I opened my mouth as I watched the castle growing more distant. Erhan grabbed me and urged me on.

“Hurry.”

I was practically dragged along, held by Erhan.

He said he’d come see me soon, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.

‘So that’s why there was a familiar scent.’

There’s a distinctive smell that anyone from House Serpentine would recognize. The scent was clear due to Erhan using such widespread magic.

‘This is insane.’

Even Celestia quickly noticed the simple spell used to send message papers. Using magic on this scale was tantamount to putting one’s life on the line.

Especially against the Empire, which already despises House Serpentine… He must be out of his mind.

I looked at Erhan’s hand gripping me. At this rate, we’d return to the Serpentine mansion, but…

“Oscar?”

When I froze for a moment, Erhan looked at me quizzically.

Unlike me, panting and out of breath, his eyes fixed on me without a single breath out of place, full of confidence.

Confidence that we could escape from here.

In the original story, House Serpentine was wiped out without a chance to resist, so I didn’t know Erhan had this much power. Well, magic is indeed suitable for setting traps and laying plans in advance, even if it’s hard to deal with sudden attacks.

“Thank you… for this.”

I was grateful to Erhan for risking his life to save me.

Though he calls me his sibling, we’re not related by blood, so I’m truly thankful he’d go this far for me.

“Thanks for coming to get me, but…”

I slowly pulled my hand out of Erhan’s grip.

“I can’t go with you.”

Erhan looked at my withdrawn hand with surprised eyes. He stared straight at me, not letting go of his empty hand.

“Why on earth not?”

Of course, I couldn’t answer right away.

It was the very question I had asked myself over and over as Erhan dragged me along, but I couldn’t find a clear answer.

“We need to go quickly. You said your wife wasn’t feeling well.”

I know. That’s why I came this far.

I wanted to return to the family immediately and check if mother was alright. But I still…

“Wait here. It will all be over soon.”

The image of Zachary telling me to wait kept flashing in my mind, as if etched there. If I leave like this now, we might not be able to resolve anything between us. Moreover, Zachary left behind…

“It would be more dangerous if I go.”

I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Would Zachary, who had already burned down our newlywed home, leave House Serpentine alone?

If the newlywed home just ended up burned, House Serpentine might face utter destruction. Beyond that, the kingdom might be swept up in a bloodbath. An ending where everyone dies, just like in the original story.

“I need to stay here.”

That was the best path for everyone. Erhan made a strange expression at my words.

I thought he was a rational person and would understand what I was saying, but…

“You’ll die if you go.”

However, Erhan just spoke coldly.

“This time, you really will die.”

His words were no exaggeration. Throughout our escape from the castle, Erhan kept coughing. There was blood on his lips.

“We can’t survive in this land.”

It wasn’t just Zachary’s holy power that was the problem, but this land filled with holy power.

The holy power seemed to be concentrated around the castle, as the pain that felt like it was stirring my insides gradually eased the further we got from the castle. Perhaps the pain would disappear completely if we got even farther away.

“You drew the prince’s dispelling array too.”

…Ah.

I took a small deep breath before speaking.

“You’re right. It was my doing.”

Erhan must have learned what I had done while pursuing Zachary and me.

Though it was to prevent destruction in the distant future, looking at the result alone, it was no different from me dispelling Zachary’s spell and putting House Serpentine in danger.

“So I’ll take responsibility.”

Even if I left now, Zachary would surely pursue me.

Whether because he likes me or out of simple hatred… Zachary was obsessed with me.

Erhan must have known this too. He neither affirmed nor denied my words. He just stared at me for a long while, then…

“You don’t need to take responsibility for anything.”

He uttered words I never expected. I slowly opened my mouth.

Erhan was a very intelligent and pragmatic person. As the heir who would become the Duke of Serpentine, not taking me with him would be the right and just decision.

“Let’s go.”

However, Erhan chose to take me with him.

“If you won’t come, I’ll take you by force.”

As if telling me not to hesitate any longer, Erhan reached out his hand to drag me along.

Just then, he suddenly stopped moving and turned his gaze behind me.

“…”

I turned my head along with him, but there was nothing behind us. I could only sense the quiet forest. Yet Erhan stared intently at the empty space before suddenly pulling me.

Erhan dragged me behind a large rock.

“Bro-ther?”

Erhan took off his hood. Then he took off his white top and started tearing it into long strips.

He continued tearing the clothes into five long strips of cloth. Then he bit his fingertip and began scrawling characters on the cloth. The pure white cloth eagerly absorbed Erhan’s blood. Erhan held out the cloth with clearly inscribed characters to me.

“Don’t let go.”

Erhan, his face turned cold, placed the cloth in my hand. As I grasped the cloth in confusion, Erhan told me to stay put here and stood up alone. On his exposed upper body, the eyes of the magic arrays were all wide open.

The sight of the bright red magic arrays glaring with their eyes was chilling.

‘What’s going on?’

I wanted to ask what was happening, but I had a feeling I shouldn’t speak. As I watched Erhan with my mouth shut tight, he let out a small groan.

Erhan immediately looked up at the sky. BOOM! With a huge thunderous sound, a black stem struck Erhan’s head like lightning.

My vision blurred with thick smoke. Everything turned hazy, and I couldn’t see properly.

There was nothing I could see clearly. All I could perceive was that Erhan had been attacked by something that struck like lightning.

‘Erhan?!’

Judging by the ominous sound, Erhan must have been seriously injured. As I anxiously waited for the smoke to clear, unable to see anything…

“I warned you.”

As the smoke gradually cleared, a hand completely soaked in blood came clearly into my view. Zachary was gripping Erhan’s head, who was kneeling on the ground. Blue holy power swirled around his reddened hand. Erhan coughed up blood.

“Not to interfere.”

His eyes were filled with madness, without a trace of reason. Zachary was smiling savagely, as if about to tear everything apart at any moment.