37: To Apton (1)

In the evening when twilight had completely subsided.

After eating, Jamie went back to his room and sat on the bed.

In front of him was a shimmering green marble.

It was the marble he had extracted from the body of the doctor.

“It was worth it.”

As expected, after a day or so, the vitality was charged back to 80%.

He wasn’t sure who made it and how, but he knew that a lot of materials must have been used for it.

And it was highly probable that a large amount of life has been used. It was natural to use living things to make such a marble.

In a way, it was a peculiar thing, but Jamie didn’t care about it.

‘Not something I will make.’

Was all he thought.

He won’t make such a thing, but he wasn’t going to say that someone else’s work was unpleasant.

Most of all, it was a loss to throw it away as he was able to predict what the marble was imitating.

“This is definitely an imitation of a dragon heart.”

Dragon, the most powerful race on earth, was called the supreme being and has the title of Lord of Magic.

Dragons had a heart-like substance called ‘Dragon Heart’, and that was the source of their power.

It was known to be the most powerful substance in the world, and has been held in the hands of several humans thousand years back.

At that time, huge chaos engulfed the world. Eventually, the chaos ended only after dragons invaded humans to retrieve back the Dragon Heart.

‘If I was in my prime, they would be nothing more than lizards.’

Actually, dragons weren’t as weak.

It was just that Diablo Volfir’s power was too overwhelming.

Even then, the dragon was a powerful race.

“It is definite that their hearts are useful.”

Jamie too had several artifacts that were refined from the Dragon Heart when he was Diablo.

This vitality orb was nothing compared to the Dragon Heart, but if it can be absorbed, he would have a superior body.

If so, then how to absorb it?

Jamie came up with three ways.

First, Like the doctor, put it into his body and use it like a battery.

It was possible in a way, but because the doctor was a chimera, it was possible to fully absorb it.

However, Jamie’s body was small, he was a child, and he was a human.

So, he couldn’t.

Second. Fuse it with tools and use it as an artifact.

What he needed urgently was to strengthen his body and not the weapon.

Therefore pass.

Last, the third one.

“Break it down completely and then absorb it into the body.”

Similar to the first method, but it was a method in which he needed to break it down into particles and then be absorbed throughout the body.

Although the first would have better effect, the third would be best considering Jamie’s current situation.

“Shall we begin?”

He’ll probably have to give up on his night to do it.

“Black.”

Jamie summoned his familiar, Black.

Although he took a lot of damage from the battle, with periodic infusions of black mana, Black was doing well.

“Are you fine?”

Kik!

Black spread its wings trying to say it was fine.

“great. From now on, I’ll break it down into pieces and let my body absorb it. you need to help me with that.”

Kiki!

At Black’s answer, Jamie’s eyes turned purple.

And the long night began.

---

Two days had passed.

The Zenith church had been evacuated.

However, the place wasn’t demolished because Count Welton requested the church building as compensation.

They could have refused but the manpower needed to demolish the building and the cost it would need was something the Zenith church didn’t want to consider.

Thanks to that, the place turned into a ruin with dust on it.

Van looked at the church and said.

“It was like a moment’s dream.”

“Yes.”

Ricky answered with a bitter expression.

He didn’t believe it at first.

That the people who brought them as orphans, fed them and gave them beds were bad ones.

It still seemed like a dream.

However, looking at Ricky returning back from hell and seeing the dead friend Shina, the reality was hell and not a dream.

“I believed it like that.”

“Huh.”

“I am glad that you came back.”

Van held Ricky’s shoulders.

It would have been even more painful if Ricky hadn’t come back alive. Actually, he was hurting now.

He wasn’t that close to Shina, but they sat and ate together.

“No one can be trusted.”

Van lifted his hands from Ricky’s shoulder and walked to where the symbol of Zenith was hanging.

It only had traces where it used to hang.

“Brother Van.”

Anna, who was silent, called for Van.

But he didn’t answer and stared at the place.

What was religion?

Wasn’t it a place where one person could lean on another?

“I really don’t understand it anymore.”

The eyes of the young kid looked like he was dead inside.

As Van was the more cheerful, Ricky felt heartbroken.

“Van, come with us.”

“Huh. Come with us.”

Anna too called.

Van turned his head and looked at the two with a gloomy face.

He heard about it.

The two were chosen by another god.

And that they were going away from Haiss.

“I”

Van couldn’t answer.

The boy betrayed by his faith had a hard time choosing anything.

Anna let go of Ricky’s hand and approached Van.

Seeing that, Van was scared she would trip.

“I am here.”

“Brother Van. Here.”

She grabbed his hands and smiled brightly.

Seeing her face, Van smiled.

“Let’s go together~”

“…”

“You said that you would protect me.”

That was what Van said when Ricky left.

It had been only a few days, so she remembered.

But Van couldn’t answer.

Going together meant that he would have to commit himself to another religion.

“It will be fine, Van.”

“Ricky.”

“Yes. It will be fine.”

Ricky approached and held out his hand.

The one and only precious friend they met in the orphanage and turned into quick friends.

Van stared at his friend’s hand.

“Van. Let’s go together.”

As he made his decision, Van smiled sadly.

“Sorry, Ricky. I don’t think so.”

“… Van.”

“Brother.”

Both looked at Van.

Van looked at them and removed Anna’s hand that was holding his.

“Sorry. But I don’t think I can do it anymore.”

Keeping a certain distance, he spoke to them.

“I will never turn towards a religion again.”

Going to a religion.

No one cares.

It was good though.

“I want to live my life my way.”

He wasn’t sure how far he could make it.

And if he thought about it, going with Ricky and Anna would be better.

But his heart rejected the idea.

“Thank you both.”

“Ricky!”

Ricky was about to catch him, but Van showed his palm.

A sign to not come any further.

Ricky’s face contorted.

Anna began to shed tears.

“Brother Van…”

“May you two only have good things in front of you.”

With those words, Van left.

He walked without looking back.

Ricky didn’t go because he didn’t have the right to.

So he only shouted to his friend.

“No matter when, I will wait for you! Always!”

Van raised his hand lightly.

His friend was now going away, and then Van couldn’t be seen.

Ricky and Anna held each other’s hand and sobbed quietly.

---

“Are you fine?”

The Count looked at his wife with worried eyes.

“Is there anything wrong?”

Sears smiled and moved towards her husband.

“The Pier Knights escort me. And my husband is Count Welton, who will attack us?”

The Pier Knights were the strongest knights of Welton.

All the knights were elite of elite, and a total of 30 people were at Expert level.

And half the number were going to act as escort, so the thought of attacking the carriage would be done by madmen.

“Besides, Sir Lars is with us.”

Though he wasn’t as good as a Sword Master, Lars was also an Expert.

Of course, Lars didn’t know that they were planning on moving together.

“I was shocked when I heard he was a Holy Executioner.”

“I know right. It is rare for a Holy Executioner to leave Apton.”

Holy Executioner was the most powerful weapon of Pyro.

Since the safety of the church mattered, they weren’t left from Apton.

It was proof that Pryo Church was taking this situation very seriously.

“Well, I am sorry I couldn’t come with you.”

“You need to protect the estate. If the Lord is away for long, problems will happen.”

“Thank you for understanding it.”

“Sure.”

The couple looked at each other passionately.

And then the count sighed.

“I am worried about Jamie.”

What happened at the ball was still in his mind.

Jamie, who lost his temper, tried to kill Count Simon’s eldest son. If he wasn’t around, maybe the eldest son would have been dead.

“You never know when Jamie might explode.”

“Honey.”

“He has power that he shouldn’t have at a young age. I can’t imagine how it will be if his emotions run wild like then and he explodes.”

And he wasn’t even accompanying them.

Although the Pier Knight commander was being sent, could that person handle Jamie?

Of course, Jamie wasn’t the kind to make such a mistake. What happened at the ball was bad luck since the eldest son quarreled with Jamie.

However, since the count didn’t know that Jamie was someone who had lived for eons, it was natural for him to worry.

“It will be fine.”

Sears said while caressing his hands.

“Do you know what happened today?”

She told him what happened during tea time.

A smile formed on the counts lips as he listened to it.

“Really?”

“Yes. At that time, I was confused. But you know that our child is a good-hearted one.”

“Right.”

“I believe in my son. Since I will be by his side, the same thing won’t happen.”

The count smiled and gently wrapped his arms around his wife.

“I am glad that our paths crossed.”

“Me too.”

Sears rested her head on his wide shoulders.

For a while.

And then both looked at the table.

A single letter was on it.

“… but, what is father-in-law thinking?”

“I never know what my father is thinking. Maybe even my deceased mother doesn’t know?”

“Is he really wanting to see Jamie?”

The count let Sears go and open the letter.

There was a short sentence written in it.

[Bring Jamie with you.]