Chapter 32
“How are you feeling?”
In response to Nelly’s concerned inquiry, Kal just shook his head and asked in a low, hoarse voice, “What… did Gerard… say just now?”
Nelly was taken aback.
The young man’s fingers tightened, almost hurting her.
“Nothing… He just left for no reason.”
Kal lowered his eyes and didn’t speak for a moment, which made Nelly uneasy. But then he turned to look at the sky and suddenly said, “The stars. We’re already in Balkan.”
Their destination was indeed Balkan, the marquisate where Halga’s Keep was located.
So Mr. Gerard had figured out the situation long ago, spouted some nonsense, and then abandoned them? That’s more in line with his character… He was so normal just now it was terrifying.
Nelly turned her head to look at Melissa, who was still sound asleep, and said to Kal in a low voice, “You should rest too.”
The white-haired young man’s fingers loosened slightly, then tightened again. He didn’t say any more and quietly closed his eyes. The flickering firelight on his face made his paleness even more pronounced. But even so, the light and shadow from the flames still gave his features an almost bewitching brightness, fiery and alluring, which reminded Nelly of the same captivating glow in his red eyes.
Nelly couldn’t help but turn her back and wipe her face. Even if she really did return to her own world, she could never go back to living as she had before.
She was no longer the person she used to be.
“Nelly?” Kal suddenly said.
She didn’t turn around. “I’m here.”
He was silent for a meaningful moment before he spoke again. “Have… I met you before?”
For a moment, Nelly found it hard to breathe. She slowly buried her face in her hands again and let out a questioning sound. “Eh?”
Kal was silent again for a moment. She almost thought he had fallen asleep, but just as her taut heartstrings began to relax, he stirred the waves with his words again.
“Sorry, I said something strange.” The young man’s voice was still a little hoarse, the rough edge at the end of his words lower than usual, which added a mature charm. For a rare moment, his tone betrayed the emotions deep within him, and he seemed lost and bewildered. He slowly and hesitantly chose his words. “When I woke up, I didn’t remember anything. The Sage said I was an apprentice at the Sage’s Tower and had been seriously injured in a magic accident.”
Kal seemed to let out a soft laugh, a laugh that was crisp and thin, and the subtle meaning it held was blown away by the coastal wind. “I only know that I have to go to the Demon’s Lair for revenge, but why, for whom, and whether the enemy is the Demon King, I don’t know at all.”
Nelly couldn’t help but turn around and stare at him in a daze.
Kal gazed back from under his lashes. His eyelashes were the same color as his hair, and in the firelight, they seemed to be sprinkled with gold. The specks of light all fell into his deep red eyes, but they couldn’t melt into the coldness of his gaze, just hopelessly swirled on the surface. It was as if everything in the world was like these golden specks of light, unable to enter this mage’s eyes. What he looked at, what he was obsessed with, was always the more distant, ethereal, old grudge.
“But I don’t care if I can get revenge,” he said, his words contradicting his resolute gaze, his tone no longer weak, but rather as if it had nothing to do with him. “I just want to know who I am.”
He wanted to meet Nelly’s gaze, to find a trace of confirmation or obstruction in her eyes.
Nelly struggled for a moment, then hastily averted her gaze. After a moment of hesitation, their eyes met in mid-air.
“That’s all,” Kal repeated softly, but the plea in his eyes had completely disappeared.
After opening his heart to someone for the first time, Kal made no further moves. He even seemed to have no interest in Nelly’s reaction, just silently lowered his eyes, then turned to face the fire, and didn’t speak again.
Nelly’s mind was in turmoil from his sudden confession, and she stared at the fire, her thoughts wandering.
For a moment just now, she could almost be certain that the person lying by the fire was Karsus. This strong intuition had appeared when she had first met him, but had since disappeared from her heart, only to re-emerge just now, actually making her feel a pleasure that was so intense it was painful.
Rather than worrying about whether there was still someone setting a trap for her in the distant Sloth fortress, the assumption that Karsus was right beside her actually made her feel at ease. A voice deep in her heart, one she had tried so hard to suppress, even cheered at the thought—the system had not completely dealt with the off-track Demon King; he still existed.
Nelly’s gaze slowly slid to the young man’s back, and she thought calmly: There is no and will never be a better time than now. As soon as he falls asleep, just raise the knife, just one strike, and it will all be over.
But what if she was wrong… What if he really was just a very unlucky mage?
Did she really have the resolve to kill an innocent person rather than let one go?
The sky was surprisingly clear, as if one could reach out and touch the cool Milky Way, grab the twinkling stars, and read the future from their cunning trajectories.
Nelly looked up, her breathing becoming uneven. She didn’t dare to ask herself any further: Besides, even if Kal is Karsus, can I really bring myself to do it?
Starting from scratch again, Nelly had not given herself a chance to sort out her feelings. What she had seen while holding that key was too complex and intense, and she didn’t even know what attitude to face these memories with. She had loved Karsus, loved him enough to be willing to become a half-demon, willing to die for him. But she also hated Karsus, hated his obsession, his coldness, and his selfishness. The hatred was so vivid even now that it could make her whole body tremble, but she couldn’t make a final judgment on whether she still had any love left for Karsus.
What’s more, Nelly was also burdened with a deep sense of guilt. She hated herself for having been soft-hearted and getting involved with the Demon King in the first place. She also regretted that so many times, she could have stopped but had only fallen deeper. She felt a deep sense of guilt for the destruction she had inadvertently caused to innocent people. But in the deepest part of her heart, she was not unshaken by the choice she had made without hesitation. She felt sorry for Karsus.
It was she who had pushed him to the limit. She was indeed as guilty as he was.
If she had to choose again, Nelly was not sure if she could choose the world again.
And now… Nelly secretly glanced at the figure by the fire again, and her heart couldn’t help but beat faster at the familiar sight. Even in her second playthrough, when she knew nothing, she was still attracted to him. Let alone now, with all her memories? How was she supposed to get along with this mage in the adventures to come?
All she wanted was to go home. Why did she have to be so deeply involved with this world?
Nelly desperately tried to drive these introspective and depressing thoughts from her mind, but the low murmur of the waves only stirred the turmoil in her heart even more.
In her moment of emotional turmoil, a red light suddenly lit up in the coastal forest, followed by a tremor that shook the heavens and the earth.
Melissa was startled awake. She sat up with a whoosh, looked around, and her first question was, “Where’s the sea monster?” She turned her head and saw Nelly and Kal, and her voice trailed off. She scratched her hair in embarrassment. “It’s great that you’re both okay!” She frowned and thought for a moment, a troubled look on her face. “Who else was there…”
“Mr. Gerard.” Nelly let out a sigh of relief and temporarily put her own matters aside. “He’s already left. We’ve reached the coast of Balkan. We shouldn’t be far from Halga’s Keep.”
“So our luck isn’t too bad. Looks like the goddess really does favor me, haha.” Melissa chuckled a few times, then turned to look in the direction of the disturbance. “What was that just now?”
Nelly shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Melissa stood up and stretched her limbs, looking full of energy. “Then I’ll go and see!”
“Don’t…” Before Nelly could finish her words of persuasion, Kal slowly sat up and said calmly,
“It’s better to go and see.”
Two against one, a complete defeat.
After a brief tidying up and collecting some tinder, the three of them left the beach, following the direction of the red light, and headed inland.
The hooting of owls and unknown rustling sounds came from the forest, and everyone’s pace couldn’t help but quicken, just wanting to find the source of the light as soon as possible.
And they did indeed reach their destination quickly—passing through the sparse forest, they came to an open dirt slope with a single cave, its mouth wide open, silently inviting them in.
Melissa was bold and fearless. She was the first to enter the cave with her sword drawn. Nelly hurriedly followed, and Kal, holding a glass jar with the tinder, brought up the rear.
The bottom of the cave was covered in fine sand and gravel, and it rustled under their feet. Nelly had been on guard for monsters, but they reached the end of the cave safely.
No words were needed. A single glance at the deepest part of the cave immediately revealed the source of the red light.
A niche-like hollow was carved into the stone wall, and something within it emitted a faint, warm red glow. It was a holy light, completely free of any taint, and even warm.
Melissa held her breath and walked forward, cautiously reaching out to the source of the light.
With a hum, a longsword leaped into her palm.
Melissa twirled her fingers, and a huge ruby at the top of the hilt shimmered, casting a warm glow on the four walls of the cave.
She carefully examined the blade and softly read the inscription on the sharp, silver edge: “A gift from the goddess, Halga’s greatest treasure, the heart of a hero.”