Chapter 43.2

Chapter 43 – Part 2

“Mother and noonim told me that. No matter what happens, you always have to think of other possible scenarios.”

His stiff mouth slightly relaxed at the word noonim before he finished his words.

“You have to think of the worst-case scenario, come up with a plan, and be prepared to win it.”

“It wouldn’t be too easy.”

“Yes, it wouldn’t be, but mother told me. It was rather difficult to figure out because noonim tends to do things roughly.”

“That… that’s right.”

“Still, what can I do? Noonim says I can do anything.”

Lisandro turned to go back to the manor. Dennis folded the map and followed after him.

“Also, there’s no law that says black wizards only work under wraps. One person may have come forward and gathered the other black wizards.”

“…What?”

“Someone might be plotting and manipulating the monsters to get something done.”

As Dennis was horrified at his words, Lisandro even added, as if driving the nail more, “Humans evolve, and noonim says that nothing is impossible to happen. I think so, too.”

“…Please stop talking. I’m getting goosebumps.”

What were black wizards trying to do? Black magic itself was already illegal, but controlling monsters? And as an organization?

As a black wizard’s subject was magic, their power couldn’t be said to be weak. It was as powerful as the power of evil, but if it wasn’t only a person but an organization who used that muddy magic to do something…

Dennis kept repeating to himself that it was impossible, and his pupils slightly shook.

“Did you see the pattern earlier?”

He fell into contemplation.

“A group of monsters with patterns that seemed to be controlled. Although there wasn’t much evidence.”

After a moment of silence, Lisandro plainly added as if he was talking about the weather.

“I think there’s a possibility.”

As Frey said, we arrived at our destination in half a day and headed straight to the place where we met Regina. Going into the alleys that people didn’t go often, you would be met by a fairly wide land, but there were fewer people because it’s a mountain.

I quietly glanced around.

I wondered if I would remember something if I were here in the place where I met Regina. Even the blowing wind in the empty lot surrounded by trees added to the bleak feeling. As I tapped the floor with my toe for no reason, flames started to soar in an instant before quickly disappearing.

I staggered back in surprise, and Frey supported my back.

“Be careful.”

When I raised my head and gazed at Frey, feeling the warm touch on my back, he asked me with seriousness.

“What’s wrong? Did you see something?”

“There was suddenly fire underneath my feet… Frey?”

The warm touch on my back suddenly disappeared, and even Frey, who stared at me with affection in front of me, disappeared. Even though I hurriedly looked around, I didn’t see any single knight, nor Frey.

“…What… is this?”

Is this a trap?

I thought so and calmly looked around. When I suddenly heard the crackling of a fire burning in my ears, I turned my head.

[ ‘I am not a witch…!’ ]

I could see a person who was crying, grieving and resentful. The person cried out in agony, making me unable to tell if it was a man or a woman.

[ ‘You will regret it if you kill me! I, I….’ ]

[ ‘Shut up! The villagers disappeared one by one after you came!’ ]

[ ‘I heard screams coming from your house over and over again!’ ]

[ ‘Those potions that smell disgusting tell us you’re a witch…!’ ]

The voices of the villages filled with anger echoed.

The person’s arms, legs, and even their neck were chained to a large piece of wood. Underneath the person was a pile of firewood, and some villagers were carrying torches.

Burning at a stake was a punishment only the imperial family could give, and it was usually used to punish black wizards stained with demonic energy. The only way to get rid of the remnants of demonic energy on their bodies was to burn them to death or purify their body with the holy powers of the Saint.

It was the most brutal method though nothing was sure of that method.

Rather, it was an absolute punishment that ordinary people shouldn’t be doing on their own. Nevertheless, was it that easy to do that in this place?

[‘Die! We should’ve killed your earlier, Regina!’]

[‘I didn’t do that!’]

…Regina? The Regina we were looking for?

No one listened to her screaming and insisting on her innocence while they called out that familiar name. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she spat out her resentment like she was vomiting blood, but they didn’t even blink an eye.

As they started lighting the firewood one by one, the fire quickly spread to the firewood and began to burn the tied person.

[ ‘… If my powers hadn’t died…!’ ]

I couldn’t hear the words she muttered, but her eyes were filled with resentment while he spoke to herself. Blood even trickled down her bloodshot eyes and her chewed lips.

I didn’t move a single step.

This wasn’t what happened. I knew that woman would not die.

Look, that face….

“Ma-ri…?”

She quite resembled the face of my friend who gave me this novel in the modern times…. No, it was safe to say that they were the same person. It was impossible not to recognize her when their only difference was their eye color.

Why does Ma-ri look just like that person? Is it simply a coincidence? Is she a doppelgänger?

This wasn’t the time to be confused.

It was because, along with the sound of the footsteps coming over with urgency, the white hair covered my view. The view of the back of a head, far from me, and the familiar white hair.

The woman who jumped into the fire without hesitation was none other than ‘me.’

Whether the villagers were shocked or not, that made them stop. The ‘me’ in the vision saved Regina from the fire. Her trembling body was in a critical condition, as if it would break at any moment.

I frowned as ‘I’ rescued and healed Regina.

“You idiot. What if she was really a black wizard and you recklessly healed her? We need to figure out the situation first and then decide whether to treat her or not.”

She [ pertaining to Yurenia in the vision ] could be attacked using black magic once she [ Regina ] regained her strength, and since demonic and holy power were opposite in nature, [ Yurenia ] could have died. Otherwise, Regina could have run away with [ Yurenia ] as a hostage.

However, if [ Regina ] was a human with a brain, then she wouldn’t even think of using the devil’s power.

Anyway, only [ Regina’s ] feet had been burnt. But still, her body was shaking because she was so scared.

…What if Regina was really a black wizard and was the cause of the kidnapping? Was it so worth it to save her without thinking?

I didn’t think no one died in her hands.

I didn’t mean that ‘my’ choice was bad. Even the current country now would have rushed in to rescue Regina though healing her would be postponed much later. Her wounds were something that could be healed without using holy power.

This only meant that there was no need to reveal my identity while running from Lisandro because anyone would know that ‘I,’ who walked into the fire and came out unscathed, was a child of God.

It was beyond doubt.

It was well-known that the Saint had white hair, fair skin, and silver-grey eyes. To save her, ‘I’ have to hurry and evacuate Regina. But ‘I’ was there, openly treating Regina…

[ ‘What kind of inhumanity are you people doing!’ ]

There was also no need for me to be that angry.

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