Chapter 28

Chapter 28

After a while, the broken shield began to be slowly restored. The Knights, who arrived late, divided into groups and faced the demonic beasts and the evil dragon that invaded the capital.

When several master-level knights gathered, the evil dragon fled far away. It was after the beasts had been completely wiped out.

When the evil dragon disappeared, there was once again just one moon in the sky, as if what was being obscured by the evil dragons was, again, visible.

Everyone seemed relieved, but I felt some kind of insecurity.

‘It’s leaving just like this?’

My heart was trembling while I stared into the empty sky where the evil dragon had disappeared. Contrary to the preview, it was too weak. Somehow, it didn’t seem like the end.

I looked around without letting my guard down. People who could not escape into the building were lying around, bleeding.

Cracked buildings and broken stores stood out. It was a brief attack, but the capital was a mess.

I was looking at my surroundings with very wary eyes, but Lexion dragged me somewhere.

“Let’s talk for a second.”

His tone was heavy and dull.

“Where are you leaving?!”

Gregory shouted from behind. However, Lexion didn’t hesitate as if it had nothing to do with it. It was a strange behavior I had seen for the first time.

It was unusual for him to react so sharply. I was startled to see him so angry.

“Le-Lexion?”

“…”

I called him out of anxiety, but he didn’t answer. I talked to him once again.

“Aren’t- aren’t you going to settle the situation with the Prince?”

I tried to put weight on my lower body, stopping him from walking. Only then did he look at me for a moment. He was just staring, but somehow he looked soggy. Even though his eyes were dry, he looked strangely like weeping.

I released the strength I was holding on to.

‘Why do you have those eyes?’

I couldn’t understand what his expression meant. ‘Am I missing something?’

In the meantime, Lexion moved again, and I blankly followed his lead. As we entered the empty alley, he pushed me against the wall. At the same time, he supported my head with his hands so that I didn’t get hit. It was more of a cautious movement rather than a coercive one.

“…”

“…”

A suffocating silence surrounded us. I did not avoid the straight gaze.

Suddenly, the surroundings began to darken again. It seemed that the evil dragon had returned as I thought, and was about to rush into the capital once again.

Kyyyyeeeeeehh! A roar like a cry vibrated through the sky.

“Be careful! Everyone, prepare for the attack!”

The screams of the evil dragon and the shouts of the knights were mixed.

Then the guide appeared with a beep sound.

―The male lead is in danger!

Originally, Lexion had to die protecting him. Maybe now was the time.

I held onto his sleeves so that Lexion might go to Gregory. Fortunately, he showed no sign of moving.

I felt like my throat was burning.

‘If it stays like this, will Gregory die instead of Lexion? No. As a male lead, he won’t die… Still, we can’t just leave it like this, so should I go?’

While hesitating with such thoughts, Lexion broke the silence.

“I’m not going.”

“Yes?”

“So, you don’t go to Gregory either.”

“…?”

I couldn’t understand him. ‘I won’t go, so you shouldn’t go either…?’ It was strange that he, who was only a character in an already scheduled scene, was acting so out of character.

It was like he could hear the voice of the book and react accordingly, so I panicked. At that moment, the guide foretold the next event.

―Ring. Lexion Sparrow has deviated from the original route. Without his protection, Gregory Aden Werbel is mortally wounded.

Startled by the guide’s announcement, I turned in Gregory’s direction. Just then, I saw him barely holding on at the feet of the evil dragon.

I didn’t know that Gregory would be seriously injured if I left him alone. I wasn’t sure about what to do, and the book was opened again.

―Demonic editing mode activated. For the flow of the story, Tiarozetti Isol uses her hidden powers.

‘What?’

―Save Gregory right now. If accepted, Lexion Sparrow’s death will be treated as ‘null.’

I grabbed the dagger in my arms as I heard that Lexion’s death would be nullified. If so, it was a proposal without any reason to hesitate. If I refused it, a penalty would be triggered, further cornering Lexion.

“I’ll be back soon.”

I quietly held Lexion’s hand and said calmly, meant to let go. His eyes fluttered violently at this.

He didn’t let go of my hand.

“Titi…”

It was a look that told me not to go.

‘Don’t look at me like that. It’s all for you.’

I tried again to convince him.

“Don’t be anxious. The only place I will come back to is you, Zion.”

I didn’t know why he was so anxious, but I wanted to alleviate his anxiety a little. His eyes lit up at my words. His face was still mixed with complex emotions.

After a while, he quietly put his hand down.

“I will go now.”

I ran to Gregory, leaving the hand that was falling weakly behind me. At that moment, the sharp claws of the evil dragon were pressing down on Gregory’s shoulder. His arms were shaking violently from the strong grip.

Even if it was stronger in an air battle, the evil dragon was in a position favorable for a ground battle.

Gregory saw me and shouted.

“Why are you here… uugk!”

Ignoring his warning, I thrust the dagger into the evil dragon’s foot as hard as I could and shouted the starter word.

“[Asta!]”

The ring could not withstand the force and broke, and the color of my hair gradually turned silver. The situation was so urgent that there was no time to take the ring off.

‘I need to get a new ring.’

Gregory looked at me in amazement as I was having these vain thoughts.

“You…!”

At first glance, it seemed like he was saying, ‘What kind of crazy thing is this?’, so I laughed.

In his eyes, who doesn’t know anything, my actions looked very reckless. No one would be able to fight the evil dragon with only a dagger.

I mesmerized Gregory with a bashful smile. Soon after, a blue light shone softly around the dagger.

“Titi!”

At that time, Lexion, whom I thought was waiting quietly, followed me and shouted. He quickly took off his coat and hid my head.

Kieek! The evil dragon could not withstand the pouring force and ran wildly. Eventually, as it ascended to the sky as if running away, my body flew as well while holding on.

“Aah!”

Lexion grabbed my floating body leaving along with the dagger. Then, while holding me in his arms, he roughly pulled out the dagger. Suddenly, the bodies holding the dagger fell down. He embraced me and concentrated his aura around his feet. Thanks to that, the speed of the fall slowed down, and we landed safely on the floor.

When the dagger that had been lodged in his foot fell out, the evil dragon quickly ran away.

‘Is it really effective against the dragon?’

I was unfamiliar with the sight of a dragon running away like that. It certainly seemed that Isol’s secret weapon was useful to defeat the evil dragon.

After a while, the guide’s cheerful voice popped up.

― Mission completed. In this way, the Lexion Sparrow avoided his predetermined death.

Thinking that it was all over, I leaned on Lexion.

‘I save him. Thank God.’

My hands were trembling. The sense of Asta, the power that steals the life force of the opponent was bizarre. The source of the evil dragon’s life was malice and hostility.

I got a headache as its malice flowed into my body.

“Ugh.”

“Just what the hell…”

Lexion muttered in a bewildered voice. I held my breath at the first words that came out of his mouth. I wanted to answer, but I had no energy.

Then Gregory came over to us, grabbing my shoulder.

“You are definitely brave. I’m sorry I made fun of you for being a coward, Miss.”

With those words, Gregory gave me a thumbs up. Seeing Gregory joking around even with his injured body relieved my tension.

I was going to say thank you to Lexion for saving me and that I wasn’t hurt.

“Than…”

But the muttering around me didn’t let me finish.

“Have you seen it? It was definitely silver, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I saw it. Isn’t that person an Isol?”

“Weren’t they all dead?”

“Looks like someone survived.”

People who had been watching from inside the building came out one by one and started murmuring. It was because Lexion’s robe fell off my head while I was hanging onto the evil dragon.

All of a sudden, my hair was exposed. Lexion hurriedly covered it, but it was already too late. I bowed my head as much as I could and tried to avoid the attention.

But the novel seemed to not let me avoid it. At that moment, Seirin was coming out of the building. Next to her stood a man with the same blue hair as her. It was Kronos.

Kronos rushed to protect Seirin after hearing the evil dragon’s commotion.

“Ha!”

Hearing the noisy surroundings, he laughed out loud. After a while, the man who came to us looked at Lexion and Gregory in turn and grinned.

“What, am I the only one who doesn’t understand this?”

“Your Highness, this.”

Gregory intervened. But Kronos came closer and removed the cloak from my head.

“An Isol, for sure.”

Kronos looked at me and smiled murderously. Seirin next to me had a very bewildered face. Both reactions because of my brilliant silver hair. Symbol of Isol.

As soon as Lexion stood in front of me to protect me, Kronos growled.

“Lexion Sparrow. Did you make a false report?”

“…”

When he did not deny it, Kronos laughed. I stepped forward to prevent the situation from escalating. I didn’t want to see Lexion in trouble.

“I asked him to hide it.”

“Why?”

Kronos asked sarcastically. I answered without backing down.

“Because I don’t want to be taken advantage of by the Imperial Family!”

At my answer, He tilted his head looking at me as if I was absurd. He looked at me as if it was a pity to even think about giving a thorough answer to a minority race.

“Titi.”

At that moment, Lexion called me kindly and pulled me back as if not to step out. Then he calmly responded to Kronos.