#065

It was late afternoon when the group finally gathered. Arne must have given them a heads-up, as Lasano also came down to the first floor on time. The statement about treating many people seemed true, as he looked quite exhausted.

“If this continues, I’ll die of overwork and go to the goddess’s side.”

As soon as Lasano saw Cullen, he placed a hand on his forehead and made a gesture of dying. Arne behind him was startled.

“Are you alright, Lasano-nim? Shall I call a physician?”

He didn’t seem ignorant of the world, but should I call him naive… If I hadn’t joined, Arne might have died or wandered and been scammed in Duke Exion’s territory.

“I’m fine.”

Kiyen said dryly, flapping his wings.

“High Priests do not die from illness or physical ailments. Unless their heads are completely severed from their bodies.”

“Kiyen-nim, you have no mercy. To speak so casually about severing the neck of a frail person like me. Are all the highest beings on earth like this?”

The remark about the highest beings, combined with the morning’s events, displeased him. Though his expression didn’t change, he felt annoyed. Kiyen’s nakedness had been witnessed by Lasano, of all people. He couldn’t imagine how much Lasano would gossip about it.

“Let’s stop the idle chatter and leave now.”

“I didn’t expect to be so bogged down with such heavy tasks when I received the oracle…”

Lasano shook his head and continued to lament. Only Arne tried to console him from the side, while Kiyen and Cullen naturally ignored them and stepped outside.

Kiyen’s eye color had returned to normal, but his wings had not yet disappeared, so as soon as they went outside, they drew everyone’s attention. The rumors had already spread, so people were not so much shocked as they were murmuring and watching them from a distance. Words like ‘goddess’ and ‘savior’ were heard sporadically.

Gael’s residence, and the mercenary headquarters, was in the Dardin border. To prepare for Demonic Beast attacks or any potential enemy incursions, the progenitor Garun had built his residence there. Since then, his descendants had protected Dardin for generations, serving as the front-line defense.

His residence, which had been quiet for a while, was now bustling with people. As soon as Kiyen’s figure appeared at the entrance, someone shouted.

“It’s the goddess’s clone!”

“Really? Let me see. My word, what’s on his back… are those wings?”

The conspicuous wings had become Kiyen’s mark. And it wasn’t just that. Words also followed Cullen.

“Is that the owner of the white wolf? The one who saved people?”

“Black hair, you say. Look closely, there’s a hint of purple mixed in. Is that really him? He looks too handsome for a great mercenary.”

“A mercenary should have at least one scar on their face… But where is the white wolf? Isn’t he the owner of the white wolf?”

Overwhelmed by whispers full of curiosity, Cullen entered. As soon as he did, someone recognized him.

“Cullen-nim!”

At the voice full of joy, he turned his head and saw a familiar face. It was one of Gael’s aides, whom he had lured out of the cave. Though he didn’t know his name.

“……Greetings. I’ve come to see Gael-nim.”

“Please speak comfortably. Cullen-nim is the benefactor who saved my life. All of us are.”

Soon, other mercenaries gathered behind him. They were the ones who had been in the cave.

“Though our bodies moved according to the will of that wicked man, we all remember. We all committed sins even though we didn’t want to… but you saved us like this.”

“Thank you so much.”

As sincere voices converged, Cullen felt bewildered. Arne nudged him from behind with a voice full of tears.

“Cullen-nim, you truly are amazing.”

The undeserved praise and gratitude made his heart feel heavier. He was not the one who deserved such words. All of this had happened while following the traces of those who killed his mother… and he was a sinner who couldn’t even save the people who mattered most.

“Our captain seems embarrassed!”

Cullen’s silence stretched, and Lasano interjected. The head covering, pulled down to his eyes, gave off a distinctly suspicious air, but he mediated the situation as if nothing were amiss.

“Ah, is that so?”

Those who didn’t know Cullen well seemed to believe Lasano’s words without question. Lasano continued his nonsensical speech.

“Indeed. He may look like he’d kill someone without batting an eye, but if you get to know him, he’s quite shy.”

“And so humble…!”

A potentially disrespectful situation was smoothed over by Lasano. Cullen, bewildered, was about to stop him when Gael appeared.

“Cullen, you’re here.”

Gael raised his hand quietly, a faint smile on his face. A large bruise marred his temple. Cullen asked without looking at Lasano,

“Didn’t you get all your wounds treated?”

“Even if I look like this, I’m a valuable person, so I left minor injuries untreated. Are you trying to kill me, Captain!”

As if he liked the title “Captain,” Lasano began calling him that. Gael, who had walked over in the meantime, hugged Cullen tightly. Up close, Gael looked weak. Unlike his usual boisterous self from the past.

“I was terribly worried that you and that mercenary named Ulli might die. It’s a relief, a true relief. Thank you, Cullen. You saved us all.”

A solemn voice was heard.

“No. It was what I had to do. Gael-nim, you are the cornerstone of Dadin.”

At those words, Gael narrowed his eyes, then struck Cullen’s back painfully, saying,

“You are too hard on yourself. This won’t do. I must scold my benefactor. Come, let’s go inside and talk.”

The heavy-handed gesture reminded him of Gale. With similar names and even similar appearances, the two were close friends who were often mistaken for brothers. Though they had parted ways after forming their own mercenary groups.

Gael was the only one among those Cullen had seen since childhood who was still alive.

Just as his heart began to stir, Kiyen stood behind him. Just like that day he went to the information broker.

They weren’t holding hands, but just having him behind him brought him peace of mind. Was this Kiyen’s Magic too? A Magic that keenly sensed his state if he wavered even slightly…

Whatever it was, it was good.

The memories of the past released their grip. Cullen followed Gael. They climbed the stone stairs to the third floor, where Gael first led them into a small room.

“I thought you’d be most curious about this.”

When the door opened, two people were inside. Ulli lay on the bed beneath a slightly open window, and Lana was watching over him. Lana greeted Cullen first.

“You’re safe, Cullen!”

As Lana rushed over, Gael added quietly,

“I told you he was alive.”

Lana then glanced at Gael and looked away, her expression complicated, though not fearful. It was subtle, but everyone could clearly sense it.

“…I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it. I saw too many terrible things there.”

At her words, Gael’s expression darkened. He took a step back from Lana, creating distance. An awkward atmosphere filled the air. Lana looked around at the people, then spoke to break the tension.

“At any rate, it’s a relief. Goddess, thank you. I couldn’t rest easy, worrying about Ulli and you, thinking you might die.”

Saying this, Lana took Cullen’s hands. With a much-improved complexion after just one day, she smiled. It was a smile Cullen had never seen before, and it lightened his heart a little.

“Thank you. For trying to save people like us. People who, if not for someone like Ulli, would have disappeared without anyone noticing…”

After saying this, Lana turned her gaze to Ulli lying on the bed.

His sleeping face was clean, unlike in the cave. Though not as much as Kiyen’s, his rare golden hair and translucent skin were visible. Judging by his face alone, one would think he had never experienced hardship.

As their eyes fell on Ulli, Lana spoke in a sad voice.

“He still hasn’t woken up. He’s breathing evenly, but no matter how much I try to wake him, he doesn’t stir. It doesn’t seem like he’s just sleeping…”

“Wasn’t he healed?”

Lasano answered Cullen’s question.

“We treated all external wounds. Him not waking up is another matter.”

Kiyen, who had been observing Ulli intently since entering the room, turned his head. He looked at the heavy greatsword standing in the room and said,

“That must be the reason.”

“Do you know what it is? It’s so heavy that even a strong man like me has trouble lifting it.”

Gael addressed Kiyen with respect. A faint sense of awe could be felt in his low voice.

Cullen suddenly wondered what people would think if they learned Kiyen’s true identity. The legendary Dragon was a being who only followed Larkan’s orders to slaughter, but it was Kiyen who killed the Demonic Beasts. Without Kiyen, the incident in Exion Territory would not have been resolved.

He wanted to be the only one to know Kiyen’s name, yet at the same time, he wished for him to be properly recognized. Suppressing his complex feelings, Cullen answered Gael’s question instead.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot disclose that information.”

Gael nodded.

“Is that so? If you say so, there must be a reason. I don’t know what it is, but… what I saw there might be of help to your work.”

Lana quickly chimed in.

“You should go. I’ll stay with Ulli.”

“Then, I leave him to your care.”

Kiyen, who had been looking at Cullen with a hint of displeasure, left the room with Gael. Arne whispered from behind.

“Surprisingly, Kiyen-nim is quite jealous. Cullen-nim is merely worried about Ulli-nim… He seems to be sulking again.”

“Oh, is that the hidden story?”

Lasano butted in. Cullen swallowed a sigh and brushed past the two, who were starting to get along in a peculiar way.

They headed to Gael’s room and sat around a table. Tattus flower juice, one of Dadin’s famous beverages, was served refreshingly cold. It was quite a rare treat if it had been stored where there was ice.

Everyone except Cullen raised their glasses.

“Before I tell others, I wanted to give you a heads-up. These people here are your companions, so I can speak freely. As you know, Sorcerer Magic doesn’t fully control the mind, so we all remember what happened within us. That we killed innocent people.”

Gael’s expression was grim. As he spoke, he looked down at his hands. Gael’s finger movements seemed awkward, as if he were unaccustomed to physical exertion.

“It wasn’t something you did by your own will, Gael-nim.”

Ulli had managed to break free from the restraints, but… not everyone could. At Cullen’s words, Gael confessed in a voice filled with guilt.

“I know that. But what we did doesn’t disappear. It’s a sin we’ll carry for life.”

Cullen unconsciously looked at Kiyen. His face was covered by cloth, showing only his nose and chin, but Cullen was worried. Kiyen, who had been tormented by killing countless lives against his will.

Cullen looked at Kiyen’s white hand resting beside him. Hesitation rose, but his action, or perhaps his true feelings, were faster.

Cullen took Kiyen’s hand.

Kiyen, who had been looking forward, turned his chin slightly. His head tilted slightly towards Cullen, and his jaw twitched. Cullen thought he would pull his hand away, but Kiyen remained still. His long hand, too large to be held entirely in one of Cullen’s, was soft and warm.

In that state, Cullen spoke quietly to Gael.

“…You will endure it. Beyond that… I don’t think it’s my place to say anything rashly.”

Gael was right. They had been controlled by the Sorcerer, but that didn’t bring back the lives that were lost. Just as the countless people killed by Kiyen would not return.

Cullen had never been in such a situation. He couldn’t possibly imagine it.

“You… haven’t changed.”

Gael smiled weakly, just as he had before. Given Gael’s nature, he probably wouldn’t overcome it. Instead, he would strive to atone for that sin.

“I thought your expression might have changed too much in my absence, but no. Gale would be proud.”

At the mention of Gale, Cullen’s expression hardened. He remained frozen, holding Kiyen’s hand, when Gael added,

“I know, Cullen. I have a rough idea of what happened. I don’t know the details, but I know Gale well. No matter the circumstances… Gale would have been proud of you.”

Just as his fragile composure began to crumble upon seeing the lucid Gael, Kiyen squeezed his hand. The long fingers that had been held still dug into Cullen’s hand. Like they had pressed down on him in bed last night.

“…I understand.”

After a moment of unusual silence, Cullen said quietly.

“Tell me about Gale later, when you are ready.”

Gael quickly wrapped things up and got to the point.

“Let’s see. Rather than the detailed circumstances, I’ll tell you the most important thing first. Inside the cave, as you saw, Cadmium was being cultivated. It’s an herb traded at a very high price.”

“Cadmium? Isn’t that a precious herb that weakens pain?”

Arne asked, surprised. Common Priests learned medicine, so Arne would likely know.

“You know it. That’s right. But at the same time, if you dry and process the petals, it becomes a powder that causes hallucinations and makes people dangerous. The Sorcerer was using powerless individuals to process it and supply it elsewhere.”

“So there’s a mastermind behind this.”

Given the scale, it was plausible. It was not a quantity that could be distributed or managed alone.

“Indeed.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I didn’t see their face clearly. However, I was present when the Sorcerer met them.”

“You said ‘them’.”

Gael nodded. Then he opened his mouth.

“Yes. It wasn’t just one person, but several. And they were all wearing black cloaks and masks.”

Instantly, the gazes of the group met. Black cloaks were a familiar sight. And the masks…

“Did you say masks?”

“Yes. They were strangely shaped masks. Like masks with distorted, laughing features. I’m sure of it.”