Chapter 144
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 144
I found myself nestled against her, my expression bewildered. Asdal reclined at a leisurely angle, his gaze fixed intently upon us.
"Does anyone here actually understand what's happening?"
Of course, neither Enoch nor Kaiden answered his question. They had received a briefing from me, but the fuller details would have to come from Yuanna.
Asdal swept his eyes across the gathered group, gauging the atmosphere before adopting a pitiful expression.
"Once again, I'm the only one left in the dark. Holy Maiden, I didn't realize you could be so stingy. You haven't told me a thing."
Of course, no one bothered to respond to his complaint.
"I understand you two have much to discuss after so long apart. But for now, let's get some rest and talk tomorrow."
Kaiden, who had been sitting quietly, interjected and wedged himself between Yuanna and me. Then, with the careful attentiveness of a father tending to his daughter, he examined my complexion and guided me to bed.
"Margaret needs to rest."
I couldn't speak to how the others reacted, but the silence from Rujeep—who should have chimed in—left me feeling oddly melancholic.
'I became a member of the Clergy because I actually dislike people.'
'To be precise, I never wanted deep relationships. Becoming a member of the Clergy freed me from the burden of maintaining tiresome human connections. But the doctrine taught otherwise—to love humanity and share that love generously.'
'On this Island, at least, I don't have to pretend. That's been a relief.'
And yet, despite his own denial, he sacrificed himself for everyone.
He may reject the notion, but no one embodies the title of clergy member more perfectly than he does.
'I hope Rujeep and Diego wake up soon.'
I blinked as I listened to the others arranging the night watch rotation. My eyelids felt as though weights had been attached to them.
I hadn't thought I was that exhausted. There was still so much I needed to ask Yuanna....
Perhaps from depleting so much mana, I drifted off to sleep before I realized it.
* * *
A savory aroma tickled my nose. The sweet fragrance resembled wild strawberries....
"Your Highness, you cook so poorly—why don't you just sit quietly and stay out of the way?"
"Stay out of the... What? Listen here, Holy Maiden. That's rather harsh, isn't it? I'm at least trying to help, so couldn't you acknowledge the effort?"
"For heaven's sake. All of you, be quiet, would you? You'll wake Margaret."
"I can manage alone. I'd prefer if everyone would just step aside. You're in the way."
As I opened my eyes, I saw three men and one woman huddled together before the fireplace of the cabin, bickering amongst themselves.
The sight stirred memories of my days on the South Island. A sense of peace settled over my heart. Thank goodness everyone is safe.
'Wait—what about Diego and Rujeep?!'
The thought jolted me upright.
"Are you all right?"
A gentle voice reached me from beside the bed. Still half-asleep, I turned my head and saw Diego's face.
I bolted upright.
"Diego?! Are you all right?!"
At my cry, everyone by the fireplace turned to look at me.
"Margaret, did you sleep well?"
"Young Lady, good morning."
I stared blankly at those gathered before the fireplace offering their morning greetings, then turned back to Diego sitting beside me.
Sss—!
Silver Earthworm perched squarely on Diego's lap and called out to me, its tail wagging like a happy puppy.
What is she doing sitting there of all places?
I caught Diego looking quite pleased as he stroked Silver Earthworm's scales.
Silver Earthworm soon descended from Diego's arms and circled around me, as if welcoming my awakening. I gently caressed Silver Earthworm's scales and asked Diego.
"Are you alright? Your wounds...."
I lowered my gaze slightly to examine Diego's abdomen. The front of his knight's uniform was completely torn, exposing his firm abdominal muscles—where his wound had been.
Concerned, I briefly inspected whether any scars remained on his belly.
"I am fine. I heard that Rodban treated me with the Young Lady's mana."
Diego answered with a composed expression, and his complexion truly looked healthy. He bowed toward me to offer his gratitude.
"Thank you, Young Lady. From the depths of my heart, sincerely."
Then I saw him bite his lower lip firmly, as if something was welling up inside him.
Judging from how he looked when I first met him in the cave, he must have suffered considerably after being captured by the Monster's progenitor.
"Everyone, please eat. We need to formulate an escape plan from now on."
Yuanna spoke to us. I approached those gathered in front of the fireplace alongside Diego.
Kaiden and Enoch seated me between them. Seeing this, Asdal let out a hollow laugh.
"Anyone would think you're a mother bird and baby birds."
"Even if you're jealous, Margaret won't let you have her."
Kaiden handed me a coconut bowl filled with wild strawberry stew as he spoke.
"Jealous? What are you talking about...."
Asdal scratched his cheek, embarrassed, and glanced at me briefly.
I tilted the coconut bowl to my lips and sipped the stew, then looked at him with a puzzled expression. The moment our eyes met, Asdal startled and turned his head away.
What's wrong with him?
I shifted my gaze from Asdal and looked toward Yuanna.
"Um, I'm curious about something regarding the Holy Maiden."
"You must have a lot you want to ask. I understand."
There was much I wanted to ask her.
Whether she truly had regressed. What had happened between us before the regression, whether she knew everything even after the regression, what Jenath and Anata's purpose was, whether the reason they kidnapped us was truly to kill us and steal our mana, what the dimensional gate meant.
In truth, the question I most wanted to ask was whether she truly could not leave this Island.
However, asking that question here might put her in an awkward position. So, setting aside all those numerous questions, what I asked her first was,
"Can we escape?"
That was it.
"We can. I'll make it possible."
Yuanna answered with such conviction, as if making a vow.
"I'm curious how you can do that."
Kaiden, who had just devoured a spoonful of wild strawberry stew, asked Yuanna.
Yuanna set down the coconut bowl she was holding and rummaged through her pocket. Soon she pulled out a familiar key.
It was a key inscribed with the word "Return." And above it, written in the Langrid Empire's language, were the characters [Exit Key].
"There are a pair of wizard siblings who designed this Island. In the underground of the cabin where they live, there's a 'door.' That's the exit that allows you to escape the spacetime of Alea Island. This key can open that door."
At her words, Asdal began bombarding her with questions about who these wizard siblings were and what Alea Island was.
I fell into thought as I watched Yuanna slowly answer him.
There was indeed a reason why "Return" and "Exit Key" were written together. The key Jenath had given her was a master key.
But why had Jenath given Yuanna such a master key? She might open an escape route.
-Only Jenath can open the Dimension's gate. And it's not something he can simply open either.... It's only possible after all the Experiment is complete, by gathering the magical power of the dead. It's not a gate that opens with just one or two people's power.
-That said, there isn't no other way to open the Dimension's gate. If you open the Return Gate with that key, the Dimension's gate will open too. I'll bring Margaret at that time. Jenath still doesn't know we're conspiring together, so we need to move quickly.
I recalled what Anata had said to Yuanna before the regression. And I hurriedly pulled Yuanna's diary from my crossbody bag. It was wet from rain and the letters were hard to make out, but since I roughly knew the contents, it wasn't difficult to read.
[Jenath told me how I could find rest. And I received a key from him. He said it was a master key that could open every door.]
[Today I'm going to search for the place Jenath told me about. I plan to find rest there. I think I'll be able to finish the book I've been writing for record-keeping there as well.]
The method to find rest that Jenath had told Yuanna about. This must have been the way to open the Dimension's gate.
Anata had clearly said that only Jenath could open the Dimension's gate.
After all the Experiment was complete, it was a gate opened with the magical power of the dead—so if Yuanna found rest in the Bunker, meaning took her own life, the Experiment would be perfected.
But why hadn't Jenath gone directly to open the Dimension's gate himself, instead having Yuanna do it on her own?
If the rule was that the experimenter couldn't interfere with the subject's death, then it was likely Jenath couldn't kill Yuanna directly and instead induced her death.
'Then perhaps he was planning to appear at that moment and open the Dimension's gate once Yuanna took her own life.'
Yuanna, who had been watching the diary in my hands, opened her mouth calmly.
"Let me tell you a bit about what happened before the regression. After everyone died, I spent my days alone waiting for my own death, until Jenath took me in at Jenas's Cabin. And as I stayed there, I grew much closer to Anata."
Yuanna glanced at Kaiden, who had quietly sat beside me.
"Anata seemed deeply shaken by her descendant's death. So we found a way to turn the Return Gate."
As I listened to her story, all of us, including myself, turned to look at Kaiden. He shrugged his shoulders with an expression of indifference toward the gazes directed at me.
Yuanna turned back to me and continued speaking.
"If I died as well, the final Experiment would be complete. Jenath's goal was to make me take my own life and open the Dimension's gate. So I asked him how I could find rest. I acted, showing a depressed demeanor and appealing that I wanted to die."
It was an interesting story. Before the regression, had Jenath and his sister taking Yuanna into their cabin been a final arrangement?
Just as Jenath had brought me to his cabin.
"Jenath actually told me the location of the Bunker. He said it would be suitable for finding rest. At that time, Jenath still trusted Anata deeply, so I believed it when she said she would take me there directly. He never imagined we would conspire together and open the Return Gate."
Enoch and Kaiden, who had already heard an explanation from me once before, nodded their heads and fell into thought.
"So that's how it happened."
At Enoch's murmur, I tilted my head with a puzzled expression.
"What's the meaning of the master key anyway? He wouldn't have just given a universal key that opens all doors just to open the Bunker."
"Maybe he was preparing a contingency in case his plan fell apart?"
Kaiden furrowed his brow irritably and asked me.
Could it be that he had predicted Yuanna and Anata might open the Return Gate....
"Then using that key to open 'something' could be a trap."
Or maybe he wanted to play some kind of death game—guess whether it's a real key or not, escape if you're right, die if you're wrong.
I tried to unravel Jenath's intentions, but there was no way I could understand the mad thoughts of that madman.
Damn Jenath.
Anata said she betrayed Jenath, but hasn't she killed countless people all this time? I couldn't trust her easily.
But the truth is, in this situation, she's the only person I can ask for help.
I watched Yuanna explaining things step by step to Asdal and Diego at their eye level and asked.
"First, let's go to Jenas's Cabin and bring Anata. She might know another way to escape."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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