“Uh, actually, I have this…….”

The moment I tried to speak difficultly.

“I knew.”

“Yes?”

“Because of your difficult personality. I thought it would be in your hands.”

I couldn’t understand it at first, but Keychef interrupted with a stern tone, and I couldn’t ask what he meant.

I handed the Aqua Marine to him without saying anything.

“I’ll return it to you.”

“You don’t have to, but thank you. Honestly, it was a precious item to me.”

My heart ached. It had been a long time since I stole something and felt guilty.

“That’s why they say you shouldn’t touch good people’s things.”

In this case, there was no choice.
Uranus, who cherished the Aqua Marine around his neck, suddenly grabbed my hand as he was about to leave hastily. Startled, I looked at him, and he lowered his voice to whisper.

“Remember, wherever you go.”

“……. ”

“You are the true Marta.”

As I widened my eyes, he released my hand refreshingly and took a step back.

“Go safely.”

“……. ”

“Send regards to Tyrene.”

My hair stood on end.

“No way…”

Could Uranus see Tyrene? And was he pretending not to know?

I wanted to ask more, but Giovanni grabbed my waist and held me in his arms.

“Just a moment!”

“There’s no time.”

In his arms, moving as fast as his words, I watched Uranus getting farther away until he couldn’t be seen anymore.

He stood blankly, waving at me until he couldn’t see me anymore.

Thanks to Uranus’s help, we were able to leave the outcast village safely. We didn’t avoid encountering kingdom soldiers, but there was no major disturbance, thanks to Giovanni and Keychef handling them as soon as we met.

Jenny, who saw someone die in front of her, had a face as if she would vomit, but she managed to hold back her nausea. Indeed, even if the face is indifferent, it has its own resilience.

“It’s soon the desert.”

Running while carrying Jenny, Keychef shouted. Even without him saying, the rapidly drying hot air indicated that the desert was not far away.

A completely different air from the refreshing and fresh air of the kingdom, a strange air clashed against the skin.

‘The exile was terrible.’

Living in the desert was never easy. Of course, it was also because there was a shortage of water and food.

‘Can I come back here?’

A vast and green land rose in my mind. Grass up to my knees swaying in the wind, under the clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds, a land where blue wolves roamed freely. It was the scenery I thought of when I first recited the Eloquence. Now, looking at Liorosa getting farther away in Giovanni’s arms, who was running fast like an animal with four legs, I felt a strange feeling of embarrassment at leaving this land after thinking that there was no regret in the kingdom. It was such a beautiful place.

‘Someday, if there’s a chance.’

The sand began to scatter. It was time to leave the kingdom. It was just before entering the desert.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

I unconsciously spoke. Then Giovanni glanced at me briefly. It was a gaze that seemed to ask what I said.

“No, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head and looked ahead.

Did I hear it wrong? Why do I keep hearing hallucinations these days?

“I said don’t go!”

My face hardened.

‘This isn’t a hallucination.’

It’s the voice of the spirit. It was faint, but much clearer than the hallucinations I heard before.

‘Where is it coming from?’

“Is there a problem?”
We were right about to enter the desert.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

I unconsciously voiced, and Giovanni glanced at me briefly. It was a gaze asking what I had said. It seemed like he thought I was addressing him.

“No, it’s nothing.”

I shook my head and looked ahead.

Did I hear it wrong? Why do I keep hearing hallucinations these days?

“I told you not to go!”

My face stiffened.

‘It’s not a hallucination.’

This is the voice of the spirit. It was faint, but much clearer than the hallucinations I heard before.

‘Where is it coming from?’

“Is there a problem?”

Giovanni glanced briefly behind when I looked around.

“No, it’s not a big problem…”

When I was still trying to respond while looking back at the kingdom, a blue light rose in the distant sky. It was in the direction of the capital.

It was a light I had seen before. At that time, I didn’t know, but it was a spirit entity that was attached to the deceased priest.

‘Did the priest die?’

At that moment, a new light rose closer.

Two.

‘…No, three?’

I absentmindedly counted the lights and widened my eyes. More light was shooting up into the sky.

Giovanni grabbed my waist as I stood there with my mouth open.

“What are you looking at?”

I couldn’t respond to him.

The light that shot up into the sky as if piercing through the heavens was now coming toward me. It left a trace like an arrow with a blue tail.

I unknowingly tightened my grip on Giovanni’s shoulder, feeling a creepy sensation.

Interpreting that as a signal, Giovanni hugged me tightly and accelerated.

After that, the blue lights chased after us.

“Don’t go.”

The light at the forefront seemed to be whispering.

Other lights followed closely behind.

“Don’t abandon us.”

The voice that I mistakenly thought was a hallucination was the voice of the spirit entity.

‘How on earth?’

Did the priests all die at once?

‘Surely not…’

I stared at the hand on Giovanni’s shoulder. My fingertips were glowing blue, as if connected to that light.

“When your power reaches a certain level, you can summon spirits without necessarily making contact with them.”

Tyrene’s words flashed in my mind.

‘But I never intended to summon them?’

“Don’t go!”

As Giovanni’s speed increased, one of the lights among them screamed, chasing after me. Somehow, it looked desperately urgent, even though it didn’t have a definite form. Despite not having a distinct shape, the screaming face seemed to be etched in my eyes.

At that moment, I noticed that the light at the very end was becoming faint.

‘Is it disappearing?’

It was the sealed spirit entity. No matter how drawn it is to my power, it would be difficult for it to endure for a long time without a body.

‘No.’

Unconsciously, I reached out my hand towards the light.