686 – 8. Last Words (60)
In the midwinter night sky, starlight as sad as frost shines.
Even if the academy was trapped within a barrier, it could not be free from the time of day and night. The sun had already set and the moon had risen, and the Academy remained silent with thousands of people in it.
Snow-covered buildings are dyed red with scarlet lighting. The academy, surrounded by a hemispherical membrane, looked like a bead containing a snow scene.
In fact, the interior was far from romantic.
The whispering sound in the cold silence contained anxiety and nervousness. It was the noise made by thousands of students suddenly trapped inside the barrier, trembling with fear.
It was a place immersed in such deep silence.
Beyond the fog-like darkness, the sound of soft footsteps could not help but stand out.
Jeobug, jerk.
A woman’s shadow appears one after another behind the man who leaves footprints on the ground without hesitation. Through the snow that began to fall like dew on her, the woman got closer to her man, then she moved away again, until he finally grabbed the sleeve of her clothes.
Soon, the sound of panting breath comes out.
“Wait!”
It was immediately after that that her man’s gait stopped.
The woman with her silver hair and light pink pupils leaned on her knees, exhaling her excited breath. It meant that she had gone out of her way to come after her man.
It had to be that way.
Unlike her man, the woman did not need to train her body. Besides, who would dare leave her alone and let her walk as she pleases?
The heavenly god’s favorite daughter and his representative on earth. It was she who was the great priest who received the name ‘Saint Lucia’.
But her man didn’t seem particularly interested in her fame.
Her
On the contrary, he just looked down at her with his cold gaze, as if he was freezing.
Her eyes were extremely tired. Only fragments of her emotions were visible in those golden pupils that did not lose their light even at night. Pieces like pebbles that never turned into sand.
The implications were clear. That is why the saint had to chase after her man.
“Ha, ha… Now, wait… wait for a sec.”
“What is it?”
Her man’s voice was as cold as her eyes. So much so that you can’t feel the warmth even in the cold winter wind.
Nevertheless, the saint did not give in and took her painful breath.
“What the hell…” Sigh… “What did you show up for?”
For a while her man did not return her answer, but her woman’s question was answered.
‘Ian Perkus’ had just lost her best friend.
She screamed, and then she shed tears in silence, and when she came to, her personality had changed.
The person who appeared like that was her man.
A being who claims to be ‘Ian Perkus’ from the future.
Since he, who had not been seen for a while, suddenly appeared on stage, she could not help but have doubts as a saint. Especially since it was related to her husband.
Until now, whenever ‘Ian’ from the future appeared, there was always a certain purpose. It was probably the same today as well, a question asked based on that reasoning.
But her man did not meet her woman’s expectations.
“Well.”
A short, simple answer.
The woman’s eyebrows narrowed slightly. If so, doesn’t she mean that he doesn’t know the details?
That was before the woman asked her question again.
“One thing is clear. “That kid was wrong.”
The man said that and began to take his steps again, and the saintess paused for a moment, trying to understand what he meant.
Who on earth is wrong?
I didn’t have much time to think about it. This was because even when the saintess stood tall and stood between her lines, her man continued to advance without hesitation. Even though I didn’t have enough stamina, my opponent’s strides were wide thanks to the height difference.
In the end, the woman had no choice but to follow her man again.
“Now, wait a minute…” When you say ‘youngie’, you can’t possibly mean Ian… No, I’m telling you to stop for a moment!”
“Maybe I’m to blame too. I should have destroyed that stupid dream a long time ago… So, you have to do what you have to do.”
She did not pay the slightest attention to the woman’s circumstances, and the man was just reciting what he had to say.
The one who gave up first was the saint.
Instead of repeating her meaningless request, she seemed determined to get the information she needed.
“Do it, hey…” Sigh… “Is this something to do?!”
“The ‘contamination tumor’ has already spread considerably.”
A word I’m hearing for the first time again.
But it was easy to guess its meaning. If a name were to be given to the black tumors that were scattered throughout the Academy as the barrier was created, it would have been just that.
The man seemed to know well the identity of that lump of flesh.
“It is a spell that steals the life force of the earth and pollutes the entire area. It is one of the powers of ‘lust’… That’s strange. “Your lust may not have been fully awakened yet.”
“Pollution? “What happens if pollution continues?”
“Nothing much. A deadly epidemic spreads.”
The implications of the answer that was thrown out like a snap were terrifying.
The face of the woman who stood tall suddenly turned pale. Regardless, the man just painted a bleak future in a calm tone.
“Of course, it’s enough to make a closed community hell.”
“…… “I can treat it.”
“The saint did that too.”
The saintess’ voice as she answered while swallowing dryly was quite solemn. In fact, she still didn’t feel any emotion from the man’s answer that followed.
“That’s how he disappeared into heaven.”
Finally, the saint closed her mouth.
No matter how powerful the saint’s power was, it was nothing compared to the ‘saint’ who had become her master. Wasn’t he the embodiment of a miracle that brought back even the dead from the brink of life?
Even such a great warrior could not avoid death.
In other words, she meant that a saint could also meet a similar end if she ventured out carelessly. The saintess, who had been shaking for a long time, managed to ask her final question.
“Then what should I do? And when on earth will ‘Ian’ come back?”
Only then did her man’s gait stop.
In no time, he was standing in front of a tall gate. A place where powerful figures from each country gather to discuss the future of the academy, called the ‘meeting hall.’
Her man’s eyes glanced behind her for the first time.
“I told you, I will do what I have to do.”
Right after that.
“My way.”
Boom!
With an explosion, the gate, which was several meters high, burst open at once. Pieces of wood, dust, and a man casually walking among them.
The eyes of the people waiting inside the conference hall immediately turned to the man.
The remaining members of the Southern Kingdoms who lost their empire, castle, and envoys, as well as high-ranking officials of the Academy.
The first to get angry were the knights guarding the entrance.
“Sir Ian! What rudeness is this…… !”
“Get out of the way.”
But that was before they even put a blood rod around his neck.
The man said that in a voice that showed no emotion, and the drivers exchanged puzzled looks.
They were officially ordained imperial knights. No matter how much Ian was, he had no authority to unilaterally treat them poorly. So, of course I should be indignant.
As soon as they met the man’s tired golden eyes, the knights had to fall into an unknown mood. It felt so natural for him to treat me poorly.
They had to deliberately stoke the fire in their hearts.
“Sir Ian, what do you mean! Although your reputation is high, we are also officially ordained! Furthermore, the people here are high-ranking people from various countries. Acting recklessly like this is neither etiquette nor law…… !”
“Courtesy.”
It was a low murmur.
And the next moment.
Boom!
The man’s kick struck the knight’s solar plexus without warning. It was a plate armor enchanted to protect the Empire’s leading figures, but it could not withstand a single blow.
A huge, heavily armored figure with shabby armor that flies like a cannonball.
With a thump, blood bubbled from the knight’s mouth, leaving a deep crack in the wall. As the battle unfolded out of nowhere, loud screams erupted from all over, and the knight’s companions, who were momentarily mesmerized, also suddenly raised their voices.
“Sir Ian, what is this…?” … !”
“Law.”
As the man mumbled indifferently and walked forward, one of the knights was unable to overcome his instinctive command and swung his sword.
It was a fatal mistake.
The knight’s sword cuts through the air, and the man’s arms become entangled like snakes. Oops, by that time it was already too late.
Wood!
The knight’s arm is crushed by the entire armor. It was hard to tell because it was covered in iron armor, but the inside must have been covered in blood.
So, scream.
“aaah! Ugh, ahhh?!”
“That should have been discussed before I came.”
Even an experienced knight could not possibly adapt to such a sudden injury. I couldn’t even see it, but my arm was shattered and I was on my knees.
The difference in level was obvious. Because he was a skilled warrior, the last remaining knight realized that fact more than anyone else.
Tap.
The man’s gait stopped in front of the knight. Her dry golden eyes were imprinting her man’s first words again.
‘Get out of the way.’
When I came to my senses, the driver had already moved out of the way in front of the man.
My back was wet with cold sweat.
The man began to take her steps again. Beyond the frightened knights and the crowd, to the center of the conference room.
At the head table, Dalton was waiting with a smile.