divine Beast being punished for loving a human for centuries felt inhumane and incomprehensible.

“Can I… ask you something?”

Eched met her gaze without a word, signaling his consent.

Even so, she hesitated, unsure how to phrase her question. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak.

“Five hundred years ago… what exactly happened that led to your punishment?”

“It wasn’t a big deal. It’s just…”

“Just?”

“A selfish human sacrificed the Saintess to save themselves. There was a dark sorcerer behind it.”

“Did you… take revenge?”

Eched shook his head.

“Not revenge. It was closer to anger. The dark sorcerer died, and I was punished for killing humans by being turned into one.”

“When will the punishment end?”

“When I no longer interfere in the lives and deaths of humans.”

His answer only raised more questions. As far as she knew, Eched didn’t seem to care about human life or death.

Sensing her confusion, Eched simply smiled faintly.

“You have no idea how many dangers your past self faced.”