<Chapter 16>

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

I did not want to admit it, but it was true, and with no memories, no home, and even an uncertain identity, the only place I could lean on for now was Roakin.

At least by his side, I felt safe.

As he said, I believed he would not harm me without reason.

Even though I had been cared for as if I were being raised in captivity, ridiculously enough, it seemed like he truly cherished me.

Instead of replying further, I lowered his sleeve back down.

I did not know what to call this twisted emotion, but for now, it was a white flag.

When I saw the scar on the back of his hand from where I had attacked him, my heart softened even more.

After all, he had come to save me at a life-or-death moment.

Hesitantly, I lifted my gaze slowly from his hand to his face.

Unexpectedly, he did not look particularly angry with me.

Rather, as if reading my worry, he answered my unspoken concern.

“Even if you stab me with a blade, it would not hurt more than a cat’s scratch.”

He had even remembered my rather ungraceful farewell.

“And that damn sadist Bente too.”

“Th-that was…”

As if cutting off my excuse, cold fingers touched the back of my neck.

Then I was pulled forward as though into an embrace.

His chest suddenly filled my vision.

Firm and broad, it was truly a tempting sculpture no matter how many times I saw it.

If only I could forget that the owner of this sculpture was the Demon King…

No, that would be dangerous.

True to a Demon King, he was exceptionally skilled at temptation.

Barely regaining my senses, I stiffened my neck.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Stay still.”

Unlike his cool hands, his hot breath brushed against my ear.

When I came to my senses, the spot where his hand had lingered was now adorned with Shaikan’s pendant.

He could have just handed it to me, so why go through the trouble of putting it on?

Watching me stand there stiffly, he tilted his chin slightly.

“It’s yours.”

“Is it?”

Strictly speaking, I had inevitably stolen it.

As I absentmindedly fiddled with the pendant, an information window appeared.

[‘Vashati’s Tear (Legendary)’: A jewel refined from the tear of the ancient mermaid Vashati, imbued with mystical power.]

At the extraordinary description, my conscience flipped over like a pancake.

Well, finders keepers.

It is always beneficial to hoard items, and if it is a legendary item, then it is inevitably mine now.

I rejoiced at the unexpected gain before suddenly realizing my situation and snapping my head up.

“Ah, but why am I here? What about Shaikan? What happened?”

“…I did not kill him.”

When he had rolled up his sleeve earlier, I had clearly seen it.

Battle wounds were scattered across his arm.

As my eyes darted anxiously, Roakin corrected himself.

“We did not fight to the death, so do not worry.”

“That is not reassuring at all.”

“He is safe.”

So you did know, even though you always pretended not to.

Looking around the rather luxurious interior, I asked about my own situation this time.

“Am I locked up again?”

“You know the answer to that.”

I turned away from the sunlit window and glared at him sharply.

Thanks to Shaikan, my character information window had been activated, so I wondered if something would now appear for Roakin as well.

[Recovering corrupted data.]

[ Data collision detected.]

[Information does not exist.]

Ugh, just what are you?

Whether I fumed or not, Roakin, who had won even our staring contest, left the room with the same dry expression from start to finish.

As if switching shifts, Peligan entered.

Placing a simple meal on the bedside table, he pressed me back down onto the bed when I tried to get up.

“For whatever reason, it seems His Majesty the Demon King needs you, so stay quietly, and abandon any thoughts of escape.”

“As if I would obediently listen to a kidnapper.”

“Shall I do something worse?”

“You demon!”

“Of course I am a demon, do I look like an angel?”

Seeing that Peligan’s expression remained completely unaffected, I deflated.

After he poured me water, I regained some strength and asked,

“So where exactly are we?”

“The northernmost territory ruled by His Majesty the Demon King.”

“Though it is close to the Middle Realm, it is undeniably Demon territory, so avoid attracting attention from demons if possible.”

Taking the empty cup from me, Peligan quickly added,

“Actually, you may walk anywhere inside the castle, but do not step outside the gates.”

“Even if I wanted to, my leg was broken, remember?”

I had thought it strange that there was no pain despite what should have been shattered bones.

My leg, not even wrapped in bandages, looked perfectly fine.

Peligan plucked a grape from a plate and gestured casually.

“You could probably run without issue.”

“We used a top-grade potion.”

Just like last time when my scars disappeared, why did the Demon King even possess items capable of healing a saintess?

I rotated my ankle and pressed at my flesh.

Watching me, Peligan let out a heavy sigh.

“Ah, that was one of the last two remaining.”

“Since you arrived, we have used them all, so I will have to stop by Midcity soon.”

“It is such a rare item that I do not even know if it will appear on the black market.”

“Potions are that rare?”

Each human kingdom had at least one temple.

That meant potions were common in shops.

Peligan could not hide his regret.

“It was not just any potion.”

“It was a rare potion capable of purifying even Error contamination.”

“The manufacturer is unknown, and it is no longer distributed, so it is a complete premium limited edition!”

“What? You used something that precious on my leg? Are you insane?”

“Exactly my point!”

“It is something we would hesitate to use even if someone were on their last breath.”

“His Majesty’s recklessness is truly… ahem.”

Peligan, who had unconsciously agreed with me, suddenly coughed awkwardly and left, telling me to rest comfortably.

Ah, if I had pushed a little more, something might have slipped out.

Though disappointed, I set it aside and picked up a piece of bread before walking to the window.

When I opened it, the scenery was completely different from where I had once been confined.

That place had felt like an isolated tower, but this looked like a lively city district.

From the front of the castle gates, stalls selling fruits, vegetables, accessories, and clothes lined every corner of the streets.

As my gaze swept toward the green fields beyond the market, a new window appeared.

[ New quest generated.]

[ _{Find the grave of Lamia Rekitas, located within a 3km radius.]}

[Reward: Hidden memory unlocked.]

So what Shaikan said was true.

I had thought my body had been completely burned away by magma.

Shaikan had said he buried me himself, and this region was near the Middle Realm.

Considering the territorial wars of the past, it was plausible.

For some reason, I felt Shaikan would have chosen land overlooking the sea, so I first narrowed it down to the greenery adjacent to the coastline.

After scanning the view for a long time, I roughly completed a mental map.

Only then did I suddenly realize my situation.

“Ah, right. I am imprisoned.”

How was I supposed to leave the castle without being noticed?

As I sighed, feeling blocked from the very first step, something tapped against my ankle.

When I looked down, I met the round, blue eyes of a familiar snake.

Joy surged through me.

“Pepe! You were here too!”

I had named Pepe because whenever the snake opened its mouth, it made a small “pe, pe” sound.

Perhaps recognizing that I was calling it, Pepe bounced in place.

“I was worried after we got separated like that.”

Squatting down and offering my palm, Pepe slithered up gently before repeating the motion again.

It was a familiar gesture.

Without another word, I stood up, put on a robe that covered me to my toes, and nodded.

“You want me to follow, right? Lead the way.”

With Pepe’s head moving first as if smiling, I hurried after it.

Following Pepe, we skillfully avoided the patrol timings and reached the interior of the castle.

However, Pepe did not head toward the main gate and instead descended underground.

Though my heart pounded, I had never suffered a loss by listening to Pepe before, so I followed silently.

The place we eventually arrived at was a dust-covered armory.

Inside, Pepe climbed onto a full-body armor mannequin and tapped the helmet.

Even knowing the armor was empty, I removed the helmet with slightly trembling hands.

The moment Pepe moved to sit on my shoulder, an information window appeared.