Chapter 219

Freedom

I moved quickly. As I was in a hurry, my heart beated faster, but at the same time, it calmed down.

I shouldn’t make a mistake.

It was an operation involving a group of people. In order for this current fight not to escalate into a bigger war, it was best to find only what I needed quickly and leave. This operation was made because I was the only person who could find the Blue Rose’s guardian deity.

‘No one is in the hallway.’

– I don’t even feel any presence either, Nyan.

Pudding, that was hidden inside me, answered my murmur.

‘…… Did he place them all toward the worship hall?’

Chaser had numerous knights. He raised them himself and trained them to be strong, and they were blind enough to die for Chaser. As I felt in the book, it was not loyalty, but blindness.

In addition, he was a man who, if necessary, was willing to brainwash people into doing what he wanted them to do.

“He’s a complete villain.”

Without muttering that much, I smiled quietly. This was a given. I’ve seen it countless times without having to pretend to realize it just now. Still, the reason I murmured it is probably because to confess this truth in Domulit was quite impressive.

‘This is no time to be engrossed in the mood.’

I shook my head and turned. Right. Left. The path to find the guardian deity was like walking through a maze. I didn’t get lost because of the continuous cry that called me, but overall, the gloomy cathedral made me feel like I was wandering through a maze. As I walked for a long time, relying on the dim light.

– Oh, human.

Suddenly, Pudding called me.

“What’s the matter?”

I paused for a moment. It was because of its unusually low voice.

– That’s…….

“What is it, is it urgent?”

I took a step back where I had stopped and quickly asked. Is something wrong with Ricdorian?

– No, I know it’s not appropriate for this situation, Nyan. By the way…… Human, I think you should know too.

“Why are you taking so long?”

– The Red Rose…… Kyaaangg!

At that moment, there was a sharp cry. It was none other than Pudding that screamed briefly. I stopped walking in surprise.

“What, why are you like this?”

– No, nothing. Nyan. It stings……. I can’t believe I can’t really talk…..

The rest of the words were so small that I couldn’t hear them, but the tone was very dissatisfied.

-Anyway, human, the Red Rose can hear what I say.

“What?”

What is this all of a sudden?

“Since when? He didn’t hear it before, did he?”

– I don’t think it’s been a long time, Nyan. I don’t think the Red Rose heard it when he kidnapped you…….

“Right. Not then.”

If he had listened to Pudding at that time, he would have noticed Pudding’s true ident.i.ty.

– Probably recently. What’s happened with the Red Rose recently, Nyan?

“…… Recently? There is no such thing…….”

I stopped talking when I tried to say no.…… Maybe it’s because we did something like that at night?

“…… I have a guess.”

I mentioned a date just in case. Pudding thought for a moment. It said it was around that time.

– Human, he glared at me when I was talking to you, Nyan.

“Really? It sounds real.”

I felt complex subtle emotions. Half the joy that the guardian deity and the Rose communicate, even if my thoughts were not heard but could be inferred from Pudding’s words. I decided to think positively.

It was strange that Pudding had more to say. But it closed its mouth tightly. It’s as if someone was holding onto him so that it couldn’t open its mouth.

– Haa, human. There is something you must hear. You must know, Nyan!

“Huh? Okay. Please tell me.”

So I only had a short conversation with Pudding and changed direction again.

-Human, you pa.s.sed me on so lightly…….

“…… Wait a moment. I think I’m almost there.”

Not far away was a small door. Most of the doors of this church were large, but this door was strangely small enough for a person to enter.

“I think it’s over there.”

A faint energy seemed to flow like waves around the door. As I moved.

Kuang!

The ground shook. I quickly grabbed the wall decoration and supported my staggering body. When I looked at the ceiling, I saw that the ceiling had cracks. What had happened, I knew right away.

“Kuhp!”

A loud breathing was heard in my ears. Clank, I hear the sound of weapons.

“…… Where is my Iana?”

The voice in my ear was cut off for a moment and then came back. Perhaps Ricdorian was fighting Chaser directly with swords.

“Why do I have to tell you that?”

“Hmm, can you still afford to say that yet? Grand Duke, if you’re here somewhere, she’s not hard to find.”

“If she wasn’t here, you wouldn’t be able to find her.”

Boom! The hallway vibrated once again. I knew that this vibration had come from not far away.

‘…… The battlefield is not far away.’

I could also feel that this vibration was caused by Ricdorian.

“Are they brainwashed again?”

There was a mix of breath in Ricdorian’s voice, muttering a little. I quickly raised my head.

“Pudding, I’ll move quickly!”

Things weren’t so good. Only a few words were heard, but it was not difficult to tell. The voice was constantly interrupted and repeated over and over again. This was a signal that the connection was unstable, and at the same time that Ricdorian was moving his body violently.

Originally, Ricdorian was supposed to turn this tool back on for only for a moment in the operation……. The lack of control was also evidence of this situation. It was never a good situation, as Jaire warned. I have to find it before it gets worse!

Without delay, I ran to the door.

“A little bit more, almost there…….”

I opened the door, muttering impatiently, but the door was locked. I quickly turned my head around. There was an armor decoration nearby. Wouldn’t it be enough to break the doork.n.o.b with the sword there?

The moment I thought about it, the scream returned.

– Human, what do you think of me, Nyan!

The little guardian deity broke the doork.n.o.b as soon as it showed up in an instant, and said boldly. I smiled bitterly and hurriedly entered the open door. The inside of the door was empty. No, it’s so clean that I don’t know why it’s locked. Rather, this created a strong sense of incongruity. I curled my lips up.

“Normally, there must be a secret pa.s.sage in a place like this.”

But at this moment, there was no time to find the secret pa.s.sage. The cry grew louder. Is it saying that there is really not much left now? But strangely, I thought that the cry sounded a little different than before.

…… like a warning.

‘What?’

There was a huge mural painted on the wall. It was a painting of roses that I had seen one day in Kambrakam. I pounded on the wall without looking closely at it.

‘It’s empty.’

I knocked on a spot on the wall and then quickly raised my head.

“Oh, Pudding…… go!”

I wanted to say it, but the guardian deity ran right away.

And bang! Slowly, I stared at the crumbling wall. As the thick dusty wind subsided, I could see beyond the wall. There was another s.p.a.ce behind the broken wall. It was as expected.

Beyond that, I saw another room closed on all sides.

“A room?”

I saw something in the center of the room. The glittering thing was like a crown. Strangely, it was an item that looked similar to the Empress’ tiara……. There was a larger blue gem attached to it than the one on the tiara.

‘Is it sealed over there?’

It was as if a blue energy had appeared at first glance. I went inside without delay. At that moment.

– Human!

At the same time as Pudding’s sharp voice, there was also the sound of a huge cog wheel turning.

Rattle!

Something grabbed my ankle. When I lower my head to a familiar feeling……. There were shackles wrapped around my ankles. I pulled it, but it didn’t budge. Luckily, I ran so fast that I had grabbed the crown by hand.

I burst out laughing in disappointment. I instinctively knew. This is ‘fake’.

We, no……. I was deceived. As if to prove this, a clear voice was heard in my ears.

“There you are. Iana.”

It was Chaser’s voice who laughed happily. He was soon buried by the sound of his soldiers, but I could tell. This exposed my position.

I looked down at the crown closely. Beside me, Pudding was raising its body to tear the chains apart, biting and shaking.

‘This is not just ‘fake’.’

To be precise, it wasn’t ‘fake’ in the first place. I knew it by the power that was flowing faintly. That the guardian deity must have been sealed in this at one time. However, it was just moved to another location. Judging from the traces it felt, it was relatively recent.

Rattle. I saw a long line of chains.

“It happened again.”

Come to think of it, this was very familiar to me. From Kambrakam to Domulit’s mansion and briefly to Hernim’s Castle. I was always locked up somewhere with my eyes open. Regardless of my will.

“By the way, Brother. I think you’re wrong this time.”

My first freedom came when Chaser took me out of Kambrakam. However, after a while I was again imprisoned, and the chain was broken by Ricdorian. It was he who freed me from Domulit.

I have always entrusted liberation and freedom to someone.

“Pudding, don’t bite it anymore.”

Pudding stopped chewing the chain until its lips were red. I raised my head.

“You’re watching, right?”

I felt a gaze staring at me from the ceiling. Even though it couldn’t move, I could feel it very close. A part of me.

“Don’t cry.”

A mournful cry was heard. It was as if it was very sad about my appearance.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Chaser doesn’t seem to know what happens when we’re so close. He just doesn’t know anymore.

“Can you help me?”

The first chain was released by someone else. The freedom entrusted to others only makes us wait for salvation when another captivity comes again.

But now.

It was time for me to break it with my hands.

At the same time as I thought that, a soft energy flowed from the ceiling. A haze of blue like waves enveloped me. It’s weak, but that’s enough. A blue light bloomed like a flower from my fingertips.

“…… Why is the body of the Blue Rose always so weak? I wondered if I would be like a normal person.”

I wondered why the Blue Rose wouldn’t be given such a strong body, with the stamina that never tires after breaking stones with bare hands, tearing iron, or riding a horse.

“But now I know.”

I think I know even though there was only a much weaker power than the original power on my fingertips.

“There was no need for that.”

Crack, crack, crack!

CRASH!

At the same time, the chain shattered like shards of gla.s.s.