Chapter 22: 22
Hanette gazed at Zion with a serene look in her eyes. She could see that he genuinely wanted to repay the debt he owed her. While she appreciated his effort, she wondered why he was so insistent.
‘He’s kind-hearted. And he is indeed handsome.’
She recalled the words she once heard and chuckled. At the time, she had denied it to maintain her pride, but now she could finally accept it.
“Is this amusing to you? I’d like to wrap this up quickly.”
“It is somewhat amusing. Why are you so stubborn?”
“Do you want me to live in debt forever?”
“Just think of it as 80 gold coins falling from the sky. It’s not that hard.”
“… If you’re joking, I can laugh.”
“Does this sound like a joke to you?”
Zion frowned, feeling a mix of fatigue and frustration. Despite his efforts to return the money, Hanette was firmly refusing. She might have figured out where he got the money.
“How long are we going to do this?”
“You can end it by giving up, yet you’re still holding on.”
“You could end it by taking the money.”
“Do you know where this money came from? I’ll pretend you didn’t borrow it, so just take it back.”
“It’s hard-earned money. Just take it.”
“I said I’m not taking it!”
“Take it!”
Zion, exasperated, raised his voice and thrust the envelope towards her. But Hanette remained calm and continued speaking.
“… If you leave that here, I’ll tear it to pieces.”
“Huh… You’re really going to do this?”
“Yes, so take it back. You know how stubborn I am.”
“Pretty stubborn indeed.”
“Exactly. I don’t want to argue over this.”
Hanette’s voice was gentle, but her eyes were firm. It was clear that she intended to keep her word. Zion hesitated briefly before taking the envelope back.
“Why didn’t you do that from the start?”
“You’d probably hit me if I didn’t.”
“When did I ever say I’d hit you?”
“Look at your face. You look like you’re ready to kill me with your eyes.”
“If you’d listened to me earlier, none of this would’ve happened. It’s all your fault.”
“Blaming me now? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Then tell me now. Where did you get that money? What did you do to get 80 gold coins in just a few days? I’m really curious.”
Hanette’s tone was mocking, her head tilted slightly. Zion sighed, looking displeased.
“You don’t need to worry about me. Take care of yourself.”
“You don’t seem to be in such great shape yourself.”
“You and I are different. At least one of us has to be mature.”
“… Is it that fun to pretend to be an adult in front of me?”
“Why do you think it’s pretending? Is it so strange to support my younger fiancé?”
“Phew… So you feel proud and accomplished?”
“Who else would give you 80 gold coins in that situation?”
“…”
Zion hesitated, unable to deny the truth. Without Hanette’s help, he wouldn’t have won the demon gloves at the auction.
“You have some conscience? You’re quiet now.”
“I’ll admit it.”
“Good. Be grateful. The three-year-older me is being generous, so keep that in mind.”
“So you’re going to keep reminding me of this every time we meet? Great.”
“Now that’s more like you. Keep acting like this. It’s less stressful for me.”
“I worry about who’s going to put up with your temper.”
“There’s someone right in front of me, so I’m hopeful.”
“Are you planning on marrying me?”
“That’s what I want to ask.”
“Don’t answer with a question. Answer mine first.”
“A question is also an answer.”
“You’re avoiding the answer.”
“Think whatever you want. I have nothing to lose.”
“Of course. No one’s blocking your way, so you have nothing to lose.”
“Then block me yourself.”
Hanette gestured with her eyes and started walking. Zion followed her, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation.
‘She’s good at ruining things. I got the money because of her… My wonderful fiancé.’
—
Duke Adelaira’s Mansion, 2nd Floor Corridor
Zion and Hanette returned to the mansion by evening and were summoned by Robbenz to his study. After a brief conversation with Robbenz, they came back to the corridor. Zion looked around before heading up the stairs.
“… You know what this means, right?”
“They want us to spend a night together.”
“Good. So, what’s the plan?”
“There’s nothing complicated. We go, stay a few days, and come back.”
“Is that really all?”
Zion hinted at something else. The destination wasn’t set yet, and he needed to get Exceed Rain. Robbenz had made a tempting offer, and Zion wanted to see Hanette’s thoughts on it.
“That’s all there is. What else do you need?”
“Everything’s fine, but… I want to choose the place.”
“You want to choose our destination?”
“Yes. Is that okay?”
“Hmmm…”
Hanette eyed Zion suspiciously. He must have a specific place in mind. It might be related to the gloves he bought at the auction.
“Why do you want to choose?”
“… Then you choose.”
“Why give up so easily?”
“I just wanted to visit a place. Thought I’d ask.”
Zion lied smoothly, observing Hanette’s reaction. He couldn’t let her know about Exceed Rain. Letting her pick the travel spot would also cause issues, but he had a plan for that.
“Where do you want to go?”
“I was thinking east. They have good food.”
“You want to go east just for the food?”
“There’s also sightseeing… and the weather is nice for walks.”
“Are you sure you just want to relax?”
“If they’re sending us, we should make the most of it. Don’t you want to travel?”
“Not really. I prefer staying here.”
But Hanette couldn’t refuse Robbenz’s suggestion. It was more of an order, and she had to travel with Zion. She was only thinking of secretly setting aside some of the travel allowance.
“We can’t refuse. We have to go.”
“You’re lucky. You wanted to go.”
“It’s an opportunity. If you don’t want to go, I can’t enjoy it either.”
Zion didn’t want to waste time on unnecessary things. He just needed an excuse to get Exceed Rain, which was hidden in the eastern region of the Aelin Kingdom.
‘I need to find and take it quickly. I can’t be away for long.’
Even if it was a formal trip with Hanette, there would be knights, maids, and servants with them. Moving alone wouldn’t be easy. But since his reputation wasn’t bad, he could slip away for a while.
‘I know roughly where it is…’
Exceed Rain was buried in that person’s grave but eventually broke free from its seal. Despite that person sacrificing all their remaining magic and physical strength, they couldn’t withstand the passage of time. Thus, Exceed Rain ended up in the hands of monsters, meeting the protagonist.
‘Even that person had limits.’
Though once wielding both El Tesoykve and Exceed Rain, they couldn’t destroy Exceed Rain before their time ended. To prevent Exceed Rain from falling into the hands of monsters, they sealed it in the eastern region of Aelin Kingdom. No one knew its exact location, and it was magically protected.
‘Exceed Rain must be subdued, not destroyed…’
“Alright. You choose the place. I don’t care.”
“I’ll find a nearby spot.”
Zion left Hanette and entered his room. Everything was ready. He just needed to go to the hidden location and retrieve it.
‘It’s still early in the story, so nothing should go wrong.’
—
Aelin Kingdom, Eastern Region, Deep in the Forest
Zion spent the first night at the lodging and managed to slip away on the morning of the second day. He had to finish quickly before Hanette and the knights noticed his absence. If he could return by lunchtime, he could cover it up.
‘There is light, yet it is buried in darkness. At the end of the shadows lies his grave.’
Zion hurried, trying to find the place that matched the given conditions. The location where Exceed Rain was sealed was summarized in two sentences. It was a place rarely visited by people, with its entrance cleverly hidden by magic.
‘Buried in darkness means lots of trees, and the end of the shadows means a convergence.’
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the sunlight faded. Shadows created by trees formed faint lines. He needed to find the central point where these shadows gathered.
‘Almost there…’
Zion checked the shadows as he moved. As he progressed, the shadows thinned, and darkness thickened. Yet, amidst this, he saw lines formed by shadows.
‘Here.’
Zion identified a slight difference and cautiously reached out. The magical barrier slowly revealed itself at his touch.
‘I have the right, so I should be able to enter…’
Confident, Zion pushed forward. The magical barrier engulfed him, then completely disappeared.
“… It’s so obvious.”
Zion found himself in a different space. It looked like he was inside a cave, with rocky walls surrounding him. In the center of the cave stood the sword he had been seeking.
“Exceed Rain…”