episode_0105

“Mmm… I told you to stop…”

Cecilia gently stroked Eric’s head as he muttered softly in his sleep.

“Are you asleep?”

No answer came. She already knew the answer, but she couldn’t help asking—she wouldn’t be at ease otherwise. Even if he brushed her off or stayed silent, the man she knew as Eric would never lie to her.

Eric’s face, even in sleep, was contorted as though forcing himself to forget his torment.

Cecilia could only guess—even in slumber, the curse of prophecy continued to gnaw at him. The expression he wore now was no different from when he was awake.

“Ah…”

The hand caressing Eric tensed slightly.

“I’m sorry, Eric. I hate seeing you like this… I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer any longer, so I kept…”

She swallowed down the words “fighting for you.” Nothing she had done thus far could truly be called a fight, no matter how kindly she framed it.

“Ha.”

In the end, she was once again at this point. Boldly declaring that this time she’d change, that she’d save everyone—only to fail even the one she held most dear.

What good was being a Saintess? What use was a Hero’s party? The current Cecilia was powerless, unable to properly care for even one person.

Trapped in this stifling situation, unable to call for help, forced to wait passively for rescue—bit by bit, it was wearing away at her spirit. Slow, but certain.

She could easily guess what Eric had wanted to say to her.

“Don’t worry, Eric. No matter how exhausted I become, I will protect you—no matter what.”

The one who should have heard this resolve was asleep on Cecilia’s lap. But that alone was enough for her. If she had spoken these words aloud, she might have died of embarrassment.

And so, she silently mouthed her vow, watching over him.

—

“Wake up, Eric.”

“Mmm… mmmmm…”

“I get not wanting to wake up, but you must. It’s urgent.”

“Fine… just a little longer…”

“Rescue might be coming soon.”

“What?”

My blurred vision sharpened in an instant, and I jerked upright from Cecilia’s lap.

“Eek?!”

“For real?”

“Yes. I can’t be completely sure, but the mana in this area is fluctuating strangely.”

“Fluctuating mana? Rescue’s coming?”

“It could just be a coincidence… but yes, it’s still far more hopeful than nothing happening at all.”

“There’s a saying—no, a line from a novel I liked—that fits this situation perfectly.”

“What line?”

“Expect betrayal.”

“Huh?”

“Assume the worst when something happens. That way, you won’t be disappointed.”

“That’s just sophistry. An excuse for someone who’s given up on effort or willpower.”

“Well, yeah—if you put it that way, I can’t exactly deny it. But believe it or not, that mindset’s saved my hide more than once.”

Even as I said it, I was honestly a bit too excited myself. I was deliberately saying something demoralizing to keep my own emotions in check. If I got swept up in the hype and something went wrong, it’d be an outright tragedy.

“Which direction is the fluctuation coming from?”

“From above, to the right… fairly close. At most, they’ll reach us in thirty minutes. Once they do, we can signal them.”

“And if it’s not rescue?”

“If not… the only other possibility is that Pairchild is still active, but the odds of that are extremely low. Barring that, maybe a sacred relic activating and going berserk.”

“Which means our only option is to sit tight.”

“…….Am I being a burden?”

I waved off her hesitant question.

“Not what I meant. I’m just saying, if nothing comes of this after everything, I’d be crushed. I’m barely holding it together as is.”

“Same here. Which is why I’m making such a fuss over this tiny shred of hope. My methods differ from Luan’s, but I’m pushing myself just as hard.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

If I was resigning myself by letting go of hope, Cecilia was resigning herself by pouring everything into the faintest chance. A more optimistic approach than mine—but if that hope turned to despair, the fall would be all the harder.

Minutes passed. Cecilia, eyes closed, focused silently—until her expression darkened abruptly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Eric. Do you have any mana left? Even just a little—it doesn’t matter.”

“Mana? Uhh…”

Though I was already half-depleted, thankfully, the flow of mana through my body—while faint—was still intact.

“Nothing’s cut off. I could reinforce or repair circuits if needed. But why do you ask?”

“Give me that mana.”

Cecilia staggered to her feet, spreading her arms wide.

“There’s… a chance my power alone won’t be enough.”

With those ominous words, a faint vibration reached my ears. Barely audible, easily missed—yet I recognized it instantly.

“Haa… when it rains, it pours, huh?”

Cecilia didn’t answer. Staggering forward, I placed my hands on her back and channeled my mana into her.

“Gh—Khh!”

As my mana was drained, violent weakness threatened to knock me over, but I barely held on.

Normally, my mana was expendable—more trouble than it was worth. But in extreme situations like this, it was another lifeline.

Still, neither Cecilia—desperately reinforcing her barrier—nor I had any other choice.

“How bad will it be? Can we block it?”

“I don’t know. The relic’s explosion will be powerful, but its core is divine energy. Since ours is the same, we can absorb—”

“Which also means we could get swept up in that blast.”

“Even so, I won’t let you die here! I’ll stop this explosion—even if it costs my life. And maybe the noise will guide rescuers to us. So don’t give up!”

Her trembling voice was desperate. Her hands moved frantically, casting with everything she had.

Damn. Haven’t seen her weave spells this fast since fighting the Demon Army.

“Eric, you have to survive. Tell everyone—”

“No. You escape. Not me.”

“Huh?”

“In my room, second shelf of the bookcase, fifth book from the left. Behind it, a small hidden panel. Everything you need is there.”

Startled by my sudden confession, Cecilia finally turned her head.

“What are you even saying at a time like this?!”

“Cut the act. Let me repeat—my room, the bookcase—”

“Stop it!”

Cecilia shrieked, shoving me away.

“Wah—!”

Thud—!

Sent sprawling, I landed on my rear. Not that it hurt—both of us were too weak from hunger and thirst for it to matter.

“S-Sorry, Eric! A-Are you hurt? Should I heal—no, wait, I need to strengthen the barrier—!”

“Cecilia.”

“Don’t say it, please… I don’t want to hear it. I-I’ll try harder. We’ll both make it out.”

“Cecilia, I’m not joking.”

“Y-You lied just now! There’s no way I’d sacrifice myself for you! Not when my death would cripple the Hero’s party! No one else can fulfill the Saintess’s role better than me! I won’t die here! S-So—”

“Behind the hidden panel—that’s where I’ve documented every prophecy I’ve ever seen. My room, the bookcase. Inside the hollow behind Hero’s Legacy. Ordinary people wouldn’t perceive anything there. Only the four of you—those who know I’m the Prophet—can see it.”

“I said stop!”

“After blocking this blast, if we’re together, we won’t last two days. But with this much divine energy, you could escape alone. Hell, if you hadn’t wasted energy shielding me, you’d be long gone by now.”

Tap tap—

The thick wall of sacred energy rippled softly under my knocks.

“…Uh… ah…”

Cecilia’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly.

“You didn’t think I’d notice? How many visions do you think I’ve seen of you all fighting?”

From the very beginning, she had been deceiving me—no, deceiving herself.