DOTD Chapter 29

 

I turned away and left the space without looking back. Then, I moved my steps to a place I had never been before.

 

Just aimlessly, I wanted to clear my cluttered mind. I walked wherever my feet took me.

 

Fortunately, perhaps because I was wearing the robes of the magic tower, no one seemed to find me suspicious.

 

Throughout the magic tower, there were many people still repairing the damage caused by the monsters.

 

I stared blankly at the scene for a moment before taking a step.

 

It felt somewhat real. If I hesitated, it would be like turning a blind eye to the damage Louis was causing to the continent.

 

“…I know. I know.”

 

I muttered the same words I had said to Adrian.Knowing something and actually putting it into action are worlds apart.

 

“Sigh…”

 

A deep sigh escaped me. Do they really need me?

 

Even if it’s not me, there’s Evan, and there are still remnants of divine power on the continent. Besides, many people want to kill Louis.

 

‘Don’t pity me.’

 

The voice that came back to me made me wonder.

 

Do I pity him? Is this reluctance to kill Louis born out of sympathy?

 

‘Louis, I…’

 

My confused feelings didn’t easily settle, and I ended up walking farther than I intended.

 

When I came to my senses, I realized I had left the magic tower and entered a village.

 

‘Wow. So this is Avanta, the place I’ve only heard about.’

 

I looked around at the people passing by and the scenery of the village.

 

Come to think of it, I was brought to the magic tower unconscious, so I hadn’t seen this place.

 

From what I knew, Avanta was a village that always seemed leisurely and peaceful, living alongside the mages of the magic tower.

 

But now…

 

The atmosphere of the village was bleak. They, too, were repairing the damage caused by the monsters.

 

The eyes of the people walking the streets were anxious and weary.

 

A baby standing closest to me pointed and said, “A mage.”

 

“No, baby. Don’t go near.”

 

A woman, presumably the mother, pulled her child back and hid him behind her. I suddenly looked down at the robes I was wearing.

 

Now that I thought about it, the residents near me were all tense, watching me cautiously. I remembered what Yzmel had said.

 

The mages, using the war as an excuse, were recklessly committing crimes everywhere.

 

Of course, not all mages were like that, but those who had already suffered damage had no choice but to be wary.

 

Even if the mages were protecting them from enemy attacks. I pulled my hood tightly and quickened my pace.

 

As I passed by without causing any trouble, the people let out sighs of relief and continued with their tasks.

 

‘The village looks so gloomy.’

 

I didn’t want to return to my room in the magic tower like this.

 

The place I arrived at after wandering aimlessly was a path leading to the outskirts of the village.

 

It was a quiet place with no people, so I took off my hood and took a deep breath.

 

The open sky and the hills gradually lifted my spirits. I was enjoying that serene moment when—

 

Thud—

 

Something bumped into my leg, and I looked down.

 

That something was a small child who didn’t even reach my waist.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“…”

 

The child just stared up at me with unfocused eyes.

 

“Little one, what’s your name?”

 

“…”

 

‘Can’t you speak? Are you hurt somewhere?’

 

I was examining the child when an old man pulling a wooden cart from behind noticed us. He set down the cart and quickly ran over, shielding the child behind him.

 

“I’m sorry. If the child did something wrong…”

 

“No! He didn’t do anything wrong. I was just standing in his way.”

 

The old man stared at my face for a moment, then relaxed and said, “You’re a good mage, aren’t you?”

 

“Huh?”

 

The old man’s eyes were calm. I think I understood what he meant by ‘good mage.’

 

‘A mage who doesn’t commit lawless acts,’ right?

 

“Ray, are you okay?”

 

The child, who had been as unresponsive as a doll, nodded slightly at the old man’s words.

 

The old man gently stroked Ray’s head with a loving touch, then bowed to me.

 

“Thank you, mage.”

 

I was so flustered by his polite greeting that I couldn’t say anything, but I called out to him as he turned to leave.

 

“…Excuse me!”

 

The old man, who was preparing to pull the cart again, looked back at me. I had been strangely bothered by the cart he had been pulling since earlier.

 

“Where are you headed? If you need any help, I can assist you.”

 

The old man looked at Ray, who was slowly walking ahead, and then spoke.

 

“We’re going to the graveyard.”

 

🦋

 

The graveyard we arrived at after helping the old man pull the cart was very different from what I had imagined.

 

Countless mounds of dirt filled the endless expanse of the hillside.

 

Most of the graves had rocks or scraps of cloth placed on top to indicate who lay beneath.

 

Occasionally, I saw graves with flowers placed on them. I was at a loss for words as I took in the scene.

 

A strange feeling churned in my heart. I felt both choked up and angry.

 

What the old man had brought on the cart was also someone’s body. He said they were people who had suffered severe injuries during the recent monster invasion and hadn’t recovered.

 

The old man’s work was to gather those who had no family to hold a funeral for them and create graves for them.

 

The old man naturally settled into his spot and began digging a hole.

 

Ray walked past him and stopped in front of one of the graves.

 

The old man, who had been glancing at me as I stood quietly, spoke up.

 

“Ray is an orphan who lost his parents in the war. The grave in front of him now belongs to his parents.”

 

He continued speaking without stopping his digging.

 

About a year ago, Ray’s parents were killed by the imperial army that had invaded Avanta.

 

In an instant, Ray became an orphan. He spent a day holding onto his parents’ bodies until he was found by people who came to help.

 

“It was around that time that I started making graves for those who had no one to mourn them. And Ray has come here every single day without fail, just like this……”

 

I could see Ray’s small back as he crouched by the grave.

 

A pang shot through my chest. 

 

The wind blew, tousling the child’s hair as it passed.

 

“I’ve told him not to do this, but he won’t listen. It’s not like I can bring his parents back to life… All I can do is hope that time will heal him.”

 

I approached the old man and used my magic to help him with his work.

 

The old man let out a small exclamation of amazement as a large hole formed in the ground.

 

“So all these graves are…”

 

“All of them belong to those who died because of the war.”

 

The old man answered my unfinished question calmly, but it only made it sound sadder.

 

So many people lost their lives because of the war?

 

I bit my lip hard. I felt wretched. Ignoring the urge to turn away, I took in each one of the countless graves.

 

The situation in other regions outside of Avanta wouldn’t be any different.

 

My head throbbed, and I pressed my hand to my forehead.

 

“Sigh…”

 

A bitter laugh escaped me along with a sigh. Yes, I failed to stop the war from happening.

 

Look squarely at what that failure has caused.

 

Now I understand. I can’t turn away from what I have to do.

 

Cleaning up the mess of my failure—that’s my responsibility. I failed to prevent Louis’s corruption, so even though it’s late, I must kill him.

 

With my own hands. I felt tears welling up, but I forced my eyes open.

 

And I reaffirmed my resolve in my heart.

 

‘I have to kill Louis. I will.’

 

As I was finishing up the grave-digging with the old man, I sensed the presence of people not far away.

 

Wondering if there was someone else making graves besides us, I turned to look and my eyes widened.

 

“Evan?”

 

“Bella!”

 

Evan also noticed me and called out cheerfully. Seeing Evan’s bright face as he greeted me made me feel a little better.

 

The anxiety I’d felt, not knowing how much time had passed since I left the barrier room, also eased.

 

‘I don’t have to rush back.’

 

I had been debating whether to use teleportation magic to return to my room. I walked over to him and spoke.

 

“Evan, how did you end up here?”

 

He pointed to a mage in robes standing beside him. It seemed like the mage was assigned to monitor him…

 

“First, let me introduce someone new. This is Sammy. Say hello, Sammy! This is Bella.”

 

“I told you not to say it like that, Evan! I’m here to monitor whether you’re faithfully carrying out your volunteer work!”

 

Amusingly, it seemed Evan’s natural charisma had even won over his monitor. It was such a typical Evan thing to do that I let out a small laugh.

 

“Ahaha. Nice to meet you, Sammy.”

 

“Hmm, you really are a beauty. I had no idea there was a mage like you in the tower. If it’s alright with you, could I shake your hand…”

 

“Huh?”

 

The mage, who had a surprisingly burly build for a mage, extended his hand and approached me in a friendly manner, which made me slightly flustered.

 

Refusing a handshake seemed impolite, so just as I was about to take his hand, Evan stepped between me and Sammy.

 

Evan completely blocked Sammy from my view and smiled brightly.

 

Sammy, who had been lightly pushed aside, grumbled.

 

“Uselessly strong…”

 

Evan didn’t even glance at him, regardless of his complaints.

 

“Evan, what’s this about volunteer work?”

 

“Ah, I asked if I could do something like that. It was hard staying in the room all the time. I’ve been helping out here with digging graves.”

 

As he explained, the villagers who had been working alongside him praised him.

 

“The young man is so strong, it’s great! He can lift huge rocks like they’re nothing!”

 

“A real powerhouse, a powerhouse!”

 

Others around chimed in agreement. Evan scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

 

“People who need my strength are unfamiliar, so it’s a little embarrassing, but it feels good.”

 

Ah, this is a village of mages, so there probably aren’t many people with physical strength.

 

“I also realized that I’m not as strong as I thought…”

 

He muttered softly. It seemed like his defeat in the fight with Adrian was still weighing on his mind.

 

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I might be able to work with him.

 

As long as my resolve to kill Louis doesn’t waver, perhaps.

 

“Evan, that goal you mentioned last time. It hasn’t changed, has it?”

 

I asked if his determination to stop the war was still the same.

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

He answered softly but firmly. And he looked at me with a mix of curiosity and anticipation, wondering why I was asking such a question.

 

I didn’t answer his curiosity and instead asked again.

 

“If things work out well here, do you have a next destination in mind?”

 

“As I mentioned earlier, I’ve realized there are so many people stronger than me in the world. I want to go somewhere where I can see and learn more.”

 

“Where is that?”

 

“The Kingdom of Bennet, which is said to have the strongest knight order in the world.”

 

The name that came out of his mouth was a very familiar one.

 

A place where another friend of mine resides.