Chapter 15

Reunion (2)

Seeing his first love again, Cedric felt a dull ache deep within his chest.

‘Yus… What happened to you?’

There were so many things he wanted to say.

How had she survived that fire?
If she had lived, why hadn’t she come to find him?
When had she started living as the Holy Nation’s Saintess?
And most of all…

What had happened to her eyes?

The Justinas he remembered had been a kind and selfless girl, but she had never had such a visible disability. That meant it hadn’t been congenital.

…What must it feel like to enjoy clear vision all your life, only to lose it in an instant, forever?

There was no doubt she had endured a hardship beyond words. Cedric exhaled shakily, struggling to manage the expression threatening to crumble on his face.

‘I always thought a saintess was just a pawn used by the pope…’

He bit his lip.

In the Eastern Continent of Istheria lie the Earth Kingdom, the Water Kingdom, and the Holy Nation.
In the Western Continent of Westanio lie the Fire Nation, the Dukedom, and the slums of Kieto.
The two continents are divided by a vast central sea.

As the leader of Shadow Paradise, Cedric had built an intelligence network that spanned the entire Western Continent. However, he knew little about the Holy Nation across the ocean. This was his first time ever setting foot on the Eastern Continent. Had it not been for the Holy Nation’s request, he likely would have lived his entire life in the West.

Unaware that a treasure waited across the sea.

‘Justinas…’

Cedric stood like a statue, unable to utter her name, simply staring at her. His mind was a tangled mess.

“Sir, the Saintess has not yet finished her prayers. Please, refrain from being rude and wait outside,” said a priest, finally pulling Cedric away.

“…Of course.”

Cedric stepped back without resistance.

As he turned to leave the prayer room, Justinas, still seated quietly, spoke.

“Please don’t scold him.”

“The Saintess?”

“He’s a guest who came a long way just to see me.”

Cedric’s eyes wavered.

“Give him a warm meal and a place to rest.”

“As you wish, Saintess.”

The priest bowed respectfully.

Justinas turned her head toward Cedric’s direction, even though her eyes were unfocused.

Their eyes met.

Even though she could no longer see.

“Then, Sir…”

“………”

“I’ll see you again soon.”

“…Yes. Of course.”

To be dismissed so gently by the woman who had grown into a complete adult—his first love—Cedric retreated, feeling as if in a dream.

The plan had succeeded.

Well, halfway.

A 100% guarantee was impossible. Cedric didn’t become the icon of betrayal solely because of psychological reasons.

It was a matter of origin.

‘…Because Cedric is a demon.’

Black hair and black eyes.

For now, it was just considered an unusual appearance. But in truth, only demons—or half-demons—possess such traits in this world.

The reason Cedric had no memory of his parents was simple:

He didn’t have any.

Demons are born not from people, but from condensed magical energy.

The most common case is when a high-ranking demon creates a lower demon from a part of themselves. But Cedric was a rare exception—a conscious being formed naturally by accumulated magical energy.

That’s also why the Heavenly Commander Cedric was different from the other Four Heavenly Kings.

While the others were derived from the Demon King’s power, Cedric was a naturally occurring demon like the Demon King himself.

In short, he had the innate qualities to become a Demon King from the very start. Naturally, he was more vicious and dominant than other demons.

His dormant power only grew as he matured—and slowly eroded his rationality.

So that he could never become human.

So that he would awaken as a complete demon.

There was only one way to stop it:

He had to learn his own identity—and choose to remain human.

Not easy. In the original story, every character born with demon blood ultimately chose a demon’s life.

But…

I smiled faintly.

‘If he fails, it’s game over for the quest.’

So I had to make it happen. Personally.

I turned my head slightly.

Cedric came into view.

So did his black eyes.

‘The eyes are the window to the soul.’

A very famous saying.

And a true one, too.

Eight years of graduate school.
Ten years as a Saintess.
I’d observed so many people—enough to find even unwanted truths.

For example:

“Sir Knight?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. My pace must be frustrating, isn’t it?”

“…Not at all.”

As I slowly walked with my cane, Cedric looked at me with complex emotions in his eyes.

Longing. Tenderness. Surprise.
Relief. Guilt.
Affection.

The emotions he felt were too many to name.

‘So I was right.’

Cedric’s turning point—the reason he betrayed the Hero and tried to destroy the world as a Heavenly Commander of the Demon King’s army—was the death of a comrade.

‘He’s still holding himself together, for now.’

As long as I could prevent him from going berserk, the protagonist could handle the rest.

I just needed to piggyback on their story.

Hmm.

I glanced at him again.

Cedric still hadn’t revealed his identity. Though he struggled to hide his turmoil, he hadn’t said he was that Cedric.

‘What’s he planning?’

He had two choices:

One, reveal his identity to me.
Two, keep it hidden.

I hoped for the former. It would make future interactions easier.

But if it was the latter…

‘Well, I’ll just see where it goes.’

Either way, I couldn’t be the one to acknowledge him first.

Justinas was blind.

There’s no way someone who couldn’t see would recognize Cedric.

His name wasn’t all that unique either.

So, I opened the conversation.

“His Holiness told me. That you’d be guarding me from now on.”

“That is correct.”

“In that case… May I know your name, Sir?”

Cedric blinked.

The hand holding his sword trembled slightly.

‘He really has no poker face.’

Well, a lot of people were like that.

The moment they learned I was blind, they wore pity plain on their faces.

Even though I could actually see everything.

…If anyone found out, it wouldn’t be just a slap on the wrist.

“Cedric. My name is Cedric.”

He finally answered after hesitating. I stopped walking, pretending to be surprised.

“That’s a familiar name.”

“…Is that so?”

Oh, really?

‘You’re going to pretend you don’t know me?’

Things just got more complicated.

It’s fine.

I’ll just probe a little.

I smiled calmly, hiding my disappointment.

“Yes. I used to live with a boy by that name.”

“If it was in the past…”

“Actually, I’m from Kieto.”

I blushed a little after saying that.

“Strange, isn’t it? A saintess should be noble, yet I’m from the slums.”

“Not at all.”

He replied immediately.

“I’m glad.”

Tap, tap.

I began walking again with my cane and continued speaking softly.

“I was truly happy back then.”

“…Ah.”

A quiet sigh.

At the same time, we arrived in front of my usual room.

I opened the door and smiled.

“Thank you for escorting me, Sir Cedric. I’ll see you again soon.”

“…Yes.”

He hesitated for a moment, then bowed and turned away.

Even with the door closed, I could still sense his presence outside.

I suppose that was part of his duty.

‘But how can he not acknowledge me?’

I’d given him so many clues.

That I remembered the boy named Cedric Neon.
That I’d been happy.

If I wanted, I could even explain why I had to leave him.

That I was captured by slave traders.
That I lost my sight and gained divine enlightenment (not really).
That I was helping others and couldn’t return to Kieto across the sea (true).

‘But all that would sound too odd for a first meeting.’

It’s one thing if Justinas is reuniting with Cedric. But for a saintess to say all that to her new guard? Way too awkward.

I groaned, staring at my reflection.

‘And I can’t even pretend I can see.’

My eyes were undeniably abnormal.

No focus, no pupil reflex, and no way to move them.
Rather than blindness, they looked cursed—strangely beautiful in a way that was almost unsettling.

Even I got creeped out sometimes just looking at them.

‘Are these really human eyes?’

They looked more like a specimen on display.

After scratching my head for a moment, I finally pulled out the book I’d been working on.

Advanced Studies on Geomagic Circles – Transistor Circuit Application Edition

Troubled as I was…

Work still had to be done.