episode_0002

1.

Late at night.

Llewelyn secretly slipped out of bed.

“….”

Llewelyn stood by the window.

She took out a letter from her pocket.

Unfolding the neatly folded letter, she read it by the moonlight coming through the window.

[List of casualties from the demon raid.]

She had told Evan that it was a letter asking about his well-being from their hometown, but the contents of the letter revealed that demons had attacked the village.

The recent increase in demon attacks.

Its influence had reached their hometown as well.

The peaceful place at the southern edge had been swept away by the demons.

The village had turned into ruins.

Half of the villagers had died.

And on the list of casualties were Llewelyn’s parents.

“Ugh….”

Llewelyn bit her lower lip.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Her face contorted as if she had taken off a mask.

Fortunately, it was said that her younger siblings had survived.

She had to return to her hometown.

She had to protect her trembling siblings from fear.

Now, Llewelyn was the only one left to take care of her younger siblings.

She was now the eldest.

She crumpled the letter.

Her legs weakened.

The emotions she had been suppressing surged back.

She couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t accept it.

That her parents were gone.

She should ride a carriage and leave at sunrise tomorrow.

Ever since she unfolded the letter, the only thought in her mind was that she had to return to her hometown as soon as possible.

But she couldn’t do that.

Because of Evan.

She loved Evan as much as she loved her family.

He always made her smile.

He always cherished her.

She sincerely loved him for reaching out to her, who had always been an outcast.

Her expression of emotions was clumsy, but she could proudly say that her love for Evan was greater than his love for her.

…She didn’t want to part with him.

If she told Evan about this, he would surely follow her.

But would he just follow?

If he was the kind Evan, he would think of taking care of her siblings in their hometown as if it were his family’s business.

“…No.”

Llewelyn tightly closed her eyes.

If he followed her, she would be truly happy and relieved. Even now, she relied on him so much emotionally.

But…

I am deeply sorry for what I have done to him.

I don’t know how many years I should stay in the countryside.

I should stay until my siblings become independent, so at least 10 years.

“I want to enter Martop.”

Evan has a dream.

“I will go into Martop and study magic research. My dream is to create a healing magic that can cure all diseases in the world.”

In his childhood, Evan lost his entire family to an epidemic.

He had to leave without being able to do anything.

Even doctors.

Even priests.

They told him to prepare for death with bowed heads.

At that time, there was no way to treat that disease.

All the infected could do was wait for their bodies to completely decay.

Evan had to watch his family rot in front of his eyes. Their limbs fell off, and in the end, their necks rotted and fell off.

Since then,

Evan started studying to become a wizard and learn restorative magic.

So that no one else would despair helplessly like him.

“I may not be good at using magic, but I’m confident in magic theory.”

In reality, his theoretical knowledge is excellent.

Evan’s ability to analyze magic circles is at a high level.

When unlocking dungeon barriers, while other wizards would take a week, Evan would solve it in just one day.

His knowledge alone is at a level that can get him into the academy.

It could be considered a result of talent as well as effort.

Evan studied diligently every single day.

Whenever he had time, he would open magic books and draw magic circles when he was tired from running errands. Yesterday, he was reading a magic book on the carriage on his way back after subduing a demon.

Evan was sincere.

“Is it really impossible to cure all diseases in the world?”

Looking up at the night sky, Evan held Luen’s hand and spoke.

“If not everything in the world can be done….”

Evan smiled faintly.

“Luen, I want to create magic just for you.”

It was a conversation they had on the day they first kissed under the shooting stars on a summer night.

He didn’t want to become an obstacle to Evan’s sincerity.

He was already causing enough interference.

If it weren’t for him following along, Evan would have been a talent who entered the academy or went into Martop long ago.

Now is the time to let go.

Until now, he had been holding onto him because of his own selfishness.

If Evan were an apprentice, he would try to follow and conduct magical research even in the countryside, but there is a world of difference between conducting research in the countryside and conducting it in a mage tower. It’s incomparable.

Because I truly love him, let’s break up for his sake.

I don’t want to disturb more than I already have.

Lewen made a vow while swallowing her tears.

2.

The next day.

The spring breeze woke Evan by brushing against his cheek.

“Ugh…”

He let out a dry breath.

A sweet scent of alcohol wafted through the air.

“Oh… my head…”

I drank too much yesterday.

Despite not being able to handle alcohol well, I had five glasses of ale.

Yesterday, I felt strangely good.

On the other hand, Lewen seemed to be in poor condition.

Normally, she could handle six glasses easily, but she couldn’t finish even one.

“Lewen…”

Evan tossed and turned, reaching out his arm to the sleeping Lewen beside him.

-Chin

However, Evan’s arm swung through the air, missing Lewen’s body and falling onto the bed.

“…Huh?”

He raised his heavy eyelids and looked to the side.

No one was there.

Every morning when he opened his eyes, Lewen would be curled up in his embrace.

“…Did she go to the bathroom?”

Evan sat up.

His throat was dry.

He walked unsteadily towards the table to get some water.

He picked up the pitcher on the table.

-Plop

A paper that had been under the pitcher fell to the floor.

“…What’s this?”

Was it a letter from Lewen?

He thought so, but…

The letter was written with [To Evan] written neatly.

It was Lewen’s handwriting.

Evan trembled with unease.

Anxiety overwhelmed him.

He hadn’t even checked the contents yet, but he had a sense of what it might be.

His instincts told him not to read it.

“…”

But he checked anyway.

[This is where we part ways.]

The letter only had a few lines.

[Let’s end it.]

He couldn’t understand the meaning. He could decipher complex magic circles layered three times over, but these two lines were impossible to interpret no matter how much he racked his brain.

“…She must be playing a prank.”

He thought Lewen was playing a prank.

Feeling anxious, he looked around.

She wasn’t there.

All of Lewen’s belongings were gone.

“No… what… no… huh?”

He rubbed his eyes and double-checked.

There were a few more lines written below the letter.

[I will forget you.]

It was a cruel statement.

[You should forget me too.]

Was that even possible?

It was impossible.

The time they spent together was too long to forget Lewen.

Le Wen, who has spent five years together, occupies a significant part of Evan’s life. You can even say it’s everything. “Wha-what is this…?” No reasons are written down. It was a one-sided notification. How can I accept this? Evan put on his robe and left the inn. He ran through the village, searching for his girlfriend. The village, welcoming the morning, was still quiet. He headed first towards the entrance of the village. A guard yawned while guarding the entrance. “Um, excuse me!” Gasping for breath, Evan asked the guard, “Did a woman with short black hair and golden eyes pass by here?” “No, she didn’t pass by.” “Really? Are you sure she didn’t pass by?” “I’ve been guarding all night, and no such woman passed by.” She’s still in the village. “Thank you…!” He ran around the village again. Where did she go…! Accept that kind of letter? I hope it’s just a cruel joke. “Are you hunting alone?” “…Go away.” “I’m alone too. Shall we hunt together?” “…I said go away.” “Alright. I’ll support you, so let’s catch that guy first.” “…Hmph.” When he first reached out to her. “Don’t you have any friends?” “…I’ll die.” “I don’t have anyone either. If you don’t have any friends, shall we be friends?” “…Go away.” “Is it embarrassing?” “Wh-who…” “I want to get along well with you. Please be my friend.” When they first held hands. “I’d love to!” “…Huh?” “Please be my lover.” “Wh-why all of a sudden… Wh-what, what, what’s…” “I’ve analyzed this feeling many times. Wanting to hold you, wanting to touch you, wanting to be together until we die. Isn’t that what liking someone means? What do you think?” “…To-tou-touch me.” When they first became lovers. All those moments are still vivid. How can I break up? How can it end? It can’t. It just can’t end like this. “Le Wen…!!” He found her. Le Wen was getting on a carriage. Evan grabbed her wrist. “Where are you going…! What is all this about?!” Evan shook the breakup letter in front of Le Wen’s face. “Is this for real? Did you write this for real?” Le Wen rolled her eyes to the right and nodded. “…Yeah.”

Lewen pushed Evan’s hand away.

“It’s over, Evan.”