Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Episode 39.
The moment they touched the seawater, Yuriel and Aiden transformed into merfolk.
Aiden surveyed their surroundings underwater.
The radiant glow emanating from the barrier gradually faded, and thick darkness began to descend.
In the deep sea where sunlight couldn't reach, even a foot ahead was impossible to see. No matter how sharp Aiden's vision was, there were limits.
Without Yona, who had memorized the path, light was essential.
Aiden unleashed his halo.
If sea beasts were drawn to the glow and attacked, he was prepared to tear them apart.
Of course, there were creatures even he couldn't handle, but those only dwelled near the uncharted continent.
The chances of encountering them here were absolutely zero.
Aiden wrapped his arm around Yuriel's waist and began swimming upward.
Once they left the trench, he glanced down and saw the palace slowly sinking.
It would eventually plunge into the deeper abyss and shatter into pieces.
Aiden immediately thrust his arms and tail with force. Since Yuriel didn't look well, he needed to reach the surface as quickly as possible.
It would have been ideal if they could ascend instantly like they had descended, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the rising currents.
All he could rely on was his stamina.
Using the cliff marking the entrance of the underwater civilization as a reference, he retraced their path upward.
After swimming upward for a long while, Yuriel gradually regained consciousness.
She looked down at Aiden's arm wrapped tightly around her torso.
She could feel the pressure of his grip.
The sense of being protected gave her comfort. Suddenly, she thought it wouldn't be so bad to stay like this.
Then, embarrassment flooded her. 'Am I insane?' Her face flushed red as she tried to push Aiden away, but he didn't budge.
Aiden tilted his head slightly to glance at her but showed no reaction and continued upward.
No matter how much she struggled, he refused to let go.
It was an indescribable feeling—helplessness and relief intertwined in a way she couldn't comprehend.
After thrashing a few more times out of principle, she eventually gave in and relaxed in his hold.
Yuriel hung her head low, overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of shame.
As they ascended toward the surface in Aiden's arms, the seawater around them gradually turned bluer.
They must have reached the depths where sunlight penetrated.
The distance to the surface was roughly 200 meters. If they hurried, they might make it before their merfolk transformation wore off. Aiden swam even faster. The backlash of the blessing tore through his body as if trying to split him apart, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
Finally, they reached a depth where the sea became transparent.
Then—
Her eyes stung. The once-bright surroundings turned hazy, as if veiled in mist.
Yuriel's golden fins began losing their color. The gills on her neck faded, and breathing became subtly uncomfortable.
The seawater she inhaled through her mouth wasn't properly expelled.
Aiden's green scales also grew paler, their hard texture softening.
Instinct screamed a warning—don't swallow seawater. The moment she realized she couldn't supply oxygen to her body, terror gripped Yuriel.
Her heart pounded. She frantically looked up, but the surface was still far away. The thought that she wouldn't last made her unbearably afraid.
Her lungs still had oxygen, yet her breath hitched at her throat. Her head turned blank, her limbs stiffened unnaturally, and her muscles locked up.
Panic consumed her.
Just as she thrashed desperately and cried out for Aiden—seawater surged violently into her mouth.
Her airway flooded. The moment she coughed it out, more rushed in. The agony was unbearable, driving her to the brink of madness.
Aiden swiftly turned his head.
He pulled Yuriel close, immobilizing her by wrapping his arm around her waist. With one hand, he supported the back of her head.
Then, he pressed his lips against hers.
The thrashing girl froze stiff.
He breathed into her.
Yuriel expelled the seawater. Aiden caught it in his mouth and spat it out.
He sealed his lips against hers again, transferring oxygen. Yuriel's pupils dilated wide.
His breath flowed through her airway, filling her lungs and spreading through her entire body.
It felt like life itself circulating within her.
Yuriel began inhaling frantically, clinging to Aiden's breath like a newborn craving milk.
For Aiden, it didn't matter how much she took—he could last for hours without issue.
Without realizing it, Yuriel wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself tightly against him as she gasped for air. Every exhale Aiden released, she drank in greedily.
Exchanging breaths like this, they ascended toward the surface.
By the time the carbon dioxide concentration grew thick, the shimmering reflection of the sun on the waves became visible above.
Their lips never parted.
Just as Aiden began feeling something strange—something soft brushed against his tongue. The connected lips separated for a fleeting moment.
Their gazes met.
Yuriel's complexion changed rapidly, flushing scarlet as if she might burst from heat.
She stared at Aiden like a frozen doll before finally lowering her eyes.
The surface drew nearer. The undersides of countless ships came into view.
Yuriel pulled away from Aiden and surfaced first.
Aiden followed immediately, lifting his face above the water.
Under the blazing sun, dozens of ships lined the sea.
The sound of wailing shook the heavens.
Laments, screams, desperate denial, maddened shouts, shrieks, and sighs—
A harmony woven from all the world's negative voices greeted Aiden.
"Milord!"
Deril's cry pierced through the cacophony. Yuron and Yona quickly threw a net toward them.
Yuriel fled toward the net as if escaping. The moment she tried to climb, her injured ankle screamed in protest.
Aiden immediately caught up and lifted her into his arms.
Yuriel's desperate eyes met his.
"P-Put me down... Please."
"No. You'll hurt yourself."
For her, facing Aiden was unbearably difficult.
The emotions and sensations from earlier remained raw, making it impossible to hide her expression.
Though she pleaded repeatedly, Aiden refused to relent this time, too.
She resented the paladin so much—yet there was nothing she could do.
"M-Milord! What happened to your face?!"
Deril recoiled in shock at Aiden's battered state. Who in the world could have done this to him? Deril couldn't fathom it.
Yuron was equally stunned.
"Sir Aiden, are you alright?"
Aiden handed Yuriel over to them before boarding the ship himself.
Yona stared at him with disbelief.
"P-Paladin... By any chance...?"
"Elpis is dead."
Yona's face paled with shock. She knew of the demon's existence—the last duty of the sea god's direct descendants was to slay Elpis.
Had events followed the original story, Yona would have become Atlantis' liberator in the future.
But she would fail to protect her kin.
Because she lacked the strength to oppose Elpis.
Only after half the Seirun were sacrificed to the awakened demon would the Church normally dispatch an extermination force.
Yona knew the depths of the demon's power. Aiden's feat wasn't something to be spoken of so casually.
"I-Is that really true...?"
"If you don't believe me, dive down and check for yourself."
It didn't sound like a lie. There was no reason for it to be.
Aiden gestured for Yuron to approach. He opened the chest retrieved from the ruins.
Inside lay a divine pearl, a pale white mask, and a scripture.
He handed the scripture to Yuron.
"Deliver this to the Saintess."
"Understood."
Then, he turned to Yona. She hesitated, unsure what to say.
Aiden hadn't just liberated her kin—he had eradicated the existential threat to their tribe.
A simple "thank you" wouldn't suffice. Before she could speak, Aiden spoke first.
"I had my own objectives."
He wanted nothing from her.
But Yona's thoughts differed.
Could she really let it end like this? The debt was too immense—she couldn't even begin to process it.
Even if she tried to repay him, she had no idea what to offer.
Aiden scanned the dozens of ships. The former merfolk humans wailed, refusing to face reality.
"More importantly, have you explained the situation to them?"
"...Yes. I've given them a rough explanation. They've also been made aware that heading to land means death."
The divine pearl had forgiven their past sins, but if they continued worshiping the sea god, that would be another matter entirely.
To survive, they had to convert to the Varantes Church.
In the original story, a third of the tribe was burned at the stake—the price of holding onto their faith.
Even Aiden couldn't save them all.
The best he could do was minimize the casualties.
"We'll stay in the strait for a few days. Persuade as many as you can in that time."
Yona cautiously spoke up.
"May I ask one thing?"
At his nod, she stared intently at him.
"I can't understand why you've gone this far. Aren't you a paladin of the Church? In your eyes, we're nothing but heretics."
"I hate the smell of burning people."
With those words, Aiden turned toward the cabin where Yuriel had retreated.
Yona blankly watched his retreating figure.
Yuriel sat motionless on the cabin bed, her pupils unfocused.
She hadn't even opened the scripture Yuron had brought, leaving it untouched atop the blanket.
Rational thought was impossible in her state.
The memory of what happened earlier flashed through her mind, and her body convulsed. Her crimson lips trembled faintly.
A holy woman of God had kissed a paladin. Worse—she had done so while God's eyes were open.
Under His watchful gaze from above, she had blatantly committed blasphemy.
Shame and guilt carved into her heart.
This wasn't something she could excuse as survival.
She should have suffocated and died before doing such a thing. And—could she even say with certainty that it was purely for survival?
At first, yes. Her rationality had been too shattered to resist, and she had desperately clung to his breath.
But even as her senses gradually returned, Yuriel had remained pressed against Aiden's lips.
She couldn't even remember who pulled away first.
None of what she had experienced these past few days felt real.
If someone asked whether she wished it had all been a dream, she couldn't confidently say no—and that only deepened her torment.
For the first time, Yuriel could somewhat empathize with Elpis' fall. What wouldn't she do to rid herself of this guilt?
Her gaze fell upon the scripture.
The man who had stolen her vision, her lips—now sought to take her faith as well.
A blasphemous thought crept into her mind.
What if Aiden's words were true? What if the God she knew wasn't the real one? Wouldn't that make things a little easier?
Her hand slowly reached toward the scripture.
If he took her faith too—what else would he demand?
Yuriel was afraid.