Chapter 106
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: I Have to Leave
“Finally, the Mirmod family is doomed.”
I curled my lips in a mocking sneer.
To anyone watching, it was clear the Pope was the one facing destruction right now.
But he didn’t see it that way. His expression was one of absolute certainty that the Mirmod family would fall—more than anyone else’s.
I narrowed my eyes and started to step toward the Pope, only to freeze as Dad grabbed my hand.
“Sien, it’s dangerous.”
Dad spoke in my place.
“Pope, why don’t you explain it plainly? What does the ancient script on Asid’s cheek have to do with Mirmod?”
I decided to play the role of the snarky sidekick next to Dad.
“Yeah, and anyway, Pope, you’re going to die soon enough?”
I thought he’d panic at the words “you’re going to die,” but the Pope was no amateur.
He cackled as he looked at me.
“I can die. As long as the previous Pope—no, the temple’s long-cherished wish comes true.”
“The temple’s long-cherished wish?”
“Yes. The prophecy book states that our well-forged sword will slaughter all the evil families blocking the temple’s righteous path.”
“And that means…….”
Given the current situation, the Pope’s words could only point to one thing.
I recalled uneasily how he’d kept calling Asid a “forged sword” earlier.
“Yes, our sword, Lord Asid, will slaughter all the temple’s enemies, the Mirmods. The moment he is burned in holy fire and the ancient script is etched onto his cheek, the prophecy shall come to pass.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him like a blowhard.
“You claim to have heard this from God himself? Just a prophecy book? Don’t lie. Where’s the prophecy book? And where’s the proof that Asid is a sword?”
“You don’t believe me? Taunting me, are you? As for proof that Asid is the sword... well, do I really need to spell every little detail out for you?”
The Pope, who had been choking moments ago, sneered again after a coughing fit.
“The original prophecy book is held by our saintess. I’m just a figurehead, after all.”
A deep sense of inferiority shadowed the Pope’s face, though he tried to maintain his calm facade.
Dad and I exchanged glances.
Dad flashed a sinister smile and channeled aura into his sword, slicing through the middle of the still-smoking incense stick.
“A figurehead without even the prophecy book, which is with the saintess? Guess a figurehead had the right to light incense, huh? Some small fry’s incense stick should be easy enough to snuff out.”
The Pope’s face, which had been chuckling away, ignited with rage in an instant.
“You dare interfere with the ritual to summon a god, insolent Mirmod?”
Matthias’s expression twisted into a smirk.
“Doesn’t matter. If what you say is true, I’m supposed to die by this guy’s hand anyway, right? He’s the forged sword, the Mirmod family—and its head, me—are the temple’s enemies and the root of all evil.”
“You’re quick on the uptake. Yes, your family’s doom was already written in the prophecy book.”
“So that’s it.”
“There’s a bit of an abrupt twist from this unexpected interference... but all the same, with the ancient script etched on the sword’s cheek, everything is satisfactory.”
The strength gradually drained from the Pope’s voice.
That meant he was dying.
As the Pope writhed and eventually slammed his face into the floor, Dad curled his lips.
“If Asid’s going to wipe out the Mirmods, I’ll just kill him right now with my own hands.”
At the words that he would kill Asid, my face went pale in an instant.
That was when the Pope sneered.
“No, those who carry Mirmod blood—and those who bear their will—can never kill the sword. The sword cannot even commit suicide until the root of evil is eradicated. If you’re curious, go ahead... try it.”
With that, the Pope’s eyes slowly closed.
He died under the delusion that he had accomplished everything.
Staring at the smile on his lips, I muttered irritably.
“Right now, I’m just... utterly dumbfounded.”
“Why, Sien?”
I looked down at the Pope’s freshly cooled corpse and thought to myself.
I didn’t deny fatalism entirely.
Perhaps the future of humanity was arranged by the gods.
I knew that well, having been reborn into a book by divine grace.
But I believed human will superseded fate.
If humans desired it fiercely, yearned for it intensely, and strove to change their fate, then fate would surely change.
‘Just like how I changed the original story, [Melodia’s Life].’
“Dad, it’s just so ridiculous how he bragged about believing in fate like that.”
“My daughter...”
“I don’t believe in prophecies or fate or any of that. I think it won’t come true if we work hard enough.”
At that moment, Asid—who seemed to have regained his senses—grabbed my collar. The instant he did, he let out a short groan.
I said nothing.
I simply hoped for even a flicker of life in the eyes he turned toward me.
“……Do you... really believe in me?”
To Asid, who looked like he was suffering inner torment, the only words I could offer were...
“I believe in you.”
All I could give him was my trust.
Hearing my words, Asid murmured them over and over through gritted teeth.
‘I believe in you.’
His body trembled, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he clenched his jaw so hard I could see his front teeth grinding roughly.
But clearly, Asid was overcoming the sinister force surrounding him.
With my hands clenched into fists, I watched him battle the pain and torment wracking his body.
Each time he muttered to himself, the script etched on his cheek slowly, bit by bit, began to fade.
Perhaps it was because the Pope was dead, and the one who had fully bound him as the “sword” was gone.
But even so, what mattered was that Asid was striving against the prophecy of his own will.
I watched in half awe as the lines of text enveloping his face vanished.
“……Lady Sien, you know.”
“Yeah?”
“About how I... promised to save your life, no matter what.”
“……Yeah.”
Asid smiled softly and whispered.
“I’ll never kill the Mirmods... or you, Lady Sien. I’ll do my best.”
Hearing the sincerity in his voice, I felt a subtle ripple in my chest.
The baseless vibration was faint, and it gave me a distant sensation as if I were isolated in this place alone.
But what was certain was that Asid’s promise to strive for my sake stirred something deeply sentimental in my heart.
Feeling my heart pound fiercely, bit by bit, I gazed at Asid.
But the problem was *how* to change fate.
Narrowing my eyes, I suddenly noticed that incense was still burning on the altar where Asid had been.
The moment I saw it, an instinctive certainty struck me.
“Dad, Asid!”
“Yeah?”
“That... isn’t that the prophecy book? It looks like it’s burning!”
The Pope had clearly said the prophecy book was with Melodia.
But I didn’t entirely believe him.
‘Someone as suspicious and riddled with inferiority like the Pope wouldn’t entrust the entire prophecy book to Melodia.’
So I’d quietly suspected that at least part of it was in the Pope’s possession—or somewhere in his sanctuary.
‘That’s why I was keeping an eye on the surroundings... but to think it was burning right here!’
Near the altar, yellowed scraps of paper were scattered haphazardly for the incense. Dad swiftly extinguished the incense and snatched up the scraps.
As I’d said, fragments of the prophecy book were strewn all around the altar.
“Definitely, there was a prophecy book here.”
I quickly scanned the contents of the prophecy book fragments.
But I couldn’t read exactly what the text said.
***
As he quietly watched Sien’s frustrated eyes, unable to make out the prophecy book’s details clearly, Asid recalled the promise he’d made with her, their fingers interlocked.
‘Asid, you know about that rumor?’
‘……Yes?’
‘The one about a prophecy book hidden in the temple’s underground.’
‘Ah…….’
‘It’s intel from the Dark Information Guildmaster. Word is the Pope’s been acting strangely because of that prophecy book. If I infiltrate the central temple, I’ll get the details on it too.’
‘Yes, understood.’
The word “prophecy book” stirred a strange unease, but for Sien’s sake, it didn’t matter what it was. If it was her order, Asid would do anything.
‘……Besides, this time, Lady Sien entrusted the task to me personally.’
Not the Captain, not Ted, not Leonhardt, not even those academy nobodies—but him.
Asid wanted to accomplish it properly, whatever it was.
But...
In the end, he hadn’t been able to save Sien completely unharmed.
Asid clenched his fist while gazing at Sien, who was poring over the prophecy book.
There were bruises around Sien’s neck right now.
Matthias Mirmod’s excessive rage must have been because of the handprint on Sien’s cheek.
‘The audacity, to lay a hand on Lady Sien…….’
He had confronted the Pope, but it had only served to divert attention. In the end, it was Matthias Mirmod who had saved her.
He was weak, and Matthias was strong.
As if it were only natural that he could save Sien, Matthias had beaten the Pope and Axel into the mud.
Asid didn’t care much about the other events that unfolded in the process.
The only thing in his eyes was Sien.
“Asid, can you read the prophecy book?”
“…….”
“Asid?”
“……Yes, I’ll take a look.”
Asid gazed quietly down at the prophecy book.
Unlike Sien, who couldn’t interpret it properly without holy power, Asid could read its contents clearly.
It was probably, as the Pope had said, because he was prepared as the “sword to kill the Mirmods.”
As he expected, Matthias, who had been watching them silently, added,
“You should be able to read it.”
“……Yes.”
At that moment, Asid caught sight of Sien looking at him with eyes full of hope.
As she thoroughly examined the prophecy book and finally handed it to him, he recalled all the kindness she had shown him.
At five years old, his savior had patted his shoulder with her small, tender hand. Now, she had grown into a fifteen-year-old young lady, and he—the foolish little boy—had matured into a young man without his youthful awkwardness.
No, to be precise, he had grown into a young man who wanted to protect Sien more than anyone.
In his childhood, he’d thought he simply followed her well because she had saved his life.
But...
He hadn’t realized it, but others apparently had.
He recalled the conversation he’d had with the Captain not long ago.
‘The way you look at Lady Sien is definitely different from ours. More steadfast...’
‘……Affection. The affection of wanting to protect her.’
‘Hmm…….’
‘Whatever you think, it’s not that.’
He bit his lip.
The way he looked at Sien was different from how others saw her.
He, too, had only realized it now.
When Sien had glanced at another man, and when she had been helplessly battered by the Pope right before his eyes, he had acknowledged his own feelings.
Sien was the liege to whom Asid wanted to devote his utmost loyalty, even at the cost of his life.
And...
Asid quietly gazed at Sien.
From the moment this small girl had flown into his heart like a bird, he had loved her. Whenever Sien reached out to others, his nails would blister, reflecting his anxious heart.
He had always thought he had no right to jealousy, and that belief hadn’t changed. How dare he, of all people, be jealous over Sien.
But when Sien was kidnapped, Asid had fully realized his heart.
‘I... Lady Sien…….’
When he saw her reddened cheek from the kidnapping, and when she forced a smile as if everything was fine while looking at him...
Asid had even come to hate the “healer” ability granted to him.
Because he wanted to kill them all.
And as far as he knew, there was only one thing that could provoke such intense emotions.
‘……I love Lady Sien. Audaciously. With all my heart.’
He, who had become human from a beast thanks to her grace, had dared to become aware of his feelings.
Yet Asid didn’t wish for Sien to understand his emotions. He only wanted her to be happy.
He took a quiet breath to compose his heart and looked at Sien.
“I can read the contents of this prophecy book. According to it, I have to leave.”