Volume 2 Chapter 40 Tiet’s Determination
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
She sighed, letting her breath drift out into the quiet corridor.
She made her way toward the magic research district inside the imperial castle, her steps slow like she was just out for a casual walk. It was hard to count how many times she’d sighed today.
A strange, hard-to-name feeling stayed heavy in her chest.
It wasn’t just a bad feeling. It wasn’t fully good, either. It was a tangled mix of both, swirling together without giving her any clear answer or way forward.
She cared about Anna. She really did. Anna was her friend, and she wanted to be someone Anna could count on.
But… she wanted him too. She wanted Klock for herself.
Those two things shouldn’t clash. They should be separate. But her heart didn’t follow rules like that. Wanting Klock meant hurting Anna. Anna, who still loved him. And Klock—he hadn’t let go of her either. She might be going by the name Cianne now, but even that was all but confirmed to be Anna.
The wish she held in her heart—it was one that couldn’t come true.
To make Klock hers… while asking Anna to give up.
No matter how she framed it, it sounded impossible. No one gets that lucky. No one wins that cleanly. Anna wouldn’t let go. She’d cling to Klock, no matter the shape her feelings took.
So what was she supposed to do?
If she tried to take Klock away, she’d either be fighting with Anna, who might want to kill Klock—or with Anna, who might want to fix things with him. She didn’t want either fight. But if she chose her friendship with Anna instead…
She’d have to give up on Klock.
The building came into sight.
Special Magic Research Institute. Just stepping inside the entry hall, she was met with a giant iron room shaped like a circle. The air itself shimmered with magical pressure. It was a zone built to jam all magic—it hit the skin like thick fog.
”Cynthia. Are you awake?” she asked as she opened the heavy door.
The girl was right where she always sat. Curled up in the corner, her body shaped into a triangle, not so different from the past few days.
She looked gloomy, to say the least. Honestly, since no one was hurting her anymore, couldn’t she at least try to look less miserable?
”I’ve come to get you,” she said, stepping closer. “Let’s go. Starting today, you’ll be living in the castle.”
That was the message she came to deliver.
This room had acted like a prison up until now. If Cynthia were truly a prisoner, this should’ve been a moment of joy—like freedom after chains.
But this was Cynthia. The news didn’t seem to mean anything to her. No change, no glance, not even a blink. As always, she stayed turned away, like she didn’t even exist.
”Haaah… no use standing around,” she muttered, letting out another sigh.
She didn’t feel like waiting. If Cynthia wouldn’t move on her own, then she’d just have to be pulled.
Bending down, she grabbed the girl’s arm and tugged, dragging her up and pushing her forward out of the room. It wasn’t gentle, but it was necessary. Waiting for her to walk by herself might’ve taken the whole day.
Cynthia stumbled a bit, but her feet finally began to move. Slowly, she started walking on her own, though her mood stayed flat as stone. It didn’t seem like she had just woken up—more like she just didn’t care.
From today, she was free.
That had been decided by her, Hermine, and the others. Cynthia was too important a person in the Theocracy. Keeping her locked up could spark trouble between the countries. It was already the third day, so they agreed—it was time to let her go.
Still, her heart remained a mystery.
They hadn’t learned much about her side of the story. For now, the plan was to let her live in the castle, and see how she acted.
”Hey, Cynthia…” she called, glancing back at her.
The girl said nothing.
Cold silence hung between them. Cynthia didn’t react. She just followed, walking like a kid being dragged by their parent—like she was mad and refusing to speak.
Was she pouting?
She couldn’t be sure, but it felt like that. Maybe something had upset her. Something she had done.
”…Adelina,” she tried, softly calling out the other name.
She didn’t think it would work. Cynthia didn’t seem like the type to be moved by a name. Still, she had to try. Without words, they couldn’t talk, and without talking, they couldn’t get answers. And if they couldn’t understand her wishes, returning her to the Theocracy might become impossible.
There was no answer.
But sometimes, the hardest problems were solved in the simplest ways.
”…I get it. Sorry. It’s tough when we don’t speak,” she said, slowing her pace.
This time, Cynthia looked at her.
No, not Cynthia.
Adelina.
She looked at her not because she was called by the saint’s name, but because she was called by the one she wanted.
Looking back, it should’ve been obvious. She knew Adelina hated being called a saint. If she had thought about that even a little more, she might have guessed that Cynthia—the name given to her by others—was something she hated too.
”Adelina. Do you want to go back to Klock?” she asked, watching her carefully.
Her real name was Cynthia. But Klock had called her Adelina. Maybe that name came from the time when she couldn’t speak. Maybe Klock gave it to her when she needed something—anything—to hold onto.
If that name was her choice now…
”…Mm,” Adelina nodded, slow but firm.
”I see,” she murmured, lowering her eyes.
So that was it.
Adelina didn’t want power. She didn’t want a throne. She just wanted to go back to the person who saved her. She finally stopped being the saint… and right after, she was torn away from him. Now she was being taken back again. No wonder she looked so bitter.
At last, she understood what the girl had been holding in.
That desperate look in Adelina’s eyes—it was real. Even if Hermine or the others saw Klock as nothing more than a villain, to her, he was something else. Maybe even a hero. Maybe even family.
She came from the slums. A place where thieves weren’t enemies—they were neighbors. Klock had meant something to her that no one else in the party could replace.
Even she, a commoner from the countryside, was still better off than Adelina.
The others? Oriana and Hermine were highborn. Anna had lived as nobility before and was treated the same way again. None of them could’ve seen what she now saw.
”…So, Adelina,” she said, stopping to face her fully.
Leaving the girl behind like this would be a mistake. Adelina couldn’t take the weight of being the saint. If she was sent back to the Theocracy, it might break her for good. Maybe even worse.
Sending her back to Klock was the better path.
”I’ll take you. Let’s go to him. Right now.” She said it clearly, without pause.
And maybe—just maybe—by doing that, someone would thank her.
That small hope stayed alive in her chest.
Even if Adelina was first in Klock’s heart… it didn’t mean she always would be.
* * *
”Alright, this should do it,” Tiet said, adjusting the collar of her cloak.
After making a quick stop at the imperial castle, she had a servant prepare a change of clothes for Adelina. Adelina had been dressed in a gown typical of the Theocracy—elegant in design, but stained and tattered beyond saving. Technically, it could be cleaned and worn again, but it didn’t suit her. She saw no point in keeping it.
Instead, Tiet chose something simpler: a white blouse paired with a black ribbon, and a knee-length black dress.
A monochrome outfit—quiet, clean. It fit Adelina’s slight frame perfectly. With her calm, almost ghostly aura, she looked like the very image of a tragic beauty.
If Tiet wanted to appeal to Klock, maybe this aura of sorrow would catch his eye. Maybe playing into that misfortune would earn Klock’s sympathy.
”…Let’s go, then,” Tiet said, turning her gaze forward.
”Mmm,” Adelina hummed softly in reply.
Ever since Adelina started reacting to her name, things had gotten easier.
No words, not really—just the low, barely-there sound she made when she nodded. But it was still a massive improvement from her earlier silence.
Being able to understand her yes and no made everything smoother.
Tiet wanted to ask Adelina if she preferred being called Adelina, but… well, she couldn’t speak. That much was obvious now. Realizing she wasn’t just cold but simply unable—that was a small relief in its own way.
Even so… how exactly had Klock gotten along with someone like her?
Was it through writing? If she could do that, maybe they had some way of understanding each other.
Leaving the castle behind, Tiet moved toward the town, careful not to draw attention.
Adelina’s release from confinement had been approved. That much was official.
But giving her back to Klock? That part was Tiet’s own decision.
If Hermine ever found out, she’d definitely be furious. But what about Anna? Oriana?
Would they accept it… or not?
And then—
”…What should I do…” Tiet murmured.
Adelina turned to her, tilting her head slightly, as if sensing her unease.
There was no point in telling her. She couldn’t answer.
But then, where should Tiet send all this confusion, this frustration building inside her?
”I’m second best. You’re not as needed as I am. There are others who need me more…”
The bitter thoughts spilled out before Tiet could stop them.
Two years ago, life was simple. Just roaming mountains and fields, chasing monsters, showing off her hunts to her grandfather, and getting praised for it.
That used to be enough. Living for herself was enough.
But now?
Since joining the hero party, she’d been buried in missions—requests from kingdoms around the world, one after another.
Even when she didn’t want to move, someone needed her.
She wanted to go to Klock. Her heart pulled her there.
But they said Adelina was more important.
They treated her like the spare. The extra.
Tiet clenched her jaw. Anna was already with Klock.
That alone made every step harder.
So much to think about. Too much.
She never believed she could live however she pleased—but the weight now was beyond what she imagined.
Everything hurt. Everything pulled at her.
She wanted to run. Just run away. But she couldn’t.
She wasn’t allowed to.
The things tying her down kept piling up, brick after brick, until she couldn’t even see the path anymore.
”…Sigh. Human bonds really are a mess…” Tiet muttered.
Just as the words left her mouth, a sudden pressure shifted the air.
”…What’s this?” she whispered.
Her head turned northwest—toward the imperial castle’s direction, toward the center of the city.
From there, a strange flow of magic drifted outward, thick like mist, slow like fog.
It wasn’t Anna. She and the others were busy tending to the Beastkin girl brought to the castle. Hermine was in a frenzy, with Anna nearby. Lona and Oriana were with Elna.
Tiet had gone to retrieve Adelina because she was the only one she could approach freely.
”…I’m being summoned,” Tiet muttered.
That magic—it wasn’t just random. It pulsed gently, not loud or showy, but clearly aimed at her.
It was like someone quietly raising their hand in a crowd, waiting to be seen—an unspoken call for a duel.
”…Adelina. Take this,” Tiet said, pulling a small pouch from her belt.
She reached inside. Though it was no bigger than a palm, her arm sank all the way to the elbow.
A moment later, she pulled out a gold coin—gleaming, flawless.
The kind of thing every human treasured.
”You’ll find Klock at the old church to the southeast. There’s only one ruined chapel left out there. Just follow the cross.”
She had decided. Adelina would go alone.
She wanted to say, “Me too,” but something inside stopped her.
No—they were making excuses.
Tiet knew she couldn’t go to Klock. Not when others still needed her here.
Anna, Oriana… they needed Tiet.
So, she stayed.
Adelina looked up at her. Her expression was blank, as always.
Even with their eyes locked, she didn’t react. And yet, for a second, it felt like concern flickered in her gaze.
Maybe it was just the wind. The light in her eyes.
Their relationship was never good or bad—it simply was.
There was no reason for Adelina to care about her.
”Well, tell him I said hi. …Wait. You can’t talk, right? Never mind,” Tiet said, lightly patting Adelina’s shoulder.
Then, without another word, she turned and sprinted toward the source of the magical presence.
The feeling in her chest was heavy. Not quite goodbye, but the ache felt like one.
She wanted to talk to someone. She wanted someone to hear her.
That feeling rose suddenly, without warning.
Not Anna. Not Hermine. Maybe Oriana.
As the oldest among them, she might give her a proper answer.
From a high ledge above the town, she looked down at the streets and rooftops.
The people below moved like streams, unaware.
Tiet took a deep breath—then leapt.
It was time to switch gears.
She was a knight. A warrior.
She would set aside thoughts of Adelina, just for now.
Focusing, she landed near the spot where the strange power had drawn her.
”…Who are you?” she asked sharply.
Before her stood a figure she didn’t recognize.
She couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. The armor they wore wasn’t local—strange, unfamiliar, maybe custom-forged.
It was too flashy for an adventurer.
”You’re the one who called me here,” Tiet said, narrowing her eyes. “And now you expect me to introduce myself first?”
A short chuckle answered her.
The voice was clear—definitely female. Despite the figure’s androgynous build, the sound gave it away.
Whoever she was, she had never seen Tiet before.
”I am Tiet,” she said firmly. “Holy Knight of Crotopone. Brave Knight of the hero party.”
”…Hmm. A hero party, huh?” the woman replied, her tone light and amused.
Tiet gave her name openly, watching carefully for her reaction.
Would she flinch? Panic? Show respect?
Instead, she smiled—a wide, twisted grin that curled up at the corners of her mouth.
”I am Gildegant, one of the Four Generals of the Demon Lord,” she said, her voice echoing strangely. “Flame General.”
”…What?” Tiet muttered.
In the next instant, fire exploded.
It surged to life without warning, twisting like a living creature around her arms before erupting into a blazing sphere.
Without hesitation, she hurled it straight at Tiet.
In the blink of an eye, the battle with her sworn enemy had begun.
Notes:
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
• Hermine – A companion and friend of Anna. The mage. She is pragmatic and encourages Anna to focus on her duties as a hero rather than her personal revenge.
• Adelina – The slave girl.
• Oriana – A Princess. A companion who assists in explaining the situation to the kingdom. She is supportive and helps Anna navigate her responsibilities. Her appearance is slender, with dark hair and sharp features.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
• Elna – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with white hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Lona – Female. A young apprentice mage. Her appearance is that of a child with black hair reaching her shoulders. She wears a black hooded mantle with strange patterns. Her relationship is as an apprentice to Hermine, the Great Mage. Her power involves advanced magic, including spatial teleportation. Her combat style is magical, and she is described as childish and easily provoked.
• Gildegant – One of the Four Generals of the Demon Lord. Flame General.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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