Chapter Forty One: To the capital

They say that life is full of hardships. Hardships indeed...... 
Yes, I agree with that. My life is nothing but hardships, betrayal, and scorn.
What did I ever do to deserve this? Was I not a good person in my previous world? Was it not enough that I had to wear a mask every day, hiding my true self from the world? Was it not enough that I lived in isolation, starving in the mountains for days at a time?
Why has the one who brought me into this world abandoned me? Why has fate itself forsaken me?
Why is it that nothing ever works out in the end? Why must I always be betrayed and hated? Is this the only kind of life I am destined for?
Was I a sinner? Is this endless cycle of suffering my punishment for sins I cannot even remember?
The rain poured as though the heavens wanted to drown the world. The once-proud house, newly built only days ago, now lay in ruins.
I tilted my head back toward the crying sky and laughed, a broken, manic sound.
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!!!”
But the laughter didn’t last. It crumbled, turning to raw sorrow. Tears streamed down my face, indistinguishable from the rain that soaked me to the bone. My chest ached, my throat tightened, and the tears fell endlessly, like the storm above.
It was heartbreak beyond words.
After discovering the truth about Orthin’s betrayal, I lost all will to fight. Betrayed yet again, I allowed them to do as they pleased.
For over an hour, they struck me with magic and fists, but I never resisted. Blow after blow, their attacks landed, but I stood still, hollow.
Yes… their attacks hit me, but not a single scratch appeared. Not one.
The werewolf twins conjured razor-strong strings from their magic circles, wrapping me in a deadly net, tightening them until they should have torn me to ribbons. But my black garments shielded me completely. Not even a cut.
When they failed, Kervas himself stepped forward. His ice magic was relentless—dozens of jagged spears exploding from his circles, striking me in a storm. Each shard shattered on contact, piling into heaps around me. The force shoved me back, slammed me to the ground, yet I rose every time. I let them—dared them—to keep going. Still, their efforts were meaningless. A fly could have done more harm.
My strength, my abilities—they were gone. I was stripped bare, left powerless, yet my gear protected me like an impenetrable wall.
When Kervas faltered, the false family joined in, casting spell after spell, reducing the house to rubble with their assault. Every blast shook the earth, every strike collapsing another wall. Still, nothing touched me.
And in the end, when their magic was spent, they fled like cowards.
It was Orthin’s betrayal that cut deepest. He had approached me with warmth, feigned trust, spun lies with a perfect mask. Yet he had been Kervas’s pawn from the start.
Kervas revealed it all with cruel pride: he had been watching since my deal with Modnoc, manipulating Orthin to worm his way into my confidence. While I clung to the hope of friendship, they wove their trap. He exposed me to the noble, poisoning every chance of escape. Even the Dauka he stole will end up in the noble’s greedy hands.
I remained in the ruins of that house for over an hour after they left, crying until my body ached. The sky wept with me. My heart felt shredded, my mind broken.
It was my desperation for companionship that led me here. My weakness. I should have stormed the manor on my own. I should never have trusted anyone.
Darkness finally swallowed the world. Duddul waited in the mountains, safe, away from this mess. I thanked fate for at least that small mercy.
When I stood, the shattered remains of the house crunched beneath my feet. No ceiling, no walls—just wreckage. Only the ruined living room remained, scattered with broken furniture.
“Why? Why was I powerless against them? Are they stronger than the monsters I’ve slain?” The questions echoed endlessly in my head.
I barely noticed the journey until suddenly, I stood before the noble’s manor. The gate yawned wide, unguarded. The silence was unnatural, oppressive.
The lights burned in the windows, curtains fluttering in the night breeze. My heart pounded as Duddul carried me through the garden to the massive entrance.
Without hesitation, I raised my sword. One swing—BOOM! The door exploded, shattering into wooden shrapnel. The blast rippled through me and Duddul, yet it felt good, real. My strength had returned—mockingly late.
Inside, the manor’s vast living room gleamed, pristine and grand. High ceilings, polished floors, expensive furniture—everything immaculate. Yet not a soul stirred. My boots and Duddul’s hooves echoed, desecrating the noble’s precious floor.
“Leila!!” I roared, my voice cracking against the emptiness.
Room by room, I slashed doors open, each chamber deserted. Signs of life remained—half-drunk cups, clothes carelessly left behind—but the people themselves were gone.
“No… this can’t be…”
Returning to the living room, I heard it—a sound. The faint scuffle of movement. My heart surged with desperate hope. Leila?
I pulled Duddul forward, eyes darting wildly. Nothing. No one.
Then, between the cushions, I spotted movement. A large, round shape wiggling.
A fat backside, wedged between seats.
“.…?”
Before I could speak, a frantic voice cried out.
“Please! Don’t get the wrong idea! I wasn’t stealing! I just came to tidy up since no one’s living here anymore!”
Her words struck me like a blade.
“No one? What do you mean!?” Rage exploded from me. Without thinking, I yanked her free, her bulk nearly slipping from my grip.
A golden ring clattered to the floor. She snatched it back, trembling.
“I don’t care about your damn ring!” My voice thundered, like a beast unchained. “Tell me—where is Leila!?”
“Leila…?” She turned, finally seeing me, recognition dawning.
“Oh… it’s you. Leila…” She faltered, silenced by my murderous glare.
“H-Heh… Leila’s in the capital. The lord took her there this evening. They left a while ago.”
“A while !? Did they leave by carriage!? Tell me!” I seized her collar, hoisting her into the air.
“N-No! He opened a gate! They were gone in seconds!”
I dropped her. She hit the ground with a heavy thud.
The capital…
I knew the direction, but not the way. Even if I rode without rest, could I reach it?
I drew my sword, pointing it at her face. “Tell me where in the capital! Tell me now!”
“I-I don’t know!! Only Kervas knows! He went with the lord!” She groveled, pressing her head to the floor. “But… the manor is in the Sacred Land. That’s where all the nobles live!”
I sheathed my blade and turned away. Hurting her was meaningless.
My rage cooled into grim clarity. The capital was vast—finding Leila blindly would be suicide. Recklessness wouldn’t save her. My emotions alone weren’t enough. Not anymore. Not after Kervas stripped me of my strength.
I returned to the mountains with Duddul, collapsing into sleep the moment I lay down.
The next morning, I gathered the Dauka, the gold I had hidden, and all supplies I could carry. Then I whispered my farewell to the mountains. There was one last person I had to see.
“Etis…”
I found her sweeping outside the inn, the long broom in her hands.
“My… did you sleep in the mountains again? We could have given you another room.”
Duddul halted beside her. I dismounted, meeting her eyes.
“Etis… I’m going to the capital.”
Her eyes widened. KLANG! The broom slipped from her hands.
“W-Why? Why are you going there?” she asked softly, gaze dropping.
“Leila. The lord took her. I have to bring her back.”
“Leila… the silver-haired girl…” Her voice cracked. “So that’s what she means to you… When will you leave?”
“Now. I only came to tell you.”
“You came just to tell me…? That’s sweet.” Her voice trembled. She looked down, sadness etched across her face.
“When… when will you come back?”
“I don’t know. It depends on my mission. I don’t even know if I’ll—”
“No!” she cut me off sharply. Her eyes locked onto mine, wet with fear. “You have to come back!!”
Badump. My chest tightened. For her to worry about me like this…
“Etis…” I grasped both her hands, steadying her trembling fingers.
“I promise. This won’t be the last time. We’ll see each other again. We’ll be friends forever.”
Her lips curved into a fragile smile. “Really…?” She glanced down at our joined hands.
“It’s a promise.”
She didn’t let go. Not for a long moment. Then, reluctantly, she asked, “Have you eaten?”
When I shook my head, she rushed inside, returning with two large paper bags.
“I gathered what I could. Food is hard to come by in the capital. Eat this until you can manage.”
I stared at the bundles, my heart twisting. “Is it okay? What about the inn?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll replace it.” She smiled, but it was bittersweet.
“Thank you, Etis. I’ll miss you.”
Her face flushed red, happiness fighting sorrow. She turned quickly, hiding her expression. “Good luck. Be safe.” Then she ran inside before I could say more.
“Etis!” I called after her, but she didn’t return.
Clutching the food she had given me, I mounted Duddul. As we set off, I glanced back once. A curtain shifted on the first floor. I couldn’t see her, but I knew it was her.
I smiled, raising my hand in farewell.
“Leila… I’m coming. I’ll save you, even if it’s the last thing I do in this world.”