Chapter 448: Proof of Existence (36)

0% The Seven Deadly Sins, the stars symbolizing the seven primordial sins created by Delphirem, and the Dark Order’s strongest forces who inherited the power of those stars.

At my question, Yuren spoke in a low voice as if this was the perfect opportunity.

“Listen carefully, the Seven Deadly Sins are monsters second only to Delphirem within the Dark Order. You can’t even scratch them with average skills! You need to be at least a ‘High Expert’ or ‘Archmage’ to stand somewhat of a chance against them.”

“Then what about Masters?”

“Are you nuts? Even the Seven Deadly Sins are still a step below Masters… for now.”

The way he added that last part was significant.

‘For now’–in other words, wasn’t he saying the Seven Deadly Sins could potentially grow to match Masters?

If that happened–that would be the end.

Seven Master-level powerhouses? The Dark Order would have no reason to stay in hiding anymore.

They could simply sweep across the continent with the power they already had.

But there was still one thing weighing on my mind.

My eyes flicked up to the blood-red sun hanging in the sky. Then to the crimson cocoon wrapped around the child.

We’d found the real body. Now we needed to get the child back. However, there hadn’t been a single opening to do so. We had to save her–fast.

As if guessing my thoughts, Yuren let out a faint sigh and said.

“That kid will be fine.”

“How do you know?”

“Because of the ‘contract.'”

He said it like it was a simple matter.

“A contract binds both sides equally. Since she promised to return the child alive and well, the kid is likely not in danger–just trapped in that cocoon. Meaning all we need to do is find a way to survive.”

“And that means offering me up?”

Then Yuren shrugged and joked,

“Do we really need to offer you? Try negotiating the terms a bit. That woman’s clearly got it bad for you… I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d rather accept some difficult conditions than let you go.”

“Wouldn’t she prefer to kill everyone here except me instead?”

Only then did the counterarguments stop.

Yuren and Celine wore gloomy expressions, while Senior Elsie was lost in thought with her chin resting on her hand.

I too went over the conversation I had with Yuren in silence.

It was then that Senior Elsie spoke up.

“These red threads……”

Everyone turned toward her. She was carefully examining the blood-red threads stretched around us.

The threads spread throughout this sealed room were all under the girl’s control.

And that was exactly why we couldn’t make a reckless escape.

Our entire range of movement had already been occupied by the blood-red threads anyway. No matter how much we struggled, it would be pointless.

“They’re made of mana.”

“Obviously.”

Yuren said instead of letting out a dry laugh.

But the moment he said it, something clicked in my mind.

‘Archmage.’

In other words, If I could reach the level of a High Expert–or even just touch it briefly…

“There might

At my small mutter, everyone’s gaze gathered on me again. Yuren, in particular, looked like he was about to have a breakdown.

Like he was terrified of what nonsense I might spout next.

But I was already committed, so I went on.

“Escaping from here isn’t impossible. But once the fight starts, I’ll need you to buy me some time.”

“Time?”

Celine tilted her head, and Yuren instinctively followed the direction of my gaze.

There stood the girl, still staring intently at me.

A hollow laugh escaped from Yuren’s mouth as he realized what I meant.

“You’re insane.”

Of course, it was futile resistance.

Yuren, who had his resolve broken by the strong agreement of the other two women, covered his face with both hands and said,

“Ian… can you really do it?”

My determined footsteps faltered.

That single question was more terrifying than a hundred rebuttals.

“She’s your little sister… Can you really do it without hesitation?”

I couldn’t answer for a long time.

My eyes wandered to the side, then down, my lips parted and closed again several times.

Eventually, I let out a deep breath and started walking again.

A heavy voice followed my trajectory.

“…..This is your choice, Ian.”

There was no need to reply verbally.

I just silently patted Yuren’s shoulder a few times. Then, I stepped forward and suggested to the girl whose chest was swelling with anticipation.

“I’d like to modify the terms of the contract.”

The girl’s expression, which had been sparkling with eyes eagerly awaiting my response, suddenly became subtle.

Her attitude suggested she found it hard to understand what I was saying.

Then she clicked her tongue.

Cold eyes then turned toward me.

“Oppa, you’re thinking something weird again, aren’t you? Like, if you just keep trying, you’ll find a way out of this… if you don’t give up, a path will appear…..”

Pfft, the girl couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

But only for a moment.

Then, boom–a strike filled with rage slammed into the ground, shattering it.

A grinding sound soon followed.

“Don’t be ridiculous! That kind of thing doesn’t exist!”

“Then prove it.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I stood up to the girl’s words.

“Let’s change the terms. If any of us manage to land even a single hit on you before we’re defeated… you leave us alone.”

Kuk kuk, a soft chuckle leaked from the girl’s mouth.

A sticky smile formed on the girl’s lips. As if it were ridiculous.

“Fine. Let’s see you try. If you can inflict even a small wound on me, I won’t touch oppa, at least for today. Is that good enough?”

“It’s a contract.”

Hmph, she scoffed as if it were obvious.

Before we knew it, blood-red coins appeared in both the girl’s and my hands. The two coins flew toward the blood-red scales that appeared between us with a clear ting sound.

Clink. Clink.

Just as the blood-red coins were about to fall on each pan after spinning.

Yuren murmured softly.

“Remember this, Ian… you chose this.”

After that, the blood-red threads crisscrossed to form a spider web, and faceless monsters kicked off the ground and charged at us.

In addition, the girl’s hand now held a blood-red whip.

Everything was aimed at me. Right after my companions rushed out, I gripped my sword and closed my eyes.

I had to concentrate.

To recreate the scene I had witnessed that day.

*My consciousness sank one layer deeper.

The shouts, screams, and noise of clashing blades coming from all around me.

I had to block it all out.

I desperately groped for a certain point in the past. Wanting to see beyond the boundary I had glimpsed when fighting the Archmage.

Wouldn’t anyone feel the same?

It was the path I had to take and it felt like I was about to reach it.

Since that time, I’d spent countless sleepless nights, imagining the fragments of truth I hadn’t been able to see.

But no matter how hard I tried, I still couldn’t see it.

The silver flames that burned my sword were the only light illuminating my mental image.

I was confident.

I wasn’t an idiot. I wouldn’t bet the lives of my precious comrades on a hopeless gamble. I was certain that if I kept searching, a path would appear.

If this was the only answer–

I reached into the darkness. Before I knew it, the space around me was pitch black and submerged in silence. Somehow, somehow I had to find it.

Cold sweat dripped down my face. My expression twisted and relaxed again and again from the strain.

Then, as a single drop of sweat slid down my cheek and hit the ground…

“…..It’s impossible.”

I snapped back to my senses.

My body was standing on a plain. Countless tents formed ranks in the distance, and torches, lined up under the dark night’s curtain, flickered.

Following the words my mouth had uttered on its own, a voice filled with suppressed heat spoke.

“Why not?”

“Because supplies are lacking.”

A dry voice without even a grain of emotion responded.

In contrast, the expression of the woman standing beside me was changing in real time. At first she couldn’t hide her resentful look, then she sent me reproachful glances, and finally, she kicked the innocent ground several times as if to vent her anger.

She was an interesting woman.

I heard she used to hide her true nature, but currently, she is showing such honest emotions.

The woman’s sharp gaze turned towards me.

“Hah, fine… So you’re saying we should maintain the front lines for over a month with endlessly insufficient supplies? Only then will new supplies arrive, and even then the amount isn’t guaranteed?”

“The situation is similar on every front.”

“Is that something to be proud of?!”

Unable to contain her anger any longer, the woman roughly pointed to where the tents were lined up.

There, soldiers with uniformly exhausted expressions were gathered.

Water was boiling, but food to fill their stomachs was lacking. They held jerky in their mouths while drinking warm water several times over.

Hoping that at least the salty taste wouldn’t disappear.

“We stand here to protect humanity. Everyone is risking their lives! At least let them die on the battlefield. They can’t starve to death from lack of supplies…!”

“Shouldn’t you obey orders?”

It was something I blurted out in a moment of irritation.

“Oops’, I thought after saying it–it was clearly provocative. There was no way the already furious woman would let this slide.

It was proof that I too was utterly exhausted.

The situation on every front was at its worst. The fact that our battle lines hadn’t collapsed yet felt like a miracle.

All of them were demanding supplies from me.

But no matter how hard I tried, nonexistent supplies wouldn’t materialize. After going through hundreds of these arguments, my nerves had grown sharp as well.

It was a mistake.

It was something I shouldn’t have said to those risking their lives on the battlefield. So I immediately bowed my head and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I misspoke……”

“Forget it.”

It was a strangely lonely tone.

The Saintess let out a deep sigh, then took the gourd hanging from her waist. She naturally tilted the bottle and began gulping down alcohol.

Even though she couldn’t handle her liquor well.

Then, she simply collapsed onto the grassy slope. Her expression clearly showed her dejected state of mind.

I felt even more guilty.

“So you’re human too… Hah! Why didn’t I realize? If you could provide supplies, you’d be the person who would have done so already.”

“…..I’m sorry.”

Apologies continued to flow from my mouth.

Regardless, the woman just wore a crooked sneer.

Also, I can see clearly that you’re ignorant of doctrine. ‘Obedience’… Fufu, do you even know what that means?”

I didn’t give an answer.

Because the woman’s criticism was true.

Then the woman soon began a long speech. Looking at her like this, she really was a cleric.

How did she end up so twisted?

“‘Obedience’ doesn’t mean to meekly fall over and collapse just because the wind is strong. It certainly doesn’t mean to hold your head high hoping for luck either.”

“Then what should we do?”

At my question, the woman showed a smug smile.

“Find the answer yourself. I’m a woman with a bad personality, so I won’t readily show you the answer sheet.”

Of course, I let out a long sigh and shook my head.

I hadn’t expected anything different. I’d known this woman for several months now.

I wasn’t naive enough not to know her twisted nature.

Rather, lately, I could sometimes glimpse the wounds lying beneath her surface.

On a night where summer had already passed, a chilly wind brushed past my thin clothing.

The drinking woman’s clothing was even thinner. It was the price of deliberately making clothes from cheap fabric to save supplies.

So I couldn’t take my eyes off the woman for a while.

When alcohol enters the system, the body begins to warm up. But the more drunk you get, the more your body temperature gradually drops.

In the end, it meant becoming even more vulnerable to the cold.

After hesitating for a long time, I eventually sighed and took off my coat. And before the woman could say anything, I covered her shoulders with it.

The woman’s body flinched and stiffened at the unexpected kindness.

This too was brief.

Instead of common words of thanks, the woman narrowed her eyes and teased me.

“Ahah, are you trying to hit on me while you have the chance? Well, my beauty is as famous as my twisted personality. In the end, you’re just another one of the many men who drool over me…..”

“Are you afraid of kindness without reason?”

At that short rebuttal, the woman was left speechless.