CH 223

Groooar! A strange sound reached her ears. There was ‘something’ over where the people were screaming. ‘What could that be?’ It was too far away to dash over and take a peek. Not to mention, it was far too dangerous for her to go in her current state, when she had no way of knowing what kind of danger lay in wait. The priests seemed to also have sensed the disturbance, and they pulled the saintess away.

“I sense a vile force!”

“You must run away!”

One of them proudly added, “We hurried and gathered around fifty priests from the nearby areas. You only need to give the order and we will follow your command!”

“Is that so? Then, how about sharing?”

“I’m sorry? Share what?” one priest asked, surprised at the sudden glint in the saintess’s eyes.

“The holy power you guys have,” she answered with a smile and raised a hand.

Moments later, a white light flashed near the back door of the villa, and the saintess came dashing out, leaving behind fifty collapsed priests. As she ran, she used her skill, the Eye of Truth, and cried out in surprise. “Why has Estian gone out of control?!”

* * *

Cecile took in her surroundings. It was difficult making out anything, since the man carrying her was running so fast he was practically flying, but she couldn’t give up. ‘I need to at least know which direction to run if I ever get the chance!’

She still couldn’t move a muscle, but it was a relief that she could at least see. Still, she worried what she could do at this rate. The man had already covered a great distance, leaving the borders of Aluna and entering a mountain without any paths. None of this seemed to pose a problem for him, as he leaped across the treetops with ease. Only after they were deep in the mountain did the man pause on a tree branch and press a spot on Cecile’s neck.

“Ah!” To her amazement, her voice immediately returned. As soon as she confirmed this, she immediately bellowed, “Let me go you madmaaaaaan! Estiaaaaaa-mmf!” Her piercing and resonating cry through the forest was stifled by the man’s hand. However, Cecile wasn’t about to give up so easily. ‘You think I’ll just let you stop me?’ She bit down as hard as she could on his hand and tried to wiggle her fingers. ‘They move!’ Realizing she had regained some movement, Cecile immediately reached for her ear without hesitation.

With no time to remove her earring neatly, she tore it off, ignoring the pain of her flesh being torn as she pulled it out and tossed it away. The blue phoenix appeared as always and Cecile commanded, “This man! Sic him!” The blue phoenix immediately pounced toward the man at her command, but…

“Huh? A glowing blue chicken? Blue Phoenix? Is that its name?” The kidnapper all too easily caught the attacking phoenix by its beak using two fingers.

‘This man is strong!’ Cecile had sensed he was strong when he managed to avoid Estian’s attack, but it seemed he was even more capable than she’d thought. Taking a moment to collect herself, she cautiously asked, “What are you after?”

“Well, you, of course, Mrs. ‘Ender’.”

Ender? What was that? Cecile desperately restrained her middle finger from flipping itself up, as she began shooting words like bullets. “I wanted to say this from the start, but you seem to have totally gotten the wrong person. And I’m not that Ender or whatever. More than anything—”

“No, you are the Ender. Of that, I assure you, on my name—Crown Prince Ruin of the Hyun continent.”

“What?” Cecile was left momentarily speechless, amazed by his sudden self-introduction. Who? The crown prince of the Hyun continent? Him?

As Cecile stared at him gaping, Ruin explained, “It seems I’ll have to spell it out for you, but well… The Ender is the one who appears in every story and stands at the end.”

The one who stood at the end of every story. Cecile got goosebumps at this description. It was her first time hearing this title, and yet it sounded as familiar as if someone was calling her name.