Aside from the ruins and some relics, there was nothing else in the city.
"Where are they?" I muttered, frustrated.
Bephelgor's plan revolved around the devil god fragments, yet I couldn't find a single clue about their whereabouts in the city. These fragments were a crucial part of his plans to revive the demon lord.
Although it was a subplot in the novel, I knew that their presence would become a significant obstacle in my future plans.
Adele's story revolved around one thing: revenge.
Her quest wouldn't be complete without my involvement.
Any reader might skip through the tedious dialogues to get to the exciting parts, but it involved critical events like the demon ravaging the lands.
How would that fare against the pieces of me who wanted to live peacefully in the continent, avoiding war and plague? And what about the rich people? They would continue to live comfortably, while the less fortunate would suffer greatly.
I spent my free time planning alternate routes and courses of action. I could scrape through this novel's plot, and it all pointed to one branch: Bephelgor.
His influence was too strong to dismiss, and many disasters were caused by him in the first half of the story. In other words, getting rid of him would alleviate the pain for both Adele and myself.
Josephine's schemes also played a significant role.
As Josephine, I had to navigate through her intricate plans and plots. Her machinations were complex, but understanding them was crucial for staying ahead of Bephelgor.
His demise would not only save Adele from endless torment but also free me from the constant threat of his resurgence.
This required meticulous planning and a deep understanding of the novel's intricacies, but I was determined to see it through which resulted of today.
To be honest, I didn't really want to face him either.
I channeled all my energy into this battle. It worked because of him, and now that he has perished, I realize I might have dug my own grave.
But when that time comes, I'll just do what I can.
Now that the massive roadblock was removed, I could proceed to the main goal.
I drove forward and, after a few minutes, reached the labyrinth below. I thought there was no way out, but it seemed the hole I descended still existed.
I emerged from the ruins into a heavily damaged city. Many people were injured, homes destroyed, and most of them were crying in despair.
"Where is..." I sighed, looking at them pitifully.
It was my own fault that it came to be like this in the first place.
"Imagination," Cassian's words resounded in my head.
"That is the key to my power…" I clenched my fist hard.
I held up my hands and prayed, "Gods, in your wisdom and will, grant us your blessing. Or something like that? Haha-"
Suddenly, a large light enveloped the entire city, and people were healed immediately.
"A miracle!" a child shouted.
"The gods have sent their grace for the first time in 1000 years!"
"Eh? What the hell?" Everyone in the city was shouting loudly in joy?
"This isn't what I imagined it to be..." I was looking at them at a distance from a fallen bell tower.
"The gods haven't abandoned us yet!!"
-
"Ugh."
I was practically limping on my way back. It seemed the battle had drained too much of my holy power. But didn't I have a lot of it?
[Hecatia tells you it's because your divinity isn't high enough.]
Figures.
It was really late outside, and I was all tattered up.
"Wait… I don't have my robe! Did anyone even see me in the city?"
Probably not.
[Hecatia tells you that even if people did see you, it's not a big deal...]
Well, that's one less thing to worry about.
But why does Hecatia sound suspicious…
It's not like anyone would recognize me anyways.
I opened the door to the mansion.
It seemed that everyone was asleep.
I walked slowly to the kitchen and lit a candle.
'Ah, it's the pie they baked earlier.'
I took off the pie lid and reheated it in the oven. I sliced off a piece and ate it with the weak strength I had left.
"It's delicious…" Suddenly, I found myself crying.
"I don't want to die yet..." I sobbed quietly while eating the pie.
That's right, I'm just a weak person pretending to be strong.
"It hurts. What did I do to deserve all of this?"
-
The lady fell asleep at the table.
It was her birthday today, and we were supposed to surprise her, but...
The mood was heavy.
"I don't want to die yet..." she was sobbing while eating the pie we made earlier.
She finally fell asleep after a while.
I was holding a cake for the lady, but I couldn't say a word.
After eating a slice silently, she put her head on the table and fell asleep.
I silently walked to her side. Inside the kitchen, the lady's eyes were swollen. I instinctively put my hand on her head.
"Lady... everything will be fine."
She fell into a deep sleep and looked exhausted.
"I don't know what you're doing, but I know it's about your family." I stroked her hair gently.
"But they don't deserve you. Ever."
I carried my lady. She was light despite eating quite a bit. The prince stared at me silently, as if asking to let him carry her.
"Don't you dare," I said in a cold voice. "I haven't forgiven you for what you've done to my lady."
He pursed his lips in frustration. "So don't act like you've changed scumbag."
I continued"
I brushed past him and carried my lady to her bed, covering her with a blanket.
"It's okay not to be fine, my lady."