The Savior Who Bites My Neck - Chapter 30

“No, Sinclair!”

Elaina’s sharp scream filled the temple.

Confusion and fear, terror and worry. Various emotions reflected in Elaina’s blue eyes, as Sinclair’s face with bitten lips appeared above them.

Why…….

Why go this far……?

Elaina’s face, splattered with Sinclair’s blood, turned pale.

And she saw the hard, sharp lion’s fangs piercing through Sinclair’s shoulder. As well as his expression contorted in pain.

“The lion! Kill the lion! What are you all doing!”

Eric Connor’s voice shouting in a frenzied state. Lady Legers, Judith and Anna’s screams. The hurried footsteps of Schuler, knights and soldiers rushing over…….

All of those sounds seemed to be moving very slowly, as if in a dream.

“Get away…….”

And Sinclair spoke with a groan.

“It’s dangerous…… hurry…….”

But was there any guarantee that the lion wouldn’t tear through Sinclair’s neck before Schuler, the knights and soldiers arrived? When it had already done this to his shoulder in an instant?

Wouldn’t it rather become more startled and violent in confusion? What would happen to Sinclair then?

……What can I do right now?

Elaina’s black eyes, which had been shaking violently, suddenly turned towards the altar.

“El…….”

Sinclair couldn’t even finish saying her name. Because Elaina, gritting her teeth, dared to run past the lion’s side, limping.

Elaina grasped the sacred sword placed on the altar with all her might.

“Ugh……!”

However, the weight of the sacred sword was not something Elaina could easily lift. But this was not a situation where she could back down either. Especially not at this moment when the lion was distracted by those suddenly rushing towards it.

Blue veins showed through on the back of Elaina’s white hands, completely out of place.

She squeezed out every last bit of strength and lifted the sacred sword with both hands that were trembling, unable to overcome its weight.

Then she thrust it straight into the lion’s neck, but…….

Unfortunately, Elaina’s fragile strength had little effect.

The sacred sword barely pierced the lion’s skin before falling to the floor with a clang.

And that’s when the angered lion finally abandoned Sinclair and turned to look at Elaina.

“…….”

As large as a mountain. The lion, several times Elaina’s size, approached her threateningly with thunderous footsteps. As if to say, how dare someone like you do such a petty thing to me.

Thus, a large shadow fell over Elaina’s face.

At the same time, the lion lunged at her with its jaws wide open.

Elaina simply closed her eyes.

But no matter how long she waited, she felt no pain at all.

Instead, only agonized screams could be heard.

Very loudly, as if it would tear her ears.

Elaina’s tightly shut eyes reflexively opened.

Then, she saw a familiar back blocking her front.

It was Sinclair, using one hand to shield Elaina while the other firmly gripped the sacred sword, piercing straight through the lion’s palate.

“Stay…….”

And Sinclair spoke in a strained voice.

“Stay still…… behind me. Stay still…….”

Sinclair’s hand, with veins bulging, thrust the sacred sword even deeper. At the same time, Schuler and the knights and soldiers rushed in.

That was the end. The limp lion collapsed to the floor with a huge thud that shook the entire temple, and it no longer rose or moved.

“Si, Sinclair…….”

Looking at Sinclair who was still dripping blood, Elaina stuttered briefly. Schuler and Eric Connor, who had rushed over at some point, were the same.

The emperor looked at them with an expressionless face, while Hister stared at Sinclair with a subtly pleased expression.

Including Chase and the other royal bloodlines and nobles, nobody could say a word, frozen in place as they stared at the scene before the altar.

……Edenbell’s symbol of purity, the pure white clothes, had already served their purpose. Sinclair’s condition, completely soaked in blood, was clearly a severe injury to anyone who saw.

But Sinclair did not collapse helplessly like the lion. He staggered slightly, but without much difficulty pulled out the sacred sword that had been piercing the lion’s palate.

Then he placed it back on the altar, and slowly parted his lips as he looked around the temple.

“……Quite grandiose for an uninvited guest.”

Sinclair’s low voice filled the temple.

“But all those who sacrificed to glorify Edenbell will be pleased with this year’s new offering. We will receive courage in return, and use it to punish those who covet Edenbell’s true peace.”

Sinclair continued with an ice-cold face.

“Just like this lion.”

As silence fell upon the temple, the sound of loud applause was heard. It was Lady Legers.

Though her face was as pale as the others, she seemed to know exactly what she needed to do right now.

As Lady Legers began to clap, others followed suit and began applauding as well.

Of course, some clapped out of fear of Sinclair who had once again survived without dying, while others clapped reluctantly.

But no one dared to challenge Sinclair’s words.

Not even Hister.

“…….”

Hister’s face, which had been wearing a vile smile, was now as hard as stone.

‘To use this… in this way……?’

This was not at all the scenario Hister had hoped for.

For example, as the High Priest had said, either Sinclair or Elaina. One of them should have been mauled to death by the lion right there. Or at least collapsed completely in an unseemly, unconscious state.

He hadn’t expected Sinclair to stand up seemingly unaffected like that and speak such sharp, barbed words.

In the end, Hister had ended up giving Sinclair a perfect opportunity.

Unfortunately, he failed to realize. No matter what he tried to do, he could never defeat Sinclair.

‘But at least I’ve learned one thing for certain from this incident, Sinclair.’

That you still haven’t been able to erase that worthless woman from your heart.

Not at all.

You may have gained a great advantage from this Founding Festival, but so have I.

……Because now I know for certain the best way to cause you the most pain!

“…….”

With eyes blazing like that, Hister glared at Sinclair standing solemnly before the altar.

And at Elaina as well, who was looking at him with such worried eyes.

Sinclair finally completed the ceremony safely, and this year’s Founding Festival came to an end.

Sinclair’s party, having left the temple, headed straight for the Prince’s Palace.

A physician summoned by Schuler was already waiting at the Prince’s Palace.

“It’s a thousand blessings that it’s only this much. It’s no exaggeration to say that God must have helped.”

The physician muttered with a dark expression as he examined Sinclair’s condition on the bed.

“If it had bitten just a bit deeper, you would have lost the use of your arm forever. But the wound is by no means minor, so you must be extremely careful for the time being.”

The side where Sinclair had been bitten by the lion was his right shoulder. For him, being right-handed, losing the use of his right arm would have been tantamount to a death sentence.

But, he must have known that fact as well.

Why.

Why go so far for me.

Elaina looked at Sinclair with an expression filled with countless emotions.

“Fortunately, the Princess Consort does not seem to have any major injuries. However, it’s clear you must have been very shocked, so I will prepare medicine to relax your tense muscles and calm your mind and body.”

The physician continued speaking.

“The medicine for Lord Sinclair will be quite strong, so it would be best for him to stay in bed for a while. I plan to use strong sleep-inducing components and painkillers, as the pain is likely to be severe. However, this will speed up recovery, so you must take it without fail. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

The one who answered the physician’s words was not Sinclair, but Elaina.

“I will take responsibility for nursing him. So please don’t worry about anything.”

“It puts my mind at ease to hear the Princess Consort say so. Lord Sinclair is known for not listening to my words, you see.”

The physician sighed softly as he muttered.

And not long after, he called for Judith and Anna, who had been standing frozen, and left the bedroom with them. It seemed he intended to teach them how to brew the medicine.

“Lord Sinclair, please continue to rest. I plan to return to the underground waterway with Sir Glen.”

Schuler, who had managed to ease his mind somewhat, looked at Sinclair and spoke.

“I will give you a detailed account of what happened in the underground waterway after I return. For now, you need to focus on resting.”

“……There’s not much to tell in detail. It must have been Hister’s doing anyway.”

And Sinclair, who had been silently listening to their conversation, spoke in a low voice.

“But the more clearly we grasp the situation, the better, so make sure to bring back anything that might be helpful.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Schuler bowed respectfully to Sinclair and Elaina, then hurriedly left the room.

And in the bedroom, only Sinclair and Elaina remained.

Along with a very heavy silence.