Chapter 134
“Illusion”
No? Even Roitz, who seemed to have mastered almost everything, had something that required effort.
Then how much more effort did that mean I had to put in?
“What is it?”
Roitz hesitated for a moment before answering.
He brushed back his hair as if it were hot, then turned his head and said:
“…Admitting that you like me.”
Roitz’s face turned red as he spoke.
Seeing him like that, my face heated up as well.
“Still… don’t you know that already?”
My tone came out almost like a sulk.
I said it, but why did it feel so… ticklish?
“Eh… uh.”
I cleared my throat and swallowed nervously.
“Is that really something that takes effort?”
“Habits can be scary. For me, it is. I’ve always liked you, and I was used to thinking that feeling belonged to me alone.”
Roitz’s face was even redder than before.
“Alright. Then I’ll like you back, not just a little, but many times over, maybe dozens of times more.”
“More than me? That won’t be easy.”
Roitz smiled brightly.
Seeing him smile like that made my heart swell with affection and warmth.
This Roitz—both the youngest I know and the most mature—was right in front of me.
The person who was the most comfortable yet made me nervous at the same time.
Before I knew it, I was smiling, too.
It felt as though his smile had become mine.
At that moment, I realized: I liked him more than I ever had in any previous moment.
And I would feel this way in every moment from now on.
“That fortune earlier… it’s pretty accurate.”
“Is that so?”
“It said to believe the obvious as it is. The only thing I want to believe as obvious is you.”
I wondered what my own fortune meant.
‘Don’t take the obvious for granted? That’s completely opposite from Roitz’s…’
Opposite, then…
‘Wait, opposite?’
I widened my eyes and shouted:
“Commander, you do like me, right?”
“Of course.”
“But it said not to take the obvious for granted for me?”
“That’s just the way of the world, a kind of law. It’s a heart you can’t defy, so just believe it, Serdin.”
“Phew.”
So that wasn’t it.
As I exhaled in relief, my fingertips brushed against Roitz’s.
“I’ve only ever given my heart to you, and that won’t change. I’m certain. So, Serdin…”
“Yes.”
“Trust me more, lean on me.”
His large, warm hand enveloped mine, giving reassurance.
“I know you’ve been worrying a lot lately. Especially because you’re responsible.”
Did Roitz notice my worried expression too?
“But share it with me, Serdin. Don’t bear it alone.”
“I’ve heard that lovers should share even just the good things,” I said.
“You’re someone I love, respect, and admire. Sharing your worries is a joy for me,” he said.
“I understand.”
I nodded.
Blushing together, we started walking toward the Knight Order residence again.
‘Then what could that fortune really mean?’
Not to take the obvious for granted…?
The next day, after finishing other work in the evening,
we were back in Roitz’s office, discussing the Mask Incident.
“Why would they approach me? Because I’m the Sword Master?”
“If your theory is correct, that could be part of it. You’re the Sword Master who captured Aaron, after all.”
“So maybe I was their next target.”
I recalled memories with Aaron at the Knight Order.
The first joint training session.
Laughing together while eating sweet potatoes in the Edical Forest.
Sharing the hardships of missions together.
‘…Aaron.’
Aaron was supposed to be a dependable ally for Roitz.
Why did he turn out the way he did?
‘It wasn’t like that in the original story…’
In the original, Aaron kept a cute, baby-faced personality but had immense strength.
There was no Mask Incident in the original, not even among all the other harsh events.
‘Then why is it happening now?’
Roitz flipped through the case files and leaned back, tired, arms crossed. He looked as frustrated as I felt.
“We need to widen the investigation. There are likely many unreported holders of divine energy.”
“Yes, we should.”
“Let’s focus on witnesses, and narrow down the blond individuals among unreported divine energy holders.”
“Right. Blond isn’t that common… why is it so hard to find?”
Indeed, blond hair wasn’t common. Even in the original story, Lushike was referred to as the “blond saint.”
“Blond… blond…”
Roitz gazed into the distance, lost in thought.
Time passed.
I felt like I was walking in place, dazed for a moment.
Words left in my subconscious filled the space vacated by conscious thought.
‘Divine energy is infinite if you have faith. It can always change.’
The words Cute had said.
‘Don’t take the obvious for granted.’
The fortune from the old lady.
‘It didn’t happen in the original story, so why…’
The lingering question filled with regret in my mind.
Then.
‘…Wait.’
A sudden thought struck me.
‘So if divine energy can do that…’
I held my breath.
The swirling thoughts coalesced into a single question.
“…!”
I jumped up.
“Could it be?”
“Serdin?”
“Commander!”
I blinked at Roitz.
He looked at me, silently asking what was wrong.
“Let’s go to the Investigation Bureau!”
The storage room there. Maybe we could find it.
The clue to solve this mystery.
“I want to examine the evidence in the storage room.”
We followed the Royal Guard in charge to the storage.
Inside the slightly chilly storage room, countless drawers showed how many cases the Empire still had to resolve.
“This is Evidence No. 32 of the Mask Incident, right?”
“Yes.”
The guard located the drawer, and we moved the evidence to the temple.
In the temple’s reception room.
We placed the hair—contained in an opaque black box—on the table and closed the lid.
The reception room door opened, and the person we summoned entered.
“You’ve waited long, Knights.”
It was Lushike, accompanied by priests.
“I have a request, Bishop.”
“Yes, what is it?”
Roitz pointed to the box on the table.
“Please verify whether divine energy was used on the item in this box.”
Lushike’s gaze went to the Royal Guard beside her.
She knew.
We weren’t asking riddles. Bringing the Royal Guard meant it was an official investigation, not a personal request.
Choosing Lushike meant that both she and Roitz had decided not to suspect her further.
Though this might be a heavy responsibility for Lushike, I felt relieved.
She hesitated.
Even for her, agreeing immediately was not easy.
If divine energy had been used on this evidence, it wouldn’t be a good sign for the temple.
Taking responsibility for presenting something that could harm her own organization was not simple.
Lushike paused, then nodded.
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
Her clear eyes showed she had made a decision.
She approached the box slowly, placing her hand gently on it and closing her eyes.
Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for her to speak again.
Then she exhaled and opened her eyes.
“There are traces of divine energy. Something is still layered with divine energy.”
“Then…”
“I’ll remove it.”
Lushike clasped her hands briefly, as if declaring:
“In the names of the Five Priests of Erente, I vow not to betray the will of the Absolute God, nor your sincere faith.”
It was a priest’s declaration. Only truth could be spoken, and it carried weight.
She knew what it meant to acknowledge divine energy on this evidence.
And she knew the responsibility of touching it again with divine energy, which is why she made the declaration.
Lushike placed her hand on the box.
The cold air spread, light shone, and divine energy enveloped the box.
The light then faded.
Roitz approached, opened the box, and removed the contents.
And at that moment—
“…!”
Everyone in the room inhaled sharply.
“This… how…?”
The Royal Guard guarding the storage muttered in disbelief.
Our eyes, seeing it as well, wavered.
Evidence No. 32 was the hair I had entrusted.
The hair I had cut at Eona Mansion that day.
And that blond hair… the originally blond hair…
“….”
Had turned silver.
As if the illusion that had clouded my eyes had finally lifted.
