The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 173

Golgotha Hill.

Where Eliza had disappeared, a cross-shaped mark remained.

It was believed to be the sign of the stigmata that had descended upon the earth.

Around this mark, the camp was set up.

“Phew…”

Lindel stepped out of a tent and sighed.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Richard, Argon, and Hermes waved their hands in greeting.

Since Lindel had been on the night watch the previous day, he didn’t wake up until around lunchtime.

“Yes… Is there any news?”

“No. Nothing today, either.”

This was a camp where many of Eliza’s knights, including her personal guards, were staying.

They were waiting for Eliza and Judas to return.

But there was still no news.

In fact, they weren’t even sure if waiting here was the right thing to do.

They had no idea when or how they would return.

They only knew that the place where they disappeared was here, so they were waiting in this spot.

In case they returned while asleep, Lindel took the night watch every day.

“Is Yuel still like that?”

Right after Judas disappeared with Eliza, Yuel had huddled in place and slept all along.

“Yes. He still doesn’t seem to want to wake up.”

“Is it okay for him to just sleep like that…?”

“The physician has been checking on him. He’s fine health-wise.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“Go ahead and have something to eat. You must be hungry. We’ll do a patrol around the area.”

Since no one knew when they might return or where they might appear from, they sometimes patrolled around the vicinity of the stigmata.

“Yes. Take care. I’ll go have a meal.”

Lindel headed toward the makeshift dining area.

Though it was called a dining area, it wasn’t actually a separate building.

It was just a long table set up on one side of the camp.

Meal times weren’t strictly set either.

At the table, Dylan, Shylock, Jerry, and Felin were seated, with the last being Bols, the mansion’s magician.

They were in the middle of a conversation, but their expressions were serious.

Seeing them so serious, Lindel noticed them a moment too late.

Dylan was the first to notice and greeted her.

“Oh, Lindell, you’re up. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. I slept soundly. But why does everyone look so serious?”

“We’re thinking of going to find the lady and Judas.”

“…What? Did they come back?”

“That’s still uncertain.”

Shylock then explained.

“Here’s the gist of it: there’s no guarantee they’ll return here. They could show up in some completely different place.”

“That’s true.”

“If they returned somewhere else and we discovered it late, we might face problems. For example, if they ended up in the middle of the demon world and were unconscious? We have to prepare for the worst-case scenario.”

Finally, Bols spoke.

“So, what I’m suggesting is, let’s split up. Some of us will stay here to guard, while others go on an expedition to search…”

-Boom!

A sudden explosion sound rang out.

Everyone turned their heads.

Dust was rising from the spot where the stigmata had appeared.

The dust cloud quickly moved east, as if a superhuman were fleeing at full speed.

“…What was that?”

“Who’s running so fast?”

As everyone was puzzled, someone shouted from the direction of the stigmata.

“The lady has returned—!”

It was Richard’s voice.

Just as if to confirm what they had heard, Argon followed with a loud shout.

“The lady has come back—!”

They all hurried to the location.

At the spot where the stigmata had appeared, Hermes was checking on Eliza’s condition.

“Lady! Lady!”

However, Eliza remained with her eyes closed, not waking up.

She looked like she was peacefully asleep.

“What happened? When did the lady arrive?”

Richard answered.

“We’re not exactly sure either. We were on patrol when suddenly there was an explosion, so we came over and found the young lady here. By the way, what was that explosion just now?”

“I don’t know. There were rough footsteps heading east, but…”

“The young lady is here?!”

Dr. May, who had just woken up, rushed over in a panic.

She quickly checked Eliza’s pulse and breathing.

“She’s alive. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her body. She doesn’t appear to have any injuries on the surface. We’ll need to move her and check more thoroughly, though.”

Around that time, Yuel also woke up and sat up.

Yuel immediately approached Eliza and pressed its face against hers.

“Okay, she’ll wake up soon.”

May said reassuringly, and Hermes gently lifted Eliza and moved her to a nearby tent.

Before transporting her to a safer mansion, they would perform a brief check-up.

Yuel walked after Eliza, then glanced back.

Eliza’s return had left a mark.

A few members of the guard remained nearby to discuss.

“Why hasn’t Judas come?”

“Is he coming at a different time? Or is the location different?”

“Could that explosion earlier have been Judas?”

“That seems like the most likely possibility… but why would Judas run away so urgently? Doesn’t that seem strange?”

“Whoever it was, we can’t just let them go. We need to quickly form a pursuit team and chase after them.”

Dillon was giving orders and making decisions as Yuel stared vacantly.

If Judas and Eliza had seen Yuel, they would have wondered why he was so calm, but right now, there was no one around who could read Yuel’s expression.

Soon, Yuel turned its head and crouched in front of the tent where Eliza had entered.

Eliza had returned.

It had been three days since she had disappeared.

Eliza woke up the day after she was found.

The first thing she searched for was none other than:

“Where’s Judas?”

The name of the one who saved her from death.

“That’s…”

May hesitated to answer.

“Where’s Judas?”

“Well…”

“We haven’t found him yet.”

“…You haven’t found him?”

“No. It seems he didn’t arrive at the same place as the young lady. We’re not even sure if he arrived.”

Eliza returned to the place where she had disappeared.

However, she didn’t know where Judas was.

Had he gone to a different place after returning?

Or had he not come back at all?

Eliza recalled what had happened in the afterlife.

She had been unconscious at the time, but now that she had returned, she remembered parts of it.

Not everything, but bits and pieces. Even those were a little blurry.

She remembered Judas entering her Black Sun.

After that, he had taken her out, and they met Maria.

“……”

Eliza turned her gaze away.

The wall facing her bed.

A massive crystal leaned against it.

Maria.

Her mother sleeping in an icy space.

Her mother in the afterlife.

Had she really died?

Was there no way to save her?

Would she never return again?

As Eliza stared blankly at Maria, May paused for a moment.

Eliza splashed some cold water on her face and steeled herself.

She redefined her priorities.

“You don’t know where Judas is…”

“Actually, just before we found the young lady, someone forcefully left the area. We found traces of their escape. The guard has already formed a pursuit team and is tracking them. Right now, the most likely target is Judas.”

“He ran away?”

“Yes. The situation suggests that. The place he’s heading to is suspected to be Jericho.”

“Jericho…”

The place he had once lived alone after she left him.

Eliza felt that Judas must have gone there. Or perhaps he was on his way there.

There was no concrete evidence, just a gut feeling.

When she thought of him, her instincts were without hesitation.

She wanted to rush to that place right now.

She wanted to confirm his safety and hold him.

At the same time, she hesitated.

He had paid for her rescue with his memories.

How could such a thing be possible?

Eliza cannot know the details of the memories she has undergone, or how much of it she has taken.

But she can guess.

It’s the act of bringing back the dead to life.

She certainly didn’t take it in an ordinary way.

In that case, it’s highly probable that Judas has forgotten her.

The most important memory to him is himself.

It wasn’t an arrogant or presumptuous judgment.

She entered Judas’s memories, directly confirming and experiencing his feelings.

How much he treasured her.

How much she was loved.

That’s why she was scared.

To face him, who couldn’t remember her.

“Phew…”

Even so, she has to face him.

She will.

She must not avoid it.

But not now.

“Please call Miguel and Gawain.”

May quickly brought the two of them.

Eliza decided to first check the current situation.

“How many days have passed since I disappeared?”

“You returned after three days, and woke up a day after your return.”

“It’s been four days… what happened during that time?”

Before facing the Demon God’s destruction, Eliza had killed the two key figures of the continent.

Barak and Johan.

Therefore, the position of the leader of humanity is vacant.

Bloodshed may occur in the struggle to fill that position.

Miguel explained.

“The Helios Empire has fallen into great turmoil. Especially after the truth came out that Emperor Johan had been sacrificing the people of the empire for dark magic, and even attempting mass slaughter. The vassal states and the Senate, which had supported the former emperor, have joined forces to stabilize it, but it won’t calm down easily.”

“That makes sense. So, in effect, there’s a vacuum in law and order, and chaos must have broken out…”

“However, it’s not entirely like that… It’s thanks to you, Miss.”

“Me? Why me?”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but… when you ascended, all of humanity saw the same vision. A scene like a dream.”

Eliza tilted her head.

“They saw you engulfed in flames with the Demon God, vanishing into destruction. All of humanity witnessed you sacrificing yourself to save this world.”

Eliza didn’t intend to save the world.

She had been trying to save Judas.

But in the end, the result was the same.

It was hard to understand, but judging by Miguel and Gawain’s expressions, it seemed to be the truth.

Eliza accepted that fact for now.

“So what does that have to do with the Empire’s situation?”

“Everyone is waiting for you. They believe you will return and bring peace to the world.”

“Me…”

A sudden thought passed through her mind.

Golden eyes are the symbol of a savior.

She glanced at the mirror beside her.

The vivid red color.

However, just before her ascension, in the final moment, the reflection of her eyes in Judas’s gaze was golden.

‘A figure who will save the world and bring a new order. A being made of gold…’

The exquisite prophecy made her chuckle softly.

It doesn’t matter.

Whether it’s fate or destiny.

Even if the world praises her as a savior, the only thing she truly desires is one thing.

Judas.

The rest is just a byproduct.

Gawain continued.

“However, there are still forces trying to seize power during this turmoil.”

“Tell me.”

Gawain mentioned about three factions.

Each of them was a coalition of various families.

“And which one has the upper hand?”

“They are all fiercely competing.”

“Right… it doesn’t really matter who’s in charge.”

Eliza rose from her seat.

May, as her personal physician, was concerned, but right now Eliza had a lot to take care of.

“Summon everyone remaining in the mansion.”

Eliza glanced at the window frame.

The spot where the potted plant sat.

Anemones.

The flower that should have bloomed in bright red was now withered and fallen due to prolonged neglect.

Even seeing that, Eliza remained unshaken.

When thinking of the flower language, she realized that there was no need to be shaken anymore.

In her heart, the red anemone was still blooming brightly.

The vibrant red.

And the anemone in her heart decided to carry a different flower language than the one in reality.

Eliza, with her resolve firmly set, left the bedroom.

She walked out into the mansion’s garden.

There, the people who followed her orders were gathered, waiting.

In front of them, Eliza suddenly declared.

“I will become the emperor.”

Eliza had decided to become the emperor.

She would prepare everything.

All that was left was for Judas to return.

“From now on, this land will fall under my rule. I will seize the power vacuum. I am capable, and I have the right and ability to do so.”

The people gathered nodded in heavy silence, affirming her words.

“Let those fighting for control of the continent know. Tell them to stop their meaningless struggle. And although I don’t know what the situation of the current imperial family is, deliver my will to anyone who can listen. I will visit the imperial palace soon.”

“Yes!”

Those given orders scattered efficiently.

Eliza looked down at her right hand.

An ivory ring on her ring finger.

It was a pair that shared coordinates with Judas’s necklace.

She gently adjusted it, moving it to her left hand’s ring finger.

She also wore his necklace around her neck.

She would keep it until she gave it to him.

She closed her eyes for a moment, then slowly opened them, speaking as if to reaffirm her resolve.

Her red eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

“Judas.”

He wouldn’t hear it, but she hoped he would.

The words he had spoken when he brought her here.

Her answer to him.

“I’ll be back soon.”