321 – Elysia’s Prayer -3-

– Tick. Tock.

Holding Elysia’s pocket watch, I sat at the desk, staring into its depths.

‘What should I do?’

The dark magic emanating from it felt genuine, not a mere illusion. A touch from the wrong hands could lead to sudden death.

If it could bind an Apostle and cast resistance magic simultaneously, the creator was all too clear.

“…”

Unexpectedly, a precious object had fallen into my hands, leaving me at a loss. The novel barely mentioned the watch at all.

It held Elysia’s life in its grasp.

Thus, Elysia could not refuse the plea for restraint. The description was so vague that it felt like a lost cause—no means of salvation, no indication of who possessed it.

“Hmm…”

A twist of fate, indeed.

“Such an absurd object…?”

It was as if fortune had smiled upon me.

To possess Elysia’s watch meant I could command an Apostle.

Not that I could manipulate Elysia’s very essence or treat her as a mere pawn, but with the goal of saving her son, Elysia had much to accomplish.

Perhaps, like the Apostle of Restraint had once commanded her, I too could issue orders. Holding her life in my hands carried significant weight.

Of course, I didn’t expect Elysia to simply obey my words. Apostles are strong-willed and fiercely independent.

She followed the Apostle of Restraint because they shared a common purpose; I, a stranger with no ties, could hardly expect her to respond with a simple, “Yes, I understand.”

“Hmm…”

Thus, I felt cautious and burdened in my intentions.

To shatter the watch and end Elysia’s life felt villainous. Yet, to use it as a means of coercion against her felt equally wrong.

– Tick. Tock.

Honestly.

It felt far too wasteful to simply discard such a twist of fate; I wanted to wield it.

A weakness of the Apostles.

Not just any object, but a vulnerability that could rival Rowen’s. Depending on how it was used, it could significantly weaken the heretics or serve as a key to gain a formidable ally.

Though it was not something I could wield freely, its weighty significance only tangled my thoughts further.

Opening the silver watch, I exhaled slowly.

“What shall I do?”

Until the time comes, I feared what restraint might do if left unchecked. If the Apostle of Restraint confirmed that Elysia’s control had vanished, he would surely seek another way to tighten her leash.

Of course, Elysia was not the sort to fall for Restraint’s schemes, so I was uncertain how things would unfold, but I wanted to strike first before he could play his hand.

I had to consider Restraint’s response.

Perhaps I could deceive the clock with falsehoods.

Or maybe there were countless ways to ensnare Elysia with lies… Then.

“…”

I suppose I must go first.

After much deliberation, I nodded to myself, conjuring the image of Elysia’s hideout in my mind.

I did not know what would happen, but at this moment, I was the only one capable of handling her.

Before that.

The Ancient Breed.

I needed to ponder the Ancient Breed.

In the tales, the Ancient Breed was described as a bear of immense size, cloaked in black fur.

—A bear?

I shook my head with a small laugh.

‘Surely not…’

—A bear…?

‘No way?’

—Bear, bear.

*

—Crrrunch…!

In a room brimming with golden luxuries, the sound of a slap echoed sharply.

The man who struck wore a chain-like fury in his eyes, glaring at the man before him, while the one who had been struck could not lift his gaze.

The air was thick with malice.

The murderous intent radiating from the glaring man made the objects in the room tremble. The shields displayed in the cabinet shook as if an earthquake had struck, and simultaneously, the pupils of the archbishop standing before me quivered.

Under the gaze that seemed ready to kill at any moment, the humiliated archbishop remained silent.

“Ha.”

A cold, hollow laugh reverberated through the room.

“Just when I’m busy with the Holy Sword, what do you think you’re doing stirring up more trouble?”

“…I am sorry.”

“Ha… sorry?”

“…I have no words.”

The man in the black silhouette furrowed his brow and pressed his finger against the forehead of the Archbishop of Shame.

“This is why I can’t trust you with any tasks. What good is being the brother of an Apostle if you can’t do anything?”

“…”

“What did I say when I entrusted you with Elysia’s clock?”

“…You told me not to lose it.”

“And yet?”

“…”

“I don’t understand why the Archbishops are in such a state… One has gone missing, and the other has stolen the Pope’s orb, leaving no trace behind.”

“…”

“Not a single one of you can finish a task properly.”

The man clicked his tongue and let out a deep sigh.

“And you.”

“…”

“You’ve made the gravest mistake.”

“I’m sorry…”

“This isn’t something that can end with an apology!!!!”

*Bang!* The desk slammed down with a loud thud, revealing the man’s fury without restraint. The black ink spilled across the surface, cascading to the floor as if to signal that mere words of apology would not suffice.

“Ha. Lost it in the mountains…?”

“…”

“A way to suppress Onyu… in the mountains…?”

“That is…”

The man furrowed his brow at the Archbishop of Shame’s excuses, trembling as he gripped the cup in his hand. The quivering vessel began to crack slowly, and soon it shattered in his grasp.

“Huuh…”

“…I’m sorry.”

The man turned away from the bowing Archbishop, wiping his hands with a handkerchief as he asked.

“How will you find it?”

“…”

“How will you find it?”

“…Well…”

“I clearly commanded you to subdue the ancient being with Onyu’s apostle.”

“…”

“From the hard-won old text… I found the information that an ancient being resides in Hamel…! I went through all that trouble just to hand it over to my last remaining brother… Do you even understand?”

“…”

“But… you lost it?”

“…”

“You haven’t even laid eyes on the ancient being you’re supposed to find. You say you lost it?”

“…”

The man’s mutterings were laced with a deep, dark frustration, shooting arrows of discontent into the air.

“I will find it, no matter what…”

*Bang!*

“How do you plan to find it?”

“If you would just give me enough manpower…”

“Manpower? Are you planning to spread rumors like, ‘I lost a watch to Onyu’?”

“…”

“You didn’t even set up a tracking spell to avoid being caught by Onyu. What will you do now?”

“…I can find it.”

“You said you already looked.”

“If you could just give me another week…”

“If someone of the archbishop’s caliber couldn’t find it in a week, wouldn’t that be even stranger?”

“…”

“What will you do?”

Under the increasingly frigid gaze of the man, the archbishop could not lift his head.

The man brushed back his throbbing hair, suppressing his anger. No matter how much he raged, nothing would change.

“Ha… Right. It’s my fault for having a foolish brother.”

A contingency plan was needed.

Time to search for the watch without being caught by Onyu’s apostle was what they needed most right now.

“How long has it been since you lost it?”

“…the fifteenth.”

“…what?”

“Fifteen days have passed.”

“Ha.”

I was struck dumb, overwhelmed by disbelief.

“Brother.”

“…yes, my lord.”

“I may be fine, but you will beg for death if that woman catches you.”

“…”

“If the one who took that item knows how to use it, it will be even worse.”

“That won’t happen.”

“What if it does?”

“…”

“It would be better if wild beasts played and shattered the clock, leading to Onyu’s demise. But if, by some twisted fate, that clock falls into Onyu’s hands…”

“…”

“You will truly die. I may have to wage an all-out war myself.”

The man spoke coldly, addressing the archbishop.

“Find it, by any means necessary.”

“…”

“I will buy time, one way or another.”

“…”

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

“You know it was my doing that brought you here, and I am doing my utmost to ensure your convenience.”

“Yes.”

“If it were anyone else, death would not be the end of it.”

“I understand.”

“I will grant you two weeks. Be sure to return before then.”

The archbishop of disgrace lowered his head as he watched the man gather his garments.

And then…

The Apostle of Restraint had come to Elysia.

To prevent the worst from happening.

*

Elysia was praying.

Praying to escape this damned cage.

How long must she remain bound by their hands? All she wished was to focus on saving her son.

Exhausted by the torment of those who forced her into useless tasks, Elysia implored the divine.

“Please, let me kill them. My Lord.”

“Punish them to the point of hating life itself.”

Yet, once more, there was no answer from the heavens.

Elysia clasped her hands again.

“My Lord.”

She prayed that if the restraints were ever lifted, she would be granted the chance to take a life with her own hands.

She prayed for the opportunity to shatter, one by one, the fingers of the man who had first taken her son, to watch as he suffered before her eyes.

Such a sweet thought, even to imagine.

Revenge, after all.

Slowly, she was preparing.

A way to escape the grip of that man.

If she could set dark magic as her lifeblood and become free, she could break free. If she could cultivate dark magic from the beginning once more, there would come a day when she could drive a blade into their throats.

Theoretically possible, yet she hesitated, for she had yet to find solid proof. Losing all her dark magic would make her an easy target.

In the face of unresolved suffering, Elysia closed her eyes again.

– Tap.

A small sound of heels echoed behind her, causing her to frown.

What foreigner dared to step into her sanctuary this time? The thought of ‘Is it that person again?’ sent a chill of magic gathering in her hands.

“No.”

Elysia furrowed her brow at the weight of the approaching magic. The power of this newcomer was beyond her imagination.

Restraint…?

The thought that Restraint had come here crossed her mind.

She could feel the magic of one who rivaled an Apostle.

A strong and ruthless individual.

Elysia squeezed her eyes shut.

She didn’t want to see the strange request forming on his lips.

But—

—”Oh my, it is truly dark here.”

At the sound of a voice, Elysia’s body stiffened.

It was a man’s voice.

A deep, pleasant timbre.

Yet, the aura radiating from the approaching man surged with a ferocity that threatened to engulf the very space around them.

—*Gulp.*

The man was walking toward her.

And then—

The moment their eyes met, as he turned to look back, Elysia’s pupils trembled violently.

—*Clink.*

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“…”

“Saint of Gentleness.”

A monster with crimson hair.

That creature was grinning, holding the leash that bound her.

“Y-You are?”

Elysia thought it would have been better if the Apostle of Restraint had appeared instead.

That monster—

—*Sssssss…*

She didn’t want to see it again.

—