Chapter 79
Rita’s aether kept flowing into him.
Maybe because of that constant golden aether, Cedric felt powerful—like someone fighting with the sun at his back.
The golden aether, streaked in places with sticky black, clung to him eagerly.
Rita’s aether linked his energies, blocked their clashes, and kept moving, nonstop.
Then the aether inside Cedric—normally the source of his pain—finally obeyed his control.
For the first time, he felt true freedom: power without limits, without chains.
Maybe this was the release he should have had long ago.
Rita’s face filled his mind—her promise to help him, to heal him no matter what.
Cedric felt overwhelmed.
Rita—no, Violeta.
“We’re almost there. The space feels weird,” she said.
“Does it?” he replied.
“Do you feel different?”
“I agree with you,” Cedric said.
He reached out and carefully fixed the robe that had slipped from Rita’s shoulders.
She smiled and let him.
Was this what it felt like to win over a wary cat? Cedric wondered blankly.
Violeta Sieclein.
A genius alchemist and one of the five heroes of the Ludentio Kingdom—
and… someone believed to be dead.
Yet she rolled into his life.
Her habit of coffee with cookies.
Her rare skill of making real potions, almost gone from the kingdom now.
Her old, lonely cabin—but clothes that showed careful taste.
He’d known she was a noble from the start; he realized she was Violeta a bit later.
Honestly, it was hard not to notice—Violeta wasn’t great at hiding herself.
If Cedric hadn’t acted early, people from the kingdom might already have come.
“A doll that looks the same. Can you make it? Real enough to fool everyone.”
“You know me. Pay me, and I’ll make anything.”
“Name your price.”
“…Thank you, customer!”
“No mistakes.”
Now that she was with him, he couldn’t let her go.
And now, even more so—he wouldn’t let her go.
Cedric was surprised to discover how deep his possessiveness ran.
“Let’s go. I have a feeling there’s something huge ahead,” Rita said, tugging his collar.
He rolled her name in his mouth—Rita. He liked that one best.
“Shall we hold hands?”
“Are you a baby, Cedric? Why do you keep wanting to hold hands?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“What are you even saying…”
Grumbling, she still placed her hand in his.
The warmth between their palms felt good. His lips lifted; he held on tighter, as if refusing to ever let go.
No more losing. It was time to take things back.
“Rita.”
“Yes?”
“Nothing.”
So… was it okay to be greedy for her?
A small, honest desire sprouted in his heart—so small no one would notice yet.
Ugh… whoever built this place was truly awful.
Why so many skeletons? And all of them insane ones.
The constant clacking of bones was enough to give a person a nervous breakdown.
But it was okay. The end was really in sight now.
“We’re almost there for real,” I said.
“Looks that way,” Cedric answered.
I had no idea how much time had passed. I worried about the people outside.
The team’s leader and their personal doctor went for a walk and vanished together…
That’s… pretty bad, isn’t it?
Cold sweat ran down my neck.
We had to finish this fast and get back.
“Let’s go in.”
The path ended in a round, door-like opening. From beyond it, a heavy, powerful force kept surging out.
I was sure: what we were looking for was in there.
“…Alright,” Cedric said, stepping closer.
The cave had widened since we first entered, but the space between us had narrowed.
We stood so near that I could sense every tiny movement he made.
He looked me over; heat rushed to my face. I swung our joined hands lightly.
“How long do we have to hold hands like this?”
“We’re entering the most dangerous spot. Obviously, until the end.”
“Won’t it slow us down?”
In battles, I usually stood a little apart to support him. But for moving around—this was different.
Right after each fight, he would hurry over and offer his hand like a loyal puppy.
I didn’t mind… but wasn’t it uncomfortable?
I looked down at our hands, a bit conflicted.
“Are you planning to abandon a fragile patient?” he asked.
“Who abandoned who?”
“How heartless…”
“Fine, fine—hold on forever then, okay?”
Cedric’s face bloomed into a bright smile.
“Shall we?” he said calmly, and even swung our hands a little.
Weirdly, he looked… cute like that.
No, get a grip.
This kind of personal feeling doesn’t help with long-term goals. It’s the enemy of stability.
I clenched my teeth, remembering my awful past. The rising flutter inside me cooled.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Either way, I needed to be careful.
Cedric was a naturally kind, smiling, handsome man. I couldn’t afford to be fooled by illusions.
I took a couple of deep breaths and steadied my heart.
In the low light, Cedric looked even more dangerously charming. I glanced at him; he tilted his head, puzzled.
Then it happened.
“Ugh…”
Thump. A hard beat pounded from my heart. My aether was moving again.
“Rita!”
“I’m okay. It just doesn’t like waiting outside—it wants in.”
I grabbed my aether with deep breaths. It wriggled in protest once, then settled under my control.
“Let’s go.”
We looked at each other, then stepped through the entrance.
A huge dome-shaped chamber spread out before us. It was so vast we stopped, startled.
“So big.”
“Unbelievably big. I never imagined this under a mountain.”
“Me neither… I didn’t expect a space this huge.”
It was far larger than we’d guessed.
Rough but crafted walls and door-like structures showed clearly this wasn’t natural—it was made on purpose, by someone.
“Do you feel anything?” Cedric asked.
“Yeah… it’s overwhelming.”
“I feel something too,” he said, frowning and pressing his chest. Pain flickered there.
That meant the aether I had pushed into him was starting to disperse.
I moved to send more, but Cedric stopped me.
“Why? It’s going to get hard from here.”
“I can endure it. Let’s finish quickly and go back.”
He took one of my older potions and swallowed it. He was like a walking pharmacy.
I had an inventory. Cedric had to carry everything in pockets and bags.
Still, if that was his decision, I’d respect it.
Which left me one job: end this fast.
Solve the cause—the source pushing out this force—and everything would stop
