Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Comrade, or Friend (2)
It was the same when dealing with Gude Belstad.
The Luda siblings and Elvin were far away, and only Maria faced Gude alone.
The power of Elvin and the Luda siblings, who were now fully utilizing their psychic abilities, was sufficient to hinder Gude’s movements, but in that battle, their roles were merely peripheral.
“Senior must have been fighting alone all this time, consistently.”
To her, the psychics of the Luminous were people she had to lead and protect, no different from children.
A solitary queen standing alone at the peak.
The problem was that the so-called Luminous was nothing more than a hollow illusion, a kingdom in name only, riddled with holes.
This was true in the past, present, and future, and it was a burden too heavy for the young Maria to bear.
No matter how much she was hailed as the strongest psychic in history, this was not something that could be resolved through mere strength.
“Only you can lead us, only you can prove that psychics are superior to magic, only you are our hope... Only you, only you....”
Having grown up hearing such nonsense since childhood, it’s no wonder her mindset ended up like this.
“Let me ask one thing. Why didn’t you involve Senior Elvin and the Luda siblings in the battle?”
“Because I can handle it alone....”
“How long do you plan to keep this up? If an enemy appears that even Senior cannot handle alone, will you still fight by yourself then?”
“.......”
Maria did not answer.
Of course, she likely hadn’t deeply considered it since she hadn’t encountered such an enemy until now.
But there would undoubtedly come a moment of reckoning.
“Among the enemies we will face in the future, there will be many that even Senior cannot defeat.”
“What are you...?”
“Will you still try to shoulder everything alone like this?”
If that happens, Maria’s spine will bend until it breaks.
Rudian’s enemies are not just the demon races.
No, considering the entirety of , the demon races are merely an appetizer.
Even if Maria becomes a complete being, she will have limits against divine entities.
“Senior Maria, we are comrades.”
“.......”
“Comrades are those who share the same purpose and walk the same path together.”
Not all comrades can be of the same caliber.
But they fight together.
“Even if we are lacking, we are people who must move forward together.”
He did not expect her to immediately accept this concept.
“You can shout when urgent, grumble when frustrated. You can consult when struggling, and vent when annoyed. That’s what comrades are.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Sometimes you want to complain, act spoiled, or go on a trip far away... Isn’t that when you call upon comrades?”
Though, now that he thought about it, it sounded more like describing a slave or a punching bag than a comrade.
This was a line from the main story of , spoken by a weary and despairing Maria when she confided her true feelings to Abel.
“Even if I wasn’t born with abilities as strong as Senior’s, someday, many comrades who can support you will emerge.”
‘I will definitely make that happen.’
Rudian swallowed those last words.
“Somehow... That resonates with me.”
Maria’s eyes fluttered shut.
As if shedding something that had been weighing on her shoulders, her stiff expression gradually softened.
When Maria opened her eyes, she spoke to Rudian.
“But rather than comrades, the term ‘friends’ seems more fitting.”
At those words, Rudian flinched slightly.
“Hmm....”
Certainly, the words Rudian had just uttered were closer to those between friends than comrades.
“You’re right, friends. Then, shall we be friends?”
“…What?”
Rudian stared at Maria’s face with a dazed expression.
“Although our affiliations differ, at least until the day this alliance ends, let’s be friends.”
“.......”
He hadn’t expected her to propose this first.
Friends? Of course, he wanted to.
How many fans would refuse if their idol offered friendship?
But even if he intended to support her, was it okay for their relationship to narrow so rapidly?
If Matheus Kepler learned of this, he would undoubtedly try to kill Rudian.
He wanted to mold Maria into a flawless queen, not a weak human (by Matheus’ standards) relying on others.
But his hesitation didn’t last long.
“Alright, let’s be friends.”
At those words, Maria’s expression brightened.
***
From the moment their intentions aligned, Rudian and Maria naturally dropped formalities.
Feeling much better, Maria brought the cooled coffee cup to her lips.
Then, in a small voice, she apologized to Rudian.
“The apology I gave you today was more about steeling my resolve than genuine remorse.”
Self-reproach. Consolation. Resolve.
From the moment she bowed her head, Rudian sensed these three emotions in her.
“If I return to my family from here, I’ll likely resume a life of bearing everything alone. At least in that regard, there’s no retreat.”
“…Right, there’s no helping that.”
She was still the leader of the Luminous and the spiritual pillar of psychics.
“But at least when I’m struggling or exhausted, I hope you’ll listen to my complaints.”
Rudian nodded lightly.
“Of course. That’s what friends are for.”
“In the opposite case, you can rely on me too. Despite appearances, I’m quite respected within the organization.”
“Respected for your abilities, not your personality, I assume.”
“…Want to die?”
The two spent time bantering and chatting in this manner.
Though, honestly, for a brief moment when “Want to die?” was uttered, Rudian genuinely felt death’s approach.
But seeing Maria’s calm expression, such thoughts quickly vanished.
Rudian and Maria spent nearly an hour chatting.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve spent time gossiping like this.’
Having lived tenaciously since being transported to this world, such leisure felt unfamiliar.
…Excluding conversations about men and Summoner’s Rift, he hadn’t held a conversation with the opposite sex for over ten minutes.
After enjoying a quiet silence for a while, Maria stood up and bid farewell to Rudian.
“It’s time to get back to work. The Luda siblings might be looking for me.”
“You’re a busy person.”
Though an academy student, she belonged to the liberal arts department, the least busy with ample free time.
Where she spent that free time was obvious without asking.
“See you next time.”
“Sure.”
Rudian narrowed his eyes as he watched Maria’s retreating figure.
‘The Luminous needs to be dealt with someday.’
Maria grew up under the excessive expectations and greed of psychics.
If they truly wished to surpass magic, they shouldn’t pin their hopes on a single individual.
‘An opportunity will come soon.’
As Maria left, Rudian downed the cold coffee in one shot and tried to rise from his seat.
“All gone.”
But at that moment, Yev, who had been quietly sitting, suddenly spoke while staring intently at Rudian.
“Uh, really?”
“Was okay.”
Looking at Yev’s front, an empty glass bowl sat pitifully on the table.
‘Did the parfait suit her taste?’
The parfait here, even in summer, was filled with magically frozen ice cream, rivaling modern flavors.
It was the café’s signature menu, immensely popular despite its high price.
Though whether it suited an extraterrestrial’s palate was questionable.
However, seeing the dried interior of the bowl, it seemed the meal had been finished long ago.
“More gone?”
“.......”
‘Did she really like it that much?’
It was the first time Yev had made such a blatant, sparkling-eyed look.
Unable to shake off that gaze, Rudian couldn’t leave the café and ended up ordering another large parfait.
Yev lifted her spoon over the refilled parfait and scooped up the topped ice cream.
Before putting it in her mouth, she remarked:
“Soul’s color. A bit clearer.”
“…Huh?”
“Doom’s fate. Mostly dodged. Still fun.”
“……!”
Rudian’s eyes widened as he stared at Yev’s profile.
There was no way Rudian wouldn’t understand her meaning.
It clearly referred to the catastrophic fate Maria faced in the original work.
“‘Mostly’ means not entirely, right?”
“.......”
Yev remained silent, but Rudian pressed again.
“But it’s true that it was dodged, right?”
“…True.”
Yev reluctantly gave a short reply.
With that, she closed her mouth again.
***
Somehow, he had become friends with Maria.
‘Becoming friends with one of ’s bosses… Seong-jun, you’ve really grown up.’
As he often said, Kim Seong-jun’s favorite character in was Maria Kepler.
But that was because she lived a tragic life, unable to fulfill her desires before collapsing.
‘If I had met Maria after the main story began, such a situation would’ve been unimaginable.’
By the time Chapter 1 was on track, the Morian Empire was thrown into chaos by demon races.
After completing her succession and ascending as the true pinnacle of psychics, Maria closed off her emotions and became a sage for the Luminous’s revival.
Only after her final battle with Abel did she open the tightly shut doors of her emotions.
Back then, he was merely a reader observing from afar.
‘I won’t let that happen.’
He wouldn’t let the current Maria become the Maria of the original work.
This was the resolve of Rudian, now an extra in the world of , not a reader.
To Rudian, this world remained fragile, always on the brink of collapse. But being transported before the main story and building such a good relationship with original characters was a stroke of luck.
‘Let’s do this!’
SLAP!
Rudian slapped his cheeks to steel himself.
With Baphomet, one of the demon races’ pawns, defeated, they would inevitably make a move.
Their target was most likely Luciella, but even if not her, they might target those around her.
Honestly, the pawns planted in the Demon Tower were mere expendable lackeys.
‘Sitri Belstad, Rigos Bargo, Marbas Ainsworth… The three Demon Kings infiltrating the Empire.’
Rudian’s ultimate targets were these three.
Asmodeus, Rigos, and Marbas.
These Demon Kings of the demon realm, borrowed from Solomon’s 72 Demons, were currently disguised as nobles or magnates within the Morian Empire.
‘Marbas is likely outside the capital due to his cover, Rigos is infamous for blunders in the original, so not a major concern. The problem is Asmodeus…’
The third prince’s mistress or lover.
Even now, she was diligently scheming against Luciella, coveting that position. With recent events, she was the most likely among the three to act.
‘Will she move directly or use the prince?’
In the original, Asmodeus preferred manipulating subordinates over direct action.
Even after the Demon Gate opened, allowing countless Demon Kings and tribes to cross over, her tendencies remained unchanged, making her the sole survivor.
‘Diablo, if we fight those three now, what would happen?’
-Obviously, total defeat. Those three were promising top-tier demons even in my era. After ten thousand years, their power is unimaginable. Even with most of their authority sealed, your current strength can only clash with one of them.
‘…As expected.’
-If you reach higher realms, the story changes.
He had heard this before.
‘Then I must improve my capabilities quickly.’
-As my contractor, that’s a given.
His goal was to become a Sword Master, but he didn’t need to obsess over that path.
There were plenty of ways to grow stronger.
For now, the Demon Kings couldn’t recklessly use force.
‘At most, assassination attempts using subordinates.’
Though even that would force most to surrender their lives.
Regardless, Rudian was prepared to counter.
This was a battle of who had more prepared moves.
‘Now, Sitri Belstad, what will you do? I’ll gladly accept any move.’
***
Days later.
“Greetings, Sir Rudian.”
Rudian blankly stared at Sitri Belstad before him.
‘Uh, didn’t expect this…’
He hadn’t anticipated Sitri herself visiting the academy to contact him directly.
No, what truly surprised Rudian wasn’t Sitri’s appearance.
“Hey! Rudian, you brat! Lady Sitri is personally greeting you! How dare you not bow your head!”
‘Why are you here…?’
Rudian felt a migraine coming as soon as he saw the blond youth beside Sitri.
Calline von Iskar.
His former master, whom he hadn’t seen in ages, was inexplicably accompanying Sitri.