Chapter 283

Chapter 283

* * *

His steps across the hallway were heavy. The air around him grew stiffer as he neared the room. The depths etched in his blue eyes deepened with the flicker of his eyelids.

Standing in front of the door, Lumen clenched his fists. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he opened the door without knocking, revealing a darkened interior.

Outside, it was broad daylight. The blinding sunlight shone through the drawn curtains, so the darkness of the room was only a reflection of the mood.

Closing the door behind him, Lumen’s first sight was of Cadel on the bed, still lying as still as death. No different from last night. Next to him was Lydon, prostrate, holding Cadel’s hand. No different from last night. He’d probably been by Cadel’s side all day.

On the other side was Garuel, who made eye contact with Lumen and gave a small shake of his head. It meant he was still not seeing much improvement. Lumen opened his mouth to hide his disappointment.

“The magicians will arrive in an hour. Be ready, Sir Garuel. Keep your identity as hidden as possible until Leader wakes up.”

“......Yes. Keep an eye on him while I get ready. Sir Lydon, too. He hasn’t had a drop of water all day, and I’m a little concerned.”

“I know.”

As Garuel closed the door behind him, a silence fell over the room. Lumen sat down where Garuel had sat and stared at Cadel.

It was just as it had been. When Cadel had used too much magic in Baskin Village and collapsed in the aftermath. When Cadel had been unconscious for days as a result of dealing with everything alone.

Lumen vowed never to let that happen again, never to feel that way again. As he matured with Cadel, he was confident that Cadel would never have to carry the burden alone. He was vaguely glad that he wouldn’t have to watch Cadel collapse anymore.

‘What happened to you, Leader?’

By the time he and Garuel arrived at the seal circle, the battle was over. Palaig had been pierced by the dark energy, everyone’s petrification was broken. Cadel, however, was.......

Lumen stroked his cheek roughly as he recalled the scene.

‘If it weren’t for the Scarlet Dragon’s protection, he would have died.’

Shattered scale armor and a bloodied body. Bones poking through his flesh, dislocated. Lydon, holding Cadel in his arms, frantically called out for Garuel.

It was a mess, and Van didn’t show up until Garuel had finished tending to Cadel. After asking Yozen to track Van down, he went to the inn, only to return with the news that he hadn’t found him.

In the end, Van did not show his face until today, when they returned to the Empire. Garuel was worried about the disappearance, but Lumen was not; he could tell that Van had left the Knight Order.

He had done his duty to the end, and then he had left. Lumen wondered why, but he couldn’t afford to find Van now and ask.

His wounds were healed, but Cadel wouldn’t wake up. There was no bigger concern than that.

“Why won’t he wake up?”

“.......”

“Why......?”

It was the first time Lumen had ever seen Lydon so agitated. His heart was heavy. Lydon had witnessed Cadel being destroyed before his eyes. Cadel was the one he’d followed around without question, and he didn’t need to be told what the shock was like.

Lumen stared out the window for a moment, then slowly pushed himself to his feet.

“Hug Leader, Lydon. We must return to the Empire.”

“Lumen, Cadel is.......”

“He’ll wake up.”

Lydon’s eyes widened at the earnestness of the statement. He made a painful noise as he choked back the tears that were welling up in his eyes, then took Cadel’s hand and rested his forehead on it.

* * *

Palaig’s hammer struck them, and at the same time, the petrification was released. He felt his body break free with shards of stone falling from the back of his head.

Lydon was the first to react, using his wings to fly out of range of the hammer, and Yozen followed suit. Cadel couldn’t move as quickly as they did, so he planned to block the attack and then retreat to safety. If he pulled back his wide barrier, he’d be able to block at least one blow.

Or so he thought.

[Knight ‘Van Herdos’ has left the Knight Order.]

[Knight ‘Van Herdos’ has been lost.]

His thinking came to a halt when he noticed a system window that suddenly popped up.

“Cadel!”

“It’s dangerous......!”

Cadel heard Lydon and Yozen’s urgent cries for him, but he didn’t react. Even as the shadow of the hammer drew closer, and he felt the dull thud of impact crush his entire body.

He could do nothing.

What happened next, he couldn’t quite remember. Maybe his body was completely destroyed, or maybe he entered the space of nothingness and the countdown began, just like when he had used [Soul Explosion].

After a while, the quest completion window popped up.Diiscover new stories at nove/lbin(.)c/om