Escape - Chapter 40.2

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Chapter 40.2

Countless pledges followed. One, a soldier who does not fear the darkness of the labyrinth. One, a soldier who upholds military law for the city and its citizens. One, a soldier who faithfully performs his assigned duties and missions. One, a soldier who protects his comrades lost in the abyss…

At that part, he thought of his parents, their faces now a blur in his memory. They had died because of a commanding officer who had abandoned them, using his subordinates as bait. The 103rd Expedition. Three survivors. Two of them, excluding the commander, had testified, revealing the truth. If the commander hadn’t fled, his parents would have been there, watching their only son with pride.

Then, his eyes met those of a brown-haired girl in the front row. Her hair neatly pulled back, she looked up at him from below the podium, a bright smile on her face.

The oath was genuine. He would not abandon his comrades. Because what he ultimately wanted was…

“…I swear to give my life for this oath.”

“…Stop! Damian!”

Someone grabbed his hand, the vision vanishing instantly. Sounds rushed back in, a flood of sensations as time resumed its flow. He lifted his impassive face to find Adeline staring at him, her eyes wide.

“Are you crazy?” She gritted her teeth, struggling to pry open his clenched fist. Her small hand was incredibly warm. It trembled slightly, the bones stark white beneath the strain. He watched her, his gaze half-lidded, then released his grip.

“No.”

“What?”

“I’m not crazy.” He’d poured fuel on the fire. Meeting her furious gaze, he smiled. She was speechless. That mischievous glint in his eyes resembled the Damian of his youth.

“Aren’t you going to yell at me some more?” he asked, leaning closer. His low, deep voice was husky. Adeline snapped back to reality, biting her lip.

“Are you teasing me? Don’t tell me you did that for attention.”

“No.” He denied it curtly. He hadn’t intended it at the time. Now, he did.

In truth, Damian could have regenerated a wound like this instantly. He’d left it open, savoring the concern in her clear eyes.

She glared at him, like an angry cat, then sighed and opened her inventory. She navigated to the miscellaneous section, where she’d seen it before: a healing potion for cuts and bruises. 10 gold. She purchased the liquid potion and summoned it immediately. Damian’s gaze followed her every move as she applied it to his wound.

But no matter how much time passed, the wound remained unchanged. It only seemed to bubble and fizz, as if irritated.

“…How is it? Any better?”

“No.”

Resigned, she purchased bandages. Pressure seemed necessary. Her response was perfect. The problem lay not with the medic, but with the patient.

“Hold it above your heart.”

Damian watched her bandage his hand, then promptly unwrapped it. At first, she assumed she’d wrapped it too tightly and re-bandaged it. By the third time, she finally snapped.

“Do you want to die? Why are you doing this? It’ll get infected!”

He paused at her familiar tone, then burst out laughing. The chilling smile returned as his laughter subsided. His handsome eyes crinkled at the corners, as if he couldn’t contain his amusement at her reactions. It was absurd. Even more absurd was the soft chuckle that escaped Adeline’s lips as she watched him. The frozen atmosphere thawed slightly.

Finally, still smiling, he murmured, “I’m sorry I broke my promise.”

“….”

“I won’t do it again.” His low voice was arrogant, devoid of genuine remorse. Yet, Adeline flinched, deeply affected. It was the fact that he had said those words.

I’m sorry I broke my promise. Those were the last words Damian had spoken, relayed by Luce. The sudden rush of memory churned her stomach. Her lips parted, unable to form a response.

She felt like she was desperately trying to piece together the shards of a broken plate, pretending not to notice the cuts and embedded glass. Then—

“Um, you two are still standing. I reheated the soup. I’ll bring it over whenever you’re ready.” The barkeep spoke awkwardly, holding two bowls.

Adeline blinked, returning to the present. Numbly, she walked back to their original table, the only clean one left.

And she noticed another forgotten presence. The orange-haired fairy, lying unconscious in the center of the table. Adeline forced her scattered thoughts to focus on the fairy.

It was alright. It was in the past, beyond her control. Damian was alive and well beside her.

Taking a deep breath, she touched her index finger to the fairy’s chest. A faint heartbeat fluttered beneath her fingertip.

“…Thank goodness. You’re alive.”

“Enjoy your meal, albeit a little late.” The bowls landed on the table with a thud. The barkeep remained remarkably polite, despite the state of his tavern.

As Adeline picked up her wooden spoon, she suddenly remembered her original purpose.

“Excuse me, could I ask you something? It’s unrelated to the food.”

“Yes? Certainly.”

“Do you know where exactly in the District 10 the Leon Guild is located?”

“The Leon Guild? Yes, of course. It’s right across the street.”

“What?”

As she stared at him in surprise, the barkeep pointed across the street, beyond the tavern’s windows, to a large building. A parallelogram, skewed to the right, it was the largest structure she had seen yet. And in this fairytale-like place, it was strikingly austere.