Only the Party Members Returned, Not the Hero

41. Prayer of the Apostate (5)

41.

I don’t know why I laughed.

No, I thought I knew.

It was because old memories that had been hidden began to come in between the broken gold.

These memories were mostly dirty, unpleasant, and painful memories that I couldn’t handle.

In between – I really wanted to see you.

It’s because the memory of the one person who held my hand when I was having a hard time flowed in as well.

First meeting, wary of each other, somewhat friendly, in an old library, with old books.

… With old books.

Ellen’s expression hardened.

Because it reminded me of my last time with Sairetti.

Pud Deuk-

The wooden handle of the old iron sword dents into the shape of Ellen’s hand.

Old memories seep into Ellen’s mind, which seems to be foggy.

On that day, Sai Letty did not visit Ellen, who was sitting in her probation room.

On the contrary, Ellen had to visit Cyretti.

To see her imprisoned inside her interim prison, stricter than her probation room.

With her green hair, big glasses, and big clothes as usual, she stood up and greeted him as if it were nothing special.

Maybe the slightly cracked glasses represented her situation.

Ellen also stood in front of her smiling as if nothing had happened.

Because the two of them, with the barricade between them, knew that they had already hacked each other to pieces.

So Ellen sat by her side all night on the last day.

I spent a day in a prison that was not even monitored because I was a commoner anyway, keeping a distance of about a hand.

At dawn she spoke to her.

“Ellen.”

“Yes, Siretti.”

There was no bruise when she added, “Professor.”

She is no longer a professor.

“When everything is over, you and me too. If we all end up.”

“Yes, Siretti.”

“Then, there is one thing I want to tell you. Would you like to learn?”

“… What is it? Are you good?”

“Well, that is very good. Nothing could be better than this.”

Is there some great swordsmanship or hidden magic?

Siretti, who looks ostentatious for no reason,

Ellen looks at Sairetty with a curious look on her face.

“… Voila.”

In front of such Ellen, Sai Leti held out the small blue rose flower she had in her arms.

Ellen stared blankly at the flowers, while she looked at Letty, wondering if she was joking.

Sai Letty said confidently, blinking her dark green eyes.

“Flower arrangement.”

“… Did you eat something wrong?”

“This is good.”

“Where do we have time to arrange flowers?”

“So I told you. Let’s do it when we’re done.”

Cyletty reached out through her bars and placed a blue rose in Ellen’s hand.

The roses were fake, but they looked real.

“When everything is over.”

It can’t be helped. Because I couldn’t bring flowers into the prison cell.

“The days when we have to struggle with things that are not our sins are over.”

Because none of us had an ally who could flexibly turn a blind eye to such things.

The corners of Sairetti’s forced smile tremble.

A smile formed in her big eyes.

She always, always tried to look dignified in front of Ellen.

I wanted to be in front of him as a dependable professor.

“After your revenge and mine are over.”

Siretti’s voice gets wet.

“So when we are free, when the time comes when no one is looking for us and we don’t have to do anything…. At that time, we became incompetent.”

The time has come when we really don’t have to use our abilities, not because we’re incompetent because we’re commoners.

When you don’t have to be sad because of others.

“Become an incompetent and useless person to your heart’s content.”

“Let’s stay together.”

“Doing useless things like this.”

“In the meantime, let’s stay together.”

She sparsely finished her words as she intended.

Siretti did not show any tears until the end.

She

She didn’t even say it was difficult.

Because she was strong.

More than me.

***

Elish stepped in front of Ellen.

I saw the body of the moonlit Caulcasus walking overbearingly without a sound of footsteps.

The steps of the real one, which seemed to be twice as big as the fake ones, were phenomenal.

It was overwhelming.

Nevertheless, the reason why Elish came forward to him.

Not because I didn’t trust him, or because I doubted the hero’s qualities.

At least it was to give him time to catch his breath.

I couldn’t stand watching him fight alone as if there were no other expedition members.

Elish felt Ellen’s heart more than anyone else, even though he didn’t know what he was thinking.

“…… Ellen.”

“… ….”

Because it was shaking so precariously.

She couldn’t possibly allow him to charge.

“Ellen will give her time to rest for a while, so ELEN will assist Ellen.”

“… Be careful, Elish.”

The prayer of blessing bursts out between EL’s hands as holy power. Elish’s heart begins to beat loudly as she absorbs all of her divine power by replacing it with magical power.

Although it was not something anyone could do to instantly convert her divine power into magical power.

Elish, who had always been looking for something to replace mana, was able to do it.

The blue eyes of Caulcasus stare at Elish terribly.

The wolf threw himself without hesitation. When the floor the wolf was standing on exploded backwards in the aftermath of an overly strong step, and the wolf that seemed to have disappeared from sight leaped in front of Elish as if moving in space.

“Haap-!”

A magic resembling Ellen’s blue mana materializes in Elish’s hand.

By all means –

A huge shield that could cover Elish, EL, and Ellen appears in the air and blocks the wolf’s claws.

The sturdy shield, which could not be compared to Darhan’s protective magic, deflected the blow of the Caulcasus without even getting a scratch.

At the same time, a circle-shaped magic circle is simultaneously drawn around the shield, and a huge spear of lightning reveals its head from the inside.

The string was taut like a drawn bow so that it could be shot at the monster at any time.

Elish had no idea about the essence of the moon.

If it is to save Ellen, what is the importance of that essence?

In the eyes of Elish, who had opened her eyes as a wizard, she began to see the movement of mana floating in the air.

The path of usable magic, combination formulas, and fusion materials was tightly packed into my field of vision.

Kreurreuk.

When her attack went futile, Colcasus, who started searching for her again, couldn’t rush to her.

“…… What the hell is this?”

And Elish.

I was shocked.

It was not the attack of the Caulcasus she knew.

Although Elish’s high protection magic wasn’t broken in a single blow, when she calculated the amount of her magic power she was sheared away when the wolf’s claws touched her.

That wolf was too strong.

She can’t believe how Ellen handled the two of them alone.

It was a blow that would not be lacking even if it was compared to the devil’s enforcer.

“El, perhaps, I felt the wrong way….”

“I think so too, Elish. This monster is too strong.”

Ellen, who assisted Ellen, also felt her heart skip a beat when the wolf scratched the protective magic.

It was a powerful blow that would surprise even those who returned once.

Absolutely, no matter how moonlit Colcasus is not an ordinary monster.

It was impossible.

“Why, like this….”

How do you do this?

You dealt with Ellen alone, right?

In the very existence of Caulcasus, EL felt the strong intentions of the goddess.

She had a strong will that only she as a saint could feel, but she couldn’t read what she was going for.

She couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard she tried to figure out what it meant.

El’s expression distorted.

Existence that shouldn’t exist.

This world is again in the hands of the goddess.

Because she felt that she was being crumpled on her own.

Kheuheuong-!!

The monster’s roar shakes mana resoundingly.

The wolf jumped off in an instant, bit the upper edge of the shield with its mouth, and began tearing it off.

Jeojeok, jeop-

As the shield gradually cracked, Elish reached out with both of her hands and fired all of her spears of lightning at the same time.

A total of ten bolts of lightning struck the wolf’s body, and the aftermath of the blue mana dented even the ground Caulcasus was stepping on.

Kwajik, Kwajik, Kwareung-Kieek-!!

EL had to cover her ears at the sound of the great magic.

“… ….”

Tranquil silence.

The hazy fog lifts.

The wolf stepped out of the floor like a stairway with one foot up.

His hair was tanned here and there, but his ferocious eyes still remained determined.

I was glaring at Elish.

Dark red blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth, probably from some internal injuries, but rather, it amplified his life force, revealing his sharp fangs without filtering.

“… Why, without a single wound.”

Elish’s eyebrows are twisted.

I don’t have much time. The monsters seemed less hit than expected.

She hurriedly squeezed her mana and began preparing her magic circle again.

Corcasus does not wait and leaps forward.

With his back to the three pieces of the moon that were completely black.

When the forepaws slammed down from above blocked Elish’s vision.

Kaga Gaga River-

Red flame-like mana bounced off his front paws, and the ensuing series of blows struck the wolf’s waist, sending him flying into the air and crashing to the ground.

The side of the sword engraved with the symbol of Ergenuke in red.

Tania’s red hair and magenta eyes showed through.

***

Fortunately, with Tania’s help, Elish was able to breathe, and quickly began drawing her magic circle in her head. When she thought of the strength of Colcasus, she kept thinking it was because it would have been difficult if she left it to Tania alone.

Elish, who gathered his hands together at a distance of about a span, had to take a handful of Ellen’s mana, which would become the center, from him in order to concentrate the mana floating around him.

The atmosphere responds to her magic.

Slowly, as Ellen’s mana fills Elish’s heart again.

Thumping-

“…… Ha ha.”

Elish sat down on her floor.

Her legs gave out because she couldn’t overcome the flashing feeling as if lightning had struck her in front of her eyes, and the concentration of her mana that her heart had changed so much.

Elish’s hands trembled.

She said that sometimes she had seen priests like that. When studying joint magic, if you share mana that is too incompatible, the body rejects mana.

“Elish?!”

Her startled Elle quickly comes to her and supports her.

Elish thought it was because Elish consumed a lot of her mana in her last workshop.

“Wait a minute, I wish you the blessing of recovery….”

“No, it’s okay… It is.”

Elish’s voice is still full of surprise.

Elish’s hand squeezed EL’s wrist to stop it.

“Oh, no, I am not hurt. It’s not….”

“Yes?”

Elish put her hand on her own chest and opened her eyes wide.

Gradually, her heart got used to the changed mana, and she began to fully accept it.

She looked around her, then looked at Ellen, who was standing to her side.

“Ellen, this is….”

Elish couldn’t understand.

The way she felt, her anger and hatred flowed in the right mix.

Her resentment was completely different from the warrior’s mana, which was burned and used as fuel for attacks.

How did such a refreshing and clear mana begin to fill her heart?

It’s so pure that it could be said to belong to a hero in a fairy tale.

She was completely incomprehensible to her as a sorceress.

“… ….”

Ellen didn’t answer her question.

Just pure mana comparable to her divine power was shining white from his sword.

The hero smiled as if the scent of an old book would emanate.

Looking into the void with nostalgic, deep eyes, he slowly moved forward.