The state of the bathroom was indescribable. Alterra had smashed the wall, mirror and all, and water was leaking through the hole, checking if something was wrong. The bulb, which used magic stones as fuel, had gone out, and on the floor were a few drops of her blood.
I thought if any blood was spilled, it would be mine. I expected she’d beat me until she calmed down. It was the first time I’d seen her look at someone with such eyes.
Even when Alterra looked at her own mother, it wasn’t this intense. Now… if her gaze alone could kill, the person would have died five times over already.
When she clenched her fists, I closed my eyes, thinking I deserved whatever came next. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it, instead destroying the wall and leaving. Looking back now, that hole might just as well have been in my head.
Maybe she hit the wall instead of me because she knew I’d surely die. That’s not what I wanted. At this point, anything goes, but deep down, I know she still cares for me. I wasn’t entirely unhappy about that.
Even amidst all this, all I can think about is Alterra. It’s ironic that the one who claims to care so much for her has been deceiving her, and I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
What exactly upset her? Was it the forbidden power I used? It didn’t seem like it. When explaining why humans shouldn’t use it, she didn’t appear particularly concerned. Her reaction only came when I mentioned the consequences—being hunted by humans or shunned by other races.
She simply doesn’t want me to get hurt. She stayed silent when I talked about dedicating my soul, but reacted strongly when I mentioned sacrificing my eyes.
I always knew someone would find out eventually, but I never thought it would be Alterra. I figured it might be Yuna or some stranger.
If it had been Yuna, she might have pulled out a brush with a hint of regret. We’re colleagues, but we aren’t that close. She doesn’t harbor particular ill feelings toward dark magicians, but she tends to talk too much.
A stranger wouldn’t feel an ounce of guilt pulling out a brush. After all, they’d only meet once. If they preferred, they could even use a sword—it’s better to gather more souls.
As for innocents versus villains, I’d choose the sword over the brush for the latter. Whether this is normal thinking, I’m unsure. But if it were Alterra…
If Alterra found out I practiced dark magic, how should I handle it? Asking for forgiveness while knowing I’ll continue sinning feels too selfish—even to me.
It seems like I’m just trying to alleviate my own guilt. Though I may not be a model human, I don’t want to stoop this low.
On the other hand, continuing without saying anything also poses many problems. Being caught felt somewhat relieving, yet it only complicated things further.
How am I supposed to face Alterra now? Even if I avoid talking to her, how will we communicate from here on? Solving one problem only seemed to create dozens more.
Ha, life. Could my judgment ever truly be sound? A man who’s lived his whole life following others’ decisions should’ve anticipated the chaos that comes with making his own.
Despite the situation not being funny, laughter kept bubbling up. Perhaps I’ve finally lost it. Then again, I stopped hesitating to stab people long ago; does it really matter now?
That’s true. What’s the point of pretending otherwise when I’ve just returned from indiscriminately attacking innocent people?
Lost in my own ramblings, someone entered. It was the innkeeper. Hearing unusual noises from upstairs, she rushed in and immediately turned pale upon seeing the state of the bathroom.
“There was a little quarrel between a couple. I’ll compensate for the damages, so could you arrange another room?”
Mentioning compensation slightly revived her complexion, though she remained visibly shaken. Asking how I made such a pretty young lady cry left me speechless.
Maintaining the usual fake smile proved difficult as I admitted it was indeed a delicate matter. The innkeeper seemed disappointed, muttering that I didn’t seem like the type to cheat.
Hmm, does she think I’m having an affair? Regardless, as long as my dark magic remains undiscovered, everything’s fine. So, I awkwardly laughed it off.
“…My goodness. Who did you catch your eye with, young man? This old woman advises you to chase after her. Apologize quickly—it’s always better to do so sooner than later. She hasn’t gone far, so hurry.”
Her insistence made me feel uneasy, so I simply apologized and stepped out. The doorframe Alterra slammed was nearly falling off.
Carefully opening the door, the hinges gave way, breaking completely.
Knowing the innkeeper’s disapproving gaze followed me, I resisted turning back.
“…Hey, Myungho. What exactly happened? Why is Alterra crying?”
Yuna peeked out from behind the door, looking unusually cautious. She must’ve been like this since Alterra stormed out.
“Yuna, do you happen to know where Alterra went?”
“I don’t think that’s the most important thing right now… I don’t know. Does she even have somewhere to go? No, stop changing the subject and answer my question first. What exactly did you do, Myungho?”
Should I confess everything to Yuna as well? I briefly considered it but decided against it. If Alterra finds out I told Yuna before her, she might lose interest and leave.
I didn’t want that. So, I summarized vaguely.
“…Something terrible. Just understand that much. I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.”
“…Fine. I wasn’t expecting an answer anyway. I saw her leave, but I truly don’t know where she went. You might try asking random passersby. Alterra stands out wherever she goes.”
Yuna sighed deeply, confirming she truly didn’t know. It seemed Alterra moved aimlessly without a clear destination.
This is getting complicated. Looking down the hallway, I noticed footprints likely belonging to her on the wooden floor. Those will need compensation too.
Descending to the ground floor, the usually raucous drunkards were uncharacteristically quiet, nudging each other whenever someone tried to speak.
Stepping outside, the first person I saw was Akashi, hobbling towards the inn with a swollen cheek.
“Hey, what happened to make worms suddenly cheer for me? Let’s hear the reason. Surely, you’ve done something again.”
With a bag of ice obtained from who-knows-where pressed against his face, irritation was evident. However, as he continued looking at me, confusion replaced his frustration.
“Listen, forget everything else. Just tell me one thing. How many times have you used that…?”
Akashi pointed at the heart-shaped tattoo on his wrist, now darker than usual.
“Until I subdued everything guarding Durandino.”
Akashi stared at me, mouth agape, then quietly questioned if I had brain damage, gently interrogating me.
“Didn’t I tell you to use everything carefully except for mana conversion? Did you not understand? Or were you sleeping during lessons? If you didn’t get it, isn’t it normal to ask again? Surely, you didn’t understand everything I said and still act recklessly, right? Speak up.”
Today, I keep encountering unfamiliar expressions from people around me. His flustered yet angry demeanor was surprisingly fresh.
“I did it knowingly, so shut up.”
“…Sigh, fine. Crazy bastard. Do as you please. Use it however you want. How can I stop someone determined to die? Tch, if I’d known this would happen, I would’ve taught you more slowly.”
Akashi left, rubbing the ice bag against his face, clearly fed up. Without him, maybe things with Alterra wouldn’t have escalated this way.
“Hey, wait a second. Just tell me where Alterra went before you leave.”
“No idea. She threw punches as soon as she saw me, then disappeared into the crowd. It hurts like hell… Just wait for her to come back. Getting involved now will probably cause you two to miss each other.”
Some telling me to stay put, others urging me to move.
Who should I listen to? Thinking anymore was exhausting.
I just wanted to delegate everything to someone else. Freedom is more painful than I imagined. Just as I was about to give up, the tattoo on my wrist warmed slightly, and a voice spoke.
“…West.”
For the first time, the demon, who had remained silent, awkwardly interjected, advising me to go west.
