~Chapter 144~
“Mariana!”
Clang!
Even when I smashed the barrier with my musket, it didn’t budge.
Punching it? Of course that didn’t work either.
Using a divine shield like this… smart.
Problem was—I couldn’t get out.
‘Damn it!’
I just escaped a prison, and now I’m stuck in another cage?
“Mariana! Stop this!”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Please… please just stay inside. I don’t want to kill you…”
The Pope shouted, furious at her hesitation.
“Useless girl! I didn’t tell you to just block her! This time, kill her! Pick up that dagger and stab her!”
“…”
“If you don’t, what will happen to the people you care for, hm?”
“But…”
“I said do it properly!”
I ignored his barking and called to her gently.
“Mariana. Look at me, just for a second. Forget the bald guy’s voice.”
I had something I needed to tell her.
Thankfully, she did look.
I forced myself to stay calm.
“I can’t pretend to know how you feel right now… but you feel guilty, don’t you?”
Her earlier words echoed in my head:
“I’m so, so sorry… truly, really sorry…”
She had meant it.
In the original story, the heroine was kind-hearted. Fragile-looking, but strong-willed and good.
That’s why Captain Istar fell for her.
This time, she had just been found by the wrong person at the wrong time.
And used against her will.
“I know this isn’t something you wanted to do.”
“I…”
“Of course, that doesn’t erase everything. I know that too.”
But deep down—I couldn’t deny this was partly my fault too.
“And you do feel sorry, don’t you?”
“…”
“If you’re sorry, and you want to fix it, then you can.”
“…”
“People who want to make things right… always find a way.”
Her eyes trembled.
I looked right into them and added,
“And the people you look after—they’ll be okay.”
“…How can you know that?”
Because I knew her role in the original story.
And because of what the Pope had just shouted.
“That bald bastard is using them as hostages, right? Don’t worry.”
“…”
“Because I’m going to step out there and beat him bloody myself.”
The Pope’s eyebrows twitched.
I lifted a fist like I was ready to brawl.
“Don’t let the looks fool you. I can fight. Knocking a bald fraud off his throne will be easy.”
“…”
“I’ll smash him before he can even tell the priests outside. Then you and I will get out of here.”
Mariana’s eyes shook even harder now.
The Pope roared, “And you believe this nonsense?!”
But even that didn’t turn her gaze away from me.
“Come with me. Let’s fix this mess together.”
“But I helped cause this…”
“I told you—we’ll find a way to fix it.”
“…Do you really believe that?”
“Yes. No matter how deep the wound, if you treat it, it heals. A scar might remain, but it’ll close.”
That was what I was trying to do too—make up for my mistakes.
“You can do it too, Mariana.”
“…”
“It’s okay to fail. Then try again. Fail again? Then try once more.”
Reina told me once—messing up isn’t the end. As long as you take responsibility and keep moving forward.
“I…”
“Even the you who makes mistakes is still you. And the you who fixes them—that’s you too.”
I wasn’t just saying this to sound nice.
“If it’s too hard, I’ll help you.”
“…!”
“I’ll help you find your path again.”
Because it was partly my fault she had lost it.
And because I knew what it was like to be lost, and to find the way again.
Her eyes lit up—bright, hopeful.
Crack!
A fissure split across the barrier.
‘Now!’
Bang!
I fired, and the shield shattered like glass.
The glowing shards sparkled before vanishing.
“You wretched—!”
Bang!
My next bullet knocked the Pope’s staff out of his hand.
Bang, bang!
The crystal at its tip shattered into pieces.
“Damn it!”
Cursing, the Pope ducked behind the gate.
Good. Now he couldn’t summon any more monsters.
“Thank you. Leave the rest to me,” Mariana said, eyes shining with hope.
Her gaze sparkled as brightly as the shards of the broken shield.
I felt my chest swell.
‘Yes… this is how she’s meant to look. Not lifeless, but radiant.’
Seeing it so clearly, I realized—
‘She really is… beautiful.’
No wonder she was the heroine. Even worn down and weary, she was stunning.
‘Like a porcelain doll…’
Sear.
I froze. A burning stare was drilling into the side of my head.
I turned.
Karl, still bound, was glaring like a betrayed husband catching his wife cheating.
Crack!
Another chain snapped as he strained, blood spilling down his arm.
“Karl, stop! You’re hurting yourself—”
“No wonder you mentioned separate rooms.”
“What?”
“You’re flirting with another woman in front of your husband?”
“…What the hell are you talking about?”
“Look at her eyes! She’s in love with you!”
“What?!”
Nonsense. Pure nonsense!
I turned to Mariana, ready to explain—then froze.
Her eyes… sparkled far too brightly.
“…Is this… love?” she whispered.
What?!
“When you help me, it feels like I can do anything. The world looks beautiful… is this love?”
“No, no, calm down! I’m married!”
Before I could set that disaster straight—
“It’s not over yet!”
The Pope’s voice boomed.
He peeked out from behind the gate, looking utterly pathetic.
I glared and muttered,
“You’re pitiful. You don’t even know what love is.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Someone had to say it.”
“You dare mock me?! Enough!”
“Or what? Your staff’s broken. Just give up—”
“Hah! I don’t need it!”
“…What?”
“Elaine! Look!” Karl shouted.
I spun around.
‘…What?’
The vial of Karl’s blood—the Pope must’ve thrown it earlier—was being pulled like a magnet toward the crystal gate.
Toward the final empty slot.
It was about to fit in.
“…!”
“This is the end!” the Pope crowed.
Time seemed to slow.
The Pope, triumphant.
Mariana, horrified.
The Eyeball, flashing a frantic warning.
‘No… too late…’
Then Karl’s eyes met mine.
Steady. Certain.
‘Shoot, Elaine.’
He mouthed the words, without a shred of doubt.
Click.
I raised my musket.
“Nooo—!”
The Pope lunged. Mariana blocked him, shoving him aside.
Bang!
My bullet shattered the vial before it could slot into place.
Clatter.
Glass shards and blood droplets fell to the floor.
“NOOO!”
The Pope’s scream ripped through the chamber.
The ominous rumbling from the gate stopped.
Silence fell.
“…That was easy,” I said with a smirk.
The Pope dropped to his knees, wailing.
“No! No! I was so close! Centuries of knowledge, of work—!”
I winked at the Eyeball tucked at my side.
It looked at me like, Not bad.
I snorted.
“You didn’t do a thing, you useless dragon head.”
The Eyeball blinked indignantly.
“Why did I even bring you along?”
Didn’t matter now.
I dropped my musket and ran straight to Karl.
“Karl!”
“…I’ll free him!”
Mariana rushed forward, pouring divine power into the chains.
Snap, snap.
The bindings broke apart, clattering to the floor.
Too much blood stained the ground. My heart ached at the sight.
I caught Karl as he fell free and sighed.
“Look at you. Scars on such a beautiful body… what a waste.”
“No returns.”
“Good. I wasn’t planning to return you. I’ll just fix you up.”
I ripped strips from my cloak and pressed them to his wounds.
“Don’t ever disappear on me like that again.”
“…I was scared too. Hold me.”
Before I could, he pulled me into his arms.
I didn’t push him away. I wrapped him tight, pressing cloth to his bleeding arm—
“Elaine!”
Bang!
The door burst open. Captain Istar stormed inside.
