Chapter 65: Salt and Sand

Boom!

An explosive sound echoed deeply from inside Abel’s body.

At the same time, his body collapsed without strength.

The groans of pain and the trembling disappeared completely.

“Ah……”

A sigh escaped from Ruri’s lips.

She thought all of this was a dream.

That in reality she was in her bed, and a demon had secretly entered her room to show her a nightmare.

But she did not wake up.

The more she tried to wake, the closer the cold reality became.

“Ah……”

Ruri staggered forward toward where Abel was.

She turned over his fallen body.

His pupils had no focus.

The pulse had disappeared.

His temperature was cold.

She tried to use healing magic.

But she knew it was impossible.

His heart was destroyed.

And if the heart is broken, no Dragon Spawn can survive.

Perda knew it as well.

Perda had no intention of giving him a chance to live.

The sensation of this tragedy, occurring in a cold and dark place battered by a blizzard, carved itself into her mind.

A descendant of the Silver Dragon had died.

Another child of her father had died today.

And what that other child had seen, now she was seeing it as well.

And that man was right in front of her.

“Now……”

A strained voice came out of her closed throat.

“Lord Perda… do you know what you have done?”

“I know.”

Perda answered coldly.

“It is murder.”

As cold as the northern air.

“It is not just murder… Lord Perda.”

Ruri’s hand trembled.

“You have killed a child of Silverwind. Someone who inherited his blood. Do you know what that means?”

“I know.”

“No. You do not know.”

Ruri raised her head.

And walked toward him.

“You have killed someone with dragon blood. They will not stop until they take revenge.”

“I know.”

“Until you die… they will never stop!”

“I know.”

“If you know, then!”

Ruri grabbed Perda by the collar.

“You would not have made this decision!”

Everything she had built—

“Because of your action!”

Collapsed.

“The peace I protected for Lady Valdrova has been broken!”

It crumbled without meaning.

“You… because of you……”

Ruri lowered her head.

The hand with which she held him trembled.

Her legs faltered, barely supporting her body.

She thought.

Could she fix this?

Could she pretend nothing had happened?

What would happen now?

She tried to imagine the consequences.

But she could not.

This was beyond her control.

There was no way to resolve it peacefully.

“Ha… ha……”

The tension tightened her throat.

She struggled to breathe.

Her mind blurred.

“It is… your fault.”

What came out of her mouth was resentment.

“Lady Valdrova… would have been happy without you.”

Cruel words she did not even truly feel.

“You…! You tried to enter her life…!”

But Perda did not move.

He looked at her.

As if observing a pitiful child.

“Ruri.”

“Do not say my name with that mouth! With that mouth…!”

“Ruri.”

A cold voice caught her in the middle of her confusion.

“Look at me.”

Ruri raised her head.

Her lost silver eyes looked at Perda.

“Abel had to die. This decision was inevitable.”

“There was another option. And I chose it.”

“That option… where you sacrificed yourself… was the worst of all.”

“And what does it matter if I disappear? For you only Lady Valdrova matters! It was enough to protect the peace, wasn’t it?!”

“Peace never existed from the beginning.”

“Yes it did! It clearly existed! The peace I built existed!”

Ruri replied forcefully.

Perhaps deep down she doubted.

But she would not admit it.

She did not want everything she had done to be in vain.

“Ruri.”

Perda asked.

“Was I the one who broke the peace you created?”

“Yes.”

That was true.

“Was I the one who put my fiancée in danger?”

“Yes.”

That was also true.

“Then, am I the one who is wrong?”

“……”

Ruri could not answer.

She did not understand why she hesitated.

He had killed Abel.

Because of that, the peace was broken.

Valdrova was in danger.

Then that was wrong?

No.

Deep in her heart, it was not.

“You… are wrong.”

She did not have the courage to admit it.

She insisted again, clinging to that idea.

“Is that so?”

Perda moved her hand aside.

With that simple motion, Ruri’s hand was dragged.

Ruri’s eyes widened.

Her hand moved past his collar and ended up around his neck.

“Then kill me right here.”

Ruri asked in a trembling voice.

“Are you… serious?”

“That is what I asked of you.”

Ruri remembered something she had left buried deep in her memory.

When Perda had finished selecting all the talents, the last thing he wrote was his own name.

And then he asked her.

“If I put my fiancée in danger and act wrongly, kill me without hesitation.”

Ruri had not believed him at the time.

There is no creature that desires death.

Neither humans, nor Dragon Spawn.

Not even dragons.

“If I die, the peace you protected will return.”

Perda was different.

There was no hesitation in his eyes.

From the moment he killed Abel until now,

his determination had not wavered even once.

Ruri finally voiced the question she had kept in her heart.

“Lord Perda… do you not regret what you did?”

“I do not regret it.”

Perda had thought about it again and again.

Before acting, while acting, and even now.

The conclusion was always the same.

“Even if time were turned back a thousand times, I would save you again.”

“Why…?”

Unlike her trembling eyes, his shone clearly.

It was a light Ruri did not have.

“Because I do not doubt that this is for my fiancée, Valdrova.”

That light brushed Ruri’s cheek.

“She does not need me… she needs you more.”

In that instant, everything holding Ruri together collapsed.

“Why…?”

The hand holding Perda’s neck loosened and fell.

“Why have I lived longer…? Served her longer…?”

Her voice grew wet.

“Why you… being human…?”

Ruri hated humans.

Their greed always ended up hurting Valdrova.

But Perda was different.

And yet—

More than any other human, she hated him.

Why?

He acted for Valdrova.

He had the power to do so.

And yet, she hated him to the point of death.

“Why can I… not be like you…?”

Ruri’s body collapsed forward.

She did not want to lean on the body of a man she detested.

But she disliked even more showing him that she was crying.

“Ugh… hic…”

Ruri tried with all her strength to hold back her tears.

But she knew she could not.

She buried her face in her clothes, trying to muffle her sobs.

As she cried uncontrollably, she noticed a faint smell.

A village that had been destroyed by a great fire long ago.

The man who took in the girl who survived alone.

That same smell.

Perda returned to Count Consilus’s castle together with Ruri.

“Thank you.”

“……”

Ruri did not respond.

Since she cried, she had not said a single word.

“You may leave.”

There was neither affirmation nor denial.

Instead, her hand answered for her.

She could not let go of the edge of his clothes.

The unease that remained within her was transmitted through her hand.

“Ruri.”

“……”

“Are you afraid that a war will break out?”

She nodded slightly.

She was worried, but that was not all.

“There is nothing to worry about. If I am right, there will be no war.”

“……”

“Return to your lady’s side. Go back as if nothing had happened and prepare the tea.”

“……”

“Can you do that for your lady?”

Only then did Ruri release his clothes.

Without saying a word, she flew away.

Perda adjusted his clothing and opened the balcony door.

The inside of the castle was already in chaos.

“Kill that damned demon!”

“It’s not enough to kill her, burn her with holy light!”

Knights filled with fury.

“Ahhh! I don’t want to die!”

The pink-haired demon crying at the top of her lungs.

“Listen to what I have to say first!”

And in the middle of everything, Zed sweating as he tried to mediate.

“Zed, move!”

“Has that demon bewitched you?!”

“You useless knight! Hand her over right now!”

“Hey! Don’t say nonsense! I’m just following orders too!”

“Sir knight, save me!”

“Hey, you crazy bitch! Let go of my leg!”

Not all jobs were the same.

And accepting this one had been a mistake.

Zed regretted it over and over again.

“Kill her already!”

“Ahhh!”

“What is going on here?”

“That insignificant demon slipped through the door meant for the regent and caused all this… huh?”

“R-regent?”

When the regent himself appeared, everything fell silent.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. A few broken ribs and fingers, but nothing serious.”

“That demon said you let her in…”

“It’s not a lie!”

“It’s not a lie. I let her in. So lower your weapons and stand down.”

“Ah… yes… if you say so…”

“See?! I wasn’t lying!”

“She hasn’t stopped screaming for a while now!”

Penelope made the situation worse.

Zed stuffed a cloth into her mouth.

“I’m glad everyone returned safe and sound. I’m fine, so get some rest.”

And that ended the commotion.

Perda looked at the two who remained.

Zed, sweating.

And Penelope, crying nonstop.

“You two have another job.”

***

Dawn at Count Consilus’s castle.

The black sky was beginning to brighten.

Perda did not sleep.

Even though his injuries had healed, he was more tired than ever.

Even so, he waited.

Soon after, he felt a presence.

“You’re back, darling?”

The archdemon Sitri emerged from the darkness.

“I thought everything had gone wrong, but it seems you managed it.”

“……”

“Why that look? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, it wasn’t your fault.”

Perda leaned back and crossed his arms.

“Though it seemed like you were hoping I wouldn’t return.”

“Of course not. I can’t do business with the dead.”

She smiled.

But she was uneasy.

“One of your dogs died, Sitri.”

“My dog?”

“Don’t pretend. Abel Silverwind was one of them.”

“How cruel. Everyone who doesn’t like you is an ally of demons?”

She played innocent.

“And even if he were, you have no proof.”

She was right.

There was no proof.

“If you accuse me without proof, do you think it will work?”

She approached slowly.

“They will say you entered, killed, and now blame the demons.”

She whispered in his ear.

“And in the end, you made a deal with a demon.”

Sitri revealed her true nature.

“You used demonic magic. You rescued a demon.”

She already had the evidence.

Everything had been a trap.

“Poor regent.”

She caressed his face.

“Do you know why they always say not to make deals with demons?”

“……”

“Because they always make the same mistake.”

She smiled.

“From the moment you used my Binding Bridge, there was no turning back.”

She leaned toward him.

“What if you had asked someone else for help instead of me…?”

Perda spoke first.

“‘What if’ is nothing more than a refuge for those who regret their actions.”

He raised his head.

“If there is no regret, there is no need for ‘what if.’”

The atmosphere, which seemed to belong to Sitri, changed in an instant.

Sitri sensed something strange in his eyes.

He was far too calm for someone cornered.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the situation.

It was conviction.

Conviction born from a decision.

“Are you going to provoke a war? Or do you plan to break your engagement with Valdrova? Neither benefits you.”

“There will be no war or broken engagement.”

Perda replied calmly.

“Abel was a follower of the demons. That does not change.”

“Didn’t you hear anything I said?”

Sitri could not believe it.

“I already told you. There is no proof. Without proof, how will they believe you? Do you think they are idiots?”

This game was entirely in Sitri’s favor.

She had prepared multiple cards for this moment.

No matter how he reacted, she had a counter ready.

Perda was no fool either.

He had prepared everything to face the consequences of dealing with a demon.

“Yes, there is no proof.”

But by killing Abel, all his cards had disappeared.

He had nothing to counter Sitri.

“That’s why—”

What he had now was—

“From now on, you will create it.”

A collar.

One capable of binding a demon.