TMLOP 91

Chapter 91

85. Love Fears No Death

Senelia felt as if every moment was stretching out, moving at a fraction of its usual speed.

Monsters had broken through the barrier and were overrunning the place.

Worse: the monsters pouring out were ones that should already have been cleansed in the hunting ritual.

Although she had attended the hunt every year for the six years she’d been with Venerucia, Senelia could say with certainty that she’d never seen so many monsters at once.

This didn’t happen in the original story — it shouldn’t have been happening at all!

“Selly, get away!”

At that instant, Venerucia grabbed Senelia and pulled her into his arms as if she had lost herself.

Even judging by someone who had fought countless monsters, the situation was bad.

All of the monsters ripping through the barrier were high-level monsters.

As she was forcibly moved away by Venerucia, Senelia reflexively turned toward Cliffed.

The Emperor was… smiling.

A chill ran down Senelia’s spine.

This was the first event she had hosted as Duchess Consort.

If there were casualties here—

Then Senelia would not only lose her marriage prospects; she wouldn’t even be able to shirk responsibility.

Everything she had achieved so far would be ruined!

“Wait—wait a moment… Stop, Ben…!”

Senelia frantically tried to stop Venerucia.

Her face had gone deathly pale in an instant; she looked wan and breathless.

But even so, Senelia thought:

What future did Cliffed see…?

Come to think of it, Cliffed had never once properly explained the future he’d seen.

Senelia had only roughly guessed because she didn’t know that the future could branch into many possibilities; she only knew the events in the original story.

Senelia turned her head stiffly, the movement sounding like a broken machine, and looked back toward Cliffed.

Cliffed… smiled at her as if everything had finally fallen into place.

Then, as if it were over, he turned away.

Was the one the Emperor wanted to separate Ben from… really Lucalina?

The Emperor had used Senelia to successfully pull Lucalina away from Venerucia.

Now he was trying to split Senelia and Venerucia apart as well.

As if Senelia and Venerucia also weren’t meant to be together.

Was the future Cliffed saw… not just one?

A flash of realization struck Senelia so sharply her eyes widened in shock.

The Thorn of Chlorakéan could only touch a single temporal thread.

In the original text, Lucalina’s returns were described as possible only once.

Time was something even the gods could hardly touch; meddling with it itself violated causality.

So the Thorn of Chlorakéan, which wasn’t some omnipotent god, shouldn’t be able to hop freely between multiple time periods.

The timeline Senelia remembered, and the one Lucalina remembered—

Lucalina had been able to go back twice because the timeline Senelia remembered was reversed, effectively erasing what had happened.

So in result, Lucalina’s return amounted to only one true rewind.

That meant if Cliffed’s future vision were similar to the Thorn’s pattern, there should only have been a single timeline he could see.

Then how on earth had the Emperor, while still alive and intact, somehow seen multiple branching futures — breaking even the world’s causality?

“Hah… huff… ugh…”

A piercing ringing suddenly exploded in Senelia’s head and her vision blurred.

Her breathing grew ragged.

An Emperor who knew a future that neither Senelia nor Lucalina knew.

Could she escape from such a Cliffed…?

Senelia felt her mind go blank.

Despair thrust her outside of reality.

“Selly…! Selly, get a hold of yourself!”

Venerucia grabbed her shoulder and shook her urgently.

She could barely breathe; her heart screamed in pain.

Clinging to him reflexively, Senelia gasped out:

“Ben… huff, Ben… the Emperor’s… scheme… ugh…!”

She panted, struggling to tell Venerucia what she’d realized.

Even in pain, she forced herself back into the present.

It was instinctive — a habit she had honed over eight years when death lurked whenever she lost reason.

“Okay. So breathe. Take slow, deep breaths…”

Thanks to the aura Venerucia set around them, the monsters could not attack the two of them.

People’s screams continued around them.

Following Venerucia’s command, Senelia forced breaths in and out.

She couldn’t faint now — she had to survive.

“Ben… the Emperor is trying to separate you and me too.”

Because oxygen failed to circulate properly, her heart kept thudding painfully.

The ringing in her ears did not stop; it continued to squeal.

Still, stammering, she managed to tell Venerucia.

There was no time to explain details.

If they didn’t resolve this quickly, everything would collapse.

But how are we supposed to fix this?

Her hand trembling, Senelia clutched Venerucia’s clothing.

More and more monsters poured out — as though someone had intentionally released extra beasts into the hunting grounds.

At that moment, he cupped her cheek with one hand and lifted it.

“Look at me, Seli.”

There was not an ounce of fear in Venerucia’s silver eyes.

Senelia’s watery red gaze locked onto his like a compass finding its way.

“I’ll handle it.”

Again, Venerucia didn’t ask for a detailed explanation.

“I can do it.”

He repeated his assurance to her, as if to say it would be fine.

Even through the persistent tinnitus, his firm voice was clear to her.

“So wait safely.”

Venerucia moved quickly.

He led Senelia inside the barrier formed by the imperial magicians.

Because the monsters had appeared at the entrance to the royal hunting grounds, people couldn’t flee the area.

Cliffed was in the same position.

If the Emperor, a sword master, had wanted, he could have easily slipped away through a gap.

But he was the Emperor.

He could not, officially and publicly, abandon the people and run.

So the imperial magicians formed a barrier centered on Cliffed to protect the people.

However, it was not merely ordinary monsters occupying the grounds — these were high-level monsters.

Monster ranks ranged from 0 to 9; ranks 1–3 were considered high-level monsters.

A single rank-1 monster could be matched only by a sword master.

And among the monsters that had broken the barrier, five visible rank-1 monsters were present.

These were creatures that normally lived only in monster-infested forests.

Although the imperial magicians were skilled, those summoned today were not the very best of the group.

No one had expected life-threatening events to break out in the hunting grounds like this.

In short, no one could guarantee how long the magicians’ barrier would hold.

“Your Majesty, first you must return to the palace.”

The captain of the royal knights urged Cliffed.

If the imperial magicians combined their power to create a warp gate, at least the Emperor could be sent safely back to the palace.

But at that moment, Count Frankein cried out in alarm.

“Commander, what are you saying…! And what about us?!”

Warp magic was among the highest of high-level spells.

But on the continent there were only a 9th-circle magician — currently the missing Grand Tower Master — and the head of the imperial magicians.

Only ten imperial magicians had been brought here.

Five of them would have to focus on the warp.

If those five left, only five magicians would remain to maintain the barrier.

With fewer magicians, both the quality and the size of the barrier would necessarily shrink.

In other words, the barrier might not be able to encompass everyone gathered here.

Even if reinforcements arrived, it was certain many casualties would occur.

Not everyone present possessed military power, after all.

A frightened murmur spread among the nobles.

Those of lower rank and without force were understandably the most terrified.

If the Emperor disappeared from this spot, there would be no one to control the nobles.

The ones most likely to be cast out of the barrier first would be the weak — that was obvious.

“I will purge the monsters.”

At that moment, Venerucia stepped forward.

“Ben!”

Senelia and Lucalina both cried out like an alarm at that explosive statement.

There were already five visible rank-1 monsters.

Who knew how many more lurked behind the torn barrier?

Even for Venerucia, it would be a death-defying task.

Yet Venerucia once more looked straight at Cliffed without wavering and said:

“I will clear the monsters. Your Majesty, please protect those here.”