Chapter 80

In the grand halls of Riosa Castle in the Southern Regal, Andrei found himself awakening once more, his body drenched in cold sweat. The wheezing of his breath echoed sharply in the stillness of the air.

Once again, magic had proven futile. With each attempt, it callously discarded him on the arduous journey to reunite with the other half of his soul, leaving behind significant injuries. The persistent hacking cough lingered before gradually relenting.

Limping on one leg, Andrei navigated his way to the living room, collapsing wearily onto the sofa. How long had he sat there, his head bowed as if lifeless? With the dawn breaking beyond the curtained window, Duke Bellator, concerned for the emperor’s well-being, discovered him.

“Your Majesty, are you alright? Why can’t you sleep… Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

In a voice strained and fractured, Andrei murmured, “Has the envoy returned? Is there still no news from Barnon…?”

The envoy dispatched to his trusted ally and friend, who had ventured north, remained unresponsive. Despite anticipating immediate feedback from the magic-infused pigeon, there was still a conspicuous absence of any sensory signals.

“Perhaps the caster was feeble, and the envoy couldn’t endure… Or maybe something has befallen Barnon,” Andrei fretted.

“There’s no way. Your Grace knows Conrad is a resilient individual. Given the considerable distance to the north, please allow a few more days. Try to ease your mind. It’s unsettling to ponder the consequences if this persists,” Duke Bellator reassured.

“It’s already happening, Duke,” Andrei sighed, resigned. “Time is running out.”

“Your Majesty, why speak in such a manner!”

“I’ve said it before. Without Elise, I am nothing.”

His vacant left eye twitched.

Recently, Andrei’s entire focus had fixated on his elusive twin sister, despite exhausting various magical avenues.

The power of magic hasn’t vanished.

The initial spell that Andrei had embedded in the core of Elise’s being was a magical seal designed to separate the destinies of the twin siblings.

Over the past four generations of the Argan Imperial family, not a single magician had emerged. In a response seemingly answering the imperial family’s long-held prayers, the current generation witnessed the birth of twins, both endowed with a power surpassing any emperors chronicled in Gallian history. However, this extraordinary power came with a unique vulnerability – when separated, the twins became devoid of individual strength.

The girl possessed magical prowess comparable to the direct descendants of Sameshita but lacked the circuitry to translate the immense magical energy, existing as little more than an intangible force, into practical magic. Conversely, the boy exhibited the opposite scenario.

In analogy, it resembled a shell and a core. The outer shell, fortified through successive trials, absorbed the delicate essence but left the core vulnerable and defenseless, draining its magic to nourish the shell.

At the age of fifteen, following his sister’s attempted suicide, Andrei dedicated the next few months to finding a solution. While unable to completely sever the tightly entwined souls and destinies, his goal was to encourage some degree of independence, making them function as quasi-individual entities. At the very least, he aspired to enable Elise to exist like an ordinary person.

Leaving only a slender and extended bridge between himself and Elise, Andrei erected a dam to sever their connection. As a result, his sister, no longer depleted of life force, including magic, flourished into unprecedented health and began to blossom into womanhood. Conversely, Andrei’s magical abilities, once acclaimed as the resurgence of the great Gallian and fueled by her essence, abruptly came to a standstill. The brilliance that had once surpassed the majesty of a fading Argan and effortlessly commanded Grandel dissipated and disappeared.

Argan, surrounded by protective barriers sustained by the magical power of the aristocracy, witnessed the encroachment of barbarians as these defenses weakened one by one. Nevertheless, the conduit linking the siblings remained resilient. Even with the connection blocked, Elise remained Andrei’s sustenance and the essence of his magic. Consequently, she was the cherished treasure of Argan and the seed of blessings embraced by Grandel.

Even if the similar shell were to dissipate, the core would endure. In fact, it was only when the shell vanished that the crouched core within became more robust and resilient.

Before my breath expires, my sister must come back.

Andrei, gripping the back of Duke Bellator’s hand, spoke in a hushed tone.

“That’s the only way I can impart what I possess to Elise. So, dispatch the envoy to Barnon again…”

Unable to complete his sentence, he tensed, his body rigid. A sudden, unsettling sensation washed over him in an instant. Andrei urgently scanned the air, seemingly unable to comprehend the unexpected surge of magic.

Just now, did the magic I left for my sister…?

A peculiar feeling, as if the conduit of their souls had briefly connected and then abruptly severed, held him captive. Perhaps. Andrei’s lips, resembling his sister’s, parted in astonishment.

“Elise. Can you see me now, by any chance?”

***

“…Hngh!”

Elise’s eyes fluttered open abruptly. A sizable and warm presence rested on her chest, moving with a distinct autonomy, causing her body to quiver with a firm sensation.

“Re, Rez…”

Before Elise could utter the name in her dazed state, something coarse and velvety assailed her lips, seemingly intent on engulfing them. Breath escaped through the parting of her lips.

A different and delicate sensation spread across her tongue and the inner recesses of her mouth. The touch, offering solace to her airway while playfully teasing the inside of her lips, was simultaneously tender and urgent, affectionate yet intense.

Only after the two moist lips separated with a gentle sound did Elise manage to open her eyes. A familiar silhouette loomed above her.

“Ah…”

Andrei’s face, gazing at her with wide eyes, dissolved like a sandcastle succumbing to the waves. In his stead, a new countenance emerged, adorned with jet-black hair, sun-kissed skin, and eyes akin to blue flames.

“Rezette…?”

Elise’s awareness hadn’t completely disentangled itself from the dream. In her scrutinizing blue eyes, fractures propagated like spiderwebs, dissecting her thoroughly.

“Who else…”

The man’s eerie, almost whispered voice barely registered with Elise. Unconsciously, she extended her arm and encircled it around the man’s neck. Unaware of what had just transpired between her and Rezette, she closed her eyes again.

She desired a little more sleep. Just a bit more.

So that she could continue to see her brother even in her dreams.

***

Elise inhaled the fragrance carried by the breeze, a blend of the noon sun and the lush aroma of the surrounding greenery. The exploration party, having set out in the late morning, had just arrived at the mouth of the Tene River. Elise surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.

The sun, gently descending to the west, bathed the blessed land in even illumination. To the left, a vast river sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight, while to the right, a verdant expanse extended to the horizon.

Guided by Rotiara’s owner himself, the survey party moved leisurely along the riverbank. The procession was modest – four knights, including Ruben and Isaac, and four attendants of various roles, such as Sobeul, Ivetsa, and Freya, totaling thirteen.

Among them, Elise stood out as the sole member without an escort. Of course, the narrative would change if the alternate term for a bodyguard knight was a husband. Additionally, Elise lacked the luxury of setting her own pace. This too would be different if not for the fact that the steed, the soulmate of the man serving as both her husband and guardian, followed her more obediently than its own master.

“Gumdoong-ah, take it slow…!”

Elise held the reins firmly, the ebony steed, thrilled by the long-awaited excursion, prancing with exuberance. The effort required to rein in the steed was formidable.

“Let’s go at a leisurely pace. If you rush ahead, others won’t be able to keep up,” Elise implored.

“Elise, this creature doesn’t respond to words. Please, hand it over to me now…” A dissatisfied voice reached Elise’s ears, contrasting with her composed words.

Ignoring the voice encircling her waist from behind, Elise tenderly caressed the mane. “If you behave well, we can play together tonight, okay?”

The gentle touch seemed to soothe the ebony steed, and only then did Elise’s forehead relax.

“Easy… Yes, good boy. Thank you.”

She murmured as if to herself, adjusting the reins. “Indeed, animals are better than people.”

“Pardon?”

“If you tell it to stop, it stops. If you ask it to go slowly, it slows down. It doesn’t act recklessly or cause trouble for people.

Elise didn’t spare him a single glance, yet Rezette couldn’t shake the suspicion that her playful banter was aimed at him.

“…So, you’re planning to spend time with this fellow tonight. Is that what you’re saying?”

Elise nodded. “It’s a promise. Even if I can’t fulfill all of it, I’ll manage some. I’ll be the one to feed Gumdoong-ah his dinner.”

“Why bother?” Rezette inquired.

“Well, just because.”

“…If you say so.” Rezette reluctantly agreed. The ebony steed neighed happily, as if comprehending their conversation.

Where had the spirited and unruly steed, once prone to fits at the mere touch of a saddle, disappeared to? Even when he, the current owner, had to break its wild streak, it had remained an untamable beast until subdued by magic. Did it recognize beauty even in its own way?

What bothered him even more was Elise. The stubbornly unturned back of her head appeared unusually resolute today.

“Elise,” he called.

“Yes?” she answered.

“You’re not sulking, are you?”

“Why would I be?”

“Because of this morning.”

Elise openly snorted.

Her menstrual cycle had concluded two days ago. Rezette had maintained his distance, refraining from any physical contact even after it had completely ended. She believed the man who endured just a day had likely lost interest by now, but that was a misconception. The man who patiently waited for a day had immersed himself with Elise even before sunrise today.

As a result, they departed late. Consequently, her waist now ached, and due to that, the determined Elise didn’t even turn to look at Rezette.