Chapter 14
Volume 1 of UL,LFTB is available uncensored on ko-fi!
II.
Valerian rubbed his tired eyes inside the dark tent. It had already been a week since he’d returned to the Tower. The Labyrinth, which they thought they had sealed, was still active.
If things had gone as planned, he would have been soothing an angry Collette by now, calmly explaining why she needed to attend a matchmaking meeting, and contacting Leonhardt to arrange a meeting with the other party.
Though Collette had resisted more than expected… he was sure that her marriage talks would ultimately bring them closer together.
He couldn’t protect Collette forever, so Valerian planned to find her another “guardian”—someone who could do what he and Leonhardt could not. Once that happened, he would no longer have to keep his distance from her.
Because he couldn’t stay by Collette’s side with a body like his—a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment.
When that time came, she would understand why he had done what he did. So a brief quarrel was something he could endure.
“……”
He had been resolved, and yet. The last image of Collette lingered in his mind.
She was angry.
Her face, shouting that she would never see him again, weighed on his heart. He was sure this was the best way for both of them, but it was the first time Collette had looked so upset—so close to tears.
Just imagining her not looking at him made his chest grow cold. He had followed after her, but some junior—a fly buzzing around—was comforting the sniffling Collette, so he couldn’t approach carelessly.
Any other time, he wouldn’t have let that fly touch the child he cherished.
Misunderstandings are best cleared up quickly, yet here I am with my feet tied.
He wanted to destroy the Labyrinth outside this tent right now and be done with it, but that would erase all its byproducts too. He couldn’t act on impulse.
“…Tch.”
Clicking his tongue, Valerian slowly clenched and unclenched his bare hand. Dark purple veins were spreading from his fingertips up past his wrist. If he rolled up his sleeve, he would see them crawling all the way to his forearm.
Hideous.
It was a good thing he hadn’t grabbed Collette that day. With a body like this, he couldn’t touch her carelessly.
“…Collette. I have no excuse for what I’ve done to you.”
“No, don’t say that. I’m just grateful that you and Leon came back alive.”
He didn’t know how much those words had comforted him when everyone else pointed fingers at him. So even if Collette said it was fine, he had to keep his head straight. Only then would he avoid becoming a dangerous, ill-omened presence to her—to Collette.
Gazing at the dark purple veins with cold eyes, Valerian found his gloves and put them on. Just then, a team member’s voice came from outside the tent.
“Commander.”
“Come in.”
The team member who entered bowed deeply and delivered the news he had been waiting for.
“Team 2 has returned.”
“Casualties?”
“Two seriously injured, four lightly wounded.”
Rising from his seat, Valerian fastened his sword sheath to his belt.
“Send them to receive treatment. Team 1 will enter in thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
After sending the team member out, Valerian also stepped out of the tent.
Outside, the massive ellipsoid floating vertically in the air came into view. Its pitch-black surface, as if it had swallowed the night sky, gave the impression that one might be pulled into it just by looking.
In fact, staring at it for too long could cause one to unconsciously walk toward the Labyrinth’s entrance—so caution was needed.
As he gazed at the fenced entrance, someone approached him.
“Commander.”
“Woodrow.”
It was Ronald Woodrow, the 2nd Team Leader of the Exploration Squad. With several injuries in his team, even he looked worse for wear. His usually proud reddish beard bore scorch marks. As he irritably brushed the ash from his beard, Valerian asked.
“Was it the same anomaly as before?”
“I wish it had been, but this was another irregularity.”
Ronald Woodrow sighed and scrunched up his already rough face—unusually rugged for a mage.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.