Episode 121
Elonia, after dismissing Artius, collapsed onto her bed, exhausted.
She understood why he had agreed to Lucius’s plan. She would have done the same.
If she were in his position, she would have reached the same conclusion. So she had no right to criticize him.
But why was she still so angry?
She glanced at the ring on her right index finger.
Right, she was angry at Lucius.
“I told him to cherish his life, and he didn’t listen.”
She should have used a spell to bind him, to prevent him from leaving.
The letter had been heartbreaking.
[Your Highness, you must be furious when you read this. I apologize.
But with the help of Princess Olivia and Prince Simon, I’ve deduced that the holy relic is currently in Heilan.
This is partly my fault, so I have to see this through myself.
And please, don’t blame His Majesty. He seemed troubled by this decision. Alexia as well.
They both agreed to this because they wanted to protect you, and they couldn’t refuse my request.
I understand if you feel betrayed. I’ll accept any punishment upon my return.
And one more thing. Please don’t worry about me.
I’ll keep my promise and return safely, Your Highness.]
He had asked her not to hate him because of this.
Why was he being so reckless? He only had one life.
And her mother as well. Why hadn’t she stopped him?
She still had so much to discuss with her mother, so many questions to ask.
Had she been wrong to hope that her mother would reveal herself after the Academic Festival?
Elonia sat up and glared at the ring on her finger.
“This stupid ring…! What do you mean, everything will be fine?!”
She pulled it off and threw it across the room, her anger directed at herself.
She had been too naive, too complacent.
The ring hit a small box on the nightstand and fell to the floor.
A faint humming sound echoed through the room.
“…Huh?”
It was the sound the ring made when resonating with Lucius’s apostle’s power.
But it was Philemon’s treasure box that was humming.
Elonia froze, wondering if her eyes and ears were deceiving her.
But she hadn’t been mistaken.
‘Why is this ring resonating with Philemon’s treasure box?’
The ring was imbued with Lucius’s apostle’s power. It should only resonate with other sources of Holy Power.
So why was it reacting to this box?
Elonia, as if in a trance, picked up the ring and put it back on her finger. Then, she picked up the box.
The faint humming sound returned. The box and the ring were resonating.
Elonia’s mind went blank. Her body moved on its own, her hand turning the dial on the box’s lock, entering her birthday. It didn’t open.
She tried again, entering her other birthday, Chelon’s birthday.
1206.
Click.
The box opened.
Elonia gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
The box fell to the floor, and its contents spilled out.
It was an old diary.
“This is impossible.”
Elonia picked up the diary, her hands trembling.
She hadn’t expected this when she first received Philemon’s treasure box.
The box, its lock based on apostle’s power, had opened with Chelon’s birthday.
It was a clear sign of what was hidden inside.
Elonia carefully opened the first page.
Year XXX, Month X, Day X
My body hasn’t been obeying me since I woke up, so I’ve been bedridden. I can finally hold a pen today.
This is strange. That’s all I’ve been thinking since I regained consciousness.
I don’t know if Chelon is safe, or why I’m in this state, but one thing is certain.
This isn’t my home.
My name isn’t Philemia Asta.
I wished it wasn’t true, but it didn’t change anything.
Her legs gave way.
But even as she slumped to the floor, her eyes continued to scan the page.
I don’t know why I’m in Ravanta. I keep calling out to the Calamity God, but he doesn’t answer, as always.
But I know it’s his fault.
I finally escaped that hellhole, and now he’s given me another life.
This is a dream.
Please, let it be a dream.
Every word, every sentence, confirmed her worst fears.
She couldn’t believe it.
This wasn’t Philemon’s diary.
It was Alexia’s, written while possessing Philemon’s body.
Meanwhile, Lucius had just crossed the Heilan border.
He sat stiffly in the old, rickety carriage, waiting to reach his destination.
But the gaze directed at him was so intense that he couldn’t ignore it any longer. He opened his eyes.
Wavy mint-green hair, bright green eyes, a gentle face with sharply arched eyebrows.
If it weren’t for the different eye color, he would have mistaken her for a grown-up Elonia.
No, it was Elonia who resembled her.
The woman, as if reading his thoughts, replied with a sad smile,
[Of course. She’s my daughter. Twice over.]
‘…’
Alexia, or rather, Philemon, had become visible after he had activated his apostle’s power during the Academic Festival.
And her presence had become even stronger after entering Heilan.
He was glad he no longer had to talk to thin air, but the resemblance was unsettling. She kept reminding him of Elonia.
Lucius lowered his head.
He had learned from Olivia and Simon that the holy relic might be hidden somewhere in Heilan. Philemon had cried out,
[If the holy relic was in Heilan, I would have found it first!]
[Be realistic, Lucius. The holy relic is probably gone.]
[Lucius, are you trying to give me a heart attack?]
And Lucius had replied,
“The holy relic must be in Tristan’s possession. He wouldn’t leave such a weakness unguarded.”
“And Princess Olivia and Prince Simon said that Felix was overjoyed when he found a golden chalice. And he said he didn’t find the holy relic. That chalice must be the holy relic.”
And Philemon, at his words, coupled with the fact that there was no way to defeat Tristan without risking their lives, had reluctantly agreed.
He had left Ravanta with just a letter. The princess must be furious. He didn’t want to be hated by his savior.
But first, he had to survive.
Lucius thought about the unanswered questions.
Now that he no longer had to hide anything from the princess, she would answer his questions. He cautiously addressed Alexia,
‘Alexia.’
[It’s Philemon, not Alexia.]
She immediately corrected him.
She hated being called Alexia. The name must have held too many painful memories. Lucius corrected himself.
‘Philemon, I have a question.’
[Ask away.]
Lucius hesitated, then finally asked,
‘How are you still alive?’
Philemon, after a long pause, sighed and replied,
[I can’t tell you. Stupid rules.]
Lucius, once again, couldn’t get a straight answer.
Philemon, meanwhile, was worried about Ravanta.
She should have taken Lucius’s ring before leaving.
Elonia had her secret box, the box she had sealed with apostle’s power, so she had assumed it was safe.
But she hadn’t been able to retrieve the ring.
‘I didn’t want Elonia to see that diary.’
Elonia had forgiven her as Alexia.
But would she forgive her as Philemon, the one who had dragged her back into this world?
Alexia wasn’t sure.
Just as the two apostles were consumed by their anxieties, the carriage stopped abruptly.
Both Lucius and Philemon’s expressions changed instantly.
‘…We arrived sooner than expected.’
Well, they had used several warp points along the way.
Philemon disappeared as the carriage stopped, and the door opened without a word.
A familiar black castle stood before them.
Felix, surprisingly, was there to greet them personally.
“Ugh…!”
Lucius was dragged out of the carriage by rough hands.
He stumbled and fell, his face hitting the ground. He looked up, ignoring the pain, and saw Felix’s face, contorted in a menacing snarl.
A sharp, metallic sound echoed through the air as Felix drew his sword, its tip pointing at Lucius’s throat.
“Lucius, explain yourself. Why did you disobey my orders?”
Philemon’s appearance changed as Lucius was dragged away. Her mint-green hair vanished.
Philemon, or rather, Alexia, immediately began searching the castle.
She had told Lucius that the holy relic was probably gone, but she secretly hoped they had found it.
It was a mythical object, lost after the first apostle. Even she had failed to find it.
If they had it, she could just take it.
Hoping the golden chalice was the holy relic, Alexia followed her memories to the king’s secret chamber. She moved swiftly, her body phasing through walls and people, until she reached the innermost chamber.
She was about to open the door when she saw him.
‘Tristan…!’
Tristan was entering the room.
The well-oiled door closed silently, and Philemon hid behind a pillar, waiting for him to leave.
She wanted to barge in and take the chalice, but confronting him now was too dangerous.
Even with the power granted to her by the Calamity God, Tristan had grown stronger.
Philemon gritted her teeth, her heart pounding, as she waited. The door finally opened, and Tristan emerged.
‘Yes!’
He left the secret chamber, and Alexia quickly slipped inside.
A golden chalice, gleaming under the faint light, sat on a shelf inside a glass display case.
‘With this, I can save Elonia…!’
Alexia, her heart filled with hope, reached for the chalice.
But just then, a thud echoed through the room, and she lost consciousness.