171 – Agony (2)
Dante’s sudden disappearance was ultimately related to the disappearance of the Dragon Emperor.
There is no confirmation, but we cannot help but have doubts.
Yongje, who must have been hit hard by Dante’s lightning strike, approached Dante with his body almost collapsing…
The moment you blink your eyes.
Disappeared.
Like that.
-Dante?
There’s no way you wouldn’t feel something strange.
I can’t help but feel suspicious.
Tsumei was the first to realize something was wrong and quickly tried to spread his magic throughout the cave, but there was no point.
The only familiar signs she felt were the students around her.
In other words, Dante was not included there.
It just disappeared.
Afterwards, under the guidance of Eon Hwaryeong, she took her own risk and visited the Dragon Emperor’s hideout herself.
Even if we search the entire East using the traces of the Dragon Emperor remaining there.
No. It was nowhere.
The solvent also disappeared.
Perhaps with Dante.
-Why…… ?
It was the moment when Tsumei, Flügel, and other students’ first club activities were distorted in an extreme form.
*****
Something is wrong. However, I couldn’t let go of her hand.
If someone is missing, shouldn’t we find them?
Even if there are no clues, even if it is not easy to find even the faintest traces -.
I tried to chase Dante with hope.
‘Why suddenly? ‘Carsilion, what did that bastard want Dante for?’
Tsumei gritted her teeth furiously as she remembered the existence of the Dragon Emperor at any time.
At least for her, it was not easy to even assume the possibility of Dante’s voluntary departure.
That’s right, even if something happened and I had to go somewhere, Dante would have delivered the news.
It was a trust that could be created because of the time spent together and the trust built up.
It’s such a pity, but Tsumei can’t help but think that Dante’s mentality broke like glass and started wandering.
Anyway, Tsumei started wandering around the continent.
Leaving aside his role as dean of the academy almost indefinitely.
This time, not even Helena could stop her from going ahead.
The student has gone missing.
That alone is a situation that should not be easily overlooked.
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Moreover, the Dragon Emperor Carsilion might have been involved in such disappearance.
It meant that this was a situation where we might have to assume the worst.
The reactions of others were not much different.
They also recognized Dante’s disappearance.
‘…… ‘Junior.’
Eve, with the help of Eunhwaryeong, borrowed one of the Siryong Corps and similarly traveled around the continent.
It was to find traces.
Flügel returned to her academy at Tsumei’s earnest request, but she also had no intention of staying still.
It was difficult for her to think that good results would come out if she moved independently. Nonetheless, it moved.
Aria and Jibril first returned to the academy after confirming that Tsumei was directly involved.
But were they also nervous?
Jibril was planning to use astrology as soon as his eyesight, which had been lost during the journey to the east, returned, and Aria had also decided to rely on Jibril’s abilities for now.
Aria, who had no power to fly in the sky and circle the continent or understand phenomena with her mysterious abilities, had to awaken to a sense of self-destruction for the first time in a very long time.
‘…… ‘Things like this haven’t happened often since I got wrecked by Dante.’
So she shifted her thoughts to her role. She herself has no talent for searching.
First of all, I acknowledge that fact.
That’s why I do what I can.
I heard that Dante was most likely taken by a transcendent being called the Dragon Emperor.
If he is in danger, he cannot escape easily, and even if Tsumei finds him, it is difficult to approach him.
Arguably, force will help.
Do what you can. For Aria, the ‘thing she could do’ could only be a sword.
It was a turning point where her level rose more steeply and her sword style became sharper.
“… ….”
And.
Beatrice returned from the southern coast without knowing anything, and learned of Dante’s situation through Tsumei’s message.
“Dante went missing…” ….”
Like Arya, he was quite shocked by the fact that there was nothing he could do right now.
Faced with helplessness.
It wasn’t just that. Feeling helpless because there is nothing you can do?
More emotions begin to bloom.
Beatrice, with an unprecedentedly stiff expression on her face, lost herself in the thoughts that disturbed his mind.
When Dante decided to go east, what was his answer?
-I don’t plan on going.
‘Oh, it was like that.’
I will not go. This time, we will act differently.
On the other hand, reasonable reasons were also presented.
Even now that I think about it again, I don’t think the reason itself is wrong.
It was a good reason, and I didn’t feel the need to accompany him.
I heard that Tsumei will join, and at some point, Flügel, who has become a huge force, will also join.
In addition, Dante’s abilities were definitely not lacking.
You don’t collide directly with the dragon in the myth, so what’s the problem even if you collide?
Basically, if a slayer dragon who is said to be of the same level as the dragon emperor will accompany him.
They probably won’t be in any particular danger.
So, you can move as you please.
There will never be a need for divine power or healing power.
I thought so.
It was a guess.
“Ha… ….”
With a complicated mind, Beatrice was unable to attend the Academy for a while.
She just stayed in the dormitory and thought constantly.
She once risked her life in a fight with a demon duke, thinking that she might have suffered more, and there were times when she was flattered with the intention of bragging to Dante.
It was a mischievous thought that flew away after hearing her message, but…….
So, what can you do now?
What can be done, what should be done?
She racked her brain over and over again, but somehow she couldn’t come up with anything that could be called a proper solution.
She felt embarrassed and wondered if her thoughts had been so fixed.
“…… Where are you? “Why did you disappear?”
A day passed, then two days, then a week, in that secluded state.
There was no news from Dante. Still.
Beatrice half-intuited that her mental state was starting to take a turn for the worse.
‘If only we had gone together instead of being stubborn.’
Thoughts that come to mind. Primarily, it is reflection and remorse.
Now it’s just a meaningless thought.
You cannot turn back the flow of time. No, if I could go back to that moment, would anything be different?
“Ha.”
Beatrice sneered at a thought that suddenly occurred to her.
Yes, it was. In fact, nothing changes.
‘What would you do if I went with you? ‘What could I have done in that situation?’
In Tsumei’s message, there was also a comment explaining the situation at the time.
The very detailed content was probably out of consideration for Beatrice.
Listen and judge, or at least think without knowing anything.
I think that’s roughly what it meant.
Tsumei was obviously the one suffering from the deepest regret and self-destruction right now, but she was treated with consideration.
Tsumei, who did not notice that Dante and the Dragon Emperor had disappeared even though he was right in front of them, must have been in such a complicated state of mind.
Although Beatrice was concerned about Tsumei’s condition, she could not understand why Tsumei, the slayer dragon, was unable to lift a finger and lost Dante.
It’s a contradictory feeling.
I wasn’t resentful, but I had doubts.
For a moment, when Tsumei thought that she ‘failed to fulfill her responsibilities’, Beatrice was also startled by her extreme thoughts and felt guilty.
“…… It’s not Tsumei’s fault…….”
I feel stupid. I really felt stupid.
Now is not the time to be thinking about such useless things.
Something had to be done. Even if there was nothing I could do, I had to do it.
It was half an obsession, and Beatrice herself knew it.
There was nothing I could do.
He felt like he would be devastated if he didn’t do something, so ten days after hearing the news, Beatrice made her move.
I’ll say it again, there was nothing she couldn’t do with her abilities.
But isn’t ‘her ability’ the standard?
With her power granted to her, there is nothing she can do even with that great power of God?
Then there was only one number left.
Beatrice began praying without any dates from that day on.
Prayer. Asking God for an answer.
It may seem like a meaningless act, but she was a saint. She is the only being who can be called the daughter of a goddess.
In fact, she has no choice but to be the person closest to god on this continent.
Didn’t you succeed in contacting the goddess in her southern part like that?
Moreover, it was a place where transactions were carried out.
There is no reason not to receive an answer. Even if she is someone who I don’t usually believe in, if she is a transcendent goddess, she will show me the way.
She thought and believed that.
“… ….”
A month passed like that.
Beatrice’s condition worsened to the point where it couldn’t get any better.
‘Why, why… ….’
Her entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and her body, which had not received proper nutrition, was about to break down in a not-so-good way.
Her mental power was already exhausted.
If the one sitting here on her knees was not her, but any ordinary priest, she would have lost her consciousness a long time ago.
The prayers of high-ranking clergy were not such ordinary acts of praise.
A more practical ‘communication with God’ that can make miracles come true.
Consumption of mental power, consumption of faith, consumption of physical strength.
A miracle can happen only when all three elements come together properly and the element of luck is added to it.
And for Beatrice now, that harmony was not achieved.
Actually, I have no choice but to do that.
“…… Cough.”
Even though the condition was not good, it was not very good. Even if you try in that situation, God will never respond.
That didn’t mean that her goddess turned away from her, but rather that her prayers themselves couldn’t reach her goddess in the first place.
So to speak, the evil thoughts were excessive.
It was Beatrice’s impatience.
There is nothing I can do. But, this is not the time to be like this. I guess I’ll have to do something.
If you pray while filled with such thoughts, you will never receive a proper answer.
It was a fact that even Beatrice did not know.
“…… Hak, ugh.”
Wipe away the blood flowing down your jaw line.
It means that the body is facing its limits.
Still, I couldn’t stop. A month has already passed.
In the case of a missing person, it is not strange to treat the person as dead.
Beatrice’s reason was already looking straight at Dante’s ‘death’, but her emotions were absolutely unwilling to acknowledge such an objective fact.
That is why it becomes more buried.
Just to seek an answer from a transcendent being -.
Yes, with blind thoughts that have gone too far.
The moment when she fell into a state of exhaustion and was about to collapse without even realizing it.
Tiring.
“… ….”
At that moment, a contact came through the crystal ball.
The sender was Emperor Kazan.
*****
“We can’t just let Beatrice die like that.”
These were the Emperor’s words.
The target was me.
When I was looking at him with eyes full of betrayal, these words were spoken out as if they were excuses.
So, according to what he said, if he had made a mistake, Beatrice would have died.
Her prayers did not reach the goddess, but the goddess, who had been checking on her daughter from time to time, noticed her condition a little late, and she was astonished and tried to convey her news, but was blocked on the way.
‘Stuck?’
She did not understand those words when she just heard them, but according to the Pope’s supplementary explanation, it seems that Beatrice’s evil thoughts were so severe that she could not even hear the goddess’s message.
So the goddess chose her next best option, which was her oracle.
If I couldn’t tell Beatrice directly, I would have tried to resolve the crisis that wasn’t a crisis by informing the church and, if possible, Kazan of the situation.
‘Well, she is a goddess who takes very good care of her daughter’s well-being.’
I was momentarily amazed at the unexpectedness of such a goddess.
Anyway, isn’t that why Beatrice lived?
That was a fortunate thing. That’s good, that’s good.
“… ….”
“… ….”
“… ….”
“…… So, Richie, won’t you let me go for now?”
I pleaded in real time to Beatrice, who was strangling my neck with her thin arms.
I don’t know how such strength comes from such a small body.
Is this the mystery of divine power or something?
“Hmm.”
Of course, Beatrice didn’t care at all whether I asked or not.
I really don’t blink.
In fact, the intensity of strangulation on my neck seemed to have increased, but I wanted to believe that it was due to my mood.
Even though I was in unprecedented close contact with her, my tastes were relatively normal to regard her headlock as a reward.
I tried gently tapping the back of Beatrice’s hand as a tap, but it didn’t help.
Other than a brief flinch, no reaction was expected.
This really meant that she was angry like never before, so I gave up on begging her without even being able to say anything more.
I feel a little short of breath, but…….
Anyway, Yongin’s body is not that weak.
This is a level that can be tolerated.
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly, and instead of trying to break free from this bondage, I reached out my hand and gently stroked Beatrice’s head.
Should we say that it is a hand gesture that contains half the meaning of sorry and half the meaning of hard work?
You can hear Beatrice sobbing softly from behind.
It looks like he was a little upset.
The bitter smile on my lips couldn’t help but become even deeper, and the Pope, who had been looking at the reconciliation that was not reconciliation between me and Beatrice with disapproving eyes, opened his mouth at that point.
“Anyway, then I’ll just go. “I’m getting tired of looking at this anymore.”
It was a bit harsh, but I understood.
It probably doesn’t look very nice to see your daughter doing something like this with her boyfriend.
The Pope simply turned around and glanced at me one last time.
“And you have hidden it for a month, so don’t complain to me anymore.”
The Emperor’s gaze and mine met in the air.
I immediately expressed my gratitude with my eyes.
Anyway, I was the one who came without saying a word and shamelessly asked for the help of divine power to stay in the world of images for 24 hours a day.
From his perspective, it would have been okay to refuse, and in fact, it would have been such an absurd request that it was natural for him to refuse.
But he accepted me here without saying anything.
I’m still not sure what kind of expression I saw in my eyes during that meeting a month ago…….
Anyway, it was definitely something to be thankful for.
Thanks to you, I had a conversation with Dante, and I was able to put an end to my worries and thoughts, even if it was just a little bit.
Even though it is not completely over.
First of all, I truly thought the Pope’s consideration was a blessing.
I looked at the Emperor and slowly began to speak.
“Thank you very much for this month. His Holiness.”
“…… Joy.”
The Emperor snorted at that, but still, the light of concern that had been so clear until a few days ago had largely disappeared from the way he looked at me.
I noticed the change, but it was not noticeable outwardly. I just laugh inside.
Regardless of his eccentric personality, yes.
He was clearly a saint.
“I will go.”
I wonder if it was quite a burden for me to look at myself with sparkling eyes.
The Emperor immediately lost his expression and left the room as he said.
So, in the temporary shelter at the church headquarters that he prepared for me.
It wouldn’t have mattered if I stayed a little longer, but wouldn’t this also be consideration in its own way?
Right now, there were issues that I had to prioritize more than expressing my gratitude to the Pope.
In other words, it was a discord that had to be dealt with.
First, I let out a sigh and then carefully separated my lips.
“Riche.”
“… ….”
“There will be a lot of things you want to hear. Well, actually, I have a few things I want to say…….”
No answer. However, I trailed off, thinking that the slightly loosened pressure on my neck was the answer.
Even though I think about it, I really don’t know what to say first.
But this time, I didn’t want to fake everything either.
In fact, this time it will be the opposite.
“…… This is going to be a long story. “A little too much.”
I had no intention of hiding it. To be more precise, I wanted to talk a little bit about who I am right now.
It would be even better if that person was Beatrice.
That’s why we’re in such a hurry.
This is going to be a very long story.
You may be shocked, you may not believe it, and even if you look at me like I’m a strange person, there’s nothing unusual about this.
The main topic was about the origin of ‘I’.
‘…… ‘I hope you don’t despise me.’
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It was a moment when I was worrying about Beatrice’s reaction and trying to organize my thoughts and open the conversation.
Her voice was heard.
“It’s okay.”
“…… Huh?”
A short word. I blinked for a moment.
What is okay?
Is it okay if the story goes on for a long time?
Those are words of gratitude, but-.
“I brought my pajamas.”
It looks like that guess was wrong.
A low voice continues once again.
“?”
I floated a question mark over her head without any filtering, and Beatrice hugged my neck tighter and said,
Whisper in my ear.
“Sleep with me today.”
“… ….”
“You stayed here for a month.”
In an instant, the atmosphere inside the room was filled with silence, as if cold water had been poured on it.
I squeaked and tried to turn her head to look at Beatrice.
Unfortunately, my neck, which was fixed by her pressure, could not turn any further, but one thing was clear.
I didn’t understand what she said.
A moment of silence.
The air was heavy… ….
Eventually, I asked her back in her very dumbfounded voice.
“…… “What did you just say?”
Oh, I chewed my tongue.