No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 111

[Interesting! Your deaths are just like the tide!]

“Ugh!”

[For me, it was always a daily occurrence… Oh, it was the same for you too, right?]

“What are you saying, you…”

[Why did you run away alone…?]

Even though the life-and-death battle continued, both Ryuseong and I had faces filled with defeat.

The very fact that I let that bastard flap his mouth was nothing less than proof that I was being pushed back. Until now I didn’t know, but it was different now that the Named had died and a time limit was set.

As the dungeon began to collapse, rocks and such were falling on the foggy area below, where the survivors were being rescued. But this was just the beginning. As the inner world was being swallowed up by reality, we didn’t know what disaster would strike us inside this space.

But we were in a situation where we couldn’t even run away because we were tied up by Jeong Ian.

While Ryuseong and I fought at a speed that left no room for others to intervene, we were transcendent beings beyond compare, but Jeong Ian was incomparably stronger than us.

…Is the safe trauma confrontation in the academy different from the world with true malice?

“Come this way…! We’ve made an escape route…!”

“We can’t wait long…!”

I could hear the attackers chattering. But it was the moment when I thought that if we kept facing Jeong Ian, we might die crushed by the physical concept of the inner world, the dungeon, without even a chance to escape.

Baby Ryuseong, who was nestled inside Ryuseong’s clothes, suddenly peeked his head out and then pulled out his whole body as if screaming. Ryuseong tried to grab him and stuff him back in, but Jeong Ian pounced first.

[How dare you look somewhere else while leaving me?]

“Urgh…!”

[Non.]

It pisses me off that that bastard uses French, not even English…

But this was the first time I felt so helpless even though I was fighting for my life, so I couldn’t manage my stamina well. Only after one more wound was added to Ryuseong’s body did I complete my magic, and that fact pissed me off so much that I started getting more dizzy. Even when I tried to breathe properly, my breathing got too heavy and wheezing… Um, isn’t this hyperventilation?

But Jeong Ian was once again rushing towards me after nullifying the magic I had painstakingly sent out. I was dizzy from losing too much blood, but I forcibly clenched my fingertips.

And I shouted.

[Right now, at this very moment, right here-!]

Ah, I think I’m going to puke.

[Rain fire!]

As my magic proficiency increased, I even memorized spells I didn’t need to use and increased my buffs, but Jeong Ian erased everything into nothingness and rushed at me. My stomach churned.

I suddenly felt that Jeong Ian’s pitch-black pupils, which didn’t allow a single light to enter, were terrible and disgusting.

It was the very moment when I felt it was difficult to even defend properly.

At that moment…!

[Grrrr!]

I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide.

Baby Ryuseong, who had somehow jumped out of Ryuseong’s arms, was growling and baring his teeth at Jeong Ian!

‘Why, why are you…?’

No matter how much I adore baby Ryuseong, he is a demon.

So even though I gave him a lot of affection, I always remembered how to kill him like a fragment in my memory.

But why on earth would a demon. To a Named.

[What is this now? Ah, how annoying.]

‘Just to protect me…!’

[What’s the difference between this damn thing and me…]

Jeong Ian, who was irritated and growled, finally began to glare at me. I felt like crying, but I thought I had to save baby Ryuseong, so I raised the heavenly aura surrounding my body to the maximum output. To the point where even I felt it was dangerous, so it would be a threat to Jeong Ian too… It was the very moment I was doing that.

Suddenly, Jeong Ian said,

[Ten seconds.]

“…”

[If you run away within that time, I’ll let you go. But leave this behind.]

Pointing at baby Ryuseong while saying that, Jeong Ian looked really tired and exhausted, but that expression itself proved that I couldn’t do that. Because it meant that the struggle so far had inflicted fatigue on him.

Then, biting my lips while thinking that there was absolutely no way it would be taken away, it was that very moment.

[Ten.]

At that moment, Ryuseong picked me up.

[Nine.]

I sincerely resisted, but.

[Eight.]

Ryuseong kept running.

[Seven.]

Baby Ryuseong, whom I managed to look up at, was still baring his teeth in front of Jeong Ian.

[Six.]

And… Thud!

[Five.]

Thump, blood splattered. Blood splattered below the baby who fell on the rock.

[Four.]

Did I scream? Did I spit out all those curses and swears?

I don’t remember. But one thing is certain.

[Three, two, one… Ah, I’m sick of this… Don’t cross this line. Then I’ll let everyone go…]

Baby Ryuseong was still alive, wiggling, and I could save him if I ran right now.

And now Ryuseong had let me go too, so I could run right away, but.

“Oh, Lord Demillang…!”

I saw it again.

“Our strength is not enough to save all the survivors…”

The faces of people reaching out to me, wishing for salvation, stained with thick soup. Old. Tired. Ordinary. So maddening.

The faces of those who were just living their daily lives.

Every time I turned my head, one by one.

Below that, there were little ones.

“…Please help us…”

I saw that there were children stricken with fear.

But would I save the baby for my own amusement?

“What are you doing?”

“Huh…?!”

I was never a person who could do that from the beginning.

“Move the survivors right now! Whether you use magic or spells, if it doesn’t work, use your bodies mindlessly…! There are so many people here, were you planning to escape by yourselves?! And you call yourselves attackers?!”

…To come to my senses, I shouted at the attackers on the cliff, then looked at the soldiers.

“You did your best. I will remember that.”

“But we couldn’t do anything…!”

“Would it be easy to hoist the survivors up the cliff? Everyone, step back and go up on your own.”

“Bu, but we can’t…”

Ivan Karpin seemed to think that the actions of the attackers above were not very trustworthy, seeing them murmuring in a messy way, but I, Cassice Demillang…

‘I have a separate plan anyway.’

I smiled.

“I’ll take care of it.”

The soldiers, including Ryuseong, looked deeply into my eyes and began to move in unison as if they understood.

Well, if they read my plan, they would know that there is nothing good about having a lot of people on the lower level. Is that why? The survivors left behind were overcome with anxiety. Thinking everyone was running away, thinking they were being abandoned again, they all started screaming. How miserable were those cries begging to be saved…

I closed my eyes for a moment listening to their voices. And when I opened them again, when I came to my senses…

They were flying in the sky.

“Ah…!”

-I saw the faces of the survivors being dyed with joy like the light of dawn.

I slowly flew with the sun at my back and began to guide them to the land above the cliff. It was truly fortunate, but it should be kept a secret that blood started flowing backwards when I tried to lift such a large number of people at once, exceeding my capacity.

“Lord Demillang! Thank you!”

But it might have been a beautiful sight in its own way. Such salvation that everyone can rejoice in.

“Thank you for saving us…!”

Even though I had to leave half of my heart there like a raggedly discarded rag.

‘…’

As murderous intent began to dwell in my eyes, Ryuseong firmly grasped my hand. I lowered my head and acted as if nodding in agreement. Then, the relieved people burst into cheers… And I felt like I was going crazy, but… Yes. If it weren’t for Ryuseong’s hand holding me, I might have gone completely insane.

But I still remember that warmth that nestled in my arms.

Because of Jeong Ian, I… that child…

“It’s my responsibility.”

Then Ryuseong spoke. Close to my ear, quietly.

“I forced you to abandon that child.”

But does Ryuseong know it’s no use saying that?

That Jeong Ian is me, how dare you, who will never know for the rest of your life?

‘…’

Still, I said nothing. As soon as safety was secured, people started lining up quickly in a row and began to leave the dungeon. Occasionally falling rocks were sliced and handled by the attackers. The ground was still solid, and we were safe. Except for my mind buzzing, everyone was. Suddenly, I turned my head and looked in the direction where the dawn was rising. Then, I felt the black man, Jeong Ian, taking one more step towards the baby and smiling at me. Not everything was visible due to the grayish backlight, but I could still be sure. It was mockery.

‘…’

I wanted to either kill that bastard or die.

But if there was someone holding my hand, I might be able to endure it.

“Mr. Ryuseong.”

“What’s with the mister? Just call my name.”

“Ryuseong…”

“…”

“I’m cold. Hug me.”

Ryuseong hesitated for a moment, then finally approached me and hugged me while wearing a blood-stained robe.

Only when no one could see my face did I finally burst into tears.

“…”

Feeling sorry for that child, not knowing why he tried to die for someone like me.

‘And wondering how long you will be kind to me…’

If I dare to dwell on the memory of the demon child created by Ryuseong’s trauma, Ryuseong.

‘It was you who saved me from the beginning. It was you.’

I couldn’t help but think that.

In the end, even through trauma, you loved me.

Along with shouldering a certain belief that I must repay the debt I owe to ‘Ryuseong’ no matter what.

The two of us decided to return to the academy.