Listening to my words, Acid murmured the same thing I had said several times.

‘I believe in you.’

His body trembled slightly, and sweat trickled down his forehead. From the looks of it, he had ground his teeth so hard that his front teeth seemed to be grinding against each other.

Nevertheless, Acid was overcoming the sinister force surrounding him.

With both hands clenched, I watched Acid endure the pain and the struggle to overcome the blue on his body.

Whenever he muttered to himself, the sentences entangled on his cheek slowly disappeared.

It might be because the one who could perfectly suppress him as the ‘sword’ was gone after the Pope’s death.

But, regardless, what was crucial was that Acid was making an effort to defy the prophecy with his own will.

I half-watched with wonder as the lines that had covered his face disappeared.

“Sienna, you know.”

“Hmm?”

“I… somehow promised to save your life.”

“…Hmm.”

Acid softly smiled and whispered.

“I will never kill the Mirmord, Sienna. I will try my best.”

Listening to Acid’s voice filled with sincerity, I felt a subtle wave of emotion in my chest.

The reasonless vibration was very subtle, and I alone felt like I was trapped in a distant sensation in this place.

But what was certain was that Acid’s response, pledging to make an effort for me, evoked something profoundly sentimental in my heart.

Slowly, little by little, I observed Acid, feeling the powerful beats of my racing heart.

But the issue was ‘how’ to change fate.

I narrowed my eyes and soon realized that the fragrance was still emanating from the altar where Acid had stayed.

The moment I saw that, I had an instinctive conviction.

“Dad, Acid!”

“Hmm?”

“Look, isn’t that the prophecy? It seems like the prophecy is burning!”

The Pope clearly mentioned that the prophecy was with Melodia.

But I didn’t entirely believe his words.

‘Considering the Pope’s skeptical and inferiority-complex-ridden personality, he wouldn’t entrust all prophecies to Melodia.’

So, I had been silently speculating that pieces of the prophecy would undoubtedly be around the Pope’s possession or in the sanctuary where he stayed.

‘So, I’ve been keeping an eye on the surroundings… and it seems like it was here all along!’

Near the altar, I noticed yellowed pieces of paper scattered around for burning incense. After Dad briskly put out the incense, he picked up a piece of paper.

Contrary to my words, pieces of the prophecy were scattered all around the altar.

“Indeed, there was the prophecy.”

I quickly skimmed through the contents of the prophecy.
But I couldn’t see exactly what characters they were.

As Sienna looked at Acid’s frustrated eyes, unable to see the details of the prophecy, Acid recalled the promise he had made with Sienna.

“Acid, do you know?”

“…Yes?”

“The nonsense about the prophecy being in the underground of the temple.”

“Ah…”

“It’s information that came to the Dark Information Guild, and there’s a story that the Pope is acting strangely because of that prophecy. If I infiltrate the central temple, I’ll get more information about the prophecy.”

“Yes, understood.”

Although a strange unease arose at the mention of the prophecy, for Sienna’s sake, it didn’t matter what the prophecy was. If it was her command, Acid would do anything.

“…Moreover, this time Sienna has entrusted me with a task.”

Not as a captain, not Ted, not Leonhardt, not even the academy’s greenhorns, but she had given him a mission.

Whatever it was, Acid wanted to do it properly.

However…

In the end, he couldn’t completely save Sienna.

Watching Sienna, who was diligently examining the prophecy, Acid clenched his fists.

There were bruises on Sienna’s neck now.

Matthias Mirmord’s excessive anger and perhaps his displeasure with the handprint on Sienna’s cheek might be the cause.

“How dare… to Sienna…”

Although he stood against the Pope, he only diverted attention. In the end, it was Matthias Mirmord who saved Sienna.

He was weak, and Matthias was strong.

Naturally, he could save Sienna, as if to say, he thrust the Pope and Axel into a dilemma.

Acid didn’t pay much attention to other events that occurred during the process.

In his eyes, there was only Sienna.

“Acid, can you see the prophecy?”

“….”

“Acid?”

“…Yes, I’ll check it once.”

Acid looked down at the prophecy.

Unlike Sienna, who couldn’t interpret the prophecy properly due to the lack of divine power, Acid could read the content of the prophecy clearly.

Perhaps, as the Pope said, it was because he was designated as the ‘sword’ to kill the Mirmord.

As he expected, Matthias, who had been silently watching them, added.

“You might be able to read it.”

“…Yes.”

At that moment, Acid could see Sienna looking at him with hopeful eyes.

While watching Sienna hand over the prophecy after scrutinizing it, he recalled all the kindness she had shown him.

His savior, who had patted his shoulders with her fern-like hands when he was five, had grown into a robust fifteen-year-old. And he, who was once a foolish child, had also grown into a young man with a rugged demeanor.

No, to be precise, he had grown into a young man who wanted to protect Sienna more than anyone else.

In his early years, he thought he followed her well because he had saved her life.

But…

Even if he didn’t know, others did.

A conversation he had with the captain some time ago flashed through his mind.

“Your eyes looking at Sienna are definitely different from ours. More… affectionate.”

“Well…”

“Whatever you think, that’s not it.”

He chewed on his lips.

His way of looking at Sienna was different from how others saw her.

Even he realized that just now.

When Sienna glanced at another man and when she was being messed up by the Pope, he acknowledged his feelings.

For Sienna, even if he had to dedicate his life, he wanted to give his all as her loyal servant.

And…

Acid silently looked at Sienna.

Since this little girl fluttered into his heart like a bird, he had loved her. Sometimes, when Sienna reached out to others, his fingernails twitched as if to reflect his anxious heart.
He had always thought that he had no right to be jealous, and that thought remained unchanged. How could he dare to feel jealousy towards Sienna?

But when Sienna was kidnapped, Acid could fully realize his own feelings.

“I… towards Sienna…”

When he saw Sienna’s cheeks reddened from being kidnapped, and she forced herself to smile as if telling him she was okay…

Acid even found his own given ability as a ‘healer’ to be hateful.

Because he wanted to kill everyone.

And as far as he knew, there was only one thing that triggered such intense emotions.

“…I love Sienna. Dare. With all my heart.”

It was thanks to her grace that he, originally a subject turned into a beast, dared to acknowledge his feelings.

However, Acid did not expect Sienna to understand his emotions. He simply wished for Sienna’s happiness.

He took a deep breath in silence, organizing his thoughts, then looked at Sienna.

“I can read the content of this prophecy. According to it, I have to leave.”