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Chapter 21
“Ah, seriously. This is disgusting.”
These ghouls were especially more rotten than the previous ones. The stench was overwhelming, and their flesh was so soft it sloughed off.
They’re completely rotten. Are these veteran ghouls or something?
I was thinking that when—
“Riana!!!”
The moment I turned toward the sound, something like a halo flashed, and at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, the arc of a sword swept past.
Thud—thud—
The heads of the ghouls that had been biting me dropped to the ground like ripe fruit.
“Huh?”
When I turned to see who had so brilliantly harvested those “fruits,” a pair of vividly shining blue eyes caught my gaze.
It was Calyx.
“Oh! Captain!”
I was about to greet him in relief when Calyx tossed his sword aside, strode over, and lifted me into his arms.
“Eh? C-Captain?”
The space between Calyx’s brows slowly creased as he looked down at me.
“…Riana.”
He briefly closed his eyes, biting down on his lip, then slowly scanned my body.
“Why didn’t you dodge? Why would you throw yourself into danger like that?”
Well… because unlike Jude, who’s as fragile as paper, I can afford to get bitten!
But I couldn’t say that, so I put on a casual smile and replied,
“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
“That’s nonsense.”
With a small sigh, Calyx carefully seated me inside the wagon. He glanced over my arms and legs, then, as if holding something back, forced the words out.
“I shouldn’t have left you there.”
After finishing in a slightly trembling voice, Calyx picked up the sword he had thrown behind him.
“Stay here for a moment. It won’t take long.”
Before I could even respond, Calyx turned around and straightened his posture. Jude and I had worked hard to kill seven of them, but there were still thirteen ghouls left nearby.
Even for Calyx, wouldn’t thirteen be tough?
Where were the other mercenaries? Why were they still not here?
Judging by how slow they are, they’re practically temple types.
Just then, Calyx, who had been walking slowly toward the thirteen ghouls, suddenly picked up speed, charged forward, and stabbed his sword into the ground.
Drawn by the sudden appearance of prey, the ghouls shifted direction and gathered in a circle. Soon, they were packed so tightly around Calyx that he was no longer visible.
This is dangerous…!
At that moment, a blue light began to seep out from between the tightly packed ghouls, then exploded with a thunderous roar.
KWAANG—!
As the ghouls were blasted outward in all directions by the force, Calyx leapt into the air.
As lightly as if dancing, he rose and slowly lifted his sword. Each time the clean arc of the blade passed a ghoul’s neck, a bright line was etched clearly across it.
After a brief delay, the ghouls’ heads began to fall to the ground one by one. Unaware that their necks had been severed, the ghouls writhed for a moment with their bodies and heads separated, then went limp.
A-amazing…
I saw Calyx’s hair sway as he landed on the ground. The atmosphere was as though he had just finished a sword dance rather than a battle, and I found myself completely overwhelmed.
Goosebumps ran all over my body.
Everyone, that man right there is the Knight of Prophecy. Did you all see that?
I barely held back the urge to shout it out loud. My heart was pounding wildly.
It was the most beautiful and impressive movement I had ever seen in my life. On par with—no, perhaps even slightly better than—the knight who once saved the priests in the ruins.
Yes. That’s what a knight who saves the world should look like.
If he was already this strong now, how much stronger would he become after awakening? Just thinking about it made my heart flutter even more.
I was thinking that I wanted to awaken him as soon as possible when—
Calyx rushed over to me and, without hesitation, lifted me into his arms.
“Let’s go.”
For some reason, there was a deep furrow between his brows, but even that looked handsome.
Just looking at his face made my heart race—probably the aftereffect of having just witnessed that sword dance.
“Captain.”
Unable to contain my emotion, I spoke.
“Yes.”
“You were really amazing just now.”
Calyx replied with a slightly relaxed, incredulous expression.
“Is this really the time to be saying that?”
“It is. Very much so.”
Just as his gaze seemed to soften, it shifted to my wounds. His brow immediately creased again.
“…Does it hurt?”
“Ah… well.”
I hadn’t paid much attention to it until now, but the wounds torn by the ghouls’ poison still looked nasty. It wasn’t just one or two bites—my clothes were torn in several places.
The exposed skin was covered in dark bite marks, so it was no wonder Calyx frowned.
In short, I look like a total mess. Damn it.
Calyx let out a small sigh.
“Let’s go back to the inn first.”
As Calyx walked forward carrying me, the other members finally came running up.
Ah, so they ran here on foot—that’s why they were slow.
Still, way too slow! What if there had been more ghouls?!
I shot a subtle glare at Marcus’s sweat-soaked face when he stepped forward and spoke.
“Huff, huff. Captain, what happened here? And these ghoul corpses…”
“They were ones we missed. I took care of them. You all help Jude and the servants.”
“Ah, yes! Then… Riana… was she bitten by the ghouls?”
“I’ll take care of Riana myself.”
“Ah, y-yes! Understood.”
At Calyx’s words, the members hurried toward the wagon.
Meanwhile, Calyx mounted his horse with me in his arms, pulled me tightly against his waist, and spoke softly near my ear.
“…Just endure it a little longer, Riana.”
“Yes. But I really will be fine.”
There was no pain, and the ghoul poison hadn’t caused me any real harm. It just looked ugly. After a good night’s sleep, even this strange discomfort would disappear, so there was no need for special treatment.
I was just being honest—but—
“Right… you’ll be fine. No, I’ll make sure you’re fine. So don’t worry. Trust me.”
Calyx began to comfort me even more earnestly. Why?
Still, I didn’t dislike it. No—in fact, I quite liked it.
Before my regression, the High Priest and Baron knew about my self-healing ability, so they never worried about me being hurt at all.
If anything, they were more worried I’d break temple rules again.
And that bastard Valdier, after learning about my condition, had treated me even more roughly. Compared to that, Calyx’s reaction felt rather fresh.
I looked up at Calyx’s face as he guided the horse. His eyes even seemed slightly bloodshot, and his lips were pressed tightly together.
I watched him quietly.
I didn’t know why. I just felt like I wanted to remember that face for a long time.
And so, we returned to the inn.
After dismounting, Calyx climbed the stairs with me still in his arms. It was the first time in my life I had gone up stairs while being carried.
But instead of stopping at the room Kate and I were staying in, Calyx passed right by it.
“Huh? Captain, my room is over there.”
“I know.”
“Then where are we going?”
“My room.”
“What? Why?”
Without answering, Calyx opened the door to his room, went inside, and gently laid me down on the bed.
Only then did he sit beside the bed, cover me with a blanket, and speak.
“I’ll take care of you in my room.”
“Then where are you going to sleep?”
“Do I look like I’ll be able to sleep right now?”
“I really am fine…”
“Drink this first.”
Calyx took out a blue potion from the bag beside the bed and handed it to me.
“This is…”
“An antidote Marcus prepared as a standard supply. It won’t completely cure ghoul poison, but it’ll slow its spread. Drink it.”
The potion felt a bit wasteful, but refusing it outright and recovering instantly would look suspicious, so I obediently drank it.
While I gulped it down, Calyx brought over a container of water and a white cloth and set them beside me.
“I finished it.”
“Good.”
He took the empty bottle, casually set it aside, dissolved a powder into the water, then soaked the cloth and looked at me.
“It might hurt a little.”
“Ah, okay.”
First, Calyx gently tore away the clothing around my shoulder wound and pressed the damp cloth against it. A cool sensation spread—probably water infused with healing and disinfecting herbs.
“Does it hurt?”
“No. I’m fine.”
He parted the torn clothes, wiped the wound, soaked the cloth again, and repeated the process several times.
Watching him work so intently, I felt like I should help somehow.
“Captain.”
“Does it hurt?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
“Should I tear the clothes more for you?”
“…What?”
I only said it because it seemed more efficient. But for some reason, Calyx’s eyes began to shake noticeably.
