Chapter 85

“No way!”

“Absolutely not.”

Even if they had been growling just a moment ago, at this moment, they were of the same mind.

“Okay, I get it. I was wrong. So, are you going to look for the lady?”

Whether he heard her denial or not, Duke Lucas’ lips were still twitching. Was he holding back a laugh?

Whether he liked it or not, it was too much. From the fight with Archen to meeting Lucas, to him noticing what happened between her and Archen, it was all too much.

Meanwhile, Duke Lucas seemed to be contemplating something.

“I have a guess where the lady might be.”

“Where is that?”

“There’s a barricade in the city,” the Duke said this.

A group of demons had invaded the city, and the people had all gone into hiding or fled. At that time, the knights and court mages led by Marta had set up a barricade in the city, and those who had not been able to escape were being protected inside the barricade.

The knights and mages were going around the city, bringing those who had not been able to escape into the barricade, so if Iris had gone into the city, she would be inside the barricade with the other people.

It made sense when she thought about it.

“How far is the barricade from here?”

“Not far. You can see it as soon as you enter the central square.”

“Then let’s go there!”

Her heart was a little relieved. If Iris had escaped from the monsters, she would be inside the barricade. If she wasn’t inside the barricade, she would have to search the city one by one, which would be like opening the gates of hell, but let’s consider that as the second case.

“I’ll go with you.”

The Duke unexpectedly offered to come along, and the party became three. Whether it was because he was worried about Iris or because he wanted to watch the fight, it was a good thing. The Duke was quite good at swordsmanship, which meant that Archen would have less magic to use.

The three walked silently along the road. Fortunately, they didn’t see any demons. Until they reached the central square, the three of them didn’t see a single ant. So, wasn’t this no different from usual?

The only difference was that the sky had turned an ominous purple? And the clouds were a little strange. White clouds were swirling in the dArchened sky. It was like a scene from a movie.

She wanted to ask Archen what that was. She looked up at him, her mouth twitching, but his expression was cold. His expression was similar to the terrible blank expression she had seen when they first met.

It felt like she had gone back to the time when she had just transmigrated.

He wasn’t going to apologize first, was he?

Her stomach churned, and Carinne turned her head away. It was a hundred times better not to ask Archen.

A few minutes later, the Duke asked.

“The shape of the clouds is strange. Do you know what that is?”

“It’s a sign that the gap to the other world has opened.”

Archen explained. He also said that demons were coming out of the gap to the other world, so it would be better not to go near it. Thanks to that, Carinne was able to satisfy her curiosity.

‘So, the gap to the other world has opened under those clouds.’

Looking closely, there was a huge pillar of light rising from under the clouds. The size of the clouds and the pillar of light was extraordinary, so the gap to the other world must not be small either.

She wondered when the gap would close, if it would close at all, and if the capital of Esmeril would be safe until then.

⋯Surely the country wouldn’t fall. The higher-ups would take care of closing the gap. Now was the time to focus on finding Iris.

Carinne calmed her mind.

They walked and walked for several more minutes. Finally, the party arrived in the city. There were dozens of demons in the wide square. There were about twenty people fighting the demons. Magic was being shot everywhere, and flashing blades were flying around.

“Over there, that’s the barricade, right?”

Across the central square, she could see a wall hastily built with wood, barrels, and discarded furniture. The Duke said yes and drew his sword from its scabbard.

“I’ll cover you.”

Archen also stepped forward. White light flashed from his hands. However, he didn’t have much use for magic, as the Duke took care of most of the approaching demons. It was just as Carinne had hoped. The fact that the people were holding the demons one by one also helped.

The three of them slowly approached the barricade. A soldier who had been watching the situation from inside opened the gate of the barricade when he saw the Duke at the front.

“This way!”

Carinne ran through the gate, past the Duke, who was plunging his sword into the demons’ heads. As Carinne, the Duke, and Archen entered the barricade, the gate closed.

Carinne knelt down and caught her breath before raising her head. She thought that the inside of the barricade would be relatively quiet, so all she had to do was find Iris. However, that was a hasty judgment.

“Aaaagh!”

“Bandage here! Don’t we have any more bandages?”

The inside of the barricade was a chaotic mess like hell. Cries of pain echoed from here and there. A man who had his arm torn off by a demon, a man who was bleeding from a gash in his thigh…

The sheer number of people was astounding, the density mirroring that of an apartment complex in Seoul. The barricade, barely a third the size of the plaza, seemed to hold every single person from the capital. How was she supposed to find Iris in this crowd?

“The situation is more serious than I thought,” Duke Lucas muttered, sheathing his sword. Carinne agreed that the situation inside the barricade was unfortunate. But finding Iris was more urgent right now.

“Let’s split up and search. Then meet back at that tent.” Carinne pointed to a tent situated in the center of the barricade. Without waiting for the two men’s response, she pushed through the crowd with quick strides.

Carinne first checked the area where the injured were being treated, then the area where the refugees were gathered. She scrutinized every single person—those walking, sitting, or hanging their heads. She even lifted the blankets of those lying down to check their faces. But Iris was nowhere to be seen. The innocent young lady with long black hair and violet eyes was nowhere to be found.

“Excuse me, have you seen a woman with long black hair? Her eyes are violet, and she’s about this tall.” In the end, Carinne resorted to grabbing passersby and describing Iris’s appearance. The people just glanced at her as if to say, “So what?” Some even shoved her aside, telling her not to be a nuisance when they were busy.

Carinne felt like crying. She didn’t want to lose Iris like this. Was going out into the city and searching for her directly the only answer? Sighing deeply, she was about to return to the tent when a man with a bandaged arm approached her.

“Is that lady, by any chance, incredibly beautiful?”

“Yes! She’s incredibly beautiful!”

“Her hair reaches her waist, and she’s wearing a pink one-piece dress?”

A pink one-piece dress. Iris did enjoy wearing pink one-piece dresses. Carinne recalled the last outfit she had seen Iris in.

“Does it have a red ribbon in the middle?”

“Yes. And there are roses embroidered on the hem of the dress.”

“Then that’s the person I’m looking for!”

She felt like cheering. Finally, she had achieved her goal, and she felt like she would soon see Iris’s bashful smile. Elated, Carinne felt the ground fall away as she heard the man’s next words.

“If that’s the lady, she’s probably outside the barricade.”

“Huh?”

“She’s in the city. I’m sure of it.” The man continued with conviction. “She saved me when we were being chased by the monsters. Then she left to save other people.”

What? Iris saved a man? And went to save other people? With what skills?

She didn’t have any ill feelings towards Iris, but it was a natural question. Did Iris know how to handle a sword, or could she use magic? As far as Carinne knew, Iris was a clumsy young lady who loved to read books. A bit childish and rude, but not someone you could hate. The innocent and naive Iris. She couldn’t imagine her knowing how to fight monsters.

“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that lady. She’ll be fine on her own.” The man said his piece and disappeared into the crowd. Carinne stared blankly at the spot where the man had vanished before coming to her senses.

Whether Iris was doing well or not, she had to find her. That much was clear. Carinne didn’t want to leave her precious friend in the middle of the city where monsters roamed, even if that friend was strong enough to defeat them.

Returning to the tent, Carinne found Duke Lucas shaking his head at her. It meant he hadn’t found Iris. Archen was standing next to him, his gaze fixed not on Carinne but inside the tent. What was he looking at? Carinne followed Archen’s gaze into the tent and came face to face with people in robes. She saw Marta standing tall among them.

“Are there no volunteers?” Marta’s face was smeared with blood that didn’t seem to be her own. She was usually good at hiding her emotions, but today was different. Carinne could tell that Marta was extremely exhausted.

“Are you seriously telling me that out of all these mages, no one is willing to go close the interdimensional rift?” Her flat tone was laced with a hint of annoyance.

“I’ve already used up all my magic for today…”

“I’m not skilled enough to close the rift.”

“Why are you looking at me? I have a wife and children at home!”

“Who doesn’t have a wife and children? You’re all the same!”

“Then you go do it, since you’re so capable!”

The robed people started arguing with each other after making excuses.

Clad in their ornate robes, they were clearly court mages. Oh, great. So, they were recruiting mages to close the rift, but no one wanted to go.

Watching them shove each other’s backs, urging them to go, a wave of disgust rose in her throat. Marta seemed to feel the same. She took off her helmet and sighed. It pained her to see Marta suffer, but the court mages fighting or devouring each other had nothing to do with Carinne… or so she thought.

Archen, who had been silent, suddenly stepped forward. “I’ll go.”

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