The Monster Lady and the Holy Knight - Chapter 66

The middle-aged man rubbed his face anxiously, unable to finish his sentence.

Leon cast a sidelong glance at her. “Emmett? Who’s that?”

“Just someone I know. Oh, but he knew my name before you did.”

Veronica said with a hint of sarcasm, causing Leon’s eyes to narrow. Oscar, caught between them, looked awkwardly at both of their faces before sighing. Even though his heart was burning with worry for his family, he still had enough awareness to realize something had happened between them.

“Anyway, that’s enough. If you’re going out, I’m coming too,” Veronica added as Leon stood up.

Leon, who had been inspecting the shattered window, replied without looking back, “Going out to save ‘just someone you know’?”

“Yes. He helped me when I was in trouble.”

Leon’s expression subtly changed. Veronica balanced herself with her arms outstretched as she walked to the window, looking up at his side profile. She thought, somehow, that he looked jealous. But that couldn’t be.

“It’s going to get dark soon. Wait somewhere safe until dawn.” Leon, his face returning to its expressionless state, said quietly.

True to his words, darkness was descending. In the dim navy twilight, Leon peered down at the pile of rocks piled close to the sixth floor where they stood. Considering the building was leaning, it meant the situation was severe if they could exit through the window rather than the front door. It was difficult to see where one was stepping, and getting stuck or falling between the rocks would be troublesome.

“It’s strange hearing those words from you.”

Leon looked back at her, as if gauging her meaning.

Veronica continued calmly, “In the Holy See, I spent days in even darker places.”

A brief silence followed. Leon opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. For some reason, his expressionless face looked sad. When she raised her head, their gazes clashed like the crossing of sword tips. Veronica was surprised at herself. Ever since deciding to let him go, she had returned to her old confident self, saying whatever came to mind.

Perhaps she had been suppressing herself all this time. Wanting to be loved. Afraid of being hated.

Love that is all about enduring could never last long, though in this case, it had never even begun properly.

Death had given her boundless courage. When Veronica accepted her fate, she let Leon go.

“I also agree with Miss Schwarzwald going along. She might be able to find things others cannot.”

Oscar added his voice, and Leon eventually looked away slowly. His act of turning his back felt like permission. Or perhaps he simply wanted to leave before night fell completely.

Leon stepped onto the tilted window frame and looked around before jumping out. Veronica glanced back and said, “I’ll come back with help. Don’t come out recklessly.”

The only one nodding fervently was the middle-aged man who had asked for help, but Veronica could feel eyes watching her from all directions. People hiding inside the building blinked with fearful eyes, glancing at her. For the first time in a long while, she wasn’t afraid of those eyes.

I won’t abandon people again.

Veronica murmured Aseldorf’s name as she stepped onto the window frame.

Outside, the pile of rocks was still one story below. Leon stood on a large, flat stone and called out, “I’ll catch you. Jump.”

Behind Veronica, Oscar was waiting. She had no desire to hesitate out of fear and waste time trembling, nor did she want to cause more trouble by getting injured. Taking a deep breath, Veronica stepped into the air without a word. In the brief weightlessness, strong arms caught her firmly. Veronica opened her eyes amidst the familiar scent and warmth.

“Oh, my arm might be broken.”

The comment as he set her down safely made her forget to say thank you. Veronica stared at him incredulously as he joked without any change in his expression.

“This isn’t the time for jokes.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

She glared at him, furrowing her eyebrows, and Leon let out a short laugh. It was a smile so handsome it was annoying—a smile with that characteristic kindness meant to put others at ease. Memories of the time they spent in the wilderness surfaced, and she bit her lip as she moved away from him.

Don’t fall for it. Don’t let your heart soften. His kindness has no meaning.

Once Oscar came down as well, they began to take a proper look around.

As expected, the city was in shambles. Aside from a few tall buildings, most were destroyed beyond recognition, their original form and the streets wiped out. No one dared to speak easily amidst the devastation.

In this great city of Kart, home to a million people, at least a quarter of the area seemed to have taken a direct hit from the landslide. Staring at the imperial palace, which still managed to retain its dignity despite the circumstances, Oscar wet his dry lips.

“The fountain should be in that direction.”

A pile of rubble. There was no way there could be survivors. Though all three had the same thought, none spoke it aloud. The fountain was near the imperial palace and on the path they had to take anyway.

They moved cautiously, inspecting the gaps between the rocks as they went. Darkness soon fell. Multiple times, they heard groans or cries beneath their feet. Help me, please, is anyone there?

Veronica covered her ears.

She wanted to save them all, but there was neither the time nor the means. Everything was covered in rocks, and it was impossible to pinpoint where the voices were coming from, not to mention the three of them were incapable of removing the piles of debris. Asking for help from the army at the imperial palace would be faster.

Just then, Leon, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped his long strides. He was staring fixedly at something. Veronica turned to look and gasped. The tip of a wing fragment.

“This place is…”

The Fountain of Five Angels.

Hannah and Emmett’s home was the second house to the right of this place.

A look of dismay crossed her face as she gauged the distance. If the houses were completely buried like this, then the chances of survival…

It was then.

“Look over there!” Oscar shouted excitedly. “It looks like there are survivors gathered! I see a flame!”

They followed the direction of his pointing finger. Indeed, flames were visible, scattered near the collapsed wall. The lights began to ignite one by one, like birds singing the first song of the early morning, spreading in a line. It looked like an orderly military formation.

A military formation? Wait a moment.

“…No. Those aren’t flames,” Veronica murmured in a daze, a chill running down her spine.

Leon, who had realized the same thing, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword just as Veronica added in a strained voice, “Those are Bahamut’s…”

Eyes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of footsteps, almost like heartbeats, began to resonate rhythmically through the ground. It was the Bahamut army.

They were entering through the collapsed section of the wall. Every hair on her body stood on end. Though they had expected this, it was still shocking. Had they really been the ones who collapsed the mountain? Their rapid advance was terrifying. Veronica unconsciously stepped back.

It wasn’t entirely her fault that she stepped on a loose stone. The rocks crumbled beneath her, and Leon cursed under his breath, reaching out, but it was too late. His fingertips barely grazed her as she slipped down. With a short scream and pain in her ankle, Veronica landed on her backside. Leon jumped down after her, followed by Oscar.

They had ended up in an open space beneath two large, wide rocks that served as a pillar and a roof.

“Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

Ignoring Leon’s outstretched hand, Veronica grabbed onto the debris and stood up on her own. To be honest, her ankle felt sprained, but she didn’t show it.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“This might actually be better. Let’s wait here until they scatter.”

Oscar, who had drawn his sword, looked up at the gap above them as he spoke. Even under the blue moonlight, his forehead was drenched in sweat.

“If we’re planning to hide, why not go further inside?” Leon suggested, his eyes fixed on Veronica’s ankle, as if the injury were his own.

Veronica looked into the pitch-black darkness. Was it just her imagination?

“I don’t mind, but… Doesn’t it sound like there’s something in there?”

Everyone paused and listened to the darkness. It wasn’t a mistake. From within, there was a faint sound like sobbing.

A survivor.

“Is anyone in there?” Oscar shouted loudly.

The sobbing stopped abruptly, and soon after, a woman’s desperate voice replied, “There’s someone here! Please help!”

Oscar and Veronica looked at each other almost simultaneously. They both recognized that desperate voice. Oh, no.

“Dear God.”

Oscar sheathed his sword and dashed into the darkness, with Veronica following despite the dull pain. If Hannah hadn’t lit the lantern midway, they would have struggled to make their way into the collapsed house. The bedroom and part of the living room had fallen, but a boulder had luckily become a makeshift pillar.

“Oscar. I’m so glad you came. Please, help us. Emmett, he… he was protecting me…”

The soft glow enveloped Hannah, who was sitting on the floor. She was holding Emmett, whose lower body was trapped under a rock. His white clothes were completely soaked in blood. Oscar fell to his knees, and Veronica covered her mouth to stifle a groan.

Leon spoke quietly beside them, “That man… he doesn’t have a chance.”

Veronica turned her dazed face toward him. Even in the dim light, his sharp features were cold. She grabbed Leon’s arm tightly, muttering like a madwoman, “No, that can’t be true.”

“……”

“We can save him. We have to save him. If it’s us, we must. They, they…”

Her throat burned. She gritted her teeth, unable to mention Aseldorf or the innkeeper couple. Now was not the time to inflict more grief on Hannah.

Seeing her face contort in silent anguish, Leon’s eyes darkened. After a deep sigh, he turned his head and, as if resigned, took long strides forward.