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Chapter 91
The Reason That Villainess Drew Her Sword
Isis usually doesn’t leave the West unless necessary.
However, not long ago, after receiving a letter from the princess sent to him, he had no choice but to head straight to Artis Academy.
[Ferdin is in danger.]
The letter was brief but carried a sense of urgency, and Isis trembled with unease the entire way to the academy.
That wasn’t all.
On his journey from the West to the academy, he kept hearing strange rumors.
“Isn’t it true that Sir Erin Lysus became stronger through dark magic?”
“I heard that Marquis Lysus fled secretly. Maybe he feared His Majesty’s wrath too.”
Isis tried to dismiss them as baseless gossip and not think too deeply about it, but the repeated murmurs only intensified his anxiety.
‘Did something happen to Sir Erin? But the princess said Ferdin is in danger…’
Anxious, Isis arrived at the academy and was immediately puzzled to see the princess smiling at him in front of the main gate.
He hadn’t even been able to reply to her letter due to his rushed departure—yet here she was, coming to meet him?
Before he could even ask about that, the princess led him straight to the infirmary.
“Princess, did you deceive me?”
Isis looked at her, but she kept her lips tightly sealed, standing only beside Ferdin.
Why had she sent such a letter to him?
“His Majesty doesn’t look to be in any real danger…”
Ferdin bore scars from battle all over his body, but he didn’t seem gravely injured. Isis let out a sigh of relief.
Ferdin, observing the two of them, felt a sense of curiosity.
‘The princess wouldn’t call for Isis without a reason.’
Catching Ferdin’s gaze, the princess seemed about to say something, then hesitated.
After a brief pause, she told Isis about everything they had been through.
“Those demons… I hope they all fall into hell. To accuse Sir Erin of such a terrible thing! There’s no way our Sir Erin would be like that.”
Our Sir Erin?
Ferdin looked at Isis with a puzzled expression. Whatever had happened in the West for Erin to be called “our Sir Erin” was beyond him.
“I agree.”
The princess nodded repeatedly at Isis’s words.
She alternated her gaze between Ferdin and Isis, then spoke directly to Isis.
“Isis, please hold my hand.”
Startled by the sudden request, Isis narrowed his eyes and looked at the princess.
“Gross… why exactly…?”
“Really, you haven’t changed a bit since childhood…”
“….”
“I’m doing this just in case, so just hold it for a moment.”
With that, the princess clicked her tongue.
Isis, looking reluctant, took her hand.
The princess held his hand tightly and turned her gaze toward Ferdin.
“Ferdin, how far would you go for Sir Erin?”
“….”
“Could you make the same choice as before?”
Ferdin realized that the princess was giving a prophecy, just like she had recently.
His expression grew frighteningly stern.
Looking at the princess reminded him of his mother, who had also frequently made prophecies. And each time, her health deteriorated.
Whenever Ferdin, unable to bear seeing it, tried to stop her, his mother would always say the same thing:
“Ferdin, the life of a saint isn’t yours alone.”
“To protect what’s precious, sometimes you have to give up something.”
Ferdin clenched his fists.
So, what choice was the princess trying to protect with her prophecy?
“Princess, you’ll die if you keep this up.”
At his words, the princess gave a faint smile.
“It’s my choice, Ferdin Lexia. Just like you, I made my choice.”
She continued.
“Ferdin Lexia, you will die.”
It was a calm declaration.
“What are you talking about?”
Ferdin, the subject of the prophecy, remained calm, but Isis, holding her hand, shouted in anger.
But as the princess staggered slightly, Isis’s body began to tremble.
Only then did he realize the meaning behind her words.
In shock, Isis muttered:
“No… this can’t be. It can’t be true. The previous saint… she said we’d be happy…”
The previous saint had always foretold that they would find happiness.
But now, the princess was predicting the exact opposite, at least by his standards.
How could they be happy without Ferdin?
“Prophecies aren’t certain.”
“….”
“The future can change for many reasons. The goddess may change it on a whim, or it may change because a saint like me spoke of it.”
“….”
“Or it may be changed by someone returning from forgotten time.”
The princess, speaking thus, stumbled closer to Ferdin.
“Ferdin Lexia, in the past, you chose to leave. This time, it’s the Lysus marquisate. What will you choose?”
‘My choice is connected to her.’
The princess nodded.
“What happens if I don’t go to the Lysus marquisate?”
She hesitated before answering.
“Marquis Lysus will die.”
“….”
“Ferdin, the goddess only showed me this one path.”
Ferdin recalled seeing Erin earlier that morning. She had pleaded with him never to leave her alone.
It was certain that his past choices had caused Erin pain.
Ferdin was not afraid of death. What worried him was the grief of those left behind.
If he were to die, the sorrow Erin would feel weighed heavily on his heart.
“Everything depends on your choice.”
“….”
“Marquis Lysus is seeking the goddess’s help.”
“….”
“If you choose to leave, you can go with the First Knights. And… make sure to take Isis with you.”
“Then His Majesty’s life isn’t in danger?”
Isis’s question went unanswered.
The princess only looked at Ferdin with a tired expression.
Isis realized her silence was a denial, and despair settled on his face.
Late at night, Erin was heading to the infirmary to see Ferdin. She had been delayed after a conversation with Duke Asili.
‘I want to see him.’
It was strange. She always wanted to see him, but now even more so. Once she left for the royal palace, she wouldn’t see him for a while.
Her pace quickened as she thought this.
Upon entering the building with the infirmary, she encountered Karon.
Erin was surprised that he had woken up earlier than expected and was about to greet him warmly. But seeing her, Karon stammered.
“Sword… no, sister…”
Erin realized that he had learned the full truth.
It was something she would have known soon anyway…
Embarrassed, she muttered:
“Sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”
Karon’s expression became complicated.
“It’s alright. I don’t know what happened, but there must have been a reason you couldn’t tell me.”
“Karon…”
“It’s actually fortunate. Thanks to you being a Sword Master, all misunderstandings have been cleared up. Are you okay? I heard you faced Count Leon.”
“I gave back as much as I received.”
He smiled brightly at her playful remark, patting her shoulder.
“Thank you.”
After that, Erin continued walking, her spirits lifted.
Her excitement peaked when she reached the infirmary.
Knocking lightly, she said:
“Sir Ferdin, may I come in?”
“Come in,” came Ferdin’s reply.
Erin entered, surprised to see Isis sitting beside Ferdin, who should have been in the Western temple.
But what startled her even more was the reddish glow around his eyes.
“What happened? Why is Isis here from the West?”
Isis answered with a faint smile:
“I had business at the academy.”
He glanced at Erin and Ferdin for a moment, then said he would go see Helix and left the room.
“Sir Erin, the princess told me. You sparred with the duke?”
“Yes. The duke gave me a chance to prove my innocence.”
Erin said this as she sat down. A gentle smile lingered on Ferdin’s face.
Erin liked his smile.
Whenever he smiled at her, an indescribable happiness surged within her.
“Duke Asili invited me to the royal palace.”
“So he wants recognition from His Majesty.”
“Yes. That way, the marquisate can be fully protected.”
Ferdin, looking at Erin, spoke to deliver news she had been waiting for.
“A letter came from Lilia recently. She asked me to convey her regards to you, Sir Erin.”
“….”
“She said she’s getting along well with Vahan and that she misses you. She hasn’t written directly out of guilt.”
“You don’t need to feel so sorry…”
“She’s strict with herself. She probably feels even more that way because she’s grateful to you.”
“….”
“And… she praised Vahan’s mana detection skills, saying they’re at a genius level. The tower master wants to take him as an apprentice.”
Erin’s face brightened.
Every time she heard news of the people whose destinies she had altered, she felt her heart flutter at the thought of further changing the future.
