Chapter 470

Southern Hwangdo Gradium, entrance to the Krinto Forest.

Everyone, including me, gathered at the predetermined meeting place.

- Growl

"Are you okay?"

"Not really, but it's okay. It's about this much......"

Harriet wiped the blood off my lips and asked cautiously.

"Still, piercing your heart twice a day, with so much experience, it's not good."

It hurt like hell.

Piercing the window was unexpected, but piercing my heart in Lament intentionally was.

I swear.

It's scarier and more painful to know you're being stabbed.

Of course, I was healed by the sanctity of Tiamat now, but the memory of pain doesn't easily disappear.

Above all.

I couldn't be at ease because I knew that today's experience would give Ellen a hellish feeling.

I thought Ellen might be at the scene, but I didn't expect the crowd to push Ellen and force her to fight.

Harriet released the space blockade and took me out at the right time according to the signal.

The leader of the Black Order is dead, and the remnants have retreated.

There's no way to be sure they'll try to do something to me again.

The area near Hwangdo is periodically swept by knights, so there were no monsters near the gate. Of course, it's not entirely complete, so there are cases where monsters appear in the Hwangdo refugee village.

There were many unexpected events, but I finally achieved my goal.

I succeeded in rescuing Sarkergar, Lucinil, and Charlotte.

I had to be cruel to Ellen unintentionally.

It was inevitable.

I think so.

Charlotte was put to sleep at first.

But now she was awake.

Charlotte, with black hair and red eyes.

Can she ever return to her original state in this state?

"Jeha......"

Sarkergar says to me with a trembling voice.

"I'm sorry. I found you too late. I had too much to do...... No, it's okay. I'm sorry. I was too late."

"No, Jeha. Just seeing you safe like this...... God...... God......"

I hugged Sarkergar quietly, who was crying miserably.

Dreadpind's true appearance was a bit scary, but whatever.

I'm grateful that Sarkergar is safe.

After hugging him like that, I also hugged Lucinil quietly.

"I'm sorry, Lady Gaju. I was late......"

Lucinil also smiled and hugged me back.

"No, not really? Thanks to your warning, I and this nobleman have been doing pretty well. We received a VIP treatment. We heard about what might happen at the execution ceremony today." Lucinil hugged me and patted my back. Finally, I stood in front of Charlotte, who was unconscious. "Uh..." What should I say? Like Charlotte, I didn't know what to say. "First of all, I had to do this..." "..." In front of Charlotte, who had no idea what was going on, I finally sighed. "You have to come with me from now on... um... I'm sorry for everything so far." Seeing me apologize, Charlotte trembled her lips. "You might still hate me... but I couldn't leave you alone." I don't know what Charlotte did wrong. But Charlotte smiled at me. Then, suddenly, Charlotte fell to her knees. Then she bowed her head. She knelt in front of me, holding her head as if she would hit the ground. "Ugh... ugh... ugh! Ugh. Ugh! Ugh!" Charlotte screamed like a beast. Why did we feel guilty towards each other? Why did we become obsessed with the idea that everything was our fault? Charlotte cried like a small animal because of her guilt and remorse. Summary of previous part of chapter only for context: In this chapter, the protagonist stands in front of Charlotte, who is unconscious. The protagonist apologizes to Charlotte and tells her that she has to come with him from now on. Charlotte trembles her lips and smiles at the protagonist. Suddenly, Charlotte falls to her knees and screams like a beast. The protagonist wonders why they both feel guilty towards each other and why they have become obsessed with the idea that everything is their fault. Charlotte cries like a small animal because of her guilt and remorse.

"Our emotions and lies are intertwined, making it seem inevitable that the Gate incident happened. Everyone seemed to think that they were solely responsible for everything that happened. I felt the need to be alone with Charlotte for now. Even at a glance, Charlotte seemed excessively weak and her condition was not good. After stopping her seizure-like crying, Charlotte bowed her head. Even meeting my eyes seemed to make her feel guilty. 'It's all in the past.' '...' 'Let's just end it as us both being at fault.' '...' But those words couldn't erase the guilt Charlotte felt towards me. 'I can't... I can't do that. I don't deserve your help. Not even a little... Don't help me like this... I betrayed you. I couldn't trust you. I didn't try to understand you...' As if it would be better to die by a monster on any street or wasteland. 'People died because of me... All of them... It's because of me...' Charlotte's guilt had become self-punishment beyond self-blame. I grabbed Charlotte's cheeks, which were repeating self-punishing words, and forced her to look into my eyes. Charlotte, with devilish eyes, couldn't even meet my eyes and closed them. 'Do you remember what I said before?' '...' 'What will I become if you do this?' If there was a demon's soul in her body, it would be better to die. I said those words, expressing my regret to Charlotte. 'If you keep doing this without valuing your life, how do you think I feel? 'What will happen to me, who risked my life to bring you here, who had to fight with Black Order and Ellenha to bring you here? If you keep doing this... What will I become?' '...' Charlotte looked at me with tears in her eyes. It was painful for me to see those tears, born from guilt. 'Live for me, even if it's for me. If you're sorry, work for me as much as you're sorry.' '... Work?' 'Yes, to be honest, I brought you here not just to save you... uh...' This might be better. It seemed like she couldn't tolerate herself living in this uncomfortable environment. 'I brought you here to give you work.' Like how Eleris destroyed the Warp Gate to lessen her guilt and self-blame. Let's make Charlotte think that there is something she has to do. And I actually brought Charlotte here because I needed her. 'You have a lot to do.' 'What... what do I have to do...?' "If you feel sorry to me, if you feel guilty towards the people, work. Work to repay the debt of saving your life three times. If these words can give you even a little bit of hope, it's better to say them. 'I'm...in this state...how can I...do anything...' Even though I looked like a devil, I couldn't help but smile a little in this situation. 'No, you're great.' I gently brushed Charlotte's disheveled hair. I shouldn't have said that. 'You have a better visual than me.' '...?' Honestly, it was true that Charlotte had a more demon-like visual than me. There would be no one who would complain about breaking a dish or a cup to a demon representative like this. Charlotte was taken aback by my words that I didn't save her, but brought her here to work, and I pinched her cheeks roughly. '...!' 'So from now on, eat well, take care of yourself, and exercise. Got it?' '...' 'You have to do it properly to work. Don't you?' Charlotte looked up at me with her cheeks pinched. 'Answer quickly.' When I let go of her cheeks, Charlotte lowered her head with a blank expression. '...Yeah.' I knew why I was speaking like this, so Charlotte cried again. I had told her that I would get angry if she kept crying, so she tried to hold back her tears, but she was whimpering and it seemed like she might suffocate. I could only pat her back."