Chapter 30 - Repercussions

Boom!

A huge beam of light engulfed the area. It was an intense, blinding light that made everyone stop in their tracks. 

“This light…” Out of everyone in the area, only Miltiades knew what was going on. ‘There’s something downstairs.’

All the beasts had disappeared with the appearance of the light. The corpses as well. Miltiades seemed to realize something, and he ran toward the light. Kais ran after him. The underground prison, the broken lab, the huge glass tubes, and… Amelia.

No one could speak. They felt that everything would disappear once they did.

The light turned golden. In the golden light, Amelia was sitting and clasping her hands. It was a holy scene that looked like a masterpiece honoring an angel.

Then, Amelia opened her eyes. Miltiades didn’t know how she knew, but Amelia turned toward him and smiled. Before she could move her lips, however, she lost her strength and collapsed. But, Miltiades was faster.

“Saintess!” Ludwig looked at her in shock. 

After confirming that Amelia was okay, Miltiades looked around. The light purified everything it touched. ‘This is the power of a saintess.” As he looked at the small, thin body in his arms, Miltiades realized what jewel he had received as a daughter.

There was a reason the old men in the holy empire praised this little girl as a saintess. She was a light that shone brightly in this era where the priests who served God were drying up. 

It was a huge and miraculous light that made it hard to believe it came from a kid.

“Callian.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Contact Achillios.” Miltiades’s arms, which were holding Amelia, grew stronger. “Tell him that the Rahel Empire will welcome a new princess.”

Callian’s eyes grew wider.

* * *

Dark blood slowly flowed forth. Priscilla breathed in the cold air and balled up her fist. The retainer in front of her helplessly looked at her.

“Run…” she couldn’t say anything else and stopped talking.

Someone yelled behind her, “Run away!”

Another retainer fell while running toward her, and his ruined body lay stretched toward her on the ground. The ground around the corpse turned red. 

In the big, deep cave, Priscilla looked up at the stars through the tiny hole in the ceiling and felt as if it were all a dream.

‘What is this?’ It was my body but it didn’t feel like it. ‘Is this a dream? Or… a memory?’

The ‘me’ in the dream couldn’t do anything and was in despair. ‘Ah! I remember!’ This was when Priscilla’s powers as the Saintess were stolen from her, and she was chased out.

Priscilla’s memories. It was a strange feeling. I had only read and imagined this situation, but it was happening in front of my eyes right now. Everything was too realistic to be called a dream.

This Ludwig as well. “Please run away, Saintess.”

“What about you, Ludwig?”

Ludwig adjusted his holy sword and said as his eyes shone, “I will protect you until the end.”

He was talking while his arm was bleeding. It was hard to tell how many people he was up against or how injured he was because his body was battered all over.

Priscilla regretted it. It was too late to tell him to run away. She was grateful and happy, but also sorry and upset. Ludwig was in this situation only because of her. If only she were alone. She could’ve died right then and there.

“Please don’t cry. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m sorry, Ludwig.”

Ludwig shook his head. There was still something the two of them had to do. They needed to take back Priscilla’s divine power, and get rid of her dishonor as a witch. 

Everyone who had followed Priscilla had met death. The only one left was Ludwig. Ludwig said on the final road, “If we survive this safely…”

The Ludwig reflected in Priscilla’s eyes smiled brightly. “Please live only for yourself.”

Priscilla’s eyes wavered.

“That’s the only thing we want.”

She teared up because of an unknown emotion. With her trembling lips, she couldn’t say anything. Ludwig moved her to the entrance and turned around as if he wouldn’t let anyone get past him.

Priscilla choked down her tears that flowed because of her overwhelming emotions and walked down the road alone. And then I opened my eyes.

“…Priscilla.” I felt all of Priscilla’s loneliness, solitude, and pain. I cried in the darkness. I couldn’t tell if they were my or Priscilla’s tears.

“It’s okay, Priscilla.” The things you dealt with would never happen again. I was going to make sure of it.