EIITAB - Chapter 135 < Inside the Cave >
Do Your Best And Regret
Before Hestia could reply, Aslan opened his mouth again, showing his impatience.
"You didn't send a signal. But what if it still comes up like this?"
Yet he continued to examine Hestia through her eyes.
Although he knew well that Martin and Jerome were among the few capable men he recognized, he still could not completely suppress his worries.
"It was very safe, Your Excellency. There aren't any dangerous demons on the way."
Thinking that he should take Hestia's side and protect her, Martin skipped the greeting and joined in.
"Everyone in Kalathi Castle was worried about His Excellency and the punitive forces who had not heard any news. If we hadn't followed the Princess's instructions and had just waited in the castle, we wouldn't have noticed that an avalanche had occurred."
"I think Martin is right, Sir."
"I'm glad you came here."
Wharton and Dean nodded and joined in.
Only then did Aslan close his lips in response to Martin's opinion, which had no place to forcefully point out.
Hestia glanced at his expression and raised her hand.
As a slightly cold fingertip touched his cheek, Aslan let out a long, heavy breath.
"Aslan, are you hurt anywhere?"
It looked like he was in bad shape as it was still attached to the demonic beast.
Aslan looked embarrassed and stroked his face with her hand. The air of humility was clearly evident in his actions.
"I'm fine. I wasn't hurt anywhere."
He rolled Hestia's hand and squeezed it away from his face.
But even though he lowered her arm completely, he didn't let go of his tight grip.
His lips smiled and drew an arc.
Hestia's higher body temperature and solidity helped control his anxiety.
While the two people were secretly peeking at each other and unable to hide their laughter, each of the knights casually flopped down on the floor nearby and took a breather.
"Wow, I really thought I was going to die this time."
"I know, yeah. No matter how many times I cut it, it kept pushing back without end, so it was really dark before my eyes."
"But isn't it a bit strange?"
"What do you mean?"
"Strangely, I don't seem to be as tired as I thought. Do you feel like your strength is continuously increasing?"
Hestia, who had unintentionally overheard the knights' conversation, watched them carefully and added her words carefully.
"You're probably recovering."
Everyone looked at Hestia with curious eyes at her words.
Hestia, with blushing cheeks, continued her explanation in a slightly quieter voice than when she first spoke.
"This place is full of divine power. Unless you are seriously injured, scratches or shallow cuts will heal quickly. The same goes for recovering from fatigue."
The knights who were listening to Hestia's story with wide eyes each burst into admiration.
"Oh, I really think so. Surely, up until now, I thought, 'Oh, I don't know!' whether I live or die, and I just wanted to close my eyes and lie down and sleep? But now, strangely, my eyes felt like they were watering......! It was all thanks to the Princess's power."
The members of the subjugation team looked at her with reverence for Hestia.
Hestia felt uncomfortable and unfamiliar with receiving this kind of attention, so she quietly retreated behind Aslan and disappeared.
"Princess, shouldn't you tell Your Excellency about it?"
"Ah! That's right. I have to do it."
Then, when Martin spoke to her, her face hardened and she nodded.
Only Aslan, Dean, and Wharton, who had no idea what Hestia and Martin were trying to say, tilted their heads at her.
Hestia exchanged a glance with Martin before she opened her mouth and turned her gaze to Aslan.
No matter how much he dealt with it, he, the lord of this land, should not have known that a demonic beast had appeared in the castle.
"That happened."
Hestia explained her actions appropriately and finished explaining the events of last night.
Then, as if receiving her words, Martin immediately opened his mouth.
"It seems like the princess is embarrassed to reveal her activities, so I will tell you the parts I left out."
Martin continued his explanation in an unobtrusive manner.
All members of the subjugation team could not erase their surprise at the story of the appearance of a wolf-type demon beast that had occurred last night.
"Because it was close to a surprise attack, the odds were very unfavorable. If it weren't for the Princess, there might have been quite a lot of casualties."
Aslan, who was receiving the report while stroking his lower jaw, looked back at Hestia with unexpected eyes.
"Really, you?"
"Really, a moment ago.... You saw it."
Hestia responded with a slightly pouty expression at the suspicious look in his eyes.
Aslan obediently nodded his head.
"You do it."
If Hestia hadn't appeared at that moment and put a leash on the demon beasts, and if she hadn't put a barrier around them like this, he wouldn't have dared to dream of the rest he have now.
Since all northerners did not want to pay attention to the temple, Hestia's divine power could not help but feel very unfamiliar and strange.
It was the same for Aslan.
He took another look at the golden energy that surrounded them like a membrane.
"Anyway...... So we had no choice but to leave right away. Because we have to solve the fundamental problem."
"Whoa... Yes."
Although Aslan fully understood the decision, he was annoyed and did not like why he could not protect this woman with his own strength, so he had to curl up and bite his lips several times.
Meanwhile, Hestia's gaze turned towards the cave.
The frozen waterfall had already broken into pieces, allowing them to see the situation Inside the cave to some extent.
Although not as large as wolf-type beasts, beasts of various shapes and sizes were each growling at the people gathered inside Hestia's barrier.
Hestia muttered, swallowing her dry saliva.
"The demon beast really keeps coming out of that cave, just as you said."
Hestia's voice sounded a few notes lower than usual, and Aslan's eyes followed suit.
Hestia stared into the cave for a moment longer and then stood up. The exhausted knights seemed to have regained their stamina. That also meant that the time had come for Hestia to enter the cave.
Hestia regained her composure by taking a short breath and opening her mouth heavily.
"Come inside with me, Aslan."
"But, Hestia."
Aslan hesitated.
Even though he had seen her power purify the demons and reduce them to ashes, a part of him felt uneasy for some reason.
She knew what he was worried about, but Hestia insisted.
"This work needs to be done by me. Only then can we finish it properly."
Aslan also knew.
He was just unwilling.
But he couldn't even get the words to persuade Hestia out of his mouth.
Because she showed signs of getting inside, even if she was on her own.
"Okay, let's go. It has to end now."
In the end, Aslan gave up his disapproval and nodded to her.
He didn't have time to drag it any further anyway.
***
It was decided not to bring the Commander or other members of the punitive force with him.
Since the demonic beasts did not pose a major threat to Hestia and Aslan, it seemed that if the subjugation team took care of only those who jumped out of the cave, other demonic beasts would not go down the mountain.
After sharing what they each had to do, Hestia and Aslan stood at the entrance to the cave behind the ice waterfall.
Before entering in earnest, Hestia wrapped several layers of divine power around Aslan and herself.
Aslan asked, looking at the golden light that grew darker as time went on.
"Is it okay for you to use your power like this? Aren't you tired?"
Hestia shook her head.
"I'm not tired. Really."
She definitely didn't pretend to be okay because she was afraid he would worry.
This was possible because, unlike before, the overflowing divine power was endlessly regenerating her body.
Hestia finally felt like she had regained her strength.
Aslan held the torch in his right hand and Hestia's hand in his left, and slowly walked into the cave.
The demon beasts hesitated and leaned against the wall to avoid touching them.
Then, some of them were unable to escape and reached the barrier, but each time they burned up without even feeling any pain and disappeared without a trace.
The two people who were walking quietly without any conversation suddenly realized that the cave was getting wider.
"Just a little more and it will come out."
"All right."
Hestia solemnly nodded her head.
She had been told that there was no other way out than the one she came in from, but for some reason she could still feel a cool, damp breeze coming from inside the cave.
Hestia, suffocated by the musty smell, pursed her lips.
'The deeper you go, the thicker the turbidity becomes.
Her eyes became more cautious and sharp.
Meanwhile, Aslan was busy swinging his feet left and right with each step.
There were too many bones of dead demon beasts scattered on the floor.
He quickly put those strange things away so they wouldn't touch Hestia's toes.
"Aslan, but it's too quiet inside."
"I know."
At some point, the demon beasts stopped coming out.
Aslan muttered quietly to keep him from tensing up.
"What on earth is going on inside?"
"Well. But won't we find out when we go, in?"
Hestia answered with a stronger voice than she expected, and she followed closely behind Aslan.
How much further did she walk in like that?
Suddenly a strong wind blew from inside.
"...... Huh?"
The torch Aslan was holding went out, and the surroundings went dark in an instant.
Comments
Post a Comment