Chapter 10

The plague. It was also ‘Fey’ who spread it. ‘Fey’ had commissioned a mage to make a cursed potion, which she then fed to Luné, who fell ill. The weakened Luné was unable to use her strength properly and died after being injured by a magic beast. Starting with Luné, the ‘plague’ spread exponentially through Brimfe. ‘Fey’ was truly an irredeemable woman, the more she thought about it.

“I said something unnecessary. I apologize.” Vega hastily apologized, noticing the shadow that fell over Fey’s face. Perhaps Fey was thinking of the deceased Luné and feeling sad. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t too far from wrong.

“No. It’s fine. I brought it up first.” Fey pulled her hood close and looked up at the sky. There were no stars to be seen in the cloudy night. Instead, as if to console her, a white bird flapped its wings and flew across the sky. It was too small to be a dove, and too big to be a sparrow.

Then it happened.

“It’s Colin.”

“Yes?” Fey turned her head toward the voice. There, Vega was staring somewhere with a faraway look in his eyes.

“The place I thought was beautiful.”

“Is that so?” Fey smiled faintly. Colin was the country Vega had visited with Luné when he had just been rescued from the port city of Rowen. He must have memories of that time. Fey knew that he still loved Luné.

“Sir.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for bringing me with you.” And I’m sorry. She couldn’t bring herself to say those words. She just kept repeating her meaningless gratitude. Because ‘Fey Le O’Bellie’ wasn’t her.

“…Lady Fey. It was just a deal.”

“Yes. I know.” Fey looked at the distant image of the white bird disappearing and smiled broadly. She was getting sleepier and sleepier.

“Even so. If I can get through the forest, get to Gashal, and get on the train, I’ll be grateful to you for the rest of my life. Because you saved my life….” Fey didn’t realize that she had said those words until she fell asleep. Or that there was someone who could clearly hear her voice, which was as small as a murmur.

The flames of the campfire burned brightly and the shadows grew darker. It was a warm night.

* * *

Five days later.

“We arrived just in time.” After leaving the Gwen Forest, Fey and Vega arrived at the entrance to Ronan Bridge the day before the transcontinental train was set to depart. Vega got off his horse and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His ragged breathing, so unlike him, calmed gradually. Fey also slowly got off her horse, following Vega. Her breath caught as she took in the magnificent view in front of her.

“It’s just as I’ve heard….” The huge stone arch bridge was completely covered in a thick, whitish fog.

“Indeed, it’s a sight worthy of being called the bridge of eternal fog.”

The bridge of eternal fog. There were three large bridges that crossed the ‘Leto River’ separating Gashal and Brimfe. One was located in the north and named ‘Ampel Bridge’ after Ampullus, the god of the sky and life. One was located in the center and named ‘Ayle Bridge’ after Ayer, the god of the earth and eternity. And the third was located in the south and named ‘Ronan Bridge’ after Ronion, the god of wisdom and death.

There was a clear reason for giving the three bridges that simply connected Gashal and Brimfe the names of the three gods.

‘Eternal snow falls on Ampel in the north. Eternal rain falls on Ayle in the center. And eternal fog covers Ronan in the south.’

These were outlandish stories that ‘Fey’ had only ever read in books since she was a child, as if they were mere legends. However, the three great bridges were among the few sacred objects that the Kingdom of Gashal officially recognized as having been bestowed with the power of the three gods. Fey looked in awe at the faint fog that spread like a monster devouring the world over the bridge. In contrast, Vega was used to the fog of Ronan. He indifferently took off his cloak and spoke to Fey.

“The fog is thick today. Lady Fey. We need to pass inspection, so get back on your horse.”

At the entrance to the bridge, well-trained-looking Brimfe guards stood guard. When Vega approached them leading the horse that Fey was riding, the guards recognized the golden pauldrons of the Order of the Knights of Gashal at once and gave a light bow.

“Good work.”

The guards’ gazes turned to the young woman on the horse, but no one suspected that she was Fey O’Bellie, as she was completely covered by a robe and a hood. In the end, their interest in Fey quickly faded. They must have thought that she was just a lover that Vega Thanatos had met in Brimfe.

Normally, they would have asked for her identity due to the plague, but she was Vega’s woman. With the strongest knight of all time by her side, what did the plague matter?

Fey couldn’t help but chuckle from within her hood. It was convenient to have Vega with her. Asking for his help had been the best choice she could have made. His status was convenient, even too convenient.

Vega slowly pulled the reins forward. The horses’ shoes made a pleasant sound as they crossed the stone bridge and disappeared into the fog.

“I really can’t see anything.”

Fey rubbed her eyes. The fog was so thick that she couldn’t see anything around her. She couldn’t tell if she was really on a bridge, if the Leto River was really flowing beneath her, or if anyone else was crossing the bridge. It was like walking through an impenetrable cloud, unable to see anything.

Only the damp, eerie wind lingered around Fey, but somehow, she didn’t dislike it. Instead, her shoulders felt light enough to hum a tune. It was the first time she had felt joyful in this mysterious and unknown world.

That was because there was one obvious truth in the fog-covered bridge, filled with mysteries as it was. If she kept walking on this path, she would eventually escape from Brimfe.

Vega glanced at Fey, who was humming happily. He could tell that Fey Le O’Bellie was more hopeful than usual.

She thought deeply as she held the crystal coffin that contained Obelus.

‘Okay. Let’s go to an inn once we cross the bridge. I’ll get a room at the inn and take a bath first. Then, I’ll go eat something delicious. After I fill my stomach, ah. Maybe I’ll go to a chapel. I’ll pray at the chapel and then get a good night’s sleep. I’ll sleep without thinking about anything. Yes. Sleep well.’

However, Fey Le O’Bellie’s escape from Brimfe, which had finally become a reality, disappeared like a fragile bubble and turned hopeless in an instant.

“Ugh!”

“Ahh! P-please spare me!”

“What, what is it!”

It happened suddenly. Gray-armored soldiers jumped out of the white fog, where nothing could be seen. Before Fey could even be surprised, she heard screams of confusion and fear pouring from all directions in the fog.

“Fey!”

Vega was the only one who remained calm in the chaos that had suddenly enveloped them like a tidal wave. He quickly wrapped his arms around Fey’s waist from atop the horse that had started to panic.

At that moment, the crystal coffin that had slipped from Fey’s arms rolled on the ground with a loud noise.

“Ah! Obelus is…”

The Obelus rolled quite far away, out of reach. However, Vega didn’t have the time to worry about that. He pulled Fey behind him and kicked the horse’s rump hard.

The horse didn’t even look back and charged through the group of unknown soldiers and into the fog. Soon, the sound of swords being drawn could be heard.

“Fey. Please stay right behind me.”

“Ah…”

Fey only came to her senses after seeing the large sword’s blade glistening over her shoulder. However, it was already too late.

The gray-armored soldiers, who had suddenly appeared from the fog, surrounded Fey and Vega in a circle, their faces filled with anger beneath their helmets.

The swords and spears they aimed at were flying only toward one person crossing Ronan Bridge.

“….They are imperial knights.”

However, it was too late for Fey to identify the knights due to the blurred surroundings. She instantly saw three lilies engraved on their helmets, the symbol of the Brimfe Imperial Family.

‘Imperial knights? Why did they suddenly appear here? Why are they threatening us?’

Even though she knew there was only one reason, Fey unconsciously pretended not to know the answer. Just then, she stared blankly at the sharp iron blades gleaming motionlessly inside the fog, where there was nowhere to run.

“Long time no see. Sir Vega Thanatos.”

Fey flinched for a moment at the low voice. She grabbed the hem of Vega’s cloak weakly and muttered to herself without realizing it.

“A familiar voice….”

To be exact, it was more like ‘a voice in my memory.’ The low resonance that was heard as if her ears would melt. It was the voice that ‘Fey’ had occasionally heard whenever she went to the Imperial Palace.

“Ah, as expected, it’s truly regrettable. The strongest knight commander of Gashal is kidnapping a noble of Brimfe.”

The voice sounded genuinely disappointed as it uttered words that Fey couldn’t understand. Before she could grasp the true meaning, the owner of the sweet voice appeared in front of her. The man slowly walked from the knights who were standing in a tightly packed circle. In the whitish fog, his sapphire blue eyes shone exceptionally clear, and the man spoke while picking up a crystal coffin stopped at his feet with one hand.

“Long time no see. Marquis Fey Le O’Bellie.”

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