I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 662

Knocked straight back, Miguel stumbled and landed hard on the ground. Even as he winced, he looked down at the top of Lucia’s head, her hood having slipped off. She’d practically slammed face-first into his leather breastplate.

Yet she didn’t let out a single groan, nor did she loosen the arms wrapped around him.

"Miguel, I missed you— I missed you so much!"

She clung to him even tighter, burying her face against his chest. The dampness in her voice was no illusion. Without realizing it, Miguel’s lips curved upward as he wrapped an arm around her back.

"I missed you too, Lucy."

"Miguel!" Lucia broke down completely, sobbing.

"What is it now... crying again...." Despite the mild scolding in his voice, Miguel gently patted her back. Tears had welled in his eyes as well. Even so, he was careful not to let his sleeves, dirty from the fall, touch Lucia's cloak.

"For the Great Warrior!"

"Get lost! You monsters!"

Shouts and chaos still rang out around them, but Miguel no longer paid them any mind. The mutilated, burned monster corpses strewn nearby didn’t matter either, nor did the steadily dampening ground beneath him.

He simply listened to her crying, continuing to pat her back.

"Are you done crying?" Miguel asked as her breathing eventually quieted.

Lucia nodded without lifting her face from his chest, drawing deep breaths as if calming herself. Miguel wiped his tears away with the palm of his hand and pushed himself upright.

"Then let me see that ugly face of yours."

"It's probably really ugly right now."

Despite her words, Lucia released him easily and looked up. Of course, the mask still covered her face.

As she pushed it up onto her head, Miguel added, "Pick up a new hobby or something?"

"It's a gift from a fairy friend. A treasure carved from the Tree of Life."

"Is that so? To gift a treasure, you have quite the rare pointy-eared friend."

Nodding, Miguel finally took in Lucia’s exposed face. Divine light still shimmered faintly in her eyes, but her cheeks were a mess of tears and snot.

Sniffling as she looked up at him, Lucia smiled. "I look terrible, don’t I?"

"Not as bad as I expected." Shrugging, Miguel used his palm to wipe her face clean.

"Still, the future Saint has returned. Can’t have you walking around with a filthy face," he didn't forget to add, as if making an excuse.

Smiling slightly instead of answering, Lucia entrusted her face to his touch.

Without stopping his hand, Miguel said, "You haven't changed a bit, Lucy. I'm the only one who's aged."

"Time flows more slowly inside the wall. Your beard’s really gone a little white."

Miguel shrugged. "I’ve had plenty to worry about. Of course I’d age."

"I'm sorry. I won't cause you worry anymore." Lucia hesitated before saying it.

Realizing that tears were gathering in her eyes again, Miguel hastily added, "I-I was joking. Joking. You rascal. Stop it right now. You’re going to ruin the face I just cleaned."

He lifted Lucia's chin with his finger to make her look up.

As Lucia clamped her mouth shut as if trying to hold back tears, he said, "You've become quite the crybaby while I haven't seen you. You must maintain your dignity, hm? Goodness, I'm too scared even to make a joke. Honestly."

At his grumbling, the corners of Lucia's mouth twitched. Miguel, looking down at her with a deliberately sour expression, jerked his chin.

"Tears gone now?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then let’s get up. My butt’s soaked. If anyone saw me like this, they’d get all sorts of wrong ideas."

Finally, Lucia burst into laughter and stood up. Miguel, taking her outstretched hand, suddenly added, "You did stop by the temple, right?"

He couldn't hide the anxiety in his voice. As if guessing his inner thoughts, Lucia smiled more deeply and nodded. "Don't worry. I even got permission from the High Priestess."

"Well, that’s a relief. ...Not that I thought you’d rush all the way here without a thought." Miguel stood up and cleared his throat, turning his gaze away.

The battlefield came back into view, filled with roaring flames and monster corpses.

"Make sure it’s dead!"

"Don't let your guard down if you don't want to die stupidly!"

Barbarian warriors, their fading red divinity flickering weakly, prowled the area and swung their weapons. Priests holding torches were gathering nearby. They weren’t the only ones approaching.

Clip-clop— clip-clop—

Hoofbeats were drawing closer from the opposite side. Brushing dirt from his backside, Miguel turned his head.

The approaching white horse, Selim, and the knight in full plate armor sitting atop it, came into clear view.

As Mev slid her sword back into the scabbard, Miguel said, "It's been a long time, my lord."

"It has been a long time. I am glad you are safe, Priest Miguel." Reining Selim to a stop, Mev lifted her visor to reveal her face.

One of Miguel's eyes twitched. "Why so formal all of a sudden? It’s awkward. Just talk like you used to."

"Shall I?" Mev answered with a slight curl of her lips. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Glancing at Lucia, who was looking back at the approaching priests, she added, "Once the subjugation is over, Lucy is to return immediately to the temple. Keep that in mind."

Clearly meant to leave Lucia no room to argue.

As Lucia pressed her lips together, Miguel nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ll have all the priests escort her."

"Excellent."

Small exclamations rippled through the area as Mev nodded.

"Lu Entre, thank you!"

"Now I can finally rest easy!"

The priests’ voices followed one after another.

Lucia, who had been smiling for a while, said, "It's been a long time, everyone. It's good to see you again."

"We thought we’d turn to ash waiting for you!"

"Either way, we’re relieved you’re safe. Though we never expected to meet you here."

Alec and the others chimed in one by one. Lucia began greeting them, embracing each priest in turn.

Watching the scene with a smile, Miguel said, "Even if you knew we were subjugating the wasteland, it wouldn't have been easy to find us like this."

Turning his head, he looked up at Mev. "Did you cross the wasteland?"

"That was the only way." Mev nodded.

Miguel let out a low gasp. "Even so, entering the corrupted land with just three people... Not even the Great Church’s purification squad would attempt that."

"We aren’t the only ones. There are three more."

"Ah. Well, six doesn’t exactly make it comforting either, but still..." Shrugging, Miguel stroked his chin and added, "One must be that friend, Naser... Did Elder and Charlotte come too?"

Mev shook her head. "Only Thesaya. One is a guide from the Barrier Fortress."

"I see. Well, in any case, having the Elder along is reassuring in more ways than—" Miguel stopped mid-sentence.

A dull vibration spread from beyond the darkness, and then the ground shook. The barbarian warriors and priests lowered their stances, bracing themselves.

"Ian has purified the source," Mev said calmly.

Miguel just nodded, but the priests opened their eyes wide and looked back at her.

"So that’s why the Superhuman rode off?"

"Eternal passion and glory to the Superhuman of the North!"

"... Demigod," said Mev then.

As the priests' voices cut off as if sliced by a knife, she added in a solemn voice, "The Great Warrior has surpassed the rank of Superhuman and ascended to that of a Demigod. I ask that the priests take note of this."

"Demigod!"

"O—oh! Another blessing upon the North!"

The stiffened priests soon burst into exclamations one by one. Coming from the Apostle of the Stern Goddess herself, there could be no room for doubt.

"Lu Entre... Dammit. I guessed as much, but he really became one." Miguel also burst into admiration.

Lucia looked back at him. "You expected it?"

"He was tossing the demon around like a child. How could I not? At this rate, he’ll be picking a fistfight with Karha next."

Miguel’s eyes flickered. Despite the faint smile on her lips, Mev did not look entirely pleased. Her gaze remained as composed as ever, but Miguel, who had once served close at her side, could sense the subtle difference.

However, there was no time to ask what troubled her.

"I need to go back to the carriage," said Mev, turning. "We’re well past the scheduled time. They’ll be worried by now. Wait here. I’ll bring the others."

Meeting her gaze, Miguel nodded without comment.

"Take this with you!"

Alec came running up just then, holding a torch of sacred flame high. The fire, which had died down, flared up again the moment Lucia reached out.

"Thank you." Mev, having received the torch, pulled the reins.

While receiving Lucia's gaze and nodding as if to say don't worry, she turned her horse and ran off. The fiery trail of the torch shrank into the distance along with the fading hoofbeats.

"Standing around here won’t do us any good. Let’s move." Finally turning, Miguel moved toward the lone brazier.

Lucia followed beside him, and the priests surrounded them at a proper distance.

"You really don’t have to do this for me," Lucia murmured awkwardly.

Miguel chuckled under his breath as he walked. "Try to understand. We lost you for years."

"I know. That won’t happen again."

"It better not. I don’t think I could watch that happen twice."

Miguel calmly looked around the area. As if almost finished with the cleanup, the barbarian warriors were approaching the brazier one by one.

The red divine radiance that had wrapped around them was gone now.

"For the Great Warrior—"

"For the Superhuman of the North!"

Their excitement and joy, however, were still very much alive. Shouts rang out here and there, warriors laughing as they looked at one another.

"Glory to the Demigod of the North—"

It was then that Priest Alec, who was walking, suddenly shouted. Of course, the reaction was immediate.

"Demigod?"

"The Great Warrior became a demigod!?"

Voices large and small erupted from all over the battlefield. Some even stopped abruptly as if shocked.

Soon, shouts praising the Demigod of the North followed noisily.

Lucia shook her head, as though there was no stopping it, and headed toward the brazier.

A moment later, she broke into a wide smile. "Nila!"

She spotted the white horse slumped between the carriage shafts. Its drooping mane stirred as it lifted its head and turned toward Lucia.

She’s really down in the dumps.

As Miguel smacked his lips at the thought, Lucia rushed over and wrapped her arms around Nila’s neck.

"I heard about it, but you’ve really grown bigger and more beautiful! Have you been well? Hm?"

Nila answered with a soft snort, resting its head weakly against Lucia’s shoulder.

"What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Did you twist a leg or something?"

Finally sensing something was off, Lucia loosened her hold and asked. Nila only snorted again. After looking it over from head to toe, Lucia turned back to Miguel.

"She doesn’t seem injured. Do you know why she’s so down?"

"Hard to say." Miguel glanced at Nila and shrugged. "For now, I think giving it some time is probably the best thing we can do."

Lucia tilted her head in confusion, but Miguel said nothing more. Saying anything more would only hurt Nila’s feelings. Of all people, he knew best that Nila understood human speech perfectly well. Miguel, for one, was fully confident that he wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if the horse suddenly started writing with its hooves one day.

"The Great Warrior has become a demigod, and the Saintess of White Flame has truly returned. What a pair of blessings...."

"Must be Karha and Lu Entre watching over them. Who knows? The two of them might even become the new masters of the heavens."

In the meantime, the boisterous voices of the barbarian warriors drew closer from behind. Lucia, who was stroking Nila's neck, turned her gaze behind Miguel immediately after.

"Priest..."

At the low voice from behind, Miguel twitched his brow and turned his head.

A large young warrior was approaching with his axe lowered. His eyes trembled as he stared at Lucia, his face smeared with blood and ash, unable to hide his joy and awe.

Miguel’s expression tightened.

"Askel?" said Lucia, who had been looking at him with a puzzled expression.

A smile spread across the centurion Askel’s face—one that looked oddly boyish for someone of his size.

"Yes, priest— no. Saintess."

"Lu Entre, my goodness!" Lucia gasped, then broke into a bright smile. "I almost didn’t recognize you! You’ve changed so much—you look wonderful!"

"You haven’t changed at all. You’re still... very..." Askel’s gaze, fixed on Lucia, now trembled with a different meaning.

Miguel, who had been watching with a deepening frown, finally lost his patience.

"Careful there. You’ll bore a hole through the Saintess’s face at this rate."

Only then did Askel flinch and look away. "Ah, my apologies. I didn’t mean to—"

Lucia glanced between them in confusion, but Miguel simply shot the warrior a glare, pretending nothing was wrong.

"Watch your eyes. Especially in front of the Great Warrior. Got it?"

"Yes, priest."

Miguel looked as though he might add something more, then stopped and turned his head instead. The barbarian warriors were also facing the same direction.

Clip-clop— Clip-clop-

Hoofbeats were approaching from beyond the darkness. In the stillness, a faint violet glow spread through the shadows.

Though the blazing red divinity wasn't visible, everyone knew those eyes belonged to the black horse Ian was riding.

Only Nila’s breathing broke the silence as the approaching glow suddenly veered aside.

Rumble—

The black horse slid to a halt, turning smoothly as it did, its form emerging faintly from the darkness. It had stopped deliberately at the edge of the sacred fire—but no one noticed. No one even thought to question it.

All eyes were fixed on the Demigod of the North, sitting atop the saddle with his cloak fluttering.

Ian looked back at them with a blank expression. Miguel’s lips curved faintly as he noticed the subtle discomfort in Ian’s gaze.

So Lucia isn’t the only one who hasn’t changed.

This was exactly the situation Ian hated. And yet, he surely knew there was no avoiding it.

Clink—

After letting out a brief sigh, Ian hopped down from the saddle. Turning his back to the black horse, he swept his gaze across the area once more before he finally said, "As you can see, I’m back."

That single sentence was enough to unleash the cheers that the barbarian warriors had been holding back.