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I brought Dane to the next room before calling for the cleric who just left to treat his wounds. I already expected it but the wounds Dane sustained were not to be taken lightly. After staring at Dane who was groaning slightly as if the treatment itself was hurting him, I sneaked out of the room. Before this night was over, there was a place I needed to visit.

“Lord Ray.”

After asking the patrols who were inspecting the battleground, I arrived at a room. The moon had yet to rise in the sky.

“I’m coming in.”

Ray, who had been guarding the door, raised his head. Considering the person in the room, it was natural the strongest survivor was in charge of guarding it. When I tried to enter the room, his gaze pierced through me.

“It looks like you’ll go in no matter how I try to dissuade you otherwise.”

He lowered his head before letting out a sigh.

“I would never have let you in if he hadn’t been tied up.”

With his permission, I slowly entered the room. The room was dark but the moonlight spilling from under the windows illuminated the space. And I spotted the Templar of Beasts sitting under the said window. Not only had he been trapped by the net, he had also been tied to a chair on top of it.

“For a Templar of Beasts who has lost their ego, they can survive without food for more than a week.”

Recalling the words of the patrols, I got a little closer to him. When the distance between the two of us had narrowed to about three steps, his lowered head instantly shot up. His reaction didn’t seem to be of conscious choice but of instinct.

Actually, I didn’t come here to say or do anything in particular. I just wanted to take a look at him. To confirm if Hernan really was no longer the same. I was afraid I had been mistaken.

But I wasn’t.

As if he was inspecting a threat, his empty gaze turned to face me. His eyes that were once filled with sorrow whenever they looked at me were no longer. That was when I realised how much this hurt. Only an unfamiliar pair of eyes were left of him.

“I had come to tell you what I couldn’t before.”

As if close to tears, I smiled sadly.

“But I can’t do it like this.”

It seemed like I had started crying before I realised it.

“Hernan.”

I called out his name affectionately for the first time. I could only call his name this sweetly when he could no longer hear it.

“Do you know of any fairy tales?”

He stared at me, expressionless. I realised that he would never return my words as sweetly as he did before.

“I know of a fairy tale that doesn’t exist here.”

Beauty and the Beast. Because of the Beauty’s love, the Beast had reverted back to his human form. But I guess that would have been impossible in our relationship. Though the Beast loved me, I couldn’t return his feelings in the end so a miracle would never grace him now.

“I guess you and I were not meant to be the main characters of some fairy tale.”

<The Templars of Beasts and their Unfortunate Lives.> I had searched and read every book that might help him. Because information about the Templars of Beasts was so confidential, Granius had helped me search the deepest corners of the library for the truth I could not find myself.

Brutum. The long desolate city of the beasts. Hernan, I knew he was the sole survivor from the city. And I also knew that his father was once a neutral templar who had also been known as the emperor’s right hand man. But now I knew, the destruction of the City of Beasts was just another one of the emperor’s sins.

“You have sacrificed a lot of things just for this Empire and its emperor. Haven’t you?”

It was strange. How this Empire forced their templars of great strength to sacrifice so much. Why? If they were unable to find their companion, the Templars of Beasts would turn into a rabid beast. Hernan had lost all his loved ones, his fellow templars and his city in one night.

“Brother has.”

Amor, who was slowly dying from the emperor’s poison, was the Templar of Plants who was stricken with illness in exchange for great strength.

“So have I.”

Though I might have been granted powers greater than anyone else’s, the price of that power was the constant regressions.

“This country is strange.”

The Lord of the Gods had adored the First Emperor. It was said that the numerous gods who followed the Lord of the Gods had granted us powers because of the Lord’s love for humans. But why?

Why were the gods who were said to have descended for humans so cruel to us? With tears in my eyes, I stared at Hernan. Was the emperor’s will to save the country by giving birth to more unfortunate and helpless children? His greed had conceived the monster that was Castor. Hernan, Amor and I. Even Dane and Fleon were all victims of this massive Empire.

“Hernan. You and I. As well as everyone I know.”

It was indeed strange. In the country that was set to be right next to the main character’s, there were so many things happening. Perhaps this was the situation already set in the novel but was not mentioned since the country was meant to be destroyed anyway?

“Can’t we all get a happy ending?”

I knew the Empire was going to collapse. But I hoped that it would not perish. But not the way the emperor was doing it. Forcing sacrifices only created more victims and planted seeds of vengeance.

“It’s so hard.”

I stopped thinking about it and moved a little closer to him. Now we were only one step apart. I slowly looked at Hernan and smiled. I must have looked horrendous, smiling while crying. I reached out before holding his cheek.

Clatter.

Just then, the chair pushed forward and before I knew it, I felt a slight ache in my back. Feeling as if my world had flipped, I opened my eyes to see the face which had been tangled in a net right in front of me. Hernan’s body was pressed against mine and I was trapped. With my back against the ground, I stared at him. He had suddenly broken out of the rope binding him to the chair and was looking down at me from above. After we remained in that position for a while, Hernan slowly lowered his head. I closed my eyes tightly just in case he decided to scratch my face. But instead, I felt something unfamiliar on my cheek. Hernan’s gaze lingered on the tears in my eyes before lowering his head to lick my cheeks.

“… Hernan?”

It felt rather innocent. I couldn’t sense any ulterior motives or sexual desires behind his actions. In a documentary I saw a long time ago, I recalled hearing about how canines are naturally attracted to the salt in the tears of their owners. I burst into both tears and laughter as I hugged the back of his neck.

“You, seriously, remain pitiful to me till the end.”

I pressed my lips against his to express all the regret and gratitude I had for him that had yet to ever reach him. I thought this might be the first and last time I ever did this.

“I’m sorry. For being unable to love you.”

And I had never gotten to conveying these feelings. If I did, perhaps he could have lived as himself a little longer?

“You’re weird, you know. After sacrificing so much for me, all you wanted from me was a smile.”

“…”

“What a fool.”

A foolish man. Why was he so willing to give everything up for me? In the end, his actions that I did not understand or did not try to understand back then had withered away like an unselfish flower but I did feel compassion for him.

“You know, Hernan. I might be able to save you if I awaken.”

I spoke with tears and a smile he never got to see. It was late but his heart had finally reached me.

“The next time you get your rationality back.”

I dared to hope.

“I hope you get to live for yourself. Live like that and…”

Not for me but for his city and the people he loved. I hoped he could live his own life freely and not as someone who had lost everything.

“Be happy.”

But the beast was not looking at me nor was he nodding. When there were no more tears left to shed, the beast, with an empty gaze, stood up and returned to his seat. Was he aware that he could not escape because of the net tying him down? While sitting still, he glanced at his legs which could not move before staring blankly at the moon.

“Your love made me realise what love is.”

Now, I could feel things I couldn’t with my then dry heart.

Fleon who had been mocked and insulted his whole life because he was incapable of becoming a templar despite being the son of one…

And Dane who lived as a shadow despite not being a templar.

I was anguished that I couldn’t repay any of the things they had given me.

I got up from my spot and left the room.

***

I needed to find a way to save Amor. No, I already knew how. I had to find a way to obtain it. I was referring to the item Rusbella had and how I was going to meet the female lead of the original novel.

“It will take a little longer for him to wake up due to the side effects of his divinity.”

Now, two days had passed but Amor was still unconscious. Perhaps because their master was unconscious, the plants surrounding his room only allowed a few people to enter his room.

I was one of those few.

“Mistress, we have received a letter from the Central Palace.”

If I could, I wanted to stay by Amor’s side the whole day just to watch him. However, knowing my presence would only shock him when he awakens, I decided to just watch him at night.

“A letter?”

I took the letter from Rebecca. I frowned slightly when I noticed the emperor’s seal clearly stamped on the letter. Soon after I unfolded the parchment, I read what the emperor had to say.

“… In two days.”

The emperor was ordering me to leave in two days. I bit my lip. And when I read till the end of that letter, I widened my eyes.

“Rebecca!”

“What’s the matter?”

“How many academies are there in the capital of Ripe?”

Bewildered, Rebecca answered me.

“The country of Ripe has three academies. The only one situated in the capital is the Royal Academy.”

“… To be exact, the Royal Academy of Siskiya? The one with a tertiary department and research facilities?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The parchment fell out of my hands.

[The Academy situated in the capital of Ripyeski. Discover the contacts between the Templars of Snow and the Sea and the Templars of Chaos.]

The Siskiya Academy. This was the main stage where the <Light of Rusbella> took place. In addition, it was the academy Rusbella attended and where she met her love. What were the chances of receiving this command at such a time? As if fate was pushing my back towards the right path.

“Mistress.”

I raised my head.

“Actually, you received one more letter.”

There was another one? I took the letter from Rusbella.

“… Walter?”

Surprisingly enough, the letter had been stamped with a seal indicating that it was from the Kingdom of Walter. My fingertips trembled. There was only one person from that kingdom who could possibly send me a letter. I opened the letter slowly in anticipation of the mind blowing content sure to be inside.

[Princess! I found her! You know, the woman called ‘Rusbella’. She has appeared with my brother!]

It was a letter from Cjezarn, the 2nd Prince of the Kingdom of Water. I slowly traced his final sentence with my fingertips.

[They will be returning to the academy after visiting the kingdom during their break.]