Chapter 264: Make Do With What You Have (2) |
“…”
Heint and Kran blinked in astonishment.
He had been discovered.
[Isn’t that a bit too straightforward?]
Russell’s rebuke was followed by Shaela’s voice.
“Wow. This is incredible.”
Shaela’s eyes sparkled at the power Lucion had used.
“Is black magic even capable of something like this?”
“No, it’s not me. It’s Ratta’s power.”
—Ahem. Ratta is smart!
“…”
Shaela, Heint, and Kran were left speechless.
[Y-You…]
Even Russell’s voice trembled slightly.
But knowing how much courage it had taken for Lucion to reveal this, Russell chose to hold back any further comments.
Meanwhile, Bethel and Hume simply smiled at Lucion’s decision.
“Ratta is…”
Lucion hesitated briefly.
If something were to happen to him, someone would have to protect Ratta. That thought gave him the resolve to continue.
“…a Divine Beast of Darkness.”
—Ratta is Ratta!
Ratta tilted her head from side to side, mimicking Russell’s proud stance.
“What? A D-Divine Beast? A Divine Beast of Darkness?” Heint stammered, bewildered.
It seemed the surprises just kept coming.
Lucion hadn’t been exaggerating when he said he had more to reveal.
“This… adorable fox is the Divine Beast of Darkness?”
“Yes. Even Troy and the Divine Beast Brillin, whom I recently saved, have acknowledged it.”
Shaela’s shock was evident, and Lucion chuckled lightly at her reaction.
“Hamel-nim… you are truly someone without limits.”
Kran could barely keep his mouth closed. Only now was he beginning to grasp just how remarkable the man he served truly was.
“And here,” Lucion continued, “though you can’t see them, stand my teacher, Russell Paul, and my one and only knight, Bethel Levisti.”
Using Ratta’s paw, he gestured in the direction where Russell and Bethel stood.
A faint smile appeared on Russell’s lips, while Bethel gazed at Lucion with teary eyes, overwhelmed by emotion.
How much courage had it taken for him to say that?
Even though no one else could see them.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Kran Zell, acting leader of Ale.”
Kran was the first to bow his head.
He already knew that Lucion possessed the ability to see what others could not, so there was no reason for hesitation. In fact, he regretted not realizing it sooner.
“I am Lucion’s sister, Shaela Cronia.”
Shaela hesitated briefly before bowing as well, placing her trust in Lucion. Now, everything made even more sense—whoever had been by Lucion’s side must have played a role in his growth as a warlock.
“You two must have a hard time constantly trying to stop Lucion, don’t you?”
Russell burst out laughing at Shaela’s remark.
[Even Shaela thinks you’re always causing trouble, huh?]
[I… I wasn’t laughing.]
Bethel, who had lowered her helmet visor at some point, spoke up.
“I’m sure you already know much about Lucion. I won’t make excuses for how stubborn he is, but he is also a kindhearted person. Please take good care of him.”
These were not just anyone—this was the teacher and knight Lucion had personally chosen.
How wonderful it would be to be able to speak with them face-to-face.
[I will do my utmost to keep Lord Lucion in check.]
Bethel placed her clenched fist over her left chest and bowed slightly.
“I am Heint Tria. My skills may be lacking, but I will do my best as Lucion’s personal guard. You must have been quite frustrated watching me.”
At Heint’s introduction, Lucion burst into laughter.
“You’ve done your best, Brother. It’s just that I’m as slippery as an eel.”
“It’s a relief that you’re at least aware of it. That puts my mind at ease.”
Heint let out a sigh of relief.
[That’s something we can all agree on.]
Russell chuckled, raising a hand slightly.
“Now that introductions are out of the way, I’ll share what I know.”
Smack.
As soon as Lucion finished speaking, Heint slapped his own forehead.
“Why did you do that all of a sudden?”
Shaela frowned as if she had just witnessed something unpleasant.
“See for yourself how terrifying the words coming out of your brother’s mouth can be.”
Speaking from experience, Heint remained composed and braced himself for what was to come.
“I completely agree. If Hamel-nim is about to speak, it means something truly shocking is about to be revealed.”
Kran steeled himself, swallowing hard.
As if dealing with Nevast wasn’t already enough.
“Before that, how about changing into clean clothes and lying down comfortably, young master?” Hume suggested, glancing at Lucion and exhaling sharply.
Bloodstains covered Lucion’s clothes, and there was dried blood under his nose—likely from a nosebleed.
—That’s right! Lucion needs to rest!
Ratta gently nibbled on Lucion’s arm before rubbing it with her small front paw.
—Ratta had to punish Lucion because Lucion doesn’t take care of himself.
Lucion chuckled at Ratta’s concerned expression.
* * *
“This is insane.”
Shaela felt the urge to grab her own hair in frustration.
In Nevast, they were gathering corruption to resurrect the being Lucion had called ‘evil,’ and they even planned to use the Nevastians as sacrifices.
She had come to protect Lucion and intervene if he got into trouble.
But now, a large-scale disaster was unfolding right before her eyes.
Heint, who was also struggling to process the revelation, let out a dry chuckle as he glanced at Shaela.
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I knew this would happen. I expected Lucion to bring something absurdly big to the table.”
His chuckle slowly turned into a bitter smile.
Even recalling it was overwhelming.
He could already imagine how shocked Ketlan would be when he relayed this information.
[Of course, it’s shocking. Even I, who know everything, was taken aback.]
At Russell’s words, Ratta nodded.
—Ratta too. Ratta doesn’t understand why people choose to do sad things on purpose.
“Mr. Hamel.” Kran frowned as he called out to Lucion.
“Yes?”
“Are you… alright?”
“I should be.”
“I’m glad I finally understand exactly who you’re up against, but… I can’t help but worry that this may be too much.”
“Shh.”
Heint suddenly placed a finger to his lips, and Shaela swiftly cast a silencing spell.
Knock. Knock.
A knock at the door made Lucion turn to Hume.
Hume nodded before slightly opening the door.
“Who is it?”
“Lord Ravid Bahal has come.”
Hume closed the door after relaying the knight’s message and turned to Lucion.
“Ravid Bahal is here.”
[What nerve does he have to come see you?]
Bethel gritted her teeth in disbelief.
Lucion glanced at Shaela, Heint, and Kran before speaking.
“Let him in.”
Following Hume’s lead, the three of them stood up and stepped outside.
—Ratta doesn’t like that person. I’m going to hide under the blankets.
Ratta quickly jumped onto the bed and burrowed under the covers.
“I apologize for this late-night disturbance, Saint.”
After the others had left, Ravid entered and bowed his head.
“Is something urgent happening?” Lucion asked.
“No, not at all. If not today, I may not have had the opportunity to speak with the Saint, so I came despite the rudeness.”
“Ah, I had a brief schedule arranged. This meeting wasn’t originally planned.”
“It’s alright. Nevast has long awaited the arrival of the Saint.”
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
“I’m not sure what you intend to say, but I hope it’s something good.”
Lucion smiled lightly.
“I’ve merely come to share an old concern of mine, so please don’t expect much.”
“A concern?”
Lucion’s expression shifted to one of interest.
It was their first meeting, and he was already discussing his worries?
It felt as though he was trying to imply he had something to offer.
‘Then I should play along.’
Lucion inwardly wanted to hear about this concern.
“There exists a balance. On one side is the sun, and on the other, the moon.”
The moment Ravid spoke, Lucion felt as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
‘What… is this guy talking about?’
He was so dumbfounded that he nearly cursed.
Wasn’t he referring to the axis of balance that governed the world?
It was obvious that the moon represented darkness and the sun represented light.
“This balance has suddenly been disrupted. If the sun grows larger, the moon perishes; if the moon grows larger, the sun dies.”
Lucion looked at Ravid without responding.
“I know it may seem abrupt to bring up such a topic, but please understand—I seek only your wisdom.”
“Please, continue.”
“The balance is currently tilting toward the sun. As you know, the sun and moon can never meet, and their relationship is far from harmonious. In this situation, what decision would you make, Saint?”
“It’s simple.”
Lucion didn’t hesitate.
“Simple, you say?”
“You don’t need to do anything.”
“…?”
Ravid stared at Lucion, dumbfounded.
“There must be a reason why the balance has shifted. And given that it has tilted toward the sun, isn’t the answer clear?”
“Are you suggesting… that the sun is suppressing the moon?”
[He understands well.]
Russell remarked.
“For whatever reason, the sun is currently larger and stronger. That means, from the moon’s perspective, the sun must be a terrifying existence. But if the two can never meet, as you said, then nothing can be done. Therefore, you don’t need to act.”
Lucion delivered his conclusion without hesitation.
Ravid had set the parameters for the discussion, and from the beginning, the outcome had been clear.
“If they could meet, what conclusion would you draw?”
Ravid shamelessly altered the conditions of the argument.
But still, the result remained the same.
“Even then, you should do nothing.”
“And why is that?”
“The sun is the sun, and the moon is the moon. Just because the sun takes action against the moon doesn’t mean it will become the moon. Instead, the sun may fall into the illusion that it can restore balance through its own power. There is always a reason why the balance tilts—whether it stems from the sun or the moon.”
“And if that moon is a threat to the sun?”
“Lord Ravid,” Lucion called his name, his voice carrying a heavier tone.
“Yes, Saint.”
“What exactly are you trying to say? Are you starting with the assumption that the moon is inherently wrong, evil, and must be condemned? Or do you arrogantly believe that the sun must subjugate the moon? If not, then…”
The corners of Lucion’s mouth curled into a smirk.
“Do you simply want to destroy the moon?”
“I…”
“But neither of those approaches will restore balance. The sun will never willingly relinquish its power, and if it continues to suppress the moon, they will never stand as equals. Balance should mean equality—perhaps it’s time to reconsider your perspective.”
“If the sun surrenders everything for the sake of balance, what if the moon retaliates?”
“And that’s precisely why I keep asking—what is it that you truly want?”
Ravid’s expression wavered slightly at Lucion’s words.
“To achieve balance, the sun must let go of its dominance. If that’s unacceptable, then it should do nothing. That fact will not change.”
“…Thank you, Saint.”
Without giving himself a moment to steady his trembling heart, Ravid rose from his seat.
“No, I only hope I was able to ease Lord Ravid’s concerns. Have a good night.”
“Yes… Rest well.”
With his heart still pounding, Ravid stepped outside.
Balance.
Why wouldn’t he understand that?
But the god command had been given—
To extinguish the light as much as the darkness had been diminished.
‘Let go of everything? Us?’
What would happen to those blessed by the light?
Wouldn’t those who have been blessed with the darkness that has been suppressed until now be targeting them?
For a long time.
Would there be any guarantee that their accumulated anger wouldn’t come crashing down upon them?
What he was doing now was the best course of action.
The only way to protect both light and darkness.
‘Nonsense. What the saint said is just the ramblings of a fool.’
To do nothing?
How could he stand idly by, knowing the balance was collapsing, the world crumbling?
Even as he repeatedly denied it, Ravid couldn’t suppress the tremors in his heart.
A few words from Lucion had cracked the foundation of the beliefs he had held for so long.
Back in his room, Ravid reached for the drawer, intending to unlock the door that confined the divine beasts.
‘No.’
But he stopped himself.
If he saw them now, everything he had desperately denied might unravel completely.
‘I am not wrong.’
Clenching his hands together as if in prayer, Ravid silently begged to hear the voice of God at that moment.
But no voice came.
Instead, a heavy, terrifying emotion—guilt—crept into his heart.
And so, Ravid murmured once more.
“I… am not wrong.”
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