Ch.280Chapter 280: The Way Out

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After hearing the shocking news about the vessel’s escape, my mind was momentarily paralyzed.

“…An escape, huh.”

Desire, who repeated the situation she’d heard in a low voice, was able to regain her composure faster than expected.

She realized that her ability to respond so flexibly was thanks to becoming desensitized to shocking news after experiencing the shock from the terribly unpalatable tea she had drunk herself.

‘…I’ll think about that later.’

Feeling that dwelling on it would risk losing her newly regained composure, she shook her head lightly and examined the two beings who had visited her private chamber to deliver this news.

One was her loyal adjutant, Adorator, whom she could identify just by the sound of his footsteps from afar.

And the other was…

“You’re being hasty, Laplace. How could you forget your manners while visiting as a guest?”

Judging by Renium’s somewhat stern voice reprimanding his subordinate, the other was Renium’s warrior who, unlike Adorator, had not yet attained divinity and was named Laplace.

Since outsiders might consider the situation somewhat urgent, Desire wasn’t particularly displeased by the sudden intrusion of Renium’s warrior.

“The moment I confirmed that the vessel needed for fulfilling my lord’s and Lady Desire’s secret wish had escaped, my body moved rashly before I knew it.”

As Laplace immediately knelt on one knee and offered a proper apology according to etiquette…

“He’s not wrong, so that’s enough scolding your subordinate.”

Desire gestured to stop Renium, who was about to shoot another remark at Laplace, then said:

“So… our cute vessel has ‘again’ proudly bent the bars with their hands and escaped.”

She expressed her calm assessment of the escape of the “vessel” that was indispensable for her and Renium’s great work in a composed tone that showed no sign of agitation.

As if she had predicted such a situation from the beginning.

It was quite a common sight whenever the vessel was brought into this obsidian palace in any form.

No matter how sweetly they coaxed and persuaded them, thinking they had succeeded, how many times had she seen the man turn his back and try to escape this place?

Especially in the current situation where he wasn’t even bound by the pretense of being an agent.

Considering how he had lunged at her with murderous intent just because she showed interest in the necklace he cherished around his neck.

Bending iron bars with bare hands and struggling to escape was almost cute in comparison.

“There’s no need for me to step in personally. Release the troops to block the exits first, then search for him.”

After giving rough instructions to Adorator who had reported the urgent news, Desire picked up the teacup in front of her again with an unperturbed expression.

Though it was still the same tea that would undoubtedly yield the same disappointing impression…

She continued drinking it, taking time for self-reflection on what went wrong, persevering through this ascetic practice to produce better results, while trying to calmly consider how to tame the vessel that had rebelled against her again.

“…Actually.”

“Yes?”

“The vessel didn’t break the bars and escape; it was Imperfectio who…”

The moment she heard Adorator’s report, delivered with an extremely apologetic expression…

The composed facade that had made the situation seem trivial cracked instantly.

“…Hmm.”

The first sound that escaped from Desire as cracks appeared on her face was a groan.

What followed was an action stemming from the instinct to calm her bewilderment.

*Slurp*—

She took another sip of the tea in her hand, as if entranced.

The tea was meant for a time of reflection, to slowly savor and consider why such a result had occurred.

“…Ah.”

But having gulped it down instinctively to calm her sudden bewilderment, the teacup now revealed its empty bottom.

As a result of drinking it so hastily, she couldn’t make a cool-headed assessment of its taste—she only felt that the tea was still unpalatable enough to require serious effort to maintain her expression.

“…I drank it all.”

Uttering these words as if in a trance, Desire placed the teacup on the table and couldn’t help but scratch the back of her head endlessly with her right hand.

It was the result of the full expression of free will, which she valued most for the manifestation of desires befitting her name.

“It’s moving much faster than I thought…”

This action was also an attempt to deliberately calm the bewilderment she felt at being pushed into such an awkward situation, forcing her to express such sentiments.

‘How devoted to their own desires…’

On the other hand, it was also a disguise to prevent others from sensing the strange satisfaction she felt seeing even the bait she employed for utilitarian purposes fully expressing the free will she valued so highly.

As she continued scratching the back of her head, her taste buds transmitted to her brain the astringent taste of the tea that had just passed down her throat.

“…”

Feeling how truly unpalatable it was, and reaffirming that she hadn’t misheard the facts, the cracks that had appeared on Desire’s face were instantly repaired.

The bewilderment was over, and with a clear task at hand, there was only one thing needed.

Having organized her thoughts, Desire lightly tapped the table in front of her with her right index finger.

Though it seemed like a meaningless action…

Adorator, who had sensitively caught its meaning, had already approached her and knelt on one knee.

“If you would just give the order, this Adorator will immediately grab the vessel by the hair and bring them before you.”

He proudly declared what he would do in a voice full of vigor.

Just as the corners of her mouth were about to rise at the sight of her energetic subordinate…

“…Adorator.”

“Yes.”

“Bring them back breathing and with limbs intact.”

“Ah…”

The expression on Desire’s face as she cautioned her overly enthusiastic subordinate to control his zeal was so subtle that even she would have had difficulty noticing it without a mirror.

“…I could help if it seems difficult.”

Renium, who had read Desire’s subtle expression, offered to assist in capturing the escapee.

“This isn’t the Palace of Time, and I think it would be too much to accept your help for something happening in this Obsidian Palace…”

Despite facing a situation where an extra hand might be needed, Desire’s attitude remained unchanged.

“Well, if that’s how it is…”

Though Renium didn’t hide the urgency in his expression, he folded his arms and readily accepted Desire’s composure.

…By his standards, it wasn’t long ago that a mortal who had “not yet” attained divinity had somehow escaped from his divine domain with the help of an insolent dragon residing in a sword of unknown origin, which did give him a hint of anxiety.

“Even if that dragon has regained consciousness by now, it wouldn’t have recovered enough strength to help the ‘vessel’ escape.”

With Desire affirming his concerns as if she had already read his thoughts, he couldn’t insist any further.

“…I’ll trust you.”

He could only wait quietly with his arms folded.

Watching Renium who chose to wait patiently along with his subordinate Laplace…

“Well then…”

Desire concentrated her mind and began tracking the location of the vessel that was in the midst of escaping from this palace, which was almost like an extension of herself.

No matter how cleverly they tried to conceal their presence and deceive her eyes…

Finding traces of the vessel after experiencing it countless times through repeated cycles was as natural as breathing.

Without even closing her eyes, just by concentrating her mind, she located the vessel’s position.

“So fast…”

Desire merely expressed brief admiration for the vessel that had reached a point close to escaping this place faster than she had expected.

“Well… even with the ‘bait’ helping, they won’t be able to escape.”

Huhuhuhu…

As she muttered to herself, Desire’s laughter, having regained her composure, breathed life into the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the somewhat chaotic private chamber.

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“Ahem!!”

Covering my mouth with one hand as if something had gone down the wrong pipe, I steadied my breathing after a sudden cough.

What’s this? Is someone talking about me?

Well, by now my escape must have been discovered, causing quite a commotion, so it’s obvious that someone living in this palace would be cursing me.

There must be many.

Not to mention the lower-ranked demons who manage the prison.

The combat personnel who would be deployed throughout the palace to find me by now would surely express their anger in unison.

Well, I wouldn’t bat an eye even if such fellows hurled curses at me to my face.

It would be interesting to see the reaction of the higher-ups who would take my escape sensitively.

It’s hard to guess whether Desire’s eyes would be bloodshot with her plans to use me in some form or another.

But it was obvious without seeing that Adorator would be scraping together all the subordinates under his command to track my movements while spewing savage curses.

“It would be better not to run into them if possible…”

I muttered quietly to myself, so quietly that even Imperfectio leading the way through the palace couldn’t hear, expressing my wish to avoid an encounter with her.

Honestly, I don’t think I would lose even without Fafnir’s help, but in the current situation where escape is the priority, I needed to avoid wasting energy unnecessarily and getting caught.

Still, it was a strange situation.

The entire Obsidian Palace would obviously be in chaos trying to catch me, an escaped prisoner who had broken out of the dungeon.

In other words, despite facing such an urgent situation…

My mind was strangely peaceful, which couldn’t be described as anything but peculiar.

Unless Desire herself or the mysterious guest who would be conversing with her in the private chamber right now came to catch me, I was confident I wouldn’t be caught.

*CRASH*!!

“…The obsidian wall. Weaker than I thought.”

Imperfectio’s presence, smashing through the inner wall of the Obsidian Palace with a fist wearing a gauntlet made of black steel rather than a magic sword, added a feather’s weight to that confidence.

…Does it break that easily?

I too had a history of frequently breaking fixtures in this palace as a form of minor rebellion against Desire before my regression.

But the obsidian inner walls, which didn’t even get scratched when I swung my magic sword with full force, were being so easily shattered by this divine agent who, at the very least, wasn’t hostile to me, which was something to be grateful for.

…Though I couldn’t know whether she might show hostility toward me as easily as flipping her palm, depending on Desire’s will.

“Let’s hurry. As much as possible, I don’t want to use force against colleagues on duty…”

Seeing her attitude of trying not to use violence against living beings while mercilessly destroying fixtures…

Despite my reason whispering to remain vigilant, I felt my suspicion of her gradually fading without even realizing it.

It was quite funny that my natural hostility was diminishing just because her appearance, manner of speech, and behavior were identical to the person most precious to me.

“…Kal?”

“I’m right behind you.”

I couldn’t help but give a bitter smile as I realized that the edge in my tone had already softened when I responded to Imperfectio, who tilted her head while speaking to me despite wearing a helmet.

If I make it back safely, I’ll have to confess to Shizu and apologize properly.

Tell her how I suffered in the magical realm with a being that looks exactly like her trying to mess with me.