The Regressor and the Blind Saint

༺ Gorgan (1) ༻

For the first time in a very long time, Vera fell into a deep sleep.

It was a sleep deep enough to make him forget that Gorgan was outside the fortress, about the truth of the Age of Gods, and so many other things that had been bothering him.

It ended in the lazy hours of the morning, when the sunlight tickled his cheeks.

Vera slowly raised his eyelids.

He blinked, still sleepy, and yawned.

“Oh…”

Looking at the white waves that filled his view, Vera recalled what happened last night.

After Renee playfully kissed him, they fell on the bed together and had a small pillow talk. Holding hands, they talked about trivial things.

They talked for a while, their eyes closed, focusing only on each other’s voices and the feel of their intertwined hands before falling asleep at some point.

A chuckle escaped Vera’s lips.

The realization that he was in bed with the opposite sex and nothing happened was quite new.

Meanwhile, his gaze drifted to Renee.

White hair cascading down her cheeks.

The long eyelashes.

The tiny nose and the red, soft lips.

That wasn’t the end of it.

The way her shoulders rose and fell with her breathing, the slender hand holding into his fingers, and all the other trivial movements were vividly etched in Vera’s mind.

In retrospect, it was only natural.

This was Vera’s first time seeing Renee asleep, so this train of movements was an unfamiliar stimulus to him.

Vera watched that scene for a while, feeling like he was still in a dream, before he suddenly reached out his hand.

His outstretched hand found Renee’s cheek.

There was a stray strand of hair just beside her lips.

He gently removed that hair, as if stroking her cheek.

He pushed it back slowly to reveal her face.

At that movement, the fine brows furrowed slightly.

“Mmm…”

Her shoulders slumped slightly.

Her lips pursed.

Soon after, Renee stirred and burrowed into Vera’s arms.

She seemed to be feeling the cold.

After all, it was almost time for autumn to change to winter.

Moreover, this place was farther north than Elia.

It was no wonder that Renee would feel cold.

Vera smiled as he watched Renee snuggle into his arms, then pulled the blanket that had been slipped down to their waists.

After that, he wrapped his arms around Renee’s body and closed his eyes again.

‘Just a little longer…’

It would be okay to stay asleep a little longer.

He himself felt that he had been working so hard lately, and now he felt so lazy and cozy.

Sleeping in a little bit more wouldn’t hurt.

With that thought, Vera drifted off to sleep.

***

At the dining hall in the fortress.

Renee made a big smile and ate the bread, her face bright red.

It was, of course, a reaction to the morning’s events.

She felt Vera’s body heat and his hand stroking her head from the moment she opened her eyes.

Also, there was the morning greeting asking if she slept well.

It was such a perfect morning.

It was also the kind of morning she only used to dream about.

While her heart was already beating wildly with the satisfaction that shook her whole being, Vera spoke.

“Saint, eat more.”

He said so while holding the warm bread, dipped in soup, to Renee’s lips.

“Yes…”

Renee shyly smiled, parting her lips slightly to accept the food.

Then, she munched on the bread before swallowing it.

Suddenly, Vera reached out his hand.

“You got some on the corner of your mouth.”

“Oh.”

There was the sensation of cloth on the corner of her mouth.

It was followed by a sensation of rubbing something, and then it was gone.

Renee lowered her head, her face bright red.

“Thank you…”

“It’s my duty.”

Vera also smiled.

This ever-changing aspect of his lover made her all the more charming.

“After the meal, we’ll have a strategy meeting. I assume you’ll be joining this time.”

“Yes…”

“You’ll probably be in the rear guard with Sir Miller.”

“I guess so. It’d be ridiculous for a caster to be in the front.”

“Very well.”

The friendly chat and meal continued for a while. With just the two of them.

Renee savored the moment, feeling like a firework had gone off in her head, and then spoke.

“By the way, are we going straight to the meeting?”

“No. There’s about two or three hours of free time… Why?”

“Just, I thought we could go for a walk if there’s free time.”

She spoke with a giggle.

Unintentionally, Vera held his breath.

Then, he blushed and nodded.

“…Alright.”

He wondered if someone had cast a spell on him during the night.

Renee’s whispers, which felt unusually sweet today, tickled Vera’s insides.

“Then we should finish our meal first.”

Vera once again tore the bread and held it out, and Renee opened her mouth and ate it.

A little far away.

Rohan, who once again saw that sight by chance, squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Why…?!’

Why do I always have to see this sight?

Why do those people always sit and do sickening things everywhere I go?

Rohan was sure.

This was certainly someone’s trick.

A wicked trick to torment him.

His trail of thought pointed towards one culprit.

It was so obvious. It was the nasty God of Guidance who bestowed upon him his stigma.

There would be no other culprit but him.

This situation didn’t make sense unless he played a trick and turned his steps in this direction.

Rohan clasped his hands together and prayed.

‘Do it moderately! Okay? Please!’

Whether his prayers reached the heavens or not, Rohan had no way of knowing.

***

The adjustments to their established strategy were quickly made.

This was because no one in the room objected to the new plan.

This was only natural.

It was a battle with an Ancient Species.

As such, even a rear support task would be fraught with danger.

Rather, it would be weird if they weren’t happy with the order to stay in standby at the fortress.

“Then we will conclude with that, and the departure will be tomorrow at noon.”

Vera’s words brought the meeting to a close.

The ones who stayed in place were Vera, Renee, Rohan, and those who were called Heroes in the previous life.

Albrecht said, smiling.

“So it has come to this! If it’s the job of a hero to lead the struggle, then I will gladly…”

“I don’t think this is something to be excited about.”

Albrecht stiffened at Hegrion’s low murmur.

Hegrion said that because he found Albrecht, who was slender like a girl, unpleasant.

Seeing Miller feeling uneasy for no apparent reason, Vera sighed and spoke up.

“…Can we start now?”

“Oh, yes.”

Vera looked around at the remaining people in the room.

Renee, who was smiling sweetly.

Rohan, who was scowling next to her, and Friede, who was looking at him with determination.

Hegrion was flexing his muscles for some unknown reason, and Albrecht, sitting next to him, was tense. Lastly, Miller, who was stealing a glance at Albrecht, entered his eyes.

A thought crossed his mind.

‘…With them.’

He had to face Gorgan with them.

These were the heroes who would stop the ancient species.

Cold sweat broke on his back.

His shoulders tensed.

Meanwhile…

Buzz—!

The Holy Sword cried as if telling him not to forget it.

***

“Growl—”

There was a sharp cry.

Along with that, the beast lifted its head.

Its black fur fluttered in the wind, and the golden eye in its forehead glowed ferociously.

A white hand caressed the beast’s neck.

[…Not yet. Wait a bit more.]

Gorgan soothed the child, who seemed ready to dash out at any time.

However, that didn’t reflect Gorgan’s composure.

[That kid won’t run away. I’m here, after all.]

It was a belief that the elf would definitely come.

A belief that the elf would come put a stop to this before the child reached their Mother.

That was the reason for this action.

Gorgan harbored a hatred that had burned until it could no longer burn any further and remained as ashes.

It was a hatred that burned with an endless coldness and a relentless focus on a single goal.

[I wonder what Aedrin’s reaction would be if we visit her with the elf’s head. What do you think?]

Gorgan wondered with what face the despicable green tree would greet them with.

How would she express the pain of losing her child?

[We’re repaying her in kind.]

Gorgan caressed the Karel’s neck.

[Let’s take the head only, and you can eat the body. You might as well chew it up and grind it into a powder.]

The hatred forged in the cold deep sea came to the surface.

[Let’s stick that head into her roots.]

The cries of his children, which he still could hear, added the coldness to his hatred.

[After that, let’s burn the forest and tear apart her other children. When there’s only one left, when she’s the only one left, let’s uproot her and bring her to the depths of the abyss. As much as we’ve suffered, let’s make her suffer just as much.]

“Grrr—”

[Yeah, Alaysia’s next. That bitch, later…]

The white hand stopped moving.

[…Later, let’s think about her later.]

The voice trailed off.

[For now, we have to get revenge on that bitch. That’s what matters.]

The voice began to get fuzzy, taking on a somewhat dreamlike quality.

Still, that didn’t mean comfort.

The reason was because the dreams were a nightmare of the worst kind.

[So let’s wait for the elf.]

The Parent of Beasts, existing since the beginning of time, was seized with such a nightmare that a cold hatred emerged.

***

Seven people walked ahead.

The three Apostles and four warriors left the fortress and headed to the plains, towards the battlefield.

Finally, facing the rearing beast, Vera shouted.

“Gorgan!”

Vera looked directly into its golden eye.

In it was a beast that had lost the direction of its anger.

“I want to talk to you!”

Buzz—

The shortsword cried.

That thing, which had been pulsating ever since he arrived at the fortress, began to emit a loud rumble that could not get any louder.

Clutching the Holy Sword in his right hand and the shortsword in his left hand, Vera shouted again.

“Please answer me! We are…!”

Thud—!

Before he could finish his sentence, an outstretched forepaw swept right in front of him.

[Get out of the way.]

The sharp voice pierced his head.

The golden eye turned toward Friede.

Vera sucked in a breath.

The movement was too exquisite for such a big body, and Gorgan’s condition was somewhat strange.

‘…It wasn’t like that.’

The Gorgan he had seen in the vision was certainly not like that.

Even until the moment of facing Aedrin, there might have been an outpour of anger through a lifeless voice, but this kind of blind emotion hadn’t been displayed.

To see it simply as anger would be a bit misfitting, and somehow, the way he expressed his emotions was a bit off.

While Vera was bewildered, Gorgan disappeared.

“Sir!”

Albrecht stepped forward.

He drew out the Empire’s Pure Blood.

The path shown by the sword that controlled all flows…

Upon it, Albrecht’s gaze turned in one direction.

‘Friede!’

At the end of the dark red line was Friede’s heart.

If left alone, Friede would get attacked.

His actions had to be swift.

The realm of Intention opened.

A realm born from his unwavering conviction merged with the sword’s will.

It was a conviction that no matter how tremendous the flow was, he could stop it.

Then, Albrecht swung his sword.

Swoosh—!

It struck the middle of the dark red flow, altering the direction of its tip.

However, it wasn’t enough.

Abrecht clenched his teeth as he realized that the demigod, who existed since the beginning of time, was not so weak as to be stopped by that.

The flow reversed in an instant.

Then, the gigantic body reappeared.

While Albrecht’s mind was overheating from the information overload…

Clang—!

A pure white sword blocked the claw.

A golden current of air scattered.

Vera had blocked it in front of Friede.

Buzz—

He ignored the rush of information that entered the realm of Intention and looked at Gorgan.

Then, he carved a single wave into the body. It was the cry of the shortsword that had been glowing since the moment it faced Gorgan.

Vera didn’t know why.

He just knew that this shortsword was reacting to Gorgan and that this artifact was trying to move itself, so Vera left its body to the wave.

Buzz—

Suddenly, Vera could see it.

And he could understand it.

The words the colossal dragon at the end of the ice wall had spoken to him and what they meant.

— The bracelet is a veil, the dagger is life, and the shortsword is eyes.

Buzz—

Gorgan’s form flickered with the wave.

Along with it, something slowly revealed itself.

Following the wave of the shortsword, Vera gained the ‘eyes’ to see something new.

Buzz—

‘Black chains.’

The black chains were tightening around Gorgan.

Vera tensed every muscle in his body.

He unleashed his divinity and Intention to their fullest.

Then, he swatted away the paw that held him down.

The movements continued automatically.

However, he felt it instinctively.

He swung his sword, knowing that he had to break the chain revealed by the wave.

In an instant, everything was bathed in white.