In the Ruined Geladridion, no form of life grows.
This nature, which also explains why only monsters imbued with divine power wander there, was a rule that came into being after Aslan and the traveling party had all perished.
The sole remaining evil deity, yet not entirely an evil deity.
It was a change that occurred after 13th Ho had killed the messenger sent by this being thousands of times.
Though neither needing to eat nor drink, 13th Ho could endure, but it was essentially akin to a decree of exile from the world.
For even the mightiest beings would eventually perish without sustenance.
One might say 13th Ho was lucky.
Though what followed in their life couldn’t quite be called fortunate.
After gathering the remains of fallen comrades, or if unable to do so, creating graves using their relics.
After making graves, they would construct homes to guard them.
With her transcendent magic, building such homes was simple.
In a place untouched by the influence of an entity that even the remnants of evil deities feared, she tended to the graves and spent her time.
She occasionally peeked through time to observe the traveling party from other eras and sometimes brought flowers from the past to the graves.
Although it required considerable mana to bring just a handful of flowers, she harbored the thought that miracles might occur if she persisted.
She believed that once her mastery over time and space became perfect, she might join the traveling party on their adventures.
Unfortunately, it soon became clear that such an event would not happen.
Still, the reason she hadn’t gone mad was purely due to two factors.
One was the blessing of the elf flowing through her body.
The other was the visible future.
As she sensed the approaching future, she lightly waved her staff.
Moving as though there was something holding the staff in mid-air, her gestures were calm.
In response, the deep mine shaft changed dramatically.
With a creaking sound, the ground stretched, broke apart, and reconnected.
There was no inefficiency following this magical act, which typically should have been present when performing magic without incantations or hand signs.
A master of magic, and more specifically, a transcendent magician possessing forty units of mana, had the power to defy common sense.
Merely by waving her staff a few times, the earth groaned and submitted to her will.
It was a kind of magical home repair.
In the midst of 13th Ho’s magic, the house, which had been completely destroyed by nuclear explosions and countless bombings, slowly returned to its original form.
Though the tomb she had carefully tended for a long time disappeared, and the furniture was shattered.
When 13th Ho extended her staff, chairs, tables, and beds sprouted from the ground.
Even though the furniture was made by hardening soil and stones, it still fulfilled its purpose.
The vertical mine shaft that pierced straight up to the surface was sealed, and while the remains or relics of her companions had long since vanished, their graves remained in the backyard.
“Is this enough?”
13th Ho momentarily considered this but immediately began trembling on her shoulders at the presence of Aslan behind her and started rapidly moving her staff.
It was due to the tension of finally having time alone with Aslan, and nothing else.
Naturally, considering how close she had come to being “used” during their first encounter.
She separated the living room from the bedroom, placed a stove, and finished by covering the bed with sheep wool brought from the past.
Not that much more could realistically be done.
Yet, the fact that she created a sufficiently large bed for both of them instead of separate ones revealed her desires candidly.
“Are we done?”
13th Ho unconsciously flinched, swallowed hard, and hiccupped.
Her eyes widened at the sound of saliva dripping.
“13th Ho?”
The voice calling her was tender.
Always the voice that called her.
Suppressing her trembling shoulders caused by the hiccups, 13th Ho nodded.
“Are you alright?”
The third question. Clearly, it was starting to make her anxious.
Unconsciously opening her mouth to answer, 13th Ho covered her lips with a gasp.
Perceiving her confusion, Aslan’s expression shifted as if he had realized something.
“That’s right. You can’t speak.”
Slightly different, but 13th Ho nodded, and Aslan smiled.
“I almost caused some trouble, didn’t I?”
Aslan mentioned that he had nearly caused an issue by urging her to respond.
But 13th Ho wasn’t so naive as to not realize that Aslan was deliberately covering up her mistake.
Rather, having survived countless battles and remained until the end, 13th Ho had developed a keen awareness.
Had she truly been an elf, she wouldn’t have been able to do so.
Thus, 13th Ho lowered the hand covering her mouth and subtly displayed an irritated expression.
Had she been caught?
Aslan awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
Eventually, after gesturing for 13th Ho to sit, Aslan moved to another seat.
When Aslan sat on the surprisingly high-quality chair, 13th Ho climbed onto his lap.
Despite there being six chairs in front of the table.
Suddenly aware of the weight.
A weight so light it barely registered, hovering above his knees, Aslan briefly showed a perplexed expression.
However, he neither pushed 13th Ho away nor told her to get down.
That was the kind of man Aslan was.
A man who sympathized with 13th Ho, artificially created and never having experienced the warmth of family, tolerating any slightly rude actions she might take.
A kind man, whose demeanor occasionally invited misinterpretation.
He looked at 13th Ho, and 13th Ho leaned against Aslan while sitting on his lap.
She thought.
Aslan and she had endured difficult battles and were tired.
Even if Aslan possessed unyielding endurance and 13th Ho had the blessing of the elves, they were mentally exhausted and needed rest.
Thus, this action was reasonable.
That’s how she thought.
Whether Aslan truly agreed with this reasoning was uncertain, but it seemed he had decided to humor 13th Ho’s persistence.
The tension visibly eased from the broad frame beneath the sturdy armor.
13th Ho closed her eyes, intending to act childishly towards such an Aslan.
Though she neither felt drowsy nor hungered, her body craved Aslan’s warmth.
The only issue was that 13th Ho did not need sleep, yet she was vulnerable to warmth.
Closing her eyes pretending to sleep, she eventually drifted off under Aslan’s warmth.
And in her sleep, she dreamed for the first time in a long while.
Dreams are said to be manifestations of the subconscious.
In her dream, she faced what she most anxiously thought about.
In the dream, Aslan reached out to the sleeping 13th Ho.
He neither killed nor harmed her.
Rather, it would have been better if he had.
The Aslan in the dream stole 13th Ho’s mana.
The stolen mana glowed faintly blue as Aslan held it in his hand and tore open time.
The furniture 13th Ho had painstakingly recreated with magic was swept away by the distortion of time, and her hair fluttered in the wind blowing from the torn space-time.
When she woke up and saw Aslan, he startled and dove into the flow of time.
The situation unfolded in an instant, and only after the rift in time closed did 13th Ho realize Aslan had fled.
Leaving her behind in this cold, empty future.
An impossible occurrence.
Despite this certainty, 13th Ho awoke in fear.
A shrill scream followed, and the warmth she felt tinged her cheek red.
Cold sweat ran down her face as she searched for Aslan.
Her tear-filled eyes trembled with anxiety and fear, scanning every corner of the house.
Tears welled up each time she found an empty space.
“Why? What’s coming?”
Her frantic mind finally settled upon hearing his voice.
Turning toward the source of the sound, there was Aslan.
Fortunately, Aslan wasn’t far away.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that 13th Ho had been elsewhere.
Only after noticing Aslan approaching did she realize she was lying in bed.
Most likely, Aslan had moved her there.
Clutching the scale cloak Aslan had draped over her, 13th Ho slowly sat up.
Breathing heavily as she looked at Aslan, he promptly fetched a chair and sat beside the bed.
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s okay. I’m here, aren’t I? Take a deep breath.”
Unconsciously nodding her head, 13th Ho looked at Aslan.
And she understood several things intuitively.
She realized Aslan was contemplating a way to return.
She guessed that Aslan assumed she had the strength to send him back to his own time.
Yet, despite realizing this, Aslan seemed hesitant to ask her to send him back.
The reason was obvious.
Aslan was worried about leaving 13th Ho alone in this future.
If possible, he wanted to take her with him.
Knowing it was impossible to leave her behind, he was deeply pondering a solution.
Upon learning the truth, 13th Ho breathed heavily and wore a pained expression.
Aslan’s concerned face was close, making her heart race painfully.
She felt like vomiting.
The reason was obvious.
13th Ho knew Aslan had to return to his own time.
Yet, she didn’t want to let him go.
She already knew the answer.
Indeed, 13th Ho had the means to send Aslan back to his own time.
However, this method would not allow her to accompany him.
Even if she managed to go, how would she deal with the 13th Ho of that time?
How would Aslan’s enemies react?
What about the rules he holds?
Thus, even if it were possible, it was difficult to act hastily.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—it was impossible anyway.
13th Ho’s time manipulation magic could not send herself to the past.
While it might work on others, sending one person required an equivalent price and passage.
A passage that would close permanently once used.
Thus, she couldn’t go with him.
13th Ho had to stay here forever.
This fact made her unbearably melancholic.
Once she sent Aslan away, she would have to remain in this cold, hopeless future.
The 13th Ho in Aslan’s time would likely get along well with him, but the 13th Ho here would never taste even a fragment of that.
Thinking about this, 13th Ho envied her counterpart from another time.
Moreover, she resented her.
She even felt inferior to the version of herself who could be with Aslan and live peacefully without enduring a world where everything was dead.
“Maybe I could be more helpful. I could perfectly protect Aslan and our friends.”
Such ugly thoughts crossed her mind.
Reflecting on them only brought tears to her eyes.
13th Ho didn’t want to send Aslan away.
She wished he could stay with her forever.
She felt an impulse to have him by her side every day, tomorrow, the next day, and forever.
It was a selfish desire that made her despise herself.
Her innate elven blessing and nature provoked her disdain for such impulses.
There was also a rational judgment telling her that keeping him here was wrong.
So, after enduring a long period of anguish, 13th Ho suddenly noticed the warmth spreading across her cheeks.
The comforting warmth. When she raised her head, there was Aslan.
Close by, gently caressing her cheek.
Was it a gesture of comfort?
No, it wasn’t.
13th Ho felt the mana flowing through the touch of his hand.
It was magic interference.
“Why…”
After a long absence, her voice—unaided by magic—faltered, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Her face turned red, and only after her voice faltered did she remember she shouldn’t speak.
Any word from her could become magic.
Whether it manifested as a shockwave or some phenomenon.
Therefore, 13th Ho glanced around cautiously.
All she saw was the bedroom, unchanged, with the fireplace glowing a crimson hue.
“Speak freely.”
Puzzled, she tilted her head, and Aslan spoke.
13th Ho realized that Aslan’s magic interference was blocking her word-magic, rendering her speech harmless.
Thus, her words wouldn’t cause any phenomena.
“I’m listening. Anything.”
At the same moment 13th Ho understood, Aslan softly wiped her cheek and spoke with a gentle smile.
A faint smile. Kind eyes.
13th Ho removed her hand from her mouth and hesitated to speak.
Centuries of silence except when casting spells had left her tongue clumsy.
Besides, she wasn’t much of a talker.
So instead of forcing words out, she closed her mouth and looked up at Aslan.
She knew she had to send Aslan away.
But she didn’t want to.
Her reason and instincts clashed fiercely.
An experimental subject who had waited a lifetime for one man had never learned how to manage emotions in such situations.
Thus, she bowed her head.
The words that slipped out were gloomy.
“Aslan, please don’t go.”
A tear fell from the eye of a dragon, and 13th Ho bit her lips, overwhelmed by guilt.
At least the fact that it wasn’t a binding word gave her slight solace.
“Alright.”
The magic interference meant to block binding words failed to activate.
13th Ho felt her mana follow her words and shape an outcome, startling her as she stared at Aslan.
“Don’t worry, I won’t leave.”
Aslan smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Just trust me.”
A trustworthy smile, one that reassured those who saw it.
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