The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

144 – 144. A Heart Trapped in Coldness (3)

Coordinates of the space adjacent to the Demon King’s Castle.

Great magicians of the 7th circle or higher, capable of casting long-distance teleportation magic.

To confront the ash of death, the help of the magic tower was desperately needed. Thus, they had drawn in Querisa Nesserhane, making the extreme sacrifice of signing a marriage registration.

“I never thought the magic tower would possess the coordinates of the Demon King’s Castle. How on earth did they acquire it? Surely even the Emperor wouldn’t know the coordinates leading to the Demon King’s Castle…”

“Perhaps it was Madveiga who informed you. The sage is the prince of the Tower of Magic, is he not?”

The coordinates connected to the demon realm are strictly controlled by all the nations of the continent. If one were to carelessly open a door to the demon realm, it could be used against them by the forces of the Demon King.

Is it really okay?

I couldn’t help but feel that unease lurking within me.

If the Warp Gate were to be taken by the Reaper of Death, it would pose an existential threat. The Marquisate of Hoenberk, connected to the demon realm, could be engulfed in the chill of death. Therefore, I had to consider my decision with utmost caution.

“Ludmila, do you think His Majesty will grant permission?”

“Do not worry about that. If I explain the situation, he will undoubtedly assist us.”

Wouldn’t he be furious at the thought of making his second daughter, who just graduated as a maiden, into a widow?

Hmm.

The likelihood of that is high.

I had arranged for the payment of five thousand pounds of gold. I even got her involved in the battle against the Reaper of Death. Could there be a more brazen individual in the world? It wouldn’t be surprising if the Emperor suddenly declared a broken engagement.

“I have a question.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“What kind of person is the Second Saintess? Didn’t her husband fight alongside the Saintess Party on the battlefield?”

“……”

The savior saint who defeated the Demon King.

And the witch of betrayal who resurrected the very villain that threatened the world.

Opinions on the Second Saintess were sharply divided.

Ludmila, perhaps curious about Beatrice, who had fallen to the status of the Witch of Death, asked in a very cautious voice. I swallowed my silence and pondered deeply.

“Rumor has it that, unlike some impudent girl, she is a true saint with a benevolent nature. After manifesting the saint’s miracle at the Imperial Academy, she continued her life as a seeker of the one true god, realizing goodwill among the people.”

“A true saint… That is not entirely incorrect.”

Beatrice was like the embodiment of pure goodwill, devoid of any malice.

Could she truly be called the heroine of a romantic fantasy?

No matter the trials, Beatrice never faltered. Always emphasizing the transient nature of justice and goodwill, she overcame the grand finale alongside the male protagonists. I even felt a sense of respect for her.

“And she is also Ethan’s first love.”

“That’s not true.”

The girl with flowing silver hair pouted as she spoke.

I immediately opened my mouth in response to the blunt tone of Jebeline’s voice.

“First love…? Are you saying the Second Saintess is his first love?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. Do you think Maximilian would harbor feelings for the Second Saintess he admires? It’s a baseless rumor, so please disregard it.”

How.

How on earth do you know?

I looked at Jeblinne with trembling eyes.

Could it be that there was some connection to the Saintess Party in the past? Otherwise, there was no way this secret, which I had tried to bury as a lifelong dark history, could be exposed…

In Jeblinne’s blue eyes, I felt a certainty burning like a wildfire, fueled by jealousy. I had no choice but to accept that I had been discovered during my time as a war fanatic.

“Is it true?”

“Th-That can’t be.”

“The First Saintess has always expressed hostility towards the Second Saintess. I thought it was just simple jealousy… I never imagined there would be such hidden reasons.”

“……”

A woman’s intuition was the greatest threat and fear for a man.

Cold sweat dripped down from Ludmila’s brow at the speculation.

“Isn’t your husband a married man who signed the marriage registration? Although the wedding was not held… he should remember that he is a married man to the Second Princess of the Baltaria Empire.”

“It was just a childish infatuation. It doesn’t matter now.”

I meant it.

It was true that I had feelings for Beatrice.

But my heart towards the Second Saintess had been completely abandoned.

The reason for wanting to rescue Beatrice, who was caught in the calamity of death, was out of concern for my comrades. I explained to Ludmila and Jeblinne in a serious tone that it was certainly not due to the affection I had harbored in the past.

“Hmm. Unlike the First Saintess, I am not a bothersome woman who digs into the past of my beloved husband. If my husband has truly given up on the Second Saintess, I will not pry any further.”

“That is something to watch for in the future.”

If I had not been able to let go of my feelings for Beatrice, I would have been killed on the spot.

Without a doubt, I would have faced the harshest punishment.

“The Master of the Mage Tower says it will take a month to activate the Warp Gate. It seems we will have to wait without moving for a month.”

“A month… It is the calm before the storm.”

A month.

It was the result of consulting the Grand Sorcerers of the Mage Tower.

I had paid a staggering 3,000 pounds of gold.

Therefore, in order to recoup my investment, I decided to constantly urge the Mage Tower.

It felt guilty to demand a forced march from men whose average age was nearing seventy, but what could I do? If they had greedily consumed the money, it was only natural that they should work hard, even if it meant grinding their bones.

“Has your husband ever been to the heart of the demon realm? I have heard that the center is a pitch-black world where the sun does not rise, unlike the outside, which is similar to the present world.”

“I am curious as well. I participated in the war, but I have never reached the center.”

A realm where even the sun and moon, which illuminate all things, cannot reach.

The territory of the great demons that rule the dark world.

The heart of the demon realm, where the Demon King’s castle is located.

The center of the demon realm, regarded as an unknown space, exists only as fragmented information. Despite the empire and the Holy Kingdom deploying countless adventurers, they have failed to reach the center. It is said that the only adventurers to have reached the center are the Saintess Party.

“It was a fortress isolated by rugged mountain ranges and sheer cliffs. Countless legions worshipping the Demon King guarded the surroundings like ironclad sentinels.”

“How did the Saintess Party break through the countless encirclements of the demon realm and defeat the Demon King?”

“…Ahem.”

“Hoho, indeed, my husband. I am immensely proud as your wife.”

If I were to enumerate the feats accomplished by the Saintess Party that broke through the heart of the demon realm, it would take day and night to explain, and still be insufficient.

Where should I begin?

Clearing my throat, I skimmed through the memories of the time we attacked the Demon King’s castle.

Perhaps sensing that the story would be lengthy, Ludmila and Jeblinne sat on the sofa. And the quick-witted maids promptly brought forth refreshments.

* * *

Brother.

In the future, you will become a hero, right?

I will also become a great knight to assist you! Someday, you will be the strongest hero who defeats the wicked Demon King!

Why was that?

I recalled my younger sibling, a spirited personality who always followed me closely.

The younger sibling who supported the foolish brother who always caused trouble due to his rough nature. The innocent smile of my sibling flashed through my mind like a fleeting light.

I could no longer meet them.

They passed away prematurely due to an incurable disease before reaching adulthood.

Every time I recalled the image of my younger sibling, the only emotion that followed was regret. I could not forgive myself for always being brusque with someone so dear.

“Ethan….”

A man with black hair exhaled white breath as he spoke.

Was it due to prolonged exposure to the cold?

The man, wielding the holy sword, was covered in pure white frost from head to toe.

As the pitch-black holy sword emitted a dark, divine power, the fierce chill of death that had been raging retreated with a grotesque scream. The divine essence of the Earth Mother embedded in the holy sword was in direct opposition to the chilling death that engulfed the Demon King’s castle, causing it to lose its strength.

-Maximilian…! Do you dare to oppose the Empress of Death? You traitor!

A robe emblazoned with the emblem symbolizing the magic tower.

In both hands, a fierce flame of magical power blazed like wildfire.

The cursed being, flashing with a blue light and revealing its hostility, was a sage who had fallen into the realm of the undead. Deprived of life by the chill of death, Madveigh von Gisterd had become an archlich, a higher form of lich.

The same fate befell his other companions.

All the members of the saintly party who embraced the chill of death had turned into cursed beings.

“I cannot allow you to roam this world. I shall seal you so that you cannot escape the Demon King’s castle. You must become a necessary evil, living an immortal life to thwart the gray that threatens the world.”

The witch of death had turned the Demon King’s castle into a frozen wasteland.

The saintly party, now cursed beings wielding the calamity of death.

If their existence threatened the world, then the end of the world would have no choice but to be postponed.

As if to prove this, when the witch of death and her minions were born, the gray that had covered the demon realm began to slowly dissipate. Maximilian raised the flames of the holy sword that contained his lifespan, a faint smile gracing his lips.