I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 646

"Lucy!"

Mev barely caught her balance and turned, her face flushed with surprise.

"W-What kind of sudden—"

"Yeah, we did." It was Ian who cut her off.

Mev froze, her gaze drifting toward the back of his head.

"I see. That's good. I'm so relieved," Lucia murmured, her lips curling upward.

There was no mischief in her smile—only quiet relief. Her eyes lifted to Ian with a trace of hopefulness, almost desperation.

It was enough to make a faint, bitter smile spread across Ian's lips.

So she really wants me to stay.

He understood Lucia’s wish all too well. She was the only one who knew his biggest secret, after all. As if reading the meaning in his smile, Lucia's eyes twitched. A shadow of disappointment passed through her eyes.

"Then, will you be sharing a room?" Lucia asked, stepping onto the stairs.

Mev’s eyes widened as if she couldn’t believe her ears, staring up at Lucia climbing ahead of her.

"Lucifer!"

"You really don’t hold back. The Blazing Goddess is watching, you know," Ian said as he followed them up the stairs.

Lucia smiled broadly and looked back at him. "I feel like the Goddess would be delighted, actually."

"Lu Solar, have mercy... Lucy, please stop." Mev's groan came from behind Ian. She covered her face with both hands. There was no way she could suspect there was a deeper meaning behind Ian and Lucia’s exchange.

Ian stifled a quiet laugh.

"Well, it’s for the two of you to decide. I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn."

Before Ian could say anything, Lucia apologized and hurried up the stairs.

Mev ran a hand down her face, eyes still squeezed shut, and sighed. "How did she become... like this?"

"I’m to blame."

"What?"

At Ian's words, Mev paused and looked up at him.

Ian smacked his lips and looked back at her. "I think she ended up like that from hanging around me."

"N-No..."

Mev met his eyes and quickly looked away, murmuring under her breath, "I didn't mean it in a bad way."

It was the first time she had looked truly flustered since they had reunited. Lucia's words must have been flashing through her mind.

Not that it’s anything new.

Swallowing a laugh, Ian followed Lucia into the hallway. The hallway, lined with flickering candles, was as empty as the floor below.

"Ian!"

The door beyond burst open, and a silver-haired fairy shot out.

"What took you so long? I thought I'd die waiting!"

Thesaya spun around and ran toward them. Even so, she tried to keep her voice low, likely because Lucia had raised a finger to her lips.

Thud, thud, thud! Whoosh!

Of course, nothing could stop her from launching herself straight at Ian. As she flew toward him with all four limbs outstretched, Ian let out a helpless sigh.

She’s enjoying this far too much.

A faint ripple spread through his eyes.

Thesaya, who had been flying, jerked to a stop. An invisible hand had grabbed her.

Flailing her limbs, Thesaya frowned as she dangled in the air. "Are you seriously doing this?"

"Yep, I am," Ian replied without blinking.

Only after passing her did he scatter his Ideation and add, "You've already been drinking."

"I couldn't help it; there was nothing to do. Do you know how boring this place is, Ian?"

Landing lightly, Thesaya naturally linked arms with Mev and continued, "All they do is dig potatoes or chop wood, and then spend the rest of their time praying. Or they sit in a circle with those half-pints and draw pictures."

"Pictures?"

"She probably means blueprints," said Lucia.

"I totally understand why my little sister wanted to go outside so badly. And those blind steelheads, ugh."

Clicking her tongue, Thesaya looked up at Mev. She didn't seem to care about Mev's expression at all.

"They made it even worse. They wouldn’t let me go anywhere. Something about not wanting things to get complicated if I stuck my nose in. Look! Even though you guys came, we couldn't even go out to greet you."

"The High Priestess must have asked you to," Ian said without stopping or looking back.

Thesaya's gaze went to the back of his head. "How did you know?"

"Because it was a wise choice."

Ian stepped through the open door. The room was unadorned and dry like the hallway, but warm candlelight filled the space.

"You have arrived, my lord."

A young man with dark bronze-colored skin stood beside an oval table in the center of the room. His easy, sly smile was exactly as Ian remembered.

"Yes, it’s been a while, Nasser."

"I had heard the news already, but... seeing you safe with my own eyes is a relief beyond words. I am ashamed I ever doubted. Unlike the others, I was half-convinced it might be false hope. Even after the Black Wall fell," said Nasser.

"Still spouting unnecessary words, I see," Ian said as he walked over.

He looked down at the pewter cups and bottles on the table and the plate of bread.

"I placed your stuff on the bed over there, Ian," Thesaya, following him in, added.

Ian looked to the side and nodded. The equipment he had left behind when summoned was laid out on a somewhat worn but large bed.

"You’ve worked hard, my lord." Nasser stepped toward Mev as Ian approached the bed. He held out his hands, and Mev passed him her helmet with a small smile.

"You worked hard as well, Nasser."

"You look far less worn than I expected. I’m relieved. Shall I help you remove the armor first?"

"Later. Just take my weapon."

"Yes, please give it here."

Damn. He really became a proper squire.

Ian scanned his equipment and then curled the corner of his mouth slightly. "I knew it. You got them repaired."

All of his gear had been neatly restored. The scales on the armor and greaves gleamed cleanly, the dents in the bracers and shin guards were smoothed out, and fresh metal plates had been added where holes once were.

"Yes. I asked the city's blacksmiths," Lucia said as she closed the door.

Thesaya, throwing herself onto a chair, picked up a pewter cup and added, "A swarm of dwarves came rushing over. Maybe because they heard the half-pints beyond the Wall forged these things. They were turning it this way and that, making a fuss."

Walking into the room, Lucia sat next to Thesaya and said, "They didn't even take money. I told them you saved the dwarf survivors, Sir Ian. But unfortunately, the materials aren't exactly the same."

"Doesn't matter. I’ve got more pieces that need repair. I’ll mix and match." Ian nodded, then slipped his right hand into the pocket dimension.

He then poured the equipment onto the floor with a clatter. Not only Thesaya and Lucia, but even Nasser, who was taking Mev's sword, turned toward the noise.

"What is all that?"

"Ancient relics. As you can see, they're a bit broken," Ian said, taking off his left gauntlet.

Blinking, Thesaya took a sip of her drink and said, "Is all that melted stuff on the outside gold?"

"Wait. Did the Platinum Dragon give these to you?" Lucia asked.

Ian tossed aside the bracer he had just removed and replied, "That's right."

"Good heavens. But why give you broken ones?"

"They weren't like this from the start." Turning around, Ian walked to the table. He exchanged a glance with Mev.

Lucia tilted her head a little more. "Then?"

"Ian fought the Heaven Defier." It was Mev who answered. She was calm because she had already heard the story from Ian on the way here.

Everyone’s eyes snapped toward her.

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"And he killed it." A faint smile touched Mev’s lips as she finished.

Whether it was because their reactions were exactly like hers, or because she was proud of Ian's achievement, only she knew.

Even Nasser lost his smile and gaped.

Ian sat in an empty seat and added, "It was moments away from breaking its seal."

He placed an empty pewter cup in front of him.

Thesaya, who was about to put a cup in front of Lucia, quickly filled his cup and said, "So that's why it summoned you?"

"Not exactly. I just persuaded it well."

"That can’t be right. There’s no way you— Ah, I see." Thesaya, who spoke in disbelief, let out a short exclamation. "So it wasn’t persuasion. Got it."

From behind Ian, Nasser's voice followed almost simultaneously. "Was it truly strong enough to impersonate a god like the legends say?"

"It was. Terrifyingly so."

That's a very you-like curiosity.

Adding inwardly, Ian brought the cup to his lips. It was mead.

"Lu Entre, have mercy... You killed another dragon." While he drank, Lucia finally let out a gasp.

"You must be the only human in the continent’s history to have killed two dragons, my lord," Nasser said, sounding genuinely impressed.

Though it was actually three dragons, Ian didn’t show it. "It wasn’t perfect. At the last moment, it split its soul and scattered it into the bodies of its apostles."

"It abandoned its physical form? Is that even possible?" Lucia asked, her eyes widening.

"The Platinum Dragon told him that even if it puts its soul back together, it won’t be a dragon anymore," Mev said from beside Ian. "So it’s no different from being dead."

"But that means those things, neither human nor dragon, aren’t exactly gone, either." Thesaya narrowed her eyes slightly as she handed Mev a cup.

Everyone except Lucia had faced the Heaven Defier’s apostles before.

"There’s no need to worry about them for now. Reuniting a fragmented soul won’t be easy. We have more urgent matters. Besides..." Setting down his cup, Ian looked back at Lucia. "I don’t see the one person I thought would definitely be here."

"Oh, right!" Blinking as if only now remembering, Lucia took a quick sip of her drink. "I meant to tell you as soon as we got back to the room. I was so startled I forgot for a moment."

"If you forgot, that means he’s not dead or injured. But he isn’t in the temple." Ian reached for his cup again.

"Well, a few weeks ago, he led some priests to Hope City."

Ian froze with the cup at his lips. Hope City—the city of the snowfield barbarians, named after him. However, that wasn’t why his brows drew together. A faded memory of the prophetic dream brushed the back of his mind.

"Did something happen to the barbarians?" Ian asked, his voice low as he set the cup down.

Lucia hesitated, fingers fidgeting against her own cup.

Before she could answer, Thesaya cut in. "They say they almost broke the Wall." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Ian’s frown deepened.

Thesaya curled her lips slightly. "They tried to go find you, but the gate didn’t open for them."