Beware of the Red Thread

Chapter 44

No, I’m fine! As I backed away with a rather stern momentum, Karein gave a slightly hurt expression.

“…… The priest is here too.”

Lucia passed my shoulder and started wiping his forehead with the wet towel she had brought in. The timing is terrible. I immediately retreated to the doorway and started timing my exit, but I couldn’t keep Karein from taking his eyes off me during treatment.

“Where are you going?”

“No, I think it’s time for treatment for you, so I don’t want to disturb you…”

“Did you say you have questions about Solar? Please wait as it will be over soon.”

…… I’d like to ask you about Solar, but not right now! It seems strange to run away like this.

“How are you feeling?”

While I was having a serious internal conflict, Lucia almost hugged Karein and began to remove his red thread. It hurts a lot here, isn’t it? I was embarrassed to see her stroke his bare chest over and over again. As expected, the treatment was deliberately delayed.

“Thanks, it has improved a lot. Thank you. Saint.”

“You don’t know how surprised and horrified I was when you first came. Full of wounds, covered in blood… ”

“Is Miss Lian hurt a lot too?”

I almost pulled out the doorknob I was fiddling with. Why is my story coming up there again! Frowning and glancing at Lucia for nothing, I clenched my red lips and struggled to smile again. The long eyelashes quiver.

“You were hurt more. Had it not been for my treatment, it would have been a disaster.”

“Yes, thank you, Saint. I am always grateful for your kindness.…… Miss Lian?”

Kik-ik, I flinched as I had turned the doorknob halfway. Did he have an eye on the back of his head? Swallowing a gulp, I smiled awkwardly.

“I, I’m going to get some wind over there for a while. We’ll talk next time.”

“The treatment is over, let’s go together.”

“Uh…… ”

“Karein, you are not in good shape. You cannot move for a while.”

If you do something, don’t blame me again later! Perhaps noticing my glance, she grabbed Karein’s collar with a gentle voice.

“I’m bored, so I want to go for a walk.”

“Can’t you go out with me in the afternoon? You might fall.”

“To fall in front of the saint, what a shame.”

“What about it, between us…… ”

“I know my physical condition best. Saint. Thank you for your concern, but it’s okay.”

Gently but resolutely, he removed her hand from his collar and got up. Everything I watched was embarrassing.

Karein is a real tough guy, I have no idea. Looking at him with a tired expression, our eyes met. The cold, black eyes suddenly curved softly.

“Let’s go, Miss Lian.”

“Ah yes…… ”

I feel like I’m sandwiched between them. The red-hot Lucia is like a tomato. Biting her lower lip tightly and staring at me, she became very upset. Well, why. What should I do? I also owe Karein, so I can’t refuse. You should know how to seduce him well. Tak, as the door closes behind my back, bang! Something sounds muffled.

“If your feet are uncomfortable, I’d rather hold you… ”

“No, no!”

“…… Could it be that there’s another mistake again?”

I just wanted to be with Miss Lian. He looked down at me with worried eyes, but I can’t get annoyed about it. Are you ignorant or are you just pretending not to know? Pressing down on my frustrated inside, he turned his words around.

“I heard that Solar made more mistakes than that, what is that?”

Karein took me to the archives. Karein’s face was the key to the passage that was forbidden, so I was able to easily pass through to the place.

We passed a few guards before we came to a large study with piles of parchment. It must have been stored very well. Instead of the musty smell of old paper, the fresh smell of paper and ink makes me feel better.

“Solar is a kind of Mother Nature. Since Solar cannot comprehend or understand the minds of living beings, the saint acts as a kind of mediator between Solar and living beings.”

Just as Kali, the goddess of the moon, presides over the moon, the saint receives the oracle of Solar and fulfills its will. Karein rummaged through the parchment and added.

“Originally, the position was held by a goddess, not a human. But she couldn’t handle the stress and was fired right away.”

“…… Is it possible that Solar has a dirty personality?”

“No, as you can see, the saint has so much to do. There is practically no place where Solar’s power does not reach, and the saint must live in communication with all kinds of gods such as the god of death, the god of darkness, and the god of the underworld, and the gods are very arbitrary and personal. One has a strong sense of pride, one hates to bend over, and one barely communicates . It is said that she could not withstand the mental stress.”

In a nutshell, she didn’t like her job and immediately quit. I rummaged through the parchment with a bitter expression. The parchment, endowed with powers, came to life with each touch.

“On the other hand, humans are imperfect beings, so they communicate with each other, compromise and cooperate. So, the Goddess, called ‘Lucia’, which means light, created a body that could withstand even Valhalla, and continued her position as a saint by drawing in human souls. But, as you can see, it had its limits. She had not found a suitable soul for years.”

This is the first I’ve heard of it. In the original story, it was just revealed that a high school girl named Lucia accidentally possessed Lucia’s body of a saint, nothing detailed.

As far as I can remember, the saint’s seat has been vacant for a long time, and during that time, Solar runs wild and produces things like the Apocalypse. Assand is getting tired of stopping them, and at one point is sealed. At that time, the saint awakens after several decades, and all that is to do is stop Apocalypse from destroying Solar. Lucia gets rid of Apocalypse, and she marries Assand, and she rules Luce.

“A lot of things happened during the hiatus without a saint. Even the desert country was engulfed in madness by the burning heat, killing and crime in broad daylight. A deformed monster was also born, and Solar, who could not properly sympathize with life forms, only looked at the surface and punished the innocent. There was a lot of damage. It was a hellish day.”

Karein shuddered, and the picture of the opened parchment moved. It seemed to move similarly to Abel’s power before.

A full-term vampire, unable to find food in a terrible drought, eventually ate her husband, gave birth to a child, and even sacrificed herself to the baby. However, Solar punishes the pitiful child by burning its body if they see the light.

A picture drawn with a black nib spreads like dust and ash, vividly acting as smoke in front of your eyes.

The guardian deity of the desert who witnessed the country being torn apart by Solar’s runaway powers. The fate of being born as triplets was twisted, and it was born with a deformity with three arms and three heads. The goddess of the underworld, who was deprived of her powers when Solar’s powers grew stronger.

The son of Sisyphus, who saw a magic performance in broad daylight, witnessed the tragedy of the magician beaten to death, saying he was a trickster, and was determined to become a magician to deceive even Solar. And, the god of death, born as an imperfect monster by his father’s greed.

Tak, as I stood blankly in the smoke that disappeared as if scattered, Karein said with a dark face.

“Now that Saint Lucia has appeared, I just hope that everything will be resolved soon.”

“Resolved…… Are you going to catch them and destroy them?”

“Apocalypse is a group that resents Solar and wants to get rid of it. Although Solar is a mess, without Solar, all living things on this earth will die. They are people who have lived in darkness…… ”

It sounded like Karein was talking more, but I couldn’t hear it. Apparently in the original story, Lucia hears these words and gets her justification and kills them. But I am, as always, selfish.

Rather, I kept thinking that it might be better if the people I liked survived and people I didn’t know well disappeared. Even though I knew it was a bad idea. Am I becoming a villain too? I feel bad.

I walked out of the temple and walked along the back yard. Several priests were seen sunbathing. However, soon after, they could not withstand the stinging heat, and they would get ripe red and go inside as if running away with the sunbed. After a while, I opened my mouth.

“Thank you for answering.”

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. To be honest, I was very happy that you came.”

“……… ”

“It’s important to me to have a time like this. Please let me know if you have any requests.”

With a soft smile, Karein seemed to be in a good mood. At this time, maybe we should talk about it. My hesitation was brief.

“I have a request.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“I want to go back to the Dark Age.”

Karein did not speak for a long time.

“…… It’s dark and full of demons. It doesn’t suit Miss Lian… ”

“I miss Abel.”

When I decided to be honest, those words came out. Several times a day, I anxiously check the red thread on my wrist. Even while sleeping, several times.

“Since I came to Luce, I have never had a comfortable day. I’m sorry, but I’m not the kind of person Karein thinks I am.”

I guess I’m the Dark Age type, and as I added a smirk, Karein clenched his white fists.

“Are you really angry that I brought you here?”

“It’s not that.”

“I wanted Miss Lian to be happy. I thought you didn’t want to be there.”

“…… Karein.”

It hurts, my tight wrists throb. Why is everyone holding my wrist? I tried to twist it out, but Karein, who was so exasperated, didn’t seem to be able to hear it.

“Abel also took Miss Lian by force and locked you in that dark temple. And then, arresting Miss Lian, tying you up…… But why are you covering him up? What is the difference between me and him?”

“At least Abel listens to me.”

“……… ”

It hurts, and at the clear words, Karein let go of my wrists belatedly. Beyond listening, he pays attention to every word I say and gives it meaning. Of course, there are times when Abel behaves as he pleases, but in the end, he stops doing things that I don’t like.

“Karein has been doing whatever you want so far. Just because he’s arrogant doesn’t mean he doesn’t treat me kindly.”

But Karein is self-righteous. He pretended to listen to me and tried to wield me to his liking. Karein, shocked by my determined gaze, took a step back. As if to say something, he hesitated for a while and then lowered his head.

“…… Sorry. I was too greedy and presumptuous.”

He said with difficulty.

“To Lord Assand, let me tell him.”