Chapter 004
Chapter 4. Jailbreak
“⋯⋯.”
Those violet eyes staring straight at me were terrifyingly ominous. The eyes of a ferocious predator that looked ready to swallow its prey in one bite.
I tried to slowly back away and widen the distance, but the moment this black-curtain bastard regained his mana, he moved faster than a mouse.
Whoosh.
A hand that cut through the air snatched up the plump body of this “mouse.”
Gulp.
I swallowed hard without realizing it.
The villain examined me, frozen stiff in his grasp, then muttered to himself.
“I can’t just leave something this suspicious in the sacred temple’s underground prison.”
⋯⋯Huh?
“Besides, even if it’s some cheap trick, it’s still interesting enough.”
Trick? Interesting? What the hell is he talking about?
While I was struggling to decipher his cryptic words, he flashed a bright smile and met my eyes.
“So, you’re coming with me.”
“!!”
My eyes nearly popped out at this lightning bolt of a development.
What? With you? Why me? Who decided that?!
“Squeeeeeak──!” (No way!)
I screamed with all my might.
But he was the super-powered final black curtain, and I was a powerless, ugly mouse.
【Transfer】
The black mana swirling around Calix Neferto surged violently for an instant, and in the blink of an eye, the scenery changed.
A beautiful night sky studded with countless stars was now right in front of my nose.
There was nothing blocking my view, so I thought we were on top of the temple spire… but no.
I instinctively glanced downward and froze solid.
The central temple, as huge as the Vatican, now looked like a tiny miniature model.
The fierce wind unique to extreme heights whipped through my perfectly groomed fur, turning it into a complete mess.
On pure instinct, I clung for dear life to the fingers wrapped around my torso.
A faint tremor traveled through those fingers.
When I looked up, the bastard was staring at the mouse in his hand and chuckling lowly.
‘This damn psycho! He’s laughing?!’
I wanted nothing more than to bite those fingers with all my strength.
But I couldn’t.
If he dropped me from here, I would literally become mouse paste.
Instead, I glared at him with every ounce of fury I could muster.
‘As expected from the final black-curtain villain.’
Laughing at the sight of a small, weak creature desperately clinging on?
Definite psychopath, maybe even sociopath!
“Why are you looking at me like that? Got a problem?”
I flinched and quickly looked away.
Those narrowed violet eyes suddenly widened.
“Oh, right. There was that guard.”
The smile vanished from his face without a trace.
I tilted my head in confusion.
“⋯⋯?”
“Got it. I’ll make sure he receives… well, not full punishment, but something close enough.”
After finishing his sentence on his own, he pulled a heavy-looking pouch out of thin air.
The pretty jingle-jangle sound made it obvious: a bag of gold coins.
‘Why is he suddenly—’
Before I could finish the thought, magic followed.
【Transfer】
“There. Done.”
I couldn’t hide my sour expression. I had already guessed where that gold pouch had been sent.
‘Pretending to care about others, my ass. He just had a personal grudge against that guard.’
Meanwhile, Calix Neferto gazed down, seemingly gauging the enemy forces below, then lightly clenched one hand.
Unpleasant, wicked mana began gathering in his fist.
I stopped cursing his lack of conscience and cheered wildly, waving my tiny precious fists.
‘Yes! That’s it! Calix Neferto! Blow away Marev, Noel, and Wayne, the leaders of the allied forces, right now!’
But the mana that had started forming a black sphere suddenly fizzled and scattered.
“⋯⋯?”
While my eyes nearly popped out in shock, he looked completely unfazed, as if he had expected it.
He opened and closed his fist a few times, then spat out in a dry voice,
“As expected. I really have weakened.”
⋯⋯Excuse me?
***
The Saintess, Linzia, was the last hope that bloomed in a world abandoned by the gods.
Without hesitation, she sacrificed herself for the divine oracle that declared only a soul from another dimension could save this world.
She handed her body over to the visitor from another world and entered the void herself.
Approximately two years and six months later.
Her soul, wandering aimlessly through the void, was suddenly drawn toward a warm, familiar energy.
Soon after, with the thrilling sensation of the final puzzle piece clicking into place, she opened her shining eyes.
“Saintess Linzia-nim.”
“Yo, Linzia. You awake?”
Familiar faces poured out familiar voices.
Then a beautiful face pushed through the crowd and filled her vision.
“Linzia.”
At that voice she had missed so desperately, tears burst out uncontrollably.
“Lord Marev!”
“Linzi.”
Marev called her by the nickname only he was allowed and pulled her into his arms.
Linzia buried herself in his embrace with all her strength, feeling his warmth, his breath, his heartbeat.
Rubbing her cheek against the chest she had longed for, she begged,
“Please hold me tighter. So I can really feel that I’m back in reality.”
In the void, where even time did not exist, an instant was eternity and eternity was an instant—a bizarre place.
Normally, a mortal human soul would shatter in moments.
Yet Linzia had endured it steadfastly and emerged victorious.
For Marev Neferto and the continent he would rule, she had silently borne that horrific eternity.
‘Ah… I’m happy.’
Feeling the strong arms wrapped around her, Linzia smiled blissfully.
With this, the world had overcome its destined “ruin.”
And she had earned the right to be happy forever with the one she loved.
This was the natural conclusion.
Good deeds should rightly be rewarded.
That’s how it was supposed to be…
“Your Highness! Terrible news!”
The smile on Linzia’s lips shattered into pieces by the sudden intrusion of an imperial knight.
“What is it?”
When Marev openly displayed his displeasure, the knight prostrated himself on the floor with an ashamed face and reported,
“Urgent report! Calix Neferto has released all his mana-sealing restraints and escaped from the temple’s underground prison.”
“What? How the hell did that happen?”
“It appears one of the temple guards handed him the keys to the mana restraints.”
At those words, Holy Knight Wayne exploded.
“Refrain from baseless slander! No member of the temple would side with that vile demon!”
But the imperial knight glared back.
“Slander? The temple should stop protecting its own so disgracefully. All evidence has already been secured.”
“Evidence…?”
“Not only were the guard’s keys found inside the cell, but a huge pile of gold coins of unknown origin was discovered in his dormitory!”
“Th-that’s…”
While Wayne reeled in shock, Marev’s face twisted horribly as he roared,
“Is this the time to play the blame game?”
The two knights shut their mouths with ashamed expressions.
Marev clicked his tongue and muttered through gritted teeth while glaring at them,
“Useless trash.”
Linzia knew those words weren’t directed at her.
Yet her shoulders flinched anyway.
But Marev didn’t even glance at her and immediately ordered the Magic Tower Master.
“Noel. There was no physical struggle during the escape, so he must have used spatial transfer magic. Go to the underground prison right now and trace the residual mana.”
“Yeeees.”
Noel answered reluctantly, his annoyance plain on his face, and stood up.
Linzia stepped forward, blocking his way.
“I’ll go with you, Noel.”
Her face had somehow returned to its eerily perfect composure.
Both Noel and Marev widened their eyes at the same time.
Linzia curved her beautiful champagne-colored eyes into soft crescents toward Marev.
“It’s the temple’s mistake, isn’t it? Then I should take responsibility.”
Noel momentarily frowned and tilted his head.
Take “responsibility” for the temple’s mistake?
That was something the Pope would say.
Of course, with the papal seat currently vacant, it made sense for the next highest authority—the Saintess—to act as proxy.
The problem was that the one who had dethroned the Pope was none other than the possessor.
‘There’s no way the freshly awakened Linzia knows that… right?’
Noel harbored that doubt, but Second Prince Marev apparently did not share it.
“But Linzi, you only just regained consciousness. It would be troublesome if you pushed yourself and harmed your health.”
At Marev’s words, Noel forgot his earlier suspicion and nodded vigorously.
“Exactly. Plus, Linzia, honestly you’re not even that helpful—”
He was rambling thoughtlessly when he caught Wayne’s murderous glare and hurriedly changed his tune.
“—is what I meant, but you’ll still be useful for the pass! Fine, let’s go together!”
At those words, Linzia’s eyes flashed cold for an instant, but she quickly hid the chill and acted as if nothing had happened.
