IATVWAMOLS 80

Chapter 80: That Wretched Antidote Won’t Stop My Love (2)

Two figures staggered through the darkness from afar, cutting through the shadows.

As they drew closer, the anxiety, despair, and vague regret I had felt transformed into relief and joy.

“Your Grace!”

“Ora-beoni!”

Even in the pitch-black night, I could instantly recognize who they were.

I immediately dismounted from my horse and rushed toward Icart.

“Rozelia… how did you get here…”

“Ora-beoni, are you alright?”

I held Icart’s face in both hands, turning it from side to side to check him.

Fortunately, his condition seemed far better than I had feared.

The scouts quickly rushed over to support Icart.

“Your Grace, are you hurt anywhere?”

“Thank goodness you’re alive.”

“I’m fine, so take care of this side first. His condition is critical.”

Icart was carrying the battered Count Vermon, who had been severely burned in the explosion.

The scouts carefully laid the count onto a portable stretcher for transport.

“Hah… hah…”

Count Vermon’s condition looked severe. He was battered from head to toe, barely able to gasp for air.

“He got caught in the explosion. He embraced me, taking the full brunt of the blast, so his injuries must be serious.”

“A carriage from the duke’s residence will arrive shortly. We’ll provide first aid here and then move him straight to the infirmary.”

The scouts and the attending physician clung to Count Vermon.

The count, who had been lying silent and gasping, finally opened his mouth.

“I… I’m fine.”

“Fine? What do you mean by fine?”

Icart frowned, but Count Vermon faintly smiled as if he were genuinely happy.

“Because I saved Your Grace. That’s enough for me.”

“…Even in a situation like this, you say such foolish things?”

Icart scolded him but exhaled a sigh of relief.

There was a strange tension in the air between the two of them.

At that moment, a system notification appeared.

【SYSTEM: The sudden event ‘Icart’s Death’ has ended.】

‘Thank goodness.’

Relief lasted only a moment.

【SYSTEM: Count Vermon’s role has changed from ‘antagonist’ to ‘ally’.】

‘What?’

[An anonymous subscriber is excited by the unexpected development!]

After the duke’s emergency carriage arrived at the accident site, all of Icart’s party, who had gone to the academy, were immediately moved back to the duke’s residence.

The attending physician checked the injured and offered prayers of gratitude.

“This is divine luck. The carriage exploded without a trace, yet everyone’s injuries are only this severe. I can hardly believe it.”

Not only Icart and Count Vermon, but all the servants who were on the carriage were unharmed.

Philip and the other servants had apparently been looking for a way to contact the duke’s residence from a distance, away from the explosion.

Icart, seeing Count Vermon’s severe condition, had been supporting him on the way down to a nearby house.

“Your Grace, I am at fault. Serving you is my duty, yet I failed to fulfill it in this crisis.”

Philip bowed deeply.

Just before the explosion, he and the other servants had gotten off the carriage due to a wheel issue. That had spared them from the direct disaster.

Meanwhile, Icart and Count Vermon had to face the blast head-on. Thanks to Vermon shielding him, Icart suffered only minor burns, but the count’s condition was quite serious.

“I’m fine, but how is he?”

Icart asked with a stern expression.

Count Vermon, lying on the stretcher, wheezed intermittently. His chest heaved violently, and his eyelids twitched from the pain.

“The burns across his body are severe, and we also suspect respiratory damage. Painkillers have been administered, but it will still be quite painful.”

“Is his life in danger?”

“No. The wounds are deep, which is the problem… but the necessary measures have been taken. I’ve also contacted the temple, so a healer will arrive soon.”

“Why the temple healer?”

“Judging by the wounds, these aren’t ordinary burns. They may be heat injuries caused by magic, so involving the temple will ensure faster treatment.”

“I see.”

Icart remained silent.

“Fortunately, the measures were taken quickly. If more time had passed, even a healer might not have been able to do much.”

“Yes. It was a blessing the scouts went out early. Rozelia, you made a significant contribution.”

Icart patted my shoulder.

But even as I received the praise, I felt uneasy. All I had done was act after the events had already unfolded. The one who had truly saved Icart was Count Vermon.

‘If it weren’t for Count Vermon, Icart…’

Thinking that, I felt powerless and unable to bear it.

As I hung my head, a message window appeared before me.

[An anonymous subscriber tells you to relax your expression.]

[An anonymous subscriber remarks that as a possessed character, you’re overthinking your role.]

“?”

Again—the indirect message window.

‘Who on earth is this?’

At first, I thought it was an administrator, but upon closer look, it wasn’t. The character felt different.

‘After three years at a school, even a dog can recite poetry.’

I had spent some time building rapport with the administrator and could tell the difference between them and an anonymous subscriber.

‘This definitely feels different.’

Compared to the administrator, who left emojis everywhere and acted impulsively, the anonymous subscriber was calm.

‘Also, they’re not exactly friendly toward me—they’re somewhat cynical.’

Moreover, an administrator wouldn’t send indirect messages like this.

[An anonymous subscriber urges you not to waste time on unnecessary thoughts and to move the story along.]

…Such a person wouldn’t normally nag me like this.

At that moment, Count Vermon, still gasping, managed to speak.

“It’s probably heat damage caused by magic.”

“What?”

“The magic stone installed on the carriage absorbed part of the blast. Without it, I wouldn’t have survived.”

“A magic stone on the carriage…”

“Yes. It’s a purified magic stone from the count’s residence. Its high purity allowed it to withstand the explosion to some extent.”

Count Vermon continued, struggling to speak.

“However, purified magic stones are meant to cleanse magic or poison—”

“So you’re saying this explosion was caused by magic.”

Icart answered for the count, who was barely able to breathe.

Philip, who had been listening silently, quickly interjected.

“So this wasn’t an ordinary explosion?”

“Correct.”

“Considering the bandit attack right after the explosion…”

Philip alternated glances between Icart and Count Vermon, unable to believe it.

I, unable to follow, asked again.

“Wait, bandits?”

“Ah, yes.”

Philip glanced at Icart before explaining.

After the explosion, about a dozen bandits who had been hiding nearby attacked the carriage.

“I suspected something was wrong from the start. They appeared immediately after the explosion. If they were after robbery, they wouldn’t bother with a ruined carriage.”

“They were probably checking if anyone had survived. Even the wheel issue was likely intentional.”

My god. This was a full-fledged assassination attempt.

“So what happened to the bandits?”

“Your Grace took care of them.”

“With that body? Alone?”

I exclaimed, but Icart answered lightly, as if it were no big deal.

“I wondered how skilled they were, but they were just ordinary thugs. Their skills were poor, and under interrogation, they revealed their masterminds willingly.”

“The masterminds being…”

He gestured to the scout.

“Bring Count Gott’s wife immediately.”

Late at night, Count Gott’s wife was dragged to the duke’s residence.

The guards forced her to kneel, making a loud thud.

“Ahh!”

She screamed sharply, but Icart didn’t even blink.

“Now, explain yourself.”

Icart’s eyes glowed coldly. There was no warmth in his gaze.

As if someone had clamped her vocal cords shut, Count Gott’s wife couldn’t speak a word. Her jaw trembled.

“How painful your death will be depends on your explanation.”

“Pl-please… ugh!”