IABCBMH Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Some words or phrases may be lost in translation. The word might not have a literal translation in English or there may be sayings in Korean culture that I am not familiar with.

(athanasiafrost)

I held my breath for a moment.

“…You can’t tie a bandage roughly like this.”

Although the circumstances were entirely different, it was hard to believe that he was still the same person.

A strange mix of sadness and embarrassment washed over me, and the fact that I felt such emotions in his presence made me feel isolated. Swiftly pushing those thoughts aside, I inquired.

“Uh… Why are you here so soon? I heard that you will definitely arrive at the border in two days… .”

“Eloise.”

Ignoring my question, Johannes calmly remarked.

“Are you shy?”

“Umm.”

I hesitated a little, then sighed. And since I was really confused, I asked seriously.

“In this situation, can I answer ‘no’ to that question?”

“Normally, no,”

Johannes replied without hesitation, emphasizing the word ‘normal.’ I nodded, well aware that ‘normalcy’ was a trait I lacked.

“Then I will answer yes.”

“All right.”

Johannes turned my ankle slightly before continuing.

“Then why don’t you answer my question first?”

Johannes, who carefully wrapped a bandage around my ankle, looked up at me in that position. His composure remained intact, even after the commotion that had occurred earlier.

His unwavering calmness was something I had always found unnerving and challenging to comprehend.

I had been pursued by him for years, observing him closely during that time. He always maintained a similar expression, making me feel like I was being chased by an inscrutable, impenetrable wall rather than a human being.

The fact that he dedicated his life to chasing after me with unwavering determination, without any expectations of rewards, was incomprehensible to me. But that did not mean that the temple did not reward him enough.

His inner thoughts remained a mystery to me, and that made him an even more formidable opponent.

“A, a question?”

Johannes spoke slowly, contemplating what he wanted to ask.

“Yes, a question you should answer…”

Johannes locked his golden eyes onto me, a gaze that felt like it could pierce through my very soul, leaving me somewhat unnerved.

His expression was inscrutable, yet anyone with an understanding of the situation could likely surmise his thoughts. He was probably irritated by my foolish actions that had led to this predicament.

From his point of view, it was natural. He would be unaware of my abilities or the underlying motives that drove me to confront the demons.

To him, it likely appeared that a woman stood alone in a field, struggling to wield a dagger properly, and confronting a malevolent force, ultimately injuring herself in the process.

This was common in ‘Ace’. When doing something as a group, incompetent team members make the situation even more complicated. And whenever that happened, ‘Ace’ taught me that it was the most stupid thing to do. At least in a combat situation, not to cause trouble to others was the basic of the basics.

I could anticipate the nature of his question, such as ‘Why did you come to meet me?’ or ‘Why not return to the South?’ The answers to these questions were not difficult. I had not foreseen this particular situation, but I could still affirm my fondness for him and my desire to stay in the North.

“Eloise Renoir.”

But, as always, Johannes exceeded my expectations.

Johannes, who didn’t even address me ‘Eloise Noavik’ asked calmly.

“Have you ever met me before you proposed to me?”

His piercing gaze fixed upon me, causing my heart to skip a beat.

“Do not tell me it’s some absurd notion where you fell in love with me from afar,”

It was as if time had stopped.

“Answer me.”

Time seemed to stand still in the serene forest, untouched by the earlier pursuit by demons and wolves. Not even the wind stirred as the dark horse, whose name I had just learned, drank water peacefully.

In this moment of quietness and solitude, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. The moon illuminated our surroundings, and even the slightest rustle of a leaf seemed magnified in the stillness. In this hushed realm, my nemesis held my ankle, pressing me with questions that bordered on conviction.

---

(athanasiafrost)

“That, so… Did the Duke follow her? Are you sure?”

As the dawn approached and the battle concluded, the welcome party and the procession from the capital finally converged.

“He must have saved Eloise, right? They didn’t get hurt?”

After greeting everyone, Leo repeatedly grasped Pagan’s arm and asked.

Despite the cool day, Pagan’s black hair glistened with sweat as he firmly held the young Duke’s shoulder and spoke with conviction.

“Yes, the Duke followed her. You don’t have to worry and…”

Pagan showed them the demon’s fragmented heart and small emerald, which he had found after searching the woods all night.

“This is how the demons were exorcised. Seeing that its heart wasn’t shattered, it seems that he finished them off with a few critical hits without much struggle.”

“But… why weren’t the jewels retrieved? What about the pack of wolves?”

“Prince, you should understand.”

Pagan replied, looking into Leo’s worried eyes.

“This is the Duke we are talking about. The only thing he cannot obtain is the Blue Ruby.”

As the morning star ascended, sleep eluded them. Pagan empathized with Leo’s anxiety but comforted him by gently patting the boy’s trembling back.

During the commotion, Eloise, the weakest among the group and in need of protection, had fearlessly thrown herself in harm’s way to shield Leo. Everyone was shocked by her selfless act.

The appearance of two high-ranking demons was an unprecedented event, even they had even devised a strategy, one attracted the attention of the Knights and the other pursued Leo and his party. The North had been fighting demons for hundreds of years, but they have never heard of a phenomenon like this.

In other words, this development signaled a significant change in their approach in how they deal with demons. Now, demons could appear in a succession where they appeared, or they could act strategically in groups.

The situation was genuinely terrifying. Amidst the collective distress, Braeden asked in a hushed tone.

“However… Why did you arrive so soon? According to the letter, you were supposed to reach here in three days.”

“Ah, that.”

Pagan answered, standing up.

“The Duke urged us to hurry… In the end, we nearly ran.”

“Why?”

“That… I don’t know either.”

Well, that’s typical of the Duke,”

Unsurprisingly, Braeden sighed lightly. It was not once or twice that Johannes proceeded with his work without revealing his mind to others.

Johannes had a knack for keeping his thoughts to himself, even though he was affable and open to jokes and small talk.

However, Johannes was not someone who acted strangely for no reason. Just looking at it now, it was Johannes’ timely arrival that had given them hope that Eloise might return unharmed.

At least, it was all thanks to Johannes that he had hope that Eloise could return alive and well. Without his intervention, they might have already been searching for her lifeless body.

“He said there were strange things happening one after another, so he felt the need to resolve them quickly, even if it was annoying,”

Pagan continued, admitting that even he didn’t fully comprehend Johannes’ cryptic explanation.

No one knew what the ‘strange thing’ Johannes was referring to was. Besides, what the hell does annoying mean?

In any case, as soon as Johannes heard that Eloise was among those coming to meet him, he moved almost at a sprint, and, of course, in the middle of the night. Then, the Knights encountered Leo and Braeden, who were running away.

“Duke! Eh, Miss Eloise… Alone with demons out there… .”

Without a second thought, Johannes ran off without listening to Leo’s story. The rest of the group followed in the direction he had taken, only to encounter a pack of wolves.

The knights had to gather together and fight off the wolves before they could find the fragmented heart of the demon and the precious jewels. Unfortunately, the wolves had erased Johannes’ footprints, making it impossible to trace his exact path.

Despite searching the surroundings extensively, they couldn’t locate Johannes or Eloise. Pagan finally arrived at a conclusion – Johannes must have descended the cliff and chosen an alternative route to return to the Dukedom.

“Let’s head back to the Duchy. Prince Leo, you should go there too. We should also send a search team as a precaution,”

The journey back to the dukedom would take a full day, or half a day if they traveled at a swift pace. Thus, it made sense to have additional search teams ready to go.

“Miss Eloise… Will Eloise be all right?”

Amidst the worry and uncertainty, Leo, who had been angriest at Eloise among the children, nervously bit his nails while voicing his concerns. He felt torn between believing and denying the possibility of Eloise’s safe return. Braeden tenderly embraced the anxious boy and offered comforting words.

“Don’t worry, Prince Leo. The Duke, and no one else, followed Eloise. Besides, she is the Duke’s wife. He will do his best to protect her.”

Even as he said that, Braeden couldn’t help the question welling up in the depths of his heart.

Despite his reassurance, Braeden couldn’t help but grapple with his own inner turmoil. Eloise hadn’t been in the North for some time, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she might be a burden in such a dangerous situation.

But how innocent of her to jump off the horse without hesitation, prepared to make such a noble sacrifice in an imminent crisis?

Even if Johannes came to rescue her, Braeden pondered whether Eloise would still wish to remain in the North after experiencing such a harrowing ordeal.

“but… Perhaps we should prepare ourselves to bid farewell to Eloise.”

Leo’s eyes widened at the idea, and he hesitated for a moment before quietly nodding in agreement.

“Yes, I guess. There’s no way she’ll still stay here after going through something like this.”

It was a rational decision, but no matter how cold-hearted he pretended, a child was a child. Braeden turned a blind eye to Leo’s youthful expression that he couldn’t hide.

(athanasiafrost)

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