292 – A Story of Someone Encased in a Nightmare.

Yuria was walking through the darkness.

Silently, in a darkness where not even a step ahead could be seen.

‘Where is this…?’

She had clearly been talking to Shuen, returning to the dormitory, and lying down on her bed, so why was she standing here?

As Yuria, flustered, wandered through the darkness, a voice echoed from a corner.

[Please…!]

A woman’s voice, weeping softly.

[Please… Please…!]

It was desperate.

Urgent.

A mournful voice, imbued with deep sorrow, reverberated through the dark space.

It was a voice closer to a wail than sadness. Just listening to it felt like her heart was being squeezed.

‘Who is it…?’

Flustered, Yuria walked towards the source of the sound, using the wall for support, and soon let out a sigh of relief upon seeing a small light seeping through.

‘Is it here…?’

Arriving in front of the place where the small light was emerging, Yuria pressed her face against a hole that seemed barely big enough for a finger to fit through.

-Please…!

Curious about the identity of the sorrowful weeper. What story could lead someone to cry so pitifully? Or what had they experienced that made them wail as if their throat would tear?

Yuria slowly peered beyond the hole, and quickly pulled her face away from a sight she could never have imagined.

‘What the…?!’

On the other side of the hole was a woman dressed in splendid clothing, embracing a man with a gaping wound in his body.

-Open your eyes…

The woman continued to stroke the man’s face with trembling hands. Even as her pink hair became soaked in blood, she persisted.

-Please, okay…? I’m begging you… I did everything wrong… Please…!

The version of herself beyond the hole kept caressing someone’s cheek. Desperately.

She was wearing white clothing, yet why did she appear so dark? Unable to shake off the sense of dissonance, Yuria continued to watch with trembling eyes.

Why was she wearing such clothes?

And who was the man cradled in her arms? And why was he in such pain? As the unanswered questions made her heart race, she felt the intensity of her own heartbeat grow stronger.

-…Who is it?

– Crash!

Yuria, who locked eyes with the woman as she turned her head at the menacing voice, gasped and placed a trembling hand over her heart.

From beyond the wall, the woman’s voice came softly, as if she had sensed Yuria’s presence.

– Do you… know how to use healing magic?

-…

– I can’t heal anyone else anymore…

-…

– So… so…! This person isn’t getting better…!

-…

– No matter how much of my magic I pour into them, they won’t heal…

-…

– Can you save this person…?

The woman spoke to Yuria with a murderous intent.

– Then I will save you.

As soon as the cold voice of the woman ended, a powerful energy approached, and the dark room began to crack.

– Crack.

The dark space, trembling as if it intended to enter, started to shed small fragments, allowing light to seep through.

– Thud… Rumble!!!

Just as the woman’s hand was about to emerge through the gaps.

The dark space shattered, and vision began to brighten.

“Haah… Haah…”

Soaked in sweat, Yuria exhaled heavily and lifted her body.

“What was that?”

It was a nightmare.

A nightmarishly terrifying nightmare.

***

Today, the lady’s mansion was peaceful once more.

After returning from the valley, I washed the lady and then covered her with a blanket up to her neck, closing my eyes.

Night had come.

Originally, I had planned to camp in the cave, but as the rain suddenly stopped, I gave up and returned. I let out a sigh of disappointment.

—Ricardo.

—Yes.

—The rain has stopped.

—…It seems so.

—Are you going to play more?

—It’s midnight, you know?

—Hmm.

It must have been fun to camp under the night sky.

Still, judging that I couldn’t let a noble sleep in a cave, I made my way through the darkness to the mansion and quickly finished preparing for bed.

Just one thing, if there was a special event.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Ghosts won’t come out, right?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Eek!”

Today, there was an event where I would sleep with the young lady. I thought it wasn’t a bad deal at all. Perhaps even better than the romantic camping I had imagined.

It wasn’t because I liked the idea of subtly touching the young lady’s treasure pouch while risking my conscience. After all, I had been her gentleman for thirteen years.

I smiled softly as I looked at the young lady lying beside me on the narrow bed.

“But, Miss.”

“Hmm?”

“Why my bed?”

“Just because. I wanted to lie down in Ricardo’s bed after a long time.”

“But your bed is bigger.”

“Today, I gave it up for Gom-tang.”

“…?”

The young lady buried her face in my chest and murmured a brief farewell.

“Good night.”

“…”

“Cough! Hmph. Cough!”

It seemed like sleeping today was a mistake.

*

‘What is this?’

As I closed my eyes, a strange scene unfolded before me. I had thought that I couldn’t sleep because of the lady’s snoring…

‘…was it a lullaby?’

I had fallen asleep to the surprisingly cheerful sound of the lady’s snoring, and I lifted my head with a wry smile.

I was glad to be dreaming after such a long time.

Was it the first time since becoming a Sword Master?

After reaching a state where I no longer needed to sleep, I found myself smiling with interest at this first dream.

I wanted to have a rather risqué dream, though.

Like bathing with the lady.

Or her bikini.

Or her underwear… Anyway.

The blue sky.

Birds flying around.

And then.

—Kill!

A shout filled with murderous intent.

I looked around with an awkward expression, filled with disappointment that this long-awaited dream was a nightmare.

It was chaos.

All around were soldiers wielding swords.

In the midst of a battlefield drenched in blood.

In that chaos, I was holding a sword.

‘What is this?’

Looking at the unfolding situation.

The deep brown armor belonged to the Imperial Army.

The white armor, mismatched for the battlefield, belonged to the heretics.

For a dream I hadn’t had in a long time, the situation was quite inappropriate, and I let out a bitter laugh as I watched the Imperial Army being pushed back.

‘They’re being overwhelmed.’

On the surface, it seemed evenly matched, but if you looked closely, the battlefield was clearly in a state of retreat, and I shook my head.

“Are you telling me to work even in my dreams?”

I shook my head at the audacious dream that was almost unbearable. Is this the fate of a vessel, I wondered.

And it was insisting on a scene that wasn’t even in the novel.

“Sigh… how bothersome.”

It didn’t seem like the imperial army was losing due to a lack of quality. After all, it was a group of elites. It was probably true that there were no figures capable of standing against the core of the heretics.

Rowen would be protecting the emperor.

And the tower master would be guarding the magic tower.

I thought that the greatest force on this battlefield was probably that person.

—Kill!!!

—…

The silver-haired boy—no, girl—Mikhail.

It felt like I was looking into a much later future. Perhaps around the time when the war between the heretics and the empire had truly begun.

Mikhail’s swordsmanship was cutting through enemies, radiating a white aura. Even amidst it all, I found myself admiring how they skillfully avoided vital points.

—Leave this to me and quickly move the injured. I will join another line.

—Yes, understood!

—There’s no time…! Move quickly!

So this is what it means to be a lead character.

I nodded at Mikhail’s calm command and turned my gaze elsewhere. Not far away, I could hear a loud “bang!”

A massive pillar of flame.

—What the hell! A sudden ambush, this is insane! I can barely handle one archbishop!

—Kraaah!!! Kill that magician first! In the name of the gods!

—What nonsense, what gods? Go find your mother instead.

Luin’s magic was pouring onto the battlefield.

It seemed everyone had grown remarkably.

As the protagonists of the novel.

As comrades I could trust and rely on.

I couldn’t help but admire how they had matured.

And then.

—Swoosh…

I found myself in awe of the crown prince’s swordsmanship, wielding his blade with such precision. It didn’t seem like he had been idly passing the time either.

I felt reassured by the sight of the main characters doing their best to seize victory on the battlefield. Still, in my dreams, I was holding my own just fine. I wish it were the same in reality, but that might be too much to hope for.

‘…Ugh.’

Familiar faces were visible among the heretics.

– “Isn’t that… Mikhail? Did you like my gift from the capital?”

– “Damn it…”

– “My ultimate art…!”

There were mantises too.

Archbishops who had breathed their last in my hands.

And then.

– “The disciple of the spire, have you lost your way?”

– “What the hell.”

– “Pray to God. So you can go to a good place.”

The Apostle of Mercy, Olaf, was also on the battlefield.

It was a complete mess.

This battlefield.

Numerically, it was neck and neck, but qualitatively, the situation was unmatched, as if to say.

‘It’s going to be hard to win.’

It felt like I was whispering the Empire’s defeat. The inaction of those here had yet to reach the Apostle.

No matter how strong they claimed to be, with an Apostle who could reattach torn bodies, how could we possibly win? Honestly, I still had no idea how I had managed to defeat an Apostle.

I nodded to myself as I passed them by.

Soon, I stopped in front of a certain encampment surrounded by Imperial troops.

They were unleashing an overwhelming offensive.

It seemed that if they killed this one person, they could seize the momentum of the war, as the Empire’s general, sorcerer, and even Malik joined the ranks to pour out their assault.

But.

– “Why.”

The one facing the onslaught was holding firm without a care.

It was an overwhelming inaction.

Malik gritted his teeth and unleashed his sword energy, yet the man remained unfazed to the point of being laughable.

Though the barrage obscured the man’s face, he seemed to possess a power akin to that of an Apostle at a glance.

And in that moment.

– KWA-aaaNG!

A woman pushed her way through the ranks, pouring all her strength into killing the man.

I let out a hollow laugh at the sight of her visible between the lines. I had no idea she could be this resolute.

– I will definitely kill you…!

– …Why?

– I will tear your flesh apart…

– Why do you hate me so much?

It was Yuria.

The identity of the woman, drenched in hatred and sorrow, pouring out her divine power. Signs of excessive use of divine power were manifesting in her body, yet the sight of her unleashing her wrath upon the man before her looked strikingly different from the Yuria I knew.

‘Wow…’

It was terrifying.

Is this what Yuria looks like when she’s angry? I shuddered at the thought that I should never provoke her again.

Then, amidst the fading onslaught, I caught a glimpse of the man and momentarily held my breath.

‘Oh?’

– I have lost so much because of you all.

‘Why am I over there?’

– What have I done to deserve such anger from you?

In this dream, I was enduring the assault with slightly longer hair. With my red hair and a tirving in hand, I stood alone, taking Yuria’s onslaught.

My expression looked dark.

Though my face was handsome, how should I put it? It seemed like I was forcing a smile.

The smile I wore while looking at Yuria appeared complex, as if I had many thoughts swirling within.

Of course, Yuria couldn’t notice that.

– I will kill you.

– Why? Are you going to kill me like the other archbishops?

– I will kill you with my own hands, unlike the others.

– Ah… Is it because of my father? Or is it because of that friend from the academy… that Kyla?

– Shut up… Don’t sully that name with your filthy mouth.

– Puhuh… Puhahaha…! This is driving me crazy. There’s no one as foolish as you….

– Ricardo!!!

‘Wow…’

I looked like garbage, even to myself. The me in the dream. I wanted to punch my reflection, which looked so vile it could rival a third-rate villain.

In the dream, I swung my sword wide and sneered at Yuria.

– Still, hold on to hope. Your father is not dead yet.

– …Do you think I would fall for that?

– Oh… what will you do if you don’t? What can you possibly do?

– …

– He’s alive, so don’t worry. Ah, of course, I never said he was human, did I?

– You b*stard!

I met Yuria’s rising fury with a cold, hardened expression.

– Why? You took something precious from me too; isn’t one in return fair enough?

– …Speak properly.

– Why are you acting surprised when you know how a person driven by revenge can change?

– …You

– Elixir.

– …

– Bring it to me right now. Before I kill you all.

My sword was drawing a pitch-black curtain, consuming the space around us. And Yuria, struck by the blade, fell to the ground in an instant.

With her eyes barely closed, I pressed the tip of Tirving’s blade against her neck and murmured something in a calm voice.

Though it was inaudible.

It seemed like I was saying, ‘I’m sorry.’

Yuria clutched my ankle, her eyes glinting with malice.

– I will kill you.

I smiled as I spoke to Yuria.

– I hope that happens.

***

“Wow…”

“???”

As I woke from the dream, the girl digging in her nose extended her finger and said,

“Want some?”

“Excuse me?”

“Delicious.”

“…?”

I thought as I lay back on the bed, looking at the innocent young lady.

It felt like a ridiculous dream.

“Yikes! Don’t ignore me!”

“Please eat a lot, miss.”

“Yikes… Ugh.”

“No! Seriously, don’t eat it.”

“Yikes…”

Honestly.

“Then give me some bone soup.”

It felt like I had been dreaming.