Chapter 47: The Town (5)

That child is not the Emperor?

It was difficult to understand what that meant.

The compass that Louie had given me clearly indicated that this was the Emperor’s hometown.

Everything suggested that the Emperor had been born and raised here.

And yet, that child is not the Emperor?

What could that possibly mean?

The old woman pulled a cloth from her sleeve and wiped the blood trickling down her cheek. Even as the cloth became soaked in red, the bleeding did not stop.

I reached out and cast a healing spell.

A red magic circle formed around the old woman, and soon, the blood flowing from her eyes stopped.

She looked at me with a hint of surprise before breaking into a soft smile.

“Thank you, dear. When you get old, the tears just won’t stop...”

There was no way those vivid streaks of blood were mere tears.

But I couldn’t bring myself to ask further.

I had no idea what kind of consequences the old woman might face if I pried too deep.

So I had to carefully choose my words.

Seeing my expression, the old woman muttered, “Oh dear,” as if she had just remembered something. Then, slowly, she spoke.

“Now that I think about it, I do have something left at home.”

With difficulty, she rose to her feet and grabbed the cane resting on the table.

Seeing this, Lily hurried to her side.

Blocking her path, Lily offered her an awkward smile.

“Um, if you tell me where it is, I can get it for you.”

“Hmm? No need for that. A host should serve their guests personally.”

“But I’m a maid, so it’s fine!”

At that, the old woman firmly shook her head.

“Nonsense. Before being a maid, you are a guest in my home.”

Her unwavering refusal left Lily with no choice but to step aside.

The old woman leaned on her cane as she slowly made her way toward the cupboard.

She looked unsteady, making not just me but even Lily visibly worried.

Reaching what appeared to be the kitchen, she opened a drawer. After rummaging through it, she pulled out a single tea leaf.

“This is a rare thing I got from the East. It’s quite old now, but...”

“Wait.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Evan reached for his sword.

His sharp eyes darted around rapidly before stopping on a single point.

His pupils dilated slightly. Then, with a long sigh, he muttered,

“We’re under attack.”

Srrng!

With a clear ringing sound, he drew his sword.

Startled, Lily moved closer to me.

I could feel the tremor in her grip on my arm.

In contrast, the old woman’s expression remained calm—almost as if she had been expecting this moment.

There was even a hint of sorrow on her face.

“Tch. They won’t even give me time to serve my guests.”

“Do you know who they are?”

“If you’ve come this far, young ones, you should already know.”

The Emperor’s Hand.

The words burned into my mind resurfaced instantly.

Unconsciously, I clenched my fists.

Memories of the ones who had died in the library at their hands flashed before my eyes.

My body trembled slightly, but I forced myself to take deep breaths to steady myself.

Lily, however, trembled even more violently.

Seeing her shake with fear, I gently patted her head.

“Miss Adele?”

“Don’t worry. Evan and I will handle this.”

“Miss, stay as close to me as possible. You too, Grandmother.”

I nodded and stepped closer to Evan.

The old woman hesitated for a moment before sighing and moving behind him as well.

Crash!

At least five windows shattered simultaneously.

Beyond them, a swarm of glowing red eyes stared at us like a pack of starving beasts.

A murderous intent radiated from their gaze.

I swallowed hard.

Had they spent their entire lives as mere weapons of slaughter?

Just meeting their eyes made my legs weak.

Whoosh!

Evan raised his sword in front of me and murmured in a resolute voice,

“I won’t let them through.”

A brilliant blue aura ignited around him.

His eyes gleamed sharply before a fierce slash flew forward.

The blade, infused with aura, sliced through their necks effortlessly.

Blood gushed like a fountain, spraying in all directions.

Headless bodies collapsed onto their knees.

“Ugh.”

A sharp gasp echoed as Evan’s sword flashed once more.

With a single swing, five more fell.

Yet, the enemies showed no hesitation.

Their eerie persistence made them seem almost inhuman.

“...Where do you think you’re going?”

I concentrated magic into my fist, using the same shield spell I had used in the library.

I struck one of them, sending him flying.

He crashed into the wall, coughing up blood, but soon stood up again.

His zombie-like resilience made Lily shriek and hide behind me.

Grrrk…

The attackers let out guttural, beast-like growls and lunged.

Evan swung his sword with a composed expression.

Even as blood splattered across his face, he didn’t blink.

Something about that sight felt... off.

‘What is it?’

A gut feeling rang alarm bells in my mind.

I didn’t know exactly what it was warning me about—only that it signaled death.

I turned my head urgently, searching for the source of my unease.

“Miss Adele?”

I ignored Lily’s questioning voice as I scanned the room.

Something was wrong.

I couldn’t explain it, but I was sure of it.

‘Why aren’t they coming in from the back?’

The house was a mere wooden cabin, made of logs hastily stacked together.

For the Emperor’s Hand, breaking through such a weak barrier should be effortless.

So why weren’t they doing it?

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a magic circle began forming on the floor.

The moment I noticed it, I opened my mouth to shout—

But before I could utter a word, my body was violently shoved aside.

“Huh?”

Squelch.

The sound of a blade tearing through flesh.

But there was no pain.

Not even the sensation of being cut.

I tumbled across the floor several times.

‘What the—’

I lifted my head.

A crimson blade had pierced through the old woman’s shoulder.

Her lips trembled as she bit down in pain, her breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“Kyahhh!”

Lily’s sharp scream tore through the room.

Evan whipped his head around at the sound, immediately grasping the situation. Without hesitation, his sword slashed through the air.

Blood spurted from the attacker’s back as he collapsed on the spot.

Seeing this, I pressed my hands against the floor and pushed myself up, quickly stumbling toward the old woman.

“Khak… cough...”

It was bad.

Blood soaked the area around the blade buried in her shoulder, staining her clothes a deep red.

The blood that trickled down her arm pooled onto the ground, forming a small puddle beneath her.

The sight made my head spin for a moment.

When I lifted my gaze, I saw the old woman’s eyes slowly losing focus.

‘…Ah.’

I was used to my own death.

No matter how many times I died, I could always turn back time.

Even if I died without realizing it, my ability would automatically rewind the past.

But the death of others was different.

Especially the death of someone who had chosen to sacrifice themselves for me.

A memory flashed through my mind.

The first time Lily had died.

She had taken the assassin’s blade in my place, the one sent by the Crown Prince.

She had bitten down on the assassin’s leg with everything she had, desperately buying time for me to escape.

That image—her bloodied form—overlapped with the old woman before me.

The same resigned expression.

The same face, accepting death as inevitable.

‘I won’t let her die.’

The moment that thought formed, I fumbled inside my cloak, hastily pulling out a healing magic scroll.

It was expensive, but that didn’t matter.

A human life was worth far more.

Without hesitation, I grasped the scroll with both hands, ready to tear it open.

But my fingers were trembling too much, slipping against the paper.

‘Get a grip, Adele!’

What the hell was I doing, wasting time?

Clenching my teeth, I bit down on the paper and ripped it apart.

A crimson magic circle formed in midair as the mana within the scroll drained away.

The bleeding began to slow.

It was a third-tier healing spell—powerful enough to save someone even on the brink of death.

But despite the spell, the old woman’s condition was only worsening.

Although the bleeding had lessened, it wasn’t stopping completely.

Uung…

I cast a coagulation spell over and over, but the blood refused to clot.

The old woman, despite her ragged breathing, chuckled softly.

“Heh... such a kind girl... That child was like this too, back then...”

“Shut up! You’re losing too much blood!”

“Hah… Even the sharp tongue is the same…”

Despite the pain, she let out a hoarse laugh.

I bit my lip hard and cast the spell again.

“Young lady… May I… ask you… for one thing?”

Her voice trembled.

She was coughing up blood, barely able to speak.

I couldn’t even form a reply.

“P-please… save that child…”

Her words trailed off midway.

‘Ah.’

I couldn’t save her.

I knew that. My mind understood it.

But I couldn’t stop casting the spell.

My hands were shaking.

My mana, which had been plentiful, was almost depleted.

“Stop… Stop it!”

Lily cried out and hugged me tightly from behind.

Her warmth seeped into me.

And at last, my eyes focused.

The old woman lay still.

Her eyes were closed, her face serene, as if she were merely asleep.

“…Again.”

Tick. Tock.

The familiar ticking of a clock echoed in my ears.

I heard Louie’s voice, reminding me that every rewind came with a price.

I ignored it.

If I didn’t use my power now, I knew I would regret it forever.

Time rewound.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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