Chapter 134. In the Next Life, Please
Upon arriving at the ancient ruins, Herdin barely managed to find a clue to break the second constraint.
However, it was written not in the ancient language but in the language of a demon tribe that had gone extinct long ago, so he couldn't decipher it right away.
Still, finding a clue after wandering for over a year was nothing short of miraculous.
He thought that if he could just decipher this, he could put everything back in place.
Thus, Herdin, who had been dedicating himself to deciphering the demon tribe's language for days without eating anything, decided to skip Asiel's birthday.
He wanted to find a way as quickly as possible so he could return to Blair and the child with peace of mind. Birthdays would come again next year, and the year after that.
Because they would be together forever like that.
Then, news arrived from the villa.
"Your Excellency, the Madam..."
Ruth, who had run to deliver the news, couldn't finish her words as her throat choked up and she hung her head.
At Ruth's reaction, Herdin's heart dropped.
He was curious but didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know.
But Ruth, having barely swallowed her tears, opened her mouth again.
"The Madam... has passed away."
* * *
On the urgent way to the villa, Ruth conveyed the story that Blair had died from a villain's attack.
But it didn't reach Herdin's ears. No, the very premise that she had died was an unbelievable story from the start.
As soon as he arrived at the villa and stepped inside, he felt something was different from usual.
The place where she and the child were had always had a subtly warm atmosphere, even without the two of them making much noise, simply because they were there.
But today, it was only quiet.
Dismissing it as just his imagination, Herdin stepped into the room and heard wailing instead of Blair's voice whispering to the child.
"Madam..."
It was Lina's crying voice.
The moment he heard that sound, his heart started racing rapidly.
Herdin, who had paused for a moment, stepped into the bedroom where the sound was coming from. At the same time, Lina, who looked an utter mess, rushed at him.
"Why are you coming so soon? Why didn't you just come after finishing the funeral?"
"Lina!"
The maids hastily stopped Lina.
Even though a maid was screaming and committing insubordination right before his eyes, Herdin passed by as if he couldn't see her and headed toward the bed. Behind him, Lina's voice could be heard.
"The Madam, how long she waited for you..."
Lina, wailing as if vomiting blood, collapsed just like that. The maids took her and left.
Herdin approached the bed, leaving the commotion behind. On the bed, Blair lay with her eyes closed, her hands neatly folded over her stomach.
"My wife."
It was a peaceful face as if she were merely asleep. The fact that she was dead was unbelievable.
"...Blair."
"..."
"I'm sorry I'm late. I tried to come back quickly..."
Herdin continued speaking in a calm voice and reached out his hand toward Blair's face.
"You said you had something to tell me. Tell me now. I'll listen to everything, so..."
But there was no warmth felt on her cheek that his hand touched. Not even a breath.
Crucially, she didn't wake up and look at him.
I want to see your eyes.
I want to see my reflection contained in those eyes.
Herdin's fingertips, tracing her bloodless face, began to tremble.
Herdin removed the hand that was caressing Blair's face and, without taking his eyes off her, ordered Ruth who stood behind him.
"Ruth. Go bring a priest."
"...Your Excellency."
"It's not too late yet. If we treat her right away, we can save her."
At Herdin's futile command, Ruth answered with a choked voice.
"Your Excellency, the Madam has already..."
Before Ruth could finish speaking, Herdin drew his sword and pointed it at his neck. The mana flowing out around Herdin fluctuated threateningly.
"Shut that mouth."
Even though he had lost his reason and was wielding a sword to threaten them, no one was afraid; they only shed tears. Not tears of fear, but tears of sorrow.
Herdin stared blankly at them amidst the crying, then turned his gaze back to Blair.
The sound of weeping kept awakening him to the reality he didn't want to accept.
Truly, you're dead?
No, that can't be. That can't be...
Looking at Blair, who didn't wake up even with all this commotion, Herdin threw away his sword and picked her up in his arms. Mason, startled by his sudden action, called out to him urgently.
"Your Excellency!"
"Get out of the way. I'm going to the temple."
There were many priests at the temple. Since they received the power of the gods, even if one wasn't enough, if dozens gathered, they might be able to create a miracle.
Holding Blair, Herdin slipped through the servants as if fleeing from the atmosphere mourning her death.
At that moment, from Blair's limp body, her arm dropped weakly.
At the same time, Herdin's footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Tears fell pitter-patter from his indifferent eyes, and he collapsed just like that.
"...Blair."
Herdin brought his face close to her cheek.
Her skin was too cold. Even with the tears falling onto her face, her body temperature, which had already grown cold, didn't return.
"Blair, please open your eyes."
"..."
"The sea you wanted to go to, I'll take you there. Let's go together."
His fingertips caressing her face trembled visibly.
"Don't do this, please... Blair."
His voice calling out to her desperately also began to be stained with tears.
Recalling Blair's eyes, Herdin laughed as if crying when he realized that the last moment he saw her eyes was when she was watching Miela and himself.
The choice he believed was for her sake became a large dagger planted last in Blair's chest.
One that could never be pulled out, nor allowed to heal.
If I had known it would end up like this, I should have loved you more. I shouldn't have hurt you under the pretext of doing it for you.
I regret letting you carry those painful wounds as your last memory...
"I'm sorry, Blair. I'm sorry..."
He poured out words she could no longer hear as if vomiting blood.
The unbearable sorrow soon affected his mana as well. The violently fluctuating mana soon took over even his master's mind.
Ruth and Mason's eyes shook violently as they felt the unusual flow of mana.
"Your Excellency!"
The moment they tried to approach Herdin, the mana that burst out attacked everyone in the bedroom. The room, which had been filled with crying, was now filled with screams and groans.
In the midst of that chaos, Herdin, who had run amok and been consumed by mana, picked up Blair's corpse and stood up.
A world without her had no meaning.
Among the humans of this world, there must be the one who killed you... so if I kill them all, I'll be able to avenge you, won't I?
Consumed by mana, he lost his reason and began to attack, perceiving all living creatures as enemies that must be eliminated.
The knights who rushed over after hearing the commotion died without being able to properly respond to Herdin's unexpected attacks.
Even as his subordinates' blood splattered before his eyes, Herdin's eyes looking at the scene were horrifyingly indifferent. Yet even in that state, he held Blair's corpse preciously in his arms.
Herdin, who killed all the knights blocking his way, broke through the next door and entered. There, a cradle was placed.
The moment he was about to approach the cradle with indifferent eyes, the door connecting to Blair's room opened and Ruth ran to block his way.
"Your Excellency, you must not."
"..."
"You're his father. Just as the previous master didn't, you mustn't do this to the young master either! Please..."
Ruth, bleeding from the wounds he had just received, pleaded earnestly with him, but Herdin mercilessly fired magic at him even so.
The blood that reached his feet also flowed toward the cradle, forming a pool of blood.
Inside that cradle, a baby who seemed startled by the recent commotion was crying.
"Waaah!"
Herdin, who was about to cast magic with similarly lifeless eyes, paused when he met eyes with the child looking back at him.
They were purple eyes that looked just like Blair's, which he had so desperately wanted to see.
Looking into those eyes, Blair's figure introducing the child to him came to mind.
'Asiel, you should say hello to Daddy.'
As Herdin blankly stared into the child's eyes, his eyes shook violently, and a crack formed in his mind that had been consumed by mana, and his consciousness returned in an instant.
No.
At the same time, the hand that had been extended toward Asiel lowered. Then, just as the focus was about to disappear from his eyes again, Herdin bit his own hand with a crunch. Hard enough to crush bone.
At that pain, the mana was suppressed for even a brief moment, but this too wouldn't last long. He had to find a way to protect Asiel from himself in the meantime.
At that moment, a forgotten memory surfaced in Herdin's mind.
Once, he had looked into a forbidden magic that could turn back time. When his parents died, and when Esmeralda died.
However, he couldn't even know whether the magic would succeed or fail, and he couldn't bring himself to attempt it out of fear of the price.
But now, he felt no fear at all.
Herdin traced his childhood memories and manifested the magic circle of time that he had practiced hundreds, thousands of times more. With himself as the sacrifice.
And so, the last thing to be inscribed in the nearly completed magic circle was the subject who would go back in time.
Herdin, without a moment's hesitation, put Blair's name into the magic circle.
If I return with my memories, I won't be able to let you go. Unable to strip away my feelings, I'll lose you again.
So, Blair.
In the next life, please flee from me.
Eventually, the completed magic circle began to tear his body, which had become the sacrifice, to shreds.
In that pain, Herdin embraced Blair and kissed her, whispering.
"...I love you. I love you, Blair."
Words that couldn't be conveyed to you in the next life.
Eventually, a distant darkness descended.
And after an immeasurable amount of time passed.
Blair opened her eyes.
Three years in the past, before she married him.