The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 120

Veronica immediately retaliated. Water splashed back and forth as they played wildly, their laughter ringing through the air. They completely forgot about washing and played like children.

“Ah, stop, stop. I give up. I really hate this.”

Just as he started to tickle her, Veronica threw her arms around his neck in surrender. She lightly pecked his lips like a small bird and smiled brightly. Leon, gazing at her intently, suddenly lifted her high into his arms.

Even the simple act of rubbing his damp forehead against her shoulder carried a deep affection. The sensation of his firm, sculpted body pressing against her was unfamiliar yet exhilarating. No matter how many times she embraced him, she was always struck by how strong and solid his muscles felt—so secure and dependable.

“Where do you want to go next?”

Catching her breath, Veronica brushed back Leon’s damp red hair and asked. She knew they were heading to Kart, but she was asking about what came after.

Leon wiped his wet face with a hand before asking in return, “Where do you want to go?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I guess it depends on what you say. If it’s not appealing, I might part ways here.”

It was a joke, but Leon momentarily froze and lifted his gaze. His sharp eyes scrutinized her as if measuring her sincerity, making her slightly flustered. When he finally confirmed she was teasing, he tilted his head slightly and smirked.

“Sorry, but we can’t part ways here.”

“Why not?”

“Because I still don’t know enough.”

Don’t know enough?

The unexpected response left her confused, and she hesitated.

Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “What’s your favorite food?”

“Huh?”

“What do you usually do when you’re alone? Do you like singing as much as dancing?”

Veronica’s eyes widened in surprise. She quickly realized the meaning behind his questions. And then, he spoke again.

“I know nothing about you.”

“……”

“Tell me.”

Her heart pounded. His words sounded just like a confession. A ticklish, tingling sensation crawled up her throat. No one had ever needed to tell her—she instinctively knew that this feeling was love.

Like waves rushing in, soaking her feet, and toppling sandcastles. Many retreat in vague fear at first. But once they come to truly understand the sea, they inevitably fall in love with the waves.

“If you want, I’ll take you to the Black Forest. I know the way.”

Leon added when Veronica struggled to find the words to respond. It seemed he remembered the place she had once written about in her letter. The quiet lake in the Black Forest she had always wanted to visit—of course, that sounded wonderful, but…

Veronica shook her head. “No, let’s go there later. I’ve thought about it, and… right now, I think I want to see the sea more.”

The origin and destination of all waters—the place where Bahamut had hidden for a year. That vast body of water, seemingly capable of embracing all things in existence—she longed to see it again.

“The sea? Then Bayren?”

“Bayren would be nice, but any port city is fine. I just want to see water so blue that it looks cold just by looking at it.”

Come to think of it, it was already the season of God—summer. The shimmering sea under the radiant sun was one of those sights that always lifted the spirit. Veronica imagined children, tanned from spending all day swimming and playing, and artists painting seascapes, before breaking into a bright smile.

“At the sea, I’ll tell you more about myself. A lot more than now.”

Their lips met. She couldn’t remember who had moved first. She only remembered that it was warm, and then it became hot.

Water trickled down her legs.

***

After leaving the lake, they chose their path back to Kart. When Veronica learned that Leon had come through an underground passage rather than climbing the cliff as she had, she felt beyond frustrated—she felt cheated. Apparently, if they simply followed the straight path through the cave, they would emerge right at the Grand Cathedral of Kart.

“That’s ridiculous. If I had known about that, I wouldn’t have gone through all that suffering. I told you, didn’t I?”

“That you nearly died falling off a cliff?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“That you hung onto a tree branch and climbed up with incredible persistence and strength.”

Leon casually responded, having already heard the story three times. Veronica nodded vigorously and repeated the story once more. As they walked through the dim tunnel, they exchanged every detail of what had happened while they were apart—from her conversation with the First Bahamut, to the collapse of the Grand Cathedral, and even the apology Philip had asked him to deliver.

Looking back, it all felt like a miracle. When she had left that place, she had accepted death. She had never imagined she would survive and return like this.

“Ah.”

“What is it?”

“I was just thinking that maybe God isn’t as unfair as I thought. Maybe this path was given to us as a way to return safely.”

Humans cannot know all of God’s ways.

Leon let out a sound that was almost admiration, then smirked over his shoulder.

“Even so, there was no real reason to take the cliff.”

“That’s… oh, you’re right.”

Veronica, who had been tilting her head in thought, eventually realized what she had just said and burst into laughter. Ever since earlier, she had been smiling over the smallest things. The long-awaited peace filled her with ease. 

Meanwhile, up ahead, a faint light flickered, and their steps naturally quickened. Following behind Leon, they passed through the corridor and emerged into a vast underground space. The wide underground tomb beneath the Grand Cathedral was silent, with only the light streaming through the broken stairway entrance—there was no sign of anyone.

The two came to a halt at the same time, as if by unspoken agreement. It wasn’t because the knights who should have been there were absent. It was because the letters written in blood across the Apostle’s coffin caught their attention.

Dimitte populum meum, ut sacrificet mihi in deserto

(Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.)

It was a verse from scripture. Just one passage, but neither of them questioned who had written it. The message Philip had left behind before departing for the wilderness was clear. Leon was the first to speak.

“Impressive. To believe we would return even in that situation.”

“He must have believed that at least one of us would. But something feels strange. Those with holy power cannot survive in the wilderness.”

“You never know. Something might have changed while we were in Blasen,” Leon replied with a contemplative expression.

Veronica thought that just knowing the people were safe was enough. Just in case, she glanced around, but there were no signs of battle.

“Looks like they left a while ago. The water has dried up.”

Veronica checked the pit that had been dug for groundwater, then quickly climbed the broken staircase where light streamed in. The bright sunlight poured over her head, filling her chest with an unexplainable rush. Was it because she hadn’t been outside for so long? Or was it a kind of premonition?

She peeked out from the pile of rubble and scanned the ruined Kart. As expected, the survivors seemed to have decided to build a new city rather than restore the old one. Then, a soft gasp escaped Veronica’s lips.

“Nightstar!”

A horse with its head lowered between the flagstones perked up its ears and turned toward her.

Its glossy black coat, its bright, star-like eyes—there was no doubt about it. It was their horse.

“Leon! Hurry up and come up here!”

Excited, Veronica turned to shout before running breathlessly toward the well-behaved horse. Other horses and stray dogs wandered through the ruins in search of food, but she hardly noticed them. It was nothing short of divine intervention—no, fate.

Catching her breath with her hands on her knees, Veronica spoke as if having a conversation with the horse. “Nightstar, come with us just one more time. I’ll buy you plenty of delicious food. I’ll make sure not a single drop of water touches your mane.”

“And do you have the money to spoil it?” Leon had already stepped outside and overheard her loud voice from afar.

Veronica didn’t even look back as she responded shamelessly, “He’s going to pay for everything. Got that? Just trust me.”

Leon, now approaching, let out an exasperated laugh. “You’re a con artist.”

“This is what people call business.”

She spread her arms wide, and he effortlessly lifted her onto the horse. As the man who gazed at her with gentle eyes lightly vaulted up behind her, he added, “It might be uncomfortable, but bear with it for a while. We’ll need to reach civilization before we can find a proper saddle.”

“Mm, it’s fine. If it gets too rough, we can just take breaks along the way. Which sea are we heading to?”

She leaned her head against him as she asked. Leon stroked her flushed cheek with anticipation in his gaze before answering, “We’re heading north. It’s the least damaged region.”

“So, Whiteland?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never been there before. They say even the children there are as big as winter bears.”

Muttering, Veronica caught the mischievous glint in his eye and immediately sensed his teasing intent. She gasped and straightened her back, twisting to face him.

“You were just about to call me a child, weren’t you?”

“I didn’t say a word.”

“When we buy a saddle, we’re getting swords too.”

“That wasn’t even related, but somehow that sounds threatening.”

“No, I mean, I never got to finish my lessons. If we go to a city under reconstruction…”

Amidst their peaceful conversation, the sound of hoofbeats began to echo. The black horse trotted over the remains of the city and the murky puddles left behind. The ruins reflected broken bridges, collapsed bell towers, and overturned fountains. But nowhere could they see the monsters that had once destroyed this place. Between the large, human-like ribs scattered around, fresh green sprouts had begun to grow.

(Main story complete. To be continued in the side story.)