Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Unforgettable Past
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Evangeline recalled the visitor who had come to see her not long ago.
Lorellia Estin, the chief of the Light Wing Tribe, her own tribeswoman.
The chiefs in the Elf Forest rarely ever left the forest unless something major happened.
It was due to the elves' characteristic pride and arrogance.
Elves didn't even properly acknowledge those they didn't deem worthy. And among such elves, a tribal chief from the upper echelon was even more arrogant.
For an elf chief who hardly ever conversed with other races to step outside...
Evangeline knew that meant the situation was grave, and when she heard the story, her expression inevitably hardened.
A plague was spreading through the Elf Forest.
A plague whose cause was unknown, let alone a cure.
The Light Wing Tribe, the strongest tribe in the Elf Forest, was suffering the worst from it.
When Lorellia said she had come to confirm whether this might be the work of the Demon King or something equivalent, Evangeline could say nothing but remain silent.
"..."
"Do you know something?"
She was grateful that he hadn't said anything despite seeing her ears, but her question stabbed at Evangeline's heart like a knife.
And that was because Evangeline did know something.
"Evangeline. This matter..."
"Urgh... Uuugh..."
To her, it was an unforgettable past.
To her, it was a past she wanted to return to.
To her, it was the happiest past.
Lorellia's question brought back those memories.
The plague.
It was something she had heard back when things weren't bad between her and Hyunwoo, during their travels together.
...
...
...
"Why are you looking at that?"
It happened during their journey to slay the Demon King. Hyunwoo, the human man who had suddenly joined the party—no, who had just started tagging along—introduced himself as a sage and displayed astonishing knowledge.
He possessed knowledge that even Evangeline the elf, Leventia from a prestigious family, or Claire who had been trained as a hero didn't know, making it easy to defeat the Demon King's minions.
And that was just the start. He handled essentials like camping and cooking during travels, frequent battles, and negotiations in villages, so the journey progressed more smoothly than expected.
Even an arrogant elf like her felt some gratitude toward him, so Evangeline grumbled but followed him whenever he went shopping.
After all, he hadn't received the blessings available to members of the hero's party.
She had volunteered as his escort, worried he might get hurt by the Demon King's minions, monsters, or people who didn't recognize his true value.
That was why Evangeline followed him all the way to a bustling human market, enduring the unpleasant stares and lecherous smirks aimed her way, while guarding Hyunwoo as he focused on one spot. To vent her irritation, she spoke to him.
"Hm?"
"That. Why are you looking at it?"
Hyunwoo was focused on what seemed like an ordinary herb.
Evangeline had knowledge of alchemy and herbology because her sister was an alchemist, so she knew what it was.
A common grass found anywhere.
It certainly wasn't important enough for someone of Hyunwoo's caliber to focus on.
"Ah, this?"
"Yeah. Moonlight Grass, right? Used as a solvent in alchemy. Nothing special about it."
"Nothing special... Yeah, that's true. For now, anyway."
As he fiddled with the herb and put it in his basket, Hyunwoo said flatly. Could this be where the sage's amazing knowledge would shine?
She glanced around to confirm no one was eavesdropping before asking.
"For now?"
"Someday, a plague will sweep the continent."
The continent was already in chaos because of the Demon King, and now a plague?
She might have laughed if someone else said it, but she had verified Hyunwoo's abilities multiple times.
If he, who predicted the future like a prophet, said it, it surely wasn't nonsense.
Evangeline narrowed her eyes and tugged his arm.
"What do you mean? Is the Demon King spreading the plague?"
"No. To be precise, it's not the Demon King—it's another entity spreading the plague."
"Another entity? Who?"
"The curse left by Edmund Oswell."
Evangeline knew that name too.
The most vicious mage from before the Demon King appeared.
When the name of the evil mage said to have fallen to the previous hero came from Hyunwoo's mouth, Evangeline was flustered.
"But he's dead."
"Yeah, killed by the previous hero. But the curse he left behind will one day bring chaos to the world, manifesting through a plague that will lead to his resurrection."
If countless people die from the plague, a powerful mage could use those lives to resurrect.
It was beyond Evangeline's knowledge.
"...Is that even possible?"
"Yeah."
"Any proof?"
"None of what I've said so far had proof."
"It's like your prophecies... Ugh... Can't ignore that."
"Well, the urgent priority right now is the Demon King. Blocking the plague prevents resurrection, so let's set it aside for now."
"How do we block it?"
"With proper treatments and medicine. Leave that to me—you don't need to worry. What's important now is..."
Hyunwoo smiled confidently, as he always did.
Perhaps that smile gave Evangeline a sense of relief.
Because he said it was fine, because he said there was no problem.
Because he let them focus everything on slaying the Demon King.
That was why.
She might have been able to lean on him.
"Just fulfilling your mission."
"Umm..."
"Until then, I'll support you all. So don't worry about these trivial things."
"Ha, alright? Then I'll make a promise too. I'll protect you..."
...
...
...
And in the end, he kept his promise, while she broke hers.
She had broken the promise to protect him herself.
"Uwaa... Ahhh..."
Even amid the hardships of the journey, even amid their scorn and contempt.
Hyunwoo had done everything to help them fulfill their mission.
But what about her?
Back then, in that market, what was that arrogant, confident promise she made?
"Aaaah... Aaaaaah!!"
Her ugliness and pitifulness came flying at her again like a blade. Evangeline raised a dagger to sever her ear, and Lorellia, startled, grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?!"
"Let go! Let gooo! Let me gooo!!"
She had promised him.
That she would protect him, who hadn't received any blessings.
That the strong her would protect the weak him.
But what happened?
Wasn't it her who hurt him, who tormented him?
The reality that she could rely on him, her arrogance that Hyunwoo would be fine—it had pushed him into suffering.
And yet, what noble elf? What hero's party member?
Overwhelmed by unbearable self-loathing, Evangeline shed tears and screamed.
"Aaaah! Let go! Let gooo! Hyunwoo... Hic. Hnng... Sorry... Hnng... Sorry... Sorry... Hnng... Hic... Let gooo... Please... Please let gooo..."
Pushing Lorellia away as tears like beads fell, she sliced off her ear again.
Lorellia stared in shock as the ear, regenerated by Veronica's healing, was severed in a spray of blood, then let out a heavy sigh.
She had heard the story—how Evangeline's condition had become quite strange after slaying the Demon King.
But she hadn't expected it to be this bad.
"By the way, Hyunwoo? Who's that?"
"A human man who called himself a sage."
"Ha. A sage? A human claiming to be wise?"
"The report on him is here..."
Lorellia read the report from her adjutant and snorted.
A human who was an unofficial hero's party member without even receiving blessings.
He had outstanding abilities, supported the hero's party during the Demon King slaying journey, and was recognized by various races.
His reputation was good, but whether he deserved to be called a sage was questionable.
"Whatever. Fine. If Evangeline mentioned a sage upon hearing about the plague, we can assume the sage knows something, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. We've got a lead at least. We'll know when we meet him. Let's go."
Lorellia glanced at Evangeline, slumped in the corner. The wretched woman no longer bore the proud appearance of an elf.
It seemed she had fallen for that human man, the so-called sage, and been abandoned.
At that pitiful sight, Lorellia clicked her tongue briefly.
"...Tsk tsk. To end up like that just because she turned into a female."
Confident she would never show such a sight herself, Lorellia left the tent, and Evangeline muttered while ignoring the blood dripping from her ear.
"Hyunwoo... Hyunwoo..."
...
...
...
"Eva. You okay?"
"...Yeah. I'm fine."
At Leventia's call, Evangeline snapped back to reality. She looked at the monster corpse on the ground, slung her bow over her back, and asked Leventia.
"Is that it now?"
"Um... Yeah."
Seeing the holy relic Leventia held up, Evangeline quickly lost interest and turned away.
Ever since slaying the Demon King, Evangeline had only one task.
Killing monsters on the battlefield.
Because Hyunwoo had mentioned it before leaving.
After that, she had only killed monsters and stared at Hyunwoo's illusions alone in her tent. The reason she left the battlefield and came here was simple.
The plague Hyunwoo had spoken of had begun to spread.
And Hyunwoo would try to resolve it.
The thought of helping him even a little was enough to move Evangeline.
"With this... the church will go to the Elf Forest, right?"
"Um... Yeah."
If the church's healers and priests moved at the Pope's command, they could halt the plague's progress.
Back then, Hyunwoo had said he would stop the plague.
He had never once failed to follow through on his words.
Yes, so this time too, he would resolve the plague spreading in the Elf Forest.
Even if it started in her own Light Wing Tribe.
Even if he resented her for it, he would dispel the plague.
Because that's who Hyunwoo was.
So, she had to help him, even a little.
Just like how he had helped them without asking for anything in return.
She had to help him.
To keep, even a little, the promise she hadn't kept back then.
"...Will this make things a little easier for Hyunwoo?"
She had become a hero by slaying the Demon King, but Evangeline didn't think of herself as one.
The true hero was him, the one who had quietly moved in the shadows like a shadow behind the light.
Moving like this for such a hero helped alleviate, even a little, the self-loathing Evangeline felt toward herself.
"Yeah... probably."
At Leventia's murmur, Evangeline gave a faint smile.
It wasn't an action Hyunwoo had permitted, but doing something that could help him even a little.
Just that made Evangeline feel a bit closer to him.
Author's Note
Thank you so much to sponsor Zamulseo~ lol I'll write hard!
Really really thank you to Geomseong-nim!!
Monday's tough... Have a good evening, everyone~!!