/
Julia double-checked that the letter was securely tied around Bero’s neck. She then posed as if she was just about to throw a large discus.
‘I’m sorry for deceiving you. Instead, I’ll give you lots of delicious food as soon as you come back.’
She didn’t have the strength to throw something straight into the horizon. Even crossing the small garden in front of the bedroom was already a miracle, so let alone the horizon itself. She therefore intended to deceive Bero by pretending that she was truly throwing something. If it was the good looking Legion, it would definitely recognize his soon passing hair.
“Come on, get ready.”
“Heh heh!”
“Run
 kyaak!”
It was the moment when Julia was about to pretend to throw the toy. As it became unable to contain its excitement, Bero grabbed her waist while biting her before it ran out of the terrace.
Her vision was reversed in an instant and the cold night air slapped her cheeks relentlessly. Julia couldn’t even let out a scream as she froze. The bite was not as painful since Bero hadn’t even had its teeth properly grown yet.
She instinctively stiffened because it was the first time she had been kidnapped and escaped her way out of the castle in this manner.
Julia looked at the Demon King’s castle as it slowly drifted away while she was still clinging onto the oversized young beast. She was afraid of how Bael would react if he found out that she had escaped from the castle once again. Needless to say, about Barbatos—who distrusted humans terribly—as well.
‘What to do? Should I go back now?’
Julia glanced up. Bero had been sprinting furiously as its saliva was scattering like a shower, just like it became excited by its first night walk right after birth. No matter how much she thought about it, it was already impossible for her to calm this guy down.
“Ah, Bero
”
“Woof woof! Woof!”
As her vision shook wildly, motion sickness appeared to have upset her stomach too. She seemed to be aware of her own face that had turned all white even without looking at it in the mirror.
With her heavy panting breath as well as her struggle to look down, Julia noticed that the condition of the ground was a tad bit strange. The ground was all charred as if it had been struck by a powerful flamethrower. It was a straight line straight from the horizon to the vicinity of the Demon King’s Castle and around that area, an unknown flicker of ashes fluttering could be seen in the air.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t even run into a single demon since I ran out of the castle.’
In the past, it would have been more than enough to get surrounded by the beasts who came out in search of prey right at an instant. The moment she felt the abnormality, her shoulders stiffened instinctively in response.
“Julia!!”
From somewhere far away, someone’s screaming voice could be heard. It had been low and rough, but it was a voice that felt nostalgic somehow.
[▷SYSTEM
Story progression 20%]
At the moment she lifted her gaze, a system window appeared right in front of her.
[▷SYSTEM
2nd Episode. Trajectory of the Past.]
[▷SYSTEM
– Mission: Convince Bael.
– Reward: Target addition.
– Penalty of Failure: Legion’s death.]
It was the second chapter of Bael’s route, which was the same as when she had been taken away by Berith. She was startled by the sudden situation, but she did not have any time to think long. The voice that had been calling out her name grew much closer than before.
“Julia, wait! I’ll save you right now!”
Legion immediately loaded his blue energy into the greatsword and slammed onto the ground before leaping up. His flustered eyes were exactly aimed at the beast who had supposedly kidnapped Julia.
He had misunderstood the whole situation. He currently intended to kill Bero instead.
“No! No, don’t!”
“Gggrrrr!”
As Julia screamed in shock, Bero realized that something had gone wrong, which made it stop running and vigorously revealed its teeth instead. However, as it was still a young one, it did not appear intimidating in the slightest. All of Bero’s teeth were simply the tips of its fangs that had been barely protruded as well.
As he saw that, Legion’s eyes began to get wrinkled slightly. The mana which he released was still viciously enveloping around his greatsword. However, he seemed to have sensed something with the beast’s attitude as it was wrapping its body around Julia and baring its teeth towards him.
His furious voice eventually softened a little.
“What’s going on with this right now?”
“I’m the one who should be asking. What’s going on? Why are you roaming around the Demon King’s Castle?”
“Grr! Woof!”
“It’s okay, Bero. I’m sorry for yelling. He’s not a bad person at all.”
Perhaps due to the fact that Julia had raised her voice, Bero barked with such eagerness at the same time. In an attempt to calm the young wolf, Julia then gave a small whisper as usual before staring down at Legion’s sword piercingly.
As he noticed the signal, Legion completely calmed his sword and ran towards Julia. Then, without any chance to escape at all, he straight away hugged her tightly.
“I missed you, Julia.”
“Legion
”
“Damn those Vestra bastards. How could they—what ignorance!”
Julia couldn’t push him away or even hug him face to face with the feeling of crying that came from his trembling hands as she stood there blankly. As though it was displaying how long he had been running, his chest pounded as if it was just about to explode and everything had been transmitted through her own chest.
Legion had grown so much more than what she remembered him four years ago and he was suddenly taking more of the in-game look which she had been aware about. His tall stature and wide shoulders exuded a youthful atmosphere and his short blonde hair along with those blue eyes reminded her of a beautiful Prince in a fairy tale.
“It’s all fine now. I’m here to save you.”
“

”
“Let us return.”
Even though he had asked her to go, he did not loosen those arms that still held Julia captive. A low, trembling breath could then be heard in her ears.
‘Why would you even commit such a reckless thing to follow me straight into the underworld?’
Legion simply couldn’t let the small and weak go like that. He pretended not to, but he was outright just and virtuous. So, he must have risked his life to cross the Imperial Palace’s wall in order to meet the imprisoned Princess. He never turned away from any of those weak ones, even when he, himself, had already reached a point of danger.
‘But this isn’t Abeldishim, it’s the Demon Realm. How hard and dangerous it must have been for him to actually come here.’
Julia stopped and faced reality for a moment. If it really had been for her, then such an ambiguous attitude was rather poisonous. If she really wanted to dissuade him and send him right back to the ground above, she simply had to be cold.