Chapter 51
But he could not allow it. Because he did not want her to die.
The very first person he had killed… was his nanny.
“Your Highness, I’ve come to beg your forgiveness.”
She had run away from the palace long ago but returned a few months after he became a mage.
“I never forgot the day I pushed away your hand. I was so afraid that I abandoned my young prince. I’ve been ashamed of myself ever since…”
“It’s too late.”
The nanny couldn’t speak. Tears dropped onto her knees as she knelt.
“You don’t have to forgive me. I know how deeply I hurt you that day…”
She bowed her head low. But Deonis thought—no, the one truly at fault was himself. With trembling hands, he gently touched the back of hers.
“…But since you came back, even if late, I’ll forgive you.”
“Ah, my little prince…”
The nanny held his hand. And in that instant, agony began.
“…Let go…! Quickly…!”
But she didn’t release him.
“It’s alright, Your Highness. I won’t leave you ag—”
Before she could finish, the magic bursting from his body swallowed hers.
“Aahh!”
With a scream of pain, her body turned to ash.
“Nanny…?”
Deonis stared down at the empty space, horrified. No matter how he called, she never returned.
Every time he remembered, Deonis told himself he was cursed. Anyone who touched him would die.
That was why he always wore gloves. They couldn’t truly protect, but at least they helped him keep others away.
So when Melody, drunk, pulled his gloves off… he had been terrified. Terrified he wouldn’t resist the urge to touch her. Terrified he would end up killing her.
He even thought it was foolish to believe it was fine as long as she touched him first. That he could let himself feel her warmth without wanting more.
How pitiful. Like a beast who doesn’t know his place.
Deonis raked his fingers through his hair.
If he wanted to keep her alive, he had to be satisfied with the faint warmth beyond the gloves. His fist clenched tight.
“Kalau territory ahead!”
Rohan’s shout broke his thoughts. From his horse, Deonis saw the faraway land, black and ruined.
“The barrier is really broken!”
“This must be the mages’ doing!”
While priests cried out in despair, Deonis swung his sword, cutting down charging monsters.
As they neared Kalau’s broken barrier, the scenery changed. Among green, healthy trees, black stains spread like spilled ink.
“…The barrier is more damaged than expected,” a priest whispered in disbelief. Just one step further, the ground split like a wound. The monster-corrupted land stank foul.
“Damn it, the smell could rot your nose.”
“If corruption spreads, that means the monsters are breeding like crazy.”
“First, we’ll set up a base here. Then send scouts inside.”
There were a few monsters nearby, but not large ones. Knights quickly killed them and returned. Anna gagged at the sight of a freshly killed beast.
“This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen!”
“Do you regret coming?”
“I’m trying not to…”
Melody checked her magic tool that showed monster positions. Clusters of dots pulsed nearby.
“What exactly is corruption?” she asked.
“When monsters breed, the ground changes. That’s corruption. They lay eggs and raise young there. Think of it as a monster village.”
The more monsters were born, the wider the corrupted land spread. What started as a pit now grew large enough to swallow a whole town.
Anna shivered.
“We’ll be in the rear anyway, so nothing will happen. But if monsters appear, what should you do?” Melody asked.
“Stay low and run fast.”
“Always stick with the priests. Understand?”
“Yes… But you don’t seem scared, Melody. Have you seen corruption before?”
Of course she had. But even she had never seen it inside a barrier before.
“Damn, more monsters coming!”
Looking at the swarm, Melody thought:
How did Deonis survive this in the novel?
Because in the story, he endured here for a whole month—without support.
“Thirty incoming!”
From the darkness, a cloud of black-winged insects shot out. But thanks to Melody’s detection tool, the knights were already in formation.
“By the goddess’s power…!”
A veil of light spread, the monsters slamming against it and falling. While the holy knights held the barrier, Deonis’s knights rushed forward, cutting wings and stabbing heads.
Crack—crunch!
Though the sudden attack felt like a swarm, the battle went smoothly. Still, Anna looked ready to faint.
“This is too scary!”
Melody was frightened too.
I thought the future had changed when the holy knights joined…!
But the truth was clear: the holy knights alone weren’t enough.
After the first fight, leaders, including Deonis and Awhin, gathered for a meeting. With no time to set tents, they spoke in a clearing of the forest.
“The insect-type monsters, Celt Ants, are expanding their nest. We evacuated nearby homes, but if they break through the city wall, the people inside will be in danger.”
“So retreat is impossible.”
“But holding out here blindly against endless swarms would be suicide.”
Listening, Melody raised her hand.
“Excuse me, I have something to say.”
“……?!”
Everyone turned, their eyes saying, Who is this girl?
“Who is she?”
“A magic tool maker.”
“A mere toolmaker dares to speak here?!”
Priests shouted.
“The temple ignored the barrier until it shattered, and now you argue about rank?”
Deonis’s sneer cut the air sharp. Tension thickened like ice.
“The temple only—”
“She knows much about monsters and has already helped greatly. Let’s at least hear her.”
Awhin calmed the furious high priest, and so Melody was allowed to speak.
“Celt Ants live in swarms. If you attack one, the whole nest rushes in—it’s dangerous.”
“Everyone knows that!”
“But Celt Ants have a weak moment. A time they ignore everything else.”
“When is that?”
“When their eggs hatch. The newborns are small and weak. Most importantly, they eat the mother who laid them.”
“So you want us to wait until eggs hatch? How do we know when that is?!”
A good question.
“There is no fixed time. But… we can create the right conditions for hatching.”
