30

It's not that I've never killed a person before.

No. In fact, you could say I've killed quite a few.

When I was in Drax.

Those who would approach me with sexual intent in their eyes.

I used my abilities on them without mercy.

It would be a lie to say I felt nothing while killing them.

But each time, I would think to myself.

These people are criminals.

They tried to rape me.

They are people who deserve to die.

One by one, as more blood stained my hands,

I stopped hesitating to kill.

Maybe, subconsciously, I thought this was a world inside a novel and they were just puppets with strings.

I thought I had become so used to killing that any aversion to murder had completely disappeared.

But I was wrong.

"…Ah…"

In front of me lay a man who could die at any moment, and it wouldn't be surprising.

He had agreed to my sudden request for a sparring match.

From beginning to end, he had treated me with respect as his opponent.

I didn't want to believe that his injury was my fault.

But as if it were no dream,

The chilling sensation of piercing his chest still lingered vividly in my hand, making it impossible to deny reality.

Thud—

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the ground.

I felt like I was going to go insane.

I was terrified that he might actually die like this.

"A… a way…"

I tried to recall the contents of the novel, hoping there might be a solution.

But no matter how much I remembered the original work, there was no way to save this man now.

What do I do?

What should I do?

They said a healer is coming.

But can they really heal such a severe wound?

If it were a priest?

No. He'll die before we reach the church.

A potion?

Unless we have an elixir, it's useless.

I stared at him with trembling eyes.

The amount of blood he had already lost was far beyond the limit.

I knew in my head that it was too late.

But my heart refused to accept it.

As my mind sank further into darkness,

A hand of salvation reached out.

"What is this commotion?"

A familiar voice came from behind.

Until now, I had not wanted to see her, but at this moment, I needed her desperately.

Perhaps the only person here who could save this man.

I turned around and saw her.

She was approaching, surrounded by radiant golden mana.

"Hera… you…"

She stared at me with her eyes wide open.

Without hesitation, I ran to her, grabbed her robe, and pleaded desperately.

"A… Athena! Please… save him…"

But she seemed not to hear my plea. She had a look on her face as if she were angry about something.

"You… who did this?"

She placed her hand on my cheek and spoke in a low, calm voice.

"Wh-what?"

"This handprint. Which bastard did this?"

She did not glance even once at the dying man.

Her gaze was solely fixed on me.

"That's not what's important right now…!"

"This is the most important. Tell me. Who did it?"

I couldn't understand her.

How could a slap be a big deal when someone is dying?

In my urgency, I gripped her hand tightly and said,

"Please, Athena..! Please… It's urgent…"

She looked at me silently for a moment.

Then she let out a deep sigh and turned her eyes away from me, walking towards the man.

My heart pounded violently.

If even she couldn't resolve it, then there was no more hope.

Athena, who had approached the man,

Placed her hand on his body. Closing her eyes, she chanted something.

Then, in an instant, the bleeding from the man's body stopped.

"Master..! Can you save him?"

The head of the knights cautiously approached from behind Athena and asked.

"No, I can't save him."

Thud—

At her words, it felt as if his heart had dropped to the floor.

"Th-then…"

"I'm going to take him to the temple right now. He needs to be treated there."

"…! Thank you, Master…"

Athena glanced at the captain who expressed gratitude, then enveloped the fallen man with her mana.

"Ahh.."

"I have a warning."

The moment her words ended, an indescribable pressure spread around them.

Athena, with a fierce expression, pointed at me.

"Anyone who dares to harm that child again will face a pain worse than death, so be careful."

As the knights around were overwhelmed by her aura, writhing in discomfort,

She patted the shoulders of the kneeling knight commander and continued speaking.

"Then, I'll leave the cleanup to you?"

With that, Athena disappeared along with the man.

As she vanished, the ominous aura that had pressed down on everyone also disappeared in an instant.

What remained was

A chillingly silent stillness.

"Since it is the master's command, I will let it go this time, but I hope you never come to our knights again."

***

Creak—

A bed too large for just one person.

I sat on the bed, biting my nails.

Three hours had passed since she left.

My anxiety hadn't calmed down at all; instead, it was burning even more intensely.

'She'll be fine. There's also a saintess at the temple.'

A saintess who possesses the unique ability of healing magic.

She had an ability so strong that no healer could compare.

An ability that could cure almost any disease except death.

If it were her, she might be able to save him.

But still, I was anxious.

What if the saintess wasn't there?

Or what if she's too young and can't use her powers properly yet?

All sorts of negative thoughts gnawed at my mind.

As I bit my nails until I tasted blood in my mouth,

I heard someone knocking on the door.

"Hera. I'm back."

At her words, I jumped out of bed and opened the door.

When I swung the door open in a rush, I saw her smiling at me.

"Being greeted so warmly isn't bad."

"Th-that person… is he safe?"

But when she saw my face, she wore a somewhat mischievous expression.

"What do you think?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes!!"

When I shouted at her, she chuckled—

She pushed me back into the room, came in, and locked the door.

"He's safe. He's resting after receiving treatment at the temple."

"Oh, thank goodness…"

I felt so relieved.

"I'm really glad."

All the anxiety and uneasiness that had built up over time turned into relief.

When I stumbled due to the sudden shift in emotion, Athena wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me towards her.

Before I could say anything, she covered my lips with hers.

"Mm?!"

She kissed me so naturally.

Smooch-

The sound of our lips colliding fiercely filled the room.

"Mm… huh?!"

I was startled by her sudden kiss.

But with all the strength drained from my body, I couldn't refuse her and ended up accepting it.

Then, Athena grabbed my waist tightly with both hands and pulled me even closer.

Our chests pressed together so tightly that they were almost unrecognizable.

I could feel the sound of her heartbeat through our touching chests.

Normally, I would have pushed her away.

Was it because I felt grateful to Athena for healing him?

Wanting to give her something in return, I opened my mouth wider so she could move more comfortably.

At that, Athena widened her eyes for a moment before sliding her tongue into my mouth.

"Mm… mm…"

Lick-

Her tongue began to explore every corner of my mouth.

My teeth, gums, lips—all were getting wet with her saliva.

Her dizzying movement made my mind go hazy, and I felt as if I were walking in a dream.

How long did she indulge in me like that?

She gradually pulled her lips away from mine.

Then, as if refusing to let go, a sticky thread of saliva connected her lips to mine.

"Ha… ha… Athena…"

"Ha… this is driving me crazy."

She looked at me with a face as if she were holding back something.

Coming back to my senses, I took a cautious step back and spoke to her carefully.

"..Thank you…"

"Huh?"

"For healing him… thank you."

If that person had died, I would have been tormented by immense guilt.

But thanks to Athena, he could be saved.

When I expressed my gratitude to her, she looked at me with a devilish smile.

"Just with words?"

"Ugh… I gave you a kiss…"

"A kiss? We do that every day, don't we?"

The way she spoke as if kissing between girls was no big deal made me feel annoyed again.

"…Is there something you want?"

She nodded as if I had asked the right question.

Then, pointing at me with her finger, she said,

"Take it off."

***

An hour earlier.

The main temple of the Empire.

A girl with pure white hair, like freshly fallen snow, approached her.

"Lady Athena! The treatment is complete."

Athena smiled brightly and patted the girl's head.

"Thank you. Can I go see him?"

"Um… it would be better for him to rest for a while, but if it's Lady Athena, it should be fine. This way, please."

"Then I'll take my leave!"

After finishing her guidance, the girl quickly disappeared with light steps.

When Athena opened the door and entered, she found him lying on the bed.

He struggled to sit up, but unfortunately, his body wouldn't allow it, so all he could do was flail about.

"It's okay. You can relax."

"Thank you, my lord."

Dylan looked at Athena with a somewhat displeased expression.

"It will take at least three weeks for everything to heal completely. In the meantime, you can rest here."

"I'm here to make sure you're safe. It seems like you're alright."

Athena turned her gaze away from him and back toward the door.

"My lord, I have something to ask."

Dylan, who seemed to have something to say to Athena, stopped her as she was about to leave.

"What is it?"

Dylan was uneasy about that smile, the one that looked like an expressionless grin.

It was a look he had seen countless times before. But now, it felt strangely unsettling.

"Before… a hole was pierced through my chest. I saw it."

Despite the growing anxiety in his heart, he decided he had to know.

"This incident… is it something that the Lord has orchestrated?"

A brief moment of silence.

Before he knew it, the smile had vanished from Athena's face, leaving only a cold expression.

Dylan swallowed, gripped by a tension he couldn't quite understand.

Athena quietly approached him and spoke.

"It seems unlikely that you will be able to return to the knights."

"Why…!"

Before the man could finish his sentence, a sharp, golden mana shot up in front of his eyes.

"I'll spare your life. After all, you've been quite useful."

"But, from now on, I'd prefer it if you stayed away from Hera."

Athena threatened him, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

"For your safety and that of your wife."

"…It seems I have been serving the wrong master all this time."

"Pfft. When did I ever ask you to serve me?"

Athena shrugged as if completely unfazed by Dylan's words.

"You make assumptions, then disappoint yourselves. You people are always so selfish."

"…What do you intend to do with that woman?"

As if she didn't want to hear any more, Athena grabbed Dylan's neck with a firm grip.

"Ugh!"

"If you cross the line any further, I won't forgive you. Understand?"

If it were only his life at stake, he wouldn't care, but his wife's safety was also being threatened.

As Dylan nodded in resignation, Athena released her grip on his neck.

"You've worked hard all this time. I'll make sure your severance pay is more than enough for a lifetime."

With those final words, Athena left.

Dylan gripped the blanket tightly.

And so, only a silent stillness remained in the room.