* * *

His tattered body looked like a rag. He appeared as if he had been beaten from all directions—such a pitiful sight. Naturally, memories of past defeats surfaced, sinking his mood.

“……Ridiculous.”

He should have felt down—normally, he would have. However, leaning against the dark cavern wall, Kunra let out a pleased laugh.

He had failed to protect Hyron and had been restrained by the system, forcing him to expend 40% of his energy.

That 40% had been entirely channeled into the Demon Realm through Cadel, meaning he couldn’t even check Cadel’s current condition.

To share his energy with him again would require some time and effort, and in the meantime, what would happen on the battlefield was beyond even Kunra’s predictions.

It was truly a grim situation.

However—

“Not everything will go according to your plan. Unlike what you think, the lives here are not puppets you can manipulate at will.”

There was no sign of tension or anxiety on Kunra’s face. Instead, he looked refreshed. The reason for this was simple—at the exact moment the system had imposed its restrictions on him, he had realized something.

‘It wasn’t when I wiped out all the High Demons, nor when I prepared a stronger technique, that it placed restraints on me.’

It was the moment the system became certain of Hyron’s death. The moment Kunra involved one particular individual in Hyron’s demise.

‘Lydon. The moment I informed that fairy of the demons’ location, the system belatedly imposed restrictions. Because of me, Lydon became completely entangled in his father’s death. It tried to prevent that, but it was too late.’

Ironically, the system was not concerned about Hyron or Kunra. It was Lydon. The system was wary of how his path would be shaped by his father’s influence. That was why it sought to eliminate Hyron and ensure that Lydon had no direct involvement in his father’s death.

‘As the knight of the halfling, the system cannot deeply interfere with him. If he were to gain power on the level of Hyron……’

Things would become quite interesting.

Kunra chuckled in amusement at the thought of the otherworldly god being ensnared by its own constraints. Taking a slow breath and letting out a quiet sigh, he murmured.

“I’m worried. Whether your knight becomes stronger, or the god of this world faces trouble…… you will suffer, regardless.”

* * *

The countless enemies that had been stationed vanished, and the garden was now drenched in the deaths of demons. The human casualties barely reached a dozen, and even the key forces had conserved much of their strength. All thanks to the Scarlet Dragon.

However, the Scarlet Dragon, which had plummeted as if collapsing, vanished without a trace. Without a chance to check its condition or hear an explanation, it simply disappeared like scattered dust. Yet, that was not the only reason the humans could not rejoice in their overwhelming victory.

A fierce snowstorm and an unbearable chill lashed at them. Ice shards, sharp as blades, slashed mercilessly at their stiffening skin. Neither the magicians’ barriers nor even Mamil’s fiery shield could completely block out the brutal cold.

As the sudden blizzard struck, everyone tried to locate its source, but no enemy was in sight. Some sharp-eyed individuals noticed that the snowstorm was composed of mana, yet even knowing that, there was little they could do. In the despairing blizzard, even taking a single step was an ordeal.

And the same was true for the Scarlet Scales Knight Order.

“That damned fairy is definitely behind this. The Fairy King wouldn’t use such reckless magic.”

Within the double-layered barrier created by Mamil and the holy knights, Van clicked his tongue. He didn’t even need to identify the mana’s owner—he could already tell who had caused this disaster. He had experienced, to exhaustion, just how adept Lydon was at acting without thinking.

Lumen, standing beside him, nodded in agreement, while Garuel spoke up.

“But Sir Lydon should have Knight Commander by his side. There’s no way he wouldn’t have stopped him. And yet, if Sir Lydon still cast a spell so dangerous that it threatens even allies…… Sir Yozen, do you see anything?”

Yozen silently shook his head. Having expended too much energy, he was in poor condition, and with the distance between him and Cadel, summoning a clone was difficult. Even so, he was able to discern one crucial fact.

“Lydon’s mana…… it’s extremely unstable. ……If this continues, he might go berserk.”

“Berserk……? But he couldn’t have used enough mana to lose control. The dangerous High Demons were all gathered in the garden, and even they were wiped out by Lord Kunra’s attack……”

“……I don’t know the reason either.”

If only he had a little more strength, he would have immediately checked on Cadel’s safety. Frustration hardened his expression. The only solace was knowing that the two fairies were by Cadel’s side.

“Leader wouldn’t do anything unnecessary. Until he returns, our job is to hold out without dying.”

In this brutal cold, even thinking properly consumed energy. No matter what, Cadel would not let this situation drag on for long. Trusting in him, the knights silently endured the bone-chilling frost.

* * *

“Lydon! Lydon, please! Please stop……!”

A body slumped in despair, a head tilted upward, a mouth open in a desperate wail, eyes completely devoid of focus. In his arms lay Hyron’s corpse, covered in white ice.

Cadel took in the tragic sight of the father and son, struggling with all his might not to be swept away by the raging snowstorm. But without Kunra’s power, he lacked the strength to overpower Lydon’s mana. The best he could do was endure—standing close, taking the brunt of the mana head-on, and surviving.

Could his voice even reach him? The moment Lydon accepted the death of Hyron—something he had so persistently denied—his mind shattered. Hyron had been the unseen pillar supporting him for countless years. And now that he had left this world forever with a lonely farewell, Lydon could no longer maintain his sanity.

There was no one to blame. His anger had no outlet, so it consumed him from within.

This was not the first time Lydon had lost control of his mana. But in the past, he had always tried to suppress his outbursts, constantly reigning in his mana to minimize the aftermath. This time was different. His mind was consumed entirely by the grief of losing his father. His boiling sorrow and rage pushed his energy to its absolute limit.

If no one stopped him, his body would not withstand the surge—it would tear itself apart. That could not be allowed to happen. Not only for personal reasons but also because he could never face Hyron if he let this happen.

‘What the hell am I supposed to do? Lydon isn’t listening to me. He’s not in a state to listen. I don’t have enough mana to ignore the pressure and approach him. And Kunra’s power…… it’s completely gone.’

Kunra. His presence had vanished along with his fall, adding yet another burden to Cadel’s heart. He had fought to prevent Hyron’s death, but what had happened to him? What had he gone through that caused him to disappear without a trace, along with the power he had shared?

The thought that something unbearable might have happened to him was terrifying. Yet, there was no way to search for him. No time to spare. Right now, before Cadel, there was Lydon—writhing in agony over his loss.

“Lydon! Get a hold of yourself and listen to me! You need to pull back your mana right now! That’s the only way you’ll survive! Please!”

There was no time to mourn Hyron. Cadel had no intention of facing the death of his own subordinate right after losing him. Struggling, he forced his feet forward, determined to reach Lydon no matter what. The closer he got, the clearer the wailing became—a harrowing cry unlike anything he had ever heard from Lydon before.

‘The closer I get, the harder it is to maintain the barrier. If I freeze solid before I reach him, it’ll all be over.’

Mana drained relentlessly, while the cold only grew fiercer. A creeping sense of danger told him he might very well die standing if this continued. Yet, he refused to stop. He believed—no, he was certain—that if it were him, Lydon would see him. That if it were him, he could comfort Lydon, could soothe his pain.

At this moment, more than anything else, Cadel believed that what Lydon needed most was him.

“Don’t lose consciousness! Open your ears and listen to me, Lydon! I’m right here, right beside you! As long as you’re alive, I’ll do anything for you! Whatever you want—anything you want to eat, anything you want to see, anything you want to do—I’ll give it all to you! So please, come back to your senses!”

With every word he shouted, it felt as if his tongue was freezing inside his mouth. He could feel his mana dwindling at an alarming rate. Every spell he had used in battle so far had been cast under the assumption that Kunra’s power would be there to support him. He had carefully managed his reserves, ensuring he had enough mana left for the final battle.

But now, with Kunra’s power suddenly gone, Cadel gritted his teeth as he felt how little he had left.

‘I can’t back down here.’

If he retreated to regroup with the others, he could replenish his mana while using their barriers to withstand the cold. But in the meantime, Lydon would be left completely exposed, defenseless against any enemies. He could not—would not—leave Lydon like this.

So he pressed forward, step by step. Even as his barrier thinned and was finally torn apart, letting the murderous wind cut through him. Even as his body trembled from the cold that felt like it was freezing his organs solid.

His feet skidded on the frozen ground, sending him crashing onto his knees over and over. The wind pushed him back, making him flail helplessly. Dry, hacking coughs wracked his body, and his teeth chattered so violently that he bit his tongue again and again. The wounds on his body, torn and scraped open from the relentless struggle, did not even bleed in the numbing cold.

By the time he finally reached Lydon’s side, he had no barrier left. His skin had turned a deathly shade of blue, making him look nothing like a living person.

Collapsing against Lydon, Cadel pulled him into a tight embrace.

He could feel his heart freezing over—something that should have only been a metaphor, yet felt terrifyingly real. But there was no fear of death.

Only relief.

At last, he had reached Lydon.

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he held him tighter. His lips, barely able to move, parted as he whispered.

“Look at me, Lydon. There is still someone here who loves you.”

There is someone here as well. Someone who, like Hyron, would lay down their life for you. Someone who loves you just as much. A person who, though neither bound by blood nor of the same race, loves you more than anyone else. I will do whatever it takes to drive away death from your side. So please, just this once, look this way.

Before he could even finish his thought, he accepted the weight of a body growing cold and rigid.

If he could, he wanted to embrace all of Lydon’s sorrow. If taking in all his grief meant Lydon could smile again, he was willing to sink into the depths of despair without hesitation. If only this feeling could reach him, Lydon would surely respond.

“Lydon. I’m right here.”

With those final murmured words, Cadel’s eyelids slowly fluttered closed.

* * *

He never thought he loved his father all that much. He was a man too harsh to give love and too strict to receive it.

But he never resented him.

Not because he had matured too early, nor because he had come to terms with his fate. It was because, unintentionally, he had glimpsed the deep suffering hidden behind his father’s habitual smile.

“The only thing that can truly set us free is death. It is the only liberation granted to us. When we shed our bodies and become souls, how far do you think we could fly? Have you ever imagined it?”

Hyron probably didn’t remember.

But when Lydon was younger, there was a time when his father, drunk beyond reason, came looking for him.

It had been during one of the many phases where Lydon constantly tried to escape. He had expected a long, scolding lecture about his misbehavior. But instead, his father, flushed red from alcohol, had looked at him with the wide-eyed wonder of a child.

“That’s why I look forward to death. I hope the day comes soon. But Lydon, my son, you are what holds me back. You have not yet grown. And I don’t mean physically. This forest is stunting your growth. Can you feel it? Yet even so, you cannot leave it. Because of me. I am the one who trapped you here. So, if you must, resent me.”

Hyron’s drunken words had been a rambling mess.

He had no filter, no discernment between what he should or shouldn’t say to his own son. He bared his sorrows without hesitation.

Lydon had only been bewildered. His father, who never once revealed his emotions, had been festering on the inside for so long. Hyron—who treated freedom like a crime—had, all along, been yearning for it. Yet when Lydon asked why he never left, why he kept suppressing his true thoughts, Hyron only gave a bitter smile and replied.

“Not everyone desires freedom. Many value a secure life over it. And I am their king. I cannot let myself be blinded by personal greed and drag them all into danger. It is my fate to have been born a king. Yet, I am incapable of bearing the weight placed upon my shoulders. Who decided this life for me?”

A deep inhale followed by a long, weary sigh.

The sharp scent of alcohol filled the air, making Lydon scrunch his nose in discomfort. Seeing this, Hyron let out a loud laugh, as if finding his reaction endearing. Then, he placed a hand atop Lydon’s soft golden hair.

“For the bleak life that awaits you, let me share a little secret. Lydon, love someone. Find a companion with whom you can share your life for as long as possible. I still remember the fleeting love I shared with your mother. Her laughter lingers in my ears even now, and every time I hear it, I find another reason to keep living. Because as long as I live, I can at least hear her laughter, even if only as an echo in my mind.”

Hyron had never spoken of Lydon’s mother before.

Whenever Lydon had asked, the only response he received was a dry, indifferent statement ‘She died on the day of your first birthday’. Lydon hesitated for a long time before finally gathering the courage to ask again. Even if Hyron sobered up in an instant and withdrew, Lydon didn’t want to miss this chance.

Thankfully, the alcohol still held its grip on Hyron.

“She was a mischievous woman, much like you. Her laughter was unique—it would rise in pitch toward the end, clear as a bell. And her smiling face…… was so precious that I wanted to keep her laughing forever. Laila. She…… smiled even in the end. I wanted so badly to follow her. If it hadn’t been for her last words, I would have ended my life to follow her.”

Hyron took a slow breath before meeting Lydon’s gaze.

But his eyes weren’t seeing Lydon. They were chasing a memory, a distant past long gone.

“There is someone here, too, whom you must love. Right here. So live. My beloved…… Hyron.”

And you already know who that was, don’t you?

He could never forget that moment—the warmth in that voice, the tenderness in that gaze, the pungent scent of alcohol, the darkness settling around them, the faint moonlight, and the cool breeze that brushed past.

Thus, the moment he found someone he truly loved, all resentment Lydon held toward Hyron vanished without a trace.

A man who had lost both his beloved and his freedom. How could Lydon possibly bring himself to hate someone who had already lost everything—including even himself?

And so, when this war was over, he wanted to see the ocean with him.

“……Hey, Cadel.”

The sky above was a somber shade of gray. The last sky his father had seen. To think he had left this world under such a dark sky. A searing pain, as if a wound had burst open, spread through his heart.

“I will keep on living. Because the one I love is here. As long as you are here, there is no way I could ever die following someone else.”

Despite the bitter cold surrounding him, his right side burned as if pressed against heated iron.

He wasn’t sure when Cadel had nestled close, but the warmth was unmistakable. Cadel lay still, as if unconscious, yet the soft sound of his steady breathing was clear as day.

“But……”

Lydon did not look at Cadel.

If he did, his resolve would surely melt away, replaced by a single thought—to stay by his side, and nothing else.

Forcing his gaze to remain fixed on the sky, Lydon slowly began to move.

“I know how my father lived. Even when he was unbearably lonely, suffocating in solitude, he forced himself to endure. And now, it’s over. His life ended here, in this dark and miserable underworld.”

Gently, he lifted his arm, pulling away from Cadel, and rose to his feet. His body, cold and stiff, protested the movement, but a deep breath cleared his mind. He took in his surroundings, his gaze sharp and unwavering.

“I have to kill Sellev with my own hands. I can’t go anywhere until I do.”

Lydon knew the truth. Hyron hadn’t died because of Sellev. It was all for him. Because he had been paralyzed, unable to react even with an enemy right before him, his father had thrown himself in harm’s way instead.

If blame had to be assigned, it belonged to him. But he refused to accept that. If he could just kill Sellev—he could tell himself that he had avenged his father. That way, he could keep living.

So that he could stay by Cadel’s side, love him, and survive—he needed something, anything, to cling to.

“……I’ll be back. I swear I will, so don’t worry.”

Lydon, who had stood still as if waiting for something, slowly lifted his head. With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the sky. And as he ascended, familiar voices echoed in the distance. Carrying their sounds with him, Lydon flew higher and higher, leaving Cadel’s side behind.

---

TL/N: Hi guys it’s Eliza. Recently I have received many messages asking about the update schedule in the group server, and I couldn’t answer them myself as I didn’t check the server that frequently, and other members are friendly and lovely to answer them in my stead.

So, about the roles, our group currently exceeds the maximum of roles so it will take some time to remove the inactive roles before new ones can be added. And being a not-so-good-at-tech, I rarely use the absolutely amazing features my group provides (I’m making it hard for myself lol). But of course, learning to utilize the features is easy now I have good members willing to teach me, so I have requested for the role of this novel and my new one to be added. Hopefully, it will be added soon so I can notify you guys when the chapters are updated.

Please DM me directly if you ever have any questions, and I will answer them asap. Please don’t ping me cuz once again, I rarely check the server :(((

Next is a promotion corner ^^ As this novel is coming near its end, I browsed the pickup request forum one day and came across the novel named ‘NPC Life Handbook’. Reading the synopsis gave me a comedy genre with an unhinged top and a gentle-looking (because of the NPC setting) but struggling inside bottom.

I haven’t read the full story yet but the comments are favorable and it’s very, very short (compared to 500+ lol). Anyway, let’s hope the story is good cuz I also read it alongside you guys as I translate. Please stop by to see if it’s to your taste, 4 chapters have already been uploaded (strive to update daily but oh life).

Oh, and did I mention this one has mature content? *evil laugh*

I’ll be posting this one on my Patreon since it has mature content. You can find the novel on NU and follow the link!