Chapter 80

The irritable one.

He grumbled and followed Urd. They entered the White Sky Castle and headed toward the central altar, passing through seven doors. At the end of the long marble path, the collapsed walls and ceiling were exposed, and a young man, sprawled out on the ground in front of the stone altar, was waiting for them. It was Lord Kalepa.

Berdant and Urd swallowed hard and stopped fifteen steps away, kneeling down.

"Kalepa, Kalepa, Ka-le..."

"Are both of you still in a daze?"

Their heads, bowed in reverence, met each other's gaze for a moment.

"..."

"..."

A short sigh broke the prolonged silence.

"If you want to continue the lineage of Rogui, you need to cross the fourth wall as soon as possible."

"..."

"..."

"From the looks of it, you're not ready yet. What have the Kalepas of Rogui been doing all these years? You're the same as you were fifty years ago."

"The only one who can speak to us like this is Lord Kalepa."

Urd glared at him when he mustered the courage to speak. His gaze was a warning to not be so presumptuous as to answer Lord Kalepa's reprimand.

A soft laugh echoed from a distance.

"If you're dissatisfied, resign and go on a world trip. It would have a better effect than being stuck in this garden, reading books and cultivating your mind. Like Skuld."

"Skuld went down to find the relic of Dian Ket, didn't he?"

"That was the pretext. I'm handling that task now."

Lord Kalepa is searching for Dian Ket's relic?

Berdant and Urd both raised their heads in surprise.

"Lord Kalepa? Why... I'll grab him by the collar and bring him back right away! Please wait a moment!"

"Enough. That's not why I came, Urd. Both of you, come here."

They approached Lord Kalepa with improved expressions.

Kalepa, who had returned after several years, still had the same radiant appearance. His hair shimmered more blue than the sea under the multicolored sunlight filtering through the cracks in the ceiling.

Lord Kalepa remained as strong and vigorous as ever. This fact had a significant calming effect on the two men.

Just as they were feeling relieved, Lord Kalepa asked Urd.

"How many heart crystals are left in the sanctuary?"

"119."

"Bring one of the sinner's hearts."

"Yes."

Urd left the room and quickly returned. The heart crystal he handed to Lord Kalepa was a common pearl-colored round crystal.

"Here, this is the heart of the devotee Pel. He lost his sanity while crossing the third wall, killed three fellow devotees, and then self-destructed. Since he had no family, his heart has been stored in the sanctuary."

Lord Kalepa did not ask trivial questions like, "Why do you dislike the devotee Pel?"

"From now on, both of you will closely observe the changes in my soul."

With just those short words, he grabbed the heart and swallowed it.

Urd could not hide his bewilderment.

"Lord Kalepa?"

"Hmm. It's a bit bitter."

He even savored the taste.

"What do you think? Did any changes occur?"

Berdant was puzzled.

'Is Lord Kalepa temporarily mad in his long life?'

However, while he was distracted by the situation, Urd was firmly following Lord Kalepa's orders.

He opened his lips in response to the calm question.

"Though it may be presumptuous... Could it be that consuming another person's heart disrupts the balance of the soul?"

"I'm assuming that for now."

"After consuming the heart, Lord Kalepa's soul experienced a very slight tremor. It was so minor that it would be hard to notice without a thorough examination, and now it's gone."

Berdant was astonished.

The heart crystal is an object made with pure affection. It is not created for special benefits but is carried to honor the will of a deceased family member or friend and to care for the soul of the living.

Therefore, the heart of a sinner is not typically made into a crystal. Only in exceptional cases, like the devotee Pel, who committed unintentional murder, is it recognized.

'Such an important object. No one would think of swallowing it. Yet, it affects the soul.'

Lord Kalepa's indifferent reaction suggested he already knew this.

Urd added, "The soul became more blurred. If a stronger heart is consumed, the soul's form might temporarily collapse."

"Is that so? Then this time, bring a heart that was a bit more useful."

Urd brought the heart of a former Vey. This time, Berdant also observed Lord Kalepa as he swallowed the heart.

"The tremor was longer and more violent. It seemed to blur for a moment. Now it has returned to normal."

"What do you think would happen if I consumed your hearts?"

The question was about what would happen if he consumed the hearts of more accomplished Vey.

"The soul would violently fluctuate, causing physical harm. But the harm would probably end with bleeding from the nose."

"Then let me change the question. What do you think would happen if Yete consumed the heart of a Kalepa?"

Berdant and Urd shook their heads firmly.

"He would die. Quite miserably."

"Both his body and soul would be utterly destroyed."

"Innocent boys. Have you not even considered the opposite?"

Opposite? Urd and Berdant's eyes met in the air.

The destruction of the soul and body. The opposite would be...

'...Impossible.'

Berdant asked in disbelief.

"Are you saying that we can use heart crystals to revive the dead?"

Lord Kalepa smiled slightly instead of answering. His silence was an affirmation.

'Quite a plausible hypothesis. If the soul's form can change, it means that a broken soul can be reconstructed.'

This could be a groundbreaking discovery of the century. Yet, Berdant could not find the experiment interesting.

'Such an experiment...'

It is neither fitting for Lord Kalepa nor for Rogui.

It is dangerous.

"You're scared."

Berdant did not deny the low voice.

"Lord Kalepa, who sees through our minds, knows that as I grow older, my fear increases. I am ashamed to face you."

All devotees of Rogui adhere to the line before Lord Kalepa and respect him as much as their parents and teachers.

He does not rule the world with strength.

He merely exists as the sole strong one, overseeing and guiding his devotees on the right path, like a god.

Rogui is Lord Kalepa. At least in this generation.

"I'm no different. That's why I'm conflicted."

Urd asked cautiously with a puzzled look.

"Conflicted? What do you mean?"

"Is it worth going to such lengths to save someone?"

Berdant and Urd's eyes met again in the air.

'Save?'

'Who?'

This was unprecedented. What had happened in the past four years to make such a precious mouth speak of saving or not saving someone?

'I'm curious.'

As they say, old age broadens one's curiosity. His lips, which had been fine, started to twitch uncontrollably.

"Who is this... person?"

"Who is he?"

Hmm.

After a brief, ambiguous sigh, a concise word popped out.

"Cute."

...Cute?

'Did I hear wrong?'

No. It couldn't be. Lord Kalepa clearly said "cute."

Urd's dazed expression confirmed he had heard it correctly.

"Have you... seen a child outside?"

There was no other reason for those words to come out of his mouth.

Lord Kalepa, who is nearly 180 years old, might have experienced a change in his feelings...

"Child?"

The benevolent Lord Kalepa showed a fierce smile for the first time.

"Do you want to die?"

"Huh."

To make such a word come out of a pure tongue!

Bowing his head to the ground, Urd mocked him harshly.

"Pitiful. To speak such nonsense to Lord Kalepa? Just die with your nose in the ground."

Even though he himself was worried about it.

Berdant swallowed his grievance and focused on bowing his head.