WNC SS 77

Huh.

It didn’t hurt. I thought I’d be seeing red after being struck by some kind of magic and collapsing, but my vision was still white. The sky was white, the ground was white, and there were no walls. Was death this white? I’d never died before, so I couldn’t possibly know.

I stood there, dropped in the middle of such a wide-open, featureless space, stunned for a moment.

What is this?

I tapped the ground with my toes. It wasn’t hard, nor was it soft. It wasn’t smooth, nor was it rough. After a moment of thought, I let out a long cry.

“Awooo—”

No echo returned. It was truly an empty space. Only endless silence.

I slowly walked around, surveying the space. Then, something suddenly came to mind. A prophecy from Blue Star I’d heard long ago. This must be that dream space. I recalled Blue Star saying they saw a space like this within the origin of the Ninth God. Well, it was a high-dimensional matter to begin with. If I could understand it, I’d be a god myself.

A low chuckle escaped me.

Now I understood why I hadn’t seemed anxious at all in Blue Star’s dream.

The memory of the final moment was clear.

Owner had tried to attack Hugh. I blocked the attack with my body. At that moment, I saw the space behind Hugh tear open in gold. Blue Star had rushed out urgently. Riding Spiritus’s portal, they came to save us, wielding a shining sword.

Blue Star and I had definitely made eye contact. I read the worry and concern filling their blue eyes. Owner, fearing Blue Star, had tried to chase us far away instead of killing us instantly. If so, now… Hugh is safe. The other two are too.

I’d been watching Samantha since I was at the Academy. She was quite small for an offspring human, but her personality was bold. She didn’t like me much, but she liked Hugh. When the two stood side-by-side, Samantha would often blush, and Hugh would often pout.

I recalled the Wizard’s face too. I couldn’t remember the name. I had little interest in humans. I only barely remembered the names of a few I saw often. Still, I remembered that Wizard liked Blue Star a great deal. They must have been happy to encounter Blue Star at such a dramatic moment. Thinking that made me feel good.

What was I looking for in Blue Star’s dream?

I didn’t know. I didn’t have much I wanted to find. There were only two things I had persistently searched for in my life in this world. Blue Star, and Hugh Benson.

Hugh.

It was good I didn’t get married. If I had promised to be by his side forever and then disappeared, Hugh would have cried until his eyes melted again. Hugh was very sentimental. He cried so much even after losing his brother, Dune or Dan, someone he wasn’t very close to. He also cried secretly at night, sobbing, when he thought Michael had died.

Is he crying now too? If possible, I wish he’d cry a little and get over it quickly. I’m not there now. Who will comfort Hugh? No, wait. Still, Blue Star is here, so it’s fine…

Ah.

Suddenly, my insides felt hollow again. I felt hungry. My body felt empty.

I raised my hand and rubbed from my chest down to my stomach. Hmm… No. I’m not hungry. I’d lived like this for a long time before. In the embrace of the Oasis, when I was very young, when all I could do was float gently in some tranquil water without engaging in feeding.

I’m better than then, now. I can still walk.

As I walked, my body gradually became lighter. My sense of direction dulled, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t have a specific place I wanted to go anyway. I just…

Thump.

My chest tightened severely. Does it hurt? It hurts. Gasp, I took a breath.

Thump.

My body sank downwards. The ground swallowed me. Am I scared? I am scared. The ground that swallowed my ankles, knees, and thighs then devoured my waist and rose above my chest. I took a deep breath. Like one does before diving into deep water.

My chin submerged, then my nose, my eyes.

And at the moment my entire body disappeared.

…

Vivid colors pierced my eyes, stinging them. My throat and chest felt sore and numb, as if I had held my breath for a very long time. I coughed violently and thrashed like a carp just thrown onto the water’s surface. My whole body convulsed. My body didn’t feel like my own.

“Kuhuk! Cough, hugh, hah… …Huh?”

“You… you crazy bastard…”

And then Hugh was there.

The hand gripping my wrist was wet and cold. Hugh was crying as if his eyes would melt, and beside him stood a woman with a brilliant halo and Oasis, looking down at me. Oasis’s cool hand covered my forehead.

I slowly closed my eyes, then opened them again.

I was alive.

The Wizard was peeling an apple, making a soft rustling sound.

The ceiling emitted a white, gentle light, and I could see a complete wall just by turning my head. The blanket covering me was so light it felt more like a widely woven bandage or gauze than a blanket. The patient gown I wore had a similar weight.

I must have fallen asleep without realizing it. When I woke up, I was already lying in this bed, and the Wizard who had accompanied me to the Yuil Mountains was sitting beside me. And instead of a greeting, she first informed me about my condition.

“This is the capital’s Temple. I heard that even Sir Brooks wouldn’t be able to move right away, as all the bones in your body were shattered and then reassembled. You can move, but it hurts a lot, or something like that.”

“…”

“But it’s a great relief, isn’t it? Even gods can’t revive the dead, but Sir Brooks was saved because Spiritus-nim personally intervened before your breath ran out. Of course, all of us were also healed by Spiritus-nim.”

“…”

“I’ve never seen magic move such a large amount of Mana before my eyes. Of course, the hole in the sky was also immense when it came to vast Mana. They said that wasn’t a portal, but an attempt to break the boundaries of the world. All the gods of this land gathered and dealt with that bastard properly.”

“…”

“They said that the one called Owner was the culprit who instilled vain desires into the Ninth God. Someone who travels between worlds, feeding on division. They said there are many such bad beings who destroy one world and pick out the good pieces to sell to the gods of other worlds… They’re like demigods, not true gods, so our gods were stronger and it’s fine now.”

“…”

I just listened quietly. The Wizard’s gaze remained fixed on the apple. Her voice, singing along, didn’t stop for a moment. Occasionally she’d giggle, and sometimes she’d let out a sigh.

“Still, what we did wasn’t entirely meaningless. They say that thanks to the brief moment we bought, we were able to prevent that bastard from escaping. They said if that hole had opened properly then, the world would have been torn apart, and the area around the rift would have become desolate. We protected Duke Ernhardt’s Territory. Isn’t that truly amazing?”

“…”

“I still don’t know if I should be hearing these stories. Of course, I’m a huge fan of His Majesty the King Consort’s heroic tales, but I didn’t really believe he was a god. Ah. But seeing His Majesty the King Consort up close was overwhelming. I liked him so much. I felt like I just had to follow him, but I never imagined I’d meet him, drenched in blood, let alone without makeup…”

“…”

“I have one more thing to brag about. His Majesty the King Consort held my hand the other day, saying I’d worked hard. So I haven’t washed my hand for two days… Ah. I can’t give you this apple. I’ll just eat it myself, I can’t help it.”

“…”

Thump*. I turned my head and looked at her. The Wizard’s eyes were moist. Was she crying? But she looked at me with a serious expression and twisted the corners of her mouth as if in a sneer.

“I haven’t forgotten you throwing me at the end. My ribs broke then.”

“⋯Ah.”

“Of course, it was a miracle that your body, Sir Brooks, managed to block that immense… that thing. They say you were Oasis’s direct disciple? They said if your body hadn’t been imbued with so much Divine Power, the surrounding area would have been deeply gouged. Thanks to that, I’m enduring it because I survived.”

“⋯Hugh?”

“Oh my. Do you know how many days it’s been since Sir Brooks woke up?”

“I do not know.”

“Two weeks. During that time, Lord Benson also kept coming to see Sir Brooks. After seeing you wake up yesterday, he said he needed some rest too, so he got a room and lay down. He must have worked hard too, so he needs rest.”

“Where?”

“Where else? It’s one of the Temple’s recovery rooms.”

“⋯I’ll go.”

“Go where? Don’t get up now. You had full-body fractures.”

Indeed, as I tried to stand, a tingling sensation spread from my neck to my fingertips. It hurt, but it wasn’t unbearable. I clenched and unclenched my fist, slowly sat on the edge of the bed, and then pushed off the floor with my soles to stand up.

The Wizard, her eyes wide, her mouth agape, and her nostrils flared, looked up at me from her seated position. I picked up one of the apples she had been peeling and put it in my mouth. Moving my jaw… Yes, it was manageable. I chewed the apple thoroughly and swallowed.

Then, the Wizard put down the apple and paring knife she had been working on and let out a deep sigh.

“⋯I’ll be honest. Lord Hugh Benson asked me to take care of Sir Brooks from now on.”

“Why?”

“He probably wanted something between me and Sir Brooks, right? I also thought Sir Brooks was quite likable. Honestly, he’s handsome, has thick arms, and if he’s a knight in a Duchy cherished by His Majesty the King Consort, his income would be decent, and above all, he’s my savior.”

“…”

“But, a man who has his heart set on someone else isn’t my type. Farewell. May you have a beautiful love. Lord Hugh Benson is half out of his mind right now, so be prepared to handle him.”

“…”

“Don’t laugh. If you laugh like that now and I get flustered, you won’t be able to handle it. Anyway, even if you had no intention of it, thank you for saving my life. I’ll repay this debt with this. Lord Hugh Benson is in the third room on the left, upstairs.”

“Ah. ⋯Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s say hello next time we meet.”

The Wizard smiled brightly. Looking down at her, I suddenly became curious.

“What is your name?”

“Oh my. Sellars. Mage Sellars. It means ‘messenger of light’.”

“It suits you.”

“I know. Farewell. Goodbye!”

Sellars crunched loudly on the beautifully peeled apple slices.

I bowed respectfully to her, just as I had learned from Hugh Benson, and left the room.

There was a large window in the corridor. I could see a vast, green lawn, and the laughter of children running and playing on it shone brilliantly.

And I was now desperately hungry, or rather, Hugh was.