It was Izaya. She hurriedly sat down on the floor and examined Hierian.
“Hierian, what’s going on?”
Hierian looked at her with a blurry gaze. Familiar crimson hair, a magician who had faithfully served Hierian as an advisor since becoming the administrator.
Suddenly, Hierian remembered the fact that he had never trusted her. It wasn’t because Izaya was lacking. Hierian simply didn’t trust people.
But what if she had a vision? Hierian, in a hazy state of mind, recalled a conversation he had with her before.
‘Did Izaya betray you?’
‘Not really…’
‘Then?’
‘Just… I was afraid she would betray me.’
‘She would betray you? Why are you worried about that? Did you see any signs?’
‘No.’
‘Then?’
‘I was just scared.’
The vision was a very real thing. She asked why he had such thoughts and if he saw any signs.
Objectively speaking, Izaya was a very reliable subordinate. She had never opposed Hierian’s will or betrayed him in any way. However, Hierian’s closed heart made him doubt her. To make excuses, it was because he had been betrayed many times when he was young. It had nothing to do with Izaya.
“…You acted like a child.”
Tears welled up in her passionate eyes. As soon as that happened, Izaya, who had been watching Hierian, stood up from her seat.
“I will bring Siara with me.”
“No.”
“I will bring her immediately.”
Without listening to Hierian’s words, Izaya stood up. Hierian tightly gripped the heel of her shoe in his hand and whispered. Fresh tears flowed as his breath caught.
“No, Izaya, I can’t let Siara go.”
“What are you saying?”
“I have no face left to ask for more help.”
“That’s not the issue.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Izaya roughly brushed Hierian’s hand away.
“Just as Siara is precious to you, you are precious to me. I will accept any punishment for disobeying your orders.”
Izaya disappeared down that path. Hierian confirmed that the teleportation magic of the mausoleum had been activated and then collapsed, his body folding like a shrimp.
It hurt as if he was going to die. It was so painful that even his determination wavered.
He wanted to see Siara. He wanted to stay by her side. Even though he remembered everything, his weakness remained.
Hierian swallowed his complex feelings and let go of his consciousness.
* * *
Izaya hurriedly came to the palace to find Siara. However, meeting Siara was not easy. Siara was staying in the Prince’s palace, and palace security was tight.
Above all, the palace owner, Dianel, denied Izaya’s approach. Dozens of layers of barriers were placed in front of the teleportation gate, and the palace wizards who rushed out after receiving the call surrounded Izaya. Izaya glared fiercely at them.
“This is the Administrator’s business. How dare you block my way.”
The palace wizards couldn’t match Izaya’s momentum and looked at each other. Izaya, who was next to Hierian, was the strongest magician after Hierian and couldn’t even face her face-to-face from the mausoleum. It was impolite not to step back, even if it wasn’t the prince’s order.
When the wizards discreetly retreated, Dianel appeared. His gestures and tone were relaxed, unlike Izaya.
“Your master is unwell, I presume.”
Izaya barely swallowed her impatience and spoke.
“Yes, I need Siara’s help immediately.”
“That’s impossible. Hierian’s thoughts are impure.”
“…What?”
“Forgetting what happened to the dragon that defied the will of the gods, how foolish.”
Adandito appeared behind Dianel.
He, who had been dedicated to prayer for days, had an unusually solemn expression.
Izaya looked at Adandito with a glimmer of hope. However, contrary to her expectations, Adandito dispersed the concentrated divine power around Izaya.
“…Argh!”
As the divine power and magical power collided, a repulsive reaction occurred, and Izaya collapsed as if she were unconscious. The attendants waiting behind him carried her away. Facing them, Adandito spoke.
“An act of heresy requires a thorough examination of faith.”
“Yes, High Priest.”
The attendants gradually moved away. Even though the golden hall was shining brightly, their emotions became increasingly difficult to discern. It was a complex and confused gaze. Dianel lightly tapped Adandito’s shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re on the same page.”
Adandito pushed Dianel’s hand away roughly. It was a gesture as if he had touched something abhorrent.
“…I am simply following the will of the gods.”
Dianel responded nonchalantly.
“I, too, am simply following the will of the gods.”
“Stop making shameless remarks.”
Adandito stared at Dianel as if he wanted to kill him. However, Dianel, with his youthful venom, turned away, disregarding even the threatening presence of Adandito. A sound of separation arose as Adandito watched his retreating figure.
“Is this truly your will?”
Adandito received no answer from the divine. He closed his trembling eyes.
Since recovering his memories in the tower located in the forest of evil, Adandito had devoted himself to prayer. He prayed with such sincerity that one would wonder if he had ever prayed with such a true heart before, forsaking even meals and sleep.
During his prayers, he realized that he had misinterpreted what the divine had said. The divine did not say “fiancee,” but rather “Piasse.” So, what did the divine want to tell him by revealing the name Piasse? Adandito wanted to hear the answer.
His fervent prayer finally reached the heavens, but the divine’s response was singular:
[Guide the Savior to fulfill her mission.]
The Savior, who had lost her memories, lived without knowing what she should do. The divine wished for Adandito to guide Piasse on her path as the Savior.
However, Adandito did not want to do so. It was because he knew the kind of life Piasse would have to live.
As doubts began to intensify like ripples, strange symptoms appeared in Adandito’s body. He heard ringing in his ears, and the edge of the divine’s garments passed before his eyes. His head felt heavy, and his body was so weary that even breathing became difficult.
They were the same symptoms he had experienced before becoming a divine official. It was a warning. A warning that if he did not follow the divine’s will, something even worse might happen. It was then that Dianel appeared.
“It seems Hierian intends to let Piasse escape.”
The dream-like content flashed in Adandito’s mind, and unintentionally, he asked,
“What does it mean?”
“It means that he intends to join forces with the dragon to set Piasse free from her mission.”
Adandito was taken aback to the point where he couldn’t breathe. The shock came from the fact that Hierian intended to carry out what Adandito had only thought in his mind. Dianel threw a peculiar question, knowing his inner thoughts.
“Adandito, can you resist the divine’s will and continue living?”
At that moment, a powerful shock struck Adandito like a blow to the head. It was a familiar pain. A warning not to resist the divine’s will. Knowing him well, Adandito clenched his fist. It was not a matter of choice but an inevitable outcome.
“…How can I resist their will?”
As soon as he said those words, everything tormenting Adandito vanished. Dianel trembled as he watched him, lifting his hand.
“You are just like me.”
“Coward! Don’t try to justify your misdeeds!”
“And what about you, Adandito? Were you any different?”
“…”
“If you change your mind now, you can help Hierian.”
Dianel turned away without hesitation. At that moment, strangely, Adandito was overcome with fear.
When asked if he could resist the divine’s will, Adandito couldn’t easily answer. It was not just a matter of wealth and honor but a matter of life and death. No, he couldn’t even escape through death.
After recovering his memories, Adandito came to know for certain.
From the beginning, he was destined to become a divine official and wield the power of the divine. This remained unchanged in his past lives, future lives, and even until the world’s destruction. The same applied to Siara.
“…Is that why you were able to forgive us?”
Adandito asked with a heavy expression.
The inescapable fate of destiny transforms humans. Whether for better or worse, one cannot endure it without rationalizing it in some way. However, peering into that inner struggle was far from enjoyable.
Adandito’s expression grew somber, and Dianel spoke to him as he stood up from his seat.
“Summon the Inquisitors. We have a task for them soon.”
To follow the will of the divine, at this moment, Adandito had to join hands with Dianel. It was an ironic situation, but Adandito could not resist anything.
That was the result.
In the end, he handed over the closest confidant of Hierian, the great magician Izaya, to the Inquisitors.
Adandito’s empty gaze turned towards the empty air. He had thought that his life was dull, but he hadn’t known it could be so futile. The walls that had protected him, built on honesty and beliefs, crumbled.
His faith blurred, and the sacred power that surrounded Izaya weakened. At that moment, Izaya regained her senses and cried out loudly. Her voice, infused with magic, echoed far and wide.
“Siara!”
But her voice would never reach beyond the boundaries. The repelling effect caused by Dianel’s enchantment and Adandito’s sacred power blocked them from the outside world.
Even though Izaya knew this fact well, she didn’t stop releasing her magic. Izaya’s magic bounced off the boundaries, attacking herself instead.
“Siara! Please help us!”
Quaang!
“Foolish.”
Adandito bit his tongue. The repelling effect of the sacred power was recklessly attacking Izaya. Being a frail magician with physical abilities no different from an ordinary human, she couldn’t withstand it and fell, lifeless.
Watching over her, Adandito murmured.
“It would be better to make her unconscious. If Izaya dies, Hierian won’t stay quiet.”
However, Dianel didn’t respond. His gaze upon Izaya seemed to enjoy the spectacle, much like a young child discovering something interesting.
Was he enjoying the sight of a dying life? Adandito furrowed his brows as if witnessing an unpleasant sight.
In response to him, Dianel spoke with a laughter-filled voice. It wasn’t a commanding tone but rather a murmuring voice.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
“…What does that mean?”
Adandito’s puzzled gaze once again turned towards Izaya. And soon, he discovered a peculiar sight.
Until just a moment ago, Izaya’s body, which was completely in disarray, had miraculously returned to normal. It was due to the mysterious purple aura surrounding her. Within that aura, she opened her eyes wide and shouted again.
[Siara, my lord!]
The voice was undoubtedly Izaya’s, but something was different. Adandito frowned and murmured.
“That’s the occasional appearance of a Hierian…”
“It’s the consciousness of a dragon. Or rather, remnants would be a better term.”
“A dragon? Isn’t it something that only the administrators can communicate with through consciousness?”
“Sometimes it howls at others too. It’s a creature that doesn’t make good judgments and tends to break the rules. Anyway, this time we’re in trouble.”
Dianel turned away without a word. Before Adandito could even ask what he meant, he had disappeared.
“What in the world…”
Left alone in an instant, Adandito calmly observed Izaya. Even though she was a high-ranking mage, the immense magical power surrounding her was beyond what a human could possess. The Inquisitors who had been holding her had long since fallen unconscious and were scattered far away. Adandito quickly withdrew his power, knowing that if he persisted, he would be the one to suffer. Then, he quietly examined her.
His gaze, trying to determine whether the power enveloping Izaya was truly that of a dragon, was intense. If Izaya was using the consciousness of a dragon as a puppet to attack him, Adandito had to be fully prepared as well. However, Izaya seemed uninterested in Adandito. The person she desired was only one: Siara.
“Siara!”
Her desperate voice echoed once again.
And at that moment, a cheerful voice, completely out of place in this situation, could be heard. It was as if someone had coincidentally encountered a passerby on the street. The casual question was not at all fitting for the current circumstances.
“Huh? What’s all the commotion?”
Without missing a beat, Izaya shouted.
“Siara! Please help Hierian! He has collapsed in the Mage Tower!”
“What? But why do you look like that?”
Her gaze questioning the situation was directed at Adandito. Unable to avoid her piercing gaze, Adandito slowly opened his mouth.
“…Siara.”
“Adandito, what’s this about Hierian being hurt? What are you saying?”
“…”
“Why is Izaya acting like that, and those people who collapsed… aren’t they the Inquisitors? I thought Izaya’s power and divine power were opposite. Did you torment Izaya, by any chance?”
Adandito couldn’t utter another word. Siara’s gaze hardened as she looked at him. The eyes that didn’t hide her disappointment turned chillingly cold.
“I trusted you.”
Adandito couldn’t face her anymore and lowered his head. The oath he made one day in the future resonated in his ears.
‘Just trust me one more time.’
‘…Adandito, this is the last time.’
‘Even if I receive divine punishment and my flesh and blood rot away, I will follow your will.’
Not just his flesh, but his soul will rot away. He won’t be able to live as a human forever. He’ll become a madman, wandering until he dies and pay the price, only to be born again with the fate of becoming a priest once more.
But…
“Izaya, let’s go to where Hierian is first.”
Abandoning the oath he made with her was even more terrifying.
