‘Judas….’
The result obtained from tracking the Dark Wizard.
Through the letters left behind, Eliya reached one conclusion.
‘I almost fell victim to brainwashing and suggestion.’
She recalled Judas’s final trial.
Back then, when she went to seek the revered Sun Symbol.
Eliya had traced the Dark Wizard’s trail.
The traces left behind in the place where Judas stayed and fought.
As if she was the one being hunted.
‘The Dark Wizard left traces during the final trial. And during the Installation Ceremony, approaching Judas, the Dark Wizard I tracked.’
The two targets are the same individual.
‘Their goals align.’
Both cases involved approaching Judas.
‘The letter’s contents, hinting they attempted brainwashing again, means there was a first attempt.’
It seems they tried to brainwash him during the final trial but failed.
The reason remains unknown.
It could simply be that the opportunity didn’t arise, or perhaps Judas’s mind resisted.
Brainwashing and suggestion magic are not infallible.
The effectiveness varies based on the mental state of the target.
If one were to suggest killing someone, for example.
If the target doesn’t want to kill that person, the suggestion may quickly dissipate or not take hold at all.
Conversely, if there is an intent to kill, the suggestion would be easier and more deeply entrenched.
‘Though I don’t know the exact reasons, the brainwashing and suggestion failed for some reason.’
After that, they sought Judas again.
Using the Installation Ceremony as their means.
‘They would have modified and supplemented the existing magic. And if they strengthened the suggestion on the spot… I can’t guarantee Judas wouldn’t fall victim.’
Fortunately, Eliya intervened.
On that day, she felt the aura of dark magic and moved towards Judas.
‘How dare they….’
Eliya felt a simmering rage.
Her gaze, once calm, was now tinted with a wild flame.
Among many individuals, they attempted to use Judas to kill her.
Judas is the person closest to her.
If they could use him, they knew it would be the most effective.
If she were the enemy, she would have used the same method.
But understanding it in her mind and experiencing it firsthand are two different things.
The directive to kill Eliya, written with a suggestion.
This belonged to Tradito.
Eliya was aware of this and had no choice but to be sure.
What she discovered through that directive was the existence and application of the dark magic known as ‘suggestion enhancement.’
And the mere possibility that the opponent would attempt to use it on Judas.
No other thoughts were coming to her mind.
“Hmm…”
Eliya sighed deeply and buried her face into a cat doll.
An item she used as a substitute for Judas when she needed comfort.
Sometimes, she lay alone in bed when Judas wasn’t around.
With a calmer mind than before, she reorganized the situation again.
‘The opponent attempted to brainwash Judas but failed.’
So, what is the extent of that ‘opponent’?
First, there’s the Dark Wizard.
He is also a wizard of the royal palace.
Meaning, it involves the Empire.
Eliya also suspects there are certain connections between the Molsin Church and the royal palace.
The basis lies in the corpse found at the secret residence of the royal wizard order.
Gaston, Salaman.
Gaston Bordeaux.
He is affiliated with the Molsin Church.
And Salaman had made a deal with Gaston to receive a minor title after defecting to the Molsin Church.
Eliya has pieced together one fact.
‘The Empire and Molsin Church conspired to kill me.’
There’s also another force that has done something similar.
Balak.
He had been communicating secretly with Angra of the Molsin Church.
Eliya reasons that the reason and aim pertain to herself.
She summarized her previously uncovered second fact into a statement.
‘Balak used the Molsin Church to try and kill me.’
The knight training academy.
It was established by Balak.
The condition of not discriminating against candidates was also set by Balak.
At that time, Eliya did not refuse.
She couldn’t refuse.
It was shortly after her mother had died.
She was adjusting to living in the Bevel main house while receiving direct education from Narcissi.
Every day was filled with a whirlwind of pain.
Only later did she learn that her knight training academy was being established.
And there’s Gaston, an individual affiliated with the Molsin Church.
He was the one planted by Balak in the academy to crush Judas.
Forces intertwined one by one.
Royal Palace. Molsin Church. Balak.
The loose connection that binds them is none other than Eliya herself.
‘Who am I….’
Who is Eliya?
She summed up the various names reflected in society.
The direct descendant of the Bevel family.
The cursed bastard who inherited the powers of a wizard.
A bad woman who spares no means.
The mad fire wizard.
‘…The reincarnation of the mythic age.’
The power everyone fears and admires.
Balak rose to his current status through strength.
The fire wizard.
Emperor Johan garnered public support with overwhelming divine power.
And there stands Eliya, a person who could threaten both.
The reincarnation of the mythic age.
A dangerous seed capable of causing fractures in the delicate balance of power.
A seed whose growth is unpredictable.
Eliya combined these two facts to reach a single, complete conclusion.
‘Johan, Balak. Both conspired to kill me using the Molsin Church.’
It’s unlikely that the heads of two different forces would independently reach out to the Molsin Church to try and kill her.
The probability that they joined forces is much higher and more realistic.
‘Rather than killing me directly, they enlisted the aid of the Molsin Church. If anything goes wrong, they can shift the blame.’
Even if she is a bastard, she is a wizard.
A potential one at that.
In an era where the war with the demon race hasn’t ended, living in precarious peace.
Power is an object of longing in itself.
Even if she is a filthy bastard.
‘The Empire and Bevel do not wish for peace.’
That’s a story circulating like a conspiracy among the citizens.
That the social elite are deliberately prolonging the war.
Eliya knows that about half of that conspiracy theory is true.
In fact, the forces controlling this continent do not desire peace.
But they’re not deliberately refusing to end it.
They lack the power to conclusively bring it to an end.
‘If all forces unified, it might be possible, but… that probably won’t happen.’
The reasons they desire the prolongation of the war are simple and shortsighted.
War feeds on the lives of the lower classes.
Whether drafted to die or starving on the streets, all of it falls to the lower classes.
And they have to pay high taxes because of the war.
However, the upper-class nobles of society do not face such issues.
Eliya is a prime example.
The more their present lives deteriorate, the less the lower classes can see the structural flaws in society.
The two major forces, which are the backbone of humanity, have exploited this.
Maintaining the war obscures the lower classes’ vision and solidifies the upper class’s existence.
Helios and Bevel.
They have a relationship where they check each other and occasionally cooperate for mutual benefit.
And they sought to kill her, a dangerous sprout, to maintain the peace they have established.
‘It’s obvious why they didn’t hire the Assassin Guild to kill me. First, there’s a record. Second, Ramek will definitely reveal it was their doing.’
Furthermore, moving the Assassin Guild would itself serve as a lead.
There are very few forces willing to go so far as to employ the Assassin Guild to kill Eliya.
Someone could easily speculate and if the truth came to light, the public sentiment toward both forces would collapse.
‘So that’s it….’
Navigating the tangled clues, she arrived at a single conclusion.
Balak, the royal palace, and the Molsin Church conspired to kill her.
More enemies lurked in broader territory than she could observe.
Before the completed deduction, Eliya let out a small laugh.
It’s nothing surprising.
Her birth is original sin.
Even if the number of people who hate her and wish to kill her increases, she won’t care.
Similarly, she can simply eliminate those targets.
It’s a straightforward tale.
‘I need to capture Angra and interrogate him.’
She had been aware of his location but had left him alone until now.
She had no clues to ask him about anyway.
In a situation where no profit could be expected, she couldn’t afford to provoke a pilgrim.
But now a new force had attached itself.
Since he had contacts with Balak, it was highly likely he also served as the royal side’s liaison.
She now had ample motivation and basis to press him for answers.
After organizing the materials, Eliya left the laboratory.
Outside, Judas had just finished bathing.
The laboratory is dangerous to enter carelessly.
Thus, unless Eliya granted explicit permission, Judas always waited outside.
Very principled.
Eliya, lost in thought as she organized the clues, didn’t even realize he was waiting outside.
‘Couldn’t you just ask if you can come in….’
“Miss, are you finished?”
Eliya looked up at him without answering.
The sun was behind him, making it a bit dazzling.
The shadow cast by the backlight.
His golden eyes reflected her.
The knight. Judas Defecit.
The person she had chosen.
And finally, the one who belonged to her.
An enemy tried to use Judas to kill her.
Though they failed.
‘What if, by any chance, this boy tries to kill me….’
Just the thought made her feel blood drain from her body.
An icy chill spread through her.
Bad imaginings broadened their scope.
‘What if Judas is a prepared assassin like Tradito….’
It was an undeniable possibility.
Just thinking about it made her breath tremble slowly.
“Miss? Why do you….”
Judas worriedly asked as he saw her lips quiver.
Before she could say anything, Eliya threw herself into his embrace.
Tightly clinging to his waist, she inhaled deeply.
The moist air filled her lungs after a refreshing bath.
The scent of soap mixed subtly with his own.
Eliya found comfort in that aroma.
As warm body heat enveloped her, her unease melted away.
The being that had consoled her since five years ago.
If Judas weren’t here.
If Judas needed to kill her.
If Judas were someone who had to kill her…
‘…….’
That wouldn’t happen.
There’s no way someone so devoted to her would be like that.
He had risked his life for her countless times.
He stayed by her side.
That was enough.
Eliya didn’t overthink it.
She tied up her thoughts arbitrarily.
She just wanted to close her eyes in his embrace and listen to the sound of his heart, and that would be enough for her.
She savored the chilly energy flowing in faster than usual.
Eliya rubbed her face against him like a cat and said.
“You’re mine.”
“…….”
“So, no matter what happens, you have to be on my side.”
Though he was bewildered, Judas readily replied.
He didn’t know how to respond to the notion of being ‘mine,’ yet he was able to answer to ‘my side.’
“Of course.”
Eliya looked up at Judas for a moment after he answered.
An enemy might target Judas again.
‘…What do I do.’
She didn’t mind if they aimed at her.
But not Judas.
She worried because he was weaker than her.
‘Should I lock him away somewhere so that he can’t be observed from the outside… If I use teleportation, I can find him even if he’s in a completely sealed space… I can just leave a small air hole and supply food myself. Just tracking his location in real-time isn’t enough for me….’
If she were to hide him, where would it be good?
‘…Maybe I should dig into a mountain? Then no one would be able to find him. After digging, I could use magic to cover the visible part. Occasionally, I can take him out for a walk if he wants to see the sun. That’s fine. Now, which mountain would be the best… Wait a moment. How deep can suggestion magic go? Hmmm….’
The intense, unnerving gaze from the red eyes deepened.
Judas, avoiding that close gaze, asked.
“Um, why…?”
Eliya just smiled and answered.
It was a strangely different, slightly chilling smile from usual.
“It’s nothing. The arrangements are complete. What about the wizard you brought?”
Eliya leaned against Judas’s chest while waiting for an answer.
Judas, unable to bring himself to hold her, answered somewhat awkwardly.
He had grown accustomed to her hugging him as she pleased, but every time he still didn’t know how to respond.
“I’ve moved him to the Underground Prison. He should still be unconscious.”
“Okay… There’s one more person to find. Judas, do you still not remember Angra?”
“That’s correct.”
“I’m going to go fetch that Angra now.”
Judas found it quite bewildering.
First, Eliya had never informed him that she knew Angra’s whereabouts.
This was the first time she was saying it.
Thus, it felt very sudden.
Secondly, Judas had no recollection of Angra whatsoever.
Though curious about his past, he never felt a necessity to find him.
In the end, he scratched his cheek absentmindedly and replied.
“Uh, yes… then, let’s go?”
His droning response made Eliya narrow her eyes at him.
She had gone out of her way to accommodate him. This fool…
Eliya shook her head and took his hand.
“I’m going to move.”
There was no need to hold hands.
However, there was also no need not to hold hands.
Thus, she thought it was better to hold than let go.
*
The place they arrived at was barren land.
The entrance leading to the demon realm.
A place just beyond human territory.
In ancient times, all this land was once human-owned.
The holy sites established in those days continue to exist even in the demon realm.
Some pilgrims cross into the demon realm to find those holy sites.
In the entrance of that demon realm stood a small campsite.
A simple tent barely fit for one person.
No fire had been lit.
Eliya strode confidently toward it.
Judas followed closely behind.
Inside the tent sat an old man.
Kneeling silently, as if in prayer.
Perhaps sensing their presence, he lifted his head and opened his eyes.
“Who are you…? You seem neither to be a Dark Wizard nor a thief… What brings you to such a place?”
The elderly man with sparse white hair asked.
Though he seemed tired from a long pilgrimage, his eyes were sharp.
Eyes stained with pure faith.
Eliya felt a strange sense of discomfort from that gaze.
‘…What is this?’
While Judas kept watch over the surroundings, Eliya spoke.
“Well… it’s hard to describe in one word.”
Eliya slowly spoke while subtly keeping her guard up against Angra.
Divine power doesn’t harm people.
But he might have a weapon hidden in his cloak.
The assassination plot involving Balak and the royal palace against Eliya.
Angra stood at the center of it.
If things went south, he might attack and flee.
‘Pilgrims typically travel empty-handed, but I can’t trust this human.’
However, Angra showed no signs of being threatening at all.
Though cautious, he seemed genuinely pleased to see someone.
“I didn’t expect to see a person walking around here.”
Eliya took a step back from the situation.
There was a peculiar sense of unease.
“Judas, search this man’s belongings.”
“Yes…?”
Judas was taken aback.
He had no idea how Eliya knew Angra’s location, nor why they had come to find him.
However, he found himself in a position that felt roughly akin to being a highway robber.
There was no way out of it.
“Then, excuse me.”
Judas carefully rifled through Angra’s belongings.
He looked at Eliya with anxious eyes before meeting the old man’s gaze.
Their eyes aligned.
The old man’s gray eyes.
Judas felt he had seen that face somewhere before.
That expression.
The common shabby attire was not strange to him.
After all, it wasn’t that weird since this man was the one who had brought him from Judeca a long time ago.
‘But… this feels different somehow….’
Unconsciously, Judas paused his hands.
‘Angra, Angra…’
He repeated the name silently, concentrating on the old man’s features.
‘This man… when, where… that’s to say, a long time ago….’
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