Chapter 32: This Night (Part 1)

"Just one night, you old bastard. Are you trying to work me to death?" Asa muttered to himself, gazing up at the star-filled sky and the crescent moon, sharp as a scythe.

The capital city rarely had such clear skies. The stars looked like someone had crushed massive gemstones and scattered the fragments across the heavens, while the crescent moon hung serenely, as if trying to latch onto something just beyond reach.

Though the capital was bustling and noisy, the Magic Academy remained quiet, and the rooftop of the grand cathedral even more so. With a half-empty flask of wine beside him, Asa sat alone, surrounded by the vast expanse of stars and moonlight. It was tranquil, unhurried.

The agreement with Theodorus was finally fulfilled. Freedom at last. It had been so long since he felt this kind of peace—how long? A year? Two? Yet this leisure seemed fleeting, destined to last for just one night.

What gave him relief was knowing Sandru had returned safely from Dehya Valley, and neither Commander Roland nor Elaine pressed further about the true nature of the artifact hidden in the dungeon. Asa had no intention of bringing it up either. Thankfully, that chapter seemed to be behind them. However, since returning, Sandru had been acting strangely, saying little about what had happened. Instead, he busied himself preparing for Asa to depart the following day.

"Kid, I know it's unfair to dump all of this on you, but this is as far as I can take you. I don't even know if you're helping me or I'm helping you. Either way… good luck." Sandru had looked at him with an expression Asa couldn't decipher, leaving behind those cryptic words.

Perhaps luck was exactly what he needed. If everything went smoothly and he managed to secure the artifact in its designated location, maybe this whole mess would finally come to an end. But how long would that road be? How far would it stretch?

He didn't know.

It didn't matter how long or far it was. He would keep moving forward, one step at a time—not out of resignation, but because he understood what needed to be done.

Death, farewells, the weight of responsibility, loneliness, loss—these things could be terrifying, compelling people to run. But once faced, they gave a sense of solid ground beneath one's feet, a self-assured clarity to walk the chosen path, even if it came with a solitary kind of freedom.

Was this peace truly just for one night? The faint buzz of intoxication blurred his thoughts. Atop the hundred-meter-high cathedral, there was nothing but himself and the boundless night sky. The gentle night breeze brushed against him, and in that moment, it felt as though he was the sky, the stars themselves were his body, singing above.

There was joy.

And there was loneliness.

Even on the eve of his departure, he didn't seek anyone's company. Instead, he climbed to this secluded spot to drink beneath the stars. Maybe it was because the burdens and emotions he carried couldn't be shared, or maybe he had grown used to solitude without realizing it.

Unconsciously, his hand brushed against the small urn tied to his waist—a keepsake of someone who had been his greatest comfort during these turbulent times. Yet, despite the warmth they had shared, they barely knew each other's pasts. Their connection had been nothing more than two souls walking the same road, leaning on each other for solace. And ultimately, she had died because of him.

Elaine. The hope that had once filled his heart now seemed like nothing but an illusion, a fleeting dream. She carried too many responsibilities now, and their paths had diverged, growing ever distant.

All things end eventually… Or perhaps, humans are solitary creatures from the very beginning.

Asa leaned back and took a deep swig of the fiery, throat-burning liquor. The searing sensation coursed through him like a blaze, leaving behind a raw, unrestrained satisfaction.

Footsteps echoed behind him. Someone else had climbed to the rooftop. Asa turned, seeing a tall figure approaching through the moonlight and starlight, golden hair dancing in the breeze.

"You dare sit atop the sacred cathedral and drink?" Talice glared at him as she drew closer. "You've made me search high and low for you."

"What do you want with me?" Asa shot her a sidelong glance. Truth be told, he had nearly forgotten about her. Throughout the entire ordeal, the temple knight had been almost entirely irrelevant. First, she'd been captured by Jarvis at the start, and after her release, she failed to stop him. She'd spent the rest of the time futilely waiting at the Magic Academy until the dust settled. He'd heard she even revealed her knightly identity and nearly came to blows with the high priest in a heated argument. In the end, it was Commander Roland who stepped in to prevent her from being thrown back into the dungeon.

As a result, Talice knew next to nothing about the events that had unfolded. She didn't know how Cardinal Jarvis was captured or how everything was resolved. Over the past two days, Asa had deliberately ignored her, leaving her to clash with the high priests, who themselves knew little.

Talice stopped beside him, looking down at him as she fired off her questions in one breath: "Tell me what's going on. What was Cardinal Jarvis after? What did you do to him? And what was that powerful dark magic I sensed coming from the palace?"

Asa didn't answer. He lazily patted the spot beside him and said, "Don't just stand there; sit down."

"Don't try to get chummy with me. I'm asking you—"

"You're blocking my view of the moon."

"…You…"

Talice glared at him, but eventually, she reluctantly sat down beside him. Still, she pressed on: "The high priests at the Magic Academy are all senile, stubborn old fools! When I asked about Cardinal Jarvis, they claimed ignorance and stubbornly blamed everything on His Holiness the Pope. Jarvis even accused me of being some accomplice sent by the Pope! I almost ran him through with my sword… Tell me what's going on!"

"What's going on…" Asa repeated under his breath, letting out a wry, muddled laugh. "Hell if I know…"

"You—then tell me everything, step by step! What was in this cathedral that made Jarvis seal it off so many times? Yesterday, even the Holy Knight Order locked it down! There must be something here."

Instead of answering, Asa raised the flask to his lips and drained the last of his wine. Seeing Talice about to explode, he finally muttered, "You're better off not knowing."

"You—"

"You should return to Celeste. You don't owe me any favors anymore. Consider yourself lucky." Asa chuckled bitterly, setting down the empty flask. "I'm learning that sometimes, ignorance really is bliss…"

"I have to know." Talice's voice was sharp and unyielding, as though her determination could cut through steel.

"Then stay here and figure it out yourself. I'm leaving tomorrow. But let me give you some advice: don't dig too deep, and don't push your luck. The ones who turned a cardinal into a crippled idiot and sent him back to Celeste wouldn't hesitate to do the same to a temple knight."

"You—" Talice hesitated, anger flashing across her face, but Asa's words hit too close to the truth. Finally, she looked at him again and asked, "Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"I'm coming with you."

"What?"

"I said, I'm coming with you." Talice glared at him, her tone unwavering and firm, as though her words were a blade meant to sever any argument. "I can sense that what you're going to do is tied to everything that happened here. If I can't find answers here, I'll follow you until I figure out the truth myself."

"You're going to follow me?" Asa stared at her, stunned.

The temple knight nodded resolutely, her voice carrying a vow: "Yes, I'll follow you. And don't think you can escape. My teacher taught me tracking magic—if I can find a rabbit in the wilderness, I can find you."

Asa laughed.

It was a soft, warm, heartfelt laugh. He felt as though he had never laughed like this before, as if his face itself blossomed into a gentle, radiant flower.

Even though he knew her words didn't mean what they seemed to, in that moment—half-drunk, half-dreaming, wrapped in the solitude of a world that felt empty—hearing someone speak to him with such sincerity and resolve filled him with a deep, comforting warmth.

"What… what are you laughing at like that?" Talice's tone softened, confusion and hesitation replacing her earlier sharpness. Though she had never seen anyone smile at her like this, she could vaguely sense the unspoken emotions within it. Some feelings don't require experience or learning—especially those born from the natural bond between people.