Ch.217Chapter 217 – Have You Found Me?

After talking with Regina, I went to the visiting room next to the main gate, where the priest was still waiting for me.

“I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

I apologized to Father Bert for keeping him waiting until late in the evening.

“Not at all. This is a matter of traveling abroad, so it’s not something to be rushed. I was prepared for it to take some time.”

Father Bert accepted my apology with a hearty laugh, as if it were nothing.

“So, what… decision have you made?”

“I’ve decided. I’ll respond to the contents of the letter.”

“Ah! That’s wonderful news. I’ll inform the church headquarters right away. If there are any changes later, I’ll send someone to let you know.”

Father Bert was overjoyed at my answer.

Then, seemingly tireless, he hurriedly left the visiting room.

“I guess that settles the matter of going to help Eterna.”

I left the visiting room right after Father Bert departed.

The sky was turning red with the sunset as evening approached.

On my way back to the dormitory.

I went over Regina’s condition in my head once more.

‘If you must go, I won’t stop you. But take someone who can keep you safe as your escort.’

‘An escort?’

The condition Regina had set was to bring an ‘escort’ with me.

Just like when I had hired Serin Ekatos as my escort to go to Belsarem, I needed to hire someone to protect me until I helped Eterna and returned.

‘Yes. Since I’m the academy’s headmaster, if I were to go protect you myself, I’d need at least a month to prepare… And the academy doesn’t run well without me.’

‘Can’t be helped. That’s the price of your excellence.’

Regina said that if it weren’t for her headmaster duties, she would go herself, but as headmaster, she couldn’t move rashly because she never knew when or where something might happen.

‘So graduate quickly. Then I can hand over the headmaster position to someone else, retire, and marry you.’

The way she casually mentioned marriage showed that she was definitely conscious of other women.

My sister is quite possessive for her age.

Anyway, I was now pondering who to bring as my escort.

Was there anyone with skills Regina would acknowledge… yet someone she wouldn’t be wary of?

‘This is really a difficult problem…’

I spent a long time thinking about who to bring as my escort.

To be honest, even Serin Ekatos hasn’t awakened yet.

Eterna is a saint and the one who asked for my help in the first place.

Mina and Elena? If I bring someone who isn’t even a grand magician, I’ll be criticized for bringing useless people.

‘I really do have a limited social circle.’

I know many people casually, but when I actually need help, there aren’t many who come to mind.

‘There is one person who fits these conditions…’

But that person is quite far away, and it would be very difficult to come all the way here.

They would have to cross not just a small part of the sea, but a vast distance…

Even though the Heavenly Demon is impressive… would she really appear here all at once after crossing that distant sea?

Just by hearing my voice?

“Come on, as if the Heavenly Demon would come all the way here.”

“Were you looking for me?”

“Ack!”

Speak of the devil—the Heavenly Demon’s voice suddenly came from behind me, though I had no idea when she had appeared.

I immediately turned around, and there she was, standing behind me.

“How did you get here?”

“I felt that you needed my help, so I arrived in one breath using the Heavenly Demon Dimension Step.”

“What?”

She came because she felt I was looking for her?

Does that even make sense?

Can she hear what I’m saying or thinking from here?

“Huhu. The demon brain told me. To be a wise and virtuous wife, one must know everything her husband needs.”

…What? Demon brain?

And what’s with calling me her husband?

Is she really referring to me?

“Perhaps… the person who’s supposed to be your husband…”

“Why are you so surprised? You are the only one destined to be my husband.”

…Me?

‘When did I ever raise a flag with the Heavenly Demon?’

I briefly reflected on the times I had met her.

‘Ah.’

Thinking about it again, there was something. She thanked me for saving her life.

If my thinking is correct, I must have raised a flag with the Heavenly Demon back then.

“But, would someone like me be good enough?”

“What do you mean?”

Honestly… with Regina, I feel somewhat reassured because I know her personality, but…

‘If I ever get into a fight with you, one punch from you would make me disappear without a trace!’

“I’m quite weak… if I were to take a punch from you, I’d vanish without leaving a trace…”

“My husband. What are you worried about? I am the Heavenly Demon. When I decide to protect something, there is nothing I cannot protect!”

Ah, yes.

“So did you prevent me from dying in that explosion?”

“Hmm, hmm. I do feel sorry about that. That’s why I gathered all sorts of spirit medicines and pills to help resurrect you.”

“…”

Well. I don’t have much to say to that.

She acknowledged her mistake and worked hard to fix it, and in the end, something good happened to me, the person involved.

“If, if you wish, I can personally modify the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique and teach it to you!”

“Is that so?”

When the Heavenly Demon offered to teach me her technique, I was slightly tempted.

Everyone tries to imitate techniques from novels or comics they read as children.

“Indeed! If I share some of my inner power with you, I could elevate you to the ranks of a fifteenth-level master within a year!”

Ah, this is quite tempting…

But what if I bring her along and she causes trouble?

“Heavenly Demon.”

“You may call me by my name. After all, isn’t it right for a husband to call his wife by her name?”

“But I don’t know your name.”

“What?”

When I told her I didn’t know her name, the Heavenly Demon seemed quite hurt.

But soon she shook her head, thrust out her chest proudly, and said:

“Then I shall tell you now! My name is Cheon Hyeryeong! Cheon is my family name, and Hyeryeong is my given name.”

“Hmm… Cheon Hyeryeong…”

It sounds like a good name. I don’t know what the words mean, but I liked the resonance of her name in my mouth.

“It has a nice ring to it. It seems like a beautiful name.”

“Hu, huhuhu, is that so? I’m glad you think it’s beautiful.”

The Heavenly Demon seemed genuinely pleased that I called her name beautiful.

No, from now on, I should call her Cheon Hyeryeong, right?

“Anyway, I came because you seemed troubled. So tell me, what is your concern?”

Looking at Cheon Hyeryeong’s triumphant expression, I wondered if I should ask for her help.

But since it was ultimately Regina who would approve my companion, I sent her a message.

“The Heavenly Demon appeared?”

And upon receiving my message, Regina instantly teleported between me and the Heavenly Demon.

“What’s going on? How did you appear here?”

“My husband was looking for me, so I appeared, big sister.”

…Big sister?

“Sigh… How did you get here from there?”

“I have the Heavenly Demon Divine Technique. With just a slight application of it, such a distance is nothing!”

Watching the two of them talk, it was clear they weren’t meeting for the first time…

When did these two become so friendly without me knowing?

“Ahem.”

“Ah, right. So you want to take the Heavenly Demon as your escort?”

“Looking at the situation… I think that might be best, don’t you?”

Considering that Eterna has asked for help, it means the land is too polluted for even her abilities to handle.

If that’s the case, someone with ordinary abilities would struggle to protect me there.

Taking down enemies and protecting allies are different domains.

In that respect, having the Heavenly Demon—who can deliver both single-target and area damage with her technique—as my escort would be more reassuring than anyone else.

“Well… I can acknowledge her skills.”

Regina approved of me taking the Heavenly Demon as my escort.

“Thank you, big sister! I will definitely protect my husband!”

“Sigh… But how am I supposed to explain who she is…”

“Isn’t that easy? Just say I’m the husband’s second wife.”

…It seems I’ll need more time to get used to the Heavenly Demon.