The Cold Night Passes

Hecate.

She is one of the few within the Dawn’s Eyes who has received a name directly from the Main God-nim.

That is to say, she is a figure with her own standing and authority within the Dawn’s Eyes, and at the same time, it also means that she is a person endowed with considerable power.

‘I should find her even if it’s today.’

The most important task recently assigned to her is none other than planting a seed in the mana eye of a woman named Sylvia Eleanor.

However, things have gone wrong several times recently, and it hasn’t been accomplished, which has led to considerable dissatisfaction from above, constantly pressuring her.

Hecate also felt a sense of guilt for not yet completing the order she had received from the Main God-nim, so she decided to find Creed Eleanor even if it was today.

Fortunately, she heard the news that Sylvia Eleanor had just returned to the castle today, so she judged that there would be no major problems in carrying out the operation.

Peolleok.

Flapping her robe, she succeeded in infiltrating near the Kaintreche Castle, and she stared at the room on the top floor of the left side of the castle, where the lights were on in the distance.

That place is none other than the study that Creed Eleanor uses almost exclusively.

However, it’s just a place created because she needed a personal space to communicate with her, only in name is it a study.

And the fact that the lights in that room are on after midnight also means that Creed Eleanor is looking for her.

A secret signal that seems to appear only between men and women secretly having a rendezvous in a romance novel.

But in reality, it’s just a signal created by two villains to plot together, far from a sweet rendezvous, which is just a comedy.

‘She must have been waiting. Good.’

Anyway, Hecate thought it was a good thing for her, and she immediately cast a teleportation magic to Creed’s study.

Swish, with a sound, her figure seemed to disappear as if sucked in.

Kkigik.

“……!?”

Her body, which had been half sucked in, returned to its original position, and her eyes widened involuntarily.

What the hell is this phenomenon?

‘Did the teleportation fail? No, that can’t be.’

Of course, even teleporting over this distance requires such a high level of skill that an unskilled magician can’t even attempt it, but it’s not a very difficult task for her.

Moreover, in Creed Eleanor’s study, there was a fragment of a dimension stone that she had left behind to visit whenever she needed it.

Even that would be enough to be used as a catalyst to reliably succeed in teleporting over this distance.

But why?

It’s an incomprehensible thing unless someone noticed the moment she was about to cast teleportation and forcibly canceled it.

‘Could it be.’

When her thoughts reached that point, Hecate tried to get out of her seat due to a sudden sense of anxiety.

Her intuition, honed as a long-time member of the Dawn’s Eyes, stopped her.

But it was not easily achieved.

Swish!

“Keuk!”

She realized that she didn’t even have the slightest sign of pulling out her magic power from something flying out of the darkness, and desperately flew her body to avoid the attack.

It’s so dark at night that I can’t see it in detail, but even so, borrowing the power of the moonlight, I squinted my eyes and checked, and I saw blunt purple thorns stuck in the bushes.

It’s called a thorn, but if I had been pierced by that, I would have become a human skewer.

“Who the hell are you.”

Only then did Hecate push back the hood of her robe, which had been slightly obscuring her vision, and looked around to identify the identity of the other person.

However, it was difficult to identify the other person’s appearance, perhaps because they were hiding in the darkness.

In the end, thinking that there was no choice but to drag them out by force, Hecate immediately raised her magic power.

Kwagagag-!

As if to prove that she was not given the position of Revealer, which is just below the Apostle even in the Dawn’s Eyes for nothing.

Due to the aftermath of the magic power, the grass that had been piled up around her was cut down in an instant, revealing bare ground at some point.

And soon, a huge magic circle appeared above her head, and the black sphere that appeared from there gradually increased in size.

Pababak-!

Eventually, it turned into countless small spheres, like a large water droplet scattering into several pieces, and flew in all directions to find the enemy, who was nowhere to be found.

At that moment.

Hwiik.

“What…!”

Something appeared in front of Hecate’s eyes, which were full of darkness, at a distance so close that she could literally feel each other’s breath.

It wasn’t a frontal charge, it didn’t spring from the ground, and it didn’t even come from the side, aiming for a blind spot.

Literally, the man appeared in front of her eyes, which she had been staring at all along, as if he had been there from the beginning.

With his hand on the sword hilt stuck in his waist.

Seogeok-!

Literally a flash.

Before her head could even reach the thought that it was too late, the sword pulled from the opponent’s waist was drawn diagonally in an instant, tearing through the darkness while holding the black moonlight.

‘Was he a swordsman!’

She had been attacked with magic from the beginning, so she naturally assumed that he was a magician, so she felt like she had been hit hard.

Fortunately, the moment the opponent appeared, she reflexively distanced herself, so she was able to prevent the catastrophic disaster of her body being cut in half.

Even taking that into account, she quickly cast hemostasis and recovery magic for first aid with a painful face, as a huge wound was engraved on her body from her right shoulder to her left waist.

No, to be exact, she was about to.

If it hadn’t been for the opponent who had come to her eyes again at some point.

Chwaak-!

This time, the sword was drawn from bottom to top, and just like before, she tried to avoid the sword by stepping back with a reaction that was a step late.

But there was a difference from before.

The silver magic power clearly leaking through the sword made it difficult to grasp the gap between them, and another sword coated on the sword dropped her left arm as it was onto the ground.

Tuk.

‘Sword qi!’

Commonly referred to as Aura Blade.

She made an unbelievable expression at the fact that she had seen its divine power before her eyes.

There shouldn’t be that many swordsmen in the Dawn’s Eyes who can handle Aura Blade.

The shock of having one arm fall off was greater than the shock of the unknown man standing in front of her.

Who the hell is that bastard?

“Heok, heoeok…! What the hell, what are you?”

“…….”

She asked his identity as her consciousness began to blur due to a significant amount of bleeding, but the opponent slowly approached her in silence.

At that, Hecate, who sensed death, decided to use her last resort.

Peoeok-!

The man pulled out his fist instead of his sword, and brutally struck her abdomen as it was, causing her to lose consciousness.

Then, carrying her body on his shoulder like a bundle, he silently moved his steps as if returning the way he had come.

＊＊＊

That night, Creed was lost in thought alone in his study.

To be exact, he was just waiting for someone.

Using a small oil lamp as a light, he tapped the table with his index finger while being lost in thought, with the book just spread out for ornamental purposes, and a subtle footstep was heard in his ear.

He didn’t hear anyone coming in, so he turned his head, wondering if a rat had appeared from somewhere, and there, a figure wearing a black robe that he had encountered some time ago was shining dimly, using the oil lamp as a light.

“Have you been well, Creed Eleanor.”

“……!”

Creed swallowed a dry breath at the emotionless voice and quickly corrected his posture, which had been sitting crookedly.

He had sent a signal, but he was about to return to his bedroom, thinking that it was ruined because he hadn’t made a separate appointment to meet today.

“You came just in time. Thank you.”

“I just came because I heard that Sylvia Eleanor had arrived. More than that, what happened to her?”

“I was going to contact you about that.”

He bowed, groveling, and cheered inwardly.

Anyway, he had obtained the help of Kyle Lyaird, so he was planning to contact the Dawn’s Eyes and call a sorcerer right away.

But thanks to the fact that they knew in advance and came, he saved some trouble. How grateful I am.

“It seems that we will be able to carry out the operation tomorrow. I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

“Hmm….”

Looking at Creed, who was grinning and continuing to speak, the other person made a sound as if something was not to their liking.

“It seems difficult tomorrow. Let’s do it three days later.”

“Yes? Why? It’s definitely a tight schedule, competing for a day…”

And when he brought up the unexpected words, Creed rather asked the reason with a dumbfounded expression.

Why is he suddenly postponing the schedule, when he had been urging Sylvia to be brought as soon as possible until recently?

He couldn’t understand at all.

“Just as you have your circumstances, this side also has its circumstances. Anyway, know that, and keep that bitch tied up for three days.”

“Ah, I understand. I don’t think there will be any major problems.”

However, when her scolding continued, he immediately bowed and rubbed his hands like flies.

Since it’s an assignment that’s already been achieved, there’s no need to think about it urgently.

Seureureuk.

As the woman in the robe disappeared, leaving those words behind, Creed, who was a little bland, made a dissatisfied sound with his mouth, ‘Tsk,’ and walked around the room.

Knock knock.

At that time, a knock was heard, breaking the silence.

“W-who is it?”

– Honey, it’s me. Can I come in?

“Ah, it was you. Come in.”

He stuttered, opening his mouth with a feeling of guilt for no reason, and his wife’s low voice was heard from across the room.

When he gave permission, Marian, who carefully opened the door and appeared, spoke with a worried face.

“What’s going on? You’re not sleeping until this late…”

“What’s going on with you? You’re not in good health, you should get some sleep.”

“I was about to go to sleep, but I suddenly thought of you and came. Why, it’s our wedding anniversary in three days.”

“…….”

Creed felt like he was speechless at his wife’s words.

Even while setting the date for the operation three days later, he hadn’t even thought that it was his wedding anniversary.

Perhaps this fragmentary appearance shows that, for Creed Eleanor, the existence of his wife, whom he once wanted to save no matter what, is gradually fading and being swallowed by dark desires.

“How about it? Do you have time in three days? Since it’s a rare occasion, let’s leave the kids and go on a trip somewhere just the two of us…”

Creed frowned slightly at his wife’s appearance, who was speaking with a desperate expression, as if begging him to nod.

He had experienced his wedding anniversary several times so far, but every time, his wife had never asked him for anything special.

But why is she acting so fickle at such an important moment, making people’s minds confused?

Even in the midst of this, Creed felt displeasure rather than guilt towards his wife, and only retorted with a slight frown.

“I’m sorry, I have a busy day that day.”

“…Is that so. Then it can’t be helped.”

Despite his blatant remarks, Marian nodded, forcing a smile as if she wasn’t unpleasant at all.

However, Creed didn’t notice that one corner of her mouth was slightly twisted.

At the same time, she didn’t know that this was the last chance and lifeline she had given.

“Then I’ll go to bed first. Don’t overdo it too much, and go to sleep now.”

“Okay.”

Kkigik.

With that short conversation, the door to the study closed.

And even the door of the heart that a woman had kept open until the end.