One who cannot trust anyone ends up lonely.
Distrust is a kind of curse.
The more someone is unable to trust others, the stronger their self-confidence becomes.
A person who cannot rely on another’s support can lean on no one. Thus, they must bear all the burdens of life alone.
Sometimes, unable to withstand the weight, they may buckle.
They never end up trusting anyone and gradually fade away.
This was the first sin born from Delphrium: ‘Arrogance.’
Arrogance gave birth to ‘suicide’ as a cause of death.
The irony of only trusting oneself and thereby killing oneself.
Thus, suicide was the loneliest form of death, yet there were occasionally people in the world in an even more pitiful state.
People who couldn’t even trust themselves.
Their lives were little less than a living hell.
Because it meant they lacked even the lowest level of certainty required to sustain life.
The same was true for the girl who once believed herself to be “Ria Percus.”
She could no longer trust anything.
She didn’t even know who she was.
The starting point for the nightmare was always the same.
A sensation of a blade sinking into flesh was felt.
It was a tactile sensation so vivid it sent shivers down one’s spine. Ria looked at her trembling hands, streaked with blood.
The mark of an unsightly sin.
The hand of a monster that killed her beloved brother.
“Ahh… no… no….”
A tearful sob brought her blurry gaze to her golden pupils.
It was the only tether between her and her first love, and the color that symbolized a barrier.
‘Blood relation.’
What cruel fate was this?
Thus, Ria’s sin became all the clearer.
Because she was the woman who stabbed her first love and her brother to death.
“N-no, no, no… it’s a lie… a lie…”
Chanting nothing but denials, Ria buried her face into her brother’s embrace. She could still feel the heartbeat and his faint breaths.
It wasn’t too late.
Suddenly, like the beacon of light in the pitch-black darkness.
Ria clung to this frail thread of hope and raised her head.
But the nightmare was just beginning.
Through her collapsing white vision, a new scenery became apparent.
It was the reception room of Percus Manor.
There, a woman appeared, her face contorted with agony.
Though her complexion had grown pale over the past few days, her beauty still shone.
The woman, with silver-threaded hair and pearl-like eyes, was known as the Lady Virgin Saint.
Her lips, from which compassionate words had once flowed, were now tightly sealed. There was no sign of them being willing to open any time soon.
At first glance, it seemed as if she was merely being stubborn.
She was responding to an unbearable truth with silence.
Of course, this resistance was futile.
Since the eyes of everyone present were on her, the Lady Virgin Saint couldn’t hold out for too long.
The silence was broken as the Lady’s lips finally parted.
A trembling voice escaped.
“… We cannot rule out the worst-case scenario.”
Though expressed with mild language, the meaning was clear.
A cold silence descended upon the reception room.
Administrative Officer Arthur of the Empire wiped the cold sweat from his brow and adjusted his glasses. Raymond sighed deeply with his arms crossed, and Viscount Percus bowed his head deeply.
And then there was Mrs. Percus, whose mind seemed dazed. She could only stay upright thanks to Aaron who supported her.
Surprisingly, the rest of the party remained silent.
Perhaps it was all too hard to believe.
Since everyone was trying to maintain their silence, someone had to speak up.
That someone was Raymond.
“What do you mean by ‘the worst-case scenario’?”
The Lady hesitated for a moment, then exhaled a damp sigh.
She carefully added.
“… It means he may have to return to the arms of the Heavenly Deity.”
The reality confirmed once more was excessively cruel.
Sighs and murmurs of despair filled the room.
Celin and Ceria were left speechless. Senior Elsi glared at the Lady Virgin Saint, her eyes full of tears.
Only Leto and Yulen seemed to be keeping their composure relatively well.
Leto asked directly as usual.
“Which side is more likely?”
All eyes turned to Leto.
Despite this, he pressed on, his tone slightly urgent.
“Survival or death… which is more probable, bluntly speaking?”
The Lady Virgin’s gaze fell again.
It was a sure sign of ill tidings for anyone to see.
The already fragile Mrs. Percus squeezed her eyes shut.
Eventually, it was the Lady Virgin who could no longer endure the silence.
A faint quiver of sobs began to permeate her voice.
“… The latter…”
“How much, roughly?”
With these words, Leto’s gaze turned somewhat fierce.
He was like a predator who had already clamped down on his prey.
His eyes, which had darkened by now, made it clear he wouldn’t let her off even if she tried to dodge the answer.
The Lady Virgin, with her vast experience in dealing with all sorts of people, knew all too well.
A tormented sigh escaped her.
Finally, she covered her face with her delicate hands.
“Ah… it’s still early in the treatment phase… we need to observe, but if it continues like this… it’s likely over seven in ten chances…”
“… Don’t joke around.”
The answer, delivered amidst her stammer, hadn’t even finished when a low growl broke out.
It came from Elsi Rainelle.
Her tightly clenched fists trembled. It was a mystery where such strength originated in those slender arms.
Already, a drop of moisture clung to her eyes.
She could not, would not accept it, as she shouted with all her might.
“Haven’t we managed to keep him alive until now?! And now, you’re saying he might die?! He’s alive… he’s still breathing! You’re the most beloved maiden of the Heavenly Deity, aren’t you!”
Every step Elsi took forward echoed with her outcries, causing the Lady Virgin Saint to flinch and sniffle.
It was the first time the Lady Virgin had shown tears in front of the group.
For this reason, Elsi liked the Lady even less.
She wished the Lady could stand tall and proud as ever.
She wished she would tell them they could save him, to wait and see.
But the Lady VirginSaint couldn’t embellish it as mere reassurance.
Because life was so precious.
A surge of frustration clouded Elsi’s mind.
Stumbling forward, she took another step.
Her eyes brimmed with raw emotion.
“To save… save him…”
Her voice was earnest.
It broke out, faint and quivering from her throat.
“S-save him… you, you can do it… can’t you…”
She couldn’t take another step.
Having dropped to her knees with a heavy thud, she sobbed uncontrollably.
“Anything… anything… I’ll do. Yes? Please, our Lord I-an, save him! Kill me if you must! Just, umm, waaah… H-he, he…”
The fierce stance of the girl was shattered all at once.
She was now ready to cling to the ankles and beg.
Unable to bear the sight of his niece in tears, Raymond sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
The atmosphere became even more somber.
It was the Lady Virgin Saint who broke the silence.
“… You think I don’t want to save him?”
Sobbing, she stood up.
Eyes of soft pink now glared bitterly at Elsi.
“Did you think that I didn’t want to save him?! I-I’ve tried every method available! I’ve prayed day and night for three days since the incident with the Demon’s retinue! If only praying could save Ian…”
Elsi didn’t answer.
Only despair-filled blue eyes were directed toward the Lady.
The girl was trying her best not to cry, biting her lips fiercely, though it only made her look more fragile.
The Lady Virgin Saint who had risen, relying on her anger, now realized there was no way to direct her fury properly at the current state of her audience.
Unable to maintain her strength any longer, she finally fell to her knees too.
Bracing herself with a hand on the floor, the Lady Virgin began sobbing.
“Just, if he could survive….”
She would do anything.
This was the undisguised truth from the Lady Virgin.
Had the adversary not been one of the Demon’s retinue, the Heavenly Saint would have been able to save Ian.
But the dark power muted the sacred energy.
The power of the Corpse Giant worked the same way.
With each blow to Ian, the dark power had seeped into him.
This was the result.
All hope now rested with the Will of the God to save Ian.
And so, the Lady Virgin Saint began her prayers in her kneeling position.
“… Lord, I beseech you.”
That was all she could do for now.
Her fervent prayer seemed to weigh heavily on everyone present.
Tap, tap, tap.
The only sounds breaking the eerie atmosphere were these taps from the armrest of a chair.
The one responsible was Arthur, Administrative Officer of the Empire.
He moved his index finger with unrest then abruptly stood up.
“There is nothing appropriate I can say on this matter… nonetheless, Ian’s heroic battle will be remembered for a long time.”
“He’s not dead yet.”
The tone was sharp.
Startled, Arthur’s eyes turned to the owner of the voice. There, eyes burning with quiet anger, stood the amber-brown gaze of Celin Haster.
Celin Haster.
Recalling the name, Arthur burst into a nervous laugh pretending it was a mistake.
“Of course, this is only a hypothetical scenario. As per the Swordmaster, no effort will be spared in aiding Ian. The Empire will treat him accordingly… However, isn’t there one issue pending?”
Celin’s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly.
Arthur had never been someone Celin trusted much.
He was dutiful and conscientious, but also had a commoner-like nature.
And the reaction common to a person facing an unbearable responsibility was consistent:
Passing the buck.
“There is still that monster spawned by the Dark Cult and possibly the entity responsible for Ian’s death.”
Several images flickered through Celin’s mind.
Arthur’s overly compliant behavior toward Ian. He might even know the secrets behind Ian’s Dragonblood Mark.
And the death of a bearer of the Dragonblood Mark carried immense responsibility.
Even if the cause of death was entirely the bearer’s fault, matters were the same.
The Imperial Court was like that after all.
However, capturing a scapegoat might change the story.
Celin’s eyes were now filled with disdain.
“… Could it be that you’re…”
“My suggestion is this. This whole matter was overlooked before due to the urgency…”
Celin didn’t get a chance to finish her words as Arthur deftly steered the conversation into the heart of the matter.
His arm pointed.
It was then that Ria, cowering in the dark corner, trembling while listening to the Lady Virign Saint’s words, realized her presence had been noticed.
“… Let’s hold the monster accountable. Ian must be made to pay for his crime of stabbing with a blade!”
At that one line, Ria immediately felt her breath catch.
