That kid isn’t the Emperor.
It was hard to grasp the meaning.
The compass Louis had handed me clearly indicated that this place was the Emperor’s hometown.
It was certain that the Emperor must have been born and raised here. Yet, the fact that the child wasn’t the Emperor was baffling.
What on earth did that mean?
The old woman pulled a cloth from her bosom and began to wipe her bloodied cheek. Even though the cloth became drenched in blood, the bleeding wouldn’t stop.
I stretched out my hand and used a healing spell.
A red magic circle spread around the old woman, and soon, the blood flowing from her eyes ceased.
Seeing that, the old woman looked at me with a hint of surprise, then smiled.
“Thank you, dear. Getting old just makes tears flow more…”
Those distinct streaks of blood couldn’t possibly be tears. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to ask anything more.
I couldn’t predict what price the old woman might pay if I delved deeper.
Given that, I had to be cautious about what I said.
As she observed my expression, she muttered, “Hmm,” and seemed to recall something before slowly opening her mouth.
“Come to think of it, I do have something left at home.”
She struggled to rise, then grabbed the staff resting on the table.
Seeing that, Lily hurried to follow the old woman. Lily blocked her way and awkwardly smiled.
“Um, if you tell me where it is, I can go get it.”
“Hmm? No need for that. A host should serve their guests directly.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m just a maid, really.”
At those words, the old woman shook her head firmly.
“Oh, where’s the fun in that? You’re a guest in my home before being a maid.”
With her stubborn insistence, Lily had no choice but to step aside.
The old woman, leaning on her staff, slowly approached the cupboard.
Her gait looked precarious, filling both my and Lily’s faces with concern.
Upon reaching what appeared to be the kitchen, she opened a drawer. While rummaging inside, she pulled out a single tea leaf.
“A valuable item, hard to come by from the East. It’s a bit old, though…”
“Wait.”
Interjecting, Evan reached for his sheath.
His eyes, which had been darting around, suddenly stopped on one spot.
His pupils widened slightly, and he let out a sigh of frustration.
“Ambush.”
Swish.
With a clear ringing sound, he drew his sword. At that, Lily edged closer to me, slightly scared.
I could feel the tremors from the arm she held onto.
In contrast, the old woman looked as calm as ever, as if the moment had finally arrived.
Her expression had a somewhat bitter undertone.
“Not even enough time to serve my guests, how rude…”
“Do you know who they are?”
“If they’ve gotten this far, I’d imagine the youngsters would know.”
The Emperor’s Hand.
The words etched vividly in my mind immediately resurfaced.
Before I knew it, I clenched my fists tightly. Memories of being killed by those guys in the library flashed through my mind like a slideshow.
My body trembled slightly, but I took deep breaths to calm myself. The tremors radiating from Lily intensified.
Tentatively, I patted her head to reassure the anxious girl.
“Miss Adele?”
“Don’t worry. Evan and I will manage somehow.”
“Miss, stay as close to me as you can. The same goes for you, Grandma.”
Nodding, she moved toward Evan.
The old woman paused thoughtfully for a moment, then sighed and moved to join him.
Clang!
Over five windows shattered simultaneously. Beyond them, a mass of glowing red eyes began to glare at us like a pack of beasts.
An intense murderous energy emanated from their gaze.
I couldn’t help but swallow hard at the horrifying sight.
Had they been raised solely as killing weapons their whole lives? Just locking eyes with them sent a chill down my spine.
Whew.
With his sword raised before me, Evan muttered as if making a declaration.
“I won’t let them through.”
Then, a blue aura ignited. His eyes sparkled, and soon, a blue slash shot out.
A surge of energy swept through, effortlessly severing the necks of our foes. Blood sprayed everywhere like a fountain.
The body, now headless, crumpled to its knees.
“Gah.”
With a sharp intake of breath, Evan’s sword flickered. With a single swing, at least five of them fell.
Yet, the attackers surged forward without batting an eye, which felt eerily unsettling.
“… Where do you think you’re going?”
I layered Shield magic over my fists. Using the technique from the library, I sent one of the attackers flying.
The one who hit the wall briefly coughed up blood before immediately rising again. Its form resembled a zombie, causing Lily to recoil and hide behind me.
Grrr…
With animalistic growls, the assailants charged.
Evan continued to swing his sword with a calm expression. Even when blood splattered on his face, his focus never wavered as the battle raged on.
Seeing that, an odd sensation struck me.
“What is this?”
My instincts roared a warning.
I wasn’t sure what the warning was for. I just knew that this was a prelude to death.
Even if I turned my head quickly, I couldn’t find anything unusual.
“Miss Adele?”
Even at Lily’s questioning tone, I couldn’t respond as I scanned around.
Something was definitely off. I couldn’t articulate why, but I knew it for sure.
“Why aren’t they coming from behind?”
Even though a wall blocked it, this was a cabin.
The walls fashioned from logs could easily be shattered by someone like the Emperor’s Hand with just one hand.
So why weren’t they?
As that thought crossed my mind, a magic circle began to form on the floor. The moment I noticed, I was about to shout something.
My body was shoved forcefully.
“Huh?”
Thud.
The sound of a blade cutting flesh.
But it didn’t hurt. I felt no pain or even a touch.
I had been pushed by someone and rolled across the floor several times.
“What the…”
I raised my head.
A red blade had pierced the old woman’s shoulder. She grimaced in pain, biting her lip as she gasped for air.
“AAAAAH!”
Lily’s sharp scream made Evan quickly turn his head. Grasping the situation instantly, he swung his sword.
Blood shot from the back as the attacking foe collapsed.
Without hesitation, he placed his hands on the ground and sprang up. He then dashed toward the old woman.
“Kuh, cough…”
Her condition was critical.
The blade had lodged in her shoulder, and her clothes around it soaked crimson. The blood trickling down her arm pooled on the floor, forming a small puddle.
The sight made my head swim slightly.
Lifting my gaze, I could faintly see the old woman’s eyes slowly dimming.
“..Ah.”
I was familiar with my own death.
With time rewinding, I could erase it at any moment. Even if I died unconsciously, I would automatically return to the past.
But the death of others was unfamiliar.
Especially the death of someone who had chosen to sacrifice themselves to protect me.
Suddenly, the memory of Lily dying for the first time flashed through my mind.
She had taken the blow from an assassin sent by the Crown Prince. Desperately biting the assassin’s leg to let me escape.
Her image overlapped with that of the old woman.
The expression she wore as she faded away was similar.
Accepting death with resignation.
“I can’t let her die.”
As that thought crossed my mind, I hurriedly pulled out a healing spell scroll from my pocket. It was expensive, but I didn’t care.
A human life mattered far more.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the scroll and tried to tear it with both hands.
However, in my haste, my grip kept slipping.
“Get a grip, Adele!”
What in the world was I doing?
With the paper still in my teeth, I managed to shred the scroll. I felt the mana escaping and a red magic circle appeared in the air.
Slowly, the old woman’s bleeding began to subside.
A Level 3 healing spell. It could heal even severe wounds right before death.
However, even after casting the healing spell, the old woman’s condition worsened.
Although less blood flowed than before, it wasn’t stopping.
Ugh…
Even after trying the healing magic repeatedly, the blood kept flowing. Even breathing laboriously, the old woman managed to speak.
“Cough, you’re a kind girl… that child was like that once too…”
“Keep your mouth shut. The bleeding won’t stop!”
“Even keeping quiet is the same…”
The old woman winced but chuckled softly. Biting her lips, I activated the healing magic once again.
“Young lady, can I ask one thing of you?”
Her voice trembled.
As she spoke while coughing up blood, I couldn’t get my words out.
“Pl, please save that child…”
Her stuttering plea broke off mid-sentence.
“Ah.”
I couldn’t save her.
Even though I knew all too well in my mind, I couldn’t stop using magic.
Perhaps it was due to panic as my arms began to tremble. I had already depleted most of my mana.
“Stop, just stop!”
Lily shouted from behind me as she hugged me tightly.
I felt her warm body temperature.
Only then did the old woman’s face come fully into my view.
Her eyes closed, she wore a peaceful expression as if she were sleeping.
“… Again.”
Tick-tock.
The familiar ticking of a clock echoed in my ears. I could hear Louis’s voice warning that regression comes with a price, but I ignored it.
If I didn’t use my regression now, I was certain I would regret it later.
Time rewound.
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