You Won’t Be Able to Go Back. Because I’ll Make It So.

Alevian tried to support Yona as she staggered.

But Yona harshly pushed away that hand and glared at Alevian.

She knew it too.

The failure wasn’t Alevian’s fault, nor was it Escara’s fault.

The characters, whatever they were, on her right arm and Berbaria residing in her left arm—

It was because of those, but it’s not like she could cut off her arms.

So this anger, this anger that had lost its direction and couldn’t find where to be vented, was bound to leak out even if suppressed, at the slightest opportunity.

Like with Alevian now.

Alevian quietly watched Yona as she sharply pushed away her hand.

Her eyes flickered, showing a soft light as if pitying, then an indecipherable, secretive light, then back to a soft gaze.

Yona also quietly watched Alevian as she repeatedly changed.

Those golden eyes were shining clearly.

Now that the one thing she had been aiming for all this time had lost its light and disappeared, Yona bit her lip hard.

“…The arm, this thing on my arm. You’re saying it failed because of this, right?”

Yona’s voice wasn’t excited.

It wasn’t filled with anger either.

It just trembled slightly from the effort of suppressing and suppressing again.

With that voice, more restrained than usual, Yona asked Alevian.

“If it weren’t for this, this thing, it would have succeeded, right? Right? Alevian, what you told me earlier is true, right?”

Yona’s voice gradually became heated.

If it failed, where did it fail?

For what reason did it fail?

How can that be overcome?

Alevian nodded to Yona, who was trying to understand these things.

It wasn’t a lie, so it was quite easy for Alevian to answer Yona.

“Yes. My pretty one, you clearly did return to being a man, partially. But those tattoos on your arms—”

Alevian took a breath after saying that much.

The snake pattern drawn on Yona’s left arm was clearly that of Berbaria.

If things had progressed this far, even Alevian would have to modify her plans.

It had already passed the stage where she could deal with it right now.

“It failed because of those. If it weren’t for them, the magic would have certainly succeeded.”

“I see.”

Yona nodded.

Then, she picked up the nun’s habit that Escara had brought at some point and started changing clothes.

“I understand. Then from now on, it’s a new start. I’m satisfied just knowing that there’s a way to go back. I’ll erase all these tattoos, and then I—”

Yes.

It wasn’t a wasted effort.

Now that she knows it’s possible, it’s just a matter of starting over from now on.

“Next time I receive treatment, Alevian, you provide the gold coins. If I have to gather 120 gold coins again…”

Yona said this and shuddered.

120 gold coins is no joke.

The weight of Alec’s words suddenly felt so heavy.

“Alright. I’ll provide them next time. No, Escara will provide them. Right, Escara?”

As Alevian turned around, Escara, who had been standing awkwardly behind, nodded with an equally awkward smile.

120 gold coins isn’t that much money for them anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.

“Okay. I want to leave now.”

“Alright, then the griffin—”

Yona waved her hand at Alevian, who was about to follow.

“It’s fine, I’ll go down the stairs. Just show me the way.”

“…Alright.”

Alevian took Yona’s hand.

The warmth touching her hand reminded Yona of Alec.

‘I wonder what kind of expression that guy will make when he sees me like this.’

Will he laugh saying it serves me right?

Then I’ll have to hit him once.

*

Alec approached the reception desk, breathing heavily.

As soon as the receptionist saw Alec, whose face was flushed red and whose breathing was very intense from running so much, she pointed to the stairs on her right back.

“Your companion is on the 13th floor—”

“Thank you!”

As soon as Alec heard this, he ran to the stairs.

Even though his breath was catching in his throat and he felt his chest tightening with each step, Alec didn’t stop.

With each stair he climbed, his body demanded rest.

Although he was confident in his endurance as a guard, there are limits to physical strength, but the image of one woman floating in his mind now constantly demanded that Alec keep running.

Following that demand, Alec ran up the stairs like mad.

The groundless conviction that he had to climb these stairs, climb them as quickly as possible to meet that woman, was shouting at him that rest was a luxury, and Alec accordingly bounded up the stairs two or three at a time, almost flying upwards.

4th floor.

5th floor.

6th floor.

.

.

10th floor.

11th floor.

At the sound of footsteps, Alec’s pace finally began to slow down a bit.

That sound of footsteps.

That stride.

That walking sound.

And the breathing.

And finally, the sound of—

“…Baldy.”

That voice.

Alec raised his head to look up.

Yona wrapped in a pitch-black nun’s habit.

Her snow-white hair was a mess, not tidied up,

The snow-white leg stretching out from the side slit of the nun’s habit.

And the brown hunting knife attached to that thigh.

Above all, those golden eyes looking at him with wide-open eyes.

He can see.

He is seeing.

He is seeing so clearly.

The moisture gathered in those golden eyes, in the corners of those eyes.

As soon as she sees Alec, it turns into a single tear and flows down.

That’s all.

No more tears flow.

The despair and sorrow, frustration and anger that had appeared in those eyes.

They were all painted over with Alec.

As Alec’s figure is reflected in her eyes, her gaze also changes.

Despair to hope.

Sorrow to joy.

Frustration to relief.

Anger to reassurance.

Seeing his own figure growing larger in Yona’s eyes—

“Yona!”

Alec called out her name, squeezing it out of his lungs.

Strength suddenly enters his legs that had felt powerless.

He starts running up the stairs again that he thought he couldn’t climb anymore.

He stretches out his arms.

Alec’s face is reflected in those golden eyes right in front of him, growing larger and larger.

“Ba-bal…”

Those words weren’t completed.

As soon as Alec stretched out his arms, Yona’s warmth was enveloped in his embrace.

Yona, who had been grumbling and hitting his side, saying what are you doing, why are you so happy when I’m troubled, eventually gave up and hugged his waist back when Alec didn’t let go of his embrace.

“It’s good, it’s good… Really, really good…”

What’s good about it, I just wasted money and failed, Yona chirped on and on.

Although she was quite angry, to Alec, it was as if Yona had become a bluebird chirping by his ear.

Isn’t it the voice he thought he’d never hear again?

Isn’t it the warmth he thought he’d never embrace again?

Isn’t it the face he thought he’d never see again?

The fact that that voice was chirping by his ear made the world look so beautiful to Alec.

This Mage’s Tower, and the explosion.

None of that mattered.

It wouldn’t have mattered even if the entire Mage’s Tower had collapsed.

Yona didn’t return to being a man, and she’s here like this now.

In his arms.

Alec vowed never to let go of this warmth again.

He promised to make her not even think about returning to being a man,

To make her feel that this side is a hundred times more valuable than returning to being a man.

Yes, Yona.

I won’t remain just a person who stays by your side anymore.

Rather, I’ll become a person who reaches out to you.

So that you can erase the thought of returning to being a man yourself,

I’ll become the man who occupies the biggest place in your heart.

So that you can’t even think about going back,

Like that.

Because I’ll make it so.

Alec, holding Yona in his arms, made this vow over and over again.

“Let go of this, you baldy!”

*

“You want me to contact Ceres?”

“Yes.”

The explosion on the 13th floor was being sorted out in its own way, but since neither Alevian nor Escara were in a position to take direct responsibility, it was the tower managers who were getting busy.

Leaving the aftermath to them, Alevian had brought Yona and Alec to her room and was having tea.

At Yona’s words that came out during this, Alevian slightly furrowed her brow.

Why Ceres of all people— but thinking about her personalized magic, she understood why Yona was asking.

“Is it because of purification?”

“Yes. I don’t need to explain in detail, right?”

“Hmm…”

Alevian put down her teacup and fell into thought.

She knows that Ceres’ personalized magic is purification.

Although she can’t reveal Ceres’ identity now, at least for Yona to deviate from her plan, there was a need for Ceres to use purification on her.

Since it’s certain that the magic to return to being a man failed because of that tattoo, if the tattoo is erased through Ceres, it would proceed smoothly.

But whether Ceres would use her personalized magic so easily…

“Alright, I understand for now. I’ll personally try to contact her. What are you two going to do now?”

Alevian glanced at Alec.

Alec has been unable to hide his joyful expression while stealing glances at Yona since earlier.

She understands why he’s happy, but for Alevian, it would be better if Alec quickly gave up his lingering feelings.

“We’re going to visit Kaiyak. The prices here are too high, and we can’t stay long.”

Although Yona had over a hundred gold coins, she became penniless after paying for the magic cost.

Because of that, even if she wanted to have a meal at the inn today, she would have to rely on Alec.

“Kaiyak? Kaiyak… who was Kaiyak again…”

Alevian racked her brain.

It’s a name she’s heard before, but she can’t remember who it is.

“The one who came with us from Evian. That lizard.”

“Ah. I remember now. You mean that Lizardman.”

Yes, she remembered.

Alevian remembered that Lizardman warrior she had watched through the crystal ball.

She thought he had died along the way since only Yona and Alec had entered this magic tower, but it seems that wasn’t the case.

“Up there, the Cantasia River? He said he has a house there. We’ll stop by there and then return to Evian.”

“I see. I’m planning to stay here for a while longer, so I won’t be able to accompany you.”

“…Oh, accompanying… No, it’s okay if you don’t.”

The words “That’s actually better” almost came out, but it’s not something that needs to be said.

“When are you leaving?”

“We’ll prepare tomorrow morning and leave right away in the afternoon.”

It’s time to buy a new sleeping bag too.

After making various preparations, they’ll be able to leave in the afternoon.

Yona stood up, licking her lips.

She spent 120 gold coins, but it failed, didn’t she?

Even so, she learned why it failed, and they agreed not to charge for the next attempt, so it wasn’t completely wasted money.

Moreover—

“Let’s go, baldy. I think we’re going to get busy again.”

“Oh, oh yeah. Right.”

Watching Alec hurriedly stand up after quickly finishing his tea, Yona felt somewhat, just a tiny bit, relieved without realizing it herself.

Yona thought it was truly a strange thing.