Chapter 180: Prophecy(3)
Chapter 180: Prophecy(3)
It was after Elena had departed as if in flight. Kerry told the party about the prophecy he had heard from her.
They, too, wore complicated expressions.
They were preparing for the final battle to stop the Black Witch's resurrection, and this prophecy had just thrown a wrench in their plans.
But no one could feel a greater sense of loss than Lina, who had been running toward this goal since her past life.
"Then... what do we do, husband? Should we just go home?"
Victoria answered in Natasha's stead.
"Natasha, I think it's too early to go back. According to Kerry, the prophecy only said we shouldn't kill the Black Witch."
There was much discussion, but one person was agonizing over the situation more than anyone, one person who understood it best.
That person was Lina.
"Let's wait until Lina gets back and ask her then," Kerry said.
After speaking with the goddess, Lina had disappeared somewhere into the forest.
Using a tracking spell, he could sense her sitting by a stream not far away.
She should be coming back soon.
An hour had already passed since they started waiting for Lina. It was an indefinite wait, and it was starting to get tiring.
"I'm going to go find Lina for a moment."
Normally, the others would have insisted on coming along, but this time they just nodded.
They had all seen the look on Lina's face as she left, the grave atmosphere surrounding her.
More than that, it was the first time any of them had seen Lina raise her voice in anger, and they were all more than a little taken aback.
I really should have cursed that goddess bitch out a few times.
The next time I have to go to Elena's sanctuary, I'll pay her back for this, with interest.
Kerry walked slowly. The sky, oblivious, was clear and bright. Before coming here, everyone had been united in purpose, just like that sky.
For the mood to turn like this so suddenly...
Well, some days are like this, and some are like that. As he walked, he soon saw Lina in the distance.
She was sitting with the Spirit Sword held to her chest.
The way the corners of her eyes drooped, she looked like a puppy left out in the rain.
"...You're here, Kerry."
Did she know I was coming?
"I felt the fluctuation of your mana. I had a feeling you would be here soon..."
"I've heard the gist of the situation, Lina. About the... prophecy."
"..."
"The prophecy I heard was that we must not kill the Black Witch. But it seemed like there was more to it. The goddess wouldn't tell me everything. Did you happen to hear anything else?"
Lina, who had been staring at the babbling stream, lifted her head. For some reason, her eyes were trembling uncontrollably.
Though quite some time had passed since she met the goddess, Lina's agitation hadn't subsided.
That was why she had been here all this time.
Only now did I notice her slender shoulders were shaking. I couldn't see it from a distance.
She must have been trembling here for the past hour.
"Lina."
"...Yes, Kerry."
"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. If you try to carry it all by yourself... it's going to be hard."
"..."
Lina hugged the Spirit Sword tightly. It was a habit of hers whenever she felt anxious.
"I'm sorry. This one thing... this one thing I cannot say..."
"I see. So I'm still a companion you can't trust."
"Th-That's not it at all!"
"It was a joke. Haha. You're surprisingly naive, Lina, which makes you fun to tease."
She had fallen for the same trick before. Looking slightly more relaxed, Lina glared at him for a moment before the corners of her lips turned up in a small smile.
Sometimes, when I see that side of her, she's so beautiful it leaves me breathless.
This time was no different. I was staring at her, captivated, when our eyes met. She quickly lowered her head, the ears visible between her blonde hair turning red.
Seeing her like this, Lina was nothing less than an ordinary girl.
No. Lina was an ordinary girl.
She was a regressor and a talented swordswoman, but if she had been born in South Korea...
She might have been living a normal life, attending university lectures and chatting with friends.
I'd never considered it before because Lina always acted so mature.
She was too young to bear the pressure of having to save the continent.
To only realize this now, seeing her tremble... I was so angry at my own foolishness.
This wasn't the time to ask Lina about prophecies or the future.
This was the time to soothe and comfort her.
"Lina. If you can't tell me what other prophecy you heard, then you don't have to."
"...Kerry."
"I'm sure you have your reasons for making that decision."
"..."
"I trust you, Lina."
"...Thank you, Kerry."
Was my comfort not enough? Lina still didn't get up from her spot.
And for some reason, she kept looking at me, growing more and more restless. What on earth was going on?
My gut feeling that the prophecy had something to do with me seemed to be right.
But I had already decided not to ask her about it.
I could trust Lina to handle it.
Kerry sat down beside her.
He could clearly see her trying to tense her body, to hide her trembling. She didn't have to do that.
I guess I have no choice.
"Lina-nim. No. Lina. I'm at least a few years older than you, so I'm going to drop the formalities for a minute."
"!"
Even though Lina was a regressor, her original age was young, and it hadn't been long since she returned, so I was probably older.
Even if I'm not... well, right now, I'm definitely the older one.
"Yes, Kerry. That's fine."
Thankfully, Lina didn't seem to mind. Not that she was the type to care about such things anyway.
"I know you're having a hard time. I know you have nightmares every night... and I understand you can't be honest because of that personality of yours that tries to shoulder everything alone."
"Kerry..."
"I don't know what that bitch Elena... I mean, what Lady Elena said to you. But I can guess it has something to do with me. You're too honest; it's all over your face."
"..."
"We can't kill the Black Witch? Yeah. Hearing that now is demoralizing. There's another prophecy, too? I don't know what it is... but we've done just fine without any problems so far, haven't we?"
"That's right."
"Honestly, when I'm with our party, I can't imagine us losing."
"...I-I feel the same way. Everyone is trustworthy and exceptionally skilled."
"But you know, if you start to waver... even that strong party will fall apart."
"!"
"You're the leader of this party. If you start to waver, who are we supposed to follow?"
"..."
"Think you can't handle it alone? Then you can tell us everything. Anytime. The same goes for the Black Witch. If we can't kill her... we can just stop her from resurrecting. Or if not that, we can just capture her. Whether that's possible is another question, of course."
Lina nodded.
For some reason, hearing Kerry speak informally gave her a sense of déjà vu.
The faceless man she had seen in her dreams.
His image was overlapping with Kerry's.
In that moment, her anxious heart began to calm. Without realizing it, her trembling stopped.
It was a tremor that hadn't stopped even after an hour of trying to control it alone in the forest.
And now, Kerry had made it stop.
Kerry... who... who in the world are you...?
Seeing that Lina's trembling had ceased, Kerry felt a little relieved.
"Don't just say you trust me. If you're struggling, lean on us."
"..."
"I don't mean just me, but anyone in the party. They're all good women."
No, wait. Not all of them are good women.
"Except for the Saintess, of course."
"Pfft. Yes. The Saintess is a bit... much."
Lina laughed. The shadow that had been cast over her face seemed to gradually lift.
Her trembling had stopped completely. A firm resolve was now blazing in her eyes.
"Yes, Kerry. I was letting my worries get the best of me. And... like you said, if I can't take it anymore, I'll lean on you... so I'll be in your care!"
Kerry nodded.
"Yes, Lina. That's more like you."
"Are you... going back to speaking formally? I don't mind the informal speech..."
"No. Formal is correct."
The party already had a tendency to rely too much on Kerry. If I started speaking informally to Lina, the party leader's authority might completely crumble. That wouldn't be good.
When I first joined the hero's party, I was worried I'd get kicked out... I've come a long way.
Lina continued to look disappointed.
Was it because the Ruler of Mana used informal speech?
"I suppose it's fine when it's just the two of us."
"Yes!"
"Then let's head back. We have a long way to go."
Kerry turned to head back first.
Just then, Lina muttered to herself, as if making a vow.
It was truly a 'small voice,' but for some reason, he heard it with perfect clarity.
"I will never... never... let Kerry... die."
Kerry stopped in his tracks. He wanted to believe he had misheard, but that small voice was seared into his ears.
Shit. So that's what it was. I'm the one who's fucked.
This was no time to be worrying about others.
Lina returned from the forest to the party.
The group welcomed her back boisterously, relieved to see her brightened expression.
"Ah! Lina! Are you okay now? What took you so long!"
"Lina, if you're having a hard time, you can tell us anything."
"Lina... I'm... not much, but if I can be of any help, I'll do anything!"
The party had been worried while Lina was in the forest.
Lina grandly declared her resolve to them, promising it wouldn't happen again, and then urged them to move on.
After several more days of camping, they were finally able to reach a town today.
At the town entrance, Lina spoke.
"We're almost there. Once we reach the next town... we can go to their hideout where the Black Monolith is."
So it's really happening soon. Strangely, I didn't feel any great sense of excitement. No, maybe it's that it doesn't feel real.
"Let's rest and recover our strength here for today."
Thank goodness. Even though we were in a carriage, spending several days on the road was bound to be exhausting.
The party checked into an inn to relieve their accumulated fatigue.
Perhaps because of the lively atmosphere as we ate dinner together, it didn't feel at all like we were on the verge of a final battle.
Well, whatever. Being too tense isn't good either.
Kerry washed up and threw himself onto the bed. A bed really is the best.
"Damn it. I feel like I heard something I shouldn't have."
Ever since hearing Lina's small 'muttering,' her words wouldn't leave his mind.
[I will never... never... let Kerry... die.]
Does that mean I'm going to die? That's too much. My life is just starting to blossom.
Should I storm Elena's sanctuary right now and demand an explanation?
As he was pondering this, dawn had already broken.
And the person Kerry had summoned arrived.
"What... what is it now! Why have you called me?"
It was the Saintess.
"Come in and we'll talk."
"..."
The Saintess meekly entered the room. After that stormy night of sex, her personality seemed to have mellowed out a bit.
I mean, after a whole night of tasting my dick, how could her spirit not be broken?
"I believe I told you everything I know..."
"I didn't call you to talk about awakening your divine power."
"Then?"
"I called you because I thought I'd have a taste of your delicious breast milk today."
"You fiend!"
Besides, I've been feeling lately that divine power is an important asset.
If I diligently gather it, maybe it'll help me break the prophecy and survive.
The Saintess, her face filled with fear, covered her chest with her hands.
"...Didn't you say it yourself? That a great battle... was ahead... and that you wouldn't drink my milk until it was over."
"I did. It would be a disaster if your divine power dropped and you couldn't properly fulfill your role as a healer."
"Yes! That's what I'm saying."
"But now, we no longer need to worry about that."
"What... why?"
Kerry took out a golden orb and showed it to the Saintess.
"Lady Elena herself bestowed this item upon me. What is it, you ask? It's an item that can replenish your divine power whenever you need it."
"!"
The Saintess's eyes widened.
If what Kerry said was true, then she wouldn't have to worry about her divine power diminishing.
Elena probably thought I'd kill her precious daughter if she became useless due to a lack of divine power...
Kerry had no such intention.
"Now that you understand, get over here. I'll be drinking your milk every day without worry from now on, so be prepared."
Her nipples were already red from being suckled so often, and now he was going to do it even more.
The Saintess's eyes trembled uncontrollably.
Kerry pulled her onto his lap. As if resigned to her fate, the Saintess took off her top on her own.
Her nipples, already erect and red, were visible.
The moment he opened his mouth wide and latched onto a nipple, a moan escaped the lips of the sensitive Saintess.
"Hieeut! Motherrr!"
Kerry had deliberately eaten a small dinner just for this.
[Divine Power has increased by 1.]
[The Obedience of 'Kerry's Exclusive Dick Entrance' has increased by 3.]
As my ancestors from my dear homeland used to say, even a ghost who died from eating looks good.