Chapter 22
A man with two vertical moles on his right eye corner that were attractive.
Overall, his skin was snow-white, but the pink-tinged eye area made his very existence feel dreamlike.
In addition, the long hair starting black and ending white heightened the mystery even more, and the blood-red irises like freshly spilled blood aroused a strange allure.
But it was a beauty trap that didn’t work on Daphne at all.
“You bastard, you’ve run into the right person!”
Daphne glared with wide eyes.
Why?
Because this guy was exactly,
-I know everything in the world.
-I also know the fact that the great Sellus will soon become an insignificant creature.
The great sage bastard who spouted such nonsense!
She had many things to ask when she met this guy. Like why among so many bodies he possessed the hero’s daughter’s body, how to break the curse of the Black Butterfly disease, and so on.
But since sages were a race that couldn’t be easily found, she thought she would set out to find him once she regained her strength. And yet he appears like this!
‘I won’t let him go.’
Daphne thrust her hand out to grab the great sage’s collar. But Daphne’s hand didn’t reach him. It just passed right through.
“The great Sellus knows that this form is an illusion.”
“……Ah. Right! I knew that.”
She didn’t know.
To begin with, with her magic power insufficient to control her own body, how could she tell if that was an illusion or what.
But saying she didn’t know would make her pride plummet to the bottom, so Daphne denied it and changed the subject.
“You knew I would enter this body? How did you know?”
“Oh dear. You have so many questions.”
The great sage wrinkled the bridge of his nose and lowered his eyebrows languidly. Thanks to his gentle impression with drooping eye corners, he looked like a dejected puppy.
But that didn’t make him look purely innocent. Perhaps because his blood-red irises held an unusual sharpness? Anyway, Daphne did not loosen the string of tension.
“I want to answer everything, but time is short.”
“Why is time short? You wanna die?”
“Someone threw me to the opposite side of the continent. Maintaining illusion magic from such a far place all the way here is really hard work.”
“……”
That was me.
Sellus, no, Daphne quickly calmed her excited heart.
“As time is short, I’ll say it briefly.”
The great sage, recovering the slightly blurring illusion, continued.
“Find out well why Sellus had to die, and why of all things he entered that body.”
Daphne was somewhat dumbfounded. No, if time is short, why say it so vaguely?
“So tell me the reason for all that! Concisely!”
“Huh?”
As Daphne shouted as if her seams would burst, the great sage tilted his head.
“Why should I?”
“What?”
“That wouldn’t be fun.”
“……”
Right. She had completely forgotten. That the sage race are half-mad.
“You crazy bastard……!”
“Beware of the black mages.”
Daphne’s expression crumpled fiercely.
Black mages were insignificant humans who worshipped Sellus like a god. They weren’t particularly great beings.
Because they were guys who used magic by burning their own life force, their limits were clear. As a result, the number of black mages was gradually decreasing.
Of course, the curse on Daphne’s body was powerful. It wasn’t a curse staked on the life of the black mage who cast it? So it was evil and tenacious, but this was ultimately an exceptional situation.
Since ordinary black mages didn’t need particular caution, Daphne found the great sage’s words strange.
“Why should I care about those insignificant things?”
“Even a cornered cat bites a lion. If you find the main body, you will get the answer.”
“Main body? You mean the dragon’s carcass?”
Instead of answering, the great sage smiled broadly and waved his hand.
“Oh dear. Now I really have to go. Stay healthy until we meet again.”
“Hey, you……!”
“Take care.”
“Heyaaaak!”
But Daphne’s voice didn’t reach the great sage.
Having finished speaking, the great sage disappeared immediately. As it was illusion magic, it vanished without leaving a trace.
“Ha, ha?”
Daphne let out a hollow laugh as if exasperated, then soon ground her teeth.
“I must have died so many times. To be toyed with by that crazy sage bastard……!”
Fine. I’ll put you as priority target 1 to eliminate.
Great sage, hero, emperor.
Having engraved the order of killing in her heart like that, Daphne gripped the balcony railing so hard it seemed like it would break and ground her teeth.
Next time the great sage appears, she’ll catch him with restraints and……! While scheming such sinister plots, it was right then.
Kwarung!
An enormous explosion sounded, and the entire building shook with a rumble.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Uwaaak!”
In the unexpected situation, people began screaming and panicking every which way.
Daphne was also surprised, but the reason wasn’t because an explosion occurred.
Because she felt the tremendous aura of death flowing in from outside.
-Beware of the black mages.
“This, crazy……!”
Why give the warning right before and make a fuss!
***
After Daphne entered from the balcony.
People were still heated about the duel that had just happened.
They were busy chattering among themselves.
“As expected, Daphne Akion feels like the hero’s child. To subdue the reserve guardian without swinging a sword once.”
“If she grows like this, she’ll be a great force for the empire. Very reliable.”
“Seeing her protect Lady Brysa, maybe the bully talk was just rumors.”
“Yes, yes.”
Those who said Daphne Akion couldn’t possibly subjugate a band of thieves vanished. Duke Brown, Mark’s father, was the same.
Because of this incident, there would be no more talk of Guild Master Edheart lying or Daphne being just a sickly bully.
People bloomed smiles and chattered about the rare pleasant event that had occurred after a long time.
It was then.
Bang!
An enormous blast struck everyone’s ears.
“Kyaaak!”
“Wh-what is it!”
The building shook wildly. As if an explosion had occurred nearby. People fell into panic.
“Wh-what’s happening! What’s going on? Guards?”
“Guards my ass, the building is collapsing right now!”
“Get out now! The children? Evacuate the children first!”
Among them, those protecting the children first were true adults, but there were also those who couldn’t get a grip and tried to run out alone.
“Everyone move! Move! I can’t die here!”
The man pushed aside whether there was a child in front or a woman, and ran toward the outside. Thinking he just needed to avoid the building’s debris, but that thought was a very wrong judgment.
Crack!
“Ugh, ack……!”
Because a stone fragment flew and struck the back of the man’s head.
“You think you’re the only one who can’t die here?”
Daphne clicked her tongue, then helped up those pushed aside by the man.
A great being must look after the insignificant humans. In a crisis situation like now where lives hang by a thread, one must step up even more.
Isn’t that the fate of those who possess great power?
“You there, adult. Take this child and go outside. It doesn’t seem like it will collapse right now, so move slowly, it’s fine.”
The woman, suddenly entrusted with the child, was a bit flustered, but soon judged that now wasn’t the time to space out and quickly ran toward the outside.
Daphne did not watch such a woman. Because there were mountains of children to save.
“Waaah!”
“Stop crying. Crying won’t solve it. Now, hold hands two by two and go out.”
“M-my leg hurts!”
“Everyone here hurts. So stop whining and go out.”
Daphne matched pace with the adults and helped up the children one by one. Fortunately, thanks to no additional explosions, the building didn’t shake more, but still not safe, so Daphne moved quickly.
At that time, an unfortunate incident occurred.
Whoosh!
By the building collapsing, the lit candles that had been placed all fell at once, setting the carpet on fire.
“Kyaaak! Fire!”
“Mooommm!”
“Damn! Can’t put it out! Run fast!”
The fire spread from the carpet to the curtains and drapes, flaring up so large that ordinary water couldn’t extinguish it. With this level of fire, it seemed it would burn fiercely until the building was completely consumed.
“Cough, cough! C-can’t, breathe……”
“Lower your body. Now, cover your mouth with this handkerchief and breathe.”
“Guh, kuh!”
“You there, adult. This kid is more urgent. Take them out. Right now!”
So Daphne moved even busier. Adults were one thing, but children could suffocate from the smoke and die.
Children can’t die here.
What crime do the children who came out to have fun after a long time, to get some fresh air, have to die here?
Daphne looked around thoroughly.
“Lady Daphne! Lady, you should stop and go out now too! The rescue team will come, so let’s go out now!”
A man who had been unwittingly matching Daphne’s assistance said.
Wondering if this guy was also the insignificant type who only valued his own life, as Daphne glared at the man, she soon discovered he was quite injured.
His torn clothes and bleeding skin, etc., indicated he got hurt while protecting others.
“You pass.”
“Yes?”
“You can go out.”
“Thank you…… No, that’s not it! Cough! You need to go out too, Lady!”
The man, who had awkwardly tried to scratch his cheek, recoiled and pulled Daphne’s arm.
“There are no more people inside now. We need to get out first!”
“No, let go of this!”
“No way!”
The man who had scooped up Daphne in his arms started running quickly. With the building half-collapsed and flames soaring, how could he spend more time here!
Moreover, Daphne was also badly hurt.
‘Is she not realizing she’s injured?’
From the time she first sent the children out, Daphne had been bleeding from her forehead the whole time.
She seemed clearly injured by the flying debris, but Daphne didn’t pay it any mind. Perhaps thinking saving people was priority over her own injury.
‘To lump such a child as a bully.’
The man, Count Milan, trembled with anger at the people’s vulgar rumor-mongering and hugged Daphne tightly.
‘When I return, I’ll spread word of this honorable deed widely!’
Count Milan was from a family that ran a major newspaper. As a centrist newspaper, it was very popular among commoners. If he reported Daphne’s honorable sacrifice, surely the vulgar rumors would subside!
Count Milan vowed to definitely spread Daphne’s name far and wide and put more strength into his sprint.
“Lady, we’re almost outside now! Just hold on a bit!”
“So I have nothing to hold on to…… Hm?”
Daphne slightly furrowed her brows and perked up her ears. Then a faint crying sound came. Waaah, Mom, where are you…… and such. Daphne gripped the man’s shoulder tightly.
Humans are insignificant.
Human children even more so.
She couldn’t let the most insignificant human child die.
“Let go!”
“Yes?”
“I said let go!”
“Ack!”
Daphne bit down hard on the man’s shoulder and, taking the chance as he let go, quickly ran back inside.
Right after, thud! A pillar fell, and flames rose above it.
“Lady Daphne!”
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By Anna 💓
