Chapter 76
“The connection magic circle was weakening, so I went ahead and fixed it.”
At the mention that he had even repaired the magic circle amidst everything else, Evelyn let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you sure you’re not the one who should be the Hero, not me?”
“Being a genius isn’t the qualification for a Hero, you know.”
“…”
She had always been called a genius in her own right, but compared to him, she felt woefully lacking.
“The Hero is defined by the sword anyway.”
“If you say so.”
As Evelyn tried to pull herself together, Raven let out a short laugh.
“We should probably inform Master.”
Click.
“Inform him of what?”
As a knock sounded and the door opened, Elliott walked in, having changed his clothes.
“We found the magic circle connected to the Evil God’s seal.”
“That’s insane. It was inside the ruins?”
Having heard that the garden was in chaos, Elliott had come straight to the drawing room and now roughly ran a hand through his hair.
“At first, we thought it was the actual seal, but it wasn’t. It was connected to another hidden seal somewhere. I reinforced it too, since the magic circle was damaged.”
“The Evil God’s seal… that would be in the lake on the snowy mountain.”
Raven’s eyes lit up at Elliott’s solemn words.
“The real seal is at the lake?! May I go see it? That might help me understand why they were connected.”
He looked completely absorbed by curiosity.
Elliott turned his gaze to Evelyn, silently asking if it was okay to just leave Raven unchecked.
“We should head to the lake immediately.”
“No. We need to go to the capital first. You need to be examined and purified by a priest.”
Evelyn stopped Raven, who looked ready to dash to the mountain right then and there.
“I already tried using holy magic just in case, and I’m fine.”
When one’s soul was tainted by darkness, they couldn’t use holy magic.
“Hmm. Still, it’s better to do as Evelyn says and see a priest.”
“And if the priest asks why? Should I just say I saw the Evil God’s seal?”
“There are allies of the Grand Duke’s family in the capital. You needn’t worry about that.”
Elliott observed Raven carefully. Since Raven rarely acted normal, it was hard to tell whether he was possessed or not.
“If we’re going to investigate the magic circle properly, we do need to inform Master.”
Noticing their scrutinizing gazes, Raven let out a light laugh.
No matter how gifted he was, he was still a child compared to the 8th-circle Tower Master.
“To properly maintain the magic circle… no, since Evelyn has been chosen as the Hero, the Evil God will definitely resurrect.”
Raven had been about to suggest they reinforce the seal further, but then he paused and rubbed his forehead.
He couldn’t tell if it was better to hold on a bit longer or let things proceed as fate intended.
“Let’s just summon the Tower Master to the north.”
More and more people were becoming aware of the secret. Elliott understood it was inevitable but still wanted to control the flow of information tightly.
“And let’s request that a priest be dispatched to the north as well.”
Having a temple in the territory meant hefty maintenance costs. The north had shut down its temples long ago because the demands for just a few priests were endless.
Since then, they had been relying on holy water from the central temple, but considering the battles to come, even the temples would soon need to acknowledge the danger.
“Are you planning to inform the temple of the whole truth?”
“No. But I do plan to make them uneasy. We can’t hide everything forever.”
Elliott shook his head at Evelyn’s question.
Even now, more of the servants were growing curious about where the knights kept disappearing to.
“Then let’s establish a cooperative relationship with the Magic Tower.”
Raven quickly spoke up in response to Elliott’s concerns.
“Aside from the knights, the Tower holds the strongest forces, doesn’t it?”
Most mages were affiliated with the Tower. Next came the imperial family, noble houses, and then unaffiliated individuals.
“We’ll become your greatest allies.”
Evelyn’s eyes sparkled at Raven’s words.
“Then, you’re going to be my companion?!”
“No. I’ll do my best as a Tower mage.”
Raven shook his head firmly. This was a chance for the Tower to profit.
Even if the Grand Duke charged them for using the ruins, it wouldn’t matter as long as they improved their skills.
And when he thought about all the byproducts he could obtain while staying in the north, it was a win.
“Why not just agree?”
“We don’t need the label ‘companion’ to work together. I don’t want to be tied down by such titles.”
Besides, being labeled as “the Hero and her party” and being dragged around everywhere sounded exhausting.
He preferred his current lifestyle—researching at the Tower and commuting to the ruins.
“Are you really not going to let me visit the lake? I want to see the seal.”
“Not alone. Once the Tower Master arrives, you may go together.”
Elliott, who had been silently listening to the exchange, finally spoke.
“As he said, there’s no need to attach the word ‘companion’ to anyone. When the time comes, those who are needed will naturally gather in the north.”
In the past, no one had known of the Evil God’s resurrection or that someone had been chosen as the Hero.
Only after people had naturally gathered, the Holy Sword had been granted by the goddess, and the one who received it was revealed as the Hero—only then did people recognize the group as the Hero’s companions.
It would be the same now.
Those needed to defeat the Evil God would gather around Evelyn.
‘And I’ll be the one she trusts the most.’
Elliott’s face stiffened just as he was smiling in satisfaction.
He remembered Evelyn throwing herself in front of a monster for a child earlier. The way she had leaped onto the monster without hesitation had sent chills down his spine.
At the same time, he had felt terrified. This wasn’t the first time—Evelyn had a dangerous tendency to throw herself into harm’s way.
Maybe it was confidence from her skill, but…
To Elliott, it looked reckless and dangerous.
“I’ll try improving the training magic circle a bit more.”
As if sitting still was a waste of time, Raven quickly left the drawing room.
‘Did they fight?’
The sharp glances that passed over him were intense. They both seemed calm on the surface, but Raven sensed something off.
But it wasn’t his place to meddle in someone else’s fight.
And besides, the Grand Duke wouldn’t say anything to upset the Hero.
With that carefree thought, Raven hummed a tune as he made his way toward the ruins.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Silence filled the room, now that they were alone. Elliott knew he’d been wrong to raise his voice earlier.
“As you saw, I wasn’t hurt.”
Evelyn turned her gaze away as she spoke. Seeing him speak so cautiously reminded her of what Rain had said earlier.
‘Elliott likes me?’
Ridiculous.
But the way his eyes examined her so intently, so seriously—she couldn’t dismiss it.
“Really, I’m fine. I’m stronger than before, too.”
“I know. But I still can’t help worrying about your safety.”
Elliott deliberately let his face drop, relaxed his shoulders, tilted his chin slightly, and leaned his head.
“…”
Evelyn couldn’t look away from his face.
Elliott suppressed the laugh rising in his throat, exhaled softly, rubbed his face with one hand, and finally managed to speak.
“I’m still a little scared.”
His low voice made Evelyn’s heart race.
This man who always seemed cold and strong like a snowy mountain was now showing vulnerability in front of her.
What is going on? Before her thoughts could catch up, Elliott continued.
“I know it’s right to save people in danger, but I can’t stand watching you throw yourself in harm’s way for others.”
“Oh…”
At his trembling voice, Evelyn finally recalled the former Grand Duke and Duchess.
When Elliott was still a teenager, they had sacrificed their lives to save the people of the territory.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you with what I did.”
Evelyn waved her hands in panic.
“I just did what felt natural in the moment. I wasn’t trying to make you relive painful memories.”
Her voice faded. Elliott slowly raised his gaze. Evelyn thought she saw moisture glimmering at the corners of his eyes.
If not, then how could his eyes hold such deep sorrow?
“Then, please promise me.”
“Promise what?”
For a moment, she wondered if he was trying to seduce her to get what he wanted—but seeing his tightly pressed lips, even that thought vanished.
“Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous for my sake.”
“But saving people is—”
“Please trust me. Rely on me.”
At his earnest plea, Evelyn could do nothing but nod.
