NOVEL WEB Chapter 187
Minette opened her eyes.
Their location was far removed from the sandy plains, reminiscent of a wasteland desert.
The only exception being that, thanks to the oases and strangely shaped trees providing shade and shelter, this was still possibly the middle of a desert.
“…….”
Ever since the imperial princess left in haste, Minette’s priority had been to care for those traveling with her.
She wasn’t entirely normal either, but at least her condition was better than the others.
And this was entirely due to the battle response strategy carefully laid out beforehand by the princess herself.
If anyone among us needed to conserve their strength the most, it was first the dragon Betestus, and secondly, Minette herself.
This was because, should they survive in this harsh environment, if they were burdened with the injured or critically wounded, the only ones capable of handling them would be these two.
And that judgment was not wrong.
Even Minette could instantly recognize how the princess had defined the situation subjectively yet thoroughly rationally.
‘Still, there’s no way I could’ve handled this alone.’
Which is why the help from those two came as somewhat of a surprise.
Delica and Cain, who until now had stood idly by while their master wreaked havoc, ended up helping them.
[There’s no reason for me to hold grudges against someone I feel gratitude towards.]
At the very least, her words weren’t false, which she proved through her actions.
Cain, the demon bearing that name, seemed to disagree.
[Anyway, once the world is completely burned, all grudges will naturally be settled.]
For example, Delica didn’t see any need to indulge in personal desires when her master intended to destroy the world.
Gratitude, however, was different.
“…….”
No matter how you look at it, she’s not sane.
Even if you argue that her sincere kindness was forcibly rationalized into such bizarre logic, her behavior and attitude were just too earnest for that.
The true intentions behind the young girl’s innocent appearance have long surpassed the bounds of normalcy.
In a very bad way, that is.
“…….”
How many days have passed?
And today of all days, those who had lain like dead rats one by one began to stir awake.
Unlike their earlier fragile state, watching them open their eyes properly gave Minette a sense that something had changed.
‘Did she resolve it?’
The imperial princess walked alone across the desert.
As if knowing a method only she could understand.
The sole and irreplaceable solution to this crisis.
Taking on the curse meant for others voluntarily—a tactic far removed from sanity.
Even Delica and Cain, who had watched over her, couldn’t hide their shock… so it mustn’t have been a normal approach.
But the worst part was that she had borne the entirety of the curses embraced by the group, all by herself.
Just how much… patience and mental fortitude does she possess?
If it had been Minette herself, she wouldn’t have been able to endure it.
There seemed to be no one here capable of enduring such torment.
Not even the knight who bore the legacy of the Great Demon King alongside her, nor the towering elf, the holy maiden, or the mighty dragon were exceptions.
None of them were.
Perhaps facing pain has nothing to do with racial superiority, abilities, or strength.
Then what makes the princess so extraordinary that she can withstand it?
When asked, she simply replied.
[You get used to it after experiencing enough.]
“…….”
The makeshift tent buzzed with signs of life.
Minette picked up a leather bag filled with oasis water and headed toward them.
====
“Captain. Do you really think they’ll forgive us by doing this?”
“Forgiveness?”
At the pale man’s words, the girl curled her lip upward dismissively.
“Do something to gain forgiveness? That’s pathetic nonsense. I’m purely doing this because neither do they need to be our allies nor our enemies.”
“Are you not aware that statement itself is a gross contradiction?”
“Ah, maybe I’ve softened too much? Is it because I’m young? My emotions seem to have grown richer lately.”
This time, Cain responded with an indifferent scolding and a snort.
“Make sense, will you? Wait a minute. Didn’t you joke about similar nonsense last time?”
Just then, out from beyond Cain’s shadow emerged a sheep-like head with a large frame.
It licked its lips and muttered.
“I would’ve devoured them all already.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to come out?”
Unable to bear it anymore, Delica stomped on the sheep with her foot.
“Ahhh! Why! Whyyy!”
Despite the loud protests, it quietly retreated back into the shadows.
“When our lord returns, all of them will die anyway.”
“At that point, blame their own fate.”
“…You never intend to stop them, do you?”
“Our doom is inevitable. If she decides to expedite the demise of a few bothersome ones, there’s no reason to complain or feel sorry for them. On the day the world burns, even the humblest and kindest couples, children, and elders will equally turn to ashes and dust. The mountains, rivers, plants, and animals—none will be spared.”
“…….”
She’s insane.
But precisely because she’s insane, she remains passive and lets the destruction unfold, observing it without interference.
What’s worse, she seems willing to cooperate and facilitate it.
At the very least, this is our final chance.
In that sense.
“…Is this also something your great senses and intellect foresaw?”
“Are you kidding me?”
From beyond the horizon, a figure approached.
Even before it reached nearby,
the two could only stand there silently waiting, as if hypnotized.
====
“Carriel.”
Geoffrey wondered if this was a dream or reality.
How did things spiral so out of control, tangled and knotted into this mess?
Carriel. Watching him settle Elheurmina inside the tent, Geoffrey, as the eldest present, momentarily fell into confusion about what to do next.
Geoffrey had woken up less than half a day ago. His body was in terrible shape, and this was a spiritual issue that even magic struggled to heal.
Physically, he managed to restore some vitality through magic, but mentally, there are limits to what can be done.
Even this much recovery was thanks to forcefully subduing his consciousness; otherwise, enduring that maddening pain would likely have driven him insane or left indelible mental scars.
Having witnessed countless cases where people’s minds broke down under pressure, Geoffrey himself wasn’t exactly an exception.
“You damn brat. What the hell happened? Why is Ellie in such a state? Say something!”
An old friend met after a long time.
A childhood friend, or perhaps simply a close acquaintance—it didn’t matter much—but…
The presence standing before him now felt alien to both Carriel and Drake themselves.
More than alien, it was like a massive fence or wall had risen between them.
“…”
“If emotions collide, it’ll complicate things further. So, allow me—who accompanied her—to explain the situation objectively and rationally. If everyone agrees, that is.”
At this suggestion from the elegant girl with silver hair and pale skin, both Geoffrey and Hamren instinctively frowned.
“Like a vampire or something…”
“Shall we take care of it?”
Zora expressed her bewilderment more than indignation.
“Hold on, hold on! What are you talking about taking care of?! Who? What?! Are we living in an era where you can just act recklessly like that?!”
Drake intervened with a grimace.
“Both of you, calm down. Anyway, we can hear from him later. Since you’ve stepped forward, go ahead and explain what happened.”
“Do people here know anything about manners?”
“Don’t make a fuss before chewing.”
Zora grumbled, and then a youth with white hair sitting cross-legged in the tent structure growled.
“Ughh…”
Zora made a face expressing her grievance, appearing genuinely frightened, yet she continued explaining fluently despite that.
To summarize, Elheurmina obtained a specific power within an ancient ruin, somehow using it to lift the curse affecting them.
During the process, she clashed with Carriel—and the villain you guys created—but although she drove the villain away, she suffered fatal injuries in the process.
While this account differed significantly from the truth, Zora simplified it for easier understanding.
Listening to this explanation with a displeased expression, Geoffrey finally asked breathlessly:
“So, you fought the Demon King of this era and ended up like this, is that true?”
“I didn’t participate; I merely observed. Do you think I’m in a position to fight the Demon King?”
“Showing off, aren’t you?”
“It’s because I’m useless that I know my place! Is that my fault?!”
Zora defiantly shot back, looking genuinely aggrieved.
“Ultimately, regarding the prophecy about Carriel entangling with the Demon King and becoming one himself, what’s the status of that? Is it still ongoing?”
“…”
“How am I supposed to know?” Drake’s voice deepened as Geoffrey absently stroked his silvery hair.
“Ellie. I wish to have her safely transported to Rutania.”
At this moment, Carriel nonchalantly stated his intention, causing Drake to glare fiercely at him again.
“So, you’re saying you’ll just walk away after leaving her in this state? You don’t seem to realize what you’ve done—putting the empire’s first heir to the throne in this condition due to your negligence!”
“…”
Carriel stared calmly into Drake’s peach-like eyes.
He saw no trace of Elheurmina’s piercing insight in the person standing before him.
“Was she particularly special?”
The will of the world.
A grand yet vague and lofty phrase.
Even Carriel had never clearly defined or concluded what it meant.
Probably because he was overly fixated on destiny and fate.
However, even without the same abilities as him, Elheurmina approached the truth and essence of the world through the power of the Great Demon King’s legacy alone.
“What are you talking about? Speak plainly!”
“To cut to the chase, what she needs now is physical recovery. Next comes mental recovery. More accurately, soul recovery. And this… is a role I must fulfill, which cannot be achieved by returning to Rutania. That’s why I won’t return.”
“You son of a…”
“Geoffrey.”
Upon being addressed directly, Geoffrey reluctantly responded.
“Yeah, yeah. What?”
“…I wish to see the World Tree.”
“The World Tree?!”
Why bring that up now?
Whether Geoffrey pondered this or not, Carriel simply nodded slightly to indicate his intent.
“Yes. The order differs from what I anticipated, but now we have no choice.”
Drake interjected again.
“Does this relate to Ellie’s recovery?”
“I can’t guarantee it. But we have no other options.”
“…You’re spouting cryptic nonsense again. Right now, you’re… technically a major criminal and traitor whom I could arrest without any issues. Yet you remain shameless…”
“Hold on.”
A dragon lurking in the corner bared its teeth menacingly as it interrupted.
“Human. This is the way to save Ellie. If you want to regret and vent over what’s already happened, then kindly step aside, will you?”
After intimidating Drake this way, the dragon soon locked its reptilian gaze onto Carriel’s eyes as if trying to pierce through him.
“Judgment and punishment can wait until after Elheurmina is saved. Isn’t that right, you annoying warrior brat?”
“…”
Carriel steadied his breathing.
“As much as I hate to admit it, don’t insult me. You damn reptile.”
“There? Are you asking for death now?”
A powerful electric current erupted from Carriel’s clenched fist.
“…This isn’t right.”
Using borrowed power to boast strength is the height of foolishness.
“Now give it back. Jeffse.”
As if responding to his words, the electric current that threatened to burn his hand moments ago vanished without a trace.
“Civilization is built on illusions. And myths are constructed from fabrications. Thus, your very existence represents the ultimate pinnacle of fiction and delusion in this world.”
“Do you have time to recite poetry in front of me?”
As the dragon unleashed its overwhelming aura, the air around it violently swirled.
A being capable of influencing objects and phenomena merely by manifesting its will.
Yet that very presence stood before him now.
“…”
Suddenly, everything became nullified.
“…?”
Simultaneously, the unique intimidation and aura possessed by the dragon dissipated as if washed away.
All that remained was an empty void.
A complete absence of sensation.
Before he knew it, Betestus, whose collar was grabbed, allowed himself to be easily struck by the black-gloved fist.
Pow!
“Kehk!”
Even though he shouldn’t feel pain or impact from something like this.
Steel striking his body would normally shatter or bend.
Especially when there was no mana reinforcement or enhancement involved.
…So what is this pain? And what is this impact?
“After returning from ‘that place,’ I developed a strong aversion to gods and godlike beings. So stop flaunting powers borrowed from others. It pisses me off.”
With that, Betestus’s body collapsed heavily to the ground.
“Krk!”
Momentarily bewildered by the humiliating disgrace and inexplicable feeling, a resurgence of unstoppable power welled up within him.
As if everything that happened moments ago was a mere illusion or a deceptive dream.
“Wha… What did you do, human?”
“…”
While observing Betestus dryly, Carriel stood there.
At the entrance of the tent, someone entered.
“Going out hunting in the wilderness without thinking is really… Huh? What’s going on?”
“…”
“Che.”
Betestus stuck out his tongue upon seeing the human female entering the tent.
“Keep going. Let me watch too. After all, men fighting each other isn’t uncommon, right? You think so too, don’t you?”
Carriel?
“…”
Allesia.
Although it had been a long time since they last met,
he treated it like they’d only been apart for a few days.
That sense of unreality? Dissonance? Whatever it was, it was confusing on multiple levels.
“Just step outside. There’s no need to cause a commotion indoors. With so few of us gathered in such a confined space… wouldn’t it bother her too?”
Allesia glanced sideways at the princess as she reminded everyone, prompting the others inside to reluctantly rise.
Watching this, she casually addressed Carriel.
“Long time no see, huh?”
“…”
“Anyway, you should come out too unless there’s a compelling reason for you to stay.”
“…”
Before the crowd crowded near the entrance, Allesia had already stepped out of the tent.
Once everyone exited the tent, Carriel, with a heavy heart, took one last look at the motionless Elheurmina.
And with composure, he followed everyone outside the tent.