Chapter 571 – 571. The Witch of the Second Dimension (2)
All the heroes who prevented the catastrophe that might engulf the continent returned to their respective places.
Riod is the home of the kingdom of Pernias.
Agnes is the main school of the Temple of Vesta in the Holy Kingdom of Erenia.
Gerard continued his wandering life to track down the remnants of the warlocks of the ruined Mirvabilla Empire.
Alice followed Agies to restore her lost sight.
Ray Nann also returned to her original homeland, the kingdom of Rendir, but not all of her six heroes took the path forward without hesitation.
Only Illyana among the six could do that.
If this expedition or this fight is over, there were so many things she wanted to share with her and share her heart, but after Eun-hyeon died, she wandered.
Illyana, who chose to live in seclusion alone for the time being, spent each day drinking, shedding as much tears as she drank, and she suffered from severe depression.
“I miss you…”
Eun-hyeon’s face and voice do not leave her head, and whenever she thinks of them, her heart becomes empty with a sense of loss.
And what fills her heart is intense regret.
“It should have dried.”
It was unreasonable from the beginning to face the group of monsters alone.
At least she should have fought alongside her Eun-hyeon, even if she was herself.
She should have chosen that path on her own, even if it put her at a greater disadvantage in killing the Emperor of the Empire, even if the burden on her other comrades becomes stronger.
No matter what happened to other people, the only thing that mattered to Illyana was Eunhyun.
“Bad X meal…”
Eun-hyeon, who promised to listen to him without fail, will never be seen again.
It’s been years since I spent every day drinking, remembering Eun-hyeon’s face and her voice.
“How long are you going to live like this?”
After a long time, Riod came to Illyana’s house where she was hiding.
“… Director Nam.”
The messy state of the house, where her things were never put in order, clearly showed how messed up Liode was leading her life from the moment she entered her entrance.
Because she lived with alcohol every day, her skin is a mess, and the owner of her split and frizzy hair is too shabby and pathetic to be a hero who saved the continent.
“… Did you succeed?”
On the other hand, Illyana’s look at Riod’s outfit was very elegant.
Brightly shining silver armor and a long sword at the waist.
And the cloth and cloak worn under the armor made it possible to gauge what position he was in within the kingdom of Pernias, to which he currently belongs.
“I made the knights. Now I am the leader of that order.”
“Oh yeah. Congratulations.”
Contrary to the congratulations she readily offered, Illyana showed a sullen expression instead of a happy expression.
Leo didn’t particularly want to brag to Illyana or receive congratulations from her, so he just let it go.
“Why did you come?”
Illyana turned her eyes away from Riod, who was worried about her.
Not wanting to show her now miserable side to her old colleague, she immediately asked Leod about her business.
Looking at Illyana, who asked with all her heart that she wanted her to leave quickly, Liode let out a small sigh and immediately told her business.
“… Sooner or later, the Royal Magic Library will be established in the Kingdom of Pernias.”
“However?”
“I want you to take the position of the librarian there.”
“…”
Illyana frowned at Riod’s sudden request.
Riod’s proposal to come back after a few years to find himself in hiding after the war just made me feel bad.
“No.”
“Why? I will guarantee fair treatment and pay. If there’s anything else you want, just tell me. We will reflect the requirements as much as possible.”
“Do you think I’m turning it down for money?”
In fact, Illyana is living alone in the woods like this, and she is living a life like a disabled person, but she has a lot of money so that it doesn’t matter.
When she worked as a team with Eunhyeon and other colleagues, she was rewarded with many achievements.
And because she was also very good at manufacturing artifacts, she made a lot of money while producing various artifacts with Eunhyun.
She didn’t usually spend too much, so she had enough of her wealth that Illyana didn’t have to work near her all her life and her daily life didn’t get in the way.
That’s why her position as director of the Royal Magic Library in the Kingdom of Fernias did not interest Illyana at all.
Besides, Illyana was getting worse and worse, but she didn’t break her heart enough to err on the side of normal judgment.
“You know I don’t know what that means? Seeing me, she means to belong to the Kingdom of Pernias.”
In a sense, it is close to shackles.
Her position in her kingdom, her honor, and her riches were also the fetters that bound her to belonging to her kingdom.
Illyana, who hates being bound by someone, can’t accept that offer.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something, but I have no intention of enlisting you as a force on the kingdom side.”
“… Then? Why are you offering me this?”
“It’s because you look so pathetic right now.”
“What… ?”
Illyana asked back with her eyes wide open at Rio de’s sudden words.
“Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? It’s a face I can’t wait to see.”
“…”
“‘That guy’ wouldn’t have wanted you to live like this…”
“… Shut up!”
Illyana’s words, unable to withstand the torrent of her emotions, resonate throughout her house.
Clink!
Illyana’s magic energy, released in an instant, vibrated her space and swept and tore up the furniture in her house.
Eventually, her window couldn’t stand it and broke due to the wave of her magical power.
The sound of the wooden cup Illyana held in her hand as it trembled on the table and clattered filled her house, which had become more chaotic.
No matter how devastated she was, no matter how much she was living like a destitute person, the power of her magic power she possessed was still the same.
Ordinary people would feel pressure in her heart just by facing Illyana now, and she would not be able to breathe properly, but Riod didn’t care and spoke again.
“… I can tell you several times. If Eun-hyeon sees you now, she will be greatly disappointed.”
“Stop…”
When Eun-hyeon’s name was mentioned directly, her trembling eyes shook greatly and her pupils caused an earthquake.
“Instead of becoming a proud hero who saved the continent, it is natural for her to spend her days in the woods like this, soaked in alcohol.”
“Stop!”
“…”
“Please… Please stop…”
The belatedly blessed waves of immense emotions finally broke her heart and began to shed tears.
“Me too… I didn’t want to live like this either…”
“…”
“Hyun and… Buying a house with Hyun, living together, making artifacts to make money, and…”
Words and emotions pouring out without a break when the dam of the mind, which had endured and somehow endured, collapsed.
“I got married, had a baby… I wanted to live happily like everyone else… !”
Riod didn’t respond, accepting all of Illyana’s exploding feelings.
“But, but now I can’t… Because there is no Hyuni…”
Her dream, which she could not express outwardly and kept only in her own heart, is now only an illusion that can never be realized.
Even so, the imagination of ‘what if such a life unfolded?’ Does not leave her head.
I still can’t forget his voice and face.
No matter how much she tried to forget that memory with alcohol, no matter how much she tried to fill this empty heart with something else, her heart wouldn’t allow it.
“… Go back. You don’t want to talk.”
In the end, Illyana refused to talk any more.
“… I will.”
Realizing that her condition was more serious than she thought, Leo had no choice but to nod her head with a bitter expression on his face.
‘It’s more serious than I thought.’
In the end, Riod turned her back on her to leave her house in Illyana.
But he stopped her steps and looked back at Illyana again.
“I am married.”
“…”
“My baby in her wife’s belly is getting bigger every day.”
Illyana showed no reaction.
In the past, she might have even congratulated her old colleague on a small, insincere note, but now she was in no mood to do even that.
She wasn’t expecting an answer, so Leode continued talking.
“You are not the only one who felt a great sense of loss when he died. Me too.”
The problem was that the difference was so great that Illyana couldn’t help it.
“But now I have people to protect.”
Not to mention her own parents, her wife, Theresia, and her father-in-law’s side of the household, and even the baby in her womb.
Furthermore, the members of the Artia Knights who believed in him and followed him.
The weight of responsibility he had to shoulder was growing heavier day by day and could not be stagnant.
Riod had to somehow overcome that loss and move on.
“We are said to have saved this continent, but it is he who is really.”
“…”
“I intend to take over the role that guy has played and somehow fulfill that role and responsibility in my own way.”
Then, she looked at Illyana, who wasn’t looking at her, gently.
Although they weren’t looking at each other, it wasn’t hard for Illyana to understand the meaning of her gaze from Leo de’s gaze staring at her.
‘But what are you doing right now?’ Her unspoken pressure squeezed Illyana’s heart even more.
After Riod left, Illyana, who was alone again, was lost in thought alone in her house, which had become more chaotic.
“What are you doing? Under…”
I was doing nothing.
Even thinking about it myself is so pathetic.
Drinking like this, remembering someone who is no longer there and missing nothing changes, but it took too much time and emotions to admit it.
“Hyunah… I am… What should I do now?”
Eun-hyeon, who always showed the way, no longer exists.
Even if you ask someone who doesn’t exist anymore about your future, there’s no way the answer will come back.
However, his image and voice were still vivid in Illyana’s memory.
-When you’re in trouble, you have to move. If you move like that, you will be walking on the road before you know it.
What comes to mind is Eunhyun’s words that she once said.
“Huh.”
Illyana made up her mind with a small smile.
Like Eunhyun said, let’s move first.
By accepting Riod’s offer, Illyana became the director of the Royal Magic Library in the Kingdom of Fernias.
It was my first time managing a magic library, but it wasn’t that difficult.
Librarians in the library tended to do most of the chores on their own, and as an eight-digit high-ranking wizard, she had excellent magical knowledge, so this job suited Illyana well enough to be called a vocation.
In addition, it was quite fun to collect magic books spread all over the continent and read the knowledge, so she settled down as her hobby.
As she went to work and had regular public activities little by little, Illyana, who had been regaining her psychological stability, slowly regained her original self.
20 years passed like that and one day.
“Nice to see you! My name is ‘Eunjeong’ and I am working as a new librarian this time!”
When she heard the name of the newly recruited new librarian, Illyana, who checked her face, couldn’t help but harden her face.
It was a name that reminded me of someone I was trying so hard to forget.
There was an obvious difference between the Eunhyeon that Illyana recalled and the new librarian in front of her.
“… Female?”
Long white silver hair that came down to her waist and red eyes that radiated red light.
Except for the difference in her gender, everything is the same enough to remind her of Eun-hyeon.
“I wish you well in the future!”
The woman who introduced herself as her Eunjung smiled at her Illyana and proudly revealed her own existence.
