NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
His face was so emotionless that it showed no sign of life at all. I flinched at the expression I had never seen before, but then realized that Abel had saved me from falling off the cliff.
The relief of not having to endure the pain of death made my body relax slightly. At the same time, I felt grateful for Abel’s help.
With a trembling voice, I mustered up my thanks.
“…Thank you.”
My hands that were holding him trembled uncontrollably. When he asked if I was okay, I couldn’t find the words to say I was fine, even as a formality. I was used to dying, but I could never get used to the pain of death.
Especially that feeling just before dying, as if something was leaving me, coupled with the sensation of my body gradually growing cold…
It was truly indescribably painful.
“Not at all.”
Abel replied in his usual tone, devoid of laughter, as he slowly descended. People’s gazes were fixated on us. Most were surprised, but there were a few jealous glances mixed in. Jealousy in a situation like this? That’s impressive, isn’t it?
Grrraaaahh!!
A monster roared loudly enough to make my whole body tingle. As I turned my head and locked eyes with it, I felt my body freeze and took a deep breath. Abel then pulled me in tighter, as if to calm me down.
The warmth of his body eased my trembling. He slowly lowered me onto the snowy ground and quietly stared at the monster.
The monster glared at Abel, seemingly annoyed that he had disrupted its hunt, repeatedly making strange sounds that gripped you with fear.
Grrr!!
The monster charged at full speed. Despite it racing less than a foot away in the blink of an eye, Abel’s expression showed no signs of change.
Before I could even shout anything, a deafening roar echoed, scattering dust everywhere.
Boom!
With a large impact, the monster was sent flying through the air. My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden change. Abel calmly walked out of the dust, adjusting his wrist.
“Annoying.”
Grrrr…
As he spoke in a low voice, the mana in the air began to tremble as if resonating with his words.
The monster flew over the people and crashed into the mountain range without getting tired, immediately raising its head. The horrifying sight sent everyone into a panic, and they began to flee in all directions.
Tripping over each other was the least of their worries. Some stepped on others without hesitation as they fled, while others deliberately tripped people to use them as bait.
In the hellish scene resembling a human armageddon, the knights of the imperial family suddenly charged at the monster.
Their blades glimmering with a golden aura headed straight for the monster.
Abel quietly watched the scene unfold, raising his palm.
“Don’t think it will end easily.”
Countless magic circles appeared all around. The sheer amount of mana that he summoned was on an entirely different scale from my few shield spells. If my mana was water in a crude bowl, his was like an endless ocean. It was an immense amount of mana.
Even the people and the knights were stunned, unable to move from the sight.
“Deployment of magical formations.”
The spectacle was as if he were constructing a massive palace with those magic circles, captivating everyone’s attention. Even though each of those required more mana than the average high-level spell, Abel’s expression remained unchanged.
Seeing that, even the Emperor seemed surprised, looking at him with interest.
“Strike.”
With that low murmur, white-shaped spears shot out from the magic circles. Tens or hundreds of them skimmed past the knights and sank deep into the monster’s body.
Graaahh!
The monster lost its sanity, howling in pain as holes opened all over its body. Abel showed no sign of emotion, continuing his relentless assault.
The barrage of spears emanating from the white magic circles turned the monster into a pincushion. His usual playful expression was nowhere to be found, and his emotionless face felt strangely unsettling.
‘Is he angry?’
By the time there were dozens of earth-shattering sounds, the monster could no longer rise, merely gasping for breath. Covered in blood, it lay helpless, and yet Abel showed no signs of stopping his attack.
Grrr…
Just as its breath was about to cease, Abel stopped. With a snap of his fingers, the monster literally exploded with a gasping sound. Remnants, a mix of blood and flesh, splattered all around, hitting everyone’s faces.
Yet, the people could only stare blankly at Abel and the monster, unable to say a word.
“…Abel?”
When I called his name, he turned toward me. He asked quietly in a soft voice.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m not hurt.”
“That’s a relief.”
He smiled as he said it. However, contrary to that smile, there seemed to be a cold fury etched on his face. Being someone who’s sensitive to the emotions of others only made me feel that anger more acutely.
“Evan.”
“I’m sorry, Duke.”
Evan knelt, momentarily forgetting even his usual dialect. He still seemed agitated, and Abel let out a sigh. He then slowly opened his mouth.
“I do not intend to place blame. You probably didn’t expect this.”
With a tone that could almost dry up blood, Evan kept his head bowed. He wanted to say he did his best but fell silent upon seeing me shake my head.
“We’ll discuss what to do later.”
Abel cast a brief glance toward the Emperor, then turned back to me.
“Just a moment, I’ll be right back. Adele.”
“…Got it.”
“Make sure you protect her this time, Evan.”
At those words, Evan immediately stood up and bowed. Seeing him, Abel continued with a casual tone.
“If something like this happens again, I may be disappointed.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
As Evan replied, Abel disappeared without a backward glance. The monster’s corpse stood tall at the center of the people, the only proof he had just been there. Those who couldn’t even breathe until Abel left began to whisper among themselves.
“Why would he go to such lengths for that noble lady…”
“Please don’t tell me he’s going to make a scene at my banquet?”
“I can’t understand. Why would he…”
Some were whispering about jealousy and envy regarding Abel saving me. Yet, the moment they made eye contact with me, they hastily looked away, which I found a bit funny.
Having grown accustomed to the treachery of noble women, who would speak ill behind my back and pretend not to know me, it no longer surprised me.
I had no expectations that they would speak normally.
“I didn’t realize Duke Hardenberg was that strong…”
“Isn’t he just above average for a mid-ranking knight?”
“Let’s be realistic here. With that level of strength, he would be comparable to a captain of a knight order.”
Words were being thrown around to gauge how strong Abel truly was. The mention of him being akin to a knight commander indicated just how awe-inspiring his display of strength had been.
Truly, considering the force he had just shown, one couldn’t help but be in awe. Even I, who knew he was a great mage, was astonished.
Despite being jealous of Abel’s magical talent, facing his magic right now left me with nothing but fascination.
“Adele, are you okay?”
As I got lost in my thoughts, Estelle reached out to me from where she was sitting.
Her overly friendly demeanor made me wary, but at least it was far better than those vile women who gossiped behind my back.
I smiled and replied to her question.
“Thanks for your concern. I’m fine.”
I took her hand and slowly got to my feet. Saying I was fine was a lie, but I couldn’t bring myself to voice my struggles.
No matter how much I was not a medieval person, I wasn’t foolish enough to open my heart to someone I couldn’t trust.
§
Maybe I got a bit too excited.
I had planned to showcase my power at the Hunt Festival in some form, but this felt excessive. Thinking about it, I didn’t need to get that worked up.
Adele is a returnee who can rewind time without restraint. If she dies, she simply rewinds to avoid that situation.
Given Evan’s strength, she probably wouldn’t end up in a mental breakdown from dying to a monster repeatedly.
Yet, I still felt so worked up.
I really didn’t know why.