“So this is where you all gathered.”
After confirming that even the last bone fragments of the knights had disappeared into the mouths of the Thanathors Apollydon, I began walking toward the horses.
I had been walking in the dark long enough to finally feel the weight of my baggage, but fortunately, the horses weren’t far.
They had gathered together.
They were, after all, well-trained horses.
They may have dashed off in a moment of panic, but it seemed they had quickly come to their senses and waited for their masters.
One of them recognized me and slowly approached, slightly lowering its head—as if asking, “Where is the master?” I forced a smile and patted its head a few times before taking hold of its reins.
“They won’t be coming.”
The horse obediently followed my lead as if it understood my words.
Seeing that, the other horses also began following me of their own accord.
They truly were fine horses.
And that made things even more difficult.
If they were just average horses—like that fierce, sluggish beast I’d ridden during my travels—I might’ve simply left them to be food for the Thanathors Apollydon or another summoned creature.
But doing that to these horses would’ve been wasteful… a loss.
“Still, I can’t drag them around forever either.”
According to the information I got from the knights, the destination was somewhere near Kashin Village.
That alone was enough for me to roughly guess who the client was and why I was being targeted.
And precisely because of that, I was willing to walk right into the trap.
It was my duty, after all.
But the horses posed a problem.
If I didn’t arrive at the designated time, the assassin’s guild would cancel the operation.
Yet bringing all these horses and arriving on time was impossible.
No, to be honest, it wasn’t entirely impossible—it was just more trouble than I was willing to go through.
I could try selling them off in a nearby village or city, but unfortunately, the closest settlement was in the opposite direction from Kashin.
“Ah, that’s right.”
In that moment, a long-forgotten—or rather, intentionally buried—memory resurfaced.
One I would rather cast back into the sea of oblivion.
It was on par with falling into Denatel’s trap in the Demon King’s castle, or being surrounded by Thanathors Apollydon in Anubkut’s hatchery.
But for now, that awful memory gave me a solution.
“…The timing might just work.”
It wasn’t exactly in the same direction, but it was in the Huinto region, and not too far from here.
“Alright. Then let’s go with that.”
First, I needed to prepare for the night.
The aftereffects of the recent battle left me too wired to feel sleepy or tired, but judging from the moon, it was already past midnight.
If I wanted to rest well tonight, I needed to start preparing now.
I tied the horses to a nearby tree.
Doing it alone took quite a bit of time, and the ropes even came loose a few times.
Now that I think about it, during my last journey, the horse I tied up kept escaping, and I got scolded by Orcan more than once.
I still didn’t know why, since I didn’t tie it any differently.
“Alright, next…”
Once I finished tying them up, I pulled out some Sandman’s Sand from my bag and sprinkled it around the horses.
I would also set up a light barrier, but since that type of barrier created a visible wall, it might make the horses uneasy if a wild animal approached.
So the sand was a precaution to keep animals and monsters at bay.
Not that this area had many of either.
And it wasn’t along a major transport route where bandits might lurk.
Still, you could never be too careful.
Once I finished setting up the barrier, fatigue finally began to creep in.
“Alright, time to sleep.”
I pulled out my bedding and then a crystal from my pack.
The reason I went through all the trouble of using the sand and the barrier was for this.
Now that I had no companions left, there was no need to camp out in the cold night air.
With a flash of light, the scenery around me shifted. But in that moment—
“You’re late!”
The sudden shout made me nearly jump into the air.
“Why did you take so long to get here?!”
The sharp, slightly irritated voice made me feel like I had done something terribly wrong.
“R-Ropena? Is something bothering you?”
Of course, nothing could have happened in this empty dimension.
Still…
“Shut up! And tell me why you’re so late!”
“Ah, well, the knights and…”
In that moment, a spark flared through my dazed mind, as if a fog was lifting.
“…Don’t tell me you were worried about me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
But even as she said that, a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
And seeing that, the playfulness in my heart vanished.
This wasn’t like yesterday, when I’d been too shocked to process anything.
I had seen that same expression too many times before, in Aegina and Lowell during our past adventures.
I knew exactly what it meant.
Of course, it could still be an act—a ploy to escape this space.
Even if she had failed at simple ambush tactics back when she was the commander of the Flame Legion, she might’ve spent all this time in confinement honing her acting skills.
But if, by any chance, that emotion was genuine… even so, I couldn’t just accept it.
She was undeniably beautiful.
In terms of appearance, she was no less than Aegina or Lauti.
If someone like her showed interest in me, it would be more than I deserved.
But no matter how she saw it, this wasn’t love.
It wasn’t the beautiful kind of feeling Aegina and Lowell shared.
It was nothing more than the affection that blooms inside a cage.
If you lock two birds together in a tiny cage, they’re bound to see each other as mates—not by choice, but by lack of alternatives.
Or perhaps, it was the instinctive bond that forms between a kidnapper and their hostage.
Whatever the case, it was just that.
A delusion shaped by circumstances and confinement—nothing more, nothing less.
And what made that delusion all the more cruel and tragic wasn’t that she was trapped in this dimension.
It was me—the one who caused it.
Just because she was a demon, just because I had to imprison her for the safety of myself and others, didn’t mean I had the right to toy with her feelings.
“……?”
As I stayed silent, she gave me a worried look, pretending not to care but clearly searching my face.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen with those guys?”
“…No. Nothing special. Just couldn’t take it anymore, so I dealt with them. That’s why I’m late.”
And in that moment, I hated myself.
Hated myself for neither breaking her illusion, nor sending her back to the Demon Realm.
Hated my cowardice for looking away.
Hated the selfish part of me that, somewhere deep inside, was actually enjoying this situation.
“…You’re not hurt?”
“Well, it’s not like there was any danger.”
Maybe this was something time would naturally resolve.
But that was just a delusion. Unlike the sincere emotions between Lowell and Aegina, these false feelings were bound to change and shatter someday.
Especially considering the other party.
Setting aside the difference in species, how could someone like me dare compare myself to her?
“That’s true.”
Her bright, relieved smile ached terribly in a corner of my chest.
This was the problem with someone who stood too close to the light.
Because they’ve seen everything too clearly, right beside them, they couldn’t be deceived or hide from it.
Only their own shadow became sharper.
And so, I came to realize how twisted I was.
That I could never obtain that light.
No—more accurately, that I must not.
That light belonged only to those who had been chosen.
It should belong only to them.
“So, have you found out who’s targeting you?”
“They don’t seem to know the details either. But, considering the geography, I can more or less guess.”
“So are you heading back now? Later just tell that shadow guy and have him take care of it?”
That “shadow guy” must be referring to Baglos.
“No. I’ve found out the destination and the contact signal, so I’m planning to go in person.”
“What?”
I already felt guilty, but in that moment, I nearly apologized without thinking.
“Wait, why? Back in the day, you’d never fall into traps—and now you’re willingly walking into one?”
I knew how hypocritical that sounded.
I also knew exactly how she’d feel hearing those words.
Even so, I had to go there.
It was my minimal duty—something I needed to resolve.
“This is something I have to handle on my own. It’s the result of a sin I committed.”
As I’ve always said—and as I’ve felt every moment since that very first day—I could never be like Lowell.
Unlike Lowell, who saved people wherever he went and healed their wounds, even on the journey to save the world, I committed sins.
And those sins brought resentment upon me.
It didn’t matter what my intentions were or what the situation was.
I wasn’t Lowell, and even if what I did was my best, it was neither a pure, clean choice like Lowell’s, nor did it lead to beautiful outcomes.
“Sin? What sin could you have possibly committed? No—even if you did commit a sin, you fought against us, risking your life! You helped save the world! A lot of people owe their lives to you—who would dare hold that against you?”
“If I had to answer that… Well, even under your logic, Lowell or the other comrades could hold me accountable. Their contributions to saving the world were greater than mine, after all.”
“But still…!”
I raised a hand to calm her.
I thought I could lighten the mood with a bit of wordplay, but I really wasn’t good at things like this.
“Yes, I know. They wouldn’t blame me. They’d understand. Or maybe… they’d see it as their own sin, not mine.”
Because that’s the kind of people they are.
“But precisely because of that, this is something I must deal with alone.”
If Lowell found out, he’d be devastated.
“And at the very least, this opponent… they truly have the right to judge me.”
“Still, you don’t have to walk into a trap on your own!”
“Are you worried about me?”
This time, she didn’t deny it.
She didn’t look away.
The way she stared so straight at me made me feel ashamed for tossing out those words just to shut her up.
“…Don’t worry. You know me, don’t you? It’s not about paying for my sins or repenting. I’m just trying to give someone—just this once—the first and final chance.”
Even if a person loses everything, there are still things they need to see through to the end.
For me, it’s not quite that deep.
But for the other person, it likely is.
So responding to that is the least I can do—my duty, my mercy.
“And by doing so, maybe I’ll be saved a little, too.”
“…Liar.”
It was a statement that pierced through my heart.
The words themselves—and the truth they held.
“No matter how it ends, you’ll just be the one carrying all the pain again.”