DOTD Chapter 2

A roaring, blazing flame appeared around me.

 

The blue-haired man hid behind the silver-haired guy as if to protect him, and in an instant, an intimidating atmosphere was formed.

 

I stepped back, grimacing at the fiery heat, but was blocked by a tree behind me.

 

“I told you not to rescue anyone who looks suspicious.” The blue-haired man said, broodingly.

 

“That’s not what I said!”

 

The silver-haired man took a step forward in my defense, but was blocked by the man’s hand.

 

Now this has become an awkward situation.

 

I raised my hands to indicate that I had no intention of fighting, but seeing my hands flinch, the man’s grip tightened.

 

So I decided to just talk it out and spoke up, “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.”

 

No matter how I looked at it, the situation was turning against me. A quick apology was essential in this situation.

 

The blue man’s guard was firmly in place even after hearing my words.

 

“I understand that it’s suspicious, and I’m sorry I made a mistake because I’m so confused by the situation.”

 

“You’re right, it’s a misunderstanding.”

 

The silver-haired man interrupted him gently. The man remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

 

“I see. You’ll have to listen to our captain.”

 

The man waved his hand lightly, and the flames floating around me disappeared.

 

It didn’t seem magical, but was it elemental? I stared at the figure curiously.

 

“But Evan, you need to be more alert, this is not the kind of place where it would be strange if she suddenly decided to kill us.”

 

“That’s okay, I have good instincts!”

 

“Instincts… they don’t keep you alive.”

 

“But I’m sure she’s not bad, trust me!”

 

“I trust you, but I don’t trust that person, you idiot.”

 

The blue-haired man was nagging, and the silver-haired guy was futile as hell.

 

As I listened intently to their conversation, I stiffened as a blow to the head hit me.

 

‘Evan?’ 

 

I gasp in a short breath in disbelief.

 

“Hmph.”

 

The small sound drew two sets of eyes to me, and I recognized the silver-haired man in front of me with unusual clarity.

 

He had that elusive silver hair, blue eyes that reminded me of clear, crisp ocean water, a handsome face, and, importantly, the name Evan.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

He was the main character.

 

The one who would save the world by killing the three villains and stopping the war. 

 

Evan Coney, Prince of the Kingdom of Coney.

 

His childhood was anything but fortunate.

 

Born with a curse that would destroy the world, he was abandoned by his parents and imprisoned in a castle.

 

In truth, he was not cursed by the gods, but rather born with divine powers.

 

Those who didn’t know it shunned him, but he grew up to be a bright and righteous man.

 

It’s a very typical coming-of-age fantasy story.

 

Anyway, like any good protagonist, he sets out on an adventure to save the suffering world.

 

And in the story, he does what no one thought he could do.

 

He goes from being an abandoned prince of a small country to a hero who saves the world.

 

The point of my revisiting this perfect coming-of-age story was to try to pinpoint the beginning of his adventure.

 

As I recall, he was…

 

He leaves the kingdom five years after the war begins, setting the stage for his epic tale.

 

‘So he’s out wandering around now, five years after the war started?’

 

When things go wrong, it goes wrong hard.

 

There are a few things to speculate on.

 

First, some time had passed between the time she was attacked by Louis and when she lost consciousness.

 

Second, the timing of the Male Lead’s adventure was accelerated.

 

Third, there was no war or anything.

 

Of the three, the correct answer would be the third, and the one I was hoping for.

 

“Would you like some of this?”

 

I accepted the bowl of cold stew that was thrust into my line of sight.

 

“Can I call you Bella, here, please, before it gets cold? Oh, it’s already cold, I’m sorry.”

 

“Just call me Bella.”

 

“If that’s okay with you, then please call me Evan as well, it’s how we met, and we’re close.”

 

It was an unassuming, friendly greeting for someone who’d been at odds with him the moment they’d met.

 

“Sorry about earlier, Rowan’s a little wary.”

 

Evan gestured to a tall man with blue hair and deep navy blue eyes.

 

Rowan shot me a nonchalant glance in response.

 

The man’s name was Rowan. He was said to be a fire elemental, but this was the first time I’d ever seen one in person.

 

Actually, I know him. He was one of the Male lead’s companions, his right-hand man.

 

The blue-headed man was spying on Evan on the king’s orders, and somehow he ended up joining him on an adventure to stop the war.

 

Of course, along the way, he falls under Male Lead’s charm and accepts him as his lord.

 

I asked as if I knew nothing, “What’s the relationship between you two?”

 

“We’re comrades.” Rowan lied with a casual expression.

 

“Oh, you two seem to get along great, and the way you rushed to defend your comrade was like a knight defending his king.”

 

Rowan looked a little taken aback.

 

“Where did you find me?”

 

Evan touched his chin and began to think and said, “Uhm, you were lying at the entrance to the forest between the Kale Mountains and the Land of Gold.”

 

“I see. Oh, by the way, I’m late to greet you, but thank you for saving my life.”

 

“No, it’s just that I’m a bit of a troublemaker… that’s why I get yelled at so often by Rowan.”

 

He chuckled, trying not to put any pressure on me, and then joked.

 

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m the lucky one.”

 

It took a lot of courage to help a stranger in a dangerous place.

 

In that sense, I don’t know if it’s good or bad that I was found by the Male Lead.

 

Righteousness. It’s too much of a word for me right now.

 

“But how did you end up lying there?”

 

“Actually, that’s… I don’t know.”

 

“What?”

 

I replied hesitantly, fiddling with my stew bowl, “I don’t know why I was lying there, and, weirdly, I don’t have any wounds.”

 

“…Oh.”

 

Evan opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.

 

“I was fatally wounded, and I thought I would be dead, but, strangely, I’m fine.”

 

Not just okay. The massive amount of mana I felt upon waking up.

 

My body’s physiology won’t be able to take in this much mana.

 

Once, I almost died from the sudden surge of mana.

 

At that time, Adrian made a magic item for me.

 

It’s called the ‘Heart Killing Earring’.

 

I lifted my hand and touched the earring on my left earlobe.

 

To be precise, it’s an earring that fakes the death of the heart.

 

It was meant to compensate for the fact that my heart shatters and dies when I receive a large amount of mana.

 

— ‘Help me. I want to be strong, I need to be, and you can help me, Adrian.’

 

He was reluctant to make it for me.

 

— ‘Why do you want to be strong?’

 

— ‘I…’

 

I needed strength to get away from you.

 

And…

 

“I might not be so sure about this.”

 

“What?”

 

Evan’s face turned serious as he blurted out the words.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“No, I mean… that there might be other after-effects, that it wouldn’t hurt to check, just in case!”

 

Evan quickly finished his excuse and gave me a dismissive, slightly stiff smile.

 

“Yeah, I guess we should go see a doctor.”

 

I smiled back. It was only for a moment, but he looked relieved by my laugh.

 

‘What is this guy hiding? Had he noticed something about my condition?’

 

Evan rummaged through his pack and handed me the last of the thick blankets.

 

“It gets pretty cold at night.”

 

He felt similar to my friends, buffed up like a leading man. Like being the center of attention.

 

I couldn’t help but think of them when I was near him.

 

Fighting back an involuntary shiver, I took the blanket from his hand.

 

The three of us huddled around the campfire.

 

I glanced over at Evan, his silver hair glowing orange in the firelight, and made eye contact with him.

 

I looked away, pretending not to be startled, and then he asked me a question.

 

“So, since you’re a mage, do you belong to the Tower of Gold, Bella?”

 

“No.”

 

Evan clapped his hands in glee at my denial, “I thought so, too. All the wizards in the Tower are grim, but Bella doesn’t seem like one.”

 

“Isn’t that just because you’re afraid of wizards?”

 

Rowan, eyes closed and arms crossed, blurted out dryly.

 

“Look at the black robes the mages wear. They look so sinister!”

 

“There’s nothing sinister about black. That’s prejudice.”

 

Rowan and Evan started bickering childishly, like brothers.

 

I had once fought often with Sion, who had also grown up just like a brother.

 

As I watched them argue, rolling my eyes, my eyes locked with Evan’s again.