Ch.218The Witch of Distrust, Lapis (2)

Anton climbed the stairs.

He took a step forward, and upward. With each step, Anton’s half-heart pounded harder. Was it because he was getting closer to the other half he had lost more than 400 years ago, or was he excited about the fact that he would soon meet her?

His heart was racing for the former reason.

But Anton thought it was for the latter.

Climbing the spiral staircase, Anton gasped for breath. Originally, as a transcendent, Anton could have climbed these stairs in the blink of an eye, but the situation was not good now. The long trials in the tower had drained both his mental and physical strength.

“Thank you, guide.”

“Didn’t you call me an oarsman before, Captain?”

“You’re both an oarsman and a guide.”

Anton chuckled. He felt grateful to Najin who was supporting him. The introduction as the best guide was certainly not a lie.

“Finally.”

After climbing the stairs, Anton arrived.

“Finally, I’ve made it here.”

What he saw before him was a tightly closed iron door.

The entrance to the top floor of the Black Tower.

Standing before that iron door, Anton Kehano took a deep breath. He unnecessarily adjusted his clothes and cleared his throat with a “Ahem, ahem.”

“What are you doing?”

“Look. This is a reunion after 400 years. A man always wants to show his best appearance to a lady. It doesn’t feel right to enter looking so shabby, does it?”

As he muttered, Anton let out a short sigh, “Ah.”

“No, perhaps this shabby appearance might actually score me some points. Wouldn’t it be evidence that I’ve gone through such hardship to find you?”

“Do as you please.”

As Najin shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn’t be bothered, Anton also smiled. In truth, he was just making excuses because he was nervous about the moment of reunion.

Thump thump thump…

With his hand on his pounding heart, Anton exhaled deeply. In what form would she be waiting for him? What expression would she have when she looked at him? She might be disappointed. She might grumble about why it took so long, or she might even cry or get angry.

As Anton imagined Lapis in his mind, he finally burst into laughter.

She would be lovely in any form.

He just wanted to see her face as soon as possible. His expectation was greater than his fear that she might be disappointed. Anton took another step forward.

Then, knock.

After lightly knocking on the iron door, he opened it. Recalling the first time he visited Lapis. Remembering the cabin he shared with her, Anton pushed the iron door.

‘I hope she doesn’t issue an eviction order this time.’

The iron door opened with a heavy sound.

Inside the opened iron door.

Anton’s heart, which had been racing madly at the thought of reuniting with Lapis, now had to race for a slightly different reason.

Grrrrrr.

The moment the door opened, the cries of beasts echoed. Inside the iron door were monsters. Not simple magical beasts, but beasts resembling the twisted things of Camlann that inhabit Camlann. Dozens of beasts turned their heads toward Anton who opened the door.

“Oh, my.”

Anton groaned.

“It’s not easy until the very end, really.”

The twisted things of Camlann swarming.

Anton sighed and took out a staff from his bosom and extended it. But the hand holding the staff was trembling. Not out of fear, but because he didn’t even have the strength to hold the staff.

Both mentally and physically.

Anton was now pushed to his limits.

This was because he had consumed too much mental and physical energy in the process of overcoming the trials. They would be difficult opponents now, though not normally. Nevertheless, as Anton was about to prepare for battle while gasping for breath.

With a tap.

Najin took a step forward in front of Anton. With a spear in one hand and a sword in the other.

2.

The twisted things of Camlann.

Monsters created when the magical beasts of the Outer Continent were twisted once more by the influence of Camlann. Although this was not Camlann but the Outer Continent, there were twisted beasts here, befitting a tower created by the Witch of Camlann.

-They’re not easy monsters. Their countermeasures are tricky.

Hearing Merlin’s voice, Najin gripped the spear.

-Conversely, that means they’re manageable if you know how to deal with them.

A spear in one hand, a sword in the other.

-What are you going to do?

‘What else?’

One step forward.

Najin answered with action.

“…Guide?”

With his back turned to Anton who was blinking at him, Najin exhaled deeply. After composing his breath, he drew up mana in an instant.

“It’s a reunion after 400 years.”

The magical beasts that discovered them.

“These monsters are a bit below standard to sully a reunion after 400 years. If we get covered in monster blood, the stench will be overwhelming, and that wouldn’t be good, would it?”

Najin smiled.

“Go.”

With weapons raised against the magical beasts rushing toward him and Anton, Najin said.

“I’ll row the oar for you.”

You go your way.

“This is not your destination, is it?”

Where the spear tip pointed by Najin was directed.

Across the numerous magical beasts, there was a cage. A cage that held one person. That cage was the destination Anton had been searching for during the past 400 years.

“…Ha.”

Anton burst into laughter.

“Yes, I’ll leave it to you, oarsman.”

As he nodded, Najin kicked the ground. Narrowing the distance to the magical beast rushing toward him, Najin narrowed his eyes.

…Until now.

From the underground city, across the continent, to the Outer Continent.

Throughout that journey, Najin had always been the protagonist. He was the main character of the story, and all stories revolved around Najin. But at this moment, Najin felt that was not the case, and there was no need for it to be.

A knight who had wandered for 400 years in search of a witch.

A witch who had waited for the knight for 400 years.

In the story of these two people, Najin was merely a supporting character. And Najin didn’t feel particularly regretful about that fact. Thinking of those who had always willingly taken on the role of supporting characters for him, Najin smiled.

Supporting role.

Those who help the lead, make the lead shine, and pave the way for them to go. For the lead who runs onto the stage, Najin willingly chose to be a supporting character.

Kwang!

Najin stomped his foot.

What he confirmed with his rapidly moving eyes were the weaknesses of the magical beasts. Najin judged where to cut, where to stab, and how to move. By the time the pile of stones that had sprung up when he stomped the ground had moved an inch, Najin had finished his judgment.

All that remained was to move.

Najin slid past between the magical beasts. The magical beasts could neither follow nor understand how Najin swung his spear and sword in the process.

As Najin, who had passed through the magical beasts like that, stomped his foot with a ‘thud’.

Chwaaaaaaaaaah!

The bodies of the magical beasts split. They were dismantled and split. Starlight that burst out belatedly burned the magical beasts. And that movement didn’t stop at once. Najin moved his body without rest.

The hem of the free knight’s clothes fluttered.

The Cross Star spear flashed, and with each flash of the longsword, the magical beasts were slaughtered. Najin created a path by continuously cutting down the continuously regenerating magical beasts.

Twirl.

After creating a rough flow by swinging the spear and sword, Najin threw the sword upward. With both hands firmly gripping the spear, Najin imitated transcendence. What he was imitating was the spear technique of the knight of the ruined country who was called the Blue Spear.

Blue Hydrangea.

Najin pulled the spear that was stretched forward like a hand toward himself. Along with it, the flow entangled at the spear tip was also swept toward Najin. All the magical beasts scattered around were drawn toward Najin.

Although he couldn’t make beautiful petals flutter like the Blue Spear, Najin made flowers bloom with the blood of the magical beasts.

And thus, a path was created.

A straight path leading to the cage.

Along that path, Anton Kehano began to run.

3.

Anton Kehano runs.

As he has done for 400 years, as he has always done, he ran looking only at one destination. The difference from the past 400 years is that now the destination is visible to his eyes.

A cage that imprisoned the witch.

A cage created to punish the witch who violated the taboo of loving a human. Inside was the woman Anton had been searching for. Anton ran, putting strength into his legs that didn’t move well.

“Ugh!”

Almost stumbling as his legs tangled, Anton barely maintained his balance by using his staff to support himself on the ground. Feeling the touch of the staff in his hand, Anton couldn’t help but smile.

Yes, this is also because of you, Lapis.

“What’s wrong, Lapis?”

“Hm? Ah… It’s nothing. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

“What do you mean it’s nothing? You tremble every time you see this. Do you dislike swords?”

“I told you it’s really nothing. I just don’t like sharp things very much.”

At first, you wouldn’t tell me the story, but when I persistently asked, you finally sighed and reluctantly told me. That because of memories of being slashed by skewers and blades when you were young, you came to dislike sharp things.

“Anton. What’s that?”

“What? It’s my new weapon.”

“A weapon? That’s a staff.”

“Well, yes.”

“Didn’t you use a sword before?”

“It depends on how you use it, doesn’t it? Being a Sword Master, there’s no need to be picky about weapons.”

“What’s that? That’s funny. Anyway.”

So I abandoned the sword and took up a staff. A blunt staff with no sharp edges to be found. When I would greet with the staff in a comical way, you would burst into laughter, finding it so amusing.

How could a knight’s dignity be more important than a handful of laughter?

I could finally understand my uncle’s words that he had muttered. Yes, if you would laugh, I could change myself as much as needed.

My way of speaking. The expressions I make. Clothes. Preferences. Even the smallest gestures and postures. Everywhere, I could feel traces of you, Lapis. I changed only for you. You gave life to a foolish human who was burning his life to kill all witches.

“You know, Anton.”

Lapis.

“Please find me.”

You were everything to me.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Anton raised both arms. He swung the staff he was gripping with both hands. Toward the cage that was blocking him for the last time, with all his might.

Kwaaaang!

With a thunderous sound, the cage crumpled. The iron bars shattered and flew away. Toward the entrance thus created, Anton took a step forward, gasping for breath.

She was there.

A witch imprisoned with shackles on her feet and arms.

The Witch of Distrust, Lapis.

She was sitting on the railing, perched by the only window in the tower, a window so small that only a handful of sunlight leaked in, looking outside. Her eyes gazing outside were empty.

Empty eyes. Eyes that had lost life.

However.

“Lapis.”

When Anton called her name, a little light seeped into her eyes. Lapis turned her head. She looked forward, not out the window. The moment she saw Anton standing there…

“Ah.”

She let out a short sigh. Life returned to Lapis’s eyes. The empty eyes filled with light. Although she had been waiting for Anton here for 400 years, dreaming of the moment of reunion, and although Lapis had fantasized many times about what words to say and what expression to make at the moment of reunion.

At this moment, she couldn’t utter a word.

The same was true for Anton.

Amid the awkward silence between them, it was Anton who spoke first.

“Lapis.”

Anton took out a flower from his bosom.

“You know, Anton.”

“What is it, Lapis?”

“Can you get me a red rose?”

“A rose?”

“Yes. Not just any rose, but a red rose. I’ve seen a red rose just once, and it was really beautiful.”

“Isn’t it a common flower?”

“It might be common for humans like you! Not for me. The moment it’s brought to the Outer Continent, the rose loses its color. It changes from red to white.”

What he took out was a rose.

“So, next time we meet.”

A rose bloomed in the Outer Continent after years of research.

“Bring me a red rose.”

A rose that hasn’t lost its color, that retains its red color.

“I’ll make sure to get one next time. I promise.”

A flower prepared only for her.

“I kept my promise.”

Handing over the flower, Anton smiled.

A smile he had practiced many times in front of the mirror.