Chapter 151: Return (3)

Pakkin!

Unlike Merilda, who shattered with a cracking sound, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness's mind was swirling with complex emotions.

That was because, while she was very pleased with the news that Kim Hyunwoo had summoned her, she had no idea what would be discussed.

...Of course, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness had certain expectations.

It would be a lie to say there were none.

After all, Rin had just witnessed the Hero King being accepted by Kim Hyunwoo right in front of her eyes.

So, while there were definitely expectations, Rin also felt a bit scared about meeting Kim Hyunwoo.

After all, just a few weeks ago, Rin had been coldly rejected by him.

Of course, she now knew that it was due to external factors like the prohibition, but that didn't mean the impact from that time was completely gone, so she spoke to Sasha with eyes that held a mix of joy, confusion, slight fear, and hope.

"Tell him we can go right now, immediately!"

[Ah, um...I've already mentioned that the Absolute Ruler of Darkness is in the Calan Kingdom... Shall I say that we're nearby and can head there immediately?]

"Y-yes, do that-! Ah, no, wait... Is that not right...?"

Seeing Rin speak so hastily that she bit her tongue and then become confused, Loriel let out a light sigh and spoke.

"Master, how about we say we're coincidentally nearby but wait a day before proceeding?"

"Yes, let's do that."

At Loriel's words, Rin, who had been thinking with a confused mind, nodded.

"Then first-"

Seeing her, Loriel thought for a moment and began to devise a scenario that would seem natural at the present moment.

Around that time.

"He... Hehe... Huh..."

"......"

"He... Hehe..."

"......"

Giral looked sorrowfully at his Boss, who had shattered pitifully before he could do anything.

With teary eyes and a forlorn expression, Merilda, who was staring at the Lord's castle, looked exactly like a puppy that had been abandoned by its master.

But there wasn't much Giral could do for her right now, so he began to speak, trying to take care of the broken-hearted Merilda.

"...Boss, it might be best to pull yourself together and think calmly for now."

"He... Hehe... Hrk..."

Of course, even if Giral spoke in care of her, Merilda's shattered heart would not heal...

And at that moment.

Adria, who had earlier confirmed the Hero King entering the Lord's castle with Merilda and Rin, and also verified her being accepted as a hero of Lartania's territory, remained silent.

More precisely.

[I-I want to go-]

[No, you can't, Dragon Lord, you still have a few months left.]

[I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go-]

"......"

Internally, she was desperately trying to calm down the Crimson Dragon.

"Dragon Lord, didn't you say just watching from a distance was fine last time...!?"

Adria's words.

[I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go I want to go-]

But it seemed the Crimson Dragon wasn't listening to her anymore, and she let out a deep sigh.

And while Loriel, Giral, and Adria were busy taking care of their superiors.

On the eastern side of the Continent, in the Eastern Clan Alliance-

"Is everything ready?"

"Everything is finished."

"Is that so?"

-Durandor, hearing his secretary's report, smiled as he got up from his seat and moved towards the terrace.

As he moved toward the terrace, the scenery below was so mystical that anyone who believed in the divine would naturally be awestruck.

For right outside the terrace where Durandor was looking, there were angels filling the sky.

More precisely, an army of angels was stationed in Durandor's territory.

With holy wings on their backs, the angels scattered sacred light, as if to prove to the world that they had been chosen by the divine.

"......"

Durandor, watching them, soon spoke with a slight smile.

"What about the army, excluding the angels?"

"They are also ready. As soon as you give the order, they will move out."

The secretary spoke while bowing his head.

Nodding in satisfaction at his secretary's response, Durandor turned his gaze back to the terrace, watching the angels flying in the sky.

"Then, let's move out immediately."

He said those words with a faint smile.

"All of this is solely for one being-"

He quietly muttered those words.

And the next day.

The angels began to fly towards the Lartania domain.

"Whew-"

Rin looked at the Lord's castle with a tense expression.

She had entered the Lord's castle quite a few times before, but she had never been formally (?) invited like this, so she was extremely nervous, repeatedly taking deep breaths to steel her resolve.

After about 30 minutes of strangely circling near the Lord's castle, trying to muster up her resolve, she finally stepped inside with a determined look.

"You've arrived?"

"Ah, um... Yes, I happened to be nearby..."

The moment she met Kim Hyunwoo, Rin bit her tongue, and immediately ran to the terrace, seriously contemplating whether she should just die.

"First, have a seat."

But Kim Hyunwoo, as if to show consideration, didn't mention anything about her biting her tongue and naturally offered her a seat.

"Ah, yes, I'll sit."

Grateful for Kim Hyunwoo's consideration, Rin sat down.

"......"

Once seated, neither of them spoke.

Rin was constantly gauging Kim Hyunwoo's reactions, memorizing the manual she had prepared with Loriel on how to respond to anything he might say.

Kim Hyunwoo, on the other hand, seemed to be deeply contemplating something, repeatedly humming as he thought.

And, in that situation, the first to speak was.

"Hmm hmm-"

It was Kim Hyunwoo.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, as if he were about to say something difficult, and looked at Rin as he spoke.

"Actually, before we get into the reason I called you today, there's something else I wanted to talk about. I've been thinking about it for a while, and I think it's better to discuss it first."

"What, what is it?"

Seeing Rin's slightly tense expression, Kim Hyunwoo made a subtle sound, then cleared his throat as if to compose himself.

"Well, remember that time? When you came to see me at night."

"...!"

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness froze the moment those words came out of Kim Hyunwoo's mouth.

It was understandable, as that night had been a traumatic experience for Rin.

"Th-that..."

Of course, she had prepared some half-baked excuses with Loriel just in case this came up, but when she tried to voice them, she felt her breath catch, and her mind went blank.

However.

"...The reason that didn't happen that night was really because of the prohibition, so please don't misunderstand."

At Kim Hyunwoo's following words, Rin momentarily had a blank expression.

"I figured it might bother you, so I wanted to say that."

Even before the prohibition was lifted, Kim Hyunwoo had known why Rin had come to him that night and had an idea of why she had run (?) away at the end.

And because he was fully aware that the situation could have been traumatic for her, he wanted to address that part properly before getting into the main topic.

So, even though this conversation might seem a bit random and embarrassing, he had brought it up.

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness, who had been listening to those words.

"Th-then, could I perhaps-"

"Perhaps...?"

"Could I...confirm it?"

She unconsciously blurted out those words.

"Confirm...?"

Seeing Kim Hyunwoo's bewildered expression, Rin realized she had made yet another absurd mistake.

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness tried to open her mouth to quickly take back what she had said.

"......"

But she soon shut her mouth tightly.

She knew very well that it was absurd to say she wanted to confirm it.

But, funnily enough, even though she knew it was absurd, she really wanted to confirm it.

That night, Rin had indeed experienced no physical reactions (?) and had suffered a significant trauma while looking at Kim Hyunwoo.

Therefore.

"If...if it's okay...I would like... to confirm it..."

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness, blushing, turned her head slightly and spoke, while Kim Hyunwoo made a very awkward expression.

"If...you want to..."

Eventually, he muttered as if he couldn't help it, with an extremely troubled look.