NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50
“…That again.”
The Dragon Slayer, now standing upright, muttered with a scowl. Hearing his voice, I gave him a crooked smile.
I directed the chains binding me straight at the Dragon Slayer. But having been caught off guard by the same move before, he wasn’t easy prey this time. He quickly moved his feet, deflecting the chains with his sword.
“Dragon Slayer, that magic back then—wasn’t yours, was it?”
“…!!”
The Archmage, whose approach had gone unnoticed, grinned widely. At the same time, a red magic circle spread around the Dragon Slayer.
Crackle!
Electricity surged, and the Dragon Slayer froze in place.
“Archmage…!!”
Grinding his teeth in frustration, he spat out the words as though chewing on them. Meanwhile, Hae Roun, the ever-amused mage, let out a chuckle.
“Guild Master, the great Archmage caught him for you. Don’t you have something to say?”
“You just stood by and watched, and now you’re acting smug.”
At my reply, the Archmage feigned annoyance.
“With you swinging your sword around so fiercely, how could I possibly intervene?”
“If you’re going to say that, just don’t talk at all…”
“Exactly my point,” added the Spirit Master, who had approached silently and chimed in.
Excuse me? You’re just as guilty, aren’t you?
Exasperated, I alternated between glaring at the mage and the Spirit Master. That’s when the sky began to glow dazzlingly.
“This feels ominous…”
The Dragon Slayer, still restrained by the mage’s spell and my chains, remained motionless. But something about this familiar scenario was making me uneasy.
Sure enough, a blue array began to form in the sky, drawing a dry laugh from my lips.
“There it is again.”
The array was unmistakably Gloria’s magic.
Boom!
As thunder rumbled across the sky, lightning bolts began to strike down. Flames erupted across the filming site as the bolts rained down. Without hesitation, the Spirit Master summoned water spirits to extinguish the fire.
Meanwhile, I pulled the Dragon Slayer closer by the chains, grabbing him firmly by the back of his neck to ensure he couldn’t escape again.
The Dragon Slayer, surprisingly compliant, slowly turned his head to observe the Spirit Master at work and spoke in a low voice.
“…The Spirit Master too.”
The faint murmur somehow reached the Spirit Master, who flinched violently and stared at him in alarm. Smiling, I reassured him.
“Don’t be scared, Spirit Master.”
“Who said I was scared?!”
“Spirit Master, anyone can see you’re terrified.”
The Archmage, ever the instigator, teased the Spirit Master while turning to me.
“Guild Master, take care of Dragon Slayer now.”
“Are we moving?”
“Of course, we are.”
As the Archmage maintained the protective barrier around us, he suddenly looked up at the sky and smiled.
“But first, let me take care of that.”
With those ominous words, the lightning stopped mid-air, as if frozen in time. Then, almost as though time was reversing, the bolts began to retreat back into the sky. The once-blue array turned a menacing shade of red.
“You’ve got talent, mage,” the Spirit Master admitted grudgingly.
I nodded in agreement.
“But where exactly are we heading, mage?”
“First stop, let’s head to the Hero’s shop— Guild Master!!”
The hand gripping the Dragon Slayer’s nape was suddenly seized by someone else. A presence none of us had sensed before.
“Wait, there’s a Hero here too?!”
As I turned to meet the unexpected intruder, I was greeted by smiling eyes, folded into crescent moons.
“Hello, Saintess. It’s been a while.”
I gaped at him, speechless, before scowling. Without hesitation, I moved the chains to strike at the man.
“Guild Master!”
“Do Haun!!”
If not for the Spirit Master and Archmage pulling me back, I would have done it.
The grip I had on the Dragon Slayer slipped, and—
Boom!!
A deafening explosion followed, leaving my ears ringing. My body lifted off the ground and then slammed hard into it. I rolled a few times before I managed to lift my head.
[Authority, Healing, has been activated.]
Wiping the blood trickling down my forehead, I slowly got to my feet. A massive crater marked where I had been standing moments ago.
“Shit…”
I had lost the Dragon Slayer again. Not just him—another suspicious figure, someone seemingly tied to Gloria, had also slipped through my grasp.
Grinding my teeth, I raked my fingers through my hair and exhaled sharply. First things first, I needed to check on the Archmage and Spirit Master. They had likely avoided the blast, but it didn’t hurt to be sure.
“Do Haun.”
“…?”
A voice called from above, and I tilted my head up.
“…Demon King?”
Of course. It was the Demon King, standing there casually with two unconscious men slung under his arms. From the looks of it, those two were exactly who I thought they were.
But first—
“Demon King! Why are you here?! Didn’t Guild Master Woo Mahan transport you away?!”
“Indeed.”
The Demon King descended lightly to the ground and, with no ceremony whatsoever, dropped the two men onto the ground like discarded luggage.
“You’re insane!”
“Ugh…”
Despite the hard impact, the two only groaned and grimaced but didn’t get up.
“Archmage, Spirit Master?”
I activated the Saintess’s power to see if they were injured, but there didn’t seem to be any major wounds. Yet, both of them continued to groan in discomfort, their faces twisted in pain.
Shaking their shoulders, I tried to rouse them.
“Archmage! Spirit Master! Hey! Wake up! Hae Roun! Kang Hasu!”
“They won’t wake easily,” the Demon King interjected, his tone lofty.
“What? Why?”
The Demon King dropped a thunderous statement, his expression haughty.
“I mistook them for enemies and unleashed my power. They’re likely witnessing the most horrifying moments of their lives right now.”
“What the hell?!”
Was that something to say so nonchalantly?!
“But don’t worry—they won’t remember it once they wake.”
That’s not the point!
I slapped the Demon King’s shoulder with a resounding smack and applied the Saintess’s power to the Archmage and Spirit Master again. This time, it seemed to work; their expressions softened.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, I glared at the Demon King. To his credit, he seemed to realize his mistake, as he turned his head to avoid my gaze.
“Demon King.”
“I merely made a mistake,” he said, a weak excuse if I’d ever heard one.
“Fine. But when they wake up, you’re apologizing. No excuses.”
The Demon King pouted, his lips sticking out like a sulking child. I fought the urge to pinch them but held back.
Reluctantly, he nodded.
“More importantly, Do Haun, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
I had been injured, but the Saintess’s power had already healed me. My clothes, however, hadn’t fared as well. At this rate, my wardrobe would be completely ruined.
Maybe I should ask my brother or Do Hain to get me some Hunter gear.
“Ah.”
“What’s the matter?”
I groaned, clutching my head in frustration as memories resurfaced—those eyes I had seen before my brother and Do Hain disappeared with the Archmage’s spell. The words I had shouted echoed back in my mind as well.
Taking a deep breath, I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair and tried to straighten it.
“It’s nothing,” I muttered.
The Demon King frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with my answer. I considered telling him to relax his face but was interrupted by the sound of distant sirens.
“Demon King.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“You said you can open portals, right?”
He nodded. Glancing around the wrecked filming site, I asked,
“Do you remember where we met Doby, that bastard?”
“The place where the Northern Grand Duke resides?”
“Yes, let’s go there.”
Returning home wasn’t an option. From now on, I needed to avoid my brother and Do Hain’s watchful eyes.
‘Hello, Saintess. It’s been a while.’
The memory of that voice made me scowl. It was a face I didn’t recognize, yet the aura was familiar. Worse, he had spoken to me as if we were long-lost acquaintances.
Grinding my teeth, I stopped thinking about it. Steeling myself, I stepped toward the magic circle that had appeared before me. Or at least, I tried to.
“Demon King! Bring the Archmage and Spirit Master with you!”
With a grumpy expression, the Demon King picked up the two unconscious men like luggage. Clicking my tongue, I stepped into the magic circle again.
Thanks to the Demon King, we successfully transported to the Hero’s shop, with the Archmage and Spirit Master in tow.
****
Inside the still-open shop.
The Hero, standing behind the counter, froze, eyes wide at the sight of me. But when her gaze shifted to the Demon King, who was holding the two unconscious men like sacks of grain, her mouth dropped open.
Somewhere nearby, I heard the sound of a phone camera—click.
I turned toward the source and caught sight of a customer hastily putting their phone away, looking guilty.
“Excuse me, sir, just a moment!”
The Northern Grand Duke, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, grabbed the customer’s hand. A golden magic circle flared into existence, enveloping us.
“They’re gone! They disappeared!”
“Where did they go?!”
The shop’s patrons were now in a panic, rising from their seats in confusion. It seemed the Grand Duke had shielded us from their prying eyes.
I exhaled heavily and turned toward the Demon King, who was tilting his head in confusion.
“Demon King.”
“What is it now?”
I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head.
“Never mind.”
I hadn’t planned on arriving at the shop like this. Awkwardly, I glanced toward the Grand Duke, who was busy trying to control the situation, and forced a smile.
|Pr. Northern Grand Duke|: Are you serious? You’re smiling right now?!!
I’m not smiling because I want to. It’s a forced smile.
|Pr. Hero|: Guild Master.
The sudden message made me flinch and snap my gaze to the Hero, who was standing behind the counter. Her expression was a mix of exasperation and disbelief, the vein on her forehead looking like it might burst.
|Pr. Hero|: What the hell kind of nonsense is this?