Chapter 57: Witch (5)

I offered the tribute.

“Hehe. Thank you. I’ll use it well!”

The artifact I gave to Lapis was a pair of pure white gloves.

They didn’t have any special abilities.

Just auto-cleaning and cleanliness maintenance.

Squeeze-

“Hehe…….”

Even so, Lapis hugged them to her chest as if they were a sacred relic, treasuring them immensely.

When I told her to wear them, she stared at me with eyes that said it was a waste.

“I Don’t save them unnecessarily. If they tear later, I’ll give you new ones.”

“But……..”

“If you save them and end up hurting your hands, it would hurt my heart more.”

“I’ll wear them right now!”

The surface reason was to prevent injury while handling threads.

I figured giving her at least that much would make her less angry.

Does a Sin of Wrath even need this kind of worry?

She probably wouldn’t get hurt even if she swung a sword.

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but Lapis was overjoyed.

Yes.

As long as the person in question likes it, that’s fine.

Apparently, it was something Innocence had prepared for her.

This was a secret to the grave.

For Innocence’s sake, and for mine.

As soon as Innocence stepped outside, he looked up at the sky.

“The moonlight is bright.”

Oh, indeed.

The moonlight was especially bright tonight.

“The constellations are visible too.”

Exactly.

The weather is nice; should I just sleep?

Without going anywhere.

Innocence, who had closed his eyes briefly while gazing at the sky, turned his body.

“Now go meet her. Evan. Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?”

“Finish your meeting with the shrine maiden well. We’ll wait here.”

Shrine maiden.

She was on that back mountain.

The sand back mountain that had formed just minutes ago.

On a night when the night sky was beautiful.

Evan…… had to meet the shrine maiden.

Her, who might not be a shrine maiden but a witch.

Evan seriously pondered.

……Should I just not go?

***

In the end, I came.

The shrine maiden was sitting atop the sand mountain, gazing at the sky.

The atmosphere was completely different from usual.

She wasn’t wearing the hat she always pressed down tightly.

Her hair, as if containing the night sky, fluttered.

Mana particles scattered near her body sparkled like light.

Instead of speaking to her immediately, Evan remained silent for a moment.

……She won’t get angry if I speak, right?

It was absolutely not because he was scared.

It’s only natural not to disturb someone when they’re focused.

You never know.

She hadn’t crossed her legs, but this could be the process of reaching enlightenment.

“You came. I thought you might leave without saying anything since you were silent.”

Ah. Damn.

No.

Evan maintained the most expressionless face possible.

In truth, his face was already cramping, so there was nothing to maintain.

To prevent his voice from cracking, Evan asked with as much tension in his throat as possible.

“It’s a misunderstanding. I thought you might be busy for a moment. How is your body?”

‘……Fufu. Yes. A little.”

Unlike usual, the shrine maiden had a subdued atmosphere.

The shrine maiden, with constellations at her back, slowly turned her body.

Eyes like flowing galaxies.

Small tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

“……I sometimes wonder.”

“Does the life I live have meaning? What can I achieve by living onward……. Am I merely a piece moving in that sky?”

No, suddenly TMI?

She was throwing out such a deep topic out of nowhere; I didn’t know what to say.

Should I comfort her?

Should I sing that she was born to be loved?

After pondering for a moment, Evan slowly opened his mouth.

“..I often think the same. Am I actually a chess piece, everything flowing as prearranged?”

“You too?”

“Yes.”

Of course, he had thought about it.

Evan was not of this world.

Suddenly possessed, ordinary macho Lee Han-ol.

He had sometimes wondered if something like a god existed.

“But no answer came. Moments don’t go as one wishes, but does that mean every moment I live flows as scripted?”

“I”

“I made various choices while living, and all were my choices. I don’t think another’s will intervened in them.”

“My life is mine to live, isn’t it?”

Tsk.

Is this right?

Did it work?

Honestly, Evan didn’t even know what he was saying.

He was possessed.

Then there’s no helping it.

Live first and see.

Evan glanced at her reaction and took out an item from his pocket.

“By the way…… I have something for you.”

‘……For me?”

“Yes. Dungeon conquest reward; didn’t you take yours separately?”

“Are you really giving it to me?”

The shrine maiden smiled. It was a somewhat sad smile.

“I…… almost killed you all. Whether it was my will or not, I nearly failed everyone decisively. And yet…… you’re giving me a gift?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you hate me?”

“I don’t hate you.”

Am I crazy?

Dual personality is a flaw, but.

She clearly belongs to the good side. One of the few main allies.

Of course, I have to take care of her.

“Everyone has circumstances. I understand you.”

“I won’t ask why it happened.”

Truthfully, he was curious.

No, how could he not be?

What did she do to get dual personality, or did the person change?

But knowing can be poison.

This was exactly that.

Rather than touching a time bomb, calling the bomb squad was best.

Absolutely not because he was scared.

“Understanding……”

The shrine maiden, muttering a few words, stared at Evan.

“What is that?”

“It’s a chessboard. I thought it might help when using your abilities.”

‘……Chessboard?”

“Yes. It should help with brain rotation.”

He watched her reaction, worried she might not like it.

As repeatedly said, absolutely not because he was scared!

Just in case she didn’t like it, he’d have to give something new.

“Gift

The shrine maiden, muttering something, met Evan’s eyes.

Eyes as if the night sky had settled in.

Moist eyes gazed at Evan for a moment, then softly curved.

“Thank you. A gift like this with sincerity…… it’s the first time.”

The shrine maiden stood from her seat and carefully approached Evan.

She still seemed conscious of that rampage incident, appearing cautious.

Evan held out the chessboard.

The moment the hand holding the chessboard and Lapis’s fingers slightly touched.

Crackle!

“!……!!”

……!”

Hurriedly pulling back his hand from the thrilling sensation climbing his finger.

What was that?

Static electricity?

“Are you alright?”

‘Fu. Fufu.’

The shrine maiden let out a laugh.

Until just now

Evan flinched.

Why was she suddenly laughing so scarily?

“Yes. I’m fine. I…… seem to have misused my ability for a moment.”

“Then I’m relieved. By chance, do you not like the item?”

“No. It’s not that.”

The shrine maiden shook her head urgently and hugged the chessboard tightly.

“It’s…… so much to my liking that I laughed.”

But that laugh was too sticky.

While Evan inwardly felt uneasy, the shrine maiden strode toward Eugene.

Close enough for her hair to tickle his nose.

“For a moment.”

The shrine maiden lowered her head.

Close enough to see only her forehead for a brief moment

‘Fufu!

With a low laugh, the shrine maiden stepped back.

She bowed her head deeply.

“Thank you, Evan. This matter…… I will never forget.”

“I’m glad if it helped.”

Hugging the chessboard preciously, the shrine maiden who raised her head whispered softly.

“In fact I don’t know yet……”

“I still don’t know well. If living like this is right, if I’m merely a piece on this chessboard.”

“Even so, just now, I felt it. Thanks to you. Evan.”

The shrine maiden’s cheeks flushed.

“Do you believe in fate?”

……

“I don’t believe in it. But I think it exists.”

‘……Fufu. Yes. That’s enough.”

The shrine maiden whispered in a sweet voice.

“Until the day our fates touch again someday…… I will wait.”

With those words, the shrine maiden took one step back.

About a minute passed after she vanished.

Gone?

Really gone?

Evan, glancing around hurriedly.

After confirming there was truly nothing.

With a sigh, he swept his hair back.

Phew.

I lived!! I really lived!!

Truly, so much had happened.

Evan praised himself.

Honestly, this time was pretty cool?

Ah

But I feel like I forgot something.

Ocera had asked to convey regards to the shrine maiden.

……Did I convey it?

***

Celestial magic.

A now-forgotten magic, usable only by Elora.

Folding space, manipulating time just a little.

Authority usable only because the heavens permitted it.

Thus, she always moved using blink or space folding.

But why.

Today, of all days, she didn’t want to use it.

The shrine maiden moved with her own steps.

The rustling sensation of sand touching her feet.

The cool sensation felt outside.

She slyly detached the chessboard.

In that instant, all five senses changed.

As if the entire world was watching the shrine maiden.

But the moment she gripped the chessboard tightly.

All those sensations vanished.

Liberation.

A feeling as if finding freedom.

The shrine maiden felt something rising from within. Unable to hold it, she let it out.

“Heu…… Fuhahahaha!”

It was an exceedingly awkward laugh. She thought it was the first time laughing so loudly.

It was true.

The shrine maiden had always suppressed herself.

Beyond that sky, she could see and hear the meaning of the constellations.

Always monitored in every action, manipulated.

That was her fate, and she always felt fate watching from all sides.

But now, how to describe it.

No one was watching.

Like being under the moonlight with no clothes on, fully exposed.

‘…Fate.’

As if dancing, she wandered the desert slowly, showing soft body lines.

The shrine maiden closed her eyes, accepting all these feelings…… and recalled once more.

Fate. He…… said he doesn’t believe in fate. But he doesn’t think it doesn’t exist either.

Doesn’t believe.

But doesn’t think it’s absent.

An attitude one might have toward ordinary people.

But, somehow.

Because Evan said it, it felt different.

To say such words calmly in front of a witch who was nearly swallowed by fate and became a monster.

‘……Could this be related?’

The gift Evan gave.

Chessboard.

Did he think of her as a piece on the chessboard, or as someone who could control the chessboard?

What did it mean.

Both.

The shrine maiden pondered for a very long time.

Walking and walking the desert, even when the nearby scenery changed.

“It’s been a while.”

Such pondering did not end even when she coincidentally met a connection.

The Assassin King, as always lying in beggar attire.

Amid elves collapsed spewing blood from their necks, the Assassin King lying casually greeted the shrine maiden.

“Isn’t it the shrine maiden?”

“It’s been a while, Assassin King. Did the fortune I showed you back then fit well?”

“Yes. It fit very well. Thanks to it…… it felt like the great demon of Angola avoided me.”

Euhuhu, the Assassin King laughed and rose from his seat.

He roughly rummaged through the pocket of a nearby collapsed elf.

“Ah. Here it is.”

The Assassin King took out what seemed a precious gem and tossed it to the shrine maiden.

“Since it’s been a while, read my fortune once more.”

“Fortune, you say?”

“Not doing business now?”

The shrine maiden briefly looked down at the chessboard.

After gazing for a moment, the shrine maiden said.

“Instead. How about a game with me?”

“Game?”

“Yes. I received a gift this time.”

When the shrine maiden held out the chessboard, the Assassin King readily agreed.

Chess was deep in history, recorded even in annals. Of course he knew how.

“Know the rules?”

“No.”

“Here, this is like this…….”

The shrine maiden moved the pieces on the chessboard as the Assassin King taught.

Some pieces move one square, some only forward, some in all directions but only one square.

Tap tap tap.

She moved pieces one by one.

Then, as if possessed, the shrine maiden pulled one piece back.

An action she absolutely should not do.

“……Shrine maiden?”

But nothing restrained her.

In that moment, the shrine maiden burst into laughter.

Euhuhuhaha.

“Something wrong?”

“No.”

The shrine maiden, leaking laughter kkk kkk, smiled brightly.

“I think I finally understand.”

Ah.

I think I finally get it.

What Evan meant by giving this.